My Game History

      Pokemon (Yellow) - Gameboy Colour

I was 6 years old when Pokemon first came out on television and it was such a big hit with children everywhere that it was released onto the Gameboy.

This was my very first ever game experience and still to this day is possibly my favourite!

I believe this was because I loved the idea of owning and catching my own Pokemon. Pokemon is a Role Playing Game (RPG). The game play was also very simple with a third person over the head perspective, with a 3 basic screens; such as an overworld where the player navigates the world and environment but what made this fun was that in Yellow unlike it predecessors it showed Pickachu following you and your could interact with him, a side view battle screen and a menu interface when each player takes turns to attack each other or use items.It also kept to the story of the cartoon with the characters and Pokemon.

The Pokemon would have hit points (HP) and when that reached zero your Pokemon or opponents Pokemon would faint and couldn’t be used until revived. When you defeated an enemy Pokemon your Pokemon would gain Experience Points (EXP) and once your Pokemon had acquired a certain amount of Experience Points your Pokemon would level up increasing performance statistics and unlocking new moves which your Pokemon could learn. Although it could only have a maximum of 4 battle moves making the choice to remove a move and replace it with another a hard choice.

Another aspect of playing the game was to try and collect all 151 Pokemon this would be achieved by damaging a wild Pokemon and lowering its HP as low as possible without causing it to faint as this proved to be the most effective way to catch a Pokemon, as just throwing a Poke’ball wouldn’t be enough for some. Once catching a Pokemon its data would be added to the Poke’dex and if your party was full it would be transferred to Bills PC where your deposited your Poke’mon or Withdrew them if you wanted to change your party. Although you could only have a maximum party of 6. Another way to complete the Poke’dex was by trading Pokemon with other friends as some Pokemon such as Gengar, Alakazam, Golem and Machamp could only be obtained by trading as this caused them to evolve.

The music was also a big inspiration to the gameplay as when you venture from town to wilderness the music would change depending on the situation, such as entering a cave the music would become sinister giving the cave a character. This would also include the towns as the music would give reference to the mood of the villagers who lived in the town.

Picture sources: http://www.techolive.com/2009/09/retro-review-pokemon-yellow

                           http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pokemon_Yellow.png

                           http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pokemon_gb_ashandpikachu.png

      Ape Escape -  Playstation

My first games console was the portable Playstation 1 and I was 9 years old. And the first game that got me proper into gaming was Ape Escape. This was the first game that required the use of the Dual Analogue controller but I didn’t realise that and spent almost 20 minutes trying to figure out why I was making the camera move but not the character.

Ape Escape is a 3D platform game which tells the story of a monkey named Specter who gaines access to a Peak Point Helmet (Pipo Helmet), which vastly improves his intelligence and causes him to perform evil intentions. He gives other less intelligent monkeys helmets (not identical to his own) to help him travel through time and gain complete world domination. While Spike and Jake also get sucked into the time machine along with Specter and the other monkeys and they must catch them and Specter before they change the future and dominate the entire world.

The characters in the game are; the main protagonist is Spike (who you play as), Jake his best friend who gets mind controlled by Specter and you have a constant rivalry. Specter, the antagonist, the Professor who is responsible for creating the time machine and the Peak Point Helmet and his granddaughter Natalie.

The game play is very simple and enjoyable as spike has the ability to run, jump and use many different gadgets to use in the 3D environment. It requires the use of the Dual Analogue as the left analogue makes Spike move in the direction you move the stick and the right analogue is used to control the gadget you have currently in use e.g. the time net that is used to capture the monkeys. The game is level based and you are acquired to catch a certain amount of monkeys before you can advance to the next level, however they cleverly put monkeys in certain areas or gave them certain abilities which meant that you had to leave them and therefore come back later in the game when you had a certain gadget which allowed you to capture that monkey. This meant the game lasted a long period of time and made it more fun to play as it changed the tactics of game play.

Each monkey in the game has a personality and you can access information about each monkey, there are also items to collect such as “chips” which are exchanged for lives and the “Specter Coins” which unlock min games in the Time Station.

Picture Resourses: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c9/Ape_Escape_UK.jpg

                                http://uk.media.psx.ign.com/media/011/011105/imgs_2.html

                                http://uk.gamespot.com/ps/adventure/apeescape/index.html

 Klonoa - Playstation 

 Klonoa Door to Phantomile was designed by Namco in 1997.

It tells the story of an anthropomorphic creature and a spirit which is encapsulated inside a ring.

