Programming and Gaming Information

Have you ever been interested in how video games are made? I have dabbled in programming for about 12 years now. It is an interesting field, but it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to program any type of game. The interested reader may want to look into the following concepts:

QBASIC - This is a pretty old computer programming language, but it is important to understand if you are interested in creating games because it serves as a foundation for a lot of other languages. QBASIC consists of a lot of commands coupled with mathematical equations. Although it can't create sophisticated video games, a knowledge of this language would be beneficial in using DARK BASIC - a language that is much more useful and powerful in the gaming world.

HTML - HTML is simply a "language" meant to create websites. It is argued to be nothing more than a tool to create a website (and hence not a real programming language), but I include it here because many computer applications are becoming tied to the web, so it's becoming very important to know how to create websites.

JAVASCRIPT - Javascript is a language that is coupled with web design, and many programs on the web are created with it. Javascript is somewhat different from QBASIC type languages, so you must get used to a different type of thinking if you go from one to the next (which is what I did).

C++ - C++ is considered to be a really big deal in video game design. It is another language that has a pretty different foundation than QBASIC/DARKBASIC type languages, so if you go to that one after learning the others, it's a rather new experience. C++ is very useful in game design because it allows the programmer to do pretty much anything they want to -- the game designer can incorporate other tools and applications easily with this language to make their game high-tech. However, C++'s downside is that it is extremely tedious and not very user-friendly.

DARK BASIC - Dark Basic is my personal favorite in the game design world, because it takes the "logic" and "user-friendly" side of QBASIC but incorporates the high-tech, modern abilities of C++. I should note, however, that Dark Basic isn't exactly "noted" as a gaming language, formally. But anyone who is interested in game design really should check this one out, because it has a free download online and is really inexpensive in the store to buy. It's a lot of fun to use and can make pretty much any type of game. Check it out some time!

