CaptainD's PC Gaming Blog

Tales of Monkey Island

noreply@blogger.com (CaptainD) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:55:00 +0000

Not ready to review it quite yet, but a few things you'll want to know about the first episode of Tales of Monkey Island by TellTale Games (in association with LucasArts):

The humour and spirit of the previous Monkey Island games is captured very well

Guybrush and Elaine's relationship has softened rather - Elaine even seems to quite like her husband now

There are some good puzzles, and definitely not all easy ones

It looks very nice with a distinctive style that works very well (although the camera angles sometimes get a bit awkward)

Overall verdict; definitely a big thumbs up!

CaptainD - PC Gaming Blog

First Impression - Tales of Monkey Island Episode 1

noreply@blogger.com (CaptainD) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 15:17:00 +0000

I can't say much at all since there's a press embargo at the moment, but having played a bit of Tales of Monkey Island, I can say with confidence that fans of the series won't be disappointed.

Will try to get a full review done in time for 7th July, when the embargo is lifted...

See also:

New Screenshots and Gameplay Trailer from Tales of Monkey Island
TellTale Games Design Director Dave Grossman talks about Tales of Monkey Island
Tales of Monkey Island - Official Trailer
Screenshots from the forthcoming "Tales of Monkey Island"
Press Release from LucasArts / TellTale Games

CaptainD - PC Gaming Blog

PC Game Review - New Star Soccer 4

noreply@blogger.com (CaptainD) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 13:08:00 +0000

New Star Soccer 4 charts the career of a footie player, from the earliest days playing in the non-league right through to (hopefully) domestic and international glory. There are so many countries and leagues available that I won’t even bother trying to list them, and you can have the game generate results for all of them – be warned though that this will result in long delays throughout the game. Most people will, I suspect, just stick to one or two leagues, and start playing in their own country’s minor leagues.

Don’t expect instant success – the game is tough, and it takes a long time for your player’s stats to build up significantly. NSS4 is basically split into two parts – player management, where you decide on training and personal matters (with some training mini-games), and the matches themselves. The management part of the game is nicely developed with some interesting options (and a few surprises). The game does include some seedier aspects of football life such as alcohol, gambling and drugs; these can have both positive and negative effects, and if you’re unhappy with the options you can always ignore them. It all adds to a little more interest in the game and a bit more variety. You also manage your finances and lifestyle, which affects other aspects of the game.

One of the key elements of the game is managing your player’s relationships with others; your boss, teammates, supporters, friends, family, girlfriend (if you have one) and media. This can be done by spending time with them or praising them, and by how you deal with various random events in the game, and all effect your overall confidence level. Again, this part of the game is well envisaged and makes the game more interesting.

In the matches themselves you play your role and try to prove the manager right for including you in the starting line-up. If your performances have failed to impress or your energy is too low, you may be left on the bench or even dropped completely from the team. In many ways the balance between realism and playability, which usually goes in favour of realism, is both a positive and negative point for the game. For example, you might come on as a substitute with only a couple of minutes left – you’re hardly likely to have any kind of impact on the game, perhaps not even getting a touch of the ball. Even if you start a match, if your team is getting whopped you can end up feeling very isolated on the pitch. It’s not easy to score (I’ve only managed twice in 2 and a bit seasons, despite playing as an attacking midfielder!), and the ratings you get for your performances sometimes seem a little harsh. Admittedly I was playing at a disadvantage having to use the keyboard controls – the game strongly recommends using a joystick but unfortunately I don’t have one at the moment (at least, not one that will work under Vista). The difficulty keeps you coming back though – you always feel that you could have done better, want to prove the boss wrong if he drops you, want to do well for your team, etc. When you do have a good match or score a goal, it’s really quite rewarding because you’ve had to work for it so far.

