tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58365257242377037242024-03-14T02:23:13.419-07:00Strange Moments in GamingFor all things strange in the world of gaming.Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504151673910649244noreply@blogger.comBlogger105125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836525724237703724.post-826535173812647792020-07-19T10:51:00.000-07:002020-07-19T11:00:09.310-07:00Sackboy: A Big Adventure, of TerrorWith the announcement of Sackboy: A Big Adventure for the Playstation 5, platforming fans can rejoice that their beloved LittleBigPlanet series is back on a grand scale. Indeed the game looks interesting, and I can't wait to see how the game plays with the new camera angles.<br />
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However, as I have written about in the past, we all know that LittleBigPlanet is not all sunshine and rainbows. It can be a world of <a href="https://strangegaming.blogspot.com/2012/01/littlebigplanet-world-of-dreams-or.html">nightmarish terror</a>. With that in mind, I decided to whip up a little art giving my take on Sackboy's return to LittleBigPlanet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3OOBj2KPTAn15y2YlGzbp4m3EQpCPCdt1MHLNYef33rs2tDibLwwN7kkpEeGSkhyphenhyphenM0AVjkdSdOnkv7wBQtXkYiFICvkRXd5cWCOD9KkHGUK-pRI7f-clC12pVqI_4oK70iOqQUcxmg3W/s1600/Sackboy-Big-Adventure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="sackboy big adventure littlebigplanet" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3OOBj2KPTAn15y2YlGzbp4m3EQpCPCdt1MHLNYef33rs2tDibLwwN7kkpEeGSkhyphenhyphenM0AVjkdSdOnkv7wBQtXkYiFICvkRXd5cWCOD9KkHGUK-pRI7f-clC12pVqI_4oK70iOqQUcxmg3W/s1600/Sackboy-Big-Adventure.jpg" title="Sackboy A Big Adventure" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Horror Returns</td></tr>
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Here's hoping that the developers choose to include some of the spookier aspects of the original LittleBigPlanet, such as the ghosts, living skeletons, heck maybe even the giant skulldozer!Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504151673910649244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836525724237703724.post-76677721577309380362014-10-02T20:07:00.000-07:002014-10-02T20:07:22.334-07:00The Haunted Mansion: Fun With Grim Grinning Ghosts Welcome foolish mortals, to the next installment of Halloween-inspired posts on <i>Strange Moments in Gaming</i>. If you're a fan of the <i>Haunted Mansion</i> ride at Disneyland, then the game featured today is right up your alley. This game is none other than <i>The Haunted Mansion</i>, a ghost-filled experience that is somewhat unique due to being based on a theme park ride.<br />
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Ready to dive into this massive house of spooks? Ok then, there's no turning back now. <br />
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<a name='more'></a>First thing's first, don't be deterred by the fact that this game was released in the same year as Eddie Murphy's <i>Haunted Mansion</i> movie, this game has nothing to do with that mostly-unfunny film. This means no annoying subplots involving kiddies trying to face their fears or whatever nonsense happened in the movie (I've only seen it once).<br /><br />
In the game you play as Zeke, who has applied for the caretaker job position at the mansion, not knowing that the house is packed with nine hundred and ninety nine happy haunts (sorry, it's very hard to write about this game without referencing the ride's audio track). Anyway, the truth about the mansion hits Zeke the moment he walks through the door and encounters his welcoming committee AKA a large group of ghosts.<br />
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Soon afterward we are introduced to Madame Leota, who you may remember from the ride as the talking head inside of a crystal ball. It is here that you learn about the plot, involving an evil wizard who has enslaved the ghosts of the mansion and forced them to do his bidding. In short, you have to explore the various rooms of the mansion while fighting off evil spirits and gigantic spiders, in order to restore peace for the happy ghosts who inhabit the place.<br />
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The majority of evil ghosts you encounter aren't all that scary. They'll usually just spawn in large groups and then charge at your location, making them easy cannon fodder for your magical spirit lamp (your only weapon in the game). However, there is one type of evil specter that can be somewhat freaky, due to the fact that they don't make any sound as they slowly stalk you through the rooms. Once they get in striking range though, they will scream like a banshee to inflict damage (oops I mean "fear" as the game puts it). I was pleasantly surprised to receive a couple slight jump scares from what I initially thought was a kid's game.<br />
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The best part of <i>The Haunted Mansion</i> though is its various references to the ride it's based off of. You'll explore rooms containing the famous "changing" paintings from the ride's queue, as well as the statues whose gaze follows your movements. You'll have a humorous encounter with the hitchhiking ghosts, and the singing quartet busts from the graveyard even make an appearance, complete with new songs to serenade you with.<br />
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In short, if you're a Disneyland fanatic this is a game you should have in your collection. If you can get past the simple gameplay you will find this to be a game with a very enjoyable spooky atmosphere.Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504151673910649244noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836525724237703724.post-15919997403364281972014-10-01T20:18:00.000-07:002014-10-01T20:34:58.108-07:00Five Nights at Freddy's: The Pizzeria From HellIt's October again! Time to drag those dusty Halloween decorations down from the attic, then load up a horror movie while you carve up some pumpkins. October also means it's time for <i>Strange Moments in Gaming</i> to transform into <i>Scary Moments in Gaming</i>, where you'll find articles about all sorts of creepy and/or terrifying segments of games.<br />
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So let's kick off the month of horror with one of the scariest and most suspenseful games I've played in years: <i>Five Nights at Freddy's</i>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freddy Fazbear, your new best friend.</td></tr>
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The premise of <i>Freddy's</i> is that you are a security guard who works the night shift at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, a sort of alternate universe Chuck-E-Cheese where instead of a single ugly rat mascot, there are four animatronic animal mascots.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aww, they are so....unsettling.</td></tr>
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So far you might be thinking "hey this isn't so bad, I'm just making sure nobody breaks in and messes with the animatronics." Upon starting the first night of your job this assumption is quickly shattered as you receive a phone call from a security guard who previously held your job position. It turns out that after the pizzeria closes for the night, the animatronics are set to a free-roaming mode to prevent their servo motors from locking up (or so the former guard says).<br />
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He also notifies you that if any of the mascots see you at night they won't recognize you as a human, but will instead think you are an animatronic who hasn't gotten into costume. This will result in the mascot forcibly stuffing you into a vacant suit (which is full of various electronics, leaving no room for a human to fit), instantly killing you. Remember that line in <i>Jurassic Park</i> when Jeff Goldblum states that when <i>Pirates of the Caribbean</i> breaks down, the pirates don't eat the tourists? Apparently something equally nasty happens in Freddy Fazbear's Pizza.<br />
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Anyway, upon starting the game you immediately experience a feeling of helplessness. The whole game takes place in the pizzeria's surveillance room, where the only movement you are allowed is a slight turning of your head. So much for running away...<br />
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While in the office, you can check out the various cameras to see different locations in the pizzeria, including the room where the animatronics are stored. You can also light up the doorways to your left and right, just to take a peek at any potential "buddies" standing outside. There's also a panic button that shuts the doors to the office to prevent the mascots from seeing and killing you.<br />
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Now you might be wondering why you can't just lock both doors and wait out the night, and here's where strategy factors into the game. You are given a limited amount of power, and performing actions such as looking through the security cameras or closing the doors will drain the power at a faster rate. If the power drains completely, all the lights go out and you're left completely exposed to the horrors patrolling the place. Therefore you must conserve energy and hope you have enough to keep you alive until 6am.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basically, the "you're screwed" moment in the game.</td></tr>
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Ok, now that we've established the atmosphere (although the only way to do it justice is to experience it yourself), let's talk about a typical night on guard duty. The night starts off fine and dandy of course, a quick peek at the security cameras shows the animatronics all safe and sound in their room, standing completely still. Coming back to this camera later will usually show one or more of the mascots have gone missing, which is when the terror begins.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They are all there.....for now.</td></tr>
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At this point you have to frantically switch between the various cameras to keep track of which rooms the mascots are currently patrolling in. A "fun" fact is that on the security cameras you rarely actually see the animatronics move, they will just be standing frozen in a different position each time you check on them. To screw with you the game includes one camera with audio only, so you can listen to these horrors knocking over pots and pans and various props as they stalk around.<br />
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Also to mess with your head, every once in a while a hallucination will quickly pop up on the screen, usually involving one of the animatronics in a disturbing state, such as missing their eyeballs. You know...in case this game wasn't scary enough already.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barney the Dinosaur has really let himself go.</td></tr>
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Anyway, if you notice that one or more of the mascots is getting a little too close to your office for comfort, it's time to quickly shut the doors and wait for them to go away. If you don't close up in time, you will be presented with an absolutely terrifying jump scare where one of the mascots will appear directly in front of you and proceed to lunge in your face (one of the only times we actually see them move), causing an instant game over. I'm not exaggerating about the terror of this jump scare either; the first time it happened to me, I was switching out of security camera view so I could shut the door, only to be greeted by a screaming and biting animatronic in my face.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOnrHwO6hbYzWgaTO8CZJLjfICCZ2oiVAImDcQduX_mB9MjPBgWoFWszcaoQLTi-3NCYfbCjk2M-xxb3M8OFSOabo9f_J0My7TuCtHHN0K6FMGN0K7vsvoXFGqJqjVmhNGk8FUxbCzfCK8/s1600/Five+Nights+at+Freddy's+Animatronic+Jump+Scare+Game+Over.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOnrHwO6hbYzWgaTO8CZJLjfICCZ2oiVAImDcQduX_mB9MjPBgWoFWszcaoQLTi-3NCYfbCjk2M-xxb3M8OFSOabo9f_J0My7TuCtHHN0K6FMGN0K7vsvoXFGqJqjVmhNGk8FUxbCzfCK8/s1600/Five+Nights+at+Freddy's%2BAnimatronic%2BJump%2BScare%2BGame%2BOver.JPG" height="210" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warning: Do not play if you have a phobia involving animatronics.</td></tr>
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It's the anticipation of this jump scare that makes <i>Five Nights at Freddy's</i> the most suspenseful games in years. It's all about avoiding this one-hit, wet-your-pants death. You have a feeling of dread the entire time you're playing, it is seriously stressful. And as the title suggests, you have to make it through five nights of this, with increasingly difficult AI.<br />
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Words really cannot describe the experience of playing <i>Five Nights at Freddy's</i>. If you have a love of horror games this is a must play. If you don't have nerves of steel....well I warned you!<br />
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For everyone who has already played this game, what did you think of it? Did you survive all five nights?<br />
<br />Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504151673910649244noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836525724237703724.post-23911297377566613082014-09-02T13:16:00.000-07:002014-09-02T13:16:50.690-07:00Garry's Mod: Sandboxing Your Way to StrangenessIf you're a frequent user of the Steam PC application, then chances are you've come across <i>Garry's Mod</i> at one point or another. <i>Garry's Mod</i> (or <i>Gmod</i> for short) is a sandbox game built on Valve's Source game engine, which uses assets from their most popular games. By this I mean you have full access to characters, props, and maps from these games, and you may combine them in any way you see fit. Have you ever wanted to take characters from <i>Team Fortress 2</i> and place them into the <i>Half-Life 2</i> universe? <i>Gmod</i> has got you covered!<br />
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<i>Garry's Mod</i> has no real purpose other than letting you have fun messing with game objects; there's no true "game" here (although if you're crafty you could use it to code up your own online multiplayer game). <br />
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A very cool feature is the ability to import enemy NPCs from <i>Half-Life 2</i>, allowing you to either fight them yourself, or stage massive NPC versus NPC battles.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwTDOk9bzBaBCVhOs6rGhBnKd1OFM7ZoZqChKtEk67dSuMbhmr4b4WJegpMr2T6Rnb4V_HaX77xd8urwdSjty6KujVpi5jkvW7zS2ZAMI7RxXHLkMGVyJWTacaJNogl5Tpl6r6LfjHi1K1/s1600/Garrys+Mod+Ant+Lion+Combine.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwTDOk9bzBaBCVhOs6rGhBnKd1OFM7ZoZqChKtEk67dSuMbhmr4b4WJegpMr2T6Rnb4V_HaX77xd8urwdSjty6KujVpi5jkvW7zS2ZAMI7RxXHLkMGVyJWTacaJNogl5Tpl6r6LfjHi1K1/s1600/Garrys+Mod+Ant+Lion+Combine.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Combine soldiers battle a swarm of Antlions</td></tr>
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However, the big draw for most people is the complete control over the character models from Valve's games. You can pose every character as you see fit, even down to their facial expressions.<br />
