Concluding Thoughts

What I have learned through my experience of in-depth gameplay is thatall games are different no matter hoe closely related their genres are.Throught the game I have played, the majority being of the racing genre, I have noticed that the majority of the games have the same controls and basic ideas but each has its own special features which introduce new challenges and levels in the gamers experience. Also this assignment has helped me to over see the basics of a game and really enjoy the games for it diffferences and uniquness.

While playing these video games, I believe it was time well spent as i would normally play video games anyways but the idea of talking about the games themselve allowed me to express my true thoughts about the game which lead me to the opinion whether I would choose if a game was good or not. Also I believe that by doing this assignment it allowed not only me but my peers to truly analyze certain video game in specific and have certain arguments on what the better strategy is in the game and who plays it better.

Finally, after seeing all of these different video games, I believe that it would be possible to program a game with the similar aspects but it would be a very simplistic program of the game because by using scratch, only certain variables and dimensions of coding can be created and the time it takes for a group of people within a corporation to create such detailed games would take me years and years to create with little experience on this subject. Overall, I would be able to create a game with a simple concept and by playing many different video games I have been introduced to the knowledge of how to create some games I wouldn't have known how to until playing a few games from that genre. This assignment truly made me aware of the possibilities of games I could incorperate into my ISU which is very helpful for when I go to create such a game.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

     In the New Super Mario Bros., players can choose to either play as Mario, Luigi, or two different coloured Toad characters one being yellow and the other blue. Controls are similar to those of other Super Mario Bros. games but there is the ability of spinning in mid-air by shaking the Wii Remote, also characters can be picked up, carried, and thrown by other players. In multiplayer mode, up to four players can play simultaneously. If a player character loses a life and has at least one life left, he will re-emerge to the game inside a bubble, and can resume play once another player frees him by touching the bubble. Also the person inside the bubble is able to move closer to their team member simply by shaking the Wii remote making the popping process wuicker. If a player loses a life and does not have any more lives, he is dead until either 100 coins are collected to give everyone an extra life..Players can also place themselves inside a bubble as a strategic pla for more skilled players to pass a difficuult part and then those lessed skilled will just meet up with them at the end. 

     In multiplayer mode, if one or more players do not keep up with the one in the lead, on some levels, the view will expand a bit so that the players at the end of the screen will still be in view. If the players at the end of the screen do not catch up they will be pushed forward and this will most likely cause their death due to a fal or the hitting of another object. Also in multiplayer mode, if one player enters a pipe, climbs a vine, or grabs the flagpole at the end of the stage, then all of the othe rplayer will also be pushed to these palces automatically. 

NBA Street

NBA Street is a three-on-three basketball game consisting of the top 5 NBA player on each team. Aside from the basic structure of basketball, players try to collect trick points by doing special moves, dunks, long range shots etc. These tricks are scored with points are scored througout the game and eventually ths "Special Meter" will be filled. If a team fills the special meter, it will start to flash. When this occurs, the team is able to perform a Game Breaker. A Game Breaker is a special shot that adds that score to the tream shooting and subtracts it from the opposing team. 

NBA street has some very interesting features as you are able to play as some funny player such as the a yetti snowman this adds new concepts to the game as now you must achieve a good score in order to unlock these new players. Also in this gane goaltending is allowed and you are able to block 3 point shots which is very unrealistic in real NBA. Also unusual to regular NBA rules, any shot form inside the arch is worth 1 point where it is normally worth 2 and 3 pointers are only worth 2 points. Finally, instead of there being a time limit in the game , the winner is determined by the first team to get 21 points and it must  be a woin by 2 game. In NBA street you are also able to create your own playerts and maximize their ability to be a shooter, defender etc.

