Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Judge Dredd vs Zombies for the iPhone



“I am the law.”

I haven’t heard the name Judge Dredd in many years. I’m not a huge fan of the comic book series and still cringe when I think of the 1995 movie version of Judge Dredd starring Sylvester Stallone.

I know a little about the Judge though. In the future, Earth is a big wasteland. Humanity lives in mega-cities and “judges” walk the streets dispensing justice by serving as judge, jury, and sometimes executioner. In Mega-City One, Judge Dredd is our main man delivering justice to all the criminals of the city.

How do you try to re-introduce Judge Dredd to modern day video gamers? Add zombies of course. That seems to be the norm with any franchise now.

So, we have a new “freemium” game from Fuse and Rebellion, and it has zombies.

Judge Dredd vs Zombies is a top down action shooter consisting of 30 levels of zombie blasting fun. There’s no real story here, no cut scenes, just action. You are Judge Dredd, and the only way to complete the level is to kill every zombie that moves.

You get to use one of four upgradeable weapons (MKII Lawgiver, Spitgun, Scattergun, or Hi-Ex Launcher) to destroy the zombie hordes. Each has its own pros/cons, and you will have to figure out which weapon works best for you if you want to complete the game (more on this later).

The good:


Controls are excellent. You move with a virtual d-pad on the left side of the screen and firing/reloading buttons on the right side. The game auto-locks on the nearest target (which really helps when the screen is packed full of zombies) but will also allow you to manually target if needed.

The levels are repetitive but fun (walk into an area, kill zombies, walk into another area, kill zombies, rinse and repeat). The action can be intense when you are locked in a room with the zombie horde and trying to fight to stay alive. It will take skill and patience to make it through all of the levels.

The levels are relatively short, which makes it great for quick pick up and play sessions.

The indifferent:


The game is challenging when you decide to leave it as a free game. As you progress through levels, you earn in game currency, which can help you upgrade your weapons (a must if you expect to finish the game).

The bad (and the real bad):


The amount of currency you earn in the game is very low. You are going to need currency and weapon upgrades to progress through levels in the game. Unless you buy credits, you are barely going to earn enough money to upgrade only one weapon to the point that you can beat the game. If you try to balance your upgrades with earned currency, you will end up with four minimally upgraded weapons that simply won’t give you enough firepower to beat the later levels of the game. I would have loved to play the game with all of the weapons but couldn’t unless I spent real money to upgrade them.

That gets us to the really bad: the microtransaction system for the game. It is very clear that the publishers of the game want you to buy additional credits to upgrade your weapons. Buying the credits will run you from $2 to $30 depending on how much you want. If you don’t spend the money, then it is going to be a long grind to finish the game. You will be replaying levels over and over to earn enough credits to make your weapon useful in the later levels. It can be done though. You will just have to demonstrate some patience…a lot of patience. For me personally, I would rather pay for the game and play it completely or allow the player to purchase optional upgrades. I didn’t like feeling that the game was tryng to make me buy credits just to get through a “free” game.

Final Thoughts:

Pick up this game and give it a try. The controls and action are excellent. If you don’t want to grind through the game or spend any money, play and enjoy the levels until you get stuck, then delete the game. If you love it, grind through it, or buy some credits. Either way, have fun being Judge Dredd, even if for a few minutes. Go protect Mega-City One. The citizens there need you.  You are the law.




Saturday, January 28, 2012

Second Place is Pretty Darn Good

Second place is being the first loser. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that. Even Vince Lombardi is noted for saying, “There is no room for second place. There is only one place in my game and that is first place.”

This weekend my sons and I came in second place in a Boy Scout fishing tournament, only missing out of first by 3 ounces. According to Vince Lombardi and many others, I should be very unhappy about coming in second place because I am “the first loser.”

There were over 45 parent/Scout teams at the tournament, and only two teams received an award (1st and 2nd place). Strangely enough, I didn’t see a single person get upset about not winning. I didn’t feel like the first loser, and I don’t think that the other 43 teams felt like losers either.

I had nothing but great joy spending a day with my family, getting an opportunity to fish, and watching my sons’ faces light up as they reeled in one rainbow trout after another. Whether we won or not, I felt like a winner just for being there.

I’ll take being the first loser on this one. Coming in second place wasn’t bad at all. In fact, it was pretty darn good.








