Top 5 Earworms

As we play video games, certain songs just get stuck in our heads. And they won't leave. Ever. Sometimes it's okay, because the songs are friggin' awesome. Here is a list of my top five video game songs that get stuck in our heads that ARE friggin' awesome:

5. Searching for Friends (FFVI)

What can I say? The airship song in FFVI is probably the best airship theme for the Final Fantasy series ever made. Its music connotes hope, friendship, and freedom. The synthesized woman's voice in the middle of the song almost brings tears to my eyes. When you're saving the world from an evil maniac dressed as a clown atop a giant tower, nothing beats doing it to this song.


4. Main Theme (Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess)

This song is simply breathtaking, and quite literally, breathtaking. It crescendos into as much as five different parts, each with its own personality, its own voice. When you're fighting baddies, its tones suggest evil or mischievous. When you're riding across open fields, a voice hums a hollow tone of awesomeness. Much an improvement to the Ocarina song, this one is very thanked for being stuck in my head.



3. Fight! Trainer Battle (Pokemon Black/White)

Recently coming out for the DS, Pokemon Black and White is the rehashed world of Pokemon, where new journeys are to be had. This song, as well as many others in the Pokemon world, for better or worse, gets stuck in my head. But this one is exhilarating. I simply love it. All the songs of this generation are very pleasing to the ear, and enjoyable even as earworms.

2. Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon player phase 1

Addictive as always, Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon also has good music. Such is the music of the player phase, in which you select which actions your characters take. It has a very enriching, adventurous tone to it, and though a little repetitive, it energizes me in whatever I'm doing when it's in my head. Honorable mention: Castlevania Symphony of the Night: Dracula's Castle. Look it up!

1. Kirby Super Star: Staff Roll

I feel very happy about the future when this song plays in my head. All my cares simply vanish. It bespeaks a slow, gleeful paradise in which all beings, great or small, are happy and satisfied. Yes, this is probably the best staff roll for any Super Nintendo game. I feel honored for it to be stuck in my head.

Minecraft Monday! 1.6 Update

Minecraft 1.6 launched. Here are some of the main features:

Maps: Maps are a great new addition to the game. They are composed of 8 paper and 1 compass and are crafted like this:

When you create a map it centers on it's origin of creation, and as you walk it slowly fills in your world and marks your location in real time with a small white arrow. Once you reach the edge of a map, your indicated location disappears. To continue mapping your world you can make a new map that will be centered on it's point of origin as well, and is distinct from your previous map. Each map is labeled in a sequential according to the order it was made. For instance, your first map will be labeled map_0 and from then on map_1 and so on. It's the only item you hold with two hands and it looks like this in game:

Trapdoors: In addition to maps, trapdoors (hatches) have been added as well. They are crafted like this:

Trapdoors are placed on an adjacent block and appear on the bottom of the block they are placed. When the block they are attached to is broken, they fall off (exactly like traditional doors). Water cannot pass through trapdoors, so they can function as a compact water stopper for various traps. Trapdoors can also be used in conjunction with lava and pressure pads to make simple traps. A really cool idea for trap doors are using them for "draw bridges" so to speak. The look like this:

The idea is essentially a system where all the doors open in conjunction using a redstone circuit and you can walk on top of them. I haven't personally found a very efficient way of doing this yet, but I'm sure there will be people who do.

Also, tall grass has been added as the new source for wheat seeds, which means you can't use the hoe to gather seeds. Instead you can punch the tall grass and have a chance of it dropping seeds. I'm not aware if it grows in existing pre 1.6 generated maps, but you should be able to find it in any newly generated territory.

Notch added a TON of bug fixes (notably, nerfed water effects, and cart boosters.) For a complete list of all the updates check out this post on Notch's blog, and for additional bug fixes added in later editions of 1.6 check out the entries that come after that post.

Whenever I need more info about minecraft I always use Minepedia. It's Minecraft Monday's primary source! (In addition to Notch's blog.)

As Minecraft Monday goes on I will highlight various topics in the Minecraft world, such as updates, adventure maps, mods, texture packs, skins and maybe even lets players I really enjoy watching. I hope you enjoy my postings!

Until then, it's dark, a creeper is outside my door and I have to figure out how to keep myself occupied. I know! DIG!

