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	<title>SMASHWORX &#187; smashworx</title>
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	<link>http://www.smashworx.com</link>
	<description>we make games that are Almost Too Awesome</description>
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		<title>I Beat Donkey Kong and I Liked it</title>
		<link>http://www.smashworx.com/2011/03/i-beat-donkey-kong-and-i-liked-it/</link>
		<comments>http://www.smashworx.com/2011/03/i-beat-donkey-kong-and-i-liked-it/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 11 Mar 2011 19:54:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jessica Fiorini</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Office Talk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[castlevania]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Donkey Kong]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Donkey Kong Country Returns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ezio]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kratos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lara croft]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nathan drake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nintendo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smashworx]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spider-Man]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stacked!]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[video games]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wii]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.smashworx.com/?p=791</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I beat Donkey Kong Country Returns this morning. It left me with a unique joyful feeling that I rarely encounter these days. DKCR was such a well-balanced experience, both in challenge and in creativity, that I was supremely satisfied when I saw those credits roll.  I wasn&#8217;t annoyed that there wasn&#8217;t more time to explore [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-795" title="Donkey Kong" src="http://www.smashworx.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Donkey-Kong-Jungle-Beat-donkey-kong-series-9880085-600-486-300x243.jpg" alt="" width="240" height="194" />I beat <em>Donkey Kong Country Returns</em> this morning. It left me with a unique joyful feeling that I rarely encounter these days. DKCR was such a well-balanced experience, both in challenge and in creativity, that I was supremely satisfied when I saw those credits roll.  I wasn&#8217;t annoyed that there wasn&#8217;t more time to explore the game mechanic, as in <em>Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions</em>.  I didn&#8217;t feel that the boss battle was anti-climatic, as in <em>Batman: Arkham Asylum</em>. No. I was elated. I sat through the entirety of the credits and was rewarded with a new area! I had already planned on replaying some of the levels to complete the collection challenges but now I had a new goal. Man. That Donkey Kong guy is the gift that keeps on giving.</p>
<p>I have to admit that I haven&#8217;t returned to <em>Dragon Age: Origins</em> or <em>Castlevania</em>. I have been completely obsessed with DKCR. I am not disappointed that I didn&#8217;t finish <em>Dragon Age</em>. I still think I&#8217;ll go back to <em>Castlevania</em> one day but the game on my brain was DKCR. Why was I so enthralled? It has the great schema of nerve-wracking challenges that seem impossible and tight mechanics that ramp to a &#8220;flying by the seat of your pants&#8221; abandonment. Flat out, it was <em>fun</em>. I missed fun. Yes, I have fun when I play most video games but usually the world that these games operate in are less than happy. I&#8217;m fairly hesitant to hang out with Dante, Lara, Kratos or Sam Fisher. (Although, I would get a drink with Ezio or Nathan Drake any time.) DKCR gave me the chance to be child-like, very different than childish, while operating on an adult skill level.</p>
<p>I recently tried out <em>Little Big Planet</em> and <em>Stacked!</em>. Both games are whimsical and beautifully rendered. Both are humorous. LBP seemed to require more skill than <em>Stacked!</em> but I have not been inspired to continue either game. Why? Well, the LBP mechanics are kinda wishy-washy. I&#8217;m not exactly sure what type of gravity they have on their planet but it makes leaping an imprecise chore. The humor and energy is there but the game just isn&#8217;t as good as it&#8217;s concept. LBP possibly has a more interesting concept than DKCR but that doesn&#8217;t mean I want to play it.  <em>Stacked!</em> was plain boring. Again, great art and humor but lackluster game mechanic and puzzles. Maybe I should&#8217;ve played longer but it did not feel challenging. On the other end of the spectrum, DKCR had me at first chest thump and all I wanted to do was help my simian and ape friends reclaim their bananas. DKCR made me feel awesome for conquering an especially tricky run. I did not feel that way at all after the other two games. All three games made me giggle but I felt the Kong made me want to play.</p>
<p>What LBP or <em>Stacked!</em> does that DKCR does not do is reward the player with &#8220;stuff.&#8221; All three games have a certain amount of collecting involved. In LBP, you collect a certain amount of items to be used in the creation of levels and stickers. In <em>Stacked!</em> you collect different sets of dolls. In DKCR you collect letters and puzzle pieces that result in personal satisfaction and/or unlockable art. I am more interested in the self-satisfaction model of &#8220;I went the extra mile and conquered some crazy craziness&#8221; as opposed to &#8220;I need these things to fully enjoy the game&#8221; (LBP) or  &#8220;I have to search endless nooks and crannies for very little payoff&#8221; (<em>Stacked!</em>). I, a notorious 100% completer, am satisfied by the notion that I can have as much fun as the next person by choosing to jump the hair-raising lava pit to get the extra hidden puzzle piece or not. It was a freeing concept for me and it only added to my enjoyment.</p>
<p>I know that there are some secret levels left, because of the new area and some unexplored map nodes. I like achievable goals. I like that there are some things that I haven&#8217;t found yet but I like knowing that they exist and that I should be looking for special level elements. In fact, I am excited to revisit levels immediately. I would have to say that is a sign of greatness.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>My Christmas List</title>
		<link>http://www.smashworx.com/2010/12/my-christmas-list/</link>
		<comments>http://www.smashworx.com/2010/12/my-christmas-list/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 17 Dec 2010 19:40:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jessica Fiorini</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Office Talk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[christmas list]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smashworx]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.smashworx.com/?p=625</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Dear Santa, I know I haven&#8217;t been very good this year. Or last year for that matter. But if you could ignore the hours of murderous rampages I executed in space, mystical realms and parallel universes, I would really be in to the idea of getting something special under my tree.  These are the items [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Dear Santa,</p>
<p>I know I haven&#8217;t been very good this year. Or last year for that matter. But if you could ignore the hours of murderous rampages I executed in space, mystical realms and parallel universes, I would really be in to the idea of getting something special under my tree.  These are the items I am willing to settle for:</p>
<p>1. Fully functioning Tardis and or Time Travel Delorean (not picky here!)</p>
<p>2. Light Cycle that dices up the punks wandering the Brooklyn Streets</p>
<p>3. Giant cyclops robot horse/dog to ride into work. The MTA is waaay too unrealistic.</p>