Friday, January 27, 2012

RIP Robert Heyges AKA Juan Epstein


I just read that Robert Heyges passed away on Thursday January 26th at the age of 60 from a heart attack.  Many won’t recognize the name at first but most will know who he is when you see a picture of Juan Luis Pedro Felipo de Huevos Epstein or more simply Epstein from Welcome Back Kotter.  Heyges did many other things as an actor (such as portraying undercover detective Manny Esposito on Cagney & Lacey and teaching acting courses at Rowan University) but will forever be remembered for his role as Juan Epstein. 
I still laugh when I think of him saying, “Hey Mr. Kotter.  I got a note.”  The note would always be signed by “Epstein’s mother” or “Epstein’s doctor” to try to get him out of a taking a test or doing some other type of schoolwork.  It was one the best running jokes on the show.
Mr. Heyges, thanks for the memories.  RIP.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Thoughts on the Fanfic Video "Grayson"

At one point or another, most kids have dreamed up the perfect story with their favorite superheroes.  I remember as a 7 year old writing a story in which a new Green Lantern (who happened to be a whole lot like me) destroyed an evil dictator named Kal-El (i.e. Superman).  I called it Emerald Dawn.  It was my masterpiece (at least in my 7 year old mind).  Many years later DC comics had its own “Emerald Dawn” storyline in their Green Lantern comic book series.  Fortunately for them, it was nothing like my story.  My story, which in retrospect wasn’t very good, was what folks today call “fan fiction”  (i.e. stories written by fans about their favorite movie, TV, video game, comic book characters, etc.)
There are lots of sites that publish fan fiction, and I’m always impressed when I read a piece that seems to be on par with actual comic book/movie canon.  I’m even more impressed when someone attempts to put a piece of fanfic to video.   Other than youtube, these usually never get published due to trademark issues, but they can still be fun to watch.
This leads me to “Grayson.”
A couple of times per year, I find myself going back to watch “Grayson,” a five minute fanfic movie trailer about Dick Grayson (Robin) putting back on the suit to solve the murder of Batman.  With so many DC Comics references, pictures, and characters involved in the story, it’s obvious that star/director John Fiorella has a true love and reverence for the source material.  It's this reverence that really draws you into his superhero tale. 
Throw out some comic book logic (i.e. why doesn’t Dick Grayson just wear his Nightwing outfit) and have fun watching Mr. Fiorella’s trailer.  It’s a heck of a 5 minute ride and one of the best fanfic videos out there.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Pepsi Throwback

Coke or Pepsi? Coke

Coke or Pepsi Throwback? Much more difficult of a choice, but I am starting to lean towards Pepsi Throwback.

Pepsi Throwback is soda as it should be made. High fructose corn syrup....gone. Pepsi Throwback has replaced this with cane/beet sugar as it was many decades ago.

Nothing makes a soda taste better than real sugar. Nothing.

The flavor of Pepsi Throwback is sweet and goes down smooth. Gone is the acidic, chemical taste found in regular Pepsi. Once you drink a Throwback, you won’t want a regular Pepsi ever again.

Thanks Pepsi. The Throwback takes me back to my childhood when drinking a soda was a real treat. As long as you keep them on the market, I will buy them.

As for the health nuts out there, sodas are meant for enjoyment, not health. They contain no nutritional benefits. Let me repeat, they contain no nutritional benefits. If you want something healthy, go make a protein shake or have some Activia or something. Me, I’ll take the Pepsi Throwback.....at least until Coke follows suit with some real sugar.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

The Pile of Shame

When I was younger, devoting hours and hours to playing video games was easy.  A 100 hour RPG.  No problem, just give me a week to complete it.  Video games were not just a hobby, but a passion, a way of life.   As I have become a “responsible adult” I tend to find less time to game as so much of my life is spent between my family and job.  When I do get the chance, it’s usually playing games with the kids or finding a spare moment to try out something on my iphone.  Regardless, the itch to still be a hardcore gamer never goes away, even if you know you don’t have the time to do so. 
Enter the pile of shame.
What is the pile of shame (AKA the stack of shame)?  It’s the pile of games that people like me buy with good intentions to resume their hardcore gaming ways.  “I’ll carve out some time and then I will play it.”  I have probably said this 1000 times.  I have been able to do it a few times.  Maybe it’s a visit to Mom’s house, going to one of the kids’ events, or just mowing the yard.  The time to sink into a long game just no longer exists.  As a result, the pile just grows and grows.  In looking at my current pile, I found L.A. Noire, which I received last year for Father’s Day.  The game is still sealed and seems to be slowly inching its way up the pile.  I really wanted to play the game when I received it, but life conspired to take that time away.  
Christmas saw the addition of Batman:  Arkham City and The Elder Scrolls V:  Skyrim.   I’ve been saying almost daily that I was going to fire up Skyrim, only to have life remind me that I am no longer a hardcore gamer but a father and husband first, gamer second.  Skyrim, however, is patiently waiting for me at the top of the pile.
I still long to be that gamer of old and sink my teeth into a 100+ hour game.  Will I ever get to?  Of course, I’ve bought the game, and it’s in the pile.  I’ll just carve out some time and play it……

Monday, January 23, 2012

Random Thoughts on the Movie Phase 7



Normally I watch a movie when I don’t feel like reading, but sometimes I’ll combine the two and look for a foreign horror or sci-fi movie and bear through the English subtitles. If the movie is good, then I don’t mind. Last night was devoted to watching the low budget Argentinian sci-fi movie “Phase 7” from the Netflix instant queue.

