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Mar092015

#13 Greatest Video Game of All Time

Look at us, we’re on a roll! One week back to back already! Let’s see if we can keep this up. 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 #13! These are the ones you’ve missed so  far: #25, #24,#23, #22, #21, #20 #19, #18, #17, #16, #15, and #14. Let’s hit it.

Kai – Goldeneye 007 – The only game on this list that I never actually owned (no N64), Goldeneye is an amazing game that I played at every one of my friends’ houses.  It’s a first-person shooter based on the Bond movie and is one of the best movie to game conversions ever made.

The single-player is really well done, with complex level design and objectives that scale with difficulty.  As good as that was, the multiplayer was even better, with insane tension and battles.  I’ve never played more splitscreen multiplayer of anything, even Mario Kart.  My friends and I would always load up license to kill (one-shot kills) and proximity mines.  It truly revolutionized multiplayer shooters going forward and is still a lot of fun.
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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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Dec112014

Who is Team Botan? Cafe Go-Go App Review

The last thing the world needs is one more app like every other. How many times have you heard yourself saying “if I get one more Candy Crush invite I swear I’m going to…” Nevertheless, we can’t help but check the app store, see what’s new, what’s cool, and what’s fun. Today, there is a new kid on the block that is looking to make its own unique impact on the market. It’s bringing back the enjoyment factor, but instead of telling you about it from our point of view… here’s one of the founding members and a Producer of Team Botan, Scott Polhemus (part of our video game brain trust), in an EXCLUSIVE Hungry & Fit interview!

First, a brief word about the game. Cafe Go-Go is a brand new app/game where the user plays as a worker taking orders at a cafe. As the orders come in, the barista must press the corresponding pictures for the items in the proper order. The faster you put a complete and accurate order in, the more points you get. It’s a game that is all about reaction time, hand-eye coordination, and focusing. 

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Hungry: We downloaded Cafe Go-Go and played it for a bit. It’s a fun game that’s easy to pick up and play. What were you trying to achieve by creating this app?
 
Scott: Our hope was to produce an original game based on the classic, coin-op arcade games we grew up loving. We wanted it to have a charming, retro look — and for the gameplay to be simple & accessible so anyone could pick up and play while on-the-go (or killing time on a train or in line).
 
Hungry: What exactly makes Cafe Go-Go different from the million others apps on the market?
 
Scott: Well, for starters, we didn’t build it to fulfill some sort of licensing gimmick or “sequelitis” sort of situation. Simply, three of us came together and felt it’d be cool if we could put a game together. After a few months of crazed development, we actually succeeded and released Cafe Go-Go.
 
So, what makes it different? Well, sure, we want it to sell, because it would be amazing if we could do this full-time (we all work day jobs, and this was sort of a moonlit labor of love)…but, we weren’t too keen on the philosophy of “pump-out-n-profit” that a significant number of apps these days adhere to. So, we tried our best to create a game with a charming atmosphere, and a healthy dose of challenge tossed in. 
 
It’s our take on an age-old gaming concept, the ol’ time-based puzzler. We believe its worth & value are immediately apparent from its careful sprite-work to the featured SFX and music produced by our friend, Jack Vanoudenaren (better known as ABSRDST). Simply, that it’s a labor of love from three friends — and we hope the rest of the world shares in the fun.
 
Hungry: As Hungry & Fit, we’re always focused on the health benefits of activities. What does Cafe Go-Go contribute to a healthier lifestyle?
 
Scott: If you boot up a quick round of Cafe Go-Go right after waking, it’s a sure-fire way to get your brain going. Of course, no game can compete with the health benefits of going for a run outside, but if you can keep a round of Cafe Go-Go going for over 15 minutes, you’re sure to challenge your mental stamina, as well as your heart rate. Granted, I might just be an out-of-shape fatboy, but, I’ve played a couple rounds that lasted over an hour, and I’d managed to work up a sweat and profound thirst. That was probably the nerdiest sentence I’ve ever said.
 