<p>4. Magically enchanted power ring (good or evil.. but probably evil)</p>
<p>5. Sword of Thundara</p>
<p>6. some sort of rocket launcher/flamethrower/gatling gun combo (do these come in pink?)</p>
<p>7. dominion over animals</p>
<p>8. dominion over machines</p>
<p>9. dominion in general</p>
<p>10. knee socks</p>
<p>Thanks Santa! And remember&#8230; I know where you live.</p>
<p>Oh and Uncle Melvin says &#8220;Hey there, Bear!&#8221;:</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter size-thumbnail wp-image-626" title="UglyChristmasSweater4_thumb" src="http://www.smashworx.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/UglyChristmasSweater4_thumb-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></p>
<p>TTFN!</p>
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		<title>Expressive Gameplay</title>
		<link>http://www.smashworx.com/2010/11/expressive-gameplay/</link>
		<comments>http://www.smashworx.com/2010/11/expressive-gameplay/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Nov 2010 05:34:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nikita Mikros</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[control schemes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[game feel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[level design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[metroid fusion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[metroid other m]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smashworx]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[steve swink]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[video games]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.smashworx.com/?p=496</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[OK, so I guess it&#8217;s my turn to talk about Metroid.  Unlike Jess and Tommy, I don&#8217;t get a whole lot of time to myself with the TV which means I spend a lot of time on my DS and PSP.  The Metroid series has always been one of my favorite Nintendo properties. I consider [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>OK, so I guess it&#8217;s my turn to talk about Metroid.  Unlike Jess and Tommy, I don&#8217;t get a whole lot of time to myself with the TV which means I spend a lot of time on my DS and PSP.  The Metroid series has always been one of my favorite Nintendo properties. I consider the sidescrollers like Super Metroid and Fusion to be incredibly expressive and fluid.  I was not a fan of the Prime series, feeling that turning Metroid into a first person shooter was an error.  That said, when I saw the preview of Other M I knew I had to play it. I was excited that Yoshio Sakamoto was returning as creative director and my hope was that it was a return to classic Metroid with a twist. I bought the game soon after release but about 2 hours into gameplay my Wii started making some pretty horrible whirring noises.  It was as if the condition of my little white box declined along with my hopeful optimism.  Despite constant complaining from my wife and my own ears, I&#8217;ve gotten about 3/4 through the game but tomorrow I&#8217;m sending the old Wii back to nintendo for repairs <img src='http://www.smashworx.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_sad.gif' alt=':(' class='wp-smiley' />   I&#8217;ll probably finish it when it comes back but I feel I&#8217;ve played enough to talk about the game.  The unbearable whirring had left me wanting more Metroid than what I had gotten.  It was time to break out Metroid Fusion on the old trusty GBA.</p>
<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-528" href="http://www.smashworx.com/2010/11/expressive-gameplay/metroid_gba/"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-528" title="metroid_gba" src="http://www.smashworx.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/metroid_gba.png" alt="" width="455" height="771" /></a></p>
<p>I&#8217;m not going to talk about Samus&#8217;s chattiness since Jess has thoroughly discussed this aspect of the game.  Suffice it to say I pretty much agree with her.  Avatars should be silent enough to allow players to fill them with their own essence.</p>
<p>What I am going to talk about is expressiveness in gameplay.  While playing both games at the same time, it struck me how much more expressive Fusion was than Other M.  So in thinking about this blog post I thought it might be interesting to explore what it means to be expressive in gameplay.  At its core, expressiveness in action games is about &#8220;proprioception&#8221;, the ability  to &#8220;feel&#8221; the edges of our body and also the ability to extend this &#8220;feeling&#8221; beyond our body.  Without this skill humans wouldn&#8217;t be able to learn how to drive cars or even walk without looking at our feet.  What&#8217;s the difference between a great sports car &#8211; let&#8217;s say a Lamborghini Gallardo and my dad&#8217;s 1976 Chevy Nova? it&#8217;s a collection of design details, superior engineering and craftsmanship that allow the driver to &#8220;feel&#8221; the boundaries of the car. Because of this, the driver knows how the car will react to every action as if the driver were controlling his or her own body.  The more of this &#8220;feel&#8221; that a driver has, the more expressive  he or she can be, and the same is true of a game.  So how does Metroid Fusion achieve this while Other M fails?</p>
<h2>Controls</h2>
<p>Game design is all about understanding the relationships that create systems within a game.  Those relationships exist not only within the ruleset that governs events on the screen but also between the player&#8217;s real world environment and the inner world of the game.  The same piece of hardware can either deliver incredibly expressive control or flatfooted clumsiness depending on the relationship between hardware and gameplay.</p>
<p>Both Other M and Fusion use the D-Pad to control Samus&#8217; horizontal movement. Unfortunately, in Other M the D-Pad is also used to control Samus not only in the X direction but also in the Z direction.  This has the unfortunate consequence of confining Samus to a strange trajectory when hitting any of the diagonal directions (NE,SE,SW,NW) which usually results in an awkward stairstepping movement that is both annoying and ambiguous.  Ambiguity is the enemy of proprioception, because it blocks the player from predicting the movement of their avatar by feel alone.  If the player needs to do a little jig to get to where they want to go in the z dimension maybe it&#8217;s just not that important.  The other adverse and equally damaging side effect of  using the D-Pad to control Samus in the Z-direction is that you now lose the ability to squat or even aim your gun.  So since you can&#8217;t aim, the designers made the only compromise they could make which is auto-aiming.  This is important because it determines not only how levels will be laid out, but how boss battles will be structured and the quality of those interactions.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m not always adverse to auto-aiming.  I&#8217;m neither a masochist or a catholic so if I have to aim with an analog stick in 3D, I&#8217;d much rather the game put me out of my misery and use auto-aim.  An analog stick (like the one on the gamecube controller shown below) is a terrible way to aim.  Is it because analog sticks are a bad piece of hardware? Of course not, it&#8217;s simply the wrong relationship or mapping from hardware to gameplay.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a rel="attachment wp-att-544" href="http://www.smashworx.com/2010/11/expressive-gameplay/range_gamecube-2/"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-544" title="range_gamecube" src="http://www.smashworx.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/range_gamecube1.png" alt="" width="512" height="288" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The mouse or wiimote wand is much better suited to the task. Unlike the stick, there is a better relationship between the gesture of the player and the action in the gameplay because the resolution of the input device (mouse or wiimote) maps almost directly to the output device (the screen).  It&#8217;s the reason why Resident Evil 4 is far superior on Wii than it is on GameCube.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a rel="attachment wp-att-539" href="http://www.smashworx.com/2010/11/expressive-gameplay/range_wiimote/"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-539" title="range_wiimote" src="http://www.smashworx.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/range_wiimote.png" alt="" width="512" height="288" /></a></p>
