New Items

My main focus lately besides playing Halo 4 and The Sims 3 (which I got some great expansion packs for during Black Friday sales) has been adding more items to my Etsy store, Ginger Wabbit. After seeing a need for unique washcloths I added my first set of four to the shop after hours of knitting that was so intense I split my thumb. To me the price of $20 is a bargain for something that took 4 full days of work. I will be battling the metal sticks I used to make them again soon to add another set which will be purple/white.



Another new edition that I labored over through knitting and sewing is a Amigurumi plushy pig with matching shawl and flower head piece. It is by far one of my most favorite things I've made. It was so cute watching it come together piece by piece and it looks adorable on-top of my gaming shelf. The pig can be completely customized for a reasonable price considering the top quality yarn I like to work with (the cheap stuff makes my hands bleed) and the time it takes to make the little piggies.


And finally the items that I have most recently added to the store that have been causing me endless headaches from the sounds created while making them...hand stamped metal jewelry. I have always been interested in metal stamping and smithing and thanks to Black Friday I was able to get almost everything needed to do it. The things I haven't gotten yet include gloves, goggles, ear plugs...unimportant stuff. Making these metal pieces has been really fun and I even managed to throw some knitting into it. So far I have 1 necklace, some bracelets, and cuffs to choose from. Right now I'm working with some beautiful blue and purple colored yarn and making more bases for bracelets so that there is more color variety. In the future I will be making hand sculpted wedding/engagement rings out of various metals. I might have to make a Kickstarter project soon to get pre-orders on my metal jewelry so that I'm able to make everything I want to make.  Here is a tasting of what I have so far :
 I'll be making another post soon when I have my pretty blue and purple items out.

Projects Update

I just wanted to post an update on what I've been working on. It has been a while since my last post because I've been so busy. I am currently playing the game Sleeping Dogs which so far has been way too difficult early on and I will be reviewing it soon. I have also been playing a lot of Saints Row 3, mostly because I love the music. You can expect more regular reviews and other fun stuff soon.

I have been doing a lot of writing (fiction) and hand embroidery lately and might be adding sections for those in the blog soon for anyone interested.

Now onto my latest projects...

1. As you may have noticed, I have a store on Etsy called Ginger Wabbit (right side of the blog) were I sell accessories that I make. I have recently started collecting and selling vintage typewriters on there. Not the ugly 80s ones! Right now I have one as old as the 1950s. I will be adding even older models soon. All of my machines work and come oiled and with new ribbons.


2. I have a new project on Indiegogo which so far isn't doing too well. It's for a character I created because I'd like to do a little children's writing along with my scifi/creepy/horror stuff. I have several young cousins in Mexico who love stories and they, along with the country which I love, inspired the character. I want to create this character out of fabric and other supplies utilizing my sewing skills and to take him with me to Disney World in a couple weeks. There I will take funny pictures of him and write stories about his adventures and turn them into postcards and letters. Later he will become a character for children's books full of his adventures in America. Because my trip is so expensive I can't make him without the help of crowd funding. I have a VERY limited amount of time to raise the funds and make him so please pass it on or check it out yourself if you have kids or are a kid at heart (I'm good at funny pics). Even if he's made of paper and only a few people get to read the stories I'm happy. :)

That's all for this update. Thanks for reading and thanks for checking my blog out! I promise me and Jordan will keep posting our gaming opinions.

Quake 4

Quake 4 was first released on the PC in 2005 and then released on the Xbox 360 in 2006. It has just been re - released in June of this year because copies of the game were becoming rare. The re - released edition of the game has no changes or additions from the original version as far as I know. I myself recently finished replaying the game because I loved my first campaign against the Strogg when I first completed the game years ago. To me, this game does not look or feel out dated at all. The game has cool graphics and is actually using an updated graphics engine used in Doom 3 on the original Xbox.

The story is simple and not too engaging. You're a soldier named Matthew Kane who is fighting for the Global Defense Force (GDF) against the hostile cyborg alien race known as the Strogg. The game takes place shortly after Quake 2. With the leader of the Strogg, the Makron, assassinated by a lone GDF marine who broke through the Strogg defensive lines, the GDF has taken the war to the Strogg home planet of Strogos. Their main objective: destroy the Nexus which is a command and control network linked to the Strogg army. Destroying it would strike a blow to the Strogg capabilities and then they could be eliminated and no longer pose a threat to humanity.