Hungry: It seems like a good way to pass time while on a piece of cardio equipment. How much mental stimulation does it offer?
 
Scott: When you really start rolling, and string orders together in rapid succession, you can feel your concentration reaching higher levels, and before long your fingers work in tandem with the order commands your eyes perceive. Throw in the tip & time bonuses that float across the screen every so often, and you add a whole new layer of concentration and adaptability that challenges the mind.
 
Hungry: What can we expect next from the company that brought us Cafe Go-Go?
 
Scott: We’ve got a few projects in the tank currently. One won’t see the light of day until we (hopefully) secure serious funding. The other two, well, it’ll come down to what Team Botan’s brainchild (and programmer extraordinaire), Anthony Delia, feels like tackling first. He’s been storyboarding an idea recently, which I already believe should be our next baby.
 
Frankly, we just hope to make games with a fine blend of challenge & charm. 
The kind of games that’ll have you sometimes gritting your teeth, but always smiling.
 
Hungry: If Hungry & Fit decided to make an app, would Team Botan be up for the challenge?
 
Scott: Of course! But, you better find your way to the top of our Leader Boards for Cafe Go-Go! 
 
Right now, the score to beat is: 32,242,000
 
Think you can beat it?
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And there you have it! Team Botan is to the point and looking to bring something new without breaking your bank account! No tricks, no schemes… just fun from some guys that obviously do this out of a love for gaming, not profiting. Still, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind making some money to help fund their newest projects in development that Scott gave us a heads up into! You can check them out on Twitter or purchase the Cafe Go-Go app in the app store! 
 
And let us know what kind of app you’d want to see from Hungry & Fit? Exercise routines for different populations? Nutritional plans? Comment below! And as always..stay hungry and fit! 
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Nov242014

#16 Greatest Video Game of All Time

We apologize for the short break in between our countdown, but we just had to post about the huge video game releases last week! And yes we’ve been playing Dragon Age Inquisiton non-stop since then. We are now back and at ’em with #16 Greatest Video Game of All Time brought to you by the video game brain trust. If you aren’t familiar with this countdown, it’s basically a top 25 list of our most favorite video games! Check back to see the ones you’ve missed so far: #25, #24, #23, #22, #21, #20 #19, #18, and #17. As in Mario’s style, here we gOOooooo! 

Kai – Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear- Rainbow Six is a tactical shooter FPS, a much more realistic FPS than games like Half-life or Doom.  You play as the leader of a top-secret international anti-terrorism force.  The first part of the mission is planning, where you decide exactly which of your personnel are joining you on your mission and how exactly they’ll be deployed and move during the mission.  Then you (attempt to) execute your plan, where anything that can go wrong often will.

The gameplay is very rapid and dangerous, with one or two shots disabling or killing enemies or friendlies.  The engine doesn’t really hold up to modern standards, but I had a great time sniping, clearing doors, and coordinating different teams to execute the mission plan.  It’s one of the few games I’ve beat on multiple difficulty levels, although I haven’t tried any of the newer editions.  I really enjoyed Rainbow Six’s realism and it still shines through today.
 
 
Po – Gunstar Heroes – Look no further for epic co-op action. Great for drinking. Great for hangovers. A collegiate classic.
 
 
Andrew- Fable (series) – Fable is kind of looked down on for not delivering as much as it promised, but it still succeeded in giving the illusion of free design. The original game touted the idea that you’d be able to watch any tree grow from a sapling into a beautiful full tree and that you’d be able to have children and have them aid you/possibly carry on the quest…some of those things (it was the tree one) was answered finally in the 3rd game when you were able to chose how to condemn or save certain areas.  Regardless of that, the first game had the best feel to it and maintained an almost Legend of Zelda meets Quest 64 feel to it. The music for the entire series was stunning, the upgrade system was balanced, but there was no difficulty to the game at all. When it came out I had friends who were dying/struggling at certain parts and I just responded with “you can die?”. I haven’t played the newest Kinect equipped one on Xbox 360 and don’t intend on playing on future ones in the series because I think that co-op is too far a departure for the series and that it should go back to its roots. The 2nd and 3rd games were not necessarily anything special (great storylines – sacrifice being a general theme in the series) but they all utilized choice and passage of time to make the player feel like their choices had even bigger impacts than single lives.    
 
