To begin with…

I recently purchased the game, Okami after reading how great it was in the comments of gaming related story on Digg. Although there are several aspects of the game that really get on my nerves, this game is truly a diamond among a lot of the third-party coal that is shoveled out month after month.

The Story

You play as a wolf-goddess named Amaterasu in the world of Nippon. This game is set in a mythical and definitely Asian-influenced land. The wolf, accomanied by a small flying nymph named Issun (Navi anyone?), must rid the land of the curse brought on by the demon Orochi, who wants to destroy all that is beautiful and full of life in Nippon. While the story may not seem that unique, it is the way in which it is presented that makes the game truly shine. There are a number of witty cutscenes that make the characters of the game seem believable and deep. I was very impressed how the game walked the fine line of balancing dark situations with humorous ones. I never felt dragged down by the storyline, although some of the cutscenes are quite long. To rid the curse, Amaterasu must use her celestial brush to ‘paint’ life back into the cursed areas as well as use it to kick some demon butt.

The Graphics

The graphics in this game are absolutely beautiful. It feels like you are playing a dynamic, living painting. While the graphics don’t have super-detailed textures, the simplicity of the game is what makes it feel so unique. I’ve never seen cel-shading performed in such a way that the scenery looks like a piece of artwork in which you can interact. I would argue that even Wind Waker could learn a lesson or two from Okami. The only time this experience was interrupted was when the camera would freak out and show the inside of a mountain or swerve so that you couldn’t see the enemy who was attacking you.

The Gameplay

First off, the land of Nippon is huge. It takes quite a bit of time to run from one end to the other, and the developers gave Amaterasu the ability to speed up into an all-out sprint, making the venture seem much less tedious. They also introduced Mermaid coins as a way to teleport to areas you have been before. The basic premise of the game is to find a cursed land and cure it with your god-like powers. This main goal is balanced by the various quests and activities you will find in villages both before and after you heal the area.

There are demon gates and moving curse scrolls that will engage you in battle. Once in battle, a sort of curtain drops in a large circle around you and forces you to look for the evil creatures that will most certainly be attacking you very soon. Although you can perform melee attacks, the real power comes from using your celestial brush techniques. You’ll quickly develop a strategy to take down every monster, and figuring out how to take down a new monster can be very exhilarating. Once you engage the brush mode, the game will freeze and you’ll be able to draw symbols over the enemies you wish to attack. For example, drawing a fast line across an enemy will slash it, dealing considerable damage to the enemy. It is difficult to get the Wii remote to register exactly what symbols you are wanting to draw later in the game when there are several very similar moves. Nothing is more aggravating than blooming flowers over a demon you simply want to slash. There is a skill to it, however, and I did improve my drawing techniques over the course of the game.

Overall

Okami has a few issues with symbol recognition and camera angles, but overall, it is definitely worth the buy. You can buy it new for the Wii for $40, or on the PS2 as well. The only main differences between the two versions are how you control the movement of the brush (aiming at the screen) and the attacks (shaking the Wiimote). The graphics are beautiful, the gameplay is solid, and the story is captivating. Okami gets the Game Gimp Seal of Approval.

The video game industry has been an amazing catalyst for exposing the masses to beautiful music. Whether it’s the energetic ‘Mario theme’ or the reflective themes from Final Fantasy, one thing is for sure; these games contain melodies that somehow manage to convey emotion despite several being severely limited by the technology of the time. Let’s take a look at how this music has moved others to provide their own translation for the music. I realize that there are hundreds of memorable themes out there and I probably didn’t include a video or game that you have heard. That is why I ask you to not only take a listen to the songs, but to share others that you find particularly unique or moving. Let’s get started.

Dungeon Theme — Legend of Zelda

The Legend of Zelda games have so many memorable pieces, and has established a tradition of involving the player with the music of the game (Ocarinas, Flutes, Wands, etc.). This particular well-executed rendition conveys both the sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat anxiety as well as the excitement felt as you travel through Hyrule’s as Link.

Fear of the Heaven — Secret of Mana

Secret of Mana has its share of sprightly tunes, but I was particularly impressed by this somber cover of Fear of the Heaven.

Chocobo Theme — Final Fantasy

If there’s one song I loved to hear while playing the Final Fantasy games growing up, it was the Chocobo theme. I was in the process of obtaining an Ostrich egg until my parents found out.

Motherbrain Medley — Metroid

Nothing was more exciting than hearing that familiar melody when you had bombed yourself through a hidden passageway and into a secret room. You knew what lay ahead, a Chozo holding a game-changing upgrade.