The gameplay is what you would expect from an id Software game, a frag fest. The game features several Strogg enemy types and plenty of cool sci fi weapons to kill them with, including the basics of a shotgun to the powerhouse that is the Dark Matter Gun. I'll let you figure out what that does. The game is reminiscent in both look and gameplay to 2005's Doom 3, with dark corridors and jump from your chair scares. But Quake 4 also has parts where you get to see the red dust of the Strogos landscapes, whether you're on foot, in a heavily armed walker, or in a hover tank. Either way it feels good to crush and blow up the Strogg that pointlessly try to destroy you. My only complaint is the sluggish frame rate on the Xbox 360 version that occurs almost every time combat occurs. It has never deterred me from playing the game but just expect this when you play. The game still plays great despite this and is still very enjoyable.
Quake 4 also features multiplayer that I tried briefly which is a fast moving frag fest much like Quake 3 Arena (available now on the Xbox Live Marketplace).

Overall, I think Quake 4 is a great game that still stands out to me today. The campaign is lengthy and has an array of challenging boss battles, and the multiplayer is a fast paced killer of a time that is hard to find today. Also, as an added bonus, some copies of Quake 4 on the Xbox 360 contain bonus DVDs that feature behind the scenes content but also a full playable copy of Quake 2 which features achievements (all award 0 gamerscore) and online functionality as well. I'm not sure if re - released copies of Quake 4 feature this DVD so be careful when you purchase. Good luck and get fraggin'!

”Haul ass or die!” - Sgt. Bidwell - Quake 4

People Love Zombie Games

People enjoy playing zombie games because zombies are a part of our history, which began with Haitian folklore, and grew into a major part of our entertainment in recent years. Zombies have grown so much in popularity that you can ask almost anyone if they know what a zombie is and they will come up with some kind of definition. With their high level of popularity it is only natural that they would make their way into video games after being so successful in films and literature. To learn about the journey zombies have taken to get to where they are now, the search begins in Haitian folklore. 

In the Haitian voodoo culture, zombies are known as “zombi” which means “spirit of the dead.” They believed that zombies were created by voodoo priests, known as bokor, which had the power to resurrect the dead. The way they did that was by giving a living person a powder called “coup padre” made from a poisonous porcupine fish, which made them appear to die. The living would bury the person who had taken the coup padre, and the voodoo priest would later dig them back up and find them still living, but not the same (“Zombie History and Haitian Folklore”). The Haitians involved in the voodoo culture describe a zombie as: “The body of a dead person given the semblance of life, but mute and will-less, by a supernatural force, usually for some evil purpose (“Zombie”).” The Haitians have different stories that explain why zombies were made and what they were used for. In an article by Tracey V. Wilson, she stated that some believed that the zombies became slaves to the voodoo priests. These zombie slaves were only thought to be dangerous if the bokor gave them salt, which would restore their senses. Some still believe in supernatural zombies, but that idea has changed for many. 

In the world of zombie fans, it is now more common to believe that zombies could be created from viruses. The zombies created by viruses are more believable for people in our time because we know a lot more about them than our ancestors and know how they can spread quickly. In the recent zombie stories, it goes from one to many zombies very quickly because of the exchange of infected fluids or an air-born virus. This kind of virus spread is something we are all used to and fear. It is the perfect zombie creator because we know that it is possible, and could wipe out everyone. Now that zombies have become more believable, they have also become scarier, and that’s what a lot of the fans of zombies want—to be scared. There are few better ways to make people feel afraid of zombies than to immerse them into a game world where they must fight for their lives, which is something that game players have been doing for decades. 