Mario Kart: Different Modes

     Mario Kart is a racing style of video game that involves a series of tracks. In  Mario Kart, players obtain various power-up items by driving into item boxes or coins, which can be used for either offensive attacks, defensive attacks, or to power up the player's vehicle for a brief burst of speed. Each Mario Kart game features several gameplay options, which can be played in both single and multiplayer mode:

     In Grand Prix mode, players compete against one another in a themed cup. There are usually four to eight cups and multiple race courses per cup. In addition, there are three speed settings, which serve as difficulty levels. Some games include a mirror mode in which the courses are inverted along their vertical axis . Points are awarded to players based on finishing position with the race winner gaining the most points, second-place gaining fewer points, down through last place which receives no points. The player wins the cup by having the most cumulative points throughout the Grand Prix.

     In Time Trial mode, the goal is to achieve the fastest time on whichever track is selected. Players are usually given up to three mushrooms which they can use at any time during the race. Once a record is set, the game saves a ghost replay of the set record,  for others to compete against.

     In VS. mode, multiple players can compete against each other in a single race. Depending on the platform, up to eight players can play simultaneously. Racing against CPU opponents can also be done in this mode. The number of races, teams, items, CPU difficulty, can be set to whatever is preferrred by the gamer.

     In Battle Mode, there is at least one battle scenario. Battles can be fought as teams or it can be a  free-for-all.

     In Free Run Mode, the player chooses his character and kart and chooses any course against all opponents.

Ratchet Deadlocked: The Bosses

King Leviathan

King Leviathans is a more strongly armored boss, and has stronger blaster attacks than the regular Leviathans. They are the highest in the Leviathan hierachy. They are also much bigger than normal Leviathans and wear very ornate looking armor.

Ivan Von Shellshocktonberg

Shellshock, is a robot that specialized in ammunition. He was one of the four Exterminator members. His brain was destroyed by a cruise missile during the Obani Moon wars, and was replaced with a coffee machine's AI chip. As a result, Shellshock was immune to pain but not damage. He is a very large and muscular robot, has a numerous amount of weapons.

Reactor

Dull Bookworm, also known by his stage name "Reactor",  is a huge robot with a nuclear reactor built into his body. He was once a high school math teacher before he became a DreadZone contestant. Dull had a live nuclear explosive surgically implanted into his chest. Soon becoming an exterminator for Dreadzone, he became rich and famous. Due to his formidable strength, Reactor became one of the most dangerous Exterminators at DreadZone. He was Shellshock's friend, which led to their designing of part of the Crusader Tournament.

Eviscerator

The Eviscerator is one of the many illegal robot-alien hybrids. Being mute, it had to make a DreadZone security bot eat its own left arm to say no, or disembowel it to say yes. Kidnapped by Gleeman Vox, the Eviscerator joined DreadZone, becoming one of Ace Hardlight's trusted Exterminators. Unlike the other three exterminators, the Eviscerator did not have much of a back story, and he never spoke. He enjoyed killing and humiliating other heroes and is a true villian. The Eviscerator in not loike the other exterminators as he is rather calm and smart.

Ace Hardlight

Ace Hardlight is once a famous hero who at one point mysteriously vanished from the face of the Solana Galaxy. However, reasons lead to suspect that he'd been kidnapped by the Vox empire to become one of the many contestants on Gleeman Vox'sshow DreadZone. During his time in the competition he started to enjoy his work and became one of the best at it, topping many leaderboards. He is said to be the strongest Exterminator and is the last one you face in the game.

Gleeman Vox

Gleeman Vox is the founder and owner of Vox Industries and DreadZone, the latter which he created because of his belief that he'd acquire stupendous ratings with a show that forced the galaxy's heroes against each other. He showed affection to little else than his pet Slugha and to a high bolt revenue from sold exterminator products. He has a cybernetic arm that allows him to play holograms. Gleeman Vox also owns Vox Airlines which he used to transport DreadZone contestants.

Ratchet Deadlocked: Interesting Gadgets



Charge Boots


Charge Boots

 Double tap L2 to boost ahead for a second.  Be careful not to fall into any hazards or off a cliff.





Grind Boots


Grind Boots

Allow you to grind rails. These are a big part in the game and are needed to complete many levels.









