Catching Up Again

Hey all. If you’re wondering where the updates are, they’re coming. I just happen to be broke right now and cannot afford a new game to review. My next target is to finally get Torchlight reviewed and then move on to Mass Effect 2. I’ll probably review the Xbox 360 version because my PC is really starting to show it’s age.

In any case, if you want to expedite the process, you can donate something to e-AAGH.net via our Paypal link on e-AAGH.net’s homepage.

In more casual news, Beta got a copy of New Super Mario Bros. Wii for Christmas, and took it back with her to Chicago. We’d played the one I had here in Akron together for quite some time prior to her heading home, and if one thing stood out, it was that she wasn’t the best at the ice levels. Why, I know not. Anyway, I breezed us through those levels while she was here, but we didn’t get that far when I was visiting her at her place, so I got an email a while back commenting something to the effect that the snow levels were a pain without me there to help clear them.

It makes a gamer proud, it does, to hear that someone else looks up to your ‘skillz’ like that. Of course, I know Beta well, and I know she’s long since cleared them on her own. You go, Beta!

Alpha is Back!

I know I’m way late on my end-of-the-year updates, but I was in Chicago visiting Beta, and in the process got terribly sick. I’m better now, but it’s taking me time to get back up to speed. I’ll have it up before the month is out, I promise.

Free Realms’ Snow Days Arrive

I haven’t mentioned it allot – or at all, really – but I’m still playing Free Realms from time to time. It’s just a fun, quirky diversion that I get a kick out of. Anyway, any Free Realms players will know about the oft talked about Snow Days update due in December. For those of you out of the loop, you can read about it HERE on the official Free Realms blog. In any case, the big deal here is player housing. That’s not to dismiss the new combat features, fishing job, pets, and more, but… well, just read part of their release on the Free Realms forum announcing it’s arrival today:

… This is the update with Housing, Fishing, Housing, New Pets, Snow Days holiday content, Housing, Royal Vault upgrades, Housing, UI and Combat improvements, Housing, upgraded automated chat and more!…

Sounds like housing’s the big thing, huh? I know I’m interested, since Members like me get a free apartment and a free house. I should be able to hop on sometime early tomorrow morning, pick out my house and see my dog Lady waiting for me. They supposedly started around 6-7 PM PST (9-10 EST) with an estimated down time of 5-7 hours, putting the official launch around 11 PM to 2 AM PST (2 to 5 AM EST). I’ll be there, personally. Will you?

The Mighty Dragon

Dragon Age: Origin may be the best game I’ve played in a long, long time. Forza Motorsport 3 was awesome, but Dragon Age is a whole different ball game. I’m some 10 hours in to it, and I’m still just scratching the surface. My main avatar is a human noble warrior, and I’ve also played as a dwarven commoner warrior (who I wish I had made a rogue). The two origin stories put me in my character’s shoes in a way I’ve never experienced. Expect a review before the end of the year.

Wii! New Super Mario Bros. Box Rocks!

After playing New Super Mario Bros. Wii (a stupidly long name for a simple, fun game), one thing struck me about the experience: I love the box.
This is the coolest box art I’ve seen in years, and I’m not even talking about Mario, Luigi and the Toads bounding through the center. What I love is the color. So many game boxes are black- or white-based, or otherwise blandly designed, but this box screams loud and clear, “I’m here!” The red throws me back to my NES days, which obviously is what they were going for. More designers need to take notice: a good box can get people to stop and look, and it doesn’t have to include violence or sex. Some people think that the color black is as bold as it gets on a display, but when half of the games around your title feature the same color base, you will blend in, no two ways about it. Aside from being a web editor and head of e-AAGH.net, I’m an artist at heart. I’ve always been critical of the art in games, and the visuals used to promote them.

Now, I don’t want to see a whole herd of red Wii boxes (see note above re: overuse of a color), but for this title, it couldn’t fit better. Good job, Nintendo.

Sims 3 – 1, Alpha – 0

I’ve been fighting The Sims 3 recently when it comes to installing downloadable content and patches. What’s come to my attention today is that my computer is convinced that Sims 3 is not installed. Why? I have no idea. I can play it, it runs fine, and I’m registered, but for some reason both Vista and EA’s Download Manager are stubbornly determined that it’s not there. I’ve also delved into the registry to confirm this, and yup – no installation.

In light of that, I’m being forced to do a re-install. Consider me miffed, especially now that I’m facing a nearly five hour download from EA’s servers. I also had to back up all of my and Beta’s saved data to hopefully prevent losing our avatars, lots, pics and videos.

I want to pick up the new Sims 3 expansion pack World Adventures, but it would be useless unless I’ve got a working copy of the base game.

In other news, the review overhaul is going fine, but slow. It may be a day or more before it’s finished.

e-AAGH.net Maintenance Underway

e-AAGH.net isn’t going to see a new review for a short while as I update our review format. I’m including a star-based score at the top of each game for quick-and-easy reference, and I’m updating each review’s scoring to a new, bolder look. Witness:

Do you like it? Hate it? Let me know! Your opinion could guide the look of the site! As always, you can contact me at alphasim@e-aagh.net.