I would have picked out a particular series, but I think the basic principles apply to all of them. Street racing games, often referred to as Arcade Racers, are high octane thrill rides taking place in city streets. The responsible ones will warn you that street racing is both illegal and deadly, then go on to spend hours glorifying it. But anyways! Here are some tips for playing these game successfully.

1. Forget Physics
A common frustration that gamers face regarding arcade racers is the independent interpretations of physics. Though differing slightly in each game, removing the rules of physics makes for a better race. You will be going faster than you should, turning faster than you should, and overall defying logic and reason while taking little to no damage. It’s freeing, really.

2. Never Use the Brakes
This is an overstatement, because occasionally you may want to tap them, in order to slide around a corner. Because of the lack of physics, you don’t have to be concerned that you are turning an SUV while going 90. It may seem like the right choice to slow down to a reasonable speed while threading between cars on the digital interstate, swerving from lane to lane as you race toward that glowing yellow smoke, but resist. No guts, no glory.

3. Use Walls to Turn
This sounds counter-intuitive, and it’s not the best way to race, but it can work in a pinch. The way that the cars take damage and accelerate allow you to gun it on a straight away, turn hard but wide, hit the wall, accelerate and stay in the lead. A better strategy is to use a rival car to turn. They are going to (probably) turn responsibly, and they won’t slow you down as much as a wall. Turn tighter than a rival car, sideswipe them to knock your car into the right direction, and speed ahead. It works very often.

4. Crash Early
This is an inconsistent rule, but it’s worth a try. In my experience, older games will have a better success rate. If you flounder at the beginning, running into things and generally sucking, it can slow down the AI of the other cars. This is true in other racing games like SSX as well. Sandbag at the beginning, then race as solidly as you can till the end. I came across this strategy accidentally, as I would be racing so perfectly that the AI seemed impossible to beat. If I happened to crash early on the same course, I found myself winning by a wide margin. Maybe this is coincidence, but it works for me.

5. Don’t Spend Your Money
You’re going to have a lot of it, and a lot of options. Usually you start with a crap car and slowly race against better cars, and therefore require better cars. Regardless of the specific set-up, try your best to avoid buying any cars or upgrading your car until you absolutely must. I have often poured money into a car only to realize that I will need to buy something completely different to succeed in the next race.

…Did I Mention Forget Physics?
I can’t stress enough that you need to boldly try anything that seems vaguely possible, no matter how improbable. Smash through glass walls to take shortcuts through buildings, try pieces of concrete that almost resemble ramps, drive anywhere it will let you drive. Cut through parking lots, parks, and, in Midnight Club 3 Dub Edition, run into trees. You would think this would slow you down, but instead this is the secret to success. The most important rule in street racing is to go fast and win.

Ruth Heller is an award winning designer and artist. I can’t say I’ve read any of her books, but she had a series called “designs for coloring”, and the two geometrics entries are favorites of mine. Essentially, they are grown-up coloring books. I first discovered them quite young, and bought a 50 pack of super tip crayola markers to color them. I have recently bought one of the geometric books again, to color again but also display in my house in some sort of artful way that has yet to be decided.

I found out today, after a quick Google search, that she was married and widowed twice, paid her way though college by being a secretary, and pursued art as a lifelong dream. Her first art job wasn’t until she was close to her 40s, and her first book published a few years later. The ones I enjoy so much weren’t published until she was in her late 60s.

