good game get!

Good Senior Photo Get!

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:25:51 -0500

There are five very good things happening in this photo.

1. That large GameBoy Advance (Glacier variant) looks really comfy to sit on.

2. His GameCube shirt is legitimately rad.

3. I can’t tell if he is holding a Wave Bird wireless GCN controller or a smaller GameBoy Advance. Either way it’s video game related I’m sure. Awesome.

4. He clearly has pretty hefty GameBoy tucked in his left pocket. I’m assuming a Pocket or an original. Hard to tell.

5. If I was him, I’d stay in that photo session all day long. That lighting seems absolutely optimal for reflective TFT LCD gaming.

- Kyle

Good Game Get! Realistic Summer Sports Simulator

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:15:00 -0500

Justin Smith has done it again.

First he created the most accurate virtual representation of bear hibernation that even puts naturalist, David Attenborough and his wonderful voice to shame. After that he took on the incredibly daunting task of giving the historically correct account of The Oregon Trail a chance. He has thrice succeeded in his goal of complete realism and has created the ultimate summer sports simulation game.

It’s an intense challenge that requires excellent one finger dexterity that only true champions possess. Imagine that you are a God with a yellow pixel bungie cord that magically attaches itself to a winner (or a loser) that you then can control through various events.

Justin once told me that he hopes his players get “a laugh. One solitary chuckle is all [he hopes] for. Maybe with a shade of bewilderment. Or a sigh of longing as the player gazes out their window on a rainy day, dreaming of simpler times.”

He has accomplished this daunting task again, and now you can cancel your seven hundred and fifty dollar opening ceremony ticket to the London 2012 games and just spend one dollar on this.

Tickets haven’t even been sold yet. I lied.

GO GOLD.

- Kyle

Have a good weekend everyone! - Kyle

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 09:19:15 -0500

Have a good weekend everyone!

- Kyle

Good Game Get! MIRRORMOON

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:21:00 -0500

Santa Ragione’s Global Game Jam game, MIRRORMOON uses my favorite graphical aesthetic ever - which consists of low-polygonal shapes and bright colors.

Perfect.

It’s a short title that could immaturely be described as first person puzzler. While it has it’s puzzle mechanics, it felt like nothing I’ve played before. I consistently was quietly talking to myself in little words like, “wow” and “whoa” while playing.

I love this game. My brain feels so good afterwards, and I feel accomplished for finishing it. Something a lot of games may not give us, because of all the hand-holding.

I want more of it, and unfortunately it only exists in it’s current state. Feels finished but so small.

- Kyle

THE MINIMALIST ZELDA: WHAT FUMITO UEDA DID THAT NINTENDO CANNOT

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:11:44 -0500

One cannot deny the influence of all of Nintendo’s original franchises on gaming. It’s very clear that a game like Fumito Ueda and Team ICO’s Shadow of the Colossus would not exist. The commonalities between Zelda and Shadow of the Colossus are apparent but end very quickly at the basics.

Shadow of the Colossus if described simply to someone would be, “a game in which you fight boss battles, and really do nothing else.” Of course this is insensitive to the games true design, because we aren’t mentioning the negative space. The time between Collosi encounters are spent simply galloping across the barren and grand forbidden land. The light story forces your imagination to run and you become a part of the story. The game gives you room to be a part of it, and has not already been filled up with dribble from a game designer who doesn’t trust you to “get it.”

Nintendo doesn’t trust you to “get it” when you play Zelda so they fill it with tutorials, nagging fairies, and transdimensional intelligent/spirit goddess beings. These things do not exist in Shadow of the Collosus, and the simple truth is that they do not need to exist in Zelda.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword has been such a disappointment to me. It feels bloated with it’s incomplete motion controls, and constant reminders of how dumb you are as a player. It’s not engrossing when a game consistently tries to be meta with you, and it makes the experience jarring. It’s the fattest, and fullest Zelda ever, but it feels too heavy, and too sloppy to love.

I’m sad to think about how I cannot bring myself to play it, but I can easily pick up Shadow of the Colossus and play it. It is not a burden, and comprised of only the essentials.

I do not wish for Zelda to be Shadow of the Colossus, but I’d like Nintendo to really take a step back and think about what they’ve turned the series into. If anything the game should’ve became a simpler, and more refined experience.

All they’ve done is complicate things for the sake of changing it up. It’s sad. It’s clear to me they really don’t know what to do with Zelda right now, and if they truly do think they’re doing it right - well that’s disturbing to me as a fan of the company and the series.

Fumito Ueda once said that he designs by subtraction. It’s apparent, but it’s also the best way to design anything. If you could have a wonderful Zelda game without the bullshit, why wouldn’t you?