The game engine itself is quite good, player graphics and animation look good (albeit the animations seem a touch on the slow side); weather effects are well implemented and genuinely affect the way the ball moves, and the action looks reasonably realistic. After a while you tend to notice the same patterns repeating themselves in the action, particularly the set pieces, but it’s not too distracting. The stadium graphics are a little basic but this doesn’t affect the gameplay so it’s not really an issue. Overall the game looks good and sounds great, with a samba-rhythm in the background when you’re using the menu screens and good sound effects in-match. Te players sometimes do rather baffling things but in general their actions are quite realistic, and the rules are well implemented apart from the offside rule being rather harsh and penalties often being given when the challenge definitely looked like it was just outside the box.

The game seems to have a few stability issues running under 64-bit Vista, I’ve had quite a few crashes. From the game forum I’ve not noticed too many other people complaining of this so I’m assuming the issue is mainly related to Vista and possibly specific to Vista 64-bit.

Overall New Star Soccer 4 is a very complete football career simulation. It’s difficulty level is a little rough, and some people could be put off by this (though probably just as many others appreciate it not being too easy). There can be a fair amount of waiting between matches as the game calculates a myriad scores in other leagues, but other footie management games have the same problem.

I’m going to give NSS4 a rating of 7/10; I think it’s a very good game but many people will probably never get into it enough to appreciate just how good it is. Sometimes it can be more frustrating than enjoyable, but if you enjoy a challenge and like footie games, I’d definitely recommend it to you.

For more info, to download the demo version or buy the full version, visit http://www.newstargames.com/nss4.html

CaptainD - PC Gaming Blog

New Screenshots and Gameplay Trailer from Tales of Monkey Island

noreply@blogger.com (CaptainD) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:54:00 +0000

As if we weren't already excited enough about TellTale's upcoming Monkey Island games, here are some more screenshots for you:

June Visitor Stats

noreply@blogger.com (CaptainD) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:10:00 +0000

3,368 visits
3,164 absolute unique visitors
4,540 page views

May's stats:

2,762 Visits
2,534 Absolute Unique Visitors
3,842 Page Views

April stats:

2,489 Visits
2,214 Absolute Unique Visitors
4,193 Pageviews

It would be nice to break the 5,000 page view barrier in July, and also get more views/visitor - and more returning visitors. Will try to keep adding good content to bring the visitors here, if there's anything you'd particularly like to see more (or less!) of then please leave a comment and I'll try to accommodate your preferences!

CaptainD - PC Gaming Blog

PC Game Review - Wallace & Gromit Grand Adventures Episode Three: Muzzled!

noreply@blogger.com (CaptainD) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:36:00 +0000

Muzzled! is the third episode in the Wallace & Gromit: Grand Adventures series by TellTale Games. The games are 3D third-person adventure games featuring the famous claymation characters, with the player controlling either shrewd mutt Gromit or absent-minded inventor Wallace at different points in the game. Control is via keyboard and mouse, though the keyboard can be used on its own. The method I (and most people, I would think) prefer is using the keyboard to move the characters around, and the mouse for item selection and inventory management. Though this method did grate on the nerves a little at first, I'm quite used to it now and find it quite satisfactory. (If this is the first episode you play though, expect a bit of annoyance at first.) There is a tutorial which is quite annoying but does help you get used to the interface.

The plot is typical hare-brained madness... a newcomer by the name of Monty Muzzle visits town. A smooth talker and instant hit with most of the locals, he's aiming to set up a dog shelter for the local lost mutts in the area, hosting a funfair to raise the funs. Though all the humans seem to be taken in by him, Gromit soon smells a rat... but will he be able to prove that Monty Muzzle is not the man everyone thinks he is?

The graphics are good, with characters and sets that look like they could have come straight out of one of the films. Wallace and Gromit are both portrayed well, though Gromit narrows his eyes more and rolls them less than in the films. Ben Whitehead does a very creditable job of voicing Wallace (he's the official Aardman Animations stand-in for Peter Salis), and all the rest of the voice cast do a good job as well. There are some fun sound effects and a lively music score to help proceedings along. Aesthetically it's very pleasing if not amazing.

