Token Female Gamer

 I swore I wouldn’t play this game. All the months that my husband and friends have been obsessively playing and urging me to hop on the bandwagon, I have held strong. No, I said, I’m already collecting battle pets in World of Warcraft, I said, I didn’t want another distraction on my phone, I said.

But curiosity has this way of creeping in and making me pliable. My husband, sensing weakness, pounced! He pushed the iPad in front of me, game installed and ready for me to register a new account. Just try it, he said, and smiled his most winsome smile, its not on your phone, he said. How could I refuse?

I’ve been playing ever since (I cant stop!!) Come play the crack with us, they said, you will really really like it, they said. Damn them for being right. (I had to take various P&D interludes while writing this blurb, for research, purely research!)

Thankfully, limiting the game to the iPad was really quite brilliant, as it certainly has managed to curtail my tendency to overindulge.

For those of you who will heed my warning, for this is certainly a cautionary tale, be strong! Puzzles and Dragons will eat your soul!

To the rest, here is my friend ID (tfgamer is the account name). Friend me up and send me a note to let me know your account name so I can be sure to add you! =D

Oh and here are some really good websites to get great information.
http://ggftw.com/forum/game-discussion/118764-iphone-android-puzzle-dragons.html#post1783761
http://zh.pad.wikia.com/wiki/Category:%E5%AE%A0%E7%89%A9 (in Chinese!)
http://www.puzzledragonx.com/
http://puzzleanddragonsforum.com/index.php
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/puzzle-dragons-english/id563474464?mt=8 (official itunes page)

Come build super dungeon squashing power teams with me! =D

Immersive story seems to be the newest selling point for video games. While sexy graphics still reign supreme in the marketing of AAA titles, story seems to be catching up quickly.

Clearly I’m not the biggest fan of this story excess trend. So then what to choose for best story? Though it took some digging, I eventually landed on Myst.

I have never been so willingly immersed in a story as I was playing this game. It is part mystery, part exploration, and part puzzle solving. But what makes the story so darn brilliant is that you have to go look for it!! And each new bit of story you uncover is just enough to keep it interesting.

The story is so subtly revealed and brilliantly woven into the world that it doesn’t feel like a story game, which is incredible as the entire game is really about trying to uncover the story itself.

The only recent game that I felt came close, with its subtle use of story, is Portal. There are no cut scenes, no quest texts to read, no character dialogue trees, and yet just enough bits of story are revealed to give the player a delectably enticing peek into what might have happened.

What is really so fabulous about this story delivery, is that it allows for my participation and actually requires some thinking on my part. I get to use my own imagination to fill in the blanks. Then again I am a sucker for mysteries. =D

Oh and for anyone interested in experiencing Myst, I found that it was recently released for the iPhone!! Yes I downloaded it and am now playing it, again. Still awesome.

This is a huge topic and an important one since mobile devices have really allowed for a huge indi game explosion, and many believe that this is the future of the games industry, gaming on the go.

As an owner or multiple Nintendo DSs, a 3DS, an iPhone, and even a PSP, I have loads of opportunity for hand held gaming. That being said, I hardly ever use the PSP (don’t really know why, it just never grew on me). Even my iPhone is relatively game free. The DS really holds my hand held device love.

I think this mostly comes from the fact that the DS has a meatier selection of games. The indi movement is great, but the vast majority of them are simply too casual for me. I really like games with a bit more depth. Also I really really really dislike playing things on the touch screen. The margin of error is far higher then a button will ever be, which can be a quite frustrating experience.

Never the less, I do have a favorite iPhone game and though it’s not my favorite of all time, it deserves a mention. Words with Friends is the clear winner. A really fun, challenging, and quick game that is easy to play in five-minute increments.

But my heart belongs to the DS. And though the selection was difficult, I’m going to settle on Professor Layton as my final choice. Pretty much any Professor Layton game will do, as I have enjoyed them all. This type of turn based puzzle game really appeals to me.

That being said, I do have some runners up. The outstanding Pokemon games are a very close second place and have only landed in there due to lack of innovation. Phoenix Wright – Ace Attorney is another fabulous game that plays similarly to the Professor Layton series, only revolves around a lawyer solving a mystery.

Lastly I do very much love the Zelda and Mario DS games, but I didn’t feel that they should be chosen since they are not solely on the DS.

I have never really suffered the fate of a gaming widow, since I am usually participating in the actual gaming. My husband and I have both done our share of ‘not hearing’ the other person, though my he claims I am far far worse.

But recently, said husband joined what I like to call the cult of NimbleBit, and for the first time in my life I actually understand, just a little bit, what all those ladies are complaining about.

At first it was Pocket Planes, an iPhone game (drug) that was going around his work like wild fire. While the game looks really cute (yes I have heard ALL about it), it requires constant updates. The phone actually beeps at you to remind you! EVERY. FIVE. MINUTES. I don’t think I have ever felt so violent against someone else’s phone before.

Thankfully he moved onto Tiny Towers, which doesn’t require such constant supervision. Really cute game, but still a totally pointless Sims like game that clamors for attention way to often.

And this is something he wants to share with me, so I may get sucked into the cult of needy and over dependent iPhone games. Thankfully I’m holding out. Skyrim has my back. =)

Now it’s just a matter of patience on my part. That or secretly delete the apps off his phone while he is sleeping.

For anyone looking to play a decent strategy game on iPhone (or iPad), look no further. Hero Academy has clinched the top spot in the strategy category and I can assure you it is merited. And the best part; its free to play.

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Draw Something, the latest mobile pictonary game from OMGPOP, has had its fifteen minutes of fame. But what a whirlwind fifteen minutes it has been. From its rapid rise to fame, even toppling the number one Angry Birds, to Zynga’s purchase of the struggling OMGPOP. The Atlantic Wire has a great article chronicling the strange story.

As for the actual game, it is basically two-player Pictionary. The first player chose a word from a selection of three, then proceeds to draw it on their mobile device. Once done, the picture is sent to the second player where they have the chance to guess what the word is. Once guessed, the roles are reversed. And though I love Pictionary, Draw Something just never seemed as satisfying.

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This routing foible made me laugh. The goal was to get from the green Pin to the red one. It’s really only a total of six blocks. I know, seems silly to map that, but I live in a city filled with one way streets. Sometimes I like to check.

The trick here is that the app thought I was on the freeway when I was actually underneath it. Well, I was a street over, but whatever. Maybe I should be thankful that its not that accurate. Guess if I ever need to hide, I’ll know where to go – driving under the freeway.

Heheehe, 1.7 miles to go six blocks. Routes 2 and 3 were even longer. =D

You know you’ve sold out when…

That’s right, Angry Birds Bandages. ~shakes head~

Always a bummer when I can’t play the words I would like to play. Doesn’t keep me from trying.

My highest Words with Friends word yet! 153 points is not too shabby. =)

Played ‘Mistake’ my previous turn and thought myself quite clever as the word nestled right in between two Triple Word bonuses. My fabulous opponent didn’t take advantage, so I had the chance to play Zeps on the Triple Word bonus with the Z landing on a Triple Letter bonus.

Zep, BTW, is the name of a large sandwich, and yes I had to look it  up. =P