Gravity Boots

 Gravity Boots

Allow you to walk on metallic ceiling and walkways. This comes in handy when attempting to defeat enemies on platforms. It allows you to stay stable while moving around and will help stop you from falling off causing you to die.

Swingshot

Swingshot

Attaches to swing shot targets to help you swing across gaps. Swinging is a major part of the game and you recieve this gadget very early on as it is needed for a mojority of the levels.




Hacker Ray

Hacker Ray
Your bots use these to hack hacker orbs. This is a very useful device in the game as it allows you to protect yourself from incoming ememies while your Bots do the dirty work for you.




These gadgets help give the game a greater diversity of playing. They allow you to have a chance at getting away from the enemy as well as making it easier for you to complete the missions needed to become ranked first. These gadgets create a sense of getting away from the usual gameplay of just defeating monsters to get to the end.

Ratchet Deadlocked: Weapons Part 2 "The Final Five"



Fusion Rifle


Fusion Rifle

The Fusion Rifle sends out a powerful energy pulse or beam, to deal massive damage towards enemies.  It is the third most powerful gun in the game. In normal mode, there are brackets you can use to aim while moving. However, if you hold L2 down, you can go into snipe mode and zoom in, gaining more accuracy in the shot fired. The Fusion Rifle should be used to take out hard enemies in the distance by using the scope mode. This is very useful when trying to traverse on a grind rail, and want to take out the laser hunters that give you a lot of trouble on the rails.



Arbiter

 Arbiter

The Arbiter is a rocket launcher that can lock onto enemies. When an enemy has red brackets on it, it means that enemy is locked on, and you can fire. The Arbiter is a very powerful weapon and causes a great deal of damage.



Scorpion Flail


Scorpion Flail

This weapon hits the ground with a metal spike ball and causes a shock wave that damages all enemes in front of you. This should be used when there is a high density of monsters in front of you or rushing towards you.  This weapon will easily clear the way of enemies allowing you to become more focused on what is going on in the air.

Mini Turret Launcher

Mini Turret Launcher

The Mini Turret Launcher shoots out a mini gun (turret) on the ground that automatically shoots at enemies until it runs out of ammo, then it disappears. This should be used to destroy weaker enemies while you focus on the large ones.


Harbinger

Harbinger

The Harbinger shoots out a numerous amount of
missiles that rain down on enemies and usually kills, or heavily damages them and has a very good range. This weapon contains a very low supply of ammo, so it must be used sparingly. It should be used on large swarms of enemies, enemies that need an EMP blast, large enemies, and dropships.

Ratchet Deadlocked: Weapons Part 1 "The First Five"



Dual Vipers



Dual Vipers

You start out with this weapon.  It simply sends a continous fire of energy
balls at enemies. This is the only weapon you are able to use on the grind rails and therefore it will be automatically equipped on your character when on one.If you're using the shock mod for this weapon, use it on swarmers and other small enemies.  The shock will kill or severely damage all of them. 



B-6 Obliterator



B-6 Obliterator

This is a gun that shoots out bombs that explode on the ground. It will damage all enemies within the radius of the explosin. This is should be used on airships and other floating enemies with Napalm to have the lava fall to the ground and affect other enemies.



Magma Cannon



Magma Cannon

The Magma Ccannon, shoots out an energy blasts that effect all enemies within its range.  Enemies in
the center take the greatest damage, while enemies on the ends of the blast only take a more minor damage.  The Magama Cannon is a good weapon for going up against a swarm of enermies.



HoloShield Gun



HoloShield Gun

The HoloShield Gun shoots out a shield that dagamges enemies when they walk into it. This shield also protects you from enemy fire as it blocks the blasts of energy they send at you. This gun should be used when fast monsters are running towards you. As it is very easy for the ti run faster than you, this will slow them down. Also, this weapon should be used when trying to take out large enemies that do large amounts of damage. The protective shield will only last for a period of time so make sure to be prepared once it is gone. 