The first zombie video game was released in Europe in 1984 for the ZX Spectrum. It was called “Zombie Zombie.” Zombie Zombie is completely different from the zombie games we are now used to playing. In the game, the player uses an air gun to blow zombies back and kills them by tricking them into jumping off of buildings and walls. That is very different from the weapons-driven zombie blood baths that are made these days. The story, however, is similar to many that have been made since then. Zombie Zombie takes place in a city that is overrun by zombies, and the player has to get rid of them (“Zombie Zombie for the ZX Spectrum – The First Zombie Video Game”.) The overrun city is a favorite in zombie entertainment that is still being used. Now that travel is easier than in the past, it is even more frightening to think about how fast a zombie virus could spread to all of the major cities. This idea keeps fans of zombies coming back for more. 

Moving into more recent zombie game history, other notable titles are the Resident Evil series, Zombies Ate my Neighbors, Alone in the Dark, Typing of the Dead, Stubbs the Zombie, and the Dead Rising series to name a few. The Resident Evil series follows many different characters as they battle with the “Umbrella Corporation” who created the “T – Virus” (zombie virus) and lots of zombies, survival horror style. Zombies Ate my Neighbors is a game which has the player use a variety of weapons to kill monsters, zombies being the main ones, and to advance in the game the player saves people from the monsters. The Alone in the Dark series are survival horror games which involve monsters, including zombies, being let loose in different places with mysteries that need to be solved. Typing of the Dead is a zombie game where the player has to type in words or phrases to kill zombies. Stubbs the Zombie is a game where the player gets to play as a zombie and get revenge for Stubbs by eating the brains of the living. 

Many consider the Dead Rising series to be the best zombie games so far. There are websites that list it as number one, and several other gamers I have asked have said the same thing. There are several reasons to love Dead Rising. The main reason of course being the never-ending horde of zombies that are at your disposal. I don’t know anyone who has played the game that didn’t enjoy just running around killing zombies in a variety of ways, myself included. The game also boasts a large variety of weapons, and in Dead Rising 2, it allows the player to put together objects found in the game to make new ones. It is one of those games where killing zombies never gets old, and that is something that people who love zombie games love.

There are many different reasons why people love games with zombies in them. For me, the main reason is that they are one of those things that can be scary and funny at the same time. It’s scary and exciting to see several zombies coming at you at once, and yet it is funny watching a mindless crowd chasing after you like their life depends on eating you. Something that players of zombie games usually have in common is not taking the games too seriously. Those who don’t understand the appeal of zombie games say things like “that’s disgusting,” “how can you play something like that?” and “it’s too scary,” but ask most people who love zombie games and they would say things like “that’s awesome,” “how can you not love this game?” and “it’s not gross enough.” To the dismay of the zombie haters, I don’t see zombie games going anywhere in the future. People love zombie games because they have zombies in them. Zombies will always have a home in video games and people will always want to see more of them.

 To read more about zombies and their history, check out my very first blog post.

Sources:

“Zombie History and Haitian Folklore”. Zombies.Zombies.com. Web. November 18, 2010. < http://www.umich.edu/~engl415/zombies/zombie.html>

“Zombie.” Dictionary.com. Ask.com. Web. November 18, 2010.

Wilson, Tracey V. “How Zombies Work.” how stuff works. HowStuffWorks, Inc. Web. November 22, 2009.

D.S. Cohen. “Zombie Zombie for the ZX Spectrum – The First Zombie Video Game.” About.com.Web. December 12, 2010.

Perfect Dark (Xbox Live Arcade)

   Perfect Dark originally came out for the Nintendo 64 in May of 2004. It was the spiritual successor to Goldeneye 64 and like Goldeneye 64, it was a huge hit, and I myself loved it as a child. In 2010, it was ported exclusively to the Xbox Live Arcade and I purchased it on day one. The port added High Definition graphics, online multiplayer courtesy of Xbox Live, achievements, and a much smoother frame rate. It was a better looking version of a game I already loved. The story follows Joanna Dark (codename Perfect Dark) who is a secret agent working for the Carrington Institute in the year 2023. Its the future reminiscent of Bladerunner and Deus Ex, where there are flying cars, high - tech mega cities, and corporate espionage between powerful corporations. You'll play as Jo on her adventure into the dark and dangerous world of conspiracies, both conspiracies of government and corporations, that may even go as far as off of this planet. At your disposal is an arsenal of high - tech weaponry and gadgetry fitting the female James Bond of the future. Weapons such as the Laptop Gun, a fully functional computer that can transform into a fast and deadly machine gun that can even be deployed as a sentry turret. As you can already likely tell I highly recommend this game, It has a great story, decent graphics for a game from the N64 days, a fun soundtrack, and multiplayer that is basic but will make you nostalgic for those long nights of playing Goldeneye 64 with three other friends on one television locally. Sadly, the Goldeneye 64 port has been canceled thanks to an unresolved battle over rights between Microsoft, Rare, and Nintendo. But the port of Perfect Dark is the next best thing and it available now on the Xbox Live Arcade for the very reasonable price of 800 Microsoft Points (10 USD). So if you wish to go down the memory lane of first person shooters, give it a shot.