<p>Which leads me to the next problem with Other M, which is the aiming view for shooting missiles.  The transition is jarring, though the developers do alleviate the transition by slowing time when going into this view, allowing the player to adjust to the new view.  Sadly, despite this technique I found my view spinning out of control half the time during the transition leading me to getting shot consistently in the first 10 seconds of every boss battle.  It confuses me because I&#8217;ve seen games go effortlessly from a 3rd person view to a first person view without it feeling so weird and jarring.  Whatever &#8220;feel&#8221; is accomplished in the 2D mode is completely lost when this disorienting transition happens.  Aside from the jarring transition, the actual act of aiming is incredibly disappointing.   As described above, consoles finally have a great way to aim on the screen in the way of wand devices like the wiimote, but why bother if the developers  take control away from the player by using auto-aim? There were actual instances in the game where I was trying to shoot something behind the auto-aim object in the foreground but couldn&#8217;t.  This lack of control in aiming both in 2D and 3D mode creates a disconnect between the player and the game, I literally could not &#8220;express&#8221; my intention of shooting an object that was clearly in my line of sight.  This is something that literally could not happen in Metroid Fusion.</p>
<h2>Level Design</h2>
<p>Level design can be used to create expressive gameplay or it can work to make the player feel frustrated.  Although the levels in Metroid Other M are quite beautiful, it seems like there are many areas in the game where there is a clear disconnect between what the graphics are communicating to the player and the underlying geometry that controls gameplay.  Note the image below.</p>
<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-547" href="http://www.smashworx.com/2010/11/expressive-gameplay/metroid_ball_tunnel_over_ice/"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-547" title="metroid_ball_tunnel_over_ice" src="http://www.smashworx.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/metroid_ball_tunnel_over_ice.png" alt="" width="554" height="314" /></a></p>
<p>Samus is in metaball state and just gone through a tunnel which leads here.  My eyes are telling me that Samus should be able to transform and stand up, but the hidden geometry of the level is a closed tunnel.  There are many situations of graphical ambiguity like this in the game, where the lack of consistency between visuals and gameplay serve to confuse the player.  Compare this to Metroid Fusion,where meaning is derived from the tiles that make up the graphics and there&#8217;s not a pixel out of place.</p>
<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-564" href="http://www.smashworx.com/2010/11/expressive-gameplay/metroid-fusion_jun13-3_37_28/"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-564" title="Metroid Fusion_Jun13 3_37_28" src="http://www.smashworx.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Metroid-Fusion_Jun13-3_37_28.png" alt="" width="240" height="160" /></a></p>
<p>In conclusion, I did enjoy Other M, it&#8217;s a fun little title.  Unfortunately, it&#8217;s not a great game, but it could have been with two simple modifications .  First, by taking more care in mapping the controls more accurately to the gameplay  the player can be more expressive through the controls.  Second, by including more consistent if more minimalist graphics in the level design, the world would feel more &#8220;solid&#8221;.  The player would feel more free to express themselves in a less haphazard model of the world.  BTW, my Wii came back from Nintendo today.</p>
<p>If you are interested in learning more about game controls check out Steve Swink&#8217;s excellent book.</p>
<p><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&#038;bc1=FFC602&#038;IS2=1&#038;bg1=FFC602&#038;fc1=000000&#038;lc1=FF0000&#038;t=kofumo-20&#038;o=1&#038;p=8&#038;l=as1&#038;m=amazon&#038;f=ifr&#038;asins=0123743281" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
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		<title>LEGO!</title>
		<link>http://www.smashworx.com/2010/11/lego/</link>
		<comments>http://www.smashworx.com/2010/11/lego/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 09 Nov 2010 20:25:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jessica Fiorini</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Office Talk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[games]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LEGO]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smashworx]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Star Wars]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[toys]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.smashworx.com/?p=552</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[LEGO was one of those toys that I loved as a child but never had my own pieces.  I&#8217;d go across the street to Gregory Rosenthal&#8217;s house because his parents were caring and loving individuals that bought various space and dinosaur sets, as opposed to my evil parents who forbade any toys that precluded an [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>LEGO was one of those toys that I loved as a child but never had my own pieces.  I&#8217;d go across the street to Gregory Rosenthal&#8217;s house because his parents were caring and loving individuals that bought various space and dinosaur sets, as opposed to my evil parents who forbade any toys that precluded an indoor presence.  Also, my brother has a real problem with swallowing random debris and my parents thought they could keep him alive a little longer, even if that meant no LEGO for yours truly.  Bummer.  But now that I am in the nerd industry I have a job that demands I play with LEGO.  What a life!  Today I built a <em>Star Wars</em> Star Destroyer.  I am completely exhausted but equally satisfied.<a rel="attachment wp-att-553" href="http://www.smashworx.com/2010/11/lego/photo/"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-553" title="photo" src="http://www.smashworx.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/photo-e1289334241741-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p>
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		<title>Now Playing: Dragon Age: Origins</title>
		<link>http://www.smashworx.com/2010/10/now-playing-dragon-age-origins/</link>