Lastly, I thought it would be interesting to show you the length of coding involved for a game such as the common one "Columns" from Sega Genesis. It is the game where different gems fall down the screen and must be put in order (kind of like Tetris), and when three gems of the same color connect in a row, they disappear. The player must keep the falling gems from piling to the top of the screen. I modified this code only slightly to allow for "new levels". Otherwise, it is in its original form, and if you'll note from the "to add" list, it's actually not much more than a "skeleton" for the game - a lot could be added to it. I have not separated the commands out by line as that would take a lot of space! But you get the idea here -- even a simple game takes a LOT of coding. I did not write this code; a master coder did. So this is from someone who knows what they are doing and it still is very long! Can you imagine the lines of codes for games like Zelda and Mario? On a system like GameCube?! And just remember, humans have to check that code for error!!!!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------- ` Columns (C) DarkForge 2000 ` -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ` Version 0.22d ` ` ` To Do (* = done in this version) : ` ` ADD - Colourful exploding score goes into the blank box ` ADD - Hi-Score table (and saved to disk) ` ADD - "How to Play" game menu screen (if title page left untouched) ` ADD - 2 Player option - 1 keyboard, 1 joystick or both keyboard? ` ADD - Config screen to set control method and difficulty ` ADD - Jewels should drop from above the gamegrid! ` ADD - "Explode" bonus jewel (?) ` ADD - There is no level advance working yet ` ADD - The game over graphic should slide up the screen & explode ` ADD - Change crapy text for graphical font (score, etc) ` ADD - Let the user use their own MP3 if in directory :-) ` ADD ^ File and error checking for this required ` * ADD - Ability to slide for a few seconds even when landed ` * ADD - Control method option (no, make both controllers active) ` * BUG - Speed drop key sometimes sticks ` * ADD - Firework jewels for the intro screen ` * BUG - Highscore doesn't go back to fireworks properly (leaves sprites) set display mode 320,240,16 hide mouse sync rate 0 sync on ` 0 = keyboard, 1 = joystick, 2 = both ` 0 = off, 1 = on ` 1 = one player, 2 = 2 players! ` global arrays so we can access from within functions mainly for 2 player expansion dim control(1) dim music(1) dim players(1) music(0)=0 control(0)=2 players(0)=1 `sound? DELETE IF THERE IS A PROBLEM!! rem Load a wav sound file into number one LOAD SOUND "c:\windows\desktop\starwarswav05.wav",1 LOAD SOUND "c:\windows\desktop\terminatorwav39.wav",2 loadmusic: ` music maestro? (can use mp3 or mid) if file exist("c:\windows\desktop\rioport and audio files\spirit.mp3") music(0)=1 load music "c:\windows\desktop\rioport and audio files\spirit.mp3",1 endif `Trying to load multiple music files into memory for level increase if file exist("c:\windows\desktop\rioport and audio files\forest.mp3") load music "c:\windows\desktop\rioport and audio files\forest.mp3",2 endif `Trying to load multiple music files into memory for increase if file exist("c:\windows\desktop\rioport and audio files\fire.mp3") load music "c:\windows\desktop\rioport and audio files\fire.mp3",3 endif `Trying to load multiple music files into memory for level increase if file exist("c:\windows\desktop\rioport and audio files\shadow.mp3") load music "c:\windows\desktop\rioport and audio files\shadow.mp3",4 endif `Trying to load multiple music files into memory for level increase if file exist("c:\windows\desktop\rioport and audio files\water.mp3") load music "c:\windows\desktop\rioport and audio files\water.mp3",5 endif `Trying to load multiple music files into memory for level increase if file exist("c:\windows\desktop\rioport and audio files\spooky.mp3") load music "c:\windows\desktop\rioport and audio files\spooky.mp3",6 endif if reloadmusic = 1 then goto okdone level = 1 ` Create our scroll-text fonts, prep it all, etc... load image "font.bmp",500 paste image 500,0,0 i=165 for y=0 to 32 step 16 for x=0 to 295 step 15 get image i,x,y,x+16,y+16 inc i next x next y dim scrolltext$(20) dim scrollnext$(20) dim scrolltemp$(20) dim scroller_offset#(1) dim scroller_count(1) dim scroller_speed#(1) scroller_offset#(0)=0 scroller_count(0)=0 scroller_speed#(0)=2 getscrolltext(0) cls 0 load bitmap "bmpack22.bmp",7 ` title1, title2, 1player, jewels, 2player, highscore, gameover get image 1,640,0,960,240 get image 2,0,240,320,480 get image 3,0,0,320,220 get image 4,637,240,959,256 get image 5,320,0,640,220 get image 6,320,240,640,460 get image 7,640,256,728,270 ` Swap screen sw=screen width() : sh=screen height() create bitmap 2,sw,sh delete bitmap 7 ` Cut out the jewels ` Image 10 = blank, 11,12,13,14,15,16 = jewels ` 17 = explode, 18,19,20,21 = explosion paste image 4,0,0 i=10 for x=0 to 192 step 16 get image i,x,0,x+16,16 inc i next a cls 0 ` PREP the intro sequence t=60 dim velocity#(t) dim acceleration#(t) dim jump(t) dim x#(t) dim speed#(t) dim y#(t) dim d(t) dim jewel(t) makefire(t,320,240,120) for a=0 to t sprite 1000+a,-16,-16,10 set sprite 1000+a,0,1 next a ` Distort Title Picture on & start intro sequence startgame: if music(0)=1 then loop music 1 `startgame: wierd = 0 if music(0)=2 then stop music 1 if music(0)=2 then loop music 2 i=1+rnd(1) sinewaveon(i) show all sprites intro(i,t) set current bitmap 2 cls 0 set current bitmap 1 cls 0 set current bitmap 0 cls 0 set current bitmap 2 hide all sprites sync `CUT OUT IF DOESN"T WORK `Trial of new placement for this `newlevel: scorestay = sco1 ` game grid is 6x13 with 16x16 sprites if players(0)=1 `New placement for this too dim score1(scorestay) newlevel: dim t1(12) dim grid1(5,12) dim colour1(5,12) dim explode1(5,12) dim jewels1(0) x1=144 : y1#=8 : s1#=0.50 : gx1=(x1-112)/16 : gy1=(y1#+24)/16 jewels1(0)=3 : friendly1=0 : difficulty1=5 ` get 3 random jewels to make our droplet i11=rnd(difficulty1)+11 i21=rnd(difficulty1)+11 i31=rnd(difficulty1)+11 ` get the next 3 (preview pane) too n11=rnd(difficulty1)+11 n21=rnd(difficulty1)+11 n31=rnd(difficulty1)+11 sprite 1,x1,y1#,i11 sprite 2,x1,y1#+16,i21 sprite 3,x1,y1#+32,i31 show sprite 1 show sprite 2 show sprite 3 endif if players(0)=2 dim grid2(5,12) dim colour2(5,12) dim explode2(5,12) dim jewels2(0) dim score2(0) dim t2(12) x1=32 : y1#=8 : s1#=0.50 : gx1=(x1-16)/16 : gy1=(y1#+24)/16 jewels1(0)=3 : friendly1=0 : difficulty1=2 x2=144 : y2#=8 : s2#=0.50 : gx2=(x2-112)/16 : gy2=(y#+24)/16 jewels2(0)=3 : friendly2=0 : difficulty2=2 ` get 3 random jewels to make our droplet i11=rnd(difficulty1)+11 i21=rnd(difficulty1)+11 i31=rnd(difficulty1)+11 i12=rnd(difficulty2)+11 i22=rnd(difficulty2)+11 i32=rnd(difficulty2)+11 ` get the next 3 (preview pane) too n11=rnd(difficulty1)+11 n21=rnd(difficulty1)+11 n31=rnd(difficulty1)+11 n12=rnd(difficulty2)+11 n22=rnd(difficulty2)+11 n32=rnd(difficulty2)+11 sprite 1,x1,y1#,i11 sprite 2,x1,y1#+16,i21 sprite 3,x1,y1#+32,i31 sprite 4,x2,y2#,i12 sprite 5,x2,y2#+16,i22 sprite 6,x2,y2#+32,i32 show sprite 1 show sprite 2 show sprite 3 show sprite 4 show sprite 5 show sprite 6 endif keytimer=0 : for a=0 to 5 for b=0 to 12 colour1(a,b)=10 if players(0)=2 then colour2(a,b)=10 next b next a ` set the scene ink rgb(175,175,0),0 set text font "Arial" set text size 12 set text opaque slideallow1=0 if players(0)=1 paste image 3,0,0 for a=0 to 5 for b=0 to 12 paste image 10,112+(a*16),8+(b*16) next b next a paste image n11,88,8 paste image n21,88,24 paste image n31,88,40 else paste image 5,0,0 for a=0 to 5 for b=0 to 12 paste image 10,16+(a*16),8+(b*16) next b next a paste image n11,88,8 paste image n21,88,24 paste image n31,88,40 endif copy bitmap 2,0 sync ` -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ` da main event... ` -------------------------------------------------------------------------- do ` debug info ` text 0,222,"X: "+str$(gx)+" Y: "+str$(gy)+" Friendly: "+str$(friendly)+" " ` temporary score display, etc. if players(0)=1 text 44,132,str$(score1(0)) text 89,173,str$(level) text 89,205,str$(jewels1(0)) endif sprite 1,x1,y1#,i11 sprite 2,x1,y1#+16,i21 sprite 3,x1,y1#+32,i31 ox1=x1 : oy1=y1# if players(0)=2 sprite 4,x2,y2#,i12 sprite 5,x2,y2#+16,i22 sprite 6,x2,y2#+32,i32 ox2=x2 : oy2=y2# endif ` check for control direction if upkey() or joystick up() then direction=1 if rightkey() or joystick right() then direction=2 if downkey() or joystick down() then direction=3 if leftkey() or joystick left() then direction=4 inc keytimer if keytimer>=7 if direction=2 and gx1<5 and slideallow1=0 if grid1(gx1+1,gy1+1)=0 inc x1,16 endif keytimer=0 endif if direction=4 and gx1>0 and slideallow1=0 if grid1(gx1-1,gy1+1)=0 dec x1,16 endif keytimer=0 endif if direction=3 and gy1<13 and slideallow1=0 speed1=1 else speed1=0 endif ` rotate the pieces if direction=1 itemp1=i11 i11=i21 i21=i31 i31=itemp1 keytimer=0 endif endif ` down we go if slideallow1=0 if speed1=0 inc y1#,s1# else inc y1#,s1#*4 speed1=0 endif endif if players(0)=1 gx1=(x1-112)/16 : gy1=(y1#+24)/16 else gx1=(x1-16)/16 : gy1=(y1#+24)/16 endif ` we're at the top so check to see if it's full below us if gy1=2 if grid1(gx1,gy1+1)=1 goto gameover endif endif ` no? good, lets test for another colour/base of the game grid if gy1<12 if grid1(gx1,gy1+1)=1 then hit1=1 endif if gy1=12 then hit1=1 if hit1=1 paste image i11,x1,(gy1*16)-24 paste image i21,x1,(gy1*16)-8 paste image i31,x1,(gy1*16)+8 grid1(gx1,gy1-2)=1 grid1(gx1,gy1-1)=1 grid1(gx1,gy1)=1 colour1(gx1,gy1-2)=i11 colour1(gx1,gy1-1)=i21 colour1(gx1,gy1)=i31 ` here is where we start checking the explode loop for a=1 to 3 hide sprite a next a repeat e=explode(gx1,gy1) if e=1 d=dropem() else d=0 endif until d=0 for a=1 to 3 show sprite a next a ` get the next set and reset our stuff if players(0)=2 x1=16 y1#=8 x2=144 y2#=8 else x1=144 y1#=8 endif i11=n11 i21=n21 i31=n31 inc friendly1 if friendly1=3 n11=rnd(difficulty1)+11 n21=rnd(difficulty1)+11 n31=n21 friendly1=0 else n11=rnd(difficulty1)+11 n21=rnd(difficulty1)+11 n31=rnd(difficulty1)+11 endif paste image n11,88,8 paste image n21,88,24 paste image n31,88,40 if players(0)=1 gx1=(x1-112)/16 gy1=(y1#+24)/16 else gx1=(x1-16)/16 gy1=(y1#+24)/16 gx2=(x2-112)/16 gy2=(y2#+24)/16 endif j1=jewels1(0) inc j1,3 jewels1(0)=j1 hit1=0 sco1=score1(0) inc sco1,25 score1(0)=sco1 ` attempt at making sense and level increase. Take out if malfunctions if weird = 0 then goto firstincrease if weird = 1 then goto secondincrease if weird = 2 then goto thirdincrease if weird = 3 then goto fourthincrease if weird = 4 then goto fifthincrease if weird > 4 then goto infinityincrease firstincrease: if sco1 > 2000 then play sound 1 `Try for bonus at level increase if sco1 > 2000 sco1=score1(0) inc sco1,100 score1(0)=sco1 else