PowerUp Forever, but move towards the sides

(tags game, shmup, Xbox Live, PowerUp Forever, Geometry Wars)

PowerUp Forever, a Namco-Bandai video game for the Xbox Live Arcade, was one of the rare games I wanted to download and try out. I successfully tried reserving the trial version through the Xbox Live Marketplace. However the buttons show "confirm purchase" (in Japanese) even though its a free item. I'm not buying anything, so don't make it sound like I'm buying... grr.

That was on a Wednesday, I think. Then, I turned my Xbox 360 console frequently in preparation for the weekend, hoping that it would just download by itself. On Sunday, it wasn't in my Demo Games area, and upon checking my download queue, it was at 20%. Oh. Do I have to get out and push? Grr.

So I'm playing it and I kinda get it. Except level 3 is pretty hard, as in, I don't have a enough time to try a new strategy. After restarting the game 15 times (this is how I try to play shmups anyway) I finally got to the end of the demo, without the boss because the demo cuts off just before it gets epic.

I like it. It feels like a Geometry Wars, because things come at you in all directions and shooting is preferred over dodging. However the camera is tightly zoomed in, which makes moving up and down on this 16x9 screen ratio game a hazard. The alternate weapons feel useless though. I'm sure there's some technique (or learning on my side) to use them effectively. And I like the randomness and visuals. The bacteria-like enemies make me squirm though. Ick.

It was worth my 30 or so minutes to evaluate, but I still haven't bought it yet. Maybe on my Winter break.

Where's Duke Nukem 3D?

(tags game, Xbox, Xbox Live, FPS, DLC, failure)

I was anticipating at least playing the demo of Duke Nukem 3D for the Xbox Live Arcade. But it's not available from a Japan-based account? Argh? Anyway I don't have this game, but I played it at a friend's house oh so long ago.

Two days ago I tried out (again) Doom for the Xbox Live Arcade (JP version). Um, I have this game on PC somewhere. I swear I even have the GameBoy Advance version too. Come on, not worth the (oh it's on sale?) 400 points.

Give me something to buy: Xbox 360 DLC, iD super pack

(tags game, Xbox 360, Xbox Live, DLC, Soul Calibur)

I can't remember the last time Microsoft had a sale on DLC, but here's one lasting till the end of October. It's called Extended Play Download Days, and applies to Beautiful Katamari, Oblivion, Forza Motorsport 2, Lost Odyssey, and Mass Effect. Also Guitar Hero 3, but I mention it seperately because I don't have that game (yet?). There's nothing I really need, but I think I'll go for the Katamari stuff first. (Thanks Kotaku)

Soul Calibur 4 and (Japanese?) schoolgirl costumes. It's not yet done, Bandai-Namco, (hint hint Idolm@ster) but yer getting there.

Also, Steam discounted the "iD Super Pack" showcasing past seminal FPS titles including Quake and Doom. I blogged about this desireable last year, and now at this price I am reconsidering a purchase. At the very least, I recommended this to a friend who just bought a top-end video card.

Geometry Wars 2 boasting on the Internet

(tags game, Geometry Wars, Xbox 360, Xbox live)

Except for Pacifism mode, what is there to boast about?

(extracted 2008-08-17T01:15Z)

There's this non-Microsoft site called MyGamerCard.net that taps the APIs to produce a graphical scorecard for the Xbox 360 Arcade game Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2. The live version of my GW2 scorecard is the following:

Great stuff for those like me who are obsessed with scores.

Thanks MyGamerCard.net and Xbox 360 Fanboy.

Three in a day: fight, shmup, tile rpg

(tags game, Xbox 360, Xbox Live, Dual Screen, Soul Calibur, Geometry Wars, Shiren)

I started off the day realizing that I can't be moving forward in Mysterious Dungeon: Shiren The Wanderer without scraping the earlier levels for experience. Or at least that's the rationalization after losing my +8 sword of brilliance from a merely innocuous foray into the next area. To think that I hate games that lose more than 15 minutes of my progress, and here I am trying to play this game more. The DS needed battery charging so I let it sit out a day.