The puzzles involve talking to people and using various objects on things to achieve the desired result, as with all adventure games. There are some decent puzzles in Muzzled!, but the game's biggest problem is that it's far too easy. With a very limited number of locations, characters and objects there are not a huge number of combinations of things to try; in addition the dialogue contains a lot of clues, perhaps too many, as to what you need to do next. (This is with the hint system turned off completely, in case you wondered.) Coupled with the fact that it's an episode rather than a full-length game and you don't end up with much playing time - I'd be very surprised if it took anyone more than 2 hours to complete, and to be honest I can't think of any puzzles that too me more than a minute or two to solve.

Having said that, while there's not much to this game, it's still very enjoyable. The combination of good aesthetics, a simple but engaging plot and lots of humour make it a very agreeable couple of hours. Unfortunately this type of game has very limited replay value. It really comes down to whether you think nine dollars (just over a fiver in British money) is worth paying for a game that you'll complete in a couple of hours. Since it is very enjoyable I'd say yes... just about. Normally speaking I'd expect much more game play from any game, even a cheap one. Oh, and the ending is very funny - setting up an intriguing season finisher in episode 4 when it comes out.

System Requirements:
Operating system: Windows XP / Vista (Vista64 unsupported)
Processor: 2.0 GHz or better (3 GHz Pentium 4 or equivalent recommended)
Memory: 512MB (1GB recommended)
Video: 64MB DirectX 8.1-compliant video card (128MB recommended)
Sound: DirectX 8.1 sound device
DirectX®: Version 9.0c or better

Well, those are the official system specs - but I ran it on Vista 64-bit and had absolutely no problems with it!

Related Reviews

Wallace & Gromit Grand Adventures Episode One: Fright of the Bumble Bees - 5/10

Wallace & Gromit Grand Adventures Episode Two: The Last Resort - 7/10
Sam & Max Season One - 10/10

Sam & Max Season Two - 9/10

Wallace and Gromit movies:
A Grand Day Out
The Wrong Trousers
A Close Shave
A Matter of Loaf and Death
Curse of the Were-Rabbit

CaptainD - PC Gaming Blog

First Thoughts - Tenis Elbow 2009 and Tennis Elbow Manager

noreply@blogger.com (CaptainD) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:35:00 +0000

Have tried the two tennis games I mentioned in this post - haven't been able to really get the hang of the controls for Tennis Elbow 2009 yet, but I'm really enjoying playing Tennis Elbow Manager so far. Not that I'm doing very well with it... at least, keeping your finances in order is pretty tough - currently I'm £33K in debt!

As soon as my young player starts winning more matches, I'm sure it'll even out...

CaptainD - PC Gaming Blog

Update to PC Game Reviews list

noreply@blogger.com (CaptainD) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Since I've decided to add a rating out of ten to each game I review from now on, I've put a rating next to each game on the Game Reviews by Genre list. So far the only game to earn a perfect 10/10- is Sam & Max Season One.

CaptainD - PC Gaming Blog

First Thoughts - Keepsake

noreply@blogger.com (CaptainD) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 23:56:00 +0000

Not quite sure what to make of this one yet... the graphics look nice, the interface isn't bad, it successfully builds up a mysterious atmosphere and the humour is quite good once the game gets going; however there seem to be a huge number of locations with absolutley no interactable objects in them. It seems to me that the developers have tried to make it a cross between a traditional third-person adventure game and a Myst-like game... since I've never been a fan of the Myst games, this doesn't seem like a good thing to me.

Anyway, will keep playing and post again once I've got an overall impression of the game... it just crashed on me so I'm downloading the two patches available on the game's official site, hopefully that will sort out the problem I encountered.

CaptainD - PC Gaming Blog

PC Game Review - New Star Grand Prix

noreply@blogger.com (CaptainD) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 15:12:00 +0000

If you have fond memories of Super Sprint – or in fact any 2D racing game – then New Star Grand Prix is definitely a game to interest you. At its heart is a simple but supremely playable racing game with extra bits thrown on to make it a more interesting gaming experience.