Hunter Mine Launcher

Hunter Mine Launcher


The Hunter Mine Launcher, launches a mine out in front of you.  It stays there until it picks up enemy movement, then closes in on the enemy. This should be used when a wall in front of you, so you can use other weapons to take out the enemies that are farther away and allow the mine to take out enemies that are much closer. It is good when facing a swarm of enemies because it destrys them very quickly.

Ratchet Deadlocked: The Beginning

Ratchet Deadlocked, is a game in which the character you play as "Ratchet" has a collar placed on his neck in which the failure to participate will cause the bomb on his collar to detonate and he will die. The point of this game is to complete missions within it by defeating the "bad guys" that will eventually prepare you for the bosses. Throught the game you can go to a shop and upgrade your armor with pieces that you find on the ground and that can also be collected by destroying other robot characters. These robots are killed by using a variety of different weapons such as guns and spears. To defend yourself you are able to purchase shields and also later on in the game, you are able to unlock drones which will help protect you, fight off enemies and do certain tasks for you that will help proceed you through the game. These drones will be referred to you in the game as "Bots". You also have the ability to upgrade your Bots' weapons and armor allowing their damage to increase and their life span longer. Once these Bots have been destroyed by the enemy, you are able to revive them and then they will be able to defend you again.

Gran Turismo 4: The Beginning

Gran Turismo 4 was the next version of the Gran Turismo games it was released a year after the 3rd one in 2004. Gran Turismo 4 cam with a lot of newert features that did not please the public as much as it should have. In Gran Turismo 4 the tracks revolve around different countries and although the car are newer model and there is a lot more choice in vehicles, it is very difficult to achieve high spots in races to be able to purchase the fastest cars. In Gran Tursmo 4 the only better thing added was the addition of new cars. There were many different type of concept car that had been very unknown of and it allowed the gamers to be aware of new hot cars that had never before been seen. This game was released to early as they could have made the driving simulations much better. Also there wasn't many new features in the game everything was pretty much a wtite off the first game and disappointed many gamers that truly enjoyed Gran Turismo 3. Gran Turismo 4 also made it to be a very long process to go to your garage and switch vehicles and do many of the things you wanted to also the game would take forever to load which really put down the game and caused many to dislike it.

Gran Turismo 3: Tune Ups

GT Auto Shop

In Gran Turismo 3 they added a GT Auto shop wher after racing your cars, you can manage their oil levels and wash it up especialluy when participating in rally races. You will know when to tune up your car because it will begin to function poorly and you will lose control of your car during races very easily. In the GT Auto shop you are also able to change your tires. During long endurance races when you car need an oil change you have a pit available where you sacrifice a few second in the game to fix up your car and get it back to new to continue the race. Some carscan go throughout full endurance races without needing one tune up but it is best because as soon as you take the risk of possibly bumping into a wall and losing complete control of your car and position in the race. In these races, there is no room for mistake so its better to not take the chance. Also at the GT Auto shop you are able to change the tightess of your brakes etc. and certain things will make your car faster than it is during its stock mode.

Gran Turismo 3: Fastest Cars

In Gran Turismo 3 the fastest cars can on be unlocked and not bought. These cars are unlocked by completing the endurance races. These are the races that take a lot of skill and hours of time to complete as the tracks are very long and there are around 100 - 200 laps to finish. The six fastest cars in the game are:

Ranking:  6th: Ford Falcon
               5th: Viper GTS
               4th: Panoz Esperante GTR-1
               3rd: GT one
               2nd: Suzuki Pikes Peak Escudo
               1st: F688s

Ranking is Left to Right from the Top and Then to the Bottom

Gran Turismo 3: License Tests



License Test Footage

 In Gran Turismo 3 there is this interesting new feature that was added to this race genre of game that isnt found in other racing games. In Gran Turismo 3 there is this section called license test here is where the gamer will achieve certain class licenses to be able to play in the different levels of game modes. The first set of license test is for your B license this is your beginner license and is the easiest of the six types. After you have achieved your B license you can then go for your A license which would be your amateur license. After you have achieved this you are then able to enter the amateur league. After your A license you can go for you IB and IA licenses which are your intermediate beginner and intermediate amateur licenses. After those you are able to get your S license or Super license which allows you to play in the endurance races. Finally the 6th possible license you are able to get is the R license or rally license. This license will allow you to compete in rally events and championships experiencing dirt roads and their specialized race cars.