endif if sco1 > 2000 then weird = weird + 1 if sco1 > 2000 then level = level + 1 `it works! Changes music at level increase! Whoo-hoo its about time. if sco1 > 2000 then stop music 1 if sco1 > 2000 then loop music 2 `This part of the code currently makes the dropping ones disappear! `if sco1 > 200 then hide all sprites `This part of the code if there makes it progress, jewels stay if not `there, starts over with score, etc. but progression doesn't work! `if sco1 > 200 then sco1= scorestay if sco1 > 2000 then goto newlevel secondincrease: if sco1 > 5000 then play sound 1 `Try for bonus at level increase if sco1 > 5000 sco1=score1(0) inc sco1,500 score1(0)=sco1 else endif if sco1 > 5000 then weird = weird + 1 if sco1 > 5000 then level = level + 1 `it works! Changes music at level increase! Whoo-hoo its about time. if sco1 > 5000 then stop music 2 if sco1 > 5000 then loop music 3 `if sco1 > 500 then hide all sprites `if sco1 > 500 then sco1 = scorestay if sco1 > 5000 then goto newlevel thirdincrease: `Gives jewels a higher point value but not much until next level increase if sco1 > 10000 sco1=score1(0) inc sco1,25 score1(0)=sco1 else endif if sco1 > 10000 then play sound 1 `Try for bonus at level increase if sco1 > 10000 sco1=score1(0) inc sco1,750 score1(0)=sco1 else endif if sco1 > 10000 then weird = weird + 1 if sco1 > 10000 then level = level + 1 `it works! Changes music at level increase! Whoo-hoo its about time. if sco1 > 10000 then stop music 3 if sco1 > 10000 then loop music 4 `if sco1 > 10000 then sco1 = scorestay if sco1 > 10000 then goto newlevel fourthincrease: `Gives jewels a higher point value but not much until next level increase if sco1 > 10000 sco1=score1(0) inc sco1,35 score1(0)=sco1 else endif if sco1 > 15000 then play sound 1 `Try for bonus at level increase if sco1 > 15000 sco1=score1(0) inc sco1,800 score1(0)=sco1 else endif if sco1 > 15000 then weird = weird + 1 if sco1 > 15000 then level = level + 1 `it works! Changes music at level increase! Whoo-hoo its about time. if sco1 > 15000 then stop music 4 if sco1 > 15000 then loop music 5 `if sco1 > 15000 then sco1 = scorestay if sco1 > 15000 then goto newlevel fifthincrease: `Gives jewels a higher point value but not much until next level increase if sco1 > 15000 sco1=score1(0) inc sco1,50 score1(0)=sco1 else endif if sco1 > 25000 then play sound 1 `Try for bonus at level increase if sco1 > 25000 sco1=score1(0) inc sco1,1000 score1(0)=sco1 else endif if sco1 > 25000 then weird = weird + 1 if sco1 > 25000 then level = level + 1 `it works! Changes music at level increase! Whoo-hoo its about time. if sco1 > 25000 then stop music 5 if sco1 > 25000 then loop music 6 `if sco1 > 25000 then sco1 = scorestay if sco1 > 25000 then goto newlevel infinityincrease: `Gives jewels a higher point value but not much until next level increase if sco1 > 25000 sco1=score1(0) inc sco1,100 score1(0)=sco1 else endif if sco1 > 50000 then stop music 6 if sco1 > 50000 then loop music 1 if weird < 6 then goto dontdothis if sco1 > (weird*10000) then play sound 1 `Try for bonus at level increase if sco1 > (weird*10000) sco1=score1(0) inc sco1,2000 score1(0)=sco1 else endif if sco1 > (weird*10000) then level = level + 1 `if sco1 > (weird*10000) then sco1 = scorestay if sco1 > (weird*10000) then weird = weird + 1 if sco1 > ((weird-1)*10000) then goto newlevel dontdothis: ` gosub progress endif ` textgrid() direction=0 scroller_go() copy bitmap 2,0 sync loop ` Scroll Text Routine function scroller_go() scroller_x#=0 for scroll=0 to 20 im=asc(scrolltext$(scroll)) inc im,100 if im=132 then im=191 if im=146 then im=192 if im=144 then im=193 if im=158 then im=194 if im=145 then im=195 if im=143 then im=196 if im=133 then im=197 if im=148 then im=205 if im=149 then im=206 if im=150 then im=207 if im=151 then im=208 if im=152 then im=209 if im=153 then im=210 if im=154 then im=211 if im=155 then im=212 if im=156 then im=213 if im=157 then im=214 paste image im,scroller_offset#(0)+scroller_x#,224 inc scroller_x#,16 next scroll sotemp#=scroller_offset#(0) dec sotemp#,scroller_speed#(0) scroller_offset#(0)=sotemp# ` dec scroller_offset#,scroller_speed#(0) if sotemp#=<-16 scroller_offset#(0)=0 getnextcharacter(scroller_count(0)) sctemp=scroller_count(0) inc sctemp scroller_count(0)=sctemp ` inc scroller_count if sctemp=21 getscrolltext(1) scroller_count(0)=0 endif endif endfunction function explode(x,y) ` scan array vertically looking for matching jewels and mark them all e=0 for a=0 to 5 for b=12 to 2 step -1 tj1=colour1(a,b) tj2=colour1(a,b-1) tj3=colour1(a,b-2) ` we got a match sir! if tj1>10 if tj1=tj2 and tj2=tj3 grid1(a,b)=99 grid1(a,b-1)=99 grid1(a,b-2)=99 e=1 s=score1(0) inc s,50 `Trying to put a higher point value on matches as levels increase if weird = 3 then goto skipthis if weird > 1 then inc s,(1+weird) skipthis: score1(0)=s endif endif next b next a ` scan horizontally too for a=0 to 3 for b=12 to 1 step-1 tj1=colour1(a,b) tj2=colour1(a+1,b) tj3=colour1(a+2,b) if tj1>10 if tj1=tj2 and tj2=tj3 grid1(a,b)=99 grid1(a+1,b)=99 grid1(a+2,b)=99 e=1 s=score1(0) inc s,50 `Trying to put a higher point value on matches as levels increase if weird = 3 then goto skipthisthree if weird > 1 then inc s,(1+weird) skipthisthree: score1(0)=s endif endif next b next a ` scan diagnols, bottom left up to top right for a=0 to 3 for b=12 to 3 step-1 tj1=colour1(a,b) tj2=colour1(a+1,b-1) tj3=colour1(a+2,b-2) if tj1>10 if tj1=tj2 and tj2=tj3 grid1(a,b)=99 grid1(a+1,b-1)=99 grid1(a+2,b-2)=99 e=1 s=score1(0) inc s,100 `Trying to put a higher point value on matches as levels increase if weird = 3 then goto skipthisone if weird > 1 then inc s,(1+weird) skipthisone: score1(0)=s endif endif next b next a ` scan diagnols, bottom right up to top left for a=5 to 2 step -1 for b=12 to 3 step-1 tj1=colour1(a,b) tj2=colour1(a-1,b-1) tj3=colour1(a-2,b-2) if tj1>10 if tj1=tj2 and tj2=tj3 grid1(a,b)=99 grid1(a-1,b-1)=99 grid1(a-2,b-2)=99 e=1 s=score1(0) inc s,100 `Trying to put a higher point value on matches as levels increase if weird = 3 then goto skipthistwo if weird > 1 then inc s,(1+weird) skipthistwo: score1(0)=s endif endif next b next a endfunction e function dropem() d=0 ` 2 stage process, first remove all 99 (exploded) jewels for a=0 to 5 for b=0 to 12 if grid1(a,b)=99 colour1(a,b)=10 grid1(a,b)=0 if players(0)=1 jx=(a*16)+112 jy=(b*16)+8 else jx=(a*16)+16 jy=(b*16)+8 jx2=(a*16)+112 jy2=(b*16)+8 endif ` shatter jewels loop ei=18 repeat paste image ei,jx,jy scroller_go() copy bitmap 2,0 sync inc ei until ei=22 paste image 10,jx,jy ` j=jewels1(0) ` dec j ` jewels1(0)=j d=1 endif next b next a ` now move remainder down ` check to see if this row is blank for a=0 to 5 rowcount=0 for b=0 to 12 rowcount=rowcount+colour1(a,b) next b if rowcount>130 count=0 for b=0 to 12 tc=colour1(a,b) if tc>10 if players(0)=1 jx=(a*16)+112 jy=(b*16)+8 else jx=(a*16)+16 jy=(b*16)+8 jx2=(a*16)+112 jy2=(b*16)+8 endif t1(count)=tc paste image 10,jx,jy colour1(a,b)=10 grid1(a,b)=0 inc count endif next b dec count rkd=count for b=12 to 0 step -1 if players(0)=1 jx=(a*16)+112 jy=(b*16)+8 else jx=(a*16)+16 jy=(b*16)+8 jx2=(a*16)+112 jy2=(b*16)+8 endif dal=12-b if t1(dal)>0 paste image t1(rkd),jx,jy colour1(a,b)=t1(rkd) grid1(a,b)=1 dec rkd endif next b for b=0 to 12 t1(b)=0 next b scroller_go() copy bitmap 2,0 sync endif next a endfunction d function textgrid() x=340 : y=0 for a=0 to 12 for b=0 to 5 text x,y,str$(colour1(b,a))+" " text x+140,y,str$(grid1(b,a)) inc x,20 next b inc y,20 x=340 next a endfunction function sinewaveon(im) set current bitmap 2 paste image im,0,0 for i=1 to 240 get image 499+i,0,i-1,320,i next i cls 0 step#=8.0 : sx=0 : speed=6 : o#=25 t=timer() repeat cls 0 si=500 for i=1 to 240 paste image si,sin(sx+i*step#)*o#,i-1 inc si next i inc sx,speed copy bitmap 2,0 if timer()=>t+25 dec step#,0.05 dec o#,0.25 t=timer() endif skip=0 if scancode()<>0 then skip=1 if joystick fire a()=1 then skip=1 sync until step#<=3 or skip=1 paste image im,0,0 copy bitmap 2,0 sync repeat until scancode()=0 endfunction ` Scroll text routine to kick things off function getscrolltext(c) if c=0 read line$ if line$="*" restore read line$ endif read line2$ if line2$="*" restore read line2$ endif for a=0 to 20 scrolltext$(a)=mid$(line$,1+a) scrollnext$(a)=mid$(line2$,1+a) next a else read line$ if line$="*" restore read line$ endif for a=0 to 20 scrollnext$(a)=mid$(line$,1+a) next a endif endfunction ` Scroll text routine to get the next character and shuffle stuff function getnextcharacter(c) for a=0 to 20 scrolltemp$(a)=scrolltext$(a) next a for a=0 to 19 scrolltext$(a)=scrolltemp$(1+a) next a scrolltext$(20)=scrollnext$(c) endfunction ` Intro Sequence function intro(b,t) start=timer() set current bitmap 0 w=320 h=240 xh=120 for a=1 to 6 if sprite exist(a) then hide sprite a next a do paste image b,0,0 for a=0 to t if jump(a)=0 velocity#(a)=9.0+rnd(10) jump(a)=1 endif if jump(a)=1 if velocity#(a)!-10 velocity#(a)=velocity#(a)-acceleration#(a) endif y#(a)=y#(a)-velocity#(a) endif temp_x#=x#(a) temp_s#=speed#(a) if y#(a)>h y#(a)=h else if d(a)=1 inc temp_x#,temp_s# else dec temp_x#,temp_s# endif x#(a)=temp_x# endif sprite 1001+a,x#(a),y#(a),jewel(a) next a if timer()=>start+2500+rnd(1000) makefire(t,320,240,120) start=timer() endif if joystick fire a()=1 or scancode()>0 then exitfunction sync loop endfunction function makefire(t,w,h,xh) for a=0 to t velocity#(a)=0 acceleration#(a)=0.5 jump(a)=0 x#(a)=xh+10+rnd(xh/2) speed#(a)=rnd(4) y#(a)=150+rnd(40) d(a)=rnd(1) jewel(a)=11+rnd(6) next a endfunction ` Game Over Routine and HighScore Table Display gameover: music(0) = 0 if music(0) = 0 then stop music 1 if music(0) = 0 then stop music 2 if music(0) = 0 then stop music 3 if music(0) = 0 then stop music 4 if music(0) = 0 then stop music 5 play sound 2 paste image 7,116,120 hide all sprites copy bitmap 2,0 sync repeat scroller_go() copy bitmap 2,0 sync until joystick fire a()=1 or scancode()>0 ` do the mass explode thing reloadmusic = 1 goto loadmusic okdone: weird = 0 level = 1 ei=18 repeat for a=12 to 0 step -1 for b=0 to 5 jx=(b*16)+112 jy=(a*16)+8 paste image ei,jx,jy next b scroller_go() copy bitmap 2,0 sync next a inc ei until ei=22 scroller_go() copy bitmap 2,0 sync for a=0 to 5 for b=0 to 12 paste image 10,112+(a*16),8+(b*16) next b next a scroller_go() copy bitmap 2,0 sync repeat scroller_go() copy bitmap 2,0 sync until joystick fire a()=1 or scancode()>0 cls 0 if music(0) = 0 then loop music 1 goto startgame ` **************************************************** PROGRESS! ` This part isn't used yet, but could be progress: if sco1>=2500 and difficulty1=2 inc difficulty1 endif if sco1=>5000 and difficulty1=3 inc difficulty1 endif if sco1=>10000 and difficulty1=4 inc difficulty1 endif if sco1=>10000 and s1#=0.5 inc s1#,0.25 endif if sco1=>50000 and s1#=0.75 inc s1#,0.25 endif return