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As you can probably imagine, this has opened the door for amateur filmmakers to utilize stop motion techniques to create their own short videos, usually starring <i>Team Fortress 2</i> characters. Who can forget such timeless classics as <i>Sniper is Stupid</i>?<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/0j3ZaxpVnSs" width="420"></iframe></center>
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Top notch animation right? That really puts Pixar to shame doesn't it? To be fair though, I have seen a few <i>Gmod</i> videos with incredible stop motion animation constructed out of thousands of screenshots.<br />
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Now you may have noticed earlier I said that <i>Garry's Mod</i> allows you to manipulate the facial expressions of the character models. This is where the strange factor comes in. In addition to standard models that allow a limited range of facial expression, the game contains an additional set of models where you have full control of the faces, which can lead to some unexpectedly terrifying results:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/BsiiH15JvrE" width="560"></iframe></center>
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And because Youtube is.....Youtube, there are people willing to take these horrifying facial expressions to the extreme (I apologize for any IQ points lost during the viewing of all these vids).<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/-fzhPyDVleo" width="560"></iframe></center>
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Okay, I feel like this is enough brain-draining stupidity for one blog post. If for some reason you can't get enough, by all means head over to Youtube and continue the search (a good starting point is typing something involving a <i>TF2</i> character into the search box, such as "Heavy is ").<br />
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Thanks to the free release of Valve's <i>Source Filmmaker</i> software, which includes tools for creating smooth animations (no need for stop motion here), there has been a steady decline of <i>Gmod</i> videos being produced and shared. <br />
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If you're a huge fan of Valve's games, or just sandbox games in general, you should head over to Steam and check out <i>Garry's Mod</i> ASAP, because it really doesn't get much better than this. One last thing I should mention is that <i>Gmod</i> contains a huge database of free downloadable characters/props/maps (my personal favorite is the Kakariko Village map from <i>Zelda: Ocarina of Time</i>). Have fun, and if you decide to create a masterpiece of stop motion animation, be sure to send me a link because I'd love to see it!Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504151673910649244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836525724237703724.post-30370344591897338532014-07-30T15:58:00.000-07:002014-07-30T15:58:23.331-07:00Happy Three Years of Strange Gaming!Wow, how the time flies by. Three years ago today I created <i>Strange Moments in Gaming</i> in order to talk about all of the weird things I've encountered in videogames throughout my life. I have certainly experienced many cringe/shudder-worthy moments in games (and I'm sure you all have as well), so I figured I might as well share the pain with everyone!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNJJSHnwp6RooVcEYBGHuD8hUWhiLS0tclsfweUTAjH_3DbUVky-6QWbBIz7e1vk_PyQlexty_dTon8oxOUkONCCNNWo7Q_0C50sovltgq5jjBs9Nbb6QXu9XG2yln2wkAGxrLcoTvLlM-/s1600/StrangeGamingLogoEvolution.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNJJSHnwp6RooVcEYBGHuD8hUWhiLS0tclsfweUTAjH_3DbUVky-6QWbBIz7e1vk_PyQlexty_dTon8oxOUkONCCNNWo7Q_0C50sovltgq5jjBs9Nbb6QXu9XG2yln2wkAGxrLcoTvLlM-/s1600/StrangeGamingLogoEvolution.png" height="254" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The evolution of the beloved (at least to me) site logo.</td></tr>
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To celebrate the three years of this blog's existence, let's go for the totally not gimmicky approach of summarizing three of the strangest game character articles I've posted on this site. If you're interested in reading the original articles in addition to the summaries, just click the title header of each section.<br />
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#3 - <a href="http://strangegaming.blogspot.com/2011/12/sligs-its-odd-world-after-all.html">The Sligs of the Oddworld Games</a></h3>
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Every good platforming game has to have its signature baddie, and <i>Oddworld</i> is no exception. But whereas enemies such as the Goombas of the <i>Super Mario</i> series or the pig soldiers in <i>Rocket Knight Adventures</i> are somewhat goofy, the Sligs in the <i>Oddworld</i> games are downright horrifying.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBFy9i7DOokCUe-3AqdvBGsQ6DvfpfzJ3_63W8ItnydwAq7qhpPsg2BU3u_HF5nfvaWtgBBYphvuOpAyPDpi2ELwjRDAn2W_hVmwrFVWibI48HGl5hcfRtGwzFPlialded1OM1N3V33S4f/s1600/Slig+Oddworld.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBFy9i7DOokCUe-3AqdvBGsQ6DvfpfzJ3_63W8ItnydwAq7qhpPsg2BU3u_HF5nfvaWtgBBYphvuOpAyPDpi2ELwjRDAn2W_hVmwrFVWibI48HGl5hcfRtGwzFPlialded1OM1N3V33S4f/s1600/Slig+Oddworld.jpg" /></a></div>
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Mario would probably soil himself if he ever came across one of these tentacle-mouthed lizard creatures, which <i>Oddworld</i> protagonist Abe encounters on a daily basis.<br />
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#2 - <a href="http://strangegaming.blogspot.com/2011/08/freaks-of-bioshock-part-2-little.html">The Little Sisters of Bioshock</a></h3>
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There isn't much about the Little Sisters that <i>isn't</i> creepy. Their glowing pupil-less eyes and otherworldly voices provide plenty of nightmare material to gamers who venture into the halls of the city of Rapture.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6A2sz8J2-jYmGGSlBJS7N5RJLd6txK3iN2n90bnSBWYqmaRuckoWviBMJTXJ9egh9HwMdSXECZ4FONCaWQX016R5lWUCbOg8FtPj-jtOURGkuaam1mvBm2yUmWdzcEI_kQlMiimwigzJ/s1600/Little+Sister.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6A2sz8J2-jYmGGSlBJS7N5RJLd6txK3iN2n90bnSBWYqmaRuckoWviBMJTXJ9egh9HwMdSXECZ4FONCaWQX016R5lWUCbOg8FtPj-jtOURGkuaam1mvBm2yUmWdzcEI_kQlMiimwigzJ/s1600/Little+Sister.jpg" /></a></div>
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As if that description isn't bad enough, hang in there because it gets much worse. The sole purpose of Little Sisters is to extract and drink the blood of corpses scattered throughout the city (dead bodies are quite abundant thanks to Rapture's civil war). The blood is then processed by slugs which are implanted inside the Sisters. All of this horror exists just so a batch of the superpower-inducing substance called ADAM can be produced by the slugs.<br />
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#1 - <a href="http://strangegaming.blogspot.com/2011/07/strange-moment-in-gaming-history.html">Ooccoo from Zelda: The Twilight Princess</a></h3>
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This monstrosity happened to be the very first strange thing I wrote about in this blog, and easily earns the top spot on this list. Half-human, half-chicken, all terror is a good way to describe Ooccoo.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQqvB4vDsKrF-M7i2rmP_KqF_WtMa0thQzHklKr9w7YXN1xcmWtLOrVk3oHnqPuy6tmmout2FedOE8-vj3apLac1A2iRHt_CWeYleyfr1Uy6ek8bkMqgJSJT80hbzR-o6eNDZc39b-9WVQ/s1600/oocoo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQqvB4vDsKrF-M7i2rmP_KqF_WtMa0thQzHklKr9w7YXN1xcmWtLOrVk3oHnqPuy6tmmout2FedOE8-vj3apLac1A2iRHt_CWeYleyfr1Uy6ek8bkMqgJSJT80hbzR-o6eNDZc39b-9WVQ/s1600/oocoo.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Did they really have to add nipples too?</td></tr>
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Despite being somewhat useful to gamers by allowing us to save our location in a dungeon when a break is needed, you can't help but wonder why the game developers had to make this creature so darn scary-looking. Even Link himself has a look of shock on his face the first time he encounters Ooccoo in a dungeon. But then again I guess we shouldn't be too surprised; these are the game developers who brought us <a href="http://strangegaming.blogspot.com/2011/08/tingle-man-elf-from-your-worst.html">Tingle</a> after all.<br />
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Speaking of Tingle, I bet you're wondering why he isn't on this list, he is one of the most talked about characters in this blog after all. Well to address your concerns, I figured everyone was probably Tingled-out by now, thanks to his multiple appearances in <i>Strange Moments in Gaming</i>, including a starring role in this blog's lengthy <a href="http://strangegaming.blogspot.com/2014/06/tingle-island-zelda-wind-waker.html">100th post</a>.<br />
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I hope you've enjoyed this three year anniversary post, many thanks to everyone who has been reading and commenting over the years!Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504151673910649244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836525724237703724.post-63525030592055542352014-06-26T19:28:00.000-07:002014-06-26T19:28:10.195-07:00Tingle Island Revisited: The Horror ReturnsA few years ago, around the time <i>Strange Moments in Gaming</i> was created, we talked about <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://strangegaming.blogspot.com/2011/08/tingle-man-elf-from-your-worst.html">Tingle the man-elf</a></span>. Tingle is easily one of the creepiest, if not <i>the</i> creepiest character in the <i>Legend of Zelda</i> series, so it was fitting that he made an appearance in this blog. However, looking back on the article I feel like I had not done justice to Tingle Island in <i>The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker</i> due to my somewhat brief mention of the place.<br />
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Because of this grievous mistake, and because this current entry marks the 100th post in <i>Strange Moments in Gaming</i>, I have decided to once again face the terror-who-wears-green-spandex by giving a more in-depth look at Tingle Island. Join me on my adventure to the land that makes <i>Lost</i>'s island seem like Disneyland.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9z3Hrb-ol8TKgFt7cow8_7wzDxPU1qmqdnuRgskrLOk7kKoOkrWCe9VhrX36oHm5Zkfhqs0x1QDLJx5GFuxTEygIR0EjdtcYj3BF7mXqTnVhNoVVxisvEh3idNHSdlAvcjfcQWDtLVzy9/s1600/Tingle+Island+Tower+Wind+Waker.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9z3Hrb-ol8TKgFt7cow8_7wzDxPU1qmqdnuRgskrLOk7kKoOkrWCe9VhrX36oHm5Zkfhqs0x1QDLJx5GFuxTEygIR0EjdtcYj3BF7mXqTnVhNoVVxisvEh3idNHSdlAvcjfcQWDtLVzy9/s1600/Tingle+Island+Tower+Wind+Waker.png" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>Upon arriving in the vicinity of Tingle Island, I find that the land itself is somewhat small and barren. Dominating the landscape is the massive and threatening Tingle Tower. This tower is composed of a single column carved with various designs which we'll see in a bit. As a warning to all passing sailors, the top of the tower is capped with a gigantic rotating Tingle head, making this a lighthouse from hell. Let's take a closer look shall we?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNbFxLTpn0NUAIsqvYLglH5O3-b5upMCdH9RFC8vRRteOIJxXiBWoE35zdet0wPCZ3ZCZve2OnN5eTexQKMiPPyWICKsPyrxxo4oPwAvHZQydzajhsVpGxD96El_diXvHrxNC59YIfSEfV/s1600/Tingle+Island+Rain+Wind+Waker.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNbFxLTpn0NUAIsqvYLglH5O3-b5upMCdH9RFC8vRRteOIJxXiBWoE35zdet0wPCZ3ZCZve2OnN5eTexQKMiPPyWICKsPyrxxo4oPwAvHZQydzajhsVpGxD96El_diXvHrxNC59YIfSEfV/s1600/Tingle+Island+Rain+Wind+Waker.png" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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After making landfall, it immediately begins to rain on the island. I think we can all take this as a bad omen; something is warning me to turn back while I can. Instead I gather my courage and continue on a little closer to the tower, to observe the various carvings on its column. It doesn't take long for me to notice that one of the carvings is the giant pig head of Ganon himself (or one of his minions).<br />
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Something is definitely not right here. For someone who claims to be a fairy, why would Tingle create a monument to the world's biggest threat?<br />
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Wanting to get to the bottom of this, I begin to scale the single ladder that leads to the top of Tingle Tower. At the top I make first contact with the island's natives, which consist of not just one, but <i>three</i> Tingles! The horror is tripled and Link and I are both fighting the urge to power off the game, but we stand our ground and begin to make some observations.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHC6iyE6WL4MmDg7JImhexJLFdj3fqiazGiVEuY4cxptXdPPMeqIdMc3OHIqHbE2j-JITE7y7vz-0Gi54Pq7i_cBVVGWghK0nWw-AEqQltoF2rdo54GiSkT3AnSYlQQKPV4C3ls-X9ylby/s1600/Tingle+Island+Slaves+Wind+Waker.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHC6iyE6WL4MmDg7JImhexJLFdj3fqiazGiVEuY4cxptXdPPMeqIdMc3OHIqHbE2j-JITE7y7vz-0Gi54Pq7i_cBVVGWghK0nWw-AEqQltoF2rdo54GiSkT3AnSYlQQKPV4C3ls-X9ylby/s1600/Tingle+Island+Slaves+Wind+Waker.png" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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First, there appears to be some slave labor occurring here. Two Tingles in light-colored spandex struggle to rotate the giant Tingle head we saw earlier, while the green spandex-wearing Tingle we all know and fear watches over them like an overseer. He doesn't lift a finger to help despite the grunts of agony from the two laborers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGNO1AgLUQpBwERUinmLMSzRz1BYRkf-cy733p1lrc9OsAAyr34Pyx-zGLvGmwR2XutM8OKoQF4In2_8u2cix8XSjt-hbtL5xQxxCiq0M6pBv26J928ffF2wz53InhRaenVP8epgPhLzA/s1600/Tingle+Island+Exhausted+Slave+Wind+Waker.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGNO1AgLUQpBwERUinmLMSzRz1BYRkf-cy733p1lrc9OsAAyr34Pyx-zGLvGmwR2XutM8OKoQF4In2_8u2cix8XSjt-hbtL5xQxxCiq0M6pBv26J928ffF2wz53InhRaenVP8epgPhLzA/s1600/Tingle+Island+Exhausted+Slave+Wind+Waker.png" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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I decide it's finally time to speak to the "man" himself, the green Tingle. I'm sure he'll provide some insight into this whole operation, right?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKQiOVJQ4sb-otbzPuc5uOAYun6z8R57vBBG2iBnn4OYwwM7xLw7gHYRWLFUuxEDB28eWDqaH4lCQDe0C33AnPyvaTkJUGdwkc927PGybZ3h4WOa7O6IGcoMLO30k4HD7ksXCzuQ9tAOo/s1600/Tingle+Island+Fairy+Wind+Waker.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKQiOVJQ4sb-otbzPuc5uOAYun6z8R57vBBG2iBnn4OYwwM7xLw7gHYRWLFUuxEDB28eWDqaH4lCQDe0C33AnPyvaTkJUGdwkc927PGybZ3h4WOa7O6IGcoMLO30k4HD7ksXCzuQ9tAOo/s1600/Tingle+Island+Fairy+Wind+Waker.png" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tingle is as creepy as ever.</td></tr>