-Miner Tom

Top Ten Videogame Playtimes

This week I'm going to do something strange... I'm listing the games I have logged the most time playing. Some games are just replayable, others are time consuming, and some are addicting. Here they are, the Top Ten Videogame Playtimes... for Neezo.

Number Ten: Star Wars Battlefront II



Battlefront II was one of the most fun Playstation 2 games my family owned. I was really good when we played and got all the achievements. It was one of the first games I owned that had achievements and I was really addicted to getting them. Maybe I never played story mode and only played versus or conquest, but I really logged some serious hours fighting the Dark Side of the Force.

Number Nine: Fallout: New Vegas



I was fully addicted to Fallout 3, and when New Vegas came out I was All In. I bought the limited/collector's edition with all the special props, and then began playing for some 12 hours straight. I think I beat the game in less than 24 hours with small breaks for college classes and a few meals. The hours I logged playing Fallout 3 still hold over New Vegas, but then again there have been fewer DLCs and I have been enjoying other games as well. But I still logged enough for it to reach number nine. (With the new DLC out I should be logging a few more here soon...)

Number Eight: Sonic Adventure 2: Battle



Possibly one of my most favorite games when I was growing up and my most favorite Sonic game. I love Sonic as a videogame character and I think he gets a bad rap for all the crap games the developers have come out with. SA2 was replayable, had good versus, and had "achievements" to unlock in each level. I strove to get an "A" on all achievements, and though I failed I DID get all of them. I just had a few E and Cs thrown in. The point is, the game was fun, the characters were good, and the replay value was really high. This let me log tons of hours in on my favorite game at the time.

Number Seven: CafeWorld



How else do you make it to the top in a Facebook game? You log in hours and hours and hours to top the competition. I haven't played in almost a year, and I'm still number one among my friends. I played for ten or twenty minutes here and a few more there all day everyday. If I were addicted to any game on Facebook, this was the one. I even have had intellectual conversations about it and true dialogue regarding strategy and recipes. Yeah, I was that guy.

Number Six: Left 4 Dead



My favorite zombie game comes in at six. The FPS zombie survival game has no "real" storyline or story mode, but four distinct campaigns. Playing with my roommate and friends led to hours of playtime. We played almost every night for an entire year, until Left 4 Dead 2 came out and we stopped. I still play online here and there and am still rather badass. However, I just don't log the same hours I do for the top five games.

Number Five: The SIMS Series



I'm including all SIMS games from SIMS 1 to 3. I have found myself playing for hours and hours customizing, creating, designing, and playing with made-up people. Though I now find it rather tedious and a bit repetitive I was addicted to following my Sims through their lives. I would sit there all night, 8-5, following the marriage, child birth, and death of my Sim. It's still cool for a playthrough here and there, but I'm not all SIMS anymore.

Number Four: Modern Warfare 2



I played Call of Duty 4 a lot and enjoyed it, until I was constantly sniped and pissed at the constant annoyances. The story was interesting and fun, and I was excited to see it continue. Modern Warfare 2 brought what I was hoping. The gameplay was the same, so I didn't need to start on Recruit and went to Hardened. Though it took me longer to beat the game on Veteran, I still enjoyed it. The storyline was great and what I expected from Infinity Ward and the multiplayer/co-op was greatly improved. I can survive and even lead my team in multiplayer and the co-op has helped push the hours beyond Left 4 Dead.

Number Three: Minecraft



Minecraft is the fastest growing time-consumer in my life. Instead of studying for my senior finals, I was playing Minecraft. Instead of researching for my senior thesis I was playing Minecraft. Instead of readying for Graduation I was... sleeping. Anyhow, this game has logged so many hours in the course of a few months I am sad to say I still play it. Though it has lost the excitement it once held, I still play Minecraft almost daily. I'd play for seven or more hours a day for months, and that has made it the fastest growing on this list.

Number 2: Pokemon Blue Version



Pokemon Blue was the only game I liked when I was a kid. It was also one of the only games I owned. I loved Pokemon and played it for hours and hours at a time. I beat the game 100% legitimately, all 150, no cheats, I beat the Elite Four, had almost all Lv100s, and never used a cheat. It took about 215 hours to do it. There was no quick use of the bike, no organiztion of items, and no running. Travel was slow and deliberate, and the rival was popping up all over. The race to Lv100 among my friends and I led me to hours of fighting the Elite Four. I was the best, like no one ever was.