600 AD — Chrono Trigger

Chrono Trigger contains many themes that bring an amazing sense of depth and realism to the world in which the game takes place.

Super Mario Theme — Super Mario Bros.

While this song demonstrates Greg’s technical prowess of the flute, I also found it to be particularly accurate in the cheerful and adventurous mood that dominates the Mario games.

“Still Alive” — Portal

While Portal is still relatively new, it popularized songs that have achieved comparable status to those of the 16 and 32-bit classics we love. Have a song you like that wasn’t covered in the list? Comment it below.

As I continued my memory trip into the most nostalgic games of my childhood, I stumbled down a long-forgotten path of memories which dealt with my first experiences with computer games.

We got our first family computer when I was around 6 years old…a 386 running DOS and then eventually Windows95 – first edition.

It was soon after that I had my first experience with the Real Time Strategy masterpiece known as Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness.

It was love at first click. Warcraft offered two playable races, each with their own separate story lines which took place in the mythic world known as Azeroth. You could even tick off your units if you clicked them too much.

I remember the utter immersion I felt as I began telling my loyal peons to mine gold, chop down the forest, and build my war machine as I received the humorous reply of “Yes Master”. A smile still creeps over my face when I think about the hilarious remarks each of the different units would make to you.

Another cool feature this game offered was the multiplayer ability. Over the LAN connection, my dad and I would play against each other in head-to-head Orc Vs. Human battles. He beat me every time. However, if my memory serves me correctly, you could also opt to play on teams against the computer…hours of fun. The map editor (introduced initially in the first Warcraft game…Orcs & Humans) awoke in me a strong desire to create new playable worlds. I spent more time than I should have inside, ticking away the time, creating new levels for Warcraft. After this point, I didn’t really play the game that much except to look at the worlds I had created. I can’t describe the feeling of wonder I got from the editor. It opened up the creative side of my brain, I think. From here on out in my life, I would seek to ‘create new worlds’ in other game editors, through drawing, and by writing. I believe this game is responsible for the period in which I delved into RPG Maker and other such programs (even learning VB and Delphi) in order to enhance this feeling of creating new worlds. It goes to show the power that such a simple idea can have on a young mind. I’m sure there are others out there like me, who grew up playing games for the purpose of using the map editor.

While playing the game, I did get the feeling that the computer was cheating…It was doing stuff that I couldn’t replicate and it would cause me to get sick of the game and stop playing it for a few months. I later learned that the computer ‘cheated’ in order to make up for the lack of intelligent AI that was possible at the time. Although the game would make me mad at times…it will continue to have a warm place in my heart and I will always have a strong respect for Blizzard for creating such an amazing game.

If you’re looking to play Warcraft II but can’t seem to find the game anywhere (or it won’t run on your now supa-fast PC) I suggest downloading Stratugus. Stratagus was originally a Warcraft II clone and still carries the same feel of the game to this day.

Nintendo’s mustached plumber has been thwarting Bowser and saving Peach for over 25 years now (ok, he originally rescued his girlfriend Pauline in Donkey Kong). Since his debut in 1981 as an unnamed plumber in Donkey Kong, Mario has appeared in over 200 games and has made Nintendo a modest amount of moola by selling over 193 million units.

Let’s begin by looking at Mario with his first ever appearance in Donkey Kong, which debuted in the era of arcades in 1981.

In the ’80s, there were actually entire buildings where you could go, not to buy games, but to play them. Quarters were the king currency (or better yet, game tokens) and you could spend hours trying to beat ASS’s highscore. This is where Mario was born. As an unnamed plumber with insane jumping abilities, Mario quickly ascended to fame in the hearts of arcade goers everywhere.

Despite the fact that Mario had only taken the job to help pay the bills during the toilet-shortage crisis of ‘81, his career as Nintendo’s prime platformer would mean he would never have to fix leaky faucets again.

Although Mario had a few other appearances in Nintendo titles (i.e., Golf, Tennis, Pinball, and Punch-Out), he gained worldwide popularity with Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985.

The limited capabilities of the NES meant that Mario was stuck with solidly colored overalls and no defining facial features other than his cap and mustache. These features would transform Mario from simply a character in a video game to the modern gaming icon he is today.

Super Mario Bros. marks Mario’s first adventure in the Mushroom Kingdom, and would be the influence for many future games in the series. You may not think much about the settings of the game anymore, not only because you have played the game for X-hundred hours, but because nowadays it is commonplace to see far more outlandish themes. Mario’s ‘papa’, Shigeru Miyamoto, drew on experiences from his own childhood when he would explore the forests and caves around his home. All I can say is that Mr. Miyamoto’s backyard must’ve been a freaky place.