		<comments>http://www.smashworx.com/2010/10/now-playing-dragon-age-origins/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:55:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jessica Fiorini</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Industry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Office Talk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bioware]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dragon age]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dragon Age: Origins]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fantasy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fantasy rpg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[games]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gaming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mass effect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smashworx]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[video game]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[video games]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.smashworx.com/?p=434</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This week I have found my reprieve and it's name is Dragon Age: Origins.  Now before you point out the fact that last week I was saving money by replaying a game and this week it is fine to purchase a new game, Dragon Age was a gift. Promise.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-438" href="http://www.smashworx.com/2010/10/now-playing-dragon-age-origins/dragon-age-origins-xbox-360/"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-438" title="Dragon-Age-Origins-Xbox-360" src="http://www.smashworx.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Dragon-Age-Origins-Xbox-360-212x300.jpg" alt="" width="212" height="300" /></a>I have to say I&#8217;ve been rather nonplussed about my recent game history.  Last week, I replayed God of War II and even though it was awesome, I missed the thrill of completely losing my mind over a game.  This week I have found my reprieve and it&#8217;s name is <em>Dragon Age: Origins</em>.  Now before you point out the fact that last week I was saving money by replaying a game and this week it is fine to purchase a new game, <em>Dragon Age</em> was a gift. Promise.</p>
<p>At first, I was hesitant to get started.  I&#8217;ve been wronged by fantasy rpg&#8217;s before and I didn&#8217;t want to get my hopes up.  But this was Bioware, maker of my beloved <em>Mass Effect</em>.  They wouldn&#8217;t let me down. Well, I can say this about that, Dragon Age is freakin&#8217; awesome!  I have been playing non-stop at the peril of my eyesight and personal relationships. (Why exactly does Bioware make their text in migraine font?)  In fact, I now have dreams with multiple-choice dialogs.</p>
<p>While I completely love <em>Mass Effect</em>, I get the feeling that the Dragon Age universe is deeper and more involved then what I experienced with Shepherd at the helm.  I suppose with 6 story lines to follow and 120 hours of gameplay, <em>Dragon Age: Origins</em> would have to feel huge.  My first dose of universe magnitude came after I restarted the game about 5 hours in.  I don&#8217;t know about you but I am one of those players that constantly battles the urge to restart using the knowledge of some outcomes to make what might be &#8220;better&#8221; choices.  I then do some quick calculations of how OCD I am verses how much time I&#8217;ve already spent playing.</p>
<p>Sometimes I win this battle.  This time I lost.  I basically  remade the same character I had been playing but changed some of the stats.  On the second time through, most of my options were the same but not all.  The guard I had previously been able to persuade to release his prisoner was less open this time around and I had to bribe him.  While not exactly the outcome I was hoping to gain by restarting, it did point to the fact that the amount of gameplay I could see was disproportionate to the gameplay I was not seeing.  It&#8217;s the ole tip of the iceberg trick.  In other words, there is potential for an awesome amount of  replay value in <em>Dragon Age: Origins</em>.<em> </em>Maybe this game will actually help me save money by distracting me for weeks instead of hours.  I am already looking forward to checking out the other races and classes.  I know I should not expect wildly different experiences but I still look forward to comparing story tracks.  I feel that if the story is written well enough, then there should be a desire to see that story from every angle.  As opposed to <em>Mass Effect</em>, I get the feeling that my character&#8217;s background actually will effect the NPC&#8217;s.  I did not get that impression with Shepherd.  It didn&#8217;t matter if she was an orphan or a military brat.  In <em>Dragon Age: Origins</em> the racism against elves is palpable and nobody really wants to be seen with a Grey Warden.  This piques my interest into how the other characters experience will compare to my current elf lady mage.</p>
<p>My theory is that <em>Mass Effect</em> could have been <em>Dragon Age: Origins</em> but Bioware was courting different audiences.  <em>Mass Effect</em> might be a somewhat lighter experience so those intimidated or uninterested in the complexities of a full-blown rpg can have a product that also offers a richness to the experience through great writing, heroic themes and highly customizable characters.  <em>Dragon Age: Origins</em> is definitely intended for the WoW players and middle-earthians.  At this point in my life, I am sometimes turned off by the medieval fantasy setting.  This is due to the amount of hokiness I&#8217;ve had to put up with as a fan of the genre.  I am a grown woman who wants mature (get your minds out of the gutter) story-lines.  There is a small amount of damsels-in-distress that I can actually get behind and unicorns should be cruel and violent not virgin transportation (why else have the crazy, stabby horn?).  I am not ashamed that I am all sorts of &#8220;Huzzah!&#8221; for this game.  And now that I mention it, I have missed the pleasures of spell casting and flaming broadswords.</p>
<p>Man. I can&#8217;t wait to get out of work so I can go play me some game!</p>
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		<title>Silent Protagonists</title>
		<link>http://www.smashworx.com/2010/10/silent-protagonists/</link>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 18 Oct 2010 17:46:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jessica Fiorini</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Industry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Office Talk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bioshock]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[characters]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dead space]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[isaac clarke]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[silent protagonist]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.smashworx.com/?p=399</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After all my smack talk about the demystifying of Samus and Kratos it seems only fair that I discuss what I think works and doesn't work in the use of silent protagonists in video games. I will discuss three types of silent protagonist: mute, secretive and reactive.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>After all my smack talk about the demystifying of Samus and Kratos it seems only fair that I discuss what I think works and doesn&#8217;t work in the use of silent protagonists in video games. I will discuss three types of silent protagonist: mute, secretive and reactive. On Giantbomb.com, these three types have been summed up thusly, &#8220;Mutes are characters who are recognized within the game world as people who are incapable of or unwilling to speak;&#8230;Secretive silent protagonists are a step up from mutes in complexity, in that they are essentially predefined, but are left with space for the player to insert his or her own thoughts and motivations, simply left unsaid and thus &#8220;secret&#8221;;&#8230;Reactive silent protagonists are protagonists whose actions are assumed by the game&#8217;s scripting, in spite of having no lines or dialog options.&#8221; (<a href="http://www.giantbomb.com/silent-protagonist/92-54/">http://www.giantbomb.com/silent-protagonist/92-54/</a>)</p>