 
Fit – Indiana Jones (LucasArts old series) — Ahh, the memories! You’re going to see many LucasArts games on my list (and already have), and this is one of them. LucasArts just has absolutely spot-on writing and is just so darn funny.  I’m not talking about the newer series with nicer graphics, I’m talking old school. Again, the memories playing with my brother are what brings this game to #16 for me. It comes all down to a deep mind and a sharp eye with this game. These Indiana Jones games were not easy. However, they were full of humor (“Don’t ask”) that made us chuckle along with its awful graphics. 
 
I think what made this game great for us was the depth of the game. You could play this game for hours and hours, trying to solve puzzles and mysteries in order to move the plot along. For such an old game, it was absolutely captivating and tons of fun. It was also great for the mind. You really had to put two and two together and be creative to make things work. I love that there were many different options, that you had the ability to put stuff in your inventory together, and that it wasn’t just a mindless computer game. I still look on to this game with a great fondness and I wonder if my brother would be down to do another play-through with me like old times. 
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Hungry- Dragon Age: Origins (PC) – What perfect timing! Dragon Age Inquisition was just released, I’m a solid twenty hours into it, and Origins jumps onto the list. I already know that I won’t like Inquisition as much as 2, which I didn’t like as much as Origins. It was the first game in the series, but the most complete for me. The story was amazing, the characters were extremely well-developed, it had tons of choices but kept you focused on your quests, and the controls were more than adequate. The Hero of Ferelden, the Gray Warden Commander, will always be Thedas’ greatest hero in my book. The DLCs were great and created MY perfect ending, while leaving a HUGE sequel opportunity open. I can’t say enough about this game and I liked it so much more than the others, which I also really enjoy (top 50 for sure), that it made my enter it on the list as a non-series entry, but rather by the lone game. Those characters, those romances, all those options!
 
 
That brings us to #15 for next time! I can’t believe we are ten down already. I’m always interested to see what everyone puts down and also what you guys think as well! Feel free to comment below. As always…stay hungry and fit!
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Nov172014

Dragon Age: Inquisition, Pokemon: Sapphire Release and MORE!

We planned on releasing everyone in the Video Game Brain Trust’s sixteenth favorite game of all time. That is, of course, until we took a day off from working and realized what is happening this week. We’ve been working so much lately that we lost track of time and video game release dates. BUT this week is HUGE. I can’t remember a release date this huge in terms of multiple solid releases, as opposed to one or two blockbusters. So, without any delay, here is what we are excited for this week. 

1. Dragon Age Inquisition: Fit has every game in the series and DLC for PC. Hungry has all of the above for PS3. We have both completed every part of the series so far and are absolutely in love with Bioware‘s RPGs. We’ve been waiting for this release for years and despite some unfortunate news of things that will NOT be included in this version, and the main character, we can’t wait to put at least eighty hours into this in the first month of release. We’ll be getting it on PC the moment it is released when the clock turns Tuesday. (Pre-ordered and instant download.)

2. Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor: Yes, I know it was released weeks ago BUT not for PS3 and Hungry loves his PS3. He looks forward to getting it immediately and running through the PS3 version. Another Tuesday release that will most likely be picked up Target on Tuesday. 

3. Pokemon Alpha Sapphire: Sorry Omega Red, but Hungry plays favorites and chose Blue in 1995 so you had little to no chance. Anything on the 3DS is a win-win since it can be played anywhere. I love portable gaming, especially with a few flights and long car rides coming up for Thanksgiving travel. Perfect timing Nintendo. After being at Target before the doors opened for the release of Black 2 in 2012 and X in 2013, you know where I will be Friday morning.