Klonoa is a side-scrolling platform game which is viewed from a 2.5D perspective. The player moves Klonoa (the protagonist) along a path in a 2 dimensional fashion, however the game is rendered in 3 dimensions. This makes the game play move interactive to the player as the paths curve around and you can interact with objects outside of this path.The game is divided into levels called “visions” where the player follows the path and has enemies to battle or puzzles that have to be solved in order to progress. At the end of certain levels Klonoa may encounter a boss. The way in which Klonoa defeats his opponents by using his ring, which fires out a burst of wind allowing him to pick up some enemies above his head and using them to defeat another.

The characters are fantasy-like and speak in a fictional language unique to each character. The player controls Klonoa,who carries a ring-bound spirit named Huepow. Klonoa lives in Breezegale and was raised by Grandpa. Breezegale's Gunston Mine was led by Balue, a large man with a love interest for the mythical "singing diva" Lephise. Characters outside of Breezegale are Granny, the elder of the Forlock tree village, and King Seadoph, the king of Jugpot who protects the everlasting water supply to Phantomile. The primary antagonist is Ghadius, a dark spirit who aims to turn Phantomile into a world of nightmares. Ghadius is served by the rude and loud-mouthed Joka, a limb-less creature resembling a Jester.

The story begins with the legend of the land of Phantomile, a mysterious place that is fueled by the very dreams people have at night. As a result, no one can clearly remember the dreams they have had, even if they occurred recently. However, a young cat-like boy named Klonoa who lives in the town of Breezegale with his grandfather has been having dreams about a mysterious dark airship crashing into a nearby mountain, and can recall every detail of it.One day, a mysterious ship does indeed crash into the mountain, and Klonoa and his friend, a "ring spirit" named Huepow, decide to investigate. After fighting several small, round creatures called Moos, they reach the top of the mountain, only to find two mysterious creatures. They learn that the leader's name is Ghadius, and his accomplice is a short sinister-looking clown called Joka, and together they are searching for a pendant that holds certain magical properties. They kidnap a woman named Lephise, and after returning to their village, Klonoa and Huepow decide to chase after them.

Star Wars Racer - PC

Star Wars Episode I: Racer is a racing video game based on the pod race featured in Star Wars Episode 1 The Phantom Menace. The game features a variety of tracks spanning several different planets and includes all and more of the racers featured in the movie, including Teemto Pagalies, Dud Bolt, Mars Guo, Ben Quadinaros and more.

The following is a list of different playing modes featured in the game:

Tournament: The primary game mode. Race for money to buy parts or pit droids, and unlock new tracks, racers, and upgrades. You can't decide how hard the other racers are going on you.

Free Race: Allows you to practice any previously unlocked courses using any unlocked racer. However, you cannot earn money or unlock tracks and racers. You can, however, set the difficulty of your opponents.

Time Attack: The same as Free Race, except you race against the clock, constantly trying to improve your time. In the PC version at least this mode is absent, with the free play mode allowing the player to instead set the amount of computer opponents to 0.

2 Player: Race against another real player on any unlocked course. You can adjust the difficulty, number, and speed of the computer opponents.

Multiplayer: Race against other players on a local network on any unlocked course. The PC version uses the deprecated IPX protocol in order to accomplish this, while the Macintosh version uses the TCP/IC stack.

The game play is similar to modern racers now and as you venture around the different tracks on the planets you encounter different obstacles such as ice shards, fire pits, and boulders that can damage or even destoy your pod racer, luckily they interprited a repair system in the game, which allows the player to repair his/her racer if you recieve and damage making the game more intense and realistic.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty - Playstation 2

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty  is a stealth action video game directed by Hideo Kojima, developed by Konami and published for the Playstation 2 in 2001.

The story revolves around a massive offshore clean-up facility that has been seized by a group of terrorists that call themselves "Sons of Liberty", backed by a rogue special forces anti-terrorist unit "Dead Cell". They demand a massive ransom in exchange for the life of the President of the United States, and threaten to destroy the facility and create a cataclysmic environmental disaster if their demands are not met. The motives and identities of many of the antagonists and allies change rapidly, as the protagonists discover a world-shaking conspiracy constructed by a powerful organization known as the Patriots.

The gameplay was almost universally acclaimed, critics were divided on the philosophical nature and execution of the game's storyline, which explores themes such as memes, social engerneering, political conspiraces, and artificial Intellegence. It has been considered the first example of a postmodern video game, and has been cited as a primary example of artistic expression in video games. The game was controversial due to its complex postmodern narrative and unconventional protagonist.

The game involves the protagonist sneaking around avoiding being seen by the enemies.