<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-402" href="http://www.smashworx.com/2010/10/silent-protagonists/20100318061325jack_ryan_portrait/"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-402" title="20100318061325!Jack_Ryan_Portrait" src="http://www.smashworx.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/20100318061325Jack_Ryan_Portrait-211x300.png" alt="" width="140" height="198" /></a>Famous mute protagonists include Jack Ryan from <em>Bioshock</em> and Isaac Clarke from <em>Dead Space</em>. The main difference between these unlucky gents is that there is or conceivably can be a reason why Jack is silent as opposed to Isaac, who is just a regular chap beset by very irregular circumstances. Jack&#8217;s head has been severely messed with by an egotistical/bug nuts crazy father figure and a shady (severe understatement) scientist. Although, Jack does give the initial voice over, he does not speak a word of audible language through out the game. In a somewhat ironic twist, Jack does not get a voice until he puts on the Big Daddy suit (and that voice is more of a moan than anything). Furthermore, when Jack dons the Big Daddy suit he must go through the  voice modification process which, I believe, is a complete severing of  the vocal chords. While odd that Jack can speak the game&#8217;s opening lines and nothing more, it is not out of the realm of possibilities in a submerged city, surreal alternate universe type of way. I am not bothered by Jack&#8217;s silence mainly because I have already been clued into the fact that this is a game that is not tethered to reality.  Jack is being controlled by so many different forces: Fontaine, Suchong, Ryan, Tenenbaum and the player, that is acceptable that he doesn&#8217;t have a voice or a choice.</p>
<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-405" href="http://www.smashworx.com/2010/10/silent-protagonists/isaac/"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-405" title="isaac" src="http://www.smashworx.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/isaac.jpg" alt="" width="140" height="210" /></a>Isaac Clarke&#8217;s silence is another matter.  <em>Dead Space</em> takes place in the year 2508 in this (yours and mine, reader friends) universe. Earth has chugged along to its assumed fate of 500 years in the future bereft of natural resources. Isaac&#8217;s universe is presented as the player&#8217;s universe and that is where his silence becomes a bit unrealistic and frustrating. If Isaac is just a regular human on a regular day, why doesn&#8217;t he ever tell Kendra to shut up and stop freaking out? I sure would have if I was in his gravity boots.  Why doesn&#8217;t he ever voice his opinion on Hammond&#8217;s knowledge of what was on the Ishimura? Are we saying that in 500 years humans will not feel the necessity to express themselves during periods of heightened periods of stress? How come Kendra and Hammond can yammer on but Isaac is committed to his monk-like vow of silence? In contradiction to <em>Bioshock</em> where the player can understand why Jack is not completely under player control, in <em>Dead Space</em> there is no reason why Isaac shouldn&#8217;t be thinking, speaking and reacting through player directives.</p>
<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-412" href="http://www.smashworx.com/2010/10/silent-protagonists/samus/"><img class="size-full wp-image-412 alignright" title="Samus" src="http://www.smashworx.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Samus.jpg" alt="" width="149" height="192" /></a>As it was Samus that started this discussion, I will use her silent ways to explore the secretive protagonist. Samus is a woman of action and, until recently, little words. The difference between Samus and the previously described mute protagonist is that her character is presented with choices inherent to the non-linear nature of the <em>Metroid</em> series.  Samus gets a directive and either immediately follows it or goes off to  explore another section in search of upgrades and newly accessible pathways.  Yes, Samus will  eventually have to return to the directive but it&#8217;s not a &#8220;jump and how  high&#8221; situation as in <em>Dead Space</em> and <em>Bioshock</em>. This is not to say that all <em>Metroid </em>players are not directed towards the same end goals but the paths may be different from player to player. In this manner, players can begin to connect to their own &#8220;Samus.&#8221; The player and Samus tangentially explore and discover the world together.  There isn&#8217;t the thought that there is someone in the universe that knows more about Samus then the player.</p>
<p>To that ends, it should be said that as opposed to Isaac and Jack, Samus seems to always be in control of her situation.  This sense of control, however, delineates between a survival game (everything is happening to you) from an adventure game (you are causing things to happen).  I wonder if there is a correlation there between the mute protagonist and horror/survival games.  Perhaps one day I will do some research but that&#8217;s another day and another huge blog post.</p>
<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-413" href="http://www.smashworx.com/2010/10/silent-protagonists/tp_art_link02/"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-413" title="tp_art_link02" src="http://www.smashworx.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/tp_art_link02.jpg" alt="" width="174" height="203" /></a>The last silent protagonist is the reactive type.  Link from the venerable <em>Legend of Zelda</em> series is the epitome of the silent, reactive protagonist.  In <em>Windwaker</em>, Tetra reacts to Link as if he makes statements but the little sound that does come out of our reticent hero adds up to a couple of grunts, sighs and yips. I have read in multiple places that Nintendo says it doesn&#8217;t want to make Link talk because it would  &#8220;contradict players&#8217; individual interpretations of the character,&#8221; but none of these quote users include citation so I don&#8217;t know how reliable the information is.  I do agree, however, with the sentiment.  Without hearing Link&#8217;s side conversations, the player is allowed to come to a spectrum of conclusions.</p>
<p>Players don&#8217;t have a chance to mentally change Link&#8217;s overall personality because the <em>Zelda</em> universe keeps him on track.  For example, it&#8217;s fairly hard to imagine Link dropping f-bombs and pushing drugs on them yeti guys.  He&#8217;s just not that guy and never will be.  Even in <em>Twilight Princess</em> where Hyrule gets a bit more dangerous and adult, Link still sticks to the script.  We know he is loyal, so he is not going to respond disingenuously.  We know he is heroic, so of course he is going to help the lonely lady find her rabbit-loving husband. In this manner, we can gleam the tone and type of response Link will give in almost every situation.</p>
<p>Others might argue that the main characters in Dragon Age are reactive, silent protagonists but I disagree.  It is true that the characters do not audibly speak, but the player chooses dialogue that translates through the secondary character reactions.  Where Dragon Age differs from other games is that the player gets to mold the personality type of their character, which seems related to the silent character in that the player imprints their own personality onto the game avatar.</p>
<p>Although I think the <em>Bioshock</em> silent protagonist is more enjoyable / understandable than the <em>Dead Space</em> version, I&#8217;d have to say that where both games fail is in the  protagonist character development.  Both heroes take orders without  missing a beat. Both heroes put themselves in immense danger for  strangers and unknown loyalties. Why? As a player, I do not feel  connected enough to imprint my own emotions or attitudes on the avatar.  These two dumb jerks just do whatever there told and never discernibly  question their directives or the outcomes of said directives. It does  not surprise me that both sequels for these titles will let the  protagonist speak.  I want to not that I enjoyed both games and the mute protagonist in both games seemed to lend to their cinematic quality.  In fact, I would go so far to say that both game&#8217;s sets where a bigger character than the protagonists themselves.  I look forward to both sequels.</p>
<p>It does not surprise me that the two other protagonists I chose to explore are Nintendo creations.  Their ability to create entire nuanced universes with minimalist tools would seem to support the use of a silent protagonist.  It does not surprise me that there are generations of gamers that identify with such tight-lipped heroes as Link, Samus and, even, Mario.  These characters &#8220;play&#8221; along with the gamer and are very effective in endearing themselves to the public.  Thus, the public responds poorly if some developers come along and mess with a player&#8217;s imagined bond with a character.</p>
