OLC Originals: What Simon’s Playing

Unsurprisingly, I play a lot of games.  Not all the games I play are brand new or review-worthy, though, so in this new feature I’m going to note the games I have been working on recently, then tell you some things about them.

X-Blades

One thing I’d like to note about X-Blades is that it really has the best collector’s edition box set, ever.  Sadly, the game itself doesn’t live up to the quality of its packaging.  You play a blonde girl with long, glitchy hair that sometimes stretches out all the way across the level and then just stays there for about 10 minutes while you keep playing.  You earn experience from killing enemies and use it to get new moves, pretty much doing everything Devil May Cry has already done, only this time you get to stare at an almost naked butt the whole game through.  Boss fights are frustratingly long, some of them can last 30-40 minutes.  The game really starts failing, though, when it forces you to play it like a platformer; the problem here is that when you jump, if you press forward too soon your character will roll forward and then immediately plummet to her death.  Ouch.

The Simpsons Game

I’ve been waiting to play this title for a long time, but I wanted to save it for when it hit the budget bin.  So, a few weeks ago I got it for a mere €20, and I’ve actually enjoyed it quite a lot.  First off, the game is really meant for those who love The Simpsons.  All the characters have special powers based on their personality, like Bart’s Bartman costume and Lisa’s saxophone.  Most of the well-known Simpsons characters have actually been put in the game somehow, either as a passerby on the street, or as a story based character.  It’s also fun that the game mocks other games, but does it in a way that isn’t offending if you love the game being teased.  Anyways, great jokes, decent platformer.  Overall a good time.

SEGA Mega Drive (Genesis) Ultimate Collection.

Talk about gaming overkill.  Every time I put the SMDUC disc, in I just stare at the collection for an hour…and then play something else.  I really don’t know what to play first, and when I do play something, I’m usually moving on to the next game five minutes later.  It’s definitely worth the money, but make sure you decide what to play first before you buy it.  It’s funny that the game promotes itself as 40 titles, but in fact has an extra 8 unlockable games hidden as extras.  It’s just too bad the achievements/trophies are either too easy or too time consuming and really lack originality.

LEGO Indiana Jones.

Not really my thing. I guess it’s decent when you’re 8, but it even passes me by on the nostalgia factor.

Kung-Fu Panda

Great game for kids. Another one that’s clearly not meant for me.

Dance Dance Revolution/ Dancing Stage Universe.

Until recently I’ve never played a DDR before. I got it for my wife, and it’s a lot of fun to watch other people play, but this was the first time I’ve ever really hurt myself while playing a game.  It’s also the last time I’ll play a game like DDR ever again.

Still playing…

A few games I’m still playing with friends or on my own months after the release are:

Rock Band 2 – The DLC has been lacking a bit lately for my music tastes, but still a great play.

Guitar Hero World Tour – Where RB2 is lacking on the DLC side, GHWT has been picking up the pace.

Halo 3 – The new Mythic maps are great and the multiplayer is still solid.

Grand Theft Auto 4 – I’ve been playing both single player and multiplayer, but this is mostly because of the recently released DLC.

Burnout Paradise – DLC really helps keeping this one fresh.

Left 4 Dead – Gotta love them zombies!

That was my list for now. I’m undecided on making this a weekly bi-weekly or monthly thing but you’ll find out soon enough.