Archive for October, 2007

Dungeon Maker: Hunting Ground (PSP)

Finally got round to playing this again. Only had enough battery left to play a single day, but I expanded the second floor of my dungeon, completed a side quest and bought some new corridor decorations, which I’m looking forward to putting down.

I really need more magical power and I’m not getting it. Hopefully some new animal-type enemies will appear soon which I’ll be able to make new magic-raising dishes from.

Scrabble Interactive 2007 Edition (DS)

Well, with Zelda annoying my pants off, it was time to play something else for a while. So, for a change of pace, Scrabble.

There’s not an awful lot to say, as based on four games against rubbish opponents, this seems to be fine. Using the stylus to place words works fine. Opponents don’t often play ludicrous words (though it does happen).

One nice feature is that the game gives a definition of the main word played each turn. It’s a pity you can’t get definitions for the weird little two-letter words that the AI sometimes uses to be able to place its main words, though. And every now and again there’s a definition missing.

Also, if you place a word that doesn’t exist then you just get to try again, which makes things a bit too easy, I think. I’m trying not to abuse it, but it’s hard. Last night I put down QUINS, which I wasn’t sure would be allowed, but it let me have it. (No definition, though.) If I’d have been penalised had it not existed I probably wouldn’t have risked playing it. (In another game I also tried QUIMS, which was allowed and had a definition. There is a tick box on the player profile screen to say if you’re a Junior player or not, I guess ticking it would disable that type of thing.)

One last thing about the AI, now that I think of it- they don’t play tactically. They’ll happy place words near the triple letter score and won’t place a low-scoring word over one to stop you using it. Doesn’t feel like playing a human at all, in that respect.

Anyway, so far it seems to do what it should. I’ll probably play through the career mode until I get to timed games – I’m a slow, slow player – and then just play quick matches when I feel the need for some Scrabble. (Oh, and there are some other mini games which I’ve not investigated yet.)

Eternal Sonata Demo (360)

Very pretty.

Great combat system.

Lovely music.

But who’s got the time and money for an RPG round about now? Not me.

PixelJunk Racers (PS3)

Based on first impressions, I’d have more fun eating the £4.99 this cost a penny at a time than playing this.

It’s a top-down racing game where you can only move between lanes, rather then freely across the track. It just feels clunky and I have the same problem with it that I’ve always had with these games – my brain can’t handle having the movement controls working relative to car, not the screen.