Post originally published in a previous blog on 6/12/11

I’m not saying they are the best games, but there’s a nicotinian quality to Elder Scrolls. Maybe it’s because you can play for 20 hours without realizing you haven’t done anything for the main story line. Maybe its the inherent random feel of the environment, glitches and all. Maybe it’s the inner hoarder, stuffing cabinets and dressers with every imaginable variation of every item. Whatever it is, Elder Scrolls has it. I purposely stopped playing Skyrim because… well, Its hard to imagine why now, but I know it was the right thing to do. I still saw my family and all that, but I did bring it to Thanksgiving. And maybe Christmas. Anywho, I say all that to say this:

There will be an Elder Scrolls Online. I don’t know when it comes out, I don’t know what it’s about, I don’t know what I will have to pay to play it or how good or bad it will be. And I don’t care to know. Because it doesn’t matter. I don’t care if its not a logically viable decision in hindsight or even foresight, because this is how I feel about the announcement:

A few thoughts about Portal 2:

I never played the first Portal, but never heard anything bad about it. Portal is often referenced in discussions about gaming as the good example to model from. After deciding to get Blockbuster’s game pass, I scanned my local store for a game to rent while I wait for fall releases. I saw Portal 2 on the shelf and decided it was time.

I was a fool to wait so long. The premise of the game allows them to legitimize a very linear story, but that story is exceptionally crafted. Though you can listen to the voices narrating to you, the scope and history of the story can be discovered in posters and the decaying lobbies. There is a crafty indirect way that you are told the story in the beginning, and my only disappointment is that it seems a little too direct as the story progresses, but even that can be legitimized within the framework of the game.

Because there are few voices in the game, and you travel through different parts of the facility that is now abandoned, it can feel very lonely. I moved at a pretty good clip, but the loneliness of the quieter parts of the game pressured me to look for walkthroughs, hoping I would meet with some companionship again. That’s a kind of sissy thing to say, but its true nonetheless. The mood in the game is very effective, and very lonely.

Edit note: I wrote this a while ago but didn’t publish it, so the date is inaccurate. This was from last year.

Even deBlob lets you decide so save or not save people. I’m beyond frustration as the last hour or more has been spent trying to break the ice without dying in Batman. I’m in some sort of ballroom, which has been sealed, filled with water, and contains a shark. Even for a world of superheros and villains, this is on the edge of practical.

I think that this game can be painfully linear at times, making you feel like someone is holding your hand, dragging you from one activity to the next. But then, to make it seem like they tried to make a good game, they randomly and abruptly let go of your hand, but with no proper context. This was my issue with Uncharted as well. Sometimes, the puzzle solving is good and sometimes, they merely give you no hints and leave you in a room till you make the correct assumption. I think that this is lazy and uninspired puzzle creation. Instead of crafting a puzzle that is complex, they make a simple one with no context.

Now, having died 20 (literally 20) times, I’m sick of this mediocre game event, and I can’t leave the room either. The rest of this game isn’t difficult, so surely I’m missing something here.

…I can batclaw the raft? Maybe it’s because I’ve been playing Portal (where good puzzles come from), maybe it’s because I just assumed that such a juvenile level of problem solving would be unheard of, but yeah. I can batclaw the raft. 400 riddler trophies, but I can batclaw the raft.

Edit: This was a draft from when I was playing Batman a while back. So, the date it a bit misleading but here it is. 

My time is basically my own these days, but lately I’ve dedicated most of it to final home improvements. Our house is now on the market. I’m working on another blog detailing the improvements we’ve made in the last three years. Many of them have taken place in the last three months.

Before that, I was learning a handful of programming languages (mostly Ruby), assuming that I would attempt freelance work in that field. My intent has not changed, but for now I am working on HTML5, CSS3, PHP, MySQL, and maybe a touch of JavaScript. I have a friend who programs apps in Objective C, and I can see why he is such an asset at his company. I researched Objective C to see if I’d want to learn it, and the answer was an emphatic and definite “NO.” It was suggested that one should know Java or C++ and be familiar with C and maybe know some corresponding frameworks before taking on Objective C, and then after that, you would be ready for iOS programming. I’ve certainly learned languages without the suggested prerequisites, but I don’t have a Mac, so I decided to stick to what I can do with the computers I have for free.