4. Grand Theft Auto V: Again, we all know that this game was release years ago, BUT not on the newest generation of consoles. Everyone is looking forward to replaying it with smoother controls, faster speed, and cleaner graphics. Not to mention the effects that the Dualshock 4 will have on it, as Sony has boasted about recently. Another Tuesday release that will sell plenty.

5. Super Smash Bros: I sound like a broken record but for anyone that doesn’t own a 3DS or enjoy handheld gaming, the release on Wii U will be huge… for anyone with a Wii U. Super Smash has been one of the most popular series in gaming since its initial launch on N64 and any addition or release on a new platform will make an impact in competitive gaming and Nintendo’s standing in the industry. Buy it on Friday.

6. Far Cry 4: I know what you’re thinking, how did this fall so far down the list? Well, honestly, we aren’t big on Far Cry but we know that a lot of you are and while we won’t be getting this one, watch positive reviews pour in as sales numbers grow rapidly. Tuesday for anyone interested in an amazing new first person shooter.

7. LittleBigPlanet 3: Another one that doesn’t mean a whole lot for us, but is probably one of the best releases of the week. Available for PS3 and PS4, all DLCs from the first two games are transferable and this game will be the first in the series with live voice actors. Available on Tuesday, this entry will surely be well received by critics and hopefully by fans as well.

8. Escape Dead Island: The first Dead Island spin-off, releasing on PS3 and 360, this game will be far from the original. The beta was not too well received but the ability to unravel the origin of the zombie outbreak will have fans of the series playing through to find out exactly what happened. It’s a release worth mentioning. 

9. WWE 2K15:  Already released for PS3 and 360, there’s nothing special about the new generation release of this annual wrestling institution. With a large number of match types missing, that were available in past versions, this game isn’t the most popular in the series. Still, die-hard professional wrestling fans with PS4 and One will be sure to pick this one up for the cleaner graphics. Not the most exciting, but good to know about for some.

10. Watch Dogs: It was one of the most loved games by the video gaming fan community in recent years. Now you can play it on Wii U. It’s not revolutionary to the industry, but this is a big deal to some people who never got to experience it.

No offense to anything that didn’t make the cut, but I wanted to keep it to 10. Try not to rip me apart fans of Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F 2nd. The first release for PS3 was definitely a great addition to the music and rhythm genre, but this applies to a very small demographic. As always, stay hungry and fit!

*Question of the Day: Which of these games are YOU most excited about?

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Nov032014

#17 Greatest Video Game of All Time

We are battling our way through the teens of the greatest video games of all time–according to us, of course! This has been a lengthy project brought to you by the video game brain trust. As an overview, it’s a group of five of us who put a list of our favorite 25 video games of all time. I know, pretty fun, huh? If you missed these, check them out: #25, #24, #23, #22, #21, #20 #19, and #18. Let us know what you think in the comments!

Kai – Mario Kart series–  For those who haven’t heard of Mario Kart, it’s a casual racing game with 8 iterations.  You race in a fantasy location as one of the Nintendo characters, picking up items and shooting them at fellow racers to get ahead.  It’s one of my favorite split-screen multiplayer games, easy to learn but competitive.  Each race is short, making it easy to let new people rotate in and play, so it also makes a fun party game.

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Po – Toejam & Earl 2: Panic on Funkotron- The ultimate co-op chill sesh. Couple this with gunstar heroes and you’ve got the most balanced co-op gaming session on your hands.