Here is some footage from the original Super Mario Bros. for the NES.

When Nintendo’s next console, the Super Nintendo (SNES), was released in 1990-1991, fans of the plumber would be treated to the work of art known as Super Mario World. This game showed what Nintendo had learned about the previous Mario titles. By this time, Nintendo had been in the business long enough to know what makes platformer games both intuitive and rewarding. Super Mario World is proof of Nintendo’s commitment to perfection.

Check out the numerous ways Nintendo improved the Mario series.

However, Nintendo had a new system in the works. This console would be capable of rendering 64-bit graphics, thus allowing for three dimensional gamescapes that had gamers of all ages peeing their pants. Miyamoto was presented with the task of designing the system’s big opening game. He knew that he was designing for a whole new generation of gamers and decided that who else but Mario should lead the way.

The transition from 2d to 3d turned out to be a blessing for both the Mario franchise and Nintendo. Mario trained intensively for the change, dropping about 120 pounds. The result? A svelte Mario able to perform a number of new jumps.

See Mario’s new frame and abilities

Mario made a nice transition to a 3d environment, but he also completely revolutionized the platforming industry…again. Nintendo’s next system, the GameCube, was seen as the runt of the then next-gen consoles.

However, the Mario title released for this system would be no short walk in the park. Super Mario Sunshine added a new feel to the game by giving Mario a water shooting backpack (resembling a vacuum cleaner…hmmm).

Although this game was met with criticism, it is still the second best selling game for the GameCube, with 5.5 million copies.

Nintendo has once again released a new system, which, thus far, has been selling faster than pancakes. Super Mario Galaxy is scheduled to be released at the end of this year (2007). So far, the game seems to be crammed full of everything that makes a Mario game legendary (the boo and bee suits don’t hurt). Check out some footage for this game and let me know your thoughts.

Welcome Ruckateers (still working on a cool name) to the first issue of the official Game Ruckus “First of” series. This series will shed light on some of the old (but never forgotten) games that revolutionized the way we play today. In this particular issue, we will be discussing the earliest uses of an inventory system. Think of an actual video game that’s come out in the past twenty years that hasn’t had an inventory system that allows you to carry around items you pick up. Go ahead, I’ll wait…Back already? Well, even if you did think of one, you have to admit that there are very few games that do not let you carry around and use items. So where did it all begin? Brace yo’self for this…

*Duh Duh Duh Duh!!!* The Legend of Zelda (NES). I’m sure some of you saw this coming, but here’s why we give it credit as one of the earliest games to have an effective inventory system.

The Legend of Zelda was an adventure like no other when it was released in the US in 1987. Not only did it include a revolutionary inventory system, but it allowed you to navigate a huge world map, let you play the dungeons in the order of your choosing, and was also the first game to include internal battery-backed memory that allowed you to save your adventure at any time. Seriously, we could sit around all day and talk about how awesome this game was, but that isn’t the point.

With the inventory system, it became your duty not only to seek out the bad guy and destroy him, but also to find the essential weapons that would get the job done, which added an element of true adventure to the game. After all, Ganon ain’t going down just because you jumped on his head (no disrespect to Mario). Some of the weapons you had to find included the boomerang, bombs, and, of course, the legendary Master Sword. It’s always nice when you find a weapon to which a particular enemy has a weakness. It was also necessary to find many other items that aid you in your quest (go ahead and try to get to Dungeon #4 without the raft). Half of the fun of such adventure games is figuring out what items are necessary to complete a task.

So now on to the obvious part:

I’m sure you’re not asking yourself “so how has the inventory system benefited games since?” However, I’m going to pretend that you are asking that question so I have a legitimate reason to answer it.

Virtually every game since ‘87 has had some sort of inventory system and it has continued to evolve over many different genres of games. For example, in many MMO games you have to find items or weapons that are compatible with your character or your profession (in Guild Wars you cannot wear armor that was intended to belong to someone else). Also, many inventory systems have evolved in such a way that a trading game has become a fun, but lengthy side-quest in many games (most notably, later Zelda titles). Many inventory systems include items that cannot be used until you get to a particular time and/or place (usually referred to as key items). In any case, the inventory system has become a crucial piece of just about every role-playing game since it’s inception on in the dark and mysterious rooms of DnD players.

So there you have it; the first article of the “first of” series. Join us next time when we talk about…umm…something else!