In terms of gaming, there hasn’t been much to write here because I haven’t played much. I would like to get the Vita, but that will have to wait until we sell our house. The Blockbuster pass has been excellent, except for the two months I had to wait for SSX. I think I will buy it on PS3 simply because of how much SSX I played on PS2. Playing on 360 feels unnatural in comparison. But on either system, it feels like SSX 4, which has been a long time coming. On Tour and Blur were bad spin-offs.

Our PS3 was upstairs until recently, when moving around furniture caused it to end up in our bedroom. Mod Nation Racers was still inside, from months (or years?) ago when I bought it. I started playing it and realized  had never beaten it. This was after a long break from gaming, which must have invigorated my gaming prowess. I quickly conquered the rest of the game. The only other game I’m working on is Ghost Recon on 3DS. I beat it on easy, now I’m trying again on hard.

I don’t think these count, but I’m playing Draw Something, Words with Friends, and Angry Birds Space on my phone. We also took up DnD 4e, which is like playing Skyrim with a pencil and paper. And on that note, Skyrim is still amazing and will have Kinect integration soon… so we’ll be getting a Kinect soon.

Skyrim is AMAZING.

A M A Z I N G.

That’s basically what’s happened since November.

The advantages of game rentals are obvious: games often cost $60 a piece for consoles, but they don’t always back that up with $60 of playability. Some titles will demand much more than a standard rental period, but it’s a great way to experience a lot of games for a lesser amount of money. There are more options than before, which just complicates the matter of finding the right way to go about it. There are four main choices, each offering their own advantages.

The first and most important thing to say about Redbox is in regard to their selection. It is minuscule. In my area, there are maybe a dozen games offered at any given Redbox, with a fraction of those being available. The second most important thing to say it that you only get one day. With a movie, this is more than enough time. With a game, it laughable. But, a day is usually enough time to decide if you’re interested, which brings me to the best part of Redbox. The rental is only $2. You don’t have to sign up for anything, you just have to swipe a card and it pops out the game of your choice. There are codes available that give you discounted or free rentals, and you may get an offer right on screen for a discount as you check-out.

I used a Redbox for the first time last evening, after idly eying them many times on my way out of the grocery store. Yesterday was no different, but this time I parked my cart alongside the machine to see what was available. I chose Lego Pirates as something that would be fun for a day, and quickly checked out. I didn’t open the case until later, and what I found on the disc could be easily predicted. In fact, I think I remembered only wanted to rent PS3 games for this specific reason: the disc was ringed. There was a perfectly round circle that looked like a blurry scratch on the back of the disc. This happens when a 360 is shaken while the disc is spinning. It’s an excessively common defect, but being 6 months removed from Gamestop, I had not though to consider this likely scenario.

The process for correcting this was easy, but not quite as convenient as renting the game. You can call or go online, and I decided to go online. I spoke to a rep via instant message, who asked if I tried to clean the disc, then requested the last four digits of my credit card and my zip code to issue a refund. I return it to the box as usual, and a technician will remove it. Though the service was fine, I can’t help feeling that I am working as their quality assurance tech for free, and sometimes paying them. And if that’s the case, there’s a better way do to that. It involves more of a deposit, but the inventory is much greater and you can keep the game for longer. That place is Gamestop.

I know what you’re thinking, or at least what you should be thinking: Gamestop does not rent games. If you ask them about rentals they will say they don’t do it. But if you ask them about buying used games, you will learn that you have seven days to return it. Now, if you start using them as only a rental place, and never actually buying anything, you will raise suspicion, and they will say that you are taking advantage of their policy, and they won’t let you return games. As long as you do purchase games from Gamestop, there’s no reason not to use this policy to find games that you like. You are refunded instantly when you return games, or you can just pick something else. So, invest $50 and try games until you find something worth your $50. Chances are you will come across something you want to keep.  You will also come across some defective games, which upon return Gamestop will ship to a refurbishing warehouse. You can inspect the game before leaving the store, something that a subscription service like Redbox and Gamefly cannot offer.