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Andrew – Mass Effect (Series) – [SPOILER ALERT FOR MASS EFFECT] “I’m Commander Shepard and this is my favorite entry on this list”. The game is legend. From the start of the series you have the Normandy, which is an absolute beast ship that you have to upgrade in order to make it through some suicide missions and save some of your friends lives. You have the beautiful intertwining plotlines that BioWare is fantastic at. The visuals are fantastic. Legion is fantastic. Thane is fantastic. Seth Green is fantastic. Mass Effect 3 came out the week of my birthday and my 360 had just broken so I just had to auto-buy a new one. Had to be done (like when the new Zelda and/or Metroid games come out, must auto-buy a Wii U) I romance Liara 100/100 times throughout all 3 games and am devastated every time Legion gives his life. You’ll see some BioWare games higher up on the list, Mass Effect is lower because – 1) some of the games are better 2) Mass Effect 3 had a bad ending. The lack of companion explanations killed it a lot. The fact that it was overall bad killed it a lot. 1st ending, 2nd ending…didn’t really matter, they were overall bad. 

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Fit – Call of Duty (1 and 2)– Call of Dutyyyyyyy! This is a long-time favorite. And I say 1 and 2 because I like the World War II Call of Duty, not this present day nonsense. My list is all about the memories that games bring me and Call of Duty is FULL of them. I really mean that. From pulling all nighters with my brother and friends, to pistol battles, to sniper wars, this game has provided hundreds of hours of fun and bonding time. It is such a fantastic game to play with others and have amazing fun. We would always all play in the same room and either go at each other or team up and try to beat the other team. It was always a blast. The game is a lot of fun–I was always a Kar98k gun kind of girl–a faster version of a sniper rifle. I would be patient with my prey, be silent in my positioning, and take them down! I’m a big believer in defense, so that’s what I always did in Capture the Flag games. 
 
This game gets a respectable place on my list due to its replayable-ness and being a great social game. I can’t count how many good memories I’ve had with this game.

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Hungry – The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (PS3) – Oh man. Impending RANT. This was a pure gut instinct, change my list last moment kind of decision. There were a few games that were originally listed in a worse position that will now be higher because of my general frustration with the PS3 release, so this is very subjective. Another Elder Scrolls game, which I will not name yet, will appear VERY high on my list. Having experienced years and years of Elder Scrolls, my expectations for Skyrim were through the roof. The trailers were skin tingling and bone chilling. One of my favorite series ever plus dragons? It’s like a dream for me.

Unfortunately, Bethesda and Sony decided to not play nice and the fans suffered. It started well… we were there for the midnight launch, got the game and played immediately. I bought the game November 11th, 2011 and by mid December, 2011 I had piled up 284 hours of gameplay. The two main quests were completed and nearly every side quest that didn’t have a bug that wasn’t patched had been finished. I had every home, explored every cave, had almost every skill at 100 (except Illusion and Alteration), was at a very high level, had all the shouts, etc. The game was 99% done. I really actually enjoyed it a lot aside from the few minor glitches.

And then THE EXPANSIONS DID NOT COME OUT FOR PLAYSTATION. If they never made them, Skyrim would be VERY high on this list as well. Unfortunately, I downloaded all of them when they were released for PS3 at the same time and it actually corrupted my main file to the point I couldn’t even play it after deleting the DLCs and Sony couldn’t help me fix the problem. Well, to this day, I haven’t really played Skyrim since December 2011, they haven’t fixed my problem, and I might eventually start a new file on the PC, when I get time. It was just so disappointing and the game had so much potential for me. If that whole fiasco with Sony and Bethesda only never happened and the DLC came out on time without bugs… I can only imagine how high Skyrim would be on this list. But that’s just me. Those first 284 hours were magic though, pure magic strong enough to save this game’s place on this list and I am sure I don’t need to tell you why! FUS RO DAH!

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That sums up our #17 greatest video games of all time! We hope you enjoyed reading as much as we enjoyed writing. Be sure to be on the look out for #16. We are sneaking closer to our top 10! Have a wonderful Monday and as always, stay hungry and fit!

