Arcade Games

When I think back to my childhood there was a time I was quite fond of arcade games. It was something about feeling the change in my hands as I put it into the slots. Getting myself ready for whatever game I was about to take on. It was an experience, especially when I was truly confident about the game I was playing. Now although arcade games aren't as popular as they use to be, they still exist and have had a huge impact on the gaming industry. Lets take a look at some of the arcade games they have affected the industry.

1. Pong(1972)- This is considered to be one of the earliest arcade video game they came around in 1972. This was a basic two player tennis game. It was two dimensional and considered mainstream. This game was so influential that it led to other games and helped set off the game industry.

2. Space Invaders(1978)-A game created and sold by Japan. It's basic function was to shoot aliens with a laser cannon and to gain points for each shot .The purpose is to defeat five rows of aliens. This game was very popular and earned almost $2 billion dollars in quarters

3. Pac Man(1980)-Pacman was one of the first games to appeal to both genders since the time of Pong. The premise of the game is to go through a maze eating the pac dots. With each level you pass, it gets harder and the colored enemies get faster in trying to attack you. The Pac Man symbol has shown up on everything and is highly recognizable. This game is also considered the highest growing video game bringing in 2.5 million dollars in quarters!

4. Street Figher(1987)- This is one of my favorite arcade games. This game is more than just a typical fighting game. It's considered one of the best video game franchises bringing in $1 billion dollars in revenue. It's also been turned into films and comic book series. 

5. Tetris(1988)- Mainly known for a game played on hand helds, was a successful arcade game as well. It's a game available on every console. It was signed over to Atari Games for the arcade game purpose. It remains top playing game with many variations and features constantly being added on. 

These are just a few classic arcade games in our history that have affected and influenced the gaming industry to date. These five games have really influenced how games are looked at and have spread off into different areas in the gaming world. Arcade games, although not as popular as they once were, are still played to this day! Without the support from the Arcade games, I don't think the gaming industry would be where it is today. 

Will Wright's The Sim 3

Ok, so I couldn't help but come back to this game seeing as it is my favorite game to play. This game for me is one of the best simulation games created. It gives you complete control to design different scenarios to act out. For me, it's not only an escape but a virtual world where I'm in charge of everything and everyone.

Creating The Sims- In the Sims 3, you have more free range now to create the person you desire. In the newest edition to this trilogy a person is able to change skin tones, hair color(highlights, tips, base color), hair styles, body shape(any range from skinny to fat to scrawny to bulk), age difference(baby, toddler, teen, young adult, adult, elder), tattoos and facial hair. A person also has the free range of dressing their Sim in any format from Casual Everday to Pajamas to Dressy to Work Out apparel. By the advance technology of the game people are able to design the way their Sim looks more precisely than ever before.

Building The House- In building the house in the Sims 3 you have all the freedom in the world to design the house of your dreams or the home of disaster. The possibilities are endless in the home. A person can use a home that's already built and ready to go, or they may want to try a hand and creating their own masterpiece. In building the house you design the shape, the layout, decorate the rooms with furniture and color. Anything you dream involving a house can be done. You can make it big, small, medium, lots of furniture, no furniture. 

Living the Life- Once you create your Sims and their house, the fun really begins. It's this stage of the game you get to explore different scenarios with the Sims created. You can make a rich family, poor family, single households, Sims with jobs, Sims with multiple kids. I mean the situations and personalities are endless! No Sim is alike. Every Sim has their own personality and ambitions and wants. As the player you get to control all of it though. 

With this game the player has ultimate control to do whatever they feel is right or wrong. You can play out scenarios and situations and have do overs unlike the real world. This game espeically appeals to me when I have so much going on in my life and can't control all of it. It helps me find control and balance elsewhere. I agree with Will Wright on how simulation games definitely allow you to see fast results and play out a fantasy. I feel it everytime I play it which is why I'm addicted! :)

The History Of Hand Held Video Games

The history of hand held video games has taken quite the turn in the last few decades. They have gone from large to small, black & white to color. So many transitions to it.