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Nope, not only does he provide no explanation about the purpose of this tower, but he refuses to acknowledge the back-breaking work of the other two Tingles. Instead he insists the tower runs on "fairy magic." I figured this would be a good time to back away from the delusional man-elf and take to the seas, but I felt obligated to do one last thing: experience Tingle Island at night.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaGf_6WqCh-Y7L1eGboBkuZveffxXekBQ9J2U2NtpMz4vP0UU01TyVXNBSt0EVRNZQ4t6zo2Y2cDQ7lwvwSq2PDaG_Hxx6Q15gqF7nocn43n1-oaacnQcrv9rJbF0PHNghN1eIIxSnhpSF/s1600/Tingle+Island+Night+Wind+Waker.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaGf_6WqCh-Y7L1eGboBkuZveffxXekBQ9J2U2NtpMz4vP0UU01TyVXNBSt0EVRNZQ4t6zo2Y2cDQ7lwvwSq2PDaG_Hxx6Q15gqF7nocn43n1-oaacnQcrv9rJbF0PHNghN1eIIxSnhpSF/s1600/Tingle+Island+Night+Wind+Waker.png" height="238" width="320" /></a></div>
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What better way to maximize the creepiness than this? Seeing the carved Ganon head during the dark of night serves to make the tower appear even more imposing, and to top it off the rotation of the giant Tingle head now sounds like the moaning of tortured spirits.<br />
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I then proceeded one last time to scale Tingle Tower, where I was greeted with...oh no.......no........<br />
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How I survived this ordeal I'll never know. I appear to have woken up in my office chair, where I have been hastily writing this article to warn you all of the dangers of Tingle Island in <i>The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker</i>.<br />
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On a more serious note, I hope you've all enjoyed this 100th post in <i>Strange Moments in Gaming</i>! Thanks to everyone for reading and commenting on my posts, I enjoy hearing from all of you. Here's to another hundred posts! Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504151673910649244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836525724237703724.post-16827628713693416982013-11-01T15:42:00.000-07:002013-11-01T15:42:14.538-07:00Aggressive Inline: An Unexpectedly Haunted GameWell Halloween is over guys, and some of us are having a harder time getting out of the Halloween spirit than others. That's why I'm going to be fitting in one more ghastly post even though it's no longer October. Today we're going to take a look at some supernatural elements that unexpectedly make an appearance in the extreme sports game <i>Aggressive Inline</i>.<br />
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Well I probably shouldn't have said they would be unexpected, the extreme sports genre is known for some pretty whacked-out moments (ever play <i>Toxic Grind</i>, or a "little" game series featuring Tony Hawk?). Anyway, we're going to cover some aspects of the first level in <i>Aggressive Inline</i>, which is the Movie Lot.<br />
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Your first impression of the level is that it's pretty standard fare for something of this genre. You're basically busting combos on the street outside of a movie studio. You can even enter the studio and continue your hijinks. Here you'll find that the place is apparently set up for a horror film of some sort, complete with gravestones scattered everywhere, and a dead-looking tree.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPj1YsADt6rL3f6xhZCdzjKmkGelcYs2WkBQ9SKqa1TlblOfj56h7expwIESPeqkQ205d6c7kdoMnm2uk5BnniSiqy0urf_kSnO5wLamtQeh2yNqCk9HvSTDUeWQdrsIe9MJ7fIx1rmqeT/s1600/Aggressive+Inline+Tree+Movie+Lot.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPj1YsADt6rL3f6xhZCdzjKmkGelcYs2WkBQ9SKqa1TlblOfj56h7expwIESPeqkQ205d6c7kdoMnm2uk5BnniSiqy0urf_kSnO5wLamtQeh2yNqCk9HvSTDUeWQdrsIe9MJ7fIx1rmqeT/s320/Aggressive+Inline+Tree+Movie+Lot.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a regular, non-haunted tree, right guys?</td></tr>
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This brings us to the first "supernatural" event. There is a objective you can activate near the tree, where you are given instructions by a disembodied voice who claims to be the ghost of a previous skater. In actuality, it sounds like some surfer guy (possibly a bored intern at the studio) talking through a loudspeaker, trying too hard to sound scary and just coming off as comical.<br />
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However, completing this objective causes the dead-looking tree to start growing rapidly, with roots bursting out of the ground, and branches reaching out and twisting around overhead cables. While this is happening we hear a deep, roaring voice and an evil-sounding laugh. Maybe it really was a ghost we were speaking to?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Possessed tree pulling its roots out of the ground.</td></tr>
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Also in one section of the film studio, amongst the gravestones you'll find multiple ghosts flying and walking this way and that. At first you might assume these to be projections of some sort, just special effects for whatever movie is being filmed. However after the whole experience with the tree, we just don't know, and the game never explains.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ41rPM3LdUSo2o3TcPne7mqnLg612pJO7JR6K37oQAtZHz_gCPnb6zJhLONPxTQS6CA0a0wqQbMeYcRAwZL99MZV3yFfSH5rLbFr7eDSGugTMGN1Tzl8Sw0efBmvv51aQhZZHGtjrwOX6/s1600/Aggressive+Inline+Ghost+Movie+Lot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ41rPM3LdUSo2o3TcPne7mqnLg612pJO7JR6K37oQAtZHz_gCPnb6zJhLONPxTQS6CA0a0wqQbMeYcRAwZL99MZV3yFfSH5rLbFr7eDSGugTMGN1Tzl8Sw0efBmvv51aQhZZHGtjrwOX6/s320/Aggressive+Inline+Ghost+Movie+Lot.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize.</td></tr>
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That wraps up our quick look at the possibly paranormal experiences you'll have in the Movie Lot level of <i>Aggressive Inline</i>. Did you guys play this game? If so, do you think our skating character really encountered ghosts? Or were we just being messed with by the studio's staff?Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504151673910649244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836525724237703724.post-5496731690614646542013-10-31T12:14:00.000-07:002013-10-31T12:14:20.388-07:00Halloween Town in Kingdom Hearts: A Very Square HalloweenHappy Halloween! It's time to celebrate the scariest holiday of the year, pop in a creepy game (if you need some help choosing, feel free to pick a game that I've covered this past month), turn off the lights, and prepare to be scared! Today we're going to look at a game that isn't very scary at all (wait, what's going on?!), but is still fitting for the 31st of October. That game is <i>Kingdom Hearts</i>, and more specifically we're going to look at the Halloween Town level which is based off of <i>The Nightmare Before Christmas.</i><br />
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For the uninitiated, <i>Kingdom Hearts</i> is a game that combined characters from Square-Enix games with those of Disney films. It sounds very odd, but it made for an awesome adventure. Besides, who doesn't want to see Donald Duck kick some ass? Each world you visit is based off of a Disney film, such as the underwater city in <i>The Little Mermaid</i>, the jungle in <i>Tarzan</i>, and Agrabah from <i>Aladdin</i>.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Now, the <i>Nightmare Before Christmas</i> might not seem to be a Disney film, but it was developed by Touchstone Pictures, which is owned by Disney. Therefore the developers of <i>Kingdom Hearts</i> made a good choice by reaching into this film's universe to construct a spooky and fun world to explore.<br />
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This level begins by dropping protagonists Sora, Goofy, and Donald Duck (yes I know it sounds absurd) right into Guillotine Plaza, which you'll immediately recognize from the opening of the film. The signature guillotine is there of course, as are multiple Jack O'Lanterns and dreary-looking buildings. Also, an instrumental version of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpvdAJYvofI">This is Halloween</a> plays in the background most of the time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqnWyXhRphP7WKPrnHNP05VWSoDUG-qyjZ66PMH_pbJUNi9AEh7a5q7n5mh7GrBiq7MOBJiMk0xPIrKYB_YJzosyLOcsMdbJfjhC-3ovGfoLANZ79e0G-bJa6UtjeQZcsicSFlrmvJtZj/s1600/Guillotine+Plaza+Halloween+Town+Kingdom+Hearts.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqnWyXhRphP7WKPrnHNP05VWSoDUG-qyjZ66PMH_pbJUNi9AEh7a5q7n5mh7GrBiq7MOBJiMk0xPIrKYB_YJzosyLOcsMdbJfjhC-3ovGfoLANZ79e0G-bJa6UtjeQZcsicSFlrmvJtZj/s320/Guillotine+Plaza+Halloween+Town+Kingdom+Hearts.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Indeed Goofy, indeed.</td></tr>
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From here, we can access multiple locations, such as Doctor Finkelstein's lab, where the doc himself is trying to discover a way to implant hearts into "the Heartless" (the main grunt enemies in the game). You'll also be able to enter Halloween Town's graveyard in all its creepy glory. It's probably even more creepy in the game due to the multiple battles with ghost-like Heartless monsters. Also making an appearance is the iconic Moonlight Hill, which you'll recognize from the film as the curled up hill which unrolls as Jack Skellington walks across it.<br />
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Last but not least, you'll get to visit Oogie Boogie's Manor. Here you must scale the imposing structure while fighting off multiple Heartless. This eventually leads you to Oogie's torture chamber, where you'll find the man himself (technically he's not a man but you know what I mean).<br />
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All these locations in <i>Kingdom Hearts</i> are very well done, not surprising given the quality Square-Enix is known for, and should make fans of <i>The Nightmare Before Christmas</i> grin with delight. The locales definitely feel as though they were pulled right from the film, despite some changes here and there (such as an occasionally reddish-colored sky).<br />
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Locations alone wouldn't be enough to convey the spirit of the film, there needs to be characters, and the game delivers on that front too. At the start of the level you immediately meet up with Jack Skellington and the double-faced mayor. Jack even joins your party, which is awesome enough on its own. As mentioned earlier you'll also see Doctor Finkelstein in his lab, as well as his creation (and Jack's girlfriend) the stitched up Sally.<br />
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Since Oogie Boogie is present in the game, his minions Lock, Shock, and Barrel are present and causing mischief. Speaking of Oogie, he serves as the level's main boss, where you must battle him in a couple different forms.<br />
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When all is said and done, the developers at Square-Enix did an awesome job integrating the world of <i>The Nightmare Before Christmas</i> into this game. Fans of the film will enjoy seeing their favorite characters and exploring their favorite locales. For me it was worth it just to have the iconic This is Halloween theme music playing in the background (my favorite song in the film). If you're looking for a mostly non-scary way to spend Halloween, what better way than to visit Halloween Town in<i> Kingdom Hearts</i>?<br />
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I hope you guys have enjoyed this past month of spooky-themed gaming posts, thanks for reading!Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504151673910649244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836525724237703724.post-41721311758161066212013-10-30T13:59:00.000-07:002013-10-30T13:59:31.765-07:00Castlevania: The House That Dracula Built<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Very few games can encapsulate the spirit of Halloween better than <i>Castlevania</i>. A journey through a gigantic castle filled with all sorts of monsters and creepy scenery, which concludes in a showdown with Dracula? The only way this could be anymore Halloween-themed is if it had a set of decorative Jack O'Lanterns scattered throughout each castle. Today we're going to cover some of the monsters that our vampire-hunting protagonists encounter in the <i>Castlevania</i> games.<br />
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In these games you'll find the usual suspects in fantasy horror games/media, such as zombies, skeletons (so many different types of skeletons that it's not even funny), and bats. Since these are so common in other games, let's discuss some other enemies that are less abundant outside of <i>Castlevania</i>.<br />
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Medusa Heads</h3>
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If you've played any of the games in this series, then you're very familiar with this enemy (probably more familiar than you'd like). Their appearance is pretty self-explanatory thanks to their name: they are essentially disembodied heads of Medusa, complete with the snake hairstyle. These enemies tend to attack in swarms which fly through the air, usually in a bobbing pattern which generally makes them difficult to avoid.<br />
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Most people will list Medusa Heads as the most annoying enemy in the <i>Castlevania</i> games due to the relentless way they throw massive amounts of these monsters at you. There is really no choice but to try and attack as many as possible, otherwise you'll take too much damage to continue much further.<br />
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<h3>
Bone Pillar</h3>
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Yes, I said I'd be skipping skeletons in this article, but I'm willing to make an exception for this iconic enemy. Bone Pillars are usually represented as two or more skulls stacked on top of each other. They aren't the boring overused human skulls either, they are <i>dinosaur</i> skulls.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5-iSTZt1T_nOqX4O-VHWjdjC_tjBMl5ac-rVsWWFCwT4HIXMiUH_LoeYtwPdnFTvKsJdePMwlGCSbH5exCuFirDfjPWMTO5UXPNg6PSsA_VDW6TJxNs2SqlTKDqqlJi0sv-WH7iHpahBe/s1600/Castlevania+Bone+Pillar.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5-iSTZt1T_nOqX4O-VHWjdjC_tjBMl5ac-rVsWWFCwT4HIXMiUH_LoeYtwPdnFTvKsJdePMwlGCSbH5exCuFirDfjPWMTO5UXPNg6PSsA_VDW6TJxNs2SqlTKDqqlJi0sv-WH7iHpahBe/s400/Castlevania+Bone+Pillar.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note the stack of dinosaur skulls at the right side of the screen.</td></tr>
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At first you might consider these to be a mild threat because they are a completely stationary enemy, basically just a skull statue. However, Bone Pillars are capable of shooting fireballs from their mouths, giving them a pretty decent ranged attack. To make matters worse, sometimes these enemies hang out on the far side of a gap you must jump over. Time your jump wrong and the knock-back from getting hit by a fireball will send you to your doom.<br />
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<h3>
Mermen</h3>