The new first-person aiming mode allows players to target specific points in the game, greatly expanding tactical options; guards can be blinded by steam, distracted by a flying piece of fruit or hit in weak spots. Players can now walk slowly, allowing them to sneak over noisy flooring without making a sound, or hang off walkways to slip past below guards' feet. The corner-press move allows players a sneak peek around the next bend expanded to allow players to fire from cover.

Tthe enemy guards were given more advanced AI as they call on their radios for a strike team upon seeing the player, then attempt to flank him and cut off his escape. Strike teams will carry body Armour and riot shields, making them an even greater threat. Even if the player escapes to a hiding place, a team will sweep in to check the area. The game has a collective enemy AI, where enemy guards work together in squads, can communicate with one another, and react in a more realistic manner towards the player.  However, in a major break from action game standards, it is also possible to clear the entire game, including boss fights, without causing a single deliberate death, through use of tranquilizer guns, stun grenades, and melee attacks.




Devil May Cry - Playstation 2

Devil May Cry is an action game developed by Capcom in 2001. Set in modern times on the fictional Mallet Island, the story centers on the characters Dante and Trishand their quest to confront the demon lord Mundus The story is told primarily through a mixture of cutscenes, which use the games engine and several pre rendered full motion videos.

The gameplay consists of levels also known as "missions", where players must fight numerous enemies, perform tasks, and occasionally solve puzzles to progress through the story. The performance in each mission is given a grade of A, B, C, or D, with an additional top grade of S. This makes the player wanting to get the very best grade.

Stylish combat is  when the player performs a series of attacks whithout reciveing damge and continuously causing damage to opponents. The more hits the player makes, the higher the gauge rises. The gauge starts at Dull; progresses through Cool, Bravo, and Absolute. When the character receives damage, the style rating resets back to "Dull". Players can also maintain their style grade by taunting enemies at close range.

The player can also transform Dante into a more powerful demon using the Devil Trigger ability. This adds powers based on the current weapon and changes the character's appearance. The transformations increase strength and defense, slowly restore health, and grant special attacks. It is governed by the Devil Trigger gauge, which depletes as the ability is used, and is refilled by attacking enemies or taunting in normal form.




Killzne 2 - Playstation 3

Killzone 2 is a first-person shooter for the Playstation 3, developed by Gurella Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment.

The game is presented from a first person perspective, aside from vehicular combat. Killzone 2 features a "lean and peek" cover systme which allows the player to take cover behind an object and then pop out to fire at enemies. The "lean and peek" mechanic stays in first person view at all times. It continues the story from the first Killzone and you play at the Sev . As Sev you can pilot vehicles at two points in the game: a tank and an exoskeleton, unlike the first one.In some cases you are required to use the Sixaxis motion control feature to turn a valve or place an explosive charge.

Killzone 2 won Best PS3 Shooter from IGN. It won Best Competitive Multiplayer, Best Sound Design, Most Improved Sequel, and Best Shooter from Gamespot editor's choice. It won Best Graphics in the G-Phoria 2009 Awards. It also took in Game of the Year from Gamereactor. The soundtrack also won gaming's first Ivor Novello Award.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

In Metal Gear 4 you play as Old Snake (due to his aging accelleration), utilizing stealth, CQC and traditional combat techniques. The overhead camera of earlier Metal Gear games has been replaced by a third person and over the shoulder camera for aiming a weapon, with an optional first person view.

A further addition to gameplay mechanics is the Psyche Meter. Psyche is decreased by non-lethal attacks, and is influenced by battlefield psychology. Stressors increase Snake's stress gauge, eventually depleting his Psyche. Adverse effects include difficulty in aiming, more frequent back pain and the possibility of Snake passing out upon receiving damage. Among the available methods of restoring Psyche are eating, drinking, smoking and reading an adult magazine.

Snake has a few gadgets to aid him in battle. The OctoCamo suit mimics the appearance and texture of any surface, decreasing the probability of Snake being noticed. The Solid Eye device highlights items and enemies, and can operate in a night vision and a binocular mode. It also offers a baseline map, which indicates the location of nearby units. The latter function is also performed by the Threat Ring, a visualization of Snake's senses that deforms based on nearby unit proximity and relays them to the player.

Whenever the Drebin menu is available, weapons, attachments and ammunition can be purchased via Drebin Points (DPs), awarded for on-site procurement of weapons already in the inventory and by initiating specific scripted events. The conversion rate between weapons and DPs depends on current battlefield conditions, with more-intense fighting yielding higher prices. Also, Drebin would purchase items from the player at a discounted price.