Number One: Fallout 3



Oh, my, GOODNESS! I played for hours my first sitting. I was instantly addicted to Fallout 3. I loved it so much I couldn't stop. I kept playing and playing. I beat the game so many times in all different ways with such different characters. I would make a unique character each time, changing one or more choices each time. Then I downloaded some DLCs and beat them many times over. When my brother got Game of the Year Edition, I borrowed all the DLCs. I was stoked and played more. I kept playing and playing. The amount of time I logged literally overheated the XBox console many times over. My second XBox 360 may have been destroyed due to Fallout 3, but I'm not entirely sure. I bought the XBox for Halo 3, but kept it for Fallout 3. I still play it from time to time (it has been replaced with Fallout: New Vegas) and I still have ways to be unique. Oh, and I got 100% of the achievements after a year.

Which games have you spent the most time playing? Which ones really light up your scoreboard? Comment it up!!!

- Neezo

Game review: Muramasa the Demon Blade

Coming out a couple of years ago, this game caught my eye with fresh-looking graphics, smooth controls and a fascinating story. I purchased it a little later, and indeed, it delivered.

The graphics were a bit repetitive: scenes, layouts and enemy designs were recycled, which almost made it bland, but the continuous action satisfied me enough that I cannot issue many complaints. The story was almost unimportant, and I barely paid much attention until its climax, which was tragic. However, the game told me that there are in fact multiple endings, depending on which weapon your character has equipped.

The controls allow for deft, quick movements with a simple press of one button. It plays like a fighting game or beat'em up, but has RPG elements in that your character levels up and has equipment and an inventory. It's very refreshing to regain all your HP and soul power (which gives you more longevity) once you level up in a battle. You can equip as many as three blades, and they snap in two if you guard too much against attack. However, if you have enough soul power, they regain HP and you can use them again. Another cool ability is the 'quick draw,' where you draw another blade quickly after the old one snaps, and hit all the enemies on the screen. Finally, there the special attacks (regular combos use the A button, and special attacks use the B button), which differ from blade to blade. The game has two levels of difficulty, and two different characters. I've yet to find all the endings or play it through with both characters.

This was a very fun game. I give it 4.2 katana blades out of 5.

-EJ

Best Videogame Peripherals of All Time

I think that when you go back to the good old days of gaming, one of the coolest things about all the old games was the crazy strange gear that came with them. Items like the light gun from duck hunt or rob the robot or even the virtua boy visor have now become the stuff of legend, but we all had a favorite one growing up. In my case it was the sega pico which was a little kids video game console. For others it was probably their first controller with a rumble pack (mine was on the snes) or maybe even the power glove if you are a true nerd among nerds. One thing is for sure though is that I'd like to hear about your favorite strange or classic game peripherals that you loved and want to share about.

"Songs to Test by" Portal Soundtrack Released

If you have any affinity for the Portal franchise, and have recently played Portal 2, then chances are it's soundtrack was one of the things you enjoyed about the games.

Good videogame soundtracks in the past have always been remembered, but difficult to acquire (legally at least). I remember hearing a song in a videogame, like Legend of Zelda, and wishing "Man, I really wish I could get the soundtrack for this." Well, looks like that may be changing.

Valve has recently released the first soundtrack of three parts for Portal 2. Not only that, but it includes 22 full length tracks and is about an hour long! The best part: it's free. Completely free. This is something you should pick up.

I have yet to listen to the entire soundtrack, but it should be familiar as it is music I have heard already in segments. This time, I get to listen to it in all it's glory. You may be upset that certain tracks aren't on the list, in particular "Want you Gone," but rest assured that it will most likely be released with the next 2 parts.

Pick it up now!

Sources: http://kotaku.com/5805525/glados-begins-aural-testing-with-free-portal-2-download
http://www.thinkwithportals.com/music.php

Upcoming: May 31- The SIMS 3: Generations

So I'm looking at some upcoming games you guys and I'm kind of excited for the year! Instead of doing the year PREVIEW right now I'm going to tell you a bit about one game.