BONUS KITTY PIC

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Oct132014

#18 Greatest Video Game of All Time

Here comes #18, slowly winding down our Top 25 Greatest Video Games of All Time! This is something we try to do every week or at least every other week. If you aren’t familiar with our video game trust, check them out here. Also if you missed any of the other posts in this series, feel free to check out each one: #25, #24, #23, #22, #21, #20, and #19! Alright, enough of me talking, let’s get into the games!

Kai- Day of Defeat – One of the most successful mods for Half-life, Day of Defeat was a World War II team-style multiplayer FPS.  It came out before Call of Duty (which was also a World War II shooter at the time), but was similarly inspired by Saving Private Ryan.  It didn’t have any single-player, but was a lot of fun (especially compared to the less forgiving Counter Strike).  I spent many days playing with my family and friends, and it definitely got me hooked on multiplayer FPS games.  A great illustration of the power of mods in PC Gaming and still a title worth playing every now and then. 

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Po – Mario Kart 64 – The classic racer. 4-player local multiplayer at its best. It’s potential as a drinking game is a dangerous reality.

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Andrew- Jet Force Gemini (N64) – Juno, Vela, and Lupus…kinda seems like an odd ball entrant here (even to me) …it would just one of the really first games that I appreciated the upgrades and the passage of time in (both the in-game abilities and the aesthetic aspects). It’s not exactly a sandbox game but it kinda has a lot of fun sandbox gamey weapons in it. Loved it because me and Hungry could play co-op together (non-split screen…he would play the robot character that hovered next to you). In all honestly, I’ve never even beaten this game and after writing this, I may have to re-visit it. This game is regarded as one of the most original N64 titles, it was by Rare (which was almost always a plus), but often takes flak because in order to beat the game you have to save every Tribal from every planet (I’m one short…I’ve been one short for a very long time despite re-playing the level). 

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Fit – Sid Meier’s Pirates! – Being a long-time fan of Sid Meier’s games and also pirates in general, diving into this game was a no-brainer. Pirates! is based on a very old game, but has freshened itself up with gameplay that just keeps you coming. You start out as a lowly pirate with a small crew and a quest for revenge against the man who kidnapped your family. You pick out your difficulty, time period, starting nationality, and your best skill (swordfighting, romance, navigating, etc.). Then, the game is really up to you. You can ally with different nations or go totally rogue and totally pirate. You can be honorable, noble and win the Governor’s daughter’s heart, or you can sink every ship you come across.

Of course, there’s more substance to it than that. There are quests that you come across in rumors in the towns about your long-lost family. There are treasure maps, pirates like Blackbeard to take down, and so forth. I’ve come back to this game so many times I’ve lost count. My favorite way to play is getting a good-sized, but fast ship and stealing what I can. There are, of course, negatives to the game such as that it gets repetitive and land combat is somewhat elementary, but the positives far outweigh the negatives. If the smell of the sea draws you in and you’re looking for easy-going, fun game, Sid Meier’s Pirates! is the one for you. 

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Hungry – Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic (PC-2003) – I will be the first one to put this on my list, but not the last. (I bet you this will crack a FEW Top 5s…) Nevertheless, this amazing Bioware RPG was an epic contribution not only to the Star Wars Universe, but also to the amount of choices that a player could make. This led the way for other series like it (two might appear higher on my list) and allowed players to use amazing force powers with customization options that were unparalleled in other Star Wars games. I definitely preferred being Darth Revan rather than “Jedi Exile” although KOTOR II would surely fall in my top 50 list. It’s one of those games every person has to play at some point, Star Wars fan or not. Part of me wants to put the game higher because it was just that good, really almost a perfect 40/40 for myself, but there was just something that didn’t connect the game for me. It could have been the open-ended nature of the ending, but that’s personal. So many good memories associated with this game. I wish it was twice the length, or three times. This was my worst written entry yet because there is just too much to say about this franchise. Yep, a loss of words.

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That takes care of that for our #18 Greatest Video Game of All Time. I wonder what #17 will hold in store. These are always full of surprises for us and our audience. Keep doing what you love and, as always, stay hungry and fit!