The heart of the game is the Formula One World Championship, comprised of 17 authentic race tracks from across the globe. At the start of the game you choose your team and which driver you’re going to replace – naturally the team you select will have a bearing on how well your car will perform. I’ve currently got 2 games going, one in normal mode with team Brown (the team names are those of the real-life teams with a letter or two changed – same for drivers), and the other in easy mode with Form Indie (the worst team as far as I can see). With the first game I’m doing relatively well but only have 2 race wins halfway through the season, the second I’ve won or virtually every race. The cars do genuinely handle differently, with the superior acceleration and higher top speed of the Brown car very obvious. There are two difficulty levels above Normal, so even if you master the lower levels quite quickly, you should still have some challenge from the game.

The graphics are relatively simple but are stylishly done – in fact the whole game from race interface and game menus to aesthetics have a simple elegance about them. There is also a nice level of attention to detail which isn’t necessarily obvious immediately, such as the visible slipstream behind your car. The engine noises sound okay, they can get a bit monotonous but then they can in any racing game. The effect of several cars revving up at the same time is pretty realistic, and the music is very good.

The races do require a certain amount of strategy despite the simple control system. Pit-stop strategy, overtaking techniques and weather conditions all play a role in the game and however good a driver you are otherwise, if you ignore these aspects your success will be very limited – even in Easy mode to a large extent. You may also find that skipping every practice session may be a bad idea!

It’s not all about the driving however – you also have to keep your boss, friends, pit crew and fans happy. There are various ways of doing this, and obviously your performances on the track have a lot to do with it. Race wins or good positions will make your boss and fans happy. Going to the casino with pit crew or friends cheers them up. Conversely, damaging your car tends to upset the pit crew, while lousy performances will upset your fans – and probably your boss, too. Apart from the little star ratings for your boss, fans, pit crew and friends, there might be other benefits that come up later in the game because of having good ratings – for example I got a $100,000 contract due to my popularity. Money can be used to buy fancy cars or properties.

All in all there’s a surprising amount of depth to New Star Grand Prix, which ably backs up the instantly accessible game play. There’s a certain amount of retro feeling to this game – which to me is a good thing – it harks back to the days where a game could keep you playing for months without you having had to read a detailed manual or play a lengthy tutorial first. There’s a track editor with the game too. Oh, and as if that’s not enough, there are online leaderboards as well – just in case you feel that your times can challenge the best in the world. Sadly I don’t think mine would get close... Mods and tracks are already being (and have been) developed for NSGP, so the game’s possibilities will continue to expand. With that in mind and considering how good the game is already, I’m rating it 9/10. At just $9.99 / £7.49 / 7.99 euros, this game represents superb value for money.

To get your trial version or buy the game, Click Here.

To see what’s going on in the official NSGP forum, Click Here.

CaptainD - PC Gaming Blog

New Indie Game Releases

noreply@blogger.com (CaptainD) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 12:27:00 +0000

To be honest I'm not quite sure how new these are, but they've only come to my attention very recently...

Well-known budget label Mastertronic (whose games I've been buying ever since the days I owned a Commodore 16!) have recently taken the decision to go back to their roots and promote games by indie publishers - the first release under their new label GIG ("Great Indie Games") is the weird and potentially wonderful World of Goo Good title, anyway... Click here for the info page.

"World of Goo is an innovative blend of puzzle and construction games...

48 different levels in five different chapters with wide-ranging objectives and a variety of goo. New goo is introduced early on in each chapter, and subsequent missions progressively ramp up the challenge and force you to put it to good use."

Also, our friends at New Star Software have developed two new sports games - Ten nis Elbow 2009 and Tennis elbow Manager. I'd always intended on coding a tennis management game myself, but never got round to it... I'm sure New Star have done a much better job of it than I would have anyway! With Wimbledon in full swing, this is a great time to check out a new tennis game. Will post my thoughts on the demo version in the near future.

