Sonic the hedgehog may have his origins in Sega's attempt to rival Nintendo's Mario (ah the old rivalry) but he has enough originality to completely distinguish him from Mario. Sonic's popularity is unquestionable and although he was designed to beat Mario at his own game (pardon the pun), he has become an icon in his own right.
A classic Sega vs. Nintendo face off happens when Sonic and Mario are compared. While being vastly different from each other in almost every possible aspect, their connection cannot be denied. So let's look at how they are similar (and it is a very short list).
They both feature in their own platformer or side-scrolling game. They are both trying to save something, even though the 'things' are vastly different from each other. The game level designs follow similar principles - they both get tougher as the levels progress and they are both without game save slots. So once you start playing, you either finish the game or get a 'game over' somewhere in the middle and start over. But these are features of most platformer games of that era and hence counting them as similarities is stretching it a bit.
Now we can come to the differences and here's where things get exciting. This is where the differences between Sega and Nintendo clearly show. Nintendo has always been inclined towards making games that are more - "everybody-friendly" shall we call it. They do not feature any violence (more or less) and are generally very happy happy. Of course, Zelda notwithstanding. Just look at the latest series of Nintendo games with which the Wii was marketed.
The Mario brothers are actually a little boring when compared to Sonic the hedgehog. The original Sonic game was the first ever game of its kind to bring in the element of speed in the equation. So while you have to press a modifier key to make Mario run, Sonic never quite 'walks'. In fact you can't get anywhere within a Sonic game if you don't have Sonic up and running.
Then comes tackling bad guys. Sonic rolls himself into fierce ball of spikes that hurls itself against the enemy at top speed. Mario jumps on the bad guys head, killing the poor fellow or knocking it out of the scene. Of course, the difference here is the aggression that Sonic shows in his character. Sonic can't even stay still, he is always moving, raring to go. Mario is perfectly content with standing very still for the dangerous plant to move down again.
The character design in Mario is meant to appeal to almost everybody but Sonic seems to be geared at the more adventurous and fast paced gamers who are more likely to be teenagers. However, over the years, Sonic has developed a cult following that goes beyond all age barriers. So now you have 11 year olds to 41 year olds, all gushing about how cool the blue dude is. Of course, the latter would probably do it anonymously!
About the Author
Find Sonic the Hedgehog activities, scene creators, hints, and flash Sonic Games at Blueblurzone.com.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
What Happened to Next-Gen Games? by Gutzoid Zappa
Remember all the hoopla and hype the game companies besieged us with a couple of years ago about next gen games? I have to say I'm disappointed, and all we have gotten so far is better graphics. What happened to shorter load times, new innovations, better and more complicated gameplay What happened to extra controller functions? All these things seem to have gone by the wayside as we head into the third year of "next-gen" games.
Most of the major franchise games have released their first titles by now, and the outlook is not good. A few have made positive changes, but most are not even as good as their first gen counterparts. Let's take a look at a few. Across the board, from Tomb Raider to GTA, MGS, and even Ratchet and Clank, most of the earlier games have actually been longer, more involved and sported more features than the Xbox 360 and PS3 titles on the shelf today.
As a fan, I appreciate that costs must be held down, and that it costs a lot more to produce the new titles, while the price has not risen much since the Nintendo days of gaming in the 90's. That doesn't help much, though. I feel like a bachelor who spent a lot of money on a dinner date and got ditched at 9 PM. She didn't promise anything, but it was implied. Remember the first Sony controllers they showed us for the PS3? It looked like a boomerang. The one they actually produced looked exactly like the PS2 version. Yes, many, many things were implied, and we have yet to see any of them come to pass.
This is not to say that the new generation of games is bad. But it seems that even the best of them is no better in gameplay than it's predecessors on earlier game systems. All I am asking for is a little honesty from the gaming companies I have supported for years as a consumer. If they are not going to build better games, and it's going to be all about better graphics, then just say so. Don't make me spend 400 dollars taking you out to dinner if you are going to ditch me at 9.
Nintendo is the only one of the three console producers who has tried any innovation, and this has had mixed results. The Wii is simply not up to the graphics capability of the Xbox 360 or PS3. The control system has attracted many casual gamers to the market, and left many old fans angry and dissatisfied. Lots of gamers prefer the old controls, especially on shooters. Many wanted Nintendo to go ahead with more sheer brainpower for their console, amping it up to the the capability of its competitors. The Wii is great at parties, but if you want to sit down a few hours and play your favorite games, the repetitive arm motion may get tiresome.
This article is written as a fan, not a techie. I know there are many reasons why the systems have fallen short of expectations, but excuses sound lame when I have paid over a thousand dollars for the three new systems, and am not seeing improvement in most games. It's time for the game producers to start delivering better games instead of merely better graphics. I'm looking at you, Resident Evil and Burnout.
Enough is enough. If you really care about better games, make your voice heard, and E-mail your favorite game company, because things are not going to get better until the fans demand it.
About the Author
Gutzoid Zappa is the game editor of FreeVideoGameSite.com, and an avid gamer.
Most of the major franchise games have released their first titles by now, and the outlook is not good. A few have made positive changes, but most are not even as good as their first gen counterparts. Let's take a look at a few. Across the board, from Tomb Raider to GTA, MGS, and even Ratchet and Clank, most of the earlier games have actually been longer, more involved and sported more features than the Xbox 360 and PS3 titles on the shelf today.