The SIMS 3: Generations Expansion Pack

It seems like they have actually made each age group significant. I saw the return of some props from SIMS 2 like the wedding arch and also SIMS getting diplomas. College anyone? The family dynamic in the trailer is of course better than in the game, but it seems like this may make parent-child relations and the drama that comes with each age a little more significant. I just hope it is not just a slew of new social interactions, a couple of new props, and some new places to go. Let's hope there is more significance and depth in this upcoming pack guys.

- Neezo

Minecraft Monday!

It's Monday, and that means our first edition of Minecraft Monday! So lets get to it.

This week the 1.6 update is planned to be released. It's features include:

"Map item.

Shift-clicking objects in crafting windows will place the crafted item in your inventory.

Mass bug fixes from various sources, including the wiki's known bugs page. On May 11th alone, Notch fixed 31 bugs and on May 12th he fixed a further 34.

Notable fixes include:

Minecart collisions causing extreme velocities (Minecart bug boosting will not work)

Boat/Water elevator nerfs

Beds in the Nether are fixed

Fire will no longer spread infinitely

Nether portals will work in SMP.

Powered Rails will provide a larger boost.

Powered Minecarts will be more powerful.

Hatches. 'They work just like normal doors, except flat. They require a solid block next to them for various reasons. They do NOT let water pass through, unfortunately. They open upwards.'"

Source

So, in a nut shell, a lot of bugs have been fixed, nether will be in smp, primitive cart boosters (relying on parallel carts) has been fixed, and hatches have been added! I'm really excited for this update, personally. Even if there aren't many "new" additions (hatches) there will be many streamlined fixes enhancing game play experience in general.

It also makes me wonder, even though parallel mine cart boosters will be broken now, a plus to this could be compacting mine cart stations down even more, by allowing tracks to run right next to each other without affecting the speed of carts. It would be great, but it is definitely a downfall for mine cart enthusiasts who will now have to get in the ground to get gold to make booster tracks. It gives people something to do, at least.

I'm excited about hatches. I'm expecting a youtube reenactment of lost. How about adding a smoke monster while your at it notch? Or at least a modder could throw it in. How about it? Polar bears and a smoke monster.

Speaking of monsters and strange islands, Notch confirmed on his twitter that he's working on a "Sky Realm," essentially the opposite of the nether. That's exciting, but I'm strongly hoping it takes inspiration from this idea.

This idea is so well thought out, and brilliant. I mean, seriously, sky whales. That would be epic.

Whatever this sky realm turns out to be, I hope it opens doors to the "recreational flight" that Notch mentioned he'd add at some point. There should be new mobs, sky oriented, and special items that allow for flight.

So, looks like that's all I got for this week. Uh-oh, the sun is setting and I didn't get any coal yet. Better go mining, because making charcoal is for wusses (not really...I do it all the time, but I gotta live up to that title of "Miner Tom.")

-Miner Tom

Image Source

Bill barged in

so I found these two compadres of mine were making a video game blog and I insisted that i get to weigh in as well. So I will probably weigh in on old school games that deserve to be dug up from obscurity

Top Ten Videogame Villains

Number 10:

The Special Infected- Left 4 Dead

They’re just annoying to fight and attack at the worst times. Tons of hordes and thousands of zombies? Fine. Throw in the special infected and it is a completely different ballgame. They can drag you from where you want to be to the worst locations ever, they can pin you to the floor and keep you from moving, or they can make you the target of a vicious horde. Their range of skills and range of attack are what makes them dangerous. I can't stand being alone and unable to fight and for some reason, they seem to make that happen.

Number 9:

Professor Hojo- Final Fantasy VII Series

Hojo (not Howard Johnson) is the deranged mind behind much evil in the Final Fantasy 7 world. He single-handedly ruined the lives of countless people and made anarchy a way of life. From his evil laugh to his ugly appearance, and the fact he is Sephiroth's "father," makes this mad scientist a pain in the butt to deal with and to look at. He annoys the very core of my being.

Number 8:

Ganon/Ganondorf- The Legend of Zelda Series

How many time has he tried to kidnap a Princess named Zelda (for some reason) over many different "Hyrules" in different times, ages, and worlds? Jeez. The master of magic may be strong and may command a vast army, but he lacks the intelligence to realize who his foe is early on. Why not just kill him BEFORE he powers up huh? It'd make life easier. His powers as a sorcerer are unmatched and his strength and ability are amazing. His power grants him number 8 but his stupidity drops him from the higher tier.