” The perfection - The darkness...” - Perfect Dark

Heavy Rain

Heavy Rain for PlayStation 3 was released in February of this year (2010)and is an interactive game. The player plays as four different characters in the game to solve the big mystery. There is a serial killer on the loose known as “The Origami Killer.” The Origami Killer is known for kidnapping and drowning young boys and leaving an origami figure on their corpse. In the game, the killer has taken the son of one of the characters and, playing as four different people, the player has to find out who the killer is before the little boy drowns. The characters the player gets to take over are Jayden Norman, an FBI agent, Ethan Mars, the boy’s father, Scott Shelby, a private investigator, and Madison Page, a reporter. They all have different tasks to complete to find the killer. 

            The games interactive features are unique and get the player into the story. Along with looking for clues and being in battles the player also has to take care of some of the things their players need like babysitting, cleaning up wounds, having them take showers, and helping set up a birthday party. But there are much larger decisions to make in the game and they have a huge effect on how everything ends. The player gets to decide how to react to situations which can turn out to be good or bad decisions. Because of the motion control sometimes it is also the player’s skills that make the choices. If the player has fast reflexes and is a quick decision maker then they have an easier time picking how they want things to turn out. A lot of times there are only seconds to decide which way to do something. 

            Because of the different endings and major changes in the game based on the player’s choices, this is another game that has excellent replay value. Everyone I know who has played the game has started another play through immediately after beating it so that they can try new things. I’m also one of the players who couldn’t get enough and had to play it through a few times. The game’s story is so good that even people who aren’t hard core gamers can get into it. I know this is true because my mom played through the game and was really into it, which doesn’t happen often. I consider this one of the best games I have played, and I would recommend it to almost anyone.

Monopoly Streets

Monopoly Streets for Wii was released in October of this year and is the video game version of the board game Monopoly. It has the same rules as the board game version, but it’s customizable in many ways. When first starting to play the game, there are two game boards to choose from. The first is of course the classic board that many people have used, and the other is a 3D version of the game with buildings and Mii’s walking around in it. It also starts out with some of the classic playing tokens available, which are the Dog, Car, Wheelbarrow, Battleship Shoe, and Top Hat. Each player token has a character that goes along with it and each one has their own unique voice and animations. One of my favorite characters is the one called “Little Girl.” She comes with the shoe token and when she moves to different spaces on the board, she sits inside the shoe and rides it. 

            One of the cool parts of the game is that you have to earn money by playing the game to unlock more game boards and tokens. There is even a thing you can purchase that will allow you to play as one of your Mii’s. The other tokens that can be unlocked are Iron, Cop Hat, and Moneybag. Some of the game boards that can be unlocked are Sweet Board, Jungle Board, and another 3D city called Landmark City, to name a few. The player’s money earned and level can be looked up in “Game Profile” in the main menu. Some other great things about the game are that you can play with other people or play with AI’s. The AI’s are good practice because you can set their difficulty. One thing the game has that the regular board game version doesn’t is the ability to save the game. There are times when Monopoly games go on for ages and it’s sometimes not easy to quit and leave everything and go back to the game. But, playing on a console makes it easy to continue a game at another time. 

            Monopoly Streets is the perfect game for Monopoly and board game lovers. It takes the classic game to a new level with its 3D cities and its ability to let the player customize the rules. The unlockables make the game stay new and fun and give the player a new challenge besides just beating the game. As a collector of Monopoly boards, I highly recommend the game to other fans, and even people who haven’t played it before who prefer playing games on consoles.