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Even though the name of this enemy might make you think it's some kind of pansy straight out of <i>The Little Mermaid</i>, make no mistake, Mermen are worthy to be in Dracula's castle. They are actually quite hideous in appearance, looking similar to the Zoras in <i>The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past</i>.<br />
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Wherever you find pools of water in a <i>Castlevania</i> game, chances are a Merman is lurking within. These enemies will jump out of the water and proceed to stalk towards you (bet you never thought a Merman would be capable of walking on dry land, did you?). Every once in a while Mermen will shake things up by stopping and shoot fireballs out of their mouth. Despite being fairly easy to defeat, you never want to underestimate a ranged attack.<br />
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There are obviously many more enemies in the <i>Castlevania</i> games, but to be honest most are variations of each other (there must be over twenty different types of skeleton warriors in these games). Besides some of the more annoying enemies (I'm looking at you Medusa Heads), most of these creatures are fun to battle while you play as a vampire-slaying bad-ass. Which <i>Castlevania </i>enemies do you guys consider to be the most memorable?Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504151673910649244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836525724237703724.post-402856415380526572013-10-29T10:43:00.000-07:002013-10-29T10:43:52.963-07:00Creepers in Minecraft: Evil Self-Destructing TerrorsToday we're going to talk about the most brutal, most annoying, and most popular enemy in Minecraft: the Creeper. Truly these creeps enjoy creeping around and causing massive amounts of damage to you and anything you've built. Nothing drives home the point that you shouldn't leave your safe area at nighttime like one of these monsters.<br />
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Creepers are the most unique enemies in the game. Whereas monsters like giant <a href="http://strangegaming.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-devious-spiders-in-minecraft.html">spiders</a> and <a href="http://strangegaming.blogspot.com/2013/10/zombies-in-minecraft-blocky-undead.html">zombies</a> are based off of popular fictional creatures, you'd be hard-pressed to find something in other fictional works that looks and acts like a Creeper. They're basically armless beasts with four legs and a large head, with a face that appears to have a permanent expression of sadness. I'd be sad too if my only means of defending myself was to use a suicide-causing exploding attack.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>And that brings us to why Creepers are infuriating. If one of them catches sight of you, which they will due to their good eyesight, it will run up to your location and explode as soon as it saddles up next to you. Unlike the other enemies in the game, Creepers don't announce their arrival by making sounds. In fact, they are completely silent up until the point when it's too late to run away (they make a hissing sound the instant before they explode). Therefore they earn their name due to their ability to creep up on you when you aren't looking and cause devastating amounts of damage.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuIO5D7JNlz3GSLuxmsaaLTgfXbKGx0zw7lK0dsrrWoKd_3H6cz6HlK2pevACsMyEZT0oKf7YuQj0-54PYho7eDoZ9y4_X5yDFJNW44JSZAzfqvi0o97CMK2ZhMg0BRKpTODoa3msht2v4/s1600/Creeper+Minecraft+Explosion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuIO5D7JNlz3GSLuxmsaaLTgfXbKGx0zw7lK0dsrrWoKd_3H6cz6HlK2pevACsMyEZT0oKf7YuQj0-54PYho7eDoZ9y4_X5yDFJNW44JSZAzfqvi0o97CMK2ZhMg0BRKpTODoa3msht2v4/s320/Creeper+Minecraft+Explosion.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Creeper explosion in progress.</td></tr>
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If you're lucky enough to survive the initial explosion, you'll find that the blast has caused a huge crater, and taken out pretty much everything within a small radius. If you're like myself and create your houses out of wooden planks, large sections of these structures won't stand a chance. Stone holds up much better but is still not strong enough to be impenetrable. And you thought <a href="http://strangegaming.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-enderman-in-minecraft-disturbing.html">Endermen</a> were bad when it came to disassembling your creations?<br />
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Thankfully it is possible to take down a Creeper, but you must be much more cautious than you would with other enemies. The easiest way is to use a bow and arrow to shoot them from a distance, which will give you plenty of breathing room. However, I prefer to take them down with a sword, which is much more risky. This requires running up to the Creeper, slicing at it, then retreating before it explodes. Rinse and repeat until this evil monster draws its last hissing breath.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJzUTK_CWUXZUlSXJDv73_NsaAonhhGQpj0xM61hQfCFviks-_Q4UgWT5g9LgCfDGxePIm6mD8uiOwpHDXGFsDMgeeftGxitHr6Rwvo1CdYT5RERVvIEdHDDXkdYo7f0-2XlV6Ectpe8dC/s1600/Creeper+Minecraft+Sword.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJzUTK_CWUXZUlSXJDv73_NsaAonhhGQpj0xM61hQfCFviks-_Q4UgWT5g9LgCfDGxePIm6mD8uiOwpHDXGFsDMgeeftGxitHr6Rwvo1CdYT5RERVvIEdHDDXkdYo7f0-2XlV6Ectpe8dC/s320/Creeper+Minecraft+Sword.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beating down a Creeper using a sword.</td></tr>
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Preventing Creepers from spawning is as good a reason as any to place torches every couple of feet in your safe zone. A rogue zombie or spider is fine every once in a while, but you most definitely do <i>not</i> want to deal with a Creeper spawning there and potentially destroying your creative works. Do you guys have any memorable moments of Creeper destruction?Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504151673910649244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836525724237703724.post-56352686812828509332013-10-28T13:29:00.000-07:002013-10-28T13:29:05.830-07:00ReDeads in Zelda: The Nintendo Take on ZombiesZombies, zombies everywhere! At least that's what it seems like when it comes to videogames (and more recently, television shows). The <i>Legend of Zelda</i> games are no exception due to their own form of zombie: the ReDead. Today let's observe this undead (does being re-dead technically count as undead? hmm...) monstrosity that Link must face.<br />
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ReDeads made their first appearance in <i>The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time</i>, and what a first appearance it is. Link finds himself in an underground tomb of the royal family of Hyrule (located in Kakariko Village's graveyard), and comes across a large room filled with zombie ReDeads. In fact, the majority of ReDeads are found in tombs, as well as Hyrule Castle Town after Ganondorf sacks it. It wouldn't be appropriate to have this super-disturbing enemy hanging out on the sunny beach of Lake Hylia, now would it?<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Before you even catch sight of a ReDead, you'll know it's nearby due to the distinctive moaning sounds it makes (maybe it's saying "braaaiiinss" in the Hylian language?). They walk extremely slow, and with a hunchbacked posture, fitting for a zombie. You might think that this would make them easy to avoid, but the game developers were one step ahead of you. ReDeads will let out a high-pitched scream when Link is nearby, which paralyzes him in fear. When this happens, you helplessly watch as one or more of these monsters shambles towards the frozen Link. Once they are close enough, they will jump on Link's back and proceed to bite him.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUtE34kuDsS8cCgyHPjzeSS1e0p1xbF4_1kPLnWyqfDMU0ztz7bNVNhpVdLicTwdpSil_vWUmzhyphenhyphenpbYf6vaqdA0__rRvsHYO7Uo5EPaE5WXJ-aBJRzhxGI3yWBN7sAIdzOzqHDt0M7ykZ-/s1600/ReDead+Attack+Ocarina+of+Time.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUtE34kuDsS8cCgyHPjzeSS1e0p1xbF4_1kPLnWyqfDMU0ztz7bNVNhpVdLicTwdpSil_vWUmzhyphenhyphenpbYf6vaqdA0__rRvsHYO7Uo5EPaE5WXJ-aBJRzhxGI3yWBN7sAIdzOzqHDt0M7ykZ-/s320/ReDead+Attack+Ocarina+of+Time.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Just like the <a href="http://strangegaming.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-dead-hand-in-ocarina-of-time.html">Dead Hand</a> in <i>Ocarina of Time</i>, this creature was clearly designed to give kids nightmares. It's definitely one of the most-feared enemies in the game.<br />
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Like most enemies in <i>Ocarina of Time</i>, the ReDead makes an appearance in <i>The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask</i>. This game also contains an enemy called the Gibdo, which is basically a ReDead dressed up in mummy wrappings. While wearing the Gibdo mask, Link can converse with some of these zombie mummies, while you try to decide if you're horrified or amused.<br />
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ReDeads even pull in a guest appearance in <i>The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker</i>. Here they abandon their previous looks for something we are more accustomed to seeing with zombies. They have greenish dead-looking skin, as well as a mouthful of teeth, definitely nailing the undead corpse look. They have very long arms which almost drag on the ground, and a gigantic head (oddly enough, they even have earrings), making for an altogether disturbing visual appearance. Like their previous incarnations, they have a paralyzing scream that incapacitates Link.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPC7OFibPbOr67kqoQVPNMx_xe8dTmIzWjTvl2pL1WCt1ZSwKsLgJECbaup0jNfX_8zJOtt0CYiYPQZ4e69BcpM2vXx48s4O5OgxS5ec7K6G_kDxT3MngpcOMt0_fWXpQIK02sQyo_D179/s1600/ReDead+Zelda+Wind+Waker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPC7OFibPbOr67kqoQVPNMx_xe8dTmIzWjTvl2pL1WCt1ZSwKsLgJECbaup0jNfX_8zJOtt0CYiYPQZ4e69BcpM2vXx48s4O5OgxS5ec7K6G_kDxT3MngpcOMt0_fWXpQIK02sQyo_D179/s200/ReDead+Zelda+Wind+Waker.jpg" width="120" /></a></div>
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That about wraps up our quick look at the zombie creatures in the <i>Legend of Zelda</i> games. ReDeads are definitely a frightening enemy, due to their appearance and their ability to freeze Link on the spot. They are proof that Nintendo does display a bit of a dark side every once in a while, and that's fine with me!<br />
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What did you guys think of the ReDeads? Did they give you a fright when you first encountered them?Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504151673910649244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836525724237703724.post-23496796439536442782013-10-27T09:00:00.000-07:002013-10-27T09:00:02.204-07:00The Berserker and Kryll in Gears of War: Heart-Pounding ActionWhen you think <i>Gears of War</i>, you're likely thinking of nonstop action, extremely gory chainsaw fatalities, and in the case of the later games in the series, awkward drama moments. If you've played the very first entry in the series however, you'll also remember that <i>Gears</i> once had some truly scary and stressful moments. For those of you who jumped into the world of Sera during the second or third <i>Gears</i> games, this is going to be a quick introduction to the Kryll and Berserkers, two of the most feared enemy types in <i>Gears of War</i> (I know there's a form of Berserker in <i>Gears 3</i>, but it's watered down so it doesn't count).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheJhpJEfd1ubZmhAkji47cKWbrLZFyalHe7Ah6Q2ER8asebeRgDPd3zDR5PYPhyphenhyphenIyahriTs_xXkMQM5UQ2C_cKesclKoIru0tdMMpZJsJ3bkfh74qWpoUUy023e0_DELQNplt5cxSfQdeI/s1600/Gears+of+War+Marcus+Fenix.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheJhpJEfd1ubZmhAkji47cKWbrLZFyalHe7Ah6Q2ER8asebeRgDPd3zDR5PYPhyphenhyphenIyahriTs_xXkMQM5UQ2C_cKesclKoIru0tdMMpZJsJ3bkfh74qWpoUUy023e0_DELQNplt5cxSfQdeI/s320/Gears+of+War+Marcus+Fenix.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marcus has a rough night ahead of him.</td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a></h3>
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<h3>
Kryll</h3>
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The Kryll are essentially bats from hell. They lived primarily underground before the chaotic events of Emergence Day (when the Locust emerged from their underground habitat to begin a siege on the surface of the planet). Because they are accustomed to dark underground caverns, Kryll cannot tolerate light at all. In the game we see that light has varying effects on these creatures, such as making them feel pain, or flat out causing them to burn to a crisp. Therefore these enemies only emerge from underground at nighttime, and hunt in groups containing millions of Kryll.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVEo7wAfYYwSfaASHncwVL1dM8nIjV2nggQT0usCDvlJp7d8hOOyo67VYCOjbeCCwgTZS7utgPf0soV6P2FeY0oV4PXMWzs8EmuOoiX5EufH-TKHWUUNga7BGe7Q3ZetCKDMfTHh-BBG3/s1600/Kryll+Gears+of+War.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVEo7wAfYYwSfaASHncwVL1dM8nIjV2nggQT0usCDvlJp7d8hOOyo67VYCOjbeCCwgTZS7utgPf0soV6P2FeY0oV4PXMWzs8EmuOoiX5EufH-TKHWUUNga7BGe7Q3ZetCKDMfTHh-BBG3/s320/Kryll+Gears+of+War.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kryll filling the skies.</td></tr>
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What makes Kryll dangerous is their carnivorous nature. If they catch any living being standing exposed in the dark, they will swoop down in small (well if you call "hundreds" small) groups and devour it. During the inevitable night missions in <i>Gears of War</i>, we witness Kryll reducing human beings to nothing but a bloody stain in mere seconds.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFc9GsVuuXsIkF3BVL_zTN6BTsMUgTF1BfPFd-xZURMecDi8OydIYndvDyIqL-hp6uEG5LTvUKEBX2jxxMDNqb_lfmT-yGmBBsr1A83JNTMbbymCnOoGPVzWWSEhpp8SQOH3DHklfvzg8R/s1600/Kryll+Flyby+Gears+of+War.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFc9GsVuuXsIkF3BVL_zTN6BTsMUgTF1BfPFd-xZURMecDi8OydIYndvDyIqL-hp6uEG5LTvUKEBX2jxxMDNqb_lfmT-yGmBBsr1A83JNTMbbymCnOoGPVzWWSEhpp8SQOH3DHklfvzg8R/s1600/Kryll+Flyby+Gears+of+War.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Using a UV cannon to neutralize glow-eyed Kryll.</td></tr>
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During these night missions, you absolutely have to stay in lit up areas if you want to survive. There are quite a few thrilling segments where you have to charge from streetlight to streetlight, occasionally diving into a well-lit building, all while taking heavy fire from Locust armies. If you stay outside the light for too long, you're rewarded with a brutal scene of protagonist Marcus Fenix being eaten alive.<br />
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<h3>
Berserker</h3>