CaptainD - PC Gaming Blog

Press Release - NEW STAR GP UPDATED

noreply@blogger.com (CaptainD) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:59:00 +0000

NEW STAR GP UPDATED

New Star Grand Prix has been updated to version 1.1. It now features hugely improved driver intelligence, up to date car stats and a whole raft of tweaks and fixes. A trial version is available from www.newstargames.com.

Oxford, UK – June 22, 2009 – New Star Grand Prix has been updated to version 1.1. New features include improved driver intelligence and updated car stats to make it the most exciting and realistic top-down racer available.

New Star Grand Prix is a top-down racing game inspired by classics such as Super Sprint and Micro Machines, but brought bang up to date to feature all the teams, drivers and tracks of the 2009 GP. It features a full career mode that spans up to 10 seasons where you must compete against the world’s best drivers on 17 real-world tracks. During your career you will need to manage your finances and relationships with the team boss, pit crew, friends and fans. You can gamble at the casino and even purchase sports cars, but it is on the track where you must really prove yourself. Races feature changeable weather conditions, tyre wear, car damage and fuel loads, all of which affect your car’s handling and will require careful monitoring if you want to make tactical pitstops. The camera can be zoomed in or out to suit your driving style and after the race you can upload your best laptime to the online leaderboard. The game also features a comprehensive track editor that will allow you to design and race on your own tracks and is playable in 12 languages (English, Italian, French, German, Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese, Danish, Polish, Finnish, Turkish, Slovenian.)

Trial versions for PC and Mac are available from www.newstargames.com/nsgp.html and the full version for can be purchased for $9.99. Please contact Simon Read for a review copy.

Based in Oxford, UK, New Star Games is a small independent company with a passion for sports games. They pride themselves on giving gamers what they want and can often be found interacting with fans on the forum: www.newstargames.com/newstarforum.

CaptainD - PC Gaming Blog

Press Release - NEW STAR SOCCER 4 UPDATED

noreply@blogger.com (CaptainD) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:57:00 +0000

NEW STAR SOCCER 4 UPDATED

New Star Soccer 4 has been updated to version 4.07. Exciting new features include better player AI, more realistic goalkeepers and a whole host of improvements. It is now playable in 9 languages. A trial version is available from http://www.newstarsoccer.com/.

Oxford, UK – June 22, 2009 – New Star Soccer 4 has been updated to version 4.07 and now features a much more realistic match engine due to improved player and goalkeeper intelligence. Along with various bug fixes and gameplay tweaks, it is also now playable in 9 languages (English, Bulgarian, Brazilian-Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese and Romanian.) A trial version is available from http://www.newstarsoccer.com/.

About New Star Soccer 4

New Star Soccer 4 is unique title that sees you starting out as a young footballer on the road to success, fame and fortune – if you have what it takes. Whether you choose to start at a premier team or in the lower leagues you will need to prove yourself on the pitch and off it. Build your skills in training then show the boss what you can do on match day. You will also need to keep an eye on your relationships with friends, media, girlfriend and more because if your personal life suffers so will your performance. There will be difficult situations to deal with and the choices you make will ultimately determine your success.

NSS4 features over 90 leagues from around the world, with more than 3,000 clubs and 30,000 players. The new 3D match engine gives you complete 360 degree control and allows you to view the action from any angle. Play roulette, blackjack or the slot machine at the casino, have a bet at the races and even buy and train race horses. Earn sponsorships to unlock new features such as different boot colours and obtain up to 50 achievements, including the illustrious ‘Player of the Year’ award. It is playable in 9 languages (English, Bulgarian, Brazilian-Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese and Romanian.)

Trial versions for PC and Mac are available from www.newstarsoccer.com where you can also purchase the full version for $24.95. Please contact Simon Read for a review license.

Based in Oxford, UK, New Star Games is a small independent company with a passion for sports games. They pride themselves on giving gamers what they want and can often be found interacting with fans on the forum: www.newstargames.com/newstarforum.