The greatest benefit of Gamefly is the rental period: indefinite.You have to go online to pick out your game, and you have to subscribe as well, so you would need to rent enough to make your subscription worthwhile. However, the inventory is as good as Gamestop’s and there are no daily fees like redbox. Also unlike redbox, you can rent handheld games too. There is no GameFly store or kiosk anywhere, so you will be renting and returning your games by mail. This is still a timely option, but does involves some waiting. They offer a loyalty program and you can buy used games though their site (some games are more appropriately priced than others). The subscription rate is $15.95 for one disc, $22.95 for two, and their free trial of ten days defaults to the two disc rate on the 11th day. They offer discounted introductory rates, much like cable providers, that are roughly half priced for the first month. I have never used the service myself, but it is something I am considering along with Blockbuster.

Yes, Blockbuster. Their gaming sections, I have heard, are less desperate than in recent years. Their main competition is still a crimson force of Netflix and Redbox, but recent price hikes have caused many Netflix customers to evaluate their loyalties. (I think that Netflix should have raised their prices a long time ago. Their content has increased at a rater greater than that of the price hike, but whatever. No one wants to pay for anything anymore.) Blockbuster is desperately trying to take advantage of this, with their website featuring a banner announcing Netflix’s rate increase. This same banner is seen on the game rental page, saying “Netflix raised prices, and they don’t include games”.*

This would make Blockbuster the best overall value: their rates are 1 disc for 9.95, 2 discs for 14.95, and three discs for 19.99. You can rent online or swap out your discs in person. Each plan is free for the first month, and if you’ll be renting movies, new releases are often released sooner to blockbuster than Netflix or Redbox.

As a review, they have the brick and mortal element of Gamestop, they have a rate that is cheaper than Gamefly and offer more than Netflix, with the same unlimited rental period. You can buy the games like Gamestop and Gamefly too. You still have to take movies/games back to the same brick and mortar store if  you happen to rent them in person. The only possible weakness I detected was that the website did not show handheld rentals. And, it’s Blockbuster. They are a bit hypocritical to talk about anyone’s rates considering their past practice of late fee gouging. And I would think if you just wanted to rent one game they would charge you 300% more than Redbox.

I’m taking the Pirates disc back to Redbox, and I can’t decide if I want to try another one, or if I want to go across the street to Blockbuster, or if I should sign up for Gamefly. I am, at my core, impatient. That may be the reason I try Redbox again. After seeing the rates, the only way I could justify Gamefly would be the selection of their games or the speed of their service. Based on what I’ve found, Blockbuster seems to be the best deal.
 
*Netflix is at least considering adding games as part of their recent price changes, but because of subscribers rising into a widely unjustified uproar, they are re-evaluating their options.

I’ve written before about what I think of the use of pink in women’s advertising. Though it is also the official color of breast cancer awareness, that is not always the reason it is used. It has seemed to be true, especially in the gaming world, that the use of pink is meant to be a beacon to notify the women: “This product was made for you. It is unlikely to differ from existing products in any other way besides the fact that we made it pink, and perhaps added some flowers or cursive type.”

Recently I went to buy a water bottle. I had some specific requirements, but as I shopped there was one factor more important than anything else. I was shopping for a water bottle because my husband was constantly using mine and I would not see them for long stretches of time.

As I looked over my wall of options, I had a revelation about pink. I never picked it before because for the most part, I don’t care for pink. But I thought about one of my few pink-colored purchases: a dual-shock controller. When we bought The Show, my husband was offended that his only option was a pink, sparkly controller. He didn’t want to touch it, even in the privacy of our own home.

This made me think: maybe all this pink isn’t as much pro-girl as it is anti-boy. This is the ad that they should have. “Look girls! A pink controller! The men in your life will hate it, and therefore leave it alone and not break it! You no longer have to hide things you don’t want them to mess up! Hide them in plain sight with pink!” I bought a nice translucent pink water bottle that my husband has not so much as touched, and it’s making me rethink pink.