Nintendo Entertainment System

My NES was the Challenge Set version. I remember when I got that for Christmas, I was so FREAKING happy. It took a long time to convince my parents that I could have a video game system and still do homework. Up until then, I could rent NES when I got straight As. More on that below. Remember when game systems came with TWO controllers AND a game?! I know, it's hard to ignite those distant memories. Anyway, for those of you who care, an oddball company has recently released a rip-off version of the old NES, which is great if you still have the games but your system stopped working. They sell them at a store here called Hastings, but I'm sure you could find them online. My NES is on its last leg. I don't know what's wrong with it! Oh well. I guess it lasted long enough. About 14 years or something. Wheee.

- SUPER MARIO BROTHERS/DUCK HUNT

Rating: 5

Honestly, how could I give this game anything less than five stars? It was the beginning of the Mario franchise, for crying out loud! This game also has a lot of replay value. Duck Hunt was pretty neat because it let the player use a "gun", and looking back, I'd say it was the inspiration for the innovative gaming experiences that Nintendo has been so caught up in lately (such as the Wii). In fact, it seems to me that Nintendo is kind of obsessed with these types of gimmick games, although I suppose Playstation jumped on the bandwagon with a few of their titles as well. Anyway. Hmm, onto some trivia about this game. Well, I'm sure you've all heard of the legendary Minus World, so I won't speak too much about that. I don't think I've ever reached the Minus World, myself, so I'm not really an expert to begin with. I will throw out there that if you like this game, you should try the game boy color version called Super Mario Deluxe, because it adds some fun puzzles and lots of extras to this game.

- SUPER MARIO BROTHERS 2

Rating: 5

This is another game that I simply couldn't rate below 5, it would be blasphemy. I remember being pretty young and playing this game. It mesmerized me! Funny story, though. I simply could not figure out how to pick up the eggs and throw them at birdo when I was a kid. I guess the concept escaped me. But in my defense, I didn't own a Nintendo then, and my cousin would let me play once in a rare eon, so...I didn't have a whole lot of experience with video games! Anyway. I do have some trivia for this game. Did you know that it was not originally a Mario game? In Japan, a true Super Mario Bros. sequel was created (Super Mario Lost Levels, later released on Super Nintendo), but for some reason they didn't release it in the US (it was supposedly too difficult for the American market). So, they took another game called, I believe, Doku Doku Panic, and changed some of the graphics with Mario characters for the US. That's why the game makes pretty much NO sense! Oh, and even weirder...the Super Mario Brothers Super Show is based on this game! So basically, the show is based on a game that wasn't Mario to begin with! Incidentally, if you really want to have fun with a Game Genie, try it on this game with random codes. You can get some really weird stuff. Once, I got what appeared to be a pair of pants to walk around as an enemy. Also, for fun, get your friend to hum the bottom part of the overworld (or underworld) themesong, and then you hum the top part! Ok, so I'm weird, I know. Geez.

- SUPER MARIO BROTHERS 3

Rating: 5

This game was awesome. Oh, come on. And does anyone remember that movie The Wizard from the 80s? When they revealed the master challenge game as SUPER MARIO BROS 3, I nearly fainted. It was SO cool. I think I devoted a serious chunk of my childhood to it. I remember when my parents would rent a Nintendo for the weekend (I only could have Nintendo if I got straight As!), I would play ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT. Yes, that game. I think I have it completely memorized. I have the original game guide. It looks weird because the new game guides are so high tech now. But I used to read that thing over and over and over again. I can't really think of much trivia, but does anyone else find that one level in the Ice World where you have to get a Koopa shell and fly up and break bricks in order to get out EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING?! And what the HECK is a Tanooki?! Well, I can provide this hint. To have an easy time in the dark world, make sure you have a Jugem's Cloud (however you spell it) for that AWFUL fortress before Koopa that has a whole bunch of doors. Yeah, that's a bad place. And if you don't know, in the dark world level where there is a sand pit right in the beginning, let yourself sink there to get to a level warp. Very good idea to use it. Boy, my advice is valuable, sheesh.

- TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

Rating: 4

Ok, ok, ok, wait. Before you start flaming me for the high rating, let me explain. As a programmer, I can understand how totally innovative and difficult this game had to have been to design. It is just so...out there. And so, for that alone, I give a rating of 4. Now let us discuss the gameplay. First of all. Does anyone else feel like this game was made for something completely different than TMNT and then canned and redesigned for the Turtles? I mean, seriously! A lot of it makes absolutely NO sense to the TMNT universe. And what is up with the WEIRD enemies?! Not to mention the weirdly designed levels and music! And WHY is this game so freaking HARD?! I swear to God, did they think they were going to have computer children playing it?! I've only gotten CLOSE to beating it with the Game Genie, but usually fail due to a technical issue. Ok, this is my trivia for this game. A warning for Game Genie users. The Game Genie can be used to make you invincible, which is great, because you can actually get through the game. IF. Yes, there's a big IF. IF you can successfully jump over the fire pits in the weird under-the-airport level. Now, anyone who has played this game knows that jumps are damn near impossible. So getting it right the first time is a fluke. The problem is that if you fall into the fire pit while invincible from the Game Genie, the game FREEZES because you CAN'T DIE!!!! So basically, you work really hard and it takes forever to get to that one, pivotal, unavoidable jump and the whole thing can go down the drain in a second if you don't make the jump. No pressure. Still, there is something strangely addictive about this game, simply because it is SO DANG WEIRD. And weird, in my book, is a good thing.

- TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES 2: THE ARCADE GAME

Rating: 3

Yeah, 3 is about right. Ok, I know this game was really popular in the arcades, but it is VERY hard and VERY short. I don't know about you, but I got really sick of pushing the same button over and over again to kill what felt like an infinite number of the same type of enemy. Not to mention the fact that I barely could make it past Rocksteady in the very beginning without DYING. I mean, on a good note, the game had some interesting styles of levels, and some funny humor and stuff. And of course I played it every time I saw it in the arcade. But it was just hard! I think you had to play it with more than one person to have any hope of surviving. OOOOooo some trivia. Ok, does anyone remember the weird game machine pictures from the arcade? Well, this isn't really trivia, per se, but the pictures on the outside of the arcade machine were just WEIRD and funny. They were sort of live action turtles, but they were SO CHEESY! And April was on the machine, and she had this totally dorky pose with her video camera...ah, I guess you had to see it. But it was really funny.

- TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES 3

Rating: 3

Honestly, I barely ever played this game. I guess it just seemed too similar to TMNT2. So I don't have much to say. Does anyone have any funny stories or anything?

- MARBLE MADNESS

Rating: 4

This game holds a lot of memories for me. It was one of the only games I had for NES. My game library for that machine wasn't too vast, because I was too young to buy things for myself and had to wait for Christmas and my birthday to get games. Anyway, this game is so out there, and so unique, that it just...boggled my mind. And the music was freaky! Now, I'm not talking about the newly released version on the Midway Arcade Classics disc. That music's been redone, and it's not as good. The original was really something. Actually, most music for the NES was. I always was fascinated by how weird the music could be on something that simple...anyway. Ooo, some trivia. I guess the programming software that they used for this only generated vertical and horizontal lines, so they had to draw every slanted line by HAND. If you've played this game, you'd know that was pretty much....all of them. Talk about an undertaking! Anywho. The only problem with this game was that it was REALLY HARD, and then also that it was rather short. So I guess those kind of contradict each other, in a way, but oh well. Don't you just love the "Silly" level? "Everything you know is wrong". Talk about a statement to instill hope! HA!

- PAPERBOY

Rating: 4

This game is also just flat out weird. Music, story, graphics, you name it. It's so weird, it's great. And again, I'm not talking about the version on Midway Arcade Classics. That IS NOT the original Paperboy, and it kind of STINKS! This game, though, was pretty hard, but actually, once you got the hang of it, you could become quite the master. I was the master at one point! But I haven't played in so long that now I am a lowly fool when I play it. Ok, fun facts time...some people actually tried to make the paperboy game into a real life scenario. Go to www.youtube.com and type in Mega 64 Paperboy. Watch the video. You'll laugh. Trust me. ;)

- ADVENTURES IN THE MAGIC KINGDOM

Rating: 3

I don't know. I wanted to give this game a higher rating. I guess my problem with it is that it's too short. Other than that, I loved it. I have always loved Disneyland, so a game about Disneyland was really cool to me! The problem is that it only has a few rides in it. The weird thing is that it depicts a very old Disneyland! So in that respect, it's interesting to play now, since things have changed a lot in 20 or so years. The rides that are represented are Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain and Autopia. I do like some of the music and I like some of the graphics. Anyway, it's worth a look at for nostalgic reasons.

- THE LEGEND OF ZELDA

Rating: 5

What can I say about the game that started the whole Zelda universe? This game was INCREDIBLY innovative and I can't even begin to imagine the programming involved here. Don't forget, video games were new back then. So they had to invent this all from scratch. The top-down camera was unique as well. I will say, though, that this game is really hard. Man, I was not very good at it. Funny story. I bought the game used, so it had a file that someone had saved where they had beaten the game. Yeah, that was the only way I got to see anything far into the game. I know, cheater, cheater. I also think this game was (one of?) the first to allow saving. Thank God, too, can you imagine if you couldn't save?! I always really liked the dungeon music, and the enemies were pretty neat, not to mention all the items you could use. And I used to love to look at the awesome drawings of the enemies in the game manual. Did anyone else think that artwork was fantastic? Another funny story. Once, I played through Dungeon 9 on that person's saved game. I got to Gannon, and didn't know what to do, so I just hit random buttons. All of a sudden, I killed him. It was only recently that I read online how you're supposed to kill him (in other words, I didn't know what I did up until I looked it up online!). Amazingly, I can't really remember now. I think it's something to do with a Silver Arrow? Anyway. I'm sure you all know about the "ZELDA" file name game change thing. So I won't go there!

- THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: ADVENTURE OF LINK

Rating: 3

I barely played this game. It was so different from the first one, that I just couldn't get into it. And very hard and tedious, as well! If you haven't played it, basically it looks more like a Mario game in that Link is portrayed from the side and not from the top, at least in a lot of the game. The game had these irritating fields that you had to cross (map areas) in which you could run into enemies and then would be transported to the weird side-view attack field. There, you would have to kill the enemies. So basically, you'd go two feet in the field and be ambushed by some enemy and have to play the same side-view fight over and over again. It was not fun. Although, I guess some people like that kind of stuff, so. Who knows.