CaptainD - PC Gaming Blog

Completed: Wallace & Gromit - Muzzled

noreply@blogger.com (CaptainD) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 10:22:00 +0000

Well, this episode was short but sweet. Really enjoyed it, but felt that it was probably too easy - even with some fairly lengthy cut-scenes I wouldn't expect it to take more than 2-3 hours for most people to complete.

Full review soon...

Related Posts:

Wallace & Gromit Grand Adventures: Muzzled now released!

CaptainD - PC Gaming Blog

Game Ratings Change in the UK

noreply@blogger.com (CaptainD) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 19:07:00 +0000

Age Ratings are under review in the UK for all games, with stricter regulations it seems. .

I tend to stay with games rated 12+ or less, though some such as the CSI games have had a 16+ rating because of the crime details being for a more mature audience. It seems that a lot of games are going to be affected by the new PEGI ratings... we'll just have to wait and see whether this turns out to be a good thing or not (or, indeed, makes no significant difference).

Read more about this on Gamespot

CaptainD - PC Gaming Blog

Wallace & Gromit Grand Adventures: Muzzled now released!

noreply@blogger.com (CaptainD) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:33:00 +0000

The third episode of Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures has now been released - see Muzzled!, the third episode of Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Adventures – please alert your readers! The episode is available for PC from www.telltalegames.com/store/muzzled for more details.

Here's the video:

CaptainD - PC Gaming Blog

Screenshots from the forthcoming "Flash DC Online Game"

noreply@blogger.com (CaptainD) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:48:00 +0000

The Flash Online Game - not Adobe Flash, the superhero...

noreply@blogger.com (CaptainD) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:44:00 +0000

... got a kind of weird press alert sent to me on behalf of Sony Online Entertainment today... maybe comic book fans will be able to make more of it than I did?!

Sony Online Entertainment Reveals The Flash in DC Universe™ Online!

The Fastest Man Alive, Wally West easily runs at light speed, vibrates through objects, create explosions through friction – and, when at agonizing top capacity, can manipulate time and bridge dimensions.

The Flash is a time-honored member of the Justice League. The latest in a long line of Flashes, each with their own unique way of tapping into the primal “Speed Force,” Wally is determined to live up to the noble legacies of speedsters such as Barry Allen, Max Mercury, and Jay Garrick.

Flash’s enemies call themselves the Rogues Gallery. This deadly collection of brutal foes includes Captain Cold, Heatwave, Mirror Master, and the lethal speedster Zoom – villainous threats not just to Keystone City, but the world.

Er... that's all they sent. Trying to build up suspense through mystification?

CaptainD - PC Gaming Blog

Freeware Adventure Game Review - Breakdown

noreply@blogger.com (CaptainD) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:19:00 +0000

From One Dollar Productions comes this short but sweet game that spoofs Star Trek and sci-fi in general. When the Captain decides to dispense with the autopilot and manages to break the ship, it's left to you, a lowly ensign, to fix it. Don't expect much help from the crew...

So, ship's handbook in... well, in hand, and courage in your heart, you go off on your quest to get the engine working. It's a small game, not many locations or characters, but it's well put together. It has retro style graphics which are very nicely done, and some cool animation effects - I particularly liked the animation when you're being transported between rooms on the ship. There's a lot of humour in the game and the puzzles are done well, not too easy but still logical.

I also liked the fact that there's a lot of humour packed into this game - yes, mostly at the expense of dear old Star Trek. The intro features some good lines, in particular:

"... our mission to go where others have gone before...

... and make sure it's still all right".

If you liked adventure games and sci-fi, you'll definitely want to play this game - a mere 1.6Mb download size.

Here's the link you'll want having read my short (but excellent - ?!??) review of this short but excellent game:

One Dollar Productions Website - Breakdown

CaptainD - PC Gaming Blog

This Blog's 1st Anniversary!

noreply@blogger.com (CaptainD) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 10:45:00 +0000

Slightly belated, but I just noticed that 12th June 2008 was the date of my very first post on this blog. 430-odd posts on, it's still going strong and, I hope, becoming a valued resource for a number of PC Gamers.