Here’s the basic premise with no major spoilers.

The story is set in Argentina and initially focuses on a twenty something slacker named Coco and his 7 month pregnant wife Pipi. As the story develops we find out that a deadly virus has hit several countries, killing lots and lots of people (they don’t exactly say how many so I will quantify it as “lots and lots”). The Health Ministry begins increasing the threat level in the country, and eventually the building that Coco and Pipi live in is placed into quarantine. As time passes, we get introduced to the unusual group of neighbors in the building and the social dynamic between these people. Although a pacificst, Coco eventually aligns himself with his gun-toting survivalist neighbor Horacio as tensions and paranoia increase from living weeks in quarantine without contact to the outside world.

There is mention a few times about some type of New World Order and the conspiracy that the virus is a way to decrease the population, but this really wasn’t developed much other than to further along some conversations between Coco and Horacio and explain Horacio's survivalist actions. I was expecting monsters or zombies to attack those in the building, but that never happened. The most dangerous predator in this movie was man and his inevitable inhumanity towards others.

Pros

· Decent story with decent acting for a low budget movie, funny at times
· Suspenseful environment
· Musical score is reminiscent of something out of a late 70's/early 80's John Carpenter movie

Cons

· Character development
· Pacing
· The virus isn’t all that frightening in the way it kills (other than it kills you I guess).   However, it’s probably much more realistic than getting a bite/scratch and then bouncing up from the ground as an out of control zombie or monster.

Overall I was satisfied with the movie. Perhaps it’s because I didn’t have any preconceived expectations. If I had wanted to watch Hitchcock, then I would have watched Hitchcock. I just wanted a little escapism and basic entertainment, not a cinematic masterpiece. This movie gave that to me. It also got me thinking about what I would do in similar circumstances. So for that, I’ll recommend the movie. Most movies these days won’t keep you thinking after the credits roll.

If you can handle the subtitles, I would also recommend Troll Hunter (Norway) and Rammbock (Germany), which can also be found on the Netflix instant queue. Maybe I’ll discuss these later, but I have to finish my thoughts on Space Invaders first….

Saturday, January 21, 2012

The best gift "ever"

My random thoughts wandered away from Space Invaders and towards the idea of the best gift "ever" (material gift that is; a much greater gift can be found at John 3:16).

This year my kids told me they had the greatest Christmas “ever.”  My sons decided that their BB guns were the best gifts “ever.”  My daughter thought that her Build-a Bear wardrobe was the best gift “ever.”  I remember telling my parents that my Atari 2600 and later my Nintendo Entertainment System were the best gifts “ever.”  My wife said her Kindle Fire was the best gift “ever.”  Ok, maybe she didn’t say that, but she did like it.  This got me to thinking about what really makes something the best gift ever.
A few years ago, my friend Jim gave what I think was one of the best gifts “ever” to his granddaughter Lily.  He wrote a story for her, and his wife Karan drew the pictures for the story, “Princess Lily and the Great Cookie Mystery.”  The story was simply a tale written from a grandfather to his granddaughter out of love.  Buying something for someone is really easy, even when there is a lot of thought to the present, but creating something for another person is truly special.  This story was a gift from the heart and not the wallet.  When I think about the best gifts “ever,” I have to think that Jim’s gift to Lily is right up there as one of the best.  Since then he’s worked to put it e-book form.
If you are interested go check it out at: http://www.crimsonpearlbooks.com/
Jim, great job being a loving grandfather.  You’ve given Lily something she will never forget and will always hold dear to her heart.  You gave her your story.

Coming Soon: Memories and Recollections of Space Invaders for the Atari 2600 AKA the best $25 I ever spent

Hopefully I'll have my first blog finished this weekend.

Memories and Recollections of Space Invaders for the Atari 2600 AKA the best $25 I ever spent

Intro to the Blog

I know nothing about blogging, programming, etc., so bear with me as I learn how to write a blog and make the site a little nicer.  I'm simply a middle-aged gamer with kids and a regular 9-5 job who has a lot on my mind.   My blog isn't meant to change the world, but simply to write out my random thoughts on my hobbies and passions in life.  Hopefully, others out there will share some of these same things, and we can discuss them together.