Ueda has left Sony, and Nintendo isn’t thinking about it, but could you imagine if he headed up a Zelda game? I wouldn’t want it to be Shadow of the Colossus, but I would want it to be just Zelda.

Unadulterated Zelda. Just the essentials. It’d be perfect.

- Kyle

I’m back and the Maré Odomo print situation has been resolved. Apologies to those who have...

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:21:31 -0500

I’m back and the Maré Odomo print situation has been resolved. Apologies to those who have waited too long for them.

- Kyle

illustration.

Special thanks to Kish for the tip.

Good Game Get! Super Mario 3D Land

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:04:14 -0500

If I told you that Super Mario 3D Land was the truest 3D Mario game you’d think that I was making a joke about the stereoscopic “3D” emphasis of the title or you’d think I was being insane because the most awesome 3D Mario game came out in 1996.

The truth is that back in 1996 when you and I were fumbling our hands around that Nintendo 64 controller while trying to play Super Mario 64 that we were not in fact playing Mario. We were in fact playing a new type of 3D game that was essentially Tomb Raider with Mario instead of Lara.

I’m not hating - because let’s be real - Super Mario 64 is by far one of the fondest memories of my childhood, but lookin’ back - it wasn’t really a Mario Game you know?

The platforming was weak, the secrets were weak, and the whole going into the same stage multiple times to get different stars while participating in slightly different scenarios was pretty weak too. The game was awesome but - again - not really what a Mario game had came to be in the 90s.

I think everyone overlooked that though because Super Mario 64 was so mind-blowingly incredible, and it was. It really was - or rather is, because the game truly still stands as a technical and artistic achievement for the history of gaming.

Super Mario 3D Land takes a portable approach to Mario, and it really does ask the question, “What is Mario like in stereoscopic 3D, and polygonal 3D?”

It answers it beautifully, by saying that the camera would primarily be top-down and that the 3D be deep and meaningful. It feels right, it feels difficult (in the later special stages), and it feels pure. This wasn’t a cake walk for Nintendo to slap another Mario game together.

It’s obvious.

This could’ve been Super Mario Galaxy 3DS and executively speaking the name would’ve been great given the sequence of the Galaxy series (if it even continues?), and the simple fact that Nintendo already knew how to make Galaxy.

What they didn’t know how to do was to make a 3D portable version of Mario that wasn’t a sidescroller, but FEELS like a side-scroller.

And that is it - that’s the magic right there, it is a 3D Mario game that doesn’t feel like a 3D Mario game even though it’s the absolute most 3D Mario game ever designed.

I kind of love it.

- Kyle

Good Game Get! Spell Tower

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 22:23:58 -0500

I’m terrible at Scrabble, Words With Friends, and even though I found it totally cool - I’m awful at Quarrel too. Zach Gage isn’t really good at these games either, or at least I would assume so as he hates the genre.

He however is the dude who crafted Spell Tower, a delightfully minimal and easy to pick up word game for iPad. Spell Tower is a mash-up of Tetris and a kinetic crossword puzzle (I.E. like a home brew Boggle).

The game allows you to bend the rules of your normal crossword puzzled by allowing you to do things diagonally, horizontally, and backwardly* - all at the same time. The game’s modes also can give you a let’s just look for words game, or a look for words quickly or die game. The latter is a blast.

And you know, that’s it. It’s just an elegant and simple word game that works and works well.

Gage’s story behind the game is also pretty rad.

- Kyle

*Not a word that you could play in Spell Tower.

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:54:15 -0500

Kind of makes me feel like this.

- Kyle

Tasha’s comic is spot on! My Breton Fire Mage is not...

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 22:18:00 -0500

Tasha’s comic is spot on! My Breton Fire Mage is not particular strong, but she’s fun to play. I’m focusing on Destruction Magic and Alchemy, and I finally got a home to store my dragon bones. I also cringe whenever I hear a dragon roar… this game is awesome! What did you roll?

- Andy

Look for your Maré Odomo Print Late This Week or Early Next Week!

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 18:31:00 -0500

If you donated it’s almost time to get your gift!

Thanks so much to everyone, and I hope all of you are doing well. I’m settling in after a move, gearing up for the season (I work retail), and finishing up school. I look forward to blogging a bit more regularly starting Wednesday.

Thanks for reading.

- Kyle

COD:MW3 is Definitely Oscar Mike

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 11:25:51 -0500

Seriously, the campaign is only five hours long, but the only time you get to stop and catch your breath is during the frenetic and often overly “info-graphic” dense cut scenes — which is a lot like trying to catch a quick nap on the subway.