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You will encounter just a few of these enemies in the game, but the battles are definitely worth waiting for. Berserkers are female Locust, and just like a Black Widow spider, the females are larger and much more dangerous than the males.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIDi5NIKpIF-_29V15zPITriWuxInv0JoJpne_I73l3L9MKciWDkVzx1QxX69vfUGPIkxoDhDPj-DzgTETXEpQT0vp8wycxszq0l6j8tBbTQ1m7P766miDTheNi3CgClbSibKAdpMWRXiJ/s1600/Berserker+Tomb+Gears+of+War.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIDi5NIKpIF-_29V15zPITriWuxInv0JoJpne_I73l3L9MKciWDkVzx1QxX69vfUGPIkxoDhDPj-DzgTETXEpQT0vp8wycxszq0l6j8tBbTQ1m7P766miDTheNi3CgClbSibKAdpMWRXiJ/s320/Berserker+Tomb+Gears+of+War.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Berserkers for some reason are blind, and therefore rely on sound and smell to locate prey. Your first encounter with this monster in <i>Gears</i> is inside a tomb, where a Berserker has gotten loose and proceeds to hunt you down. As you creep through the halls you won't see her, but you'll hear her growling and smashing objects as she tries to locate you. Before you know it, the Berserker smashes through a wall directly in front of you, and commences her charging attack.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7yRu2F3tOBzch-u6G4CcLMSOneSLagAiOrKBwaRr9C0MPECBWizK3_RcTK5LnE-TxInSbZdBEsdKe6O5mCphoVxZl4XgRCoLmCRaOtt5OKoEmNKCVX2Py42L41bFua3afEwkqGHQaD6R0/s1600/Berserker+Charge+Gears+of+War.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7yRu2F3tOBzch-u6G4CcLMSOneSLagAiOrKBwaRr9C0MPECBWizK3_RcTK5LnE-TxInSbZdBEsdKe6O5mCphoVxZl4XgRCoLmCRaOtt5OKoEmNKCVX2Py42L41bFua3afEwkqGHQaD6R0/s320/Berserker+Charge+Gears+of+War.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is not good...</td></tr>
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This is an especially intense moment of the game, because the goal of the battle is to lure the Berserker out of the tomb so you can hit her with a satellite-based laser (she will shrug off your bullets as if they were spitballs). Naturally you just want to run away from this huge, ugly creature, but since that's not an option you have to choose carefully when to get her attention so she will charge in the direction you choose. Get too close to her and you'll get to see Marcus Fenix mauled to death. This is a battle you'll have to experience yourself in order to feel the fear of being in close quarters with an almost-unstoppable enemy pursuing you.<br />
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In conclusion, I find these two enemy types to be the most frightening in the series, and I'm still disappointed that they didn't make any appearances in <i>Gears of War 2</i> or <i>3</i>. They helped add variety to the battles and are sorely missed. Did you guys play <i>Gears of War 1</i>? If so, did you find Kryll and Berserkers to be pretty intense enemies?Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504151673910649244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836525724237703724.post-73957355143531726962013-10-26T10:49:00.000-07:002013-10-26T10:49:10.117-07:00Stalkers in Half-Life 2: Grotesquely Recycled Human Beings<i>Half-Life 2</i> is great at describing a worst-case scenario about first-contact with an alien species, or in this case multiple alien species. Here you won't find aliens expressing greetings from far away star systems, in <i>Half-Life 2</i> humanity is still dealing with the aftermath of a seven-hour war with the Combine after they first teleported onto Earth. That wasn't a typo, the war with humanity literally lasted seven hours before humanity had to surrender, giving you an idea of how powerful this enemy is.<br />
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In previous articles, I've covered some of the horrors that arose as a result of alien species mingling with earthlings, such as the <a href="http://strangegaming.blogspot.com/2011/10/disturbingly-awesome-zombies-of-valve.html">zombies</a> and the town of <a href="http://strangegaming.blogspot.com/2013/10/a-visit-to-ravenholm-in-half-life-2.html">Ravenholm</a> where you first encounter them in abundance. Today we're going to look at another disgusting result of the Combine invasion, which are Stalkers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyeFPwEeoWLx5s758qHpxpHsWlglDoXpLQRaO4jKtxUJuACn3PZ30Ym2PW6ZbMaXbv09D1z6lgMghzhzay8-gsbBx8tycvdodwaFAKxjgzX9V3pnm70QWfe7dVS9qLF80H3lhwAZktMHX_/s1600/Stalker+Half-Life+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyeFPwEeoWLx5s758qHpxpHsWlglDoXpLQRaO4jKtxUJuACn3PZ30Ym2PW6ZbMaXbv09D1z6lgMghzhzay8-gsbBx8tycvdodwaFAKxjgzX9V3pnm70QWfe7dVS9qLF80H3lhwAZktMHX_/s320/Stalker+Half-Life+2.jpg" width="103" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>Believe it or not, Stalkers were once human beings. Through heavy surgical modifications, they have been transformed into disturbing Combine slaves whose main purpose is to maintain Combine machinery. As you can see, their hands and lower legs have been removed and replaced with some form of multi-use prosthetic tools.<br />
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Their internal organs and gender-defining...um....features have also been removed. Whatever form of nutrition the Combine is giving them is obviously not enough, seeing as their skin clings tightly to their skeletons. It appears that their vocal chords have also been messed with, because the only sounds they are capable of making are hisses and growls.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigk0bt7F0MWt50NQwc3xvs1DJGlzIbRUPJGWqAyYiKtZXz9QyNgm7883-mBeEknu4FNvjpN3oq7Wpgz4s_QF-mQNsr9CwZfJ_nuF_u8MpDa5uZnF1yFiOOai8iERBjBKC2Yx5QSoEigrF2/s1600/Stalker+Citadel+Half-Life+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigk0bt7F0MWt50NQwc3xvs1DJGlzIbRUPJGWqAyYiKtZXz9QyNgm7883-mBeEknu4FNvjpN3oq7Wpgz4s_QF-mQNsr9CwZfJ_nuF_u8MpDa5uZnF1yFiOOai8iERBjBKC2Yx5QSoEigrF2/s320/Stalker+Citadel+Half-Life+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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At some point before becoming Stalkers, these people were either resistance members who were captured and sent in to be converted, or they lived in a location such as City 17 and were unknowingly shipped to the processing facility. The processing facility, a level in <i>Half-Life 2</i> called Nova Prospekt, is a former prison which is now mainly used to create Stalkers and Combine Soldiers (they are heavily modified humans as well).<br />
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Although they make only a brief appearance near the end of <i>Half-Life 2</i>, Stalkers are encountered much more frequently in <i>Half-Life 2: Episode One</i>. Here you will cringe in disgust as you see these mutilated beings working frantically to repair the collapsing Citadel in City 17. Also you will be forced into some claustrophobic locations where you're forced to see these monstrosities up close. It is in the Citadel where you discover that the metal plate attached to a Stalker's face contains a functioning laser beam.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMiGo9rlQY6eaBTe4GRnrDUcMwVY2OGoiUWKSp6RTjpCaoxBAR4d6SJbCCWkJU7yqzNvpD354Mk0zyzNXohYWZcu6J3mbk7FwCvxgQXMGShb3Qyczl1Qb3JCMxofmUUNCiIb1anqg9Sf3D/s1600/Stalker+Laser+Half-Life+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMiGo9rlQY6eaBTe4GRnrDUcMwVY2OGoiUWKSp6RTjpCaoxBAR4d6SJbCCWkJU7yqzNvpD354Mk0zyzNXohYWZcu6J3mbk7FwCvxgQXMGShb3Qyczl1Qb3JCMxofmUUNCiIb1anqg9Sf3D/s320/Stalker+Laser+Half-Life+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note the Stalker in the background using his head-mounted laser.</td></tr>
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Attacking any Stalkers or interrupting their repair efforts will cause them to focus those laser beams on you. Thankfully protagonist Gordon Freeman is always armed to the teeth, so these battles aren't too difficult. Also, these former people deserve to be put out of their misery, don't you think?<br />
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That concludes our quick look at one of the most unsettling things in <i>Half-Life 2</i>. Seeing a human being who is so disgustingly altered is sure to bring about a shudder now and then. What did you guys think of the Stalkers?Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504151673910649244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836525724237703724.post-12067212318334658402013-10-25T13:32:00.000-07:002013-10-25T13:32:36.344-07:00Boos in Super Mario: The Not-So-Friendly GhostsToday let's take a look at one of the most recognizable enemies in the <i>Super Mario</i> series: Boos! These ghastly enemies serve the purpose of adding a bit of supernatural elements to Mario's adventures, as if giant sentient mushrooms and evil turtles weren't supernatural enough for us all.<br />
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By ghost standards, Boos have a somewhat cutesy look that we've come to expect from Nintendo. They basically resemble a rounded marshmallow in appearance, with two short stubby arms that seem to have no purpose other than to cover their eyes. These ghosts usually wear a frown, and cruise around with their tongue stuck out of their large mouth. Also they have large (and sometimes spiky) teeth sticking out of their upper jaw, probably as a last-ditch effort to make them look threatening. Starting with <i>Super Mario 64</i>, Boos emit a high-pitched giggle when Mario's around.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>You'll find Boos sometimes hanging out in haunted house levels in the <i>Super Mario</i> games, such as the Ghost Houses in <i>Super Mario World</i>, where you'll find large swarms of them floating around. Another notable location is Big Boo's Haunt in <i>Super Mario 64</i>, which has a surprisingly creepy atmosphere and humorous enemies such as haunted pianos and books. Here you'll even get a chance to do battle with Big Boo himself, who is literally a big Boo (he easily dwarfs Mario).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQg5jg1z_-P13OlvnXX3l74fEGOFeONv3l-1FTUG8z8DsrZViSk38z6_Car_ZlQK2HuQ79d_KqUdjhfwcqcLOaw7jrAKpDzHF5zTutEQnjZ8FAqm4cutmvnceYnnT3kFHCJx62rzpYG1_P/s1600/Big+Boo+Super+Mario+64.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQg5jg1z_-P13OlvnXX3l74fEGOFeONv3l-1FTUG8z8DsrZViSk38z6_Car_ZlQK2HuQ79d_KqUdjhfwcqcLOaw7jrAKpDzHF5zTutEQnjZ8FAqm4cutmvnceYnnT3kFHCJx62rzpYG1_P/s320/Big+Boo+Super+Mario+64.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Boo pursues Mario.</td></tr>
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Despite being malicious ghosts, Boos are actually pretty shy. Anytime Mario looks a Boo directly in the face, it will cover its eyes and go invisible. However, as soon as Mario turns his back on it, the Boo will reappear and begin to pursue him. Naturally a good strategy when riding floating platforms is to always have Mario face as many Boos as possible.<br />
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Boos definitely pose a challenge in <i>Mario</i> games, due to their tendency to hide when you try to attack them head-on. Also they almost always will gang up on Mario by attacking from different angles, making it difficult and sometimes impossible to stare them all down at once. Still, they are a refreshing enemy to face every once in a while, when you need a break from beating down countless Goombas and Koopas. Sure they aren't a scary enemy, but they have that Nintendo charm that we all know and love.Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504151673910649244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836525724237703724.post-69674971836690331432013-10-24T10:15:00.000-07:002013-10-24T10:15:00.692-07:00The Planes of Oblivion in The Elder Scrolls IVToday we're going to look at an in-game location that is as close to Hell as you're going to get without playing <a href="http://strangegaming.blogspot.com/2013/10/doom-3-hell-unleashed-on-your-nerves.html"><i>Doom 3</i></a>. I'm talking about the Planes of Oblivion in <i>The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion</i>. In this game the main threat is an invasion of horrifying monsters from the realms of the lava-filled Oblivion. The monsters are able to teleport to the land of Tamriel through the use of huge "Oblivion Gates" which appear in numerous locations throughout the land. Of course these gates work both ways, allowing you to enter the Planes of Oblivion, and face the horrors within.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigjd6zftXh3UsCJNbvjVUq6R4PwHsyDULUGn8Qx6wX6JahAa8K6cxW6bJ07E50zkMKEiE_63cQCw-ihbqUBgcDoB7Fpk8-5lpfR2m-P8bfYw-Odb6IuA5GWczj_dkDArgg_55kgcNEaozz/s1600/Oblivion+Gate+Elder+Scrolls+IV.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigjd6zftXh3UsCJNbvjVUq6R4PwHsyDULUGn8Qx6wX6JahAa8K6cxW6bJ07E50zkMKEiE_63cQCw-ihbqUBgcDoB7Fpk8-5lpfR2m-P8bfYw-Odb6IuA5GWczj_dkDArgg_55kgcNEaozz/s320/Oblivion+Gate+Elder+Scrolls+IV.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An Oblivion Gate. Sauron would be proud.</td></tr>
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The Planes of Oblivion are a sight to behold; it is truly a hellish atmosphere. The sky is blood red, and filled with gray and black clouds which are fitting for a world that seems to be constantly burning. You'll encounter pools of lava, as well as seemingly endless oceans of lava (so much for taking a nice cool swim).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhILxaCAvvn5cvxNKLR__E-SR-lkp78JPgCNpFq-VMEE3HqmSBwhUyQprazlzAvU4_lXDBpN-pu2zfK7r-yJ_ay0YqGnXmHyaqcnMtwy4nT7YQytbPgvzYdjK6ATBaRZ0SRizXx8aK6JnoP/s1600/Elder+Scrolls+IV+Planes+of+Oblivion.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhILxaCAvvn5cvxNKLR__E-SR-lkp78JPgCNpFq-VMEE3HqmSBwhUyQprazlzAvU4_lXDBpN-pu2zfK7r-yJ_ay0YqGnXmHyaqcnMtwy4nT7YQytbPgvzYdjK6ATBaRZ0SRizXx8aK6JnoP/s320/Elder+Scrolls+IV+Planes+of+Oblivion.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The equivalent of a five-star hotel in Oblivion.</td></tr>
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As you can probably guess, with an atmosphere like this you aren't going to see vast expanses of green foliage. In fact, during your visits to these locations you'll see bare rocky cliffs and plains. The only plants that seem to grow here are some skeletal-looking shrubs, along with some sickly vines that almost look to be dead. Some of these plants appear to be sentient, and just as evil as their surroundings; they will snap at you if you get within striking distance.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFAknCw09W4lEisb6oZ0z92TWEtspbGJ-RKey0YnPZ771O1tX6OKRfzSsa1b6KZ1ckp0OKyVCYdxP-6YojVFbzfry8IttNuEkI7Zg1L6P5ARV8YnVKQCJK40myMoEjmkrDwoNYhPyP6RQa/s1600/Flora+Harrada+Elder+Scrolls+IV+Oblivion+Vines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFAknCw09W4lEisb6oZ0z92TWEtspbGJ-RKey0YnPZ771O1tX6OKRfzSsa1b6KZ1ckp0OKyVCYdxP-6YojVFbzfry8IttNuEkI7Zg1L6P5ARV8YnVKQCJK40myMoEjmkrDwoNYhPyP6RQa/s320/Flora+Harrada+Elder+Scrolls+IV+Oblivion+Vines.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Probably should keep your distance from these.</td></tr>
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The few varieties of Daedra and Dremora enemies that have escaped through the Oblivion gates into Tamriel are obviously abundant in their home-realm of Oblivion. As if dealing with sentient plants and armor-melting lava weren't enough, you'll need to battle plenty of large monstrosities during your visits, such as the dreaded half-human, half-spider Daedra.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWM4O_Z0yYXXn2IJJC0yRFWuz8O5wvGH9GlCbPxsy5I40c5zM4uBVlgXRjZitSjioVc13vOyY_ROoVgBqg9Nq7xfPBhomjxiKKZgCwiqYlZOi3KaIdJ9KcuT4hdQJ0S268RCoCAghPprsE/s1600/Spider+Daedra+Elder+Scrolls+IV+Oblivion.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWM4O_Z0yYXXn2IJJC0yRFWuz8O5wvGH9GlCbPxsy5I40c5zM4uBVlgXRjZitSjioVc13vOyY_ROoVgBqg9Nq7xfPBhomjxiKKZgCwiqYlZOi3KaIdJ9KcuT4hdQJ0S268RCoCAghPprsE/s320/Spider+Daedra+Elder+Scrolls+IV+Oblivion.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And you thought Zelda's Skulltulas were a problem.</td></tr>