Super Nintendo Entertainment System

My SNES...I remember when I got it very well. I bought it for myself as a graduation present from grammar school. Every system that I have I bought after it had been out for a while, so it wasn't exactly brand new to the market when I got it. I think I paid $129.99, and it came with Super Mario Allstars. I wonder how long the batteries will last in those games, because I dread the day that all of my saves conk out! My friend said her DKC games finally stopped saving. That will be awful, you can't beat those games without saving! And the versions for Game Boy are nothing like the original...anyway, oh well, what can one do?

- SUPER MARIO ALLSTARS

Rating: 5

This game consisted of five different titles; It had Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2 and Super Mario Bros. 3, featuring new graphics for the SNES. Personally, I kind of liked the old versions the way they were....but then again, it allowed for saving, so that was a definite plus! This cartridge also included Super Mario Bros. Lost Levels, which was the Japanese game that was supposed to be the sequel to Super Mario Bros. America ended up getting Super Mario Bros. 2, however. See the NES section on that game for more information. Anyway, Lost Levels was very similar to SMB, except that one could play as Luigi, who had a slightly different jumping style than Mario. Also, the game was more difficult than SMB. It featured the infamous "poison mushroom", a blue and purple colored version of the traditional Mario mushroom. Needless to say, picking one of these up was not a good idea. On top of all of these wonderful games, the cartridge also featured Super Mario World, which is considered by many to be the best video game of all time. I remember when that game came out, I would ask my parents if I could just stay in the Nintendo part of any store we went to in order to play the demo! I was so impressed by that game, and I still am. It's just so much fun, isn't it? I think everyone probably knows about most of the secrets in this game, but I'll throw a few out there just in case. First of all, is everyone aware of TOP SECRET AREA at the top of Donut Plains? I believe the Ghost House there has three exits. One of them leads up to a little area that has a bunch of power ups. It's pretty useful, so you'll want to look for it. Also, is everyone familiar with Bowser's back door to his castle? Who puts a back door in their castle?! I mean, come on, you have all of these enemies to stop Mario from getting to your castle, and then you go and do something stupid and put a shortcut back door into your castle. Good one, Bowser! My last secret is that if you beat all of the star levels, you can get the enemies in the game to change. I'm not going into detail because I figure most people probably know this stuff, so I guess it's for nostalgic value to remind you of them. If you don't know what I'm talking about, email me and I'll give you directions! :)

- THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: LINK'S AWAKENING

Rating: ???

I've barely played this game, which I know is blasphemy, but cut me some slack, I didn't get it until about two years ago and I've been busy with school and stuff! Anyway, I hardly thought I was qualified to rate it, but I will say that it looks like pretty much all of the Game Boy Zelda games look. I played it a bit. I guess after Ocarina, the old games aren't as fun, for me. But that is truly just me!!!

- DONKEY KONG COUNTRY

Rating: 5

This game had such a cool look to it, as well as an awesome feel! I still can't believe how Rare took the concept of DONKEY KONG, which was so incredibly simple, and turned it into what it is today. Anyway, this game was the start of that unique approach. I love the music from these games, too. So innovative. I still wonder if Rare invented a special program to make the music, because it was just so out there. For those of you who haven't played this series (damn you), let me just say that the whole game was made to look almost 3D rendered. I say "almost" because it was still a 2D platformer, but the images were so well-shaded that they had a sort of texture to them. Great colors, too. I will say that DKC2 is actually my favorite of the series, but since this game was the inspiration for that one, I know credit is due here. Yeay Rare! They're really something!

- DONKEY KONG COUNTRY 2

Rating: 5

I love this game. It is one of my favorites of all time. Obviously, a lot of the ideas stem from DKC, so I can't say it was completely original, but this game holds a big part of my childhood in it! I have all of the DKC songs on CDS, and I usually listen to this one over and over again. It had a real computer feel to the music, which I thought was fun to listen to. Sort of SNES new age, or something. Anyway, this game was hard to beat, too. Anybody else out there feel that the race against that evil bird through the thorns at the end is cruel and unusual punishment? And does anyone else get spaced out to Bramble Scramble? Ooooo, spinnnnnning!!!!!!!!!

- DONKEY KONG COUNTRY 3

Rating: 4

I don't know. This game was fun, but it just wasn't...as good as DKC2. I guess it was as good as DKC, but since it wasn't an original idea, it only gets 4 stars out of me. The music wasn't as good, either. Otherwise, it had the same look as the other games. It was slightly different gameplay wise because you could travel from land to land via a raft (previously you had to fly with Funky's Flights). I can't put my finger on it, but this game just...wasn't as good. I don't know. It was kind of hard, too. But here's some trivia for ya. This is the game that Wrinkly Kong reveals her video game obsessions in, and it gives a sneak peak at her playing N64 - and features the music from the castle in Mario 64! Also, I believe you can input the code JINGLE to have Christmas themed bonus areas in this game. But don't quote me on that, I can't remember these things, that was a long time ago, dammit!

- TMNT: TURTLES IN TIME

Rating: 3

I don't know, this was just another hard Turtles game that was similar to TMNT The Arcade Game and TMNT3 for NES. I mean, yeah, it had a bit better graphics and the plot involved more diverse settings (you'll be travelling...in...time...in case you didn't guess)...but the thing was that I usually died by the time I got to Shredder, who then sends you back in time! I was so awful at these games. *Beats head on desk*

- TMNT: TOURNAMENT FIGHTERS

Rating: 2

Oh, geez. What can I say about this game? Ok, I will say that the artwork was pretty...original. Everything had a strange Mortal Combaty shading to it. Basically, you just keep getting thrown into random playing backgrounds where you had to KO some random opponent (which could even be yourself as a slightly darker shaded version). It was hard and weird, but it had some funny aspects, including some of the vocal work (For instance, that dumb broad Aska had some funny weird Japanese lines. And what kind of a name is ASKA?! Aska stupid question, get a stupid answer, I know, I know...). I guess on the bright side, you did get to see Tina Turner in the Thunderdome. Well, at least, that's what I sure as hell looked like. What was the point of putting HER in the game?! I don't get it! And why was the Rat King so beefy in this game? And why is it that when you'd lose a match and be lying there dead, April would go up to the winner and start interviewing them as you just were slumped on the ground next to her? And why... ok, you get the point.

- SUPER MARIO KART

Rating: 5

This is the game that started it all. I mean, how many sequels have been made for Super Mario Kart? Five? And honestly, when have you ever played a racing game that was as fun as the SMK series? I hope dang near never. Granted, there have been a lot of games that have come out to copy SMK, Diddy Kong Racing and Crash Bandicoot Racing, but none of these were as good as the SMK series! This was another game that just made me lose track of time in department stores, because they used to have it on display all over the place. It was one of the first games to feature a 3D perspective. Looking back, that had to be really hard to create, I mean...now, that's all we have, but back then, it was pretty NEW! People amaze me with their mathematical skill. ANYwho. Oh, I also loved this game because you could lap the computer players about ninety times and just laugh over and over again. The newer ones have some stupid programming added to them so you can't keep passing the slowpokes like that. I think it took a lot of the God complex out of the game, you know? There's nothing more inspiring than going past the sorest loser of them all and going "HAHA here I go AGAIN!". And yes, I realize they were computer characters and didn't care that I was heckling them. Too bad. Ok, we have to talk about Rainbow Road now. This, in my opinion, is the only REAL Rainbow Road. All those other ones are for NINNIES. This the Rainbow Road responsible for burning out of retinas and inducing of seizures. This is the Rainbow Road that was about 3 inches wide and featured near 360 degree turns. This is the Rainbow Road with NO fences, and no prayers. This is the Rainbow Road with ruthless driving and use of feathers to jump over objects that you could barely make out against the flashing colors of the screen. THIS, my children, is the Rainbow Road that I WAS THE MASTER OF. BWA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! And now I just suck. :P

- SUPER MARIO WORLD 2: YOSHI'S ISLAND

Rating: 5

You just can't complain about the classics, you know? They're just great, even if there were parts that made you want to rip your eyes out because you couldn't beat them. This game had a few moments like that, mostly due to the fact that in order to open ALL of the areas you had to get 90% completion in all levels or above. Yeah, that created a few tense moments, there. Yep. Anyway, this game was quite different from Super Mario World. It was the game that introduced the baby Mario part of the franchise. The point of the game was to play as Yoshi and complete levels without losing baby Mario, who was riding along on your back. Basically, the game required a lot of egg shooting and puzzle solving. Thank God that in this game there are no annoying Yoshi sound effects. The later versions of Yoshi include such irritating sounds that I swear you want to pitch the game across the room. ANYWAY. This game had a lot of cute humor and stuff, and it was pretty long, which was good because it gave you a satisfying feeling to beat it.

Nintendo 64

N64...let me think. I got this during high school, I believe I was a junior. I bought it for myself after being totally jealous of everyone else who had one! I remember watching one of my friends playing Ocarina of Time and I was completely stunned by how awesome that game was. So I finally went out and got the system! I still really love N64, even with all of the new systems. Certain N64 games just are better than the new ones. The bad thing is that when I got Game Cube, GC gave me a headache for a long time because it rendered faster. I finally got used to GC, and now when I go to play N64, it looks so stop-motiony that I get a headache. Figures, right? Oh well. I still think there are some unbelievably expansive games on there that I can't believe fit on N64. A lot of those games are bigger than GC games. And does anyone remember how funny it was to compare cartridge weight? It's like you could compare the quality by the weight. Gee, Ocarina of Time is reallllly heavy...!!!! One of the benefits of cartridges...that and the no scratch value. Anyway, I also got a kick out of how you had to get the expansion pack for certain games. I remember being really nervous about adding that. Like I was doing brain surgery or something. Anyyyywayyyy....