All the reviews pin this one down well. If you love MW you’re going to buy MW3. If you don’t you won’t. I had a blast with it, but not being the biggest military shooter fan or into the multiplayer, I could never justify full price — too short, too much the same. A great rental for sure, took me two nights to roar through the campaign, and it was one helluva ride all the way.

*But it’s time to bring on Skyrim!

- Andy

OutRun 2011 Mock-Up

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 10:04:00 -0500

I realize that it’s lame and butt city combined to post my own mock-up of one my very favorite game franchises, but I was inspired last night while unpacking at our new house.

The rad Ferrari toy photo by this guy.

- Kyle

Mare Odomo Prints...

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 20:12:00 -0400

Shipping late next week!

Yay!

- Kyle

Thanks Everyone!

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:39:15 -0400

The reblogs, the likes, the comments, and the donations!

I appreciate it all.

The print and donation info has moved to the sidebar, and GGG! will continue regularly as promised.

- Kyle

gif via brother brain

Donate to Juniper & Get a Maré Odomo Print

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:50:00 -0400

UPDATE
10.21.11
We are currently at $435!
Thanks to everyone who has donated already! This will be moving to the sidebar by Monday, and we’ll be resuming regular posting. I am truly amazed and grateful at the outcome for this!

As you may or may not know, Good Game Get! is a not-for-profit games blog that is completely ad-free. We’re also licensed under a Creative Commons license, so everything is free to take and use with attribution.

A couple of days before Christmas last year, our Chinese Crested puppy Juniper fell and broke both of her front legs.

She was immediately taken to the nearest vet and placed into splints and bandages. She also ended up needing to have a $3,000 surgery that included placing plates between her bones and tiny screws to hold them together.

She is doing wonderful now, but the bill still looms and it’d be great to have a little help.

For a small donation of $15.00 via PayPal you’ll receive an exclusive never before seen high-quality 8”x10” print by Maré Odomo!

Your donation will go towards paying off Juniper’s huge medical bill that is currently totaled around $2,000. While I don’t expect this drive to pay off the debt, I would like it to put a dent in.

I promise full transparency throughout this process and after printing, PayPal fees, and shipping costs, all money will go towards this debt.

- Kyle

Double Fine Announcements Today!

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 09:09:29 -0400

And the world waits with impatient silence…

So according to news bouncing around the intertubes, Double Fine will be making a huge announcement today! Six games! Some are easy to guess, like Costume Quest on Steam. But with the company’s recent forays onto Mac and the iOS store, other guesses are quite fuzzy. I would love to see a revamped Brutal Legend, and we all want a Psychonauts 2, but those are longshots.

- Andy

PS: The most exciting thought is a brand new IP! What could it be?

Oh yeah! This is the latest from the creator of Samorost &...

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:40:18 -0400

Oh yeah! This is the latest from the creator of Samorost & Machinarium. You can also watch it here: www.botanicula.net. Just let me know when I can pre-order!

- Andy

Good Game Get! ICO & Shadow of the Colossus Collection

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 13:30:31 -0400

It’s not quite a consolation for the numerous delays and shows in which The Last Guardian wasn’t even mentioned, but a budget priced high definition collection of two of my favorite games is welcome.

Fumito Ueda, Kenji Kaido and Team Ico’s Ico and Shadow of the Colossus are quintessential play for any gamer. Their work is truly masterful, and for Ico and Shadow of The Collosus they took a minimalist approach that is not seen very often in modern games.

Unabashedly these two games pull at the minimalist inside of me, and I appreciate the simplicity and linearity of the titles. Their design forces them into a niche that not everyone can appreciate, but it’s a niche that sits comfortably off the natural mainstream path of game developmental history. They remain classical because they did not try to follow any trends, and remain true to a designer’s vision through and through. You will find no evidence of a creator’s magic snuffed by non-understanding executives and investors.

Numerous reports say that the gaming industry will be approaching $70 billion dollars by next year. This is undoubtedly a good thing, but as profits soar, it will take bigger profits to measure a game’s worth through investor eyes.

What is proven through ICO and Shadow of the Colossus (and Sony’s generous re-release of the titles) is that these amazing types of games can co-exist with the Call of Duty’s and Angry Birds of the world. Deep, engaging, and beautiful single player experiences will never go away, and as we move towards more collaborative and competitive popular gaming, we must remember that games are so much more than games. They represent a collaboration of art, technology, and every other critical component of all other entertaining mediums.

Video games are video games, and games like ICO & Shadow of the Colossus are sensational.

- Kyle

Eliss is Free for a Limited Time

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 13:45:55 -0400

Arguably one of the best iOS games available and a personal favorite of mine.

toucheliss.com

- Kyle