<p>Silent protagonists can and are as effective as the speaking protagonist.  I do not have a preference between the two, as long as the protagonist type serves the experience and not the other way around.</p>
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		<title>Now Replaying: God of War II</title>
		<link>http://www.smashworx.com/2010/10/now-replaying-god-of-war-ii/</link>
		<comments>http://www.smashworx.com/2010/10/now-replaying-god-of-war-ii/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 12 Oct 2010 19:13:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jessica Fiorini</dc:creator>
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		<category><![CDATA[god of war 2]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[GoW 2]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.smashworx.com/?p=389</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[.With this whole &#8220;economic downturn&#8221; a ragin&#8217;, I&#8217;ve been reigning in the money exodus that seems to steadily escape my wallet. These new penny pinching ways equate to a left over mentality. Why buy a new game if I have perfectly good games on my dusty shelves at home? I am not enacting a complete [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.smashworx.com/2010/10/now-replaying-god-of-war-ii/god-of-war-2-b000g6sphi-l/" rel="attachment wp-att-390"><img src="http://www.smashworx.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/God-of-War-2-B000G6SPHI-L-211x300.jpg" alt="" title="God-of-War-2-B000G6SPHI-L" width="211" height="300" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-390" /></a>.With this whole &#8220;economic downturn&#8221; a ragin&#8217;, I&#8217;ve been reigning in the money exodus that seems to steadily escape my wallet.  These new penny pinching ways equate to a left over mentality. Why buy a new game if I have perfectly good games on my dusty shelves at home? I am not enacting a complete moratorium on new game purchases, but I think spacing out the purchases is a good idea. I happen to like to replay games. I like the nostalgia and the redefining that comes about from re-experiencing a beloved title. </p>
<p>Originally, I had played God of War II with a ravenous excitement. God of War was one of my favorite games and I completely bought the hype for GoW II. I remember the opening fight with the Colossus had left me with a feeling that finally, a game has lived up to the hype. I had been impressed by the scale of the experience and the little to no loading times. I had appreciated that the button scheme supported both precision players (me) and button mashers (some others who shall not be named). I thought the story was continuous and kick ass. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire game and played each mode, including Titan. In fact, it is GoW II that got me this illustrious job at SMASHWORX. I was getting my haircut and talking to my future boss (my hair cutter&#8217;s husband) about my GoW experience. About a week later I get a call from Nik saying, &#8220;Hey, You seem to know a lot about games and you&#8217;re a good writer. Want a job?&#8221; So basically, my job came about because I had clear, discussable points about game mechanics and could crack a joke. Sometimes that&#8217;s all you need.</p>
<p>On repeat play I have to say, GoW II really stands up. It&#8217;s still brain-bustingly fun. GoW II&#8217;s set design, optics and art makes one feel that everything around you is massive and goes further than what presented on tv. Now that I&#8217;m in the business of making games, I&#8217;m perhaps more impressed than on my first play. GoW II is a tight, frenetic experience that is so damn satisfying. I&#8217;m impressed with how much fun the battles are and, besides a couple of duds, how well the puzzles work. The creature design is top notch and reminds me more of Ray Harryhausen&#8217;s Clash of the Titans than the new, terrible version. Honestly, GoW II looks better than some of the recent Xbox titles I&#8217;ve played. </p>
<p>The only disappointment I felt upon replay was actually quite surprising. Ahh, Kratos. If only you could take a little more responsibility in your actions&#8230;That&#8217;s right, folks. I&#8217;m beefing the ultimate Beefcake. Admit it. Kratos is a bit of a whiner. He&#8217;s always blaming the Gods, &#8220;The Gods are what they made me,&#8221; or crying foul over godly pettiness.  Come on man. Maybe you should keep the &#8220;why me&#8221; act to yourself. We get it. The Gods are Jerks (with a capital J). But how about a little mystery, K-man? I know that I complained about Samus giving herself away last post but I can&#8217;t help myself. It&#8217;s hard as a player to completely agree with a character&#8217;s decisions. This is not true about movies, where the audience has no chance of physical interaction or input on unfolding events. As a game player, I am looking for a certain amount of autonomy that I can&#8217;t acquire through books or movies. I can&#8217;t quite remember if Kratos complained as much in the first GoW. Maybe I am mistaken and Kratos was always the petulant but I feel as if his defiant attitude was not properly addressed in GoW II. I don&#8217;t think that straight up story play through is dated, I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Bayonetta. It&#8217;s just some of the script in GoW II tries a little to hard to say something when maybe actions are all Kratos needs to express his point.</p>
<p>Honestly, a game is as good as it plays and GoW II plays mighty fine. I think it holds its own against newer titles and am interested in playing it in a year from now to again re-gauge the experience.  Now to convince Nik that the office needs a PS3 and a copy of GoW III&#8230;.</p>
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		<title>Now Playing: Metroid: Other M</title>
		<link>http://www.smashworx.com/2010/10/now-playing-metroid-other-m/</link>
		<comments>http://www.smashworx.com/2010/10/now-playing-metroid-other-m/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 06 Oct 2010 17:42:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jessica Fiorini</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.smashworx.com/?p=375</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Fall in NYC. A great time to commune with audacious foliage and crisp, mint air. Also, a great time to sit inside as it rains for a week straight and get down to some serious game playing. Surprisingly, these past few weeks have consisted of much Wii usage. I am surprised mainly because I haven&#8217;t [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-380" href="http://www.smashworx.com/2010/10/now-playing-metroid-other-m/images/"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-380" title="images" src="http://www.smashworx.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/images.jpg" alt="" width="189" height="266" /></a>Fall in NYC. A great time to commune with audacious foliage and crisp, mint air.  Also, a great time to sit inside as it rains for a week straight and get down to some serious game playing. Surprisingly, these past few weeks have consisted of much Wii usage. I am surprised mainly because I haven&#8217;t really gotten into a Wii game since Super Mario Bros.  Occasionally, my boyfriend and I will throw on one of the Resident Evil games for some two-player, zombie shootin&#8217; fun but all in all, we use the Wii mainly for the Netflix. Metroid: Other M, therefore, was a point of excitement at home and at SMASHWORX Studios.  Finally, a game that looked rewarding and fun that utilized Wii motion controllers instead of (supposedly) just tacking on some functionality.  Oh and I definitely, definitely bought the hype. Pre-ordered Metroid: Other M and everything&#8230;</p>
