A Gaming Diary
Archive for January, 2006
Trackmania Nations
Jan 30th
It’s a racing game.
It’s a very good racing game.
It’s a very good racing game that’s great fun online because people can’t shove you off the track or otherwise annoy you.
It’s a very good FREE racing game that’s great fun online because people can’t shove you off the track or otherwise annoy you.
It’s a very good FREE racing game that’s great fun online because people can’t shove you off the track or otherwise annoy you… but it comes with Starforce copy protection.
Whether the Starforce thing is enough to put you off is up to you, but this is a very, very good game online and – as I said – it’s FREE. And I bumped into Ste from ugvm when I went online, which was nice.
HINT: Downloading it from Eurogamer was much, much faster than downloading from the official site, which is getting hit hard today.
Animal Crossing: Wild World
Jan 30th
Mortgage: PAID!
(Until a huge one arrives again tomorrow.)
ARWING: GOT!
(But I’ve not seen it yet. It’s awaiting new room tomorrow.)
Animal Crossing: Wild World
Jan 29th
Been away for the weekend. Played a small amount of Animal Crossing, but that was it.
I’m now within 20,000 bells of paying off my current mortgage, but I can’t be bothered to fish for ages, so I’ll pay it off next time some fruit grows.
Oddly, there were no dig spots today.
Full Auto Demo
Jan 26th
It’s a new downloadable demo for the 360. It’s ace… for an unfinished product… and for four minutes of fun.
If they can get the slowdown sorted out prior to release – and they damn well should – then it could be really good fun. It’s a racing game with games and explosions and lots of stuff on and off the track to blow the crap out of. So I played through it three times and had a blast. But will it be fun doing that over and over again in the full game? Burnout managed it for a couple of games, so maybe Full Auto will be able to sustain itself for at least one. I guess this is where reviews come in handy.
There’s a good chance it’ll go on my ‘under twenty quid’ list, along with Condemned and Amped 3.
Marble Blast Ultra
Jan 26th
It’s a new download on Xbox Live Arcade. You roll a marble around and pick up gems and then head to the exit. It’s a bit Monkey Ballish, yes.
I went through the levels in the demo, then unlocked the full game without a second thought, did all twenty beginner levels under par and then leapt into a quick online game, where I rolled around badly until I lost my connection.
Animal Crossing: Wild World
Jan 26th
So, today was a big day in Venture.
I’d left all the trees alone for a few days so I could tell which were fruit trees and which weren’t. Today I went round and every non-foreign-fruit or cedar tree got chopped down. Well, every one on the east side of the river. I’m keeping the small amount of land on the west side for natural trees. Then every stump got dug up and replaced with a foreign fruit. Saplings everywhere! Then I went round and picked all the foreign fruit I had still sat on trees and made about 100,000 bells.
Took about two and a half hours in the end, but if I’m willing to pick everything I should be able to make a fair bit of money without playing the stalk market.
Dragon Quest VIII
Jan 25th
Another couple of hours.
It’s a really great game and tonight the time between saves was pretty much perfect. I wouldn’t turn it on if I had less than two hours to play, though.
Anyway, I got past the sticky bit and went through a ‘dungeon’ and – because of my wrongness last night – I think I know exactly what to do when I restart tomorrow. So everything’s worked out okay.
Dragon Quest VIII
Jan 24th
Well, Boling Point and Ridge Racer 6 arrived today. I was trying to decide which to play first when I remembered how many unfinished games I have. And not games that are unfinished because they’re too rubbish or too hard, but games I love but have stopped playing.
So I leapt back into Dragon Quest VIII, which was dangerously close to being left forever for no reason. Played it for another hour and a half, but now I’m stuck. I’ve got to go somewhere, but I’ve no idea how to get there. I don’t think I got any clues when I last played a few weeks ago that I’ve forgotten, but it’s a possibility.
I think I may have missed an entrance to a passage somewhere I was a while back. I’ll go back and check, but the game’s stupid save system means I haven’t got time to investigate properly tonight. I wish there was just a quicksave option you could use at any time.
Animal Crossing: Wild World
Jan 23rd
And finally this evening p’anther from Teacozy came round to play and we had some tea and then went downstairs and listened to music.
Best.