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Sep222014

#19 Greatest Video Game of All Time

Finally! We have broken the twenties, and now climb down to reveal the teens of the Greatest Video Game of All Countdown! Welcome to #19! If you don’t remember our video game brain trust, please click here to freshen up. Ladies and gents, this is going to be a fun one! Please click respectively if you haven’t read our previous game reveals: #25, #24, #23, #22, #21, and #20. I hope you enjoy reading as much as we enjoyed revealing the #19 Greatest Video Game of All Time!

Kai — Team Fortress 2 — One of my favorite multiplayer games, Team Fortress 2 is a fun role-based shooter.  There are 9 classes: Scout, Soldier, Pyro, Demoman, Heavy, Engineer, Medic, Sniper, and Spy, each with very different play styles and goals.  There tons of different maps and map types, from Capture the Flag to King of the Hill to Robot Destruction.

There’s no story, no real characters, just great game mechanics and lots of fun.  There’s also a whole set of customization pieces that you can unlock, which brings in revenue for the developers at Valve (since the game is free).  There’s very little frustration and the community is much better than any other I’ve participated in.  Overall, it’s a great FPS to blow off steam after work or on a boring afternoon.

Po – The Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker —Beautiful. In & out. Beautiful.

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Andrew — Starcraft – What would you ask of me? Starcraft is really the game that made RTS’s (and Blizzard) so popular (we could argue Warcraft II – I mean it did have turtle submarines in it) but SC was just so polished for the time. Fenix, Tassadar, Artanis all day Executor. I preferred Protoss (obviously) and was very fond of a strong defense while I rushed a carrier army (airforce?) in order to crush my foes. Mutalisks and Lurkers were super fun too on the Zerg side, and Jim Raynor was a war hero time and time again. (Confession: I haven’t played SC2 yet, I plan on waiting for it all to come out before I run through it). 

Also, I was super into level building and had more than a few which were just overly indulgent in favor of me destroying stuff.
 

Fit — Mario Kart — For this one, I’m simply naming the series. What a fantastic, family-fun-filled game that has the replay value that is invaluable. I believe I first started playing on Nintendo 64–many many hours of it. Then on Gamecube, the fun continued. I loved the different modes, racing, battle, and so forth. I loved the variety of all the different maps. I have tons of fond memories sitting beside friends and family, trying to blow up their balloons or staying on the Rainbow Road track. It was always a bout of fun with Mario Kart–rarely did it ever end up in frustration. It’s a classic that will always be a classic you can play over and over. Great for groups! (Great, now I have the Rainbow Road track song stuck in my head)

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Hungry – Starcraft – PC (1998) — Starcraft most definitely earns its place on this list if only for the insane amount of hours I contributed to the campaign and Battle.net for nearly half a decade. It’s also one of the only games that I ever played at any competitive level and most certainly one of the only games that I was ever ranked within the top 100 in the world at some point. The story was better than it needed to be for the way it appealed to the masses; I know loads of people who never even opened the campaign mode. This game was also crucial in Blizzard’s growth and I appreciate many things that have contributed to the success of a cornerstone in the video gaming industry. 

Gameplay could be fast or slow-paced depending on the mode and difficulty, the characters had some personality and development, the graphics and soundtrack were well-developed for the time, and it was a game that could be played by yourself or with your friends. The Battle.net was also relatively well-organized and the ranking systems definitely helped players become more enthused and competitive. But what is the crowning reason the game finds its way on the list: Fenix’s and Raynor’s cutscenes. Raynor was the man and Fenix is one of my favorite video game characters of ALL TIME. I fear not death.

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We were waiting until someone had the same game at the same point in their list! Awesome! Remember that none of us see each other’s video game reveal until the time it is posted, so it’s just as much of a surprise for us as it is for you. I hope this starts you off on a nostalgic yet fun note for your Monday and for your week! And as always, stay hungry and fit!