Gran Turismo 3: Interesting Features



Main Screen: You can access your replays from here.

One interesting idea that was incorperated into this video game was that the producers decided to add a replay center. At the replay center you are able to acces your greatest moments in GT3 history and rewatch those highlighting moments of you dominating a race. Saving replaay can be done at and time during races in the carrer mode or even just regular arcade mode. After the race has ended it gives you an option on the screen to allow you to save the replay of the race where you can then access it on the main screen where you can choose which mode of game you would like to play.


This is where you can see your specs.


Another interesting feature that was added to this game is the car dealership. Here is where you can buy the fastest cars as well as cars that are needed to enter certain races. What is more intersting about this car dealership from all others is that the producers added in the countries in which certain car manufacturers are from and after you have chosen the country then the manufacturers from that country will appear in a new screen allowing you to purchase your typw of car from there. The last interesting component that I will be talking about is about how the producer added an option for the gamer to view the specs of the car. Some things that can be viewed are the Max HP (Horse Power), Max Torque, weight, height, length, engine type, and drivetrain.

Gran Turismo 3: The Beginning

Gran Turismo is a racing game in which the gamer plays as the driver of a car and races around tracks attempting to come in first place. The main objective in Gran Turismo 3, is to win all the provided races, championships, complete license tests and achieve the ultimate goal of having a 100%  overall game completion. Once the player has achieved a quarter of the way through the game or 25% they will recieve a new car which will allow them to use it in races. This goes as follows for every quarter of the game completed. In GT3 races vary from short beginner events to longer races "endurance races" which can take multiple of hours to complete due to the length of the courses and how many laps must be completed.

Need For Speed Underground 2: Multiplayer Mode

This the mode where you can battle out with your friends to see which player has the most talent. In multiplayer mode you are able to choose any of your customized cars. In multiplayer mode you are able to choose the track you want to race on and also choose the type of race. you can choose to play a drag race, a circuit, street X race, URL, drift race, or sprint. Multiplayer can also be played online with people from all around the world and allow you to become the best driver and rank up. Multiplayer mode is a fun and interactive way of playing with your friends and gives you practice to play in the career mode against tough drivers.

Need for Speed Underground 2: Tuning

A completely tuned car.

In the beginning of the game, you begin with what is referred to as a stock car. A stock car consists of all the regular and cheapest parts that make up a car. These cars contain the most basic engine, brakes, suspension, ECU, no nitrous oxide, etc. However, throughout the game, you will earn money and you are able to upgrade your car by putting in more high end parts in it. The game allows you to tune your braking system, ECU system, engine, suspension, nitrous oxide level, etc. There are three levels of tuning within each system and once the third level is purchased for each part then you car will perform to its best ability. Also, throughout the game there will be other racers that offer for you to recieve free parts. Once you have gone to the star marked on the map, you will be able to recieve these parts and continue the game with a better car. 

Need For Speed Undeground 2: Types of Races Part 2

The last 3 types of races available in this game are:



Drift Racing

Drift: Drifting is all about sliding your car at high speeds through a track without hitting any walls or other obstacles such as cars. The racers get points for each slide "drift" that is made. The more combinations of drifts that are made the greater your points increase but don't get too carried away or you will lose it all. Points are calculated by speed and angle of the car and track. The points are then multiplied by a multipier which increases as you get points and decreases as you hit obstacles. In drift Nitrous Oxide is also unavailable.

URL(Underground Racing League):  These are circuit races but on closed tracks. Here there are up to 7 opponents while in other races there are only up to 3. URL's can also be tournament races in which case there is more than one race to compete in. The player will recieve points after each race depending on their ending position. After the races are over the player with the most points is the winner. Each URL race will unlock a new car in the car lot.