<p>A little background, I have always liked Metroid.  I liked the side-scrollers and I liked the first-person shooters.  I am the audience Team Ninja wanted to court. Also (on a lady level), I love Samus. I love Samus in the same way I love Ripley or Aeon Flux. Dangerous space ladies who go beyond pretenses. Women whom I look up to and would probably like to be in some Doctor Who-like alternative world type of way.</p>
<p>Metroid: Other M looked right. It was beautiful like the Prime series but also cartoonish, in a SNES type of way. I liked the opening movie except this tiny little tingle in my brain kept on distracting me. It was the hope that Team Ninja wasn&#8217;t about to explain the mystery of Samus away. Samus as a near-silent bounty hunter was interesting. One honestly didn&#8217;t know what she thought about some hairy situations and encouraged the audience to place their own feelings and attitudes on the proceedings. Take, for example, Aeon Flux as a near-silent character that received demystifying through over exposition in that awful Charlize Theron helmed Aeon Flux movie.  In the comic and the MTV show, Aeon was silent and died in almost every episode. The audience could sort of guess her stance through her actions but the next move was unpredictable. It is more exciting to think that anything can happen, rather than think that a predetermined fate is set out for the character. In Samus&#8217;s case, should the player feel that they have to agree with everything the avatar represents by exposing the avatar&#8217;s psyche? Should the player feel that they have to play a game one way, with one set of morals? And what about those who thought Samus was a little more badass than some Papa issues and cute girl playing with the big boys? Should they believe in Samus the &#8220;princess&#8221; over Samus the &#8220;Ripley-type&#8221;?</p>
<p>If Team Ninja was creating a whole new character with this persona, I don&#8217;t think I&#8217;d have much of an issue. But Samus is a character that my generation grew up with and already had a set of characteristics that defined the Metroid series. So yes, Team Ninja, with it&#8217;s beautifully rendered yet horribly voice acted movies, has explained the mystery of Samus away. Bummer. Well, alright. But how does she play?</p>
<p>Pretty good. Not fantastic. Not oh my god, this is going to revolutionize the series but still, she plays pretty good. The action is frenetic and fun. The enemies (while a bit limited) range from one shot annoyance to strategy is key. Boss battles are fun and numerous. Although, I rarely died during boss battles due to the &#8220;focus&#8221; function. I didn&#8217;t have strong feelings either for or against the focus function. I liked not having to collect ammo but missed the tension of &#8220;am I going to make it?!?&#8221; that comes with defeating an enemy with just a sliver of life left.</p>
<p>What&#8217;s weird? Well, for one the shift between first and third person perspective was jarring. Why can&#8217;t I shoot missiles in third person? It would be so much more helpful during boss battles not having to switch, re-aim while not getting damaged if I could utilize all my weapons. But no. Gotta make it Wii-tastic. Even if motion-control really doesn&#8217;t add to game enjoyment, I bet Team Ninja had to shoe-horn some motion functionality in there somewhere for the powers that be. Another odd sensation is traveling in a 2D space without a joystiq. There were multiple times when I was pressing straight ahead on the D-Pad but Samus did this odd diagonal shuffle instead.</p>
<p>Even with these control issues, I was left wanting more game to play. I can&#8217;t tell if my desire for the gameplay to continue was out of annoyance that there wasn&#8217;t more to the game of if I was really enjoying myself.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m sure Nik and Tommy will chime in with their opinions soon. In the meantime, I&#8217;m looking forward to playing the new Zelda.</p>
<p>Metroid: Other M<br />
Rating: B</p>
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		<title>New Modes for Propaganda Lander!</title>
		<link>http://www.smashworx.com/2010/06/new-modes-for-propaganda-lander/</link>
		<comments>http://www.smashworx.com/2010/06/new-modes-for-propaganda-lander/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Jun 2010 18:17:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jessica Fiorini</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iPhone Apps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Office Talk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Propanda Lander]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[game]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[game development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[independent game development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iphone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lander]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[propaganda lander]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smashworx]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[video games]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.smashworx.com/?p=198</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Hello friends! Jess here with an update on two new modes for Propaganda Lander: Remix: Survival and Easy Mode. Remix: Survival is a sensory assault of epic proportions. Players will attempt to survive as long as possible while we throw every nasty enemy known in Rickster&#8217;s Universe at them. In order to create this new [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hello friends! Jess here with an update on two new modes for Propaganda Lander: Remix: Survival and Easy Mode.  <a href="http://www.smashworx.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/survival.png"><img src="http://www.smashworx.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/survival-300x200.png" alt="" title="survival" width="300" height="200" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-199" /></a></p>
<p>Remix: Survival is a sensory assault of epic proportions.  Players will attempt to survive as long as possible while we throw every nasty enemy known in Rickster&#8217;s Universe at them.  In order to create this new mode, Tommy has had to re-haul our level editor to offer even more customization.  We can now control waves of different enemy types through timing, random amperage ranges and frequency.  Therefore, I&#8217;ve spent the last couple of days tweaking and testing to create an hyperactive experience.  The types of issues I&#8217;ve run into mainly deal with offering an experience that has peaks and valleys instead of an experience that amps up only to plateau.  What we&#8217;ve decided is to offer a sort of three steps forward, one step back mechanic that allows the player to feel like they&#8217;ve accomplished a great feat for surviving a particularly hard wave and to facilitate an innate feeling of tension and drama. Also, one other issue I&#8217;ve had to deal with is beating Tommy&#8217;s high score, but that&#8217;s more of a personal policy.  The last bits that we have to deal with is optimization for all devices and implementing the soundtrack.</p>
<p>For all you folks that find the Lander to be a little too punishing, we&#8217;ve started on an Easy Mode.  Easy Mode is exactly what it sounds like, fewer enemies, more power-ups, and less damage make it easier for the casual player to really enjoy Propaganda Lander.  I&#8217;d have to say that the most difficult part of creating Easy Mode has been striking a balance between making things easier but still retain the challenge. I tend to make levels pretty difficult, look at hardcore mode for example, and it&#8217;s been a practice in self-control to really loosen things up a little. We still need to do some testing before we release Easy Mode but I think it&#8217;s totally worth it to invite casual gamers into the fold.</p>

<a href='http://www.smashworx.com/2010/06/new-modes-for-propaganda-lander/survival/' title='survival'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://www.smashworx.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/survival-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="survival" title="survival" /></a>