- SUPER MARIO 64

Rating: 5

What can I say about the first 3D adventure for Mario? Nothing like this had really ever been done before. When you think about the previous Mario games as you play this one, it's rather amazing how the game developers adapted the 3D world to be perfect for Mario. I have read that in the original plans for SM64, there were going to be something like 30 levels, but in the final version, there are only 13 or so. However, the game does include a lot of unusual locations, including a Rainbow area and the inside of a Clock, and presents unusual music (although sometimes bordering on irritating - I have the soundtrack and love it, but the clock land song gets old really fast!) and puzzles to add to the replay value. This game basically set the standards for all games after it by being a highly impressive 3D platformer. My only major qualm is that Mario's controls are somewhat loose and therefore can be extremely frustrating. I often found myself swearing like a sailor when trying to navigate some of the extremely difficult jumps in the game (although nothing as bad as with Super Mario Sunshine...more on that in the Game Cube section.) Also, there were times when I had absolutely NO idea what I was supposed to do to progess in a level, and so I had to consult a game guide (although it seems to me that games are increasingly becoming so difficult that it becomes mandatory to OWN the game guide....a plot, I believe to make more money!) Something that needs to be pointed out is the basic concept behind this game. The game revolved around a system of collecting stars in each individual level. Several stars were available in each level, but a prior one (usually) needed to be collected before the next one could be found. The reason I want to point this out is because it became a theme for several games afterwards (Donkey Kong 64, Banjo Kazooie, etc). Basically, allowing a player to go into the same area with slightly different puzzles and objects appearing for each "star" (or whatever the object to collect is) was a tremendous timesaver AND space conserver for the programmers. Basically, before this, games tended to show completely different areas in which you could find one major item. This required individual programming, level design and memory usage for each item. However, simply by allowing the player to have to go into the same LOCATION to find various artifacts and only changing a bit of the area meant much less work and a lot less of the cartridge being devoted to new material. However, in a way, this new concept is somewhat controversial, as it made it "standard" to lower the level of diversity in the game by providing a set amount of challenges to occur in the same place...a type of shortcut, in a way, for developers. My question to you is this...Do you think this idea of shortcutting is good or bad for the industry? I mean, granted, Mario, DK64 and the BK series are fantastic games....BUT...Would you rather have games made quickly so that you keep getting more and more of what you like on the market, but that contain less level diversity due to the fact that it is easier to make, or would you rather wait and get something very, very original and expansive that may only come out once in several years?

- DONKEY KONG 64

Rating 5

Well, they're finally here, performing for you, if you know the words you can join in too, put your hands together if you want to clap as we take you through this monkey rap! D K, Donkey Kong! Ok, I'll stop that now. But really, I LOVED this game. If you have been reading my random writings loyally, you may recall that I said the DKC series really took the DK idea in a whole new direction, and got fantastic results. Well, DK64 is made by the same company, RARE (which made several kick butt games), and once again, they took the DK franchise in a whole new direction and succeeded in completely amazing me in the process. Everything about this game is lovely. Beautiful worlds, unbelievably expansive environments (you'll find yourself going...I can't believe there is still more over here! I can't believe I can go in there!) with HUGE amounts of diversity. You will not get bored, I guarantee it. This game is similar to Banjo Kazooie and Banjo Tooie (also RARE games), so if you like one, you'll like them all. In fact, you'll probably see some similarities between them all, which is something you start to notice once you've played certain game company products over and over. I guess it's sort of...a style and an approach, not to mention the fact that I'm sure they had generic code to borrow from for them all. ANYway. The games are all written with fantastic humor too, so you'll like that! I think one of the benefits of having a company that isn't Japan-based create a game is that the humor can be much more....funny. :) Anyway, throughout the game you will have the chance to find five playable characters total, which you will need to change back and forth from in order to progress. The sheer intuitiveness of this game will amaze you, as you will always feel comfortable with the controls and feel like you are actually INSIDE the game (I love that feeling, and it's hard to find). The only problem area is the swimming, as I find swimming in most 3D games to be a bit difficult (and flying as well). Something about 3D rendering makes it difficult for me to get a bearing on where I am compared to the ground. But this could just be me! Incidentally, I have this soundtrack, and I love it. There are a lot of extras and bonuses to be found in this game, so it will take you quite a while to beat it. The object of the game is to collect bananas, so you will be entering the same areas more than once in order to collect bananas that you couldn't get earlier in the game because you didn't have the right character or ability. I believe there are 101 bananas to collect.

- LEGEND OF ZELDA: OCARINA OF TIME

Rating: 5,000,000,000

Hey. It's my rating system. So sue me.

Anyway. I don't know how to begin this review. How do you talk about something that is literally magical? This game had to be magic, because I don't know how else it could have come into existence. Many have said this is the greatest game of all time, and many have said nothing will ever outdo it. I happen to agree. I will attempt to convey why, but honestly, you'll just have to go and play it yourself if you really want to know. Although, I think you'd need a time machine to truly understand, because in order to really be impressed, you have to be in the right frame of mind...and consequently, the right time period!

The first time I saw this game was when I was at a friend's house. He had an N64 before me. He was playing the Water Temple, and I just couldn't believe that this was a ZELDA game. It was just so totally beautiful. The N64 was very new on the market when this game was released. That means the world had not seen much of what the 3D era would bring about to the gaming industry. Super Mario 64 was a great game, and had some wonderfully innovative ideas, but it also had some flaws. Graphically, it suffered from being blocky and a bit simplistic (although stylistically quite nice). Also, the levels were separated from each other, and although they did sport some good ideas, they were still somewhat boxed in and simply did not give the gamer a feeling of being inside of a real world. Ocarina of Time completely blew that problem out of the water. With one game, Nintendo completely changed the standards of gaming. The other thing that you have to remember is that up until this moment, all of the Zelda games were basically the same, conceptually. They featured a top-down camera and a very map-like visual system in which you would manipulate Link around to find various objects and kill various enemies. Ocarina of Time took a completely new approach. The emphasis here was on fantasy realism. Although that seems like a contradiction, allow me to explain. The game appeared and operated in a very realistic way, but took the realistic effects to the max and allowed them to create real-looking magical environments. Attention to detail was clearly very important to the developers. I simply cannot convey in words how this game changed my life. I have never felt so immersed in a game as I have with this. I mean, when Link falls from a ledge, you will feel your stomach drop. When you go to a new area, you will get chills. From the ability to watch young Link grow into Adult link, the sheer magnitude of the overworlds and dungeon levels, the absolute brilliance of level design, the unbelievable artistic ability of the enemy and surrounding designers, the intricacies of the plotline, an UNBELIEVABLY smooth control system with dead-on aiming (go ahead, bullseye a keese from a mile away, and don't worry about the auto-jumping, it works like an absolute charm) and quite possibly the best video game score ever written, this game is brilliant. When I finally beat the game (which, incidentally, features the most climactic endgame I've ever seen), I was crying. I didn't want it to be over (although it takes a LONG time to beat!), and yet I felt so proud of myself...I had made it, I had been through many trials and fought hard, and I had won. Absolute satisfaction. Breathtaking. It is a love affair in a game. Nothing less.

Nintendo keeps trying to one-up Ocarina of Time. Majora's Mask was the first attempt. While it was a fun game, it just wasn't Ocarina. Tedium does not equal amazement, and since Majora included so many of the same features as Ocarina, it just didn't feel as satisfying (although you would think that if you liked one game, you would like a game that was made to be almost like it just as much...apparently, that's not true, something about the newness of it has worn off). Wind Waker (and the soon to be released sequel DS game Phantom Hourglass) took the series in a slightly different direction, but the game got to be too "Japanese-y" and looked way too "anime", creating an obnoxious level of Japanese commercialism (although it is still fun, just not as much as Ocarina). Also, Wind Waker simply had less heart to it, and was very difficult. Now, Twilight Princess has come out, although I haven't played it yet. My guess is that of all of the Zeldas after Ocarina, this one will be the closest to it because they made a major attempt to stick true to the idea and FEEL of Ocarina instead of just copying it or going completely away from it. However, although I can't say what yet, I'll bet Ocarina still has something that Twilight Princess does not. Classics just have that in them, inherently.