1. The Atari Lynx(1989) was a plain looking gray hand held. However as plain looking as this hand held may look it's considered to be one of the first handheld game console with color LCD. Also, it contained features that were advanced for it's time such as support 17 other players, backlit screen, supported zooming sprites, switchable configuration for right hand and left handed people,

2. The Game Boy(1989)- The first of many to be produced. Manufactured by Nintendo and created by Gunpei YoKoi. It was a new version of a handheld that had directional pad, rechargeable battery, and link cable.

3. Watara Supervision(1992)- This handheld was created to compete with its compettitor The Game Boy. Two versions of this game was created. The first was similar to a Game Boy with a slightly larger screen. The second one came in three colors(yellow, gray and green) and could be bent a little for a players comfort. However although it was a success it was still no match to it's competitor eventually dying out.

4.The Turbo Express(1990)- This handheld came out following the Atari Lynx created in Japan. It was created as a mini version of the original console, TurboGrafx. This handheld was in color, could display 64 sprites, and could play all the TurboGrafx games which came on HuCards. Now although this game was pretty advanced for it's time, it still had problems and issues. One problem being sound failure. Another being the price of $300.

5. The Neo Geo Pocket Color(1999)- came out in Japan and would later follow in the United States. Created by SNK, it was a 16 bit colored hand held and other features including 2 scrolling planes, 64 sprites, and 160X152 Resolution. This handheld was in major competition with The Game Boy, infact it became more of a success. However in 2000, it was pulled from United States Market due to commercial failure. 

6. The Game Boy Color(1998)- The game boy was originally released in Japan and later that year in the United States. Bigger than the game boy pocket it contained color and was thicker and longer. It was also created as an upgraded version of the original Game Boy which makers felt wasn't as sufficient. It was more advanced and the color pushed it over the edge. 

7. The Nintendo DS(2004)- A part of the Nintendo family it becomes one of the first handhelds with two screens and it was also touch screen. It started a whole new way to enjoy handhelds. It also had a built in microphone and allowed players to interact with each other in certain ranges. It continues to be a success as in 2006 they released Nintendo DS Lite. It is currently one of the best handheld consoles to date.

8. Playstation PSP(2005)- This handheld was released in Japan of 2004 and later released in North America in 2005. It's the first handheld to use optical disc format. Other exciting features include a larger screen, internet access, and connectivity with the original consoles. This handheld has been such a success since it came on the scene with new releases each year for it.  

Storytelling

When I think to certain video games I played as a child I remember I loved the games with a good story line. The story line was captivating and intriguing and helped me stay in tune with the games. Two games in particular that I felt had a great story line and I would play until I reached the end were A Yoshi Story and Super Mario. These two games




A Yoshi Story: I was about nine or ten when I first started playing this game. Now when I think back to this game I think at how easy it is to play. However, back then I thought it was such a challenge to beat. The story is basically this: The Yoshi's live on Yoshi Island in a world of happiness with their Super Happy Tree. The Super Happy Tree is what gives the Yoshi joy and happiness. However, it is stolen by Baby Bowser who is jealous of the Yoshi's. He turns their world into a story book in which the Yoshi's have to go through each page to retrieve.

To me this game was a challenge because you had to collect 30 different fruits to get to the next page. With each page came a new challenge and new difficulties. I recall being so into this simple story line as a child that I would play for hours to get through the levels. This game took me longer than it should have to beat. But as simple of a story line as it was it kept me interested. I understood the purpose of why I was collecting the fruits, why I was trying to get the tree back and the importance of each level. Without the story line I would have been confused as to why I was trying to beat the game.
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Super Mario: This is by far my favorite game of all time on a console. This game had so many challenges and obstacles that it took me months if not longer to beat this game. This story for this game is basically this: Bowser kidnaps Princess Peach and her servants from her castle. In this midst of this Mario has to travel through the castle now controlled by Bowser to gain Star Power to eventually fight Bowser and retrieve Princess Peach. Seems simple? It's not.



This game was by far one of the hardest games with a story line I had ever played. I was so into this game that I would isolate myself for hours on end to get to the next level at all cost. The story line to me was such a great one because each level connected to each other in some way. I wasn't just gaining stars just to gain them. Everything I did was significant and important to move onto the next level. To me this story line holds up because it had action, suspense, challenges. Everything anyone could want was in this game making it one of the best story line games in my eyes.