Sprint: Sprint racing is the same as circuit, first to the finish line wins, but the racer has to travel in a path from one point to another and there are no laps.

Need For Speed Underground 2: Types of Races

Within the game there are 6 different types of races that will be available to gamers. The variety of races allows for each individual to express their own personal feelings towards the game and totally dominate on the track. These are the first 3 types of races:



Drag Racing

Drag: This is my personal favourite as you reach top speed and if you miss the right timing its all over and you can kiss first place goodbye. Drag is possibly the simplest but most difficult race in the game. The player races through a short and relatively straight track. In this race the gamer will have to use manual transmission and move from side to side on the track to avoid from hitting obstacles. Hitting obstacles will cause your car to become "TOTALLED" automatically eliminating you from the game. Also if the right shifts are continuously missed this will result in a blown engine also eliminating you from the rest of the race. To win you need perfect shifts and Nitrous Oxide will also do the trick.

Circuit: These are the types of races that everyone is familiar with. In circuits you will drive around a track over a several amount of laps and attempt to finish in first place. The easiest way to win in these races are to find the shortcuts. This truly plays a part in placing first and winning the top cash prizes. 

Street X: This is very similar to a cicuit but the tracks are smaller and you can't use Nitrous oxide so get in first and stay there till the end or its tough to come back and win.

Need For Speed Underground 2: The Beginning

Need For Speed Underground 2 is a racing game which involves the gamer driving as a character in their chosen car and completing a variety of races througout the map to eventually reach a final race against the best cars. The gamer is trying to gain enough money in the game by completing races in the top three places to customize their car. Periodically throughout the game new parts will eventually be unlocked and also new places on the map will appear. In the career mode you begin by being placed on the map in the airport location. You first recieve a message on your phone by a woman named Rachel and a message shows up on how to open it. Depending on the sytem that is being used then the controls will be different. Once you open the message there is a short tutorial on how the game works and the story behind it all. It will show you how to access your GPS system and how to use it. Once you have gone through the short tutorial your game will begin.



My Car of Preference: Honda Civic



You will first recieve a green Nissan 350 Z. This is just a temporary car that you are loaned to drive to a Car Lot and pick your car of choice. You are given the choice of 6 different cars. The six cars that can be chosen from are the Peugeot 206, the Ford Focus, the Toyota Corolla, the Nissan 240SX, the Mazda Miata , and the Honda Civic. This car will be the car which you begin your career mode with and will also be the car in which you compete in races with. My peference of car was the Honda Civic as I believed it had the best Handling which would play a crucial part in races. After you have purchased you car you are set to follow the instructions you are given. At this point in the game there are no available races yet because you need to go to the garage. Once you leave the garage you are now able to begin racing and start making some cash.

Introduction

On average my current level of gameplay is moderate. I am not a hard time gamer but do enjoy my video games very much and love a challenge. My preference in genres really applies to my personality. I enjoy playing many sports games such as Fifa, NBA, and NHL. I am also very interested in shooting games as well as racing games. I have been playing video games since when I was about 4 years old. In those days I played lots of saga and gameboy. Now I am very interested in Sony's Playstation systems as i have owned all three of there generations of gaming consoles and not once have they failed to fulfill my gaming needs. I am not a big fan of the X-box as it was a new console that came out and there was much talk of many gliches and problems with the software in the sytem itself. At the moment I enjoy playing Fifa 2011, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, and Rock Band 2. I believe that video games can be a very educational form of understanding new concepts to solve problems and how they cause the minds of gamers to think ahead and makes gamers realize that their actions will determine how their character will be affected. This comes to an advantage because this can be applied to life and determine the making of better decisions. I also believe that playing video games comes with a disadvantage because it causes young teens to get addicted and also causes their grades in school to drop and sometimes plays a role in their attitudes changing as well. With this in mind video games are a very cool and entertaining invention but there must be some limits.