Number 7:

Sturm- Advance Wars

Aside from being a major badass, his mysterious demeanor and cold personality makes Sturm the Adolf Hitler of Advance Wars. Actually, I believe he is based off of Hitler. Just a fun bad guy to fight against. He plans on taking over the world and stops at nothing to do so. He is ruthless and a great commander. He truly is the Adolf Hitler of Advance Wars and has the tech, weapons, and strategy to prove it.

Number 6:

President Eden- Fallout 3

President Eden leads the Enclave in Fallout 3. He is cool, calm, and collected and highly logical. He seems emotionless through the game yet very calculated and manipulative. His dedication to "pure" humanity drives him to desire the death of all human, mutant, and animal life outside of his control and command. Essentially he wants to kill everybody and everything that he has not preserved. He is scheming and cunning, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Though he is actually a computer program he manifests all we hate in politicians. He lies, he plots, he is aggressive, and he remains calm and collected even under threats of death. His downfall? He is a computer, and computers can be locked in a circle of logic. Oh yeah, they also come with a self-destruct.

Number 5:

Ridley- Metroid Series

 

One persistent son of a gun; Ridley has hunted you down for a long time and you have hunted him down as well. No matter how many times you kill him he manages to survive, and grow in combat skill. He has new moves, new armor, and the same old screech in every game. Ridley is a worthy rival and annoying boss.

Number 4:

Miles Edgeworth- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Series

From the cravat to his "red" suit, Edgeworth is a fun bad guy. He is an enjoyable and intelligent villain who turns into a protagonist. His abilities as a lawyer are amazing and leave you feeling victorious and accomplished when you beat him. The joy you feel seeing him in front of you matches the fear you feel when he stands in the lawyer’s box across from you. You love and hate Edgeworth, unless you're playing Investigations in which he is the main character (then you just love him).

Number 3:

Sarah Kerrigan- Starcraft

The Queen of Blades can kick your ass in so many ways it is actually a bit funny. She is bad-ass incarnated. She commands one of the largest videogame armies ever and her troops are powerful and clever. Her abilities to regenerate and rip through all things as well as her combat skills make her a one-person army as well. She has earned her name The Queen of Blades. She is smart, vengeful, and strong. She is definitely one of the most feared bad guys I have ever faced. I almost cry in fear when she comes for me.

Number 2:

Bowser- Super Mario Series

His persistence of kidnapping the same princess over and over while constantly losing earns him respect. He also manages to kill his enemy multiple times just for one death. His kill/death ratio is very high. He also commands a huge army of weird troops and manages to shift the world and environment in his favor. Talk about evil.

Number 1:

Albert Wesker- Resident Evil Series

Albert Wesker manifests all we want and need from a villain. Wesker is a scheming, evil man to his very core. Deranged and psychopathic in many ways, he is also very intelligent, superhumanly strong, fast and endurable. He stops at nothing and spares nobody just to achieve his goals. He is the Darth Vader of videogames, just much more evil and intelligent. He also reserves the right to be a god. He is the one villain that makes me cringe in fear, the one guy I never want to meet, the one guy who haunts my nightmares and causes sleepless nights. When you beat Wesker, even a little, you feel like a god.

WHO WOULD YOU PUT AS YOUR TOP TEN VILLAINS!?

I did leave some people out for reasons unknown to you viewers! Also remember I limit myself to games I ACTUALLY HAVE PLAYED!!! Some villains are much more evil, but I did not include them for the sake they are NOT in games I played.

TOP TEN VILLAINS!!!

- Neezo

First Top Ten Approaching: Villains

Soon, I will update the Top Ten and it will be... about Villains! I will list my top ten villains and you will get to comment and discuss who belongs and who should be added. Yes, I am stoked!

-Neezo

The Beginning

Welcome to PeNe VG! We're a team that will, well, blog about videogaming and other fun things related to said amazing activity...

Plans:
- Weekly Sunday Update and a new Top Ten each week
- Minecraft Monday with Miner Tom
- Possibly a League of Legends update with Field

More additions are possible in the future! We look forward to it!
- Neezo11