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There's just no escaping them, unless you've cooked up some <i>really</i> good invisibility potions. You'll need to ascend the interiors of gigantic towers filled with these horrors if you hope to escape back to the land of Tamriel. At the top of a certain tower in each area of Oblivion, there is a Sigil Stone that you must steal, which will close the portal and teleport you back to your home-world.<br />
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As an added bonus, on your way up these towers you'll be able to grab some loot from large sacks of flesh hanging from the roof, as well as large heart-shaped (closer to a human heart than a Valentine's Day heart) containers called The Punished. I don't think we even want to know the details of the "punishment."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilKNy5aWrJZ3f8wnvtxSfowRoPa2E_sABi3RfxJtyQk21WyGdBHhfsGUF7dxpBdlKyVOAphtCqayrx7Wo094nWp6LfJRCCWcP5p-mePQqFfHXZIYpjYTclsG7ugvc43fRdXP6JI0ckvbTC/s1600/Fleshy+Pod+Elder+Scrolls+IV+Oblivion.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilKNy5aWrJZ3f8wnvtxSfowRoPa2E_sABi3RfxJtyQk21WyGdBHhfsGUF7dxpBdlKyVOAphtCqayrx7Wo094nWp6LfJRCCWcP5p-mePQqFfHXZIYpjYTclsG7ugvc43fRdXP6JI0ckvbTC/s320/Fleshy+Pod+Elder+Scrolls+IV+Oblivion.png" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Go ahead, just reach right in and grab the gold.</td></tr>
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Sounds like a pleasant place to take a vacation doesn't it? That wraps up our quick look at the <i>Elder Scrolls</i> version of Hell. It's scorching, it's dangerous, and it is most definitely disgusting. Did you guys play <i>The Elder Scrolls IV</i>? If so, what did you think of these journeys into Oblivion?Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504151673910649244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836525724237703724.post-11201117174480481722013-10-23T13:06:00.000-07:002013-10-23T13:06:57.191-07:00The Enderman in Minecraft: Disturbing Block ThievesIt's time for a nighttime trek into the world of <i>Minecraft</i>, to behold another of its horrors. As you all know, this game world is extremely punishing if you decide to venture beyond the confines of your well-lit, well-fortified safe zone. With that said let's carefully observe the most unsettling creature in the game: the Enderman.<br />
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The <a href="http://strangegaming.blogspot.com/2013/10/zombies-in-minecraft-blocky-undead.html">zombies</a>, <a href="http://strangegaming.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-devious-spiders-in-minecraft.html">spiders</a>, and <a href="http://strangegaming.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-skilled-skeleton-archers-in.html">skeletons</a> in <i>Minecraft</i> aren't very threatening to look at, but it seems that special effort went into the Endermen to make them look pretty disturbing and creepy. Their extremely long and thin limbs look alien in appearance, but rumor has it that they are based off of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slender_Man">Slenderman</a>. Due to their pitch black skin, their large white expressionless eyes stand out like a sore thumb at nighttime. Also, they tend to make a disgusting gurgling noise while they stroll about.<br />
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Unlike the other enemy types in the game, Endermen are not openly hostile. They will go about their business while you stand a mere couple feet away. Make no mistake though, these creatures aren't like the passive animals in the game (cows, sheep, pigs, etc), they <i>can</i> be provoked, and they <i>will </i>attack. There are a couple ways to provoke an Enderman. First and most obvious, you attack it first. Secondly, if you stare at it, the Enderman will start shaking in anger. Continue to stare and he will charge at you and begin to take swings at your face.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is not going to end well.</td></tr>
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You most definitely do not want this to happen, because in addition to a devastatingly strong melee attack, Endermen are capable of teleporting. During an assault they may vanish for a few seconds, only to teleport directly behind you in order to score another brutal hit (believe it or not this is actually pretty scary).<br />
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So with that said, why would you want to attack one of these mostly-peaceful creatures? Well remember when I said they will mind their own business if you leave them alone? Their business includes picking up blocks and placing them at random locations. Sometimes they will teleport into your safe area and proceed to pull pieces out of the structures you spent so much time building. This I find to be incredibly annoying, and I will attack any Enderman foolish enough to start messing with my wood-plank houses (hey at least I don't build my houses out of dirt blocks anymore!).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can't they just leave things alone?</td></tr>
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That wraps up our quick look at the Enderman, how do you guys deal with this creature? Do you let it disassemble your buildings?Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504151673910649244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836525724237703724.post-54359823265240855122013-10-22T00:00:00.000-07:002013-10-22T00:00:25.142-07:00Skulltulas in Zelda Games: Webs of HorrorLeave it to the creators of the <i>Legend of Zelda</i> games to marry two things that freak people out: spiders and human skulls. What do you get when you combine those? Skulltulas of course! Let's take a look at this monstrous arachnid's appearances in some of the <i>Zelda</i> games.<br />
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The reason these spiders are called Skulltulas is because they tend to have a human skull-shaped pattern covering their backside. They can range in size from small dog to holy-hell-it's-bigger-than-a-horse. One thing they all have in common though is a taste for human flesh, since they will ruthlessly attack Link whenever he's in the area.<br />
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In <i>Ocarina of Time</i>, there are a few varieties of Skulltula to encounter. These Skulltulas have an incredibly pronounced human skull pattern on their back, complete with gaping eye sockets and even a hole where the nose would go. It's almost as if someone glued a Halloween mask to their backs.<br />
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The largest breed of this spider is more massive than adult Link. It hangs from the ceiling and will drop down in a surprise attack once you get within range. After it has lowered down on its web, this Skulltula will execute a spin attack if Link gets too close while facing the spider's back (the easiest way to defeat it is to slash at its exposed belly).<br />
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Smaller varieties in this game are the Skullwalltula and Gold Skulltula. Skullwalltulas usually hang out in areas where Link has to climb, clinging to vines and rock walls. If Link gets too close, this spider will charge at him and knock him off the climbable surface.<br />
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Gold Skulltulas are more docile, but will still cause damage to Link if he touches it. Defeating this breed of spider will enable Link to help a family in Kakariko Village who were cursed and transformed into human-Skulltula hybrids (yes it's as horrifying as it sounds). As you collect Gold Skulltula tokens, the family members will turn back into humans one by one.<br />
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Skulltulas also make an appearance in <i>The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks</i>. As Link travels the land in his train, there are certain sections of the map where these spiders will drop down and hang right over the tracks. They will proceed to swing back and forth over the tracks, making for a somewhat challenging target to hit with the train's cannon, especially when you're moving at top speed. Like their counterparts in <i>Ocarina of Time</i>, these Skulltulas are huge, easily as big as the train itself, and contain pretty much the same skull pattern on their backs.<br />
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In <i>The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess</i>, our favorite arachnids once again show up for combat, but in a form we aren't used to. Unlike the previous two games we just discussed, where this enemy primarily hangs from webs or climbs on walls, the <i>Twilight Princess</i> Skulltulas are capable of walking on the ground. This makes them a much more dangerous enemy since they aren't limited to staying in one small area like we're used to seeing.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Skulltula lowering onto the battlefield.</td></tr>
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Also the pattern on their backs is much less pronounced, appearing as if someone took some face paint and tried to draw a vague skull-like face on them. As a matter of fact, when I played through this game I didn't even recognize them as Skulltulas for a while because of these differences (when they walk on the ground it's actually kind of hard to even see the pattern on their backs).<br />
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That about wraps up our quick look at this shudder-inducing enemy in the <i>Zelda</i> games. Did any variant of Skulltula give you the creeps?Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504151673910649244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836525724237703724.post-9693800473514255702013-10-21T13:41:00.000-07:002013-10-21T13:41:19.136-07:00Team Fortress 2 Halloween Events: Spooktacular FraggingEvery October, Valve Software gives a special treat to all the gamers who love the spirit of Halloween. This treat is the annual <i>Team Fortress 2</i> Halloween event. I must say, whether you love Valve or hate them, you have to admire the fact that they're still supporting <i>TF2</i> all these years after its 2007 release date. So let's dive in and look at all the awesome features of this event.<br />
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Back in 2009, Valve initiated their first Halloween event in <i>TF2</i>. They released a new king of the hill map called Harvest, as well as a Halloween-themed counterpart called Harvest Event. The event map is set at nighttime with various visual touches to get you into the Halloween spirit. These include jack-o-lanterns scattered around the map, tombstones, and re-skinned health kits which are now represented by candies and cauldrons. <br />
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Also placed around the map are pumpkins with sticks of dynamite strapped to them, which will explode when shot. The highlight of Harvest Event is its resident ghost, which spawns at various locations on the map and slowly wanders around. If you venture too close to it, your character will shriek in fear and will be unable to attack for a few seconds, leaving you vulnerable.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq9Lm-xIjE5-Kqv2htjl5vkizJOkz-qixlHx9es6coiXlvYLHVYMT5Cg5SVZC_bYIS9RNMc4Vn8Rl-xDN06cViOaSyKvhBPk9yg2PQ-ZyI_R_N4_yf93u-QkWhQXSuX759HIrTy66JSn-I/s1600/Team+Fortress+2+TF2+Ghost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq9Lm-xIjE5-Kqv2htjl5vkizJOkz-qixlHx9es6coiXlvYLHVYMT5Cg5SVZC_bYIS9RNMc4Vn8Rl-xDN06cViOaSyKvhBPk9yg2PQ-ZyI_R_N4_yf93u-QkWhQXSuX759HIrTy66JSn-I/s320/Team+Fortress+2+TF2+Ghost.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ghost freaks out the Demoman.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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After the inaugural 2009 event, the <i>TF2</i> Halloween specials have become more elaborate with many more new features. Each year Valve will either release a pair of maps (one standard map, along with its Halloween-themed counterpart), or they will give a standard map a complete Halloween makeover. One notable case is Mann Manor, which is an extremely detailed counterpart of Mountain Lab, complete with spooky library sections, dark holes with creepy eyes peering out at you, and hair-raising noises throughout.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfnHReADOzBGGpGmEa5f3bmAFh25ZjGpwIqrxAEQvrr6liYbEXdm6iuIOJ_yXyRN5YSaUKFLOJTUYcG2ZSRnJipRsN98m9pd2W8jrb_W0tmw1aBO8pvWayoJE82dfngklgsQjC3pgqfEG/s1600/Team+Fortress+2+TF2+Mann+Manor.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfnHReADOzBGGpGmEa5f3bmAFh25ZjGpwIqrxAEQvrr6liYbEXdm6iuIOJ_yXyRN5YSaUKFLOJTUYcG2ZSRnJipRsN98m9pd2W8jrb_W0tmw1aBO8pvWayoJE82dfngklgsQjC3pgqfEG/s320/Team+Fortress+2+TF2+Mann+Manor.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mann Manor.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Instead of a simple ghost wandering around, all Halloween events after 2009 have introduced boss monsters which will spawn at various intervals. Notable bosses include a gigantic floating eyeball which fires missiles, and the Horseless Headless Horsemann (Valve's humor at its finest), who runs around the map swinging a giant axe.<br />
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These monsters contain huge amounts of HP and will attack all the players on the server, therefore the best way to defeat them is for both teams to (temporarily) put aside their differences and work together to take down the boss. Defeating these bosses will give players a special item, such as the Horseless Headless Horsemann's head (makes no sense but that's the whole point), which is a wearable hat.<br />
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Speaking of items, there are quite a few Halloween-specific goodies to grab. Through random gift drops you'll be able to pick up Halloween masks (really just paper bags with a <i>TF2</i> character's face drawn on it), worn-out top hats, and even class-specific Halloween costumes. Costumes must be collected piece by piece, but once you complete a set you're usually rewarded with humorous results. For example, the Engineer has a costume resembling a giant fly, which causes his voice to sound extremely high pitched. The Soldier's robot costume unlocks a whole new set of voice commands, as well as a new robot-dance taunt.<br />
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Speaking of dancing, what would Halloween be without Thriller? The developers at Valve were awesome enough to give a special Thriller dance taunt to all classes, which can only be used when the Halloween events are active.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/AkE7LgdlA68" width="560"></iframe></center>
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Last but not least, a recent addition to <i>Team Fortress 2</i>'s Halloween festivities is Zombie Fortress, which is a set of new game modes that will have players controlling both regular classes and zombies, depending on their team. I guess Valve wasn't satisfied with just <i>Left 4 Dead</i>?<br />