As a fan, I appreciate that costs must be held down, and that it costs a lot more to produce the new titles, while the price has not risen much since the Nintendo days of gaming in the 90's. That doesn't help much, though. I feel like a bachelor who spent a lot of money on a dinner date and got ditched at 9 PM. She didn't promise anything, but it was implied. Remember the first Sony controllers they showed us for the PS3? It looked like a boomerang. The one they actually produced looked exactly like the PS2 version. Yes, many, many things were implied, and we have yet to see any of them come to pass.
This is not to say that the new generation of games is bad. But it seems that even the best of them is no better in gameplay than it's predecessors on earlier game systems. All I am asking for is a little honesty from the gaming companies I have supported for years as a consumer. If they are not going to build better games, and it's going to be all about better graphics, then just say so. Don't make me spend 400 dollars taking you out to dinner if you are going to ditch me at 9.
Nintendo is the only one of the three console producers who has tried any innovation, and this has had mixed results. The Wii is simply not up to the graphics capability of the Xbox 360 or PS3. The control system has attracted many casual gamers to the market, and left many old fans angry and dissatisfied. Lots of gamers prefer the old controls, especially on shooters. Many wanted Nintendo to go ahead with more sheer brainpower for their console, amping it up to the the capability of its competitors. The Wii is great at parties, but if you want to sit down a few hours and play your favorite games, the repetitive arm motion may get tiresome.
This article is written as a fan, not a techie. I know there are many reasons why the systems have fallen short of expectations, but excuses sound lame when I have paid over a thousand dollars for the three new systems, and am not seeing improvement in most games. It's time for the game producers to start delivering better games instead of merely better graphics. I'm looking at you, Resident Evil and Burnout.
Enough is enough. If you really care about better games, make your voice heard, and E-mail your favorite game company, because things are not going to get better until the fans demand it.
About the Author
Gutzoid Zappa is the game editor of FreeVideoGameSite.com, and an avid gamer.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Online Computer Games
Online Computer Games
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Max_Bellamy]Max Bellamy
Online computer games take advantage of the Internet to offer an exquisite gaming experience. Online computer games are of four types. You can play some online computer games with a browser window. For that you need to log on to a specific web site. Some online computer games are text-based. You can play those games in a web-based forum. If the games are loaded with lots of graphics, you will require stand-alone software packages. Players challenge each other over the Internet. Some online computer games can be played with e-mail. E-mail computer games were the first stage of the online computer games revolution. MUDs, or Multi-User Dungeons, were extremely popular during the age of e-mail computer games.
Let’s now discuss what you need to play those games. If you want to play computer games online, you need to have a high-quality Internet connection. You also need to ensure you have the hardware support to play the game. Not only that, you need to have the software installed on your computer to run the game. It’s always useful to have software capable of locating active game servers. This will make your job easier. As we have mentioned earlier, you can play online computer games in a web browser. The best thing about online computer games is that these games have successfully overcome the geographical barrier among the players. Players from far-off physical locations now can take part in online computer games. That’s the secret of their popularity.
Lineage, Counter-Strike, EverQuest, Quake and Half-Life are some popular online computer game titles. Internet users have especially found the online computer games quite interesting. If you want to enjoy gambling, card games or arcade games online, you need to check out what online computer games have in store for you. You can’t deny the fact that online games are here to stay. [http://www.WetPluto.com/Computer-Games.html]Computer Games provides detailed information on Computer Games, Free Computer Games, Online Computer Games, Kids' Computer Games and more. Computer Games is affiliated with [http://www.e-ArcadeGames.com]Online Arcade Games.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Max_Bellamy http://EzineArticles.com/?Online-Computer-Games&id=204330
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Max_Bellamy]Max Bellamy
Online computer games take advantage of the Internet to offer an exquisite gaming experience. Online computer games are of four types. You can play some online computer games with a browser window. For that you need to log on to a specific web site. Some online computer games are text-based. You can play those games in a web-based forum. If the games are loaded with lots of graphics, you will require stand-alone software packages. Players challenge each other over the Internet. Some online computer games can be played with e-mail. E-mail computer games were the first stage of the online computer games revolution. MUDs, or Multi-User Dungeons, were extremely popular during the age of e-mail computer games.
Let’s now discuss what you need to play those games. If you want to play computer games online, you need to have a high-quality Internet connection. You also need to ensure you have the hardware support to play the game. Not only that, you need to have the software installed on your computer to run the game. It’s always useful to have software capable of locating active game servers. This will make your job easier. As we have mentioned earlier, you can play online computer games in a web browser. The best thing about online computer games is that these games have successfully overcome the geographical barrier among the players. Players from far-off physical locations now can take part in online computer games. That’s the secret of their popularity.
Lineage, Counter-Strike, EverQuest, Quake and Half-Life are some popular online computer game titles. Internet users have especially found the online computer games quite interesting. If you want to enjoy gambling, card games or arcade games online, you need to check out what online computer games have in store for you. You can’t deny the fact that online games are here to stay. [http://www.WetPluto.com/Computer-Games.html]Computer Games provides detailed information on Computer Games, Free Computer Games, Online Computer Games, Kids' Computer Games and more. Computer Games is affiliated with [http://www.e-ArcadeGames.com]Online Arcade Games.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Max_Bellamy http://EzineArticles.com/?Online-Computer-Games&id=204330
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