BONUS PUPPY PIC

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Sep082014

The Sims 4 Review

It’s finally here! Sims 4! A game series I’ve been playing for a very long time. I had expected it to come out in December, but it came out just a week ago! I got the Pre-Order so I was able to play it at 9pm, Monday, September 1st! I was incredibly excited, though somewhat wary of some of the features they took out. I tried to enter the game with a giddy, but open mind. Here is my Sims 4 review:

First things first, loading times have been reduced dramatically. It was so nice, it was a quick “Reticulating Spines” (of course) loading page and then no other loading times (pretty much)! Sometimes, I would have to wait for five to ten minutes just to start playing! In the world of I-need-it-now, the lack of loading times is excellent! I get to Create-a-Sim and it’s very different. No longer are there the aspirations that we are used to, nor the way we have shaped our Sims in the past. It’s very new. Instead of using sliders to create your Sim, you simply drag and pull at your Sims body. Want a longer nose? Grab it and pull! Want to give your Sim a beer belly? Pull it out! Although it’s new, it’s a pretty cool way to create your Sim. There’s all sorts of great clothing options, hairstyles, make-up, tattoos, and more. It’s a great way for new players to dive in.

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There’s also a different trait system. Back in Sims 3, you would construct your Sims’ personality and then it would suggest different aspirations such as become an astronaut, become master of evil, collect 15 perfect fish, etc. This one gives you about 8 or so choices of broad categories such as “Love,” “Fortune,” “Nature,” and so on and so forth. And within that category you pick, you choose a more specific option. For example, if I picked “Love,” it would either be to find a soulmate or be a “serial” dater. And then after that, you can pick 3 personality traits such as Athletic, Lazy, Bookworm, and so forth. 

After creating a single female with a thing for money and socialization, I was ready to jump in! I moved her into a pre-built house (as I always do–I was never one to build houses unlike some of my friends) and got started. It was very different from the previous Sims. The build mode is completely different. There were slight things that made a big change, such as instead of turning with the mouse to rotate objects, you now use the right mouse button and such like that. After eventually learning all the tools and how to put what furniture I wanted in, I started to play. 

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The gameplay, at first, is different from the former games. It’s actually “harder” than the other ones. With Sims 3 and previous games, it was easy for me to advance my Sim and do whatever I wanted. In this game, they’ve brought elements of the first Sims back and made it more difficult to achieve things. I like this! It gives me more of a challenge which I enjoy. The big new thing about this game is that Sims now have moods that significantly affect the game. Before other things like relationships, jobs, and aspirations would create the “wants” for your Sims–and they still do to some degree. However, now, the mood of your Sim has a huge impact on what their “wants” are. I’ve found them to be slightly repetitive, but not too much that it makes it boring. The different moods (from Energized to Flirty to Bored to Inspired) affect how you do certain activities and how you perform at work and school. It’s fun that it makes an impact on the game. Yet another element to keep challenging you. 

I’ve gone through one generation so far, had a kid, got married, and so forth. I’m really enjoying the game. Overall, this Sims game has the steepest learning curve. It’s not huge, but substantial compared to the previous game. It’s definitely more challenging and the Sims’ lives go by that faster because of the harder difficulty as you’re trying to advance their career or whatnot. I like that. Sometimes in previous games, I would get bored because it would be so easy to do well. Not anymore! They’ve taken out things like ghosts and toddlers, and at first I was upset, but it really hasn’t been that big of a deal so far.I’m probably most displeased with the lack of traditional career options. There used to be a core career selection such as Medical, Science, Athletics, Military, and so forth. They’ve taken these out (wrongly, in my opinion) to add in Comedian, Space Cowboy, and other random careers. Probably my biggest nitpick of the game so far. 

Overall, I am liking the game, so Sims 4 gets a thumbs up from Hungry and Fit. I still have a lot to play and a lot to experience, but I believe that this new game is on the right track. As always, stay hungry and fit!

Question of the Day: Have you played the Sims 4 yet? What do you think?
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