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If you're a fan of Halloween and online first-person shooters, you should absolutely check out <i>Team Fortress 2</i> when this special event occurs. The game is free after all. The nicely themed maps and intense boss battles are something to behold, and we can only hope that Valve continues this tradition for years to come!<br />
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Have you guys tried out the <i>TF2</i> Halloween events? If so, which one was your favorite?Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504151673910649244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836525724237703724.post-63727560933326010742013-10-20T16:33:00.000-07:002013-10-20T16:33:04.033-07:00Count Batula: Conker the Squirrel Meets DraculaIt seems I can't stop talking about <i>Conker's Bad Fur Day</i>. The game contains such a diverse set of parodies that you can't help but find one or two levels that you will remember forever. Seeing as this is the month of October, let's take a look at the chapter of the game called Spooky, and its main antagonist: Count Batula.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho0spK7BzuWLl-M7czqN5zGTvDwvyvYUCsnOKGxZDZXcpHeRkWJyrFNHkPUXqxCpGwuZ7uTvhVDGJzNSV0FcdHXrlx3F-fcwtWKPbK-aLj0z2FjhBQ9FwiCcp4OO24fFNQVYJQM_nvxNIW/s1600/Count+Batula+Conker%27s+Bad+Fur+Day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho0spK7BzuWLl-M7czqN5zGTvDwvyvYUCsnOKGxZDZXcpHeRkWJyrFNHkPUXqxCpGwuZ7uTvhVDGJzNSV0FcdHXrlx3F-fcwtWKPbK-aLj0z2FjhBQ9FwiCcp4OO24fFNQVYJQM_nvxNIW/s320/Count+Batula+Conker%27s+Bad+Fur+Day.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well, <i>Grabbed by the Ghoulies</i> had a vampire chicken, so why not a vampire squirrel in <i>Bad Fur Day</i>?</td></tr>
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The chapter starts off with Conker taking a nighttime stroll and encountering <a href="http://strangegaming.blogspot.com/2013/10/gregg-grim-reaper-funny-take-on-death.html">Gregg the Grim Reaper</a>. There's a brief conversation involving zombies, which Gregg hates worse than cats because they are undead, apparently some kind of insult due to his job occupation as a reaper. Gregg then gives Conker a shotgun and directs him to a zombie-filled graveyard, motivating the ever-greedy Conker by telling him he has a rich relative in the area (he neglected to say anything about that relative being a vampire though).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yet another game with zombies in it.</td></tr>
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After battling through the graveyard, Conker approaches a spooky mansion sitting in solitude at the top of a hill. This is none other than the lair of Count Batula, where the Dracula parodies are in abundance. Once Conker enters the mansion, we see Batula for the first time, slowly descending the grand staircase while welcoming Conker (and creeping him out a bit). Batula has the stereotypical Dracula voice, complete with pronouncing his W's as V's ("Velcome to my house"). Conker humorously takes a couple cheap shots at the vampire's appearance, even sarcastically complimenting him on his hairstyle. Despite this, Batula invites Conker in for dinner, giving him a tour of the mansion on the way.<br />
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While Conker is enjoying his dinner of chicken and wine (which allowed the game to use the famous "I don't drink....wine" line from Dracula films), Batula tells Conker how long he has lived in the mansion (around 300 years), causing Conker to get even more suspicious of this character. The conversation is cut short by an unexpected attack on the mansion by the nearby villagers. It is at this point that Batula reveals that he planned to kill Conker and drink his blood, but due to the circumstances he now needs Conker's help.<br />
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Batula proceeds to bite Conker, which turns him into a vampire bat. As Bat-Conker, you get to fly throughout the various rooms in the mansion, picking up the attacking villagers one-by-one (after stunning them by dumping bat-droppings on them), and taking them to Batula's feeding room. It is here that Bat-Conker has to drop the villagers into a gigantic meat grinder, which processes the villagers and dispenses the blood into an eager Batula.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Cmai2vhrdeE2nfqalXy0a8y9d66HzwUuLpOVuzXZZBuZfN3oIT8vnt-30LRcz2MpTubw5Bcu213Up1Ed0RsofjjmI6fVKoqr_SxAnpCg4Taf6JVsNSPyTgoWd9BdXZ90gqJtnsOMY8k2/s1600/Conkers+Bad+Fur+Day+Bat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Cmai2vhrdeE2nfqalXy0a8y9d66HzwUuLpOVuzXZZBuZfN3oIT8vnt-30LRcz2MpTubw5Bcu213Up1Ed0RsofjjmI6fVKoqr_SxAnpCg4Taf6JVsNSPyTgoWd9BdXZ90gqJtnsOMY8k2/s320/Conkers+Bad+Fur+Day+Bat.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bat-Conker prepares to slaughter some villagers.</td></tr>
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Batula happens to be hanging right over the meat grinder, and the more villagers he is fed, the fatter he gets. When he's fed too much blood, his weight overcomes the strength of his perch, and Batula drops into the grinder, putting an end to one of the best parody characters in the game.<br />
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So what did you guys think of this chapter of <i>Bad Fur Day</i>? Did you enjoy the Dracula parody?Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504151673910649244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836525724237703724.post-6681184541701857922013-10-19T11:01:00.000-07:002013-10-19T11:01:37.254-07:00Fatal Frame: The House of Camera-Shy GhostsWhen you think of survival horror games, probably what comes to mind are <i>Resident Evil </i>and <i>Silent Hill</i>. No matter what series you're thinking of, you likely associate the genre with zombies, which are the most widely used enemy type in survival horror. Well how about we look at a survival horror game that contains absolutely no zombies at all, or even <a href="http://strangegaming.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-horrific-nurses-of-silent-hill-2.html">monster nurses</a>?<br />
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What we're going to cover today is <i>Fatal Frame</i>, a game where the only enemies you'll encounter are ghosts, and plenty of them. But how do you kill something that's already dead? Well obviously you defeat them by using a camera, right? Okay, maybe that isn't the most obvious weapon, but that's what made <i>Fatal Frame</i> a unique game, it was all about battling spirits using the magic of a viewfinder instead of the brute force of a shotgun.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>In Fatal Frame you'll play as a girl named Miku who is searching for her missing brother. Her unfortunate brother made the mistake of entering the abandoned Himuro Mansion, which is inhabited solely by the ghosts of people who were murdered there. Miku finds her brother's spirit-destroying camera as soon as she enters the mansion, and so begins her terror-filled journey.<br />
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What you'll discover right away is that this mansion isn't filled with just a couple spooks here and there, ghosts are <i>everywhere</i>, and the frequency of the encounters only increases as you progress through the game. The only way to defeat these ghosts is to enter viewfinder mode on the camera, and frame the ghost in the shot. Immediately this adds some tension to the battles, because you can't move your character around while in viewfinder mode. So you must stand still, helplessly watching the ghost close in on you while you power up an attack.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq2w4pft5x6Qtno8nY5RyKGMGEsXz0MO7gr6BJFjmMC1k7fGN1PabGJSak3qsCNczvAgSWeT9k_PDcThNALi7wb9dWRDPkkucDS-Bji9hKLwO4G_tDJu4Bi-Xvgd3YIe_ZbFxvDa8kNQh-/s1600/Fatal+Frame+1+Camera.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq2w4pft5x6Qtno8nY5RyKGMGEsXz0MO7gr6BJFjmMC1k7fGN1PabGJSak3qsCNczvAgSWeT9k_PDcThNALi7wb9dWRDPkkucDS-Bji9hKLwO4G_tDJu4Bi-Xvgd3YIe_ZbFxvDa8kNQh-/s320/Fatal+Frame+1+Camera.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is bad, this is very bad...</td></tr>
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This isn't too difficult when faced with slower moving ghosts, but later on in the game you will encounter some brutally fast versions that close in on you in the blink of an eye, and are almost impossible to keep in the frame (the longer you hold them in the frame, the more powerful your attack will be, so keeping ghosts in the frame is crucial). It should also be noted that ghosts can (obviously) float through walls as well as teleport to various locations in the rooms. This makes it very easy for them to sneak up behind you unnoticed, and causes some pretty thrilling battles.<br />
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Some joyful ghost types you'll encounter include boss-style ghosts with massive amounts of HP, creepy child ghosts, ghosts with broken necks, and my most-hated ghost: the Blinded. The Blinded represent women who had their eyes stabbed out shortly before being killed, and as a result they can hunt you only by sound. You must be especially careful to creep around them because they have an extremely fast lunging move. Taking a bunch of damage from these ghosts is usually unavoidable because they tend to appear in small areas with not much room to maneuver.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the Blinded.</td></tr>
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<i>Fatal Frame</i> can be very difficult due to its survival horror nature; you'll take plenty of damage from the resident ghosts, and you must make do with limited supplies of first aid and camera film. But the rush you experience after taking down some of the more challenging ghosts is well worth it.<br />
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Have you guys played <i>Fatal Frame</i>? Were you spooked by the atmosphere? Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504151673910649244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836525724237703724.post-91208098476850474932013-10-18T10:43:00.000-07:002013-10-18T10:43:39.436-07:00The Dead Hand in Ocarina of Time: Nightmares for Everyone!As I've said many times, the <i>Zelda</i> games contain many horrors that make you question if they should be played by kids. Every once in a while this series will contain a monster that is so grotesque and disturbing that it looks like it belongs in a <i>Resident Evil</i> game. Today we're going to look at one such monster: a boss from <i>The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time</i> called the Dead Hand.<br />
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Immediately you'll notice that the Dead Hand is not a very pleasant creature to look at. It looks like a blob of fat encased in pale white corpse-like skin, covered with patches of blood for good measure. It has two stubby arms with apparently no hands attached (you'd think that would contradict its name, but just wait and see), and a hunchbacked posture. <br />
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<a name='more'></a>Because no monstrosity would be complete without a horrific face, the Dead Hand has a large head with a set of gigantic teeth. Looking back at it, he kind of looks similar to the Joker in the Batman animated series.<br />
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Now the reason this beast is called the Dead Hand is because it commands a group of hands which protrude out of the ground. If you make the mistake of getting too close to one of these hands, they will grab Link by the head and hold him there while the Dead Hand moves in for the attack. Needless to say it's a horrifying feeling to watch this monster creep over to poor helpless Link and take a bit out of him with those huge teeth.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello nightmare material.</td></tr>
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In order to take down the Dead Hand, you must hit him in the face with Link's sword. This can be tricky since it tends to hold its face high in the air (taking it out of range of the sword) until it gets close enough to bite Link. If you can manage this technique without getting caught too many times by the hands, you'll be rewarded with an end to this current nightmare, and a whole set of disturbing memories of this monster.<br />
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What did you guys think of the Dead Hand? Do you think Nintendo went a bit too far by putting this disgusting monster into the game?Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504151673910649244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836525724237703724.post-42126499814778368902013-10-17T10:37:00.000-07:002013-10-17T10:37:55.015-07:00The Skilled Skeleton Archers in MinecraftIn previous posts I've talked about the <a href="http://strangegaming.blogspot.com/2013/10/zombies-in-minecraft-blocky-undead.html">zombies</a> and <a href="http://strangegaming.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-devious-spiders-in-minecraft.html">spiders</a> in <i>Minecraft</i>, so why stop with just those two monstrosities? Today we're going to look at another servant of <i>Minecraft</i> Hell (or wherever these things spawn from), the skeleton.<br />
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Just when you thought <i>Minecraft</i> wouldn't be able to add anything more threatening than a door-busting zombie, or relentless wall-climbing spider, the game introduces an enemy with a long range attack. Skeletons are very dangerous due to the bow and arrows they are equipped with, which they are quite skilled at using.<br />
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There's a few ways you will realize a skeleton is in the neighborhood. You'll possibly hear its distinctive bone-rattling sound effect, or hear an arrow zip by your head, or worse, you'll get hit by one of its arrows. When a skeleton has you in its sights, it will stalk closer to you until it's within firing range. At this point it unleashes arrows upon you at a pretty impressive rate.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what will happen to you if you're not careful.</td></tr>
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The closer you get to a skeleton, the faster it will fire arrows at you. If you're planning on cutting one of these monsters down with a sword you'll need to make sure you are fully armored, because you <i>will</i> take tons of damage. Also, getting hit by an arrow will knock you back a little bit, making it a challenge just to get within melee range. If this sounds like too much of a risk, equipping a bow and attacking them from a distance is the safest way to take them down.<br />
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Just like with zombies, keeping a fence around the perimeter of your safe area will keep skeletons out. However this is only partially effective because they will walk right up to the fence and attempt to turn you into a pincushion by firing arrows right over the fence. Your best bet is to put up a nice tall wall to prevent this form of attack.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Also, beware of dark caves.</td></tr>
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That's about all there is to say about the skeletons in <i>Minecraft</i>. They can be a huge threat, especially when a large group decides to gang up on you. What's your favorite way of combating these enemies? I admit I'm not much of a bow and arrow kind of guy, and prefer to attack them with a sword.<br />