- LEGEND OF ZELDA: MAJORA'S MASK

Rating: 5

This game was really weird. After Ocarina of Time blew everyone away with awesome graphics, gameplay and pretty much everything else, the developers decided that they might as well attempt to do that again. The really weird thing is, that's exactly what they did. Literally. They took the same graphics, the same characters, and the same ideas and mixed them up for Majora's Mask. Talk about some serious game development shortcutting! Anyway, the real difference was that in this game, Link was thrown into some sort of alternate universe where the elements of Ocarina exist in their own weird and wacky way. The game also sported a whole new time-based gameplay system, which got pretty tedious for those game players who need lots of time to beat dungeons (yes, I'm one of them). Basically, Majora's Mask operated on a three day schedule (although not in real time - each hour was about five minutes long). At the end of the three days, the moon would come crashing down onto Clock Town, which is the counterpart to Hyrule Castle in this game, and the whole world would explode into a giant fireball. Yeah, not a pretty sight. Anyway, then, Link would go back to the beginning of those same 3 days and start all over again (if you didn't save your game, that is). So how does Link get out of this wonderful time loop from hell, you ask? Well, I'm glad you asked. Basically, you have to save and return to the dawn of the first day in order to save any major progress that you've made. Ok, I know what you're thinking. If you go back in time, how does your progress get saved at all? You know what? I don't know. But a lot of what you do DOES NOT SAVE, and everyone around you pretty much just goes right back to the same events that they have done every OTHER time you've seen the same day. Only the major events save (opening of dungeons, boss battles, etc). If it sounds confusing, you'd be right. The really hard part of this game is that the dungeons are LONG!!!! and you have to beat them in time to not have the moon crash into the planet and reset the whole thing again, because if you don't save after you beat a dungeon, your progress is lost. Needless to say, that caused some pretty lovely little screaming fits in me, especially with the Snowhead Temple, the Water Temple and the Upside Down Temple (I can't even remember their "official names".) By the time the game reset, I was usually ALMOST DONE, but nooooo, time would run out and I'd have to start ALLLLL OVER AGAIN! The other element of this game is that you have what is called a "Bomber's Notebook", and this is a secret society of do-gooders that have a list of required tasks that you have to spend parts of the 3 days doing in order to earn rewards. You'll find yourself going back and forth through time quite a bit trying to get these accomplished, because if you screw up in the middle of one, yep, you guessed it, you get to start all over again. :) Incidentally, this game has only four major dungeons, which is quite a few less than Ocarina, although they are HUGE. But they don't have the same "heart" to them or something, because mostly I just found them frustrating. Cool, but frustrating! I don't know, this game is a must to play because it's just such a feat of programming and ideas, but expect to be challenged. Do you have any idea how HARD it would be to program a game like this, with its own time schedules where everything revolves around everything else?! Trust me, it would be damn near impossible, and yet they did it. So I can appreciate that. Oh, another down side, though, the music isn't as good. Sigh. OK, enough on this game! It's a classic, it's great, it's just hard. Bottom line. :)

- MARIO KART 64

Rating: 5

Do you realize how influential to the gaming world this series has been? First, with the SNES version, that game basically blew away all other racing games and set the precident for the future racing games of the universe. Mario Kart 64 did the same for the 3D gaming world. I mean, sure, if you look at it now the graphics look a bit blocky and simple, but it's still such a fun game to play. Nintendo did a wonderful job of combining racing with beating up your opponent with random weapons. This game was the source of a lot of humorous insult-hurling among friends. I just wish that the music was a bit more interesting. Also, I have a bone to pick with the "Rainbow Road" in this game and all of the SMKs after it. What happened to the killer, seizure-inducing Rainbow Road of the original SMK? Oh well, anyway. If you haven't played this game, you're seriously missing out. Go and play it!!!

- XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS

Rating: 3

This game is so funny. I bought it from a clearance bin at a video store where I live. I didn't have any idea what to expect, and although it is indeed a very cheesy fighting game about the Xena Series, it's surprisingly amusing. You can pick from a lot of characters and most of them emit really high-pitched blood curdling screams when they beat someone else. Talk about cat fighting! If that isn't enough to get you to play, you should hear the Joxer theme when you play him. HA! And hearing Xena's AIAIAIAIAIAIAI!!! is also amusing. Don't expect much from this, but if you go into playing it with low expectations like that, you might be pleasantly surprised. :)

- TETRISPHERE

Rating: 4

This game is pretty creative. I mean, Tetris, in a sphere. Weird. The music is also weird, and the game has a funny ambiance to it. I can't explain it. Like a techno world or something. The only thing is that, just like all Tetris games, it does get a bit boring after a while. But it is fun to play with friends for a while. Give it a try, if you like puzzle games. It is pretty unique.

- PAPER MARIO

Rating: 5

You know, when this game was first being advertised, I thought it looked stupid and I wanted to boycott it. Then I played it, and I realized how STUPID I WAS. This game is BRILLIANT! I've never played anything else like it. Basically, combine Mario and Zelda and add silly humor. It's perfect. I love it. And the graphics sure are unique. They use the paper gag in a lot of effective ways. Basically, it looks like you're in a pop-up book. There are so many different places to go and things to do in this game that it gave me that same feeling I had in Ocarina - like I'm really in a whole new world. The programmers outdid themselves on this one, and the developers - Intelligent Systems - Yeah, they kick ass. I love games where the text is actually humorous in an American way, and you can tell that the people who wrote the game were not digging for English translations. It's sort of like Banjo Kazooie/Tooie in that sense - the game is humorous and makes sense because it was written for English-speaking people. Everything about this game is innovative, and what is really interesting about it is that it was from the dawning of the Dance Dance Revolution era, and you can see it was based on programming technology that predated a lot of those games. In other words, the control system was built in a way that functions similarly to DDR (minus the dance pad), but DDR was pretty new back then. So kudos to the programmers, they win. :D Also, you know you have a good game when the cartridge weighs a ton. Back in the days of cartridges, that's how you could tell you had a really good game. This game? Very heavy, kind of like Ocarina. Lots of microchips in there. Whereas Yoshi's Story, heh, can I say light as a feather....? ;)

- MISCHIEF MAKERS

Rating: 2

Holy crap. I got this game in a clearance bin as well, and it looked like someone beat it up or something. I think maybe they really did. I believe I paid $3.99 for it (heh, yeah, worth every penny.) If you want to play a REALLLLLLY WEIRD JAPANESE-Y game, this is the one. Those people scare me. They're brilliant in some ways, but crazy in others. This game shows the crazy side. I mean, it has some funky graphics and hard puzzles and things. It's basically a platformer, kind of old school. I don't know. I think I'm blocking a lot of the memories of this game because it was so strange. If you want to know more, I can probably play it for a while to remind myself why I don't play it. ;) Haha!

- TONIC TROUBLE

Rating: Oh geez. I don't know. I guess 3.

It's hard to rate this game. It's sort of....obscure. I mean, the enemies in it are mutant vegetables and they chase you around and try to splat you. How priceless is that? The hero of the game is a guy that kind of looks like Rayman, in that he has no limbs. His name is Ed, also priceless. AND, this game sports popcorn machine powerups that have pictures of Paul Newman on them. How can one not say that is priceless?! AND it has music in it that goes "Coing! Coing!". Trust me, that's also priceless. :) The problem is that the game is kind of hard. It's also not the "most gorgeous" 3D platformer that ever graced the console. Not to say it's bad. I just get stuck a lot. OH and get this. You'll LOVE this. The manual clearly shows a SAVE GAME icon in the menu screen. But guess what? Mine doesn't have a SAVE GAME icon. So I get to die in order to get to the save screen (which can take a long time if you get a lot of lives). Yeah, they forgot to put in the save game on my version. So that should give you an idea of this game's issues. It looks like it was rushed out the door. I guess they were trying to get this out before Rayman (I believe it is by the same developers), but they couldn't in time, and then Rayman came out and they didn't know what to do with Tonic Trouble. So they just released it and watched it fail. I don't know, it's good for a laugh, but again, expect to be frustrated, both by the hard parts and the lovely NO SAVE icon! :P

- BANJO KAZOOIE

Rating: 5

How do I explain Banjo Kazooie. Geez. Well, it's kind of like Mario 64, and more specifically like Donkey Kong 64 (because the same developer, Rare, made it). Other than that, it's just its own amazing piece of artwork. Rare had this amazing ability to make video games that were basically dreams come true back then. I don't know, they were on a role. Granted, Banjo Kazooie was not as good as Banjo Tooie. But since it was the basis for BT, one has to give credit where credit is due. In Banjo Kazooie (and Tooie), you play as Banjo the Bear, who has a blue backpack containing the sarcastic, red bird Kazooie. Kazooie allows you to hover when you jump, and she also attacks from her backpack home. Anyway, the main boss in this game is Grunty the Witch, who has created a whole hoard of enemies that you will need to fight to reach her. There are tons of huge levels in this game (that you access by travelling through Grunty's castle). You'll visit a wide range of scenery from the desert to a haunted mansion. Trust me, you'll really like this game. It feels like a real world that you're inside of. I don't know how programmers do this, because the time involved has to be insane to design. And because this game was made by a non-foreign company, it is written with humor and sarcasm that is enjoyable by English-speakers. Rare has always been a bit off-beat. Oh, and I should give a word about the great "speaking" ability of the characters in this game. Nobody talks as far as voice actors actually speaking, but whenever characters are shown as speaking, the writing goes across the screen to random weird gibberish sound files that sound like garbled speech. All of these speaking sounds are particular to the character (very personalized gibberish, I guess is how to explain it). You should hear Grunty's - it's great! Weeee weeeeerrrr weee weeee weeeeeer!:) Anyway, the point of the game is to collect Jiggies, so similar to Mario 64, you will be revisiting a lot of the same areas over and over again with some slight differences to earn Jiggies. Along the way you will be assisted by Humba Wumba, an Indian lady that can turn you into various objects to help you on your quest, and Mumbo Jumbo, a skull-faced medicine man that can assist you with magic spells. You will also find Cheato, a magic book that allows you to enter a variety of nifty cheat spells.

- BANJO TOOIE

Rating: 5

Oooo, the sequel to Banjo Kazooie. This game beat the first one, hands down, even though the first one was awesome. I have never seen such huge levels in my life. And you know what's really cool? A lot of the levels have secret connections that actually join all of the areas together. You'll find this very amusing when you find them. Trust me. But this is the type of game where you'll be saying "Wow, I can go over here? You mean I can walk in this? I can go through there?". This is similar to how I felt in Donkey Kong 64, and being that they were created by the same developer, it seems that they were masters of making games that kicked butt (The developer is Rare). Lots of great humor in this game, as well. And the music is really cool. Diverse settings, lots of new moves to learn....this one will take you a long time to beat! The music is pretty entertaining, the graphics are very nice. Also, this game has awesome cheats in it. You know you have a good game when the game developers actually GIVE you tons of cheats. There are some very hard-to-find items as well that will give you cool extras. The basic idea of this game is to collect Jiggies, like in the first game. I believe there are 101 Jiggies. You'll be revisiting the same areas a lot to get them, but the areas are so cool that you probably won't mind much. I mean, how cool is it to have one whole land that is based on being completely insane? (Cloud Cucculand) I should call that "Me-Land". For those of you who are Disneyland fans, you should find that funny.