<a href='http://www.smashworx.com/2010/06/new-modes-for-propaganda-lander/easy/' title='easy'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://www.smashworx.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/easy-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="easy" title="easy" /></a>

]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Brand Spanking New Gameplay Footage!</title>
		<link>http://www.smashworx.com/2010/04/brand-spanking-new-gameplay-footage/</link>
		<comments>http://www.smashworx.com/2010/04/brand-spanking-new-gameplay-footage/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 13 Apr 2010 18:25:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jessica Fiorini</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[iPhone Apps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Propanda Lander]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[independent game development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iphone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iPod]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iTunes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lunar lander]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mobile gaming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[propaganda lander]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smashworx]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[space]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[space ship]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.smashworx.com/?p=141</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A smattering of level gameplay from Propaganda Lander. Stunts performed by Tommy.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3Mgk5gqapD0&#038;hl=en_US&#038;fs=1&#038;"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3Mgk5gqapD0&#038;hl=en_US&#038;fs=1&#038;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></p>
<p>A smattering of level gameplay from Propaganda Lander.  Stunts performed by Tommy. </p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Sound-O-Vision</title>
		<link>http://www.smashworx.com/2010/01/sound-o-vision/</link>
		<comments>http://www.smashworx.com/2010/01/sound-o-vision/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:52:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jessica Fiorini</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Propanda Lander]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[boosts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[games]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[independent game development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iphone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lunar lander]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[power ups]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[propaganda lander]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smashworx]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spaceship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[video games]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.smashworx.com/?p=56</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Propaganda Lander Lives! In this super, up-to-date video you can hear the sounds of the revolution. Stephen Harwood has been making all sorts of groovy tracks and this is just the beginning. Notice the fancy new shield boost and the stylish Lava Level!]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6eeaJk814M8&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6eeaJk814M8&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></p>
<p>Propaganda Lander Lives! In this super, up-to-date video you can hear the sounds of the revolution. Stephen Harwood has been making all sorts of groovy tracks and this is just the beginning. Notice the fancy new shield boost and the stylish Lava Level!</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>New Lander Movie!</title>
		<link>http://www.smashworx.com/2009/08/new-lander-movie/</link>
		<comments>http://www.smashworx.com/2009/08/new-lander-movie/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:48:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jessica Fiorini</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Propanda Lander]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[game]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[game development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iphone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[propaganda lander]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smashworx]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[video game]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.smashworx.com/?p=39</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Smashworx presents an exclusive peek into our development process! Here is the third movie of our current iPhone project Propaganda Lander. Check out the new ships! And Missiles galore! Music by David Bowie.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iE9Xugi0j6Q&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1&#038;color1=0xe1600f&#038;color2=0xfebd01"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iE9Xugi0j6Q&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1&#038;color1=0xe1600f&#038;color2=0xfebd01" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></p>
<p>Smashworx presents an exclusive peek into our development process! Here is the third movie of our current iPhone project Propaganda Lander. Check out the new ships! And Missiles galore! Music by David Bowie. </p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Propaganda Lander Game Play Clip</title>
		<link>http://www.smashworx.com/2009/08/propaganda-lander-game-play-clip/</link>
		<comments>http://www.smashworx.com/2009/08/propaganda-lander-game-play-clip/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Aug 2009 19:08:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jessica Fiorini</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Propanda Lander]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[game]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[game development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gamepro labs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gaming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iphone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lander]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[propaganda]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smashworx]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[space ship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[video games]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.smashworx.com/?p=37</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[smashworx presents Propaganda Lander! This is but taste of what is to come for Propaganda Lander. Unfortunately, Jess isn&#8217;t that good at the game yet, but she&#8217;s alright at making movies! More video to come and eventually, a shiny new entry into the iPhone apps library. Keep up to date with our projects by checking [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="425" height="344" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UsEtNgf1Zhg&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;color1=0xe1600f&amp;color2=0xfebd01" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UsEtNgf1Zhg&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;color1=0xe1600f&amp;color2=0xfebd01" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
<p><span>smashworx presents Propaganda Lander! This is but taste of what is to come for Propaganda Lander. Unfortunately, Jess isn&#8217;t that good at the game yet, but she&#8217;s alright at making movies! More video to come and eventually, a shiny new entry into the iPhone apps library.</span></p>
<p>Keep up to date with our projects by checking on our blog or at GamePro Labs.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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