Geometry Wars 2 on the brain. Pacifism mode is the total bomb, worth the 800 XBLP alone. I have stick control, if only before my hand tremors set in. Yesterday, I scored my personal best, 140+ million. I really love "sticking a fork in it", which I describe the technique of "popping the dumbbell" when embedded in the blue diamond blob. This is totally risky play, of course. Geoms are the "crack" I can't stop picking up, and slipping through the gaps of incoming blue blobs is pure delight. The other modes are shoot shoot shoot which is nice, but my dissatisfaction with the tighter spray in comparison to GW1 irritates me. Then again in GW1, I always liked the tighter mode instead of the spray because the former was faster. Today, I have trouble breaking 70+ million so I let it slide after probably an hour of effort. Erratic performance.

And Soul Calibur 4. An online friend got all of the Achievement Points before me, which makes me irritated. Online is something I give up, but I can't figure out how he got through the Survival mode (I can only get to 5) and Mission mode (I can only get to 20). Or how he got all the goods. There must be some gold laundering scheme in the online, that's got to be it. In any case, I am continuing to unlock the swords and costumes in single player. At the same time I'm trying to set the Style level for each character to max. This is work, not fun. And I do it for the Achievement Points.

Geometry Wars (1) Parting Shot

(tags game, Xbox 360, shmup, arena, Geometry Wars, Xbox Live)

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved for the Xbox 360 was fun. Though I'm tops on my Friends list (I need more Friends though), I'm ranked 25000+ for top score. My best is about 1.4 million, at the point when things are just getting started.

Don't get too greedy. Geometry Wars
(screen shot from Steam/Windows XP version)

I was ranting and raving about Echoes about a year ago, and GW has this same feel of blasting till I can't avoid no more. I get into that state where my mind wanders while my eyes and hands frantically try to retain control, like in Parsec 47. I love that feeling.

If there's one thing I hate, it is that once my game is over and I restart from the beginning, it takes time to get back into the tempo. I gasp my final breath, hit the A button to start again, but this climb to 10,000 to get a better shot, and 100,000 to get overwhelming enemies takes too long (in actuality it takes about 2 minutes). While I'm on hating... The enemies I hate: The pink homing ones that break into 3. The C shaped homing ones that have a forward shield. The worms. I hate the worms, make me all claustrophobic and crap. The others I don't really like. I just hate them less.

This is my "parting shot" because I already bought Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 yesterday. I found my favorite mode, "Pacifism". Though the game plays somewhat different because of the new enemies and the shot spray. So GW1 still has that good feel.

Actually I just received my import game shipment, which includes Geometry Wars Galaxies for the DS. Heh. I recently (re-) considered buying it on Steam for my PC, as well. Ha Ha.

Geometry Wars boxes me in

(tags game, Xbox 360, shmup, arena, Xbox Live, Geometry Wars)

After playing Geometry Wars 1 Trial over the last week, then playing the Geometry Wars 2 Trial "Deadline" only mode for the last couple of days, I finally bought GW1. I must admit it feels pretty crunky compared to GW2, but I must enjoy this classic. Ahem, I must enjoy this classic's Achievement Points as well, muhahah.

For the first 80 seconds, GW1 is a total bore, then the difficulty starts to pick up, to terrifying levels. Why is that.

I surprised myself by getting close to the top of my Friend's list in points on the first day of ownership. My aim is to get at least a million points.

In other GW news, I will purchase GW2 when September rolls around. And, I am interesting in importing GW: Galaxies for the DS. It's only 2600 yen now at Play-Asia. Order, done.

In the mood for Geometry Wars

(tags game, Xbox Live, shmup, arena, Geometry Wars)

I was going to buy Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 1 for the Xbox 360 Live Arcade last night, but since the sequel, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2, will be coming out soon, I held off. I was wondering if GW1 will discounted after GW2 is released. Then again, its only 400 XBLP (500 yen). I've spent more (much more) on Idolm@ster virtual clothing.