- RAYMAN 2

Rating: 3

The problem with this game was that it was very blah. The color palette, the graphics, the gameplay. It was drab and sort of grainy, and pretty hard. Hard seems to be the bottom line of the Rayman series. My problem with UbiSoft is that all of their games seem to come off of the same drab assembly line. Not to say that Rayman himself is a bad game character, because he has some spunk and stuff. Also, the game has a bit of humor in it that makes it entertaining (such as Globox). I actually prefer the talking Globox, though, from the later games (voiced by John Leguizamos). This game has similar "talking" as Banjo Kazooie in that the characters make weird sounds as their text goes across the screen. It can be funny, but it can also be irritating. Plus, the soundtrack is SO REPETITIVE. I think this game has like, two songs. You'll hate it after a while. Also, there are parts in the game that are SO hard to get past that you'll want to throw the game across the room. They really needed to test the difficulty better. I could never beat this game because it is just TOO hard.

- YOSHI'S STORY

Rating: 1

One is being kind. What happened?! When I got this game, I was expecting a 3D version of Yoshi's Island or something. Well, it is 3D, although it is 3D fixed camera (3D graphics on a set course/plane), but it sure ain't Yoshi's Island. This game is flat out irritating, and I put it on here to warn people. It's like a little girl's nightmare or something. Pink and annoying and irritating sound effects and pointless game play! AHHH!!! The funny thing is that I bought this used and payed A TON OF MONEY for it, and I was playing it, and then I beat it (took about 30 minutes), and the game just *fried* - clicked off in the middle of the ending animations. I think it overheated! So I took it back and got my stinking money back. My friend will attest to this story. The game committed suicide, it couldn't even stand itself!

Gameboy, Gameboy Color, Gameboy Advance and Nintendo DS

- TETRIS

Rating: 4

It's a classic. I guess I should have given it a 5, considering how many games it has spawned. Tetris was always "ok" in my book, but it got kind of boring after a while. And yet, I have quite a few Tetris games, so there must be some sort of addicting quality there. Anyway, I digress.

- LEGEND OF ZELDA: ORACLE OF AGES (CLR)

- LEGEND OF ZELDA: ORACLE OF SEASONS (CLR)

- TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

- TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES 2

- SUPER MARIO BROS DELUXE (CLR)

Rating: 5

This game includes the classic Super Mario Bros. NES game as well as the Lost Levels game that was the "original sequel" to it in Japan. Lost Levels had only previously been released on the Super Mario Allstars SNES game (which had all of the original Mario games as well). The difference between the Lost Levels on the SNES and the one on this GBA game is that of graphics. The SNES cartridge sported fancy updated graphics for the old Mario games. This version, however, is the original, and hence features the NES graphics for both Super Mario Bros. and Lost Levels. This game also holds a TON of extras, albeit kind of silly ones. You can collect cheesy pictures to print out on your neat-o Game Boy Printer (which I don't have), and other weird things like that. Also, there is a race feature that allows you to try and beat your best time through each level, complete with extra obstacles, etc. Also, this game features two new items that can be collected in each level - A Yoshi Egg and (I believe) a Coin. If you are a die-hard SMB fan, collecting these new items should prove to be entertaining, as they are pretty hard to find. Anyway, 'nuff said.

- WARIOWARE: TWISTED (GBA)

- YOSHI: TOPSY TURVY (GBA)

- SUPER MARIO ADVANCE (GBA)

- MARIO AND LUIGI: SUPERSTAR SAGA (GBA)

- MARIO PINBALL LAND (GBA)

- MARIO KART SUPER CIRCUIT (GBA)

- TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES (GBA)

- TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES 2 (GBA)

- SONIC ADVANCE (GBA)

- RAYMAN 3 (GBA)

- MARIO VS. DONKEY KONG (GBA)

- RAYMAN ADVANCE (GBA)

- BANJO KAZOOIE: GRUNTY'S REVENGE (GBA)

- WARIOWARE, INC MEGA MICROGAMES (GBA)

- YOSHI'S ISLAND SUPER MARIO ADVANCE 3(GBA)

- PAC MAN WORLD 2 (GBA)

- LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (GBA)

- LEGEND OF ZELDA: MINISH CAP (GBA)

- MS PAC MAN MAZE MADNESS (GBA)

- SUPER MARIO WORLD SUPER MARIO ADVANCE 2 (GBA)

- COLUMNS CROWN (GBA)

- PAC MAN WORLD (GBA)

- DONKEY KONG COUNTRY 2 (GBA)

- DONKEY KONG COUNTRY 3 (GBA)

- DK KING OF SWING (GBA)

- NEW SUPER MARIO BROS (DS)

- ANIMAL CROSSING: WILD WORLD (DS)

- MARIO KART DS (DS)

- MARIO AND LUIGI: PARTNERS IN TIME (DS)

- NINTENDOGS (DS)

- KIRBY: CANVAS CURSE (DS)

- WARIOWARE: TOUCHED (DS)

- SUPER MARIO 64 DS (DS)

- SPYRO: SHADOW LEGACY (DS)

- PAC N ROLL (DS)

- SUPER PRINCESS PEACH (DS)

- TMNT 3 (DS)

- TETRIS DS (DS)

Nintendo GameCube

- ANIMAL CROSSING

- LEGEND OF ZELDA MULTIDISC (PROMOTIONAL ITEM)

- WARIOWARE: MEGA MICROGAMES

- SPYRO: ENTER THE DRAGONFLY

- PAC MAN WORLD 2

- LEGEND OF ZELDA: WIND WAKER

- SUPER MARIO SUNSHINE

- SUPER MONKEY BALL 2

Rating: 1

Ok, so you have to know the story behind this one. I got two games as a gift from someone (this and Spiderman). And both of them give me instant migraines and motion sickness. Go figure. Anyway, this game is like a Japanese nightmare. What is it with the Japanese weirdness in certain video games? And why do so many people like this game?! WHY!?!?!? Anyway, ok. So the premise of this game is that you're some stupid monkey in a BALL (gee, never would-a guessed that from the title, eh?) and you have to ROLL around on horrible obstacle courses and get to the goal gate that's at the end of each level within an inconceivably short time limit. The obstacle courses float in space so that all of the edges lead you to a drop of death, and when you hit things on the course, you will most likely go flying off in all directions to your doom. Yeah. Good luck with that. When you tilt the control stick, your monkey starts to run and you get to experience some wonderful nausea-inducing, headache causing tedium from trying to watch the flashing and tilting colors speeding by. Expect to spend 500 trials on the same stupid course, screaming and cursing, each time waiting for the dumb animation of you falling off the course wailing "AIIIIIIIIIIIIIII" to end only so that the game can show you the beginning of the track and say "READY? GO!" (you'll get damned sick of it, I tell ya!), hopelessly trying to fight the impossible course layout until at last some odd luck will strike and you'll careen off into space wildly only to land in the goal gate (miraculously). Oooo and ANOTHER pet peeve. The animations inbetween this stupid game's "areas" are SO DAMNED ANNOYING! I can't even put it into words, it's that stupid Japanese crap, what can I say? ANDDDDDD you have to complete ALL of the tracks inside of an area in order to move on to the next. So in other words, if there is one that you just CAN'T beat for the life of you, you never get to move on. And guess what camp I'm in? I should say that this game offers some other minigames to it, including monkey golf and monkey bowling, etc., but they're annoying and boring as well. So there. Pthhhthththththt.

- TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

- TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES 2 BATTLE NEXUS

- TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES 3 MUTANT NIGHTMARE

- SPYRO: A HERO'S TAIL

- SPIDERMAN

Rating: 1

This game gives me instant motion sickness and a migraine headache. I hate it. It's boring, it's pointless, it's stupid, and it's really hard! Basically you just swing around from building to building, and half the time, you have no idea what you're supposed to do. The camera follows you as you swoop around, leaving you dizzy and nauseated. I didn't buy this game for myself, by the way. I got it from someone as a present, and I figured, well, I guess I'll try it. Yeah. Not good.

- XMEN

- MARIO KART DOUBLE DASH

- ENTER THE MATRIX

Playstation (PS) and Playstation 2

- SPYRO THE DRAGON (PS)

- SPYRO 2 (PS)

- SPYRO 3 (PS)

- CROC: LEGEND OF THE GOBBOS (PS)

- RPG MAKER (PS)

- AMPLITUDE

- ATARI ANTHOLOGY

- DDRMAX

- HERDY GERDY

- THE HOBBIT

- TAITO LEGENDS

- LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING

- PAC MAN WORLD 3

- RPG MAKER II

- SILENT HILL 3

- SILENT HILL 4: THE ROOM

- SLY COOPER

- SLY COOPER 2

- TERMINATOR 3: REDEMPTION

- TERMINATOR DAWN OF FATE

- TERMINATOR 3 RISE OF THE MACHINES

- THE THING

- WOLVERINE'S REVENGE

- KINGDOM HEARTS

- KINGDOM HEARTS 2

- DDR EXTREME

- DDRMAX 2

- DANCE FACTORY

PC Games

- MYST

- MYST 2: RIVEN

- MYST 3: EXILE

- MYST 5: END OF AGES

Nintendo Wii

As if I could actually find a Wii to write about. Yeah, right, that's a laugh.

- LEGEND OF ZELDA: TWILIGHT PRINCESS (PENDING)

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Programming and Gaming Info

Nintendo Entertainment System

Super Nintendo

Nintendo 64

All Game Boy Systems

Game Cube

Playstation/Playstation 2

Computer Games

Wii