I'd especially like to thank my regular readers (come on, there must be at least 2 of you... Gnome, SSH and Dualnames pop in quite often I know) - without you I'd be... er... unread?

I wonder how many times I've used the word "er" in the last 436 posts?

Oh well...

CaptainD - PC Gaming Blog

First Thoughts - Strong Bad Episode 1 - Homestar Ruiner

noreply@blogger.com (CaptainD) — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 21:31:00 +0000

Well this is... odd. Oddly enjoyable, but still very odd.

It's an adventure game by the people who brought you Sam & Max, but (so far) I haven't found it to be anywhere near as good. It's got a strange style, mad characters and insane mini-games - certainly it's a breath of fresh air to the gaming industry, and it certianly looks like it has potential. I remain to be convinced however, will let you know when I've got further into the game...

CaptainD - PC Gaming Blog

Evony - Yes, the Adverts Get Even More Stupid!

noreply@blogger.com (CaptainD) — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 17:06:00 +0000

In a previous post, Evony - the daftest advert yet?!? - I thought that perhaps Evony's marketing department had managed to surpass themselves in the stupidity stakes. (Not necessarily a stupid marketing plan, incidentally... I'm sure many people clicked on the advert, in which case it was clever marketing, but undeniably a stupid advert...)

Er, anyway... the thing is... they've now got one that is, to use terrible grammar... even more stupider.

Seriously, this one takes the biscuit.

...

CaptainD - PC Gaming Blog

New Retro Gaming & Emulation Blog Launched!

noreply@blogger.com (CaptainD) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 19:17:00 +0000

I've been blogging about quite a bit of retro gaming and emulation stuff over here, but since this is a PC Gaming Blog, I don't want that side of things to take over. To this end I've launched a Retro Gaming and Emulation Blog to deal with all my 8, 16 and 32-bit memories, and talk about emulators and the games I've been checking out on them.

Isn't it ironic though... you buy a high-powered gaming PC, then spend most of your time playing games that are ten or more years old! Madness... but the good sort of madness - I think!

CaptainD - PC Gaming Blog

ZX Spectrum Emulation - even on Vista!

noreply@blogger.com (CaptainD) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 13:58:00 +0000

Took a while to find a Speccy emulator that worked well (or at all) with Vista, but I seem to have found one. Emulating a number of Spectrum (and Amstrad, I think) machines on your PC, I present to you: ZX Spin.

So, all you Speccy lovers, check out the website and grab that download at: http://www.zxspin.com/

The screenshot, for those so appallingly uncultured and uneducated that they don't immediately recognise it, is from Feud - one of the greatest games of all time. Well, to me and quite a few others!

CaptainD - PC Gaming Blog

First Thoughts - Tribal Wars

noreply@blogger.com (CaptainD) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 12:57:00 +0000

Tribal Wars is an MMORTS similar to Evony, but I've heard reports that it offers better player protection for beginners / while you're offline. I guess your opinion on that would vary widely depending on how successful you've actually been in other online games, or perhaps whether you'd unwittingly upset or become the repeated random target of powerful players in the game. My own motivation is, of course, to try out as many games as possible and post my findings on this blog, so I'll leave you to decide what type of game you want!

Anyway, Tribal Wars starts you off with, as you would expect, one city. You build that up and upgrade your town hall, resource collectors, etc. To be honest it doesn't look like the battles enter into the game until a bit later; I'm just building my city up for now, anyway. Looking pretty good so far.

One nice feature is that the game will actually send you an email when a construction is complete. This is a very good idea since there often isn't a great deal to do in these games until you've completed a building project, and you safely forget about the game and wait for the email. Another nice touch is that the email contains a link that actually lets you log straight into the game (of course, make sure no unscrupulous folk have access to your email!). Nice clean interface too with plenty of well-placed links to help functions.

So, looking good so far, will comment more when I've played a bit further into the game.

CaptainD - PC Gaming Blog