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<br />Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504151673910649244noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836525724237703724.post-52156377411232335002013-10-16T12:00:00.000-07:002013-10-16T12:00:38.692-07:00Doom 3: Hell Unleashed On Your NervesIf you've played <i>Doom 3</i>, then you've known what it is to be scared. This game is packed with so many jump scares and tense moments that by the time you reach the end credits you'll probably notice a few gray hairs sprouting up on your head. Today we're going to take another trip back to Mars and face the minions of Hell one more time as we explore the terror of <i>Doom 3</i>.<br />
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But first a little background on this series. The original <i>Doom</i> is a true classic, with its revolutionary graphics (by 1993 standards that is) and thrilling first-person perspective. <i>Doom</i>'s popularity is considered by many to be solely responsible for the boom in first-person shooting games. In this game, you play as a space marine stationed on Mars who is trying to fight back an invasion of the demons from Hell.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_60v_fCBuslcinPMWP0pYnqmFb9ZjnlmPqlqCL29L8iqb1j6Fk4H7RbvzQh6r-cnfVwNf6xtQfzxLcOAanvqGYblmdBAOuGKio6vUCFILpF7LQxXY_b4Ly0S1QSFiy9GUB4nSTISbOta/s1600/Doom+1+Battle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_60v_fCBuslcinPMWP0pYnqmFb9ZjnlmPqlqCL29L8iqb1j6Fk4H7RbvzQh6r-cnfVwNf6xtQfzxLcOAanvqGYblmdBAOuGKio6vUCFILpF7LQxXY_b4Ly0S1QSFiy9GUB4nSTISbOta/s320/Doom+1+Battle.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hell is no match for the Doomguy.</td></tr>
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The game is full of fast-paced demon-blasting action, as you charge through the level mowing down these beasts with weapons such as mini-guns and plasma rifles. All this happens while a rocking soundtrack plays in the background, making for some pretty awesome gameplay.<br />
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The style of the original <i>Doom</i> games remained relatively unchanged until <i>Doom 3</i>, when id Software decided to go with more of a survival horror feel. Gone was the rocking soundtrack, as were the (mostly) brightly-lit game maps that encouraged run-and-gun gameplay. You'll still do some running, but this time it will be in fear.<br />
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The game has a very dark and creepy atmosphere that will have you on edge the whole time. In some of the darkest rooms, you'll need to pull out a flashlight in order to make your way through. However, when you use the flashlight, you aren't able to use a gun at the same time, adding a feeling of helplessness. A special edition of <i>Doom 3</i> was released that allows you to use a weapon-mounted flashlight, but in my opinion that took away one of the great tension-causing features in the game.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flashlight or mini-gun? Better decide quick, he's getting closer by the second.</td></tr>
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This atmosphere makes it all the more simple for the game to utilize jump scares to great effect. Some of the scares are nonlethal, such as a steam pipe exploding in your face as you slowly walk down a hallway. Other instances can be brutal, as in the case when you open a door and find yourself face-to-face with a demon that instantly pounces on you.<br />
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Because you are always expecting the game to throw something at you, gaming sessions can really do a number on your nerves. I found this to be one of the most stressful games I've ever played, and I could only handle it in short chunks of 20-30 minutes of gameplay at a time before I needed to step away and calm down.<br />
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During your adventures on Mars (and in parts of Hell too), you'll encounter updated versions of your favorite monsters from the original <i>Doom</i> games. Imps, zombies, and the huge Hell Knight all make numerous appearances (in the Imp's case, probably too many appearances).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prepare to be ambushed by plenty of these guys throughout the game.</td></tr>
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There's even a bunch of new additions to the cast of enemies, including a creepy demon-baby called a Cherub. As if an evil baby isn't scary enough, Cherubs have wings similar to a fly's, and crab-like arms that end in pincers instead of hands. As an added bonus, they tend to swarm you in groups.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMfdTIfcq_Mdd-VFWuG-NYKgzSpGGwAVt3aLSpy6pscImedvqqeDsJQntdQ1qKgruTkvZMsuXtrHmrcwWmsCGaVprzqmwAnEnOuWm5fawYJvmj5TyrQZcRy5_Za-6iVkd21U_9BKv09diR/s1600/Doom+3+Cherub.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMfdTIfcq_Mdd-VFWuG-NYKgzSpGGwAVt3aLSpy6pscImedvqqeDsJQntdQ1qKgruTkvZMsuXtrHmrcwWmsCGaVprzqmwAnEnOuWm5fawYJvmj5TyrQZcRy5_Za-6iVkd21U_9BKv09diR/s320/Doom+3+Cherub.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Creepiness brought to a whole new level.</td></tr>
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If there's anything bad that can be said about <i>Doom 3</i>, it's that the developers might have went a little overboard with the constant jump scare tactic. Towards the end of the game you get accustomed to enemies jumping out at you every couple minutes, so when an attempted jump scare happens you just shrug it off and move on. This game could definitely have benefited from more slow <i>Silent Hill</i>-style moments, where nothing jumps out but the creepy environment handles most of the scares.<br />
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That wraps up our quick look at one of the scariest first-person shooters you'll ever play. While it's definitely different from its predecessors, the combination of scares and demon-blasting make for a tense but fun experience. Did you guys play <i>Doom 3</i>? If so, did you find it to be a stress-inducing experience?Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504151673910649244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836525724237703724.post-20839859488837008272013-10-15T11:44:00.000-07:002013-10-15T11:44:41.001-07:00Creepy Castle in Donkey Kong 64<i>Donkey Kong 64</i>: You either love it or hate it. Some people love it for the large levels that allow for tons of platforming action, some hate it because of the repetitive objectives and mini-games on each level. Whatever you feel about this game, you have to admit that it does have some pretty stylish levels. Today we're going to look at one of the last levels in the game: Creepy Castle.<br />
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As you've already deduced from the name, Creepy Castle takes place on a massive castle. The game sets a nice spooky mood as soon as you arrive here; you start outside the castle at nighttime, during a thunderstorm. Seeing flickers of lightning while rain pours down on you constantly is definitely a nice touch. A bonus is the extremely catchy song that plays when you are outside the castle, which in my opinion is some of the best music in the game.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>You can climb your way up to the top of the castle by walking on various pathways and drawbridges that spiral up the exterior walls. As you venture forth, you'll pass by appropriate scenery such as clusters of headstones and skeleton-like dead trees. The enemies you encounter are also fitting, and in true Rare style, they are somewhat goofy. You'll see bats, giant skeletons, and Kremlins wearing white sheets pretending to be ghosts.<br />
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Along the way there are multiple entrances into the castle, taking you into areas such as the catacombs, a haunted library, and even a large ballroom (Disney Haunted Mansion fans rejoice!). Pretty much every area you can visit feels like it could belong in a huge haunted castle, with the exception of one segment where you go inside a not-very-spooky greenhouse.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwwdMxKgvNlV-gmFVnKQVJZOStZ9z6FrEisFgsxWIu_okzSpDIePBmE0MbbVyRA7nEHMt_-Y5HHC1BYs1bttq-QEjnFLn5q4y6t5n0jhMZtY1CvOU_kFnyGXUBgXkueMNGN8z6f-HbVTZ/s1600/Creepy+Castle+Ballroom.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwwdMxKgvNlV-gmFVnKQVJZOStZ9z6FrEisFgsxWIu_okzSpDIePBmE0MbbVyRA7nEHMt_-Y5HHC1BYs1bttq-QEjnFLn5q4y6t5n0jhMZtY1CvOU_kFnyGXUBgXkueMNGN8z6f-HbVTZ/s320/Creepy+Castle+Ballroom.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the ballroom.</td></tr>
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It just wouldn't be Donkey Kong without some minecart action (unless we're talking about the original arcade version of Donkey Kong), and this level does not disappoint. There is a segment where Donkey Kong must navigate a minecart through a large section of the castle, while being pursued by the demon who lives there. At some points you'll be dodging the growling demon as he takes swipes at the minecart, while at other sections you'll have to avoid random headstones that pop up in your path. Needless to say this is a very exciting section of the level, and my personal favorite part of Creepy Castle.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-vSLEhsW65NcgkKh4rWAmjAVIraqC2RAdIiRl5YCUD3BG1E4jKsxrCoz4F6CCBP-e6f8eQZvzL5TINDim6liTndFjGNe2CddSOyM40gZ2U6nuz9klplbMrHJwTsROSt0kU16XE1CFVFYF/s1600/Creepy+Castle+Minecart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-vSLEhsW65NcgkKh4rWAmjAVIraqC2RAdIiRl5YCUD3BG1E4jKsxrCoz4F6CCBP-e6f8eQZvzL5TINDim6liTndFjGNe2CddSOyM40gZ2U6nuz9klplbMrHJwTsROSt0kU16XE1CFVFYF/s320/Creepy+Castle+Minecart.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awesome.</td></tr>
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Unfortunately the level ends on a sour note: the boss battle is absolutely terrible. Throughout the game, you'll find yourself fighting monstrous bosses, such as a giant dragonfly (who is more dragon than fly) and an evil, cackling jack-in-the-box. So by the time you reach Creepy Castle you'll have high expectations, which are abruptly shattered. The boss for this level is a gigantic plywood cutout of King K. Rool.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-lS8jhQqGW41ciszmWz2VC4yujZ7srgiLWKA8uRYWuqL7NLMBw1rHv5WRWEWLT0nhTIA6RiKBN2P-ZP_5o5Pxfdkdn0hzdVhSKpCK7oTUheD8PJX9pUh9F0vhw6aBhFW64eKnu2RVspgS/s1600/Creepy+Castle+Boss+Battle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-lS8jhQqGW41ciszmWz2VC4yujZ7srgiLWKA8uRYWuqL7NLMBw1rHv5WRWEWLT0nhTIA6RiKBN2P-ZP_5o5Pxfdkdn0hzdVhSKpCK7oTUheD8PJX9pUh9F0vhw6aBhFW64eKnu2RVspgS/s320/Creepy+Castle+Boss+Battle.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lame boss battle will have you disappointed from the get-go.</td></tr>
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I kid you not, the boss fight involves the cutout of K. Rool popping up at various locations on the edge of the battle area and occasionally shooting lasers at you. I have no idea what convinced Rare to go this lazy route instead of designing a truly awesome and scary boss monster for the one level that deserved it.<br />
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That about wraps up our look at Creepy Castle in <i>Donkey Kong 64</i>. Did you guys play <i>DK64</i>? If so, did you enjoy the atmosphere of this level?Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504151673910649244noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836525724237703724.post-13881699527179388492013-10-14T13:52:00.000-07:002013-10-14T13:52:14.190-07:00Altered Beast: An Old-School Trip to the UnderworldIt's time for some classic beat-em-up action! <i>Altered Beast</i> was originally an arcade game back in 1988, and was later ported to consoles. In this game, you play as a Roman Centurion who is resurrected by Zeus in order to save Zeus' daughter Athena from an evil god named Neff. How's that for a mish-mash of mythology?<br />
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Anyway, as you side-scroll your way through the five levels in the game (yes, it's pretty short), you can obtain power-ups which cause the Centurion to "power up" as the in-game voice states (every single time you pick one up, it's actually pretty funny to hear). After collecting three power-ups, the Centurion will transform into a level-specific beast, such as a werewolf or a bear.<br />
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During your quest to save Athena, you'll visit locations such as the graveyard where your character is resurrected, the underworld, and the so-called Cavern of Souls. In the graveyard you'll encounter flying demons, along with hordes of (surprise, surprise) zombies. The zombies are actually pretty entertaining; some of them will burst out of their graves in order to attack you, and a well-aimed punch can knock off their head. There's also a variation of this enemy that walks around holding it's disembodied head in one hand.<br />
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A detailed background scrolls by as you make your way to face the boss, containing mass amounts of gravestones. However, the whole level is set in broad daylight. Why would the developers go through all the trouble to make a bad-ass graveyard, and not set it at night?<br />
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The underworld level is a step in the right direction, given that it's set in a dark cavern that appears to stretch out to infinity. Here you'll be fighting giant leeches that love to latch onto your character's head and drain his health.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This isn't going to end well.</td></tr>
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Other enemies you'll frequently run into here are large snakes that burst from the ceiling and floor of the cavern, which can be decapitated with a well-timed punch or kick.<br />
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I mentioned the Cavern of Souls level earlier, mainly because with a name like that it should be a pretty awesome level right? Unfortunately it's not, the level is a bland-looking cave where you fight giant ants and snails. Way to go Sega.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yea...scary stuff....I guess...</td></tr>
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The end of each level features a showdown with Neff, who transforms into various monstrosities. Notable among these are his demon form, where he will continually tear off his head and throw it at you, while a new head grows back in its place. He will also turn into a plant-based creature which proceeds to shoot out damage-causing eyeballs.<br />
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<i>Altered Beast</i> is a fairly short game that can be completed in twenty minutes or so. It's fun to play co-op with a friend, but there isn't too much replay factor due to lack of depth (it is an arcade port after all). Have you guys had a chance to play <i>Altered Beast</i>, and journey through the (mostly) hellish locations?Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504151673910649244noreply@blogger.com0