Games I’m playing 24 March: Let's head to the City

For the last few weeks I’ve been watching a lot of TV (lots, House, Heroes, Battlestar Galactica, Being Human) and so busy that I’ve not really been able to fit in much gaming.

The one game that has stuck on the radar, simply because I can pick it up and play for 10 minutes, is Animal Crossing Let’s go to the City.

(Regardless of what some Internet Crime Watchdogs will want you to believe, Animal Crossing isn’t just for teens and adult predators,)

It plays pretty similar to The Sims, just less advanced. It’s more about collecting bugs, fish and gyroids, then going work and having a family, although you still have to pay off a mortgage to Tom Nook.
But those that have tried The Sims will understand just how addictive the gameplay can be. Checking your town each day for new items in the shops, wishing for balloons to fly by so you can catapult presents off hoping to complete your Nintendo them room or trying to catch that spider in the trees to fill up your museum.

Other stuff to do in Animal Crossing, and a favourite of mine, is to see what strange outfits you can find, including some Nintendo favourites

Link from Legend of Zelda.

Samus from Metroid

Or music heroes

Elvis

Or even as your favourite own Halloween costume
 
Luchadores

Another great feature to this game is the addition of Wii Speak.
I try to stay in touch with my family back in the UK a lot, mainly with Skype. But this game allows me to play online, trading items and chat away to my family at the same time.

Despite the childish nature and looks of Animal Crossing (and that fact that this version plays almost totally identical to the DS version from a few years ago) I still can’t stop being addicted to it’s simple collecting gameplay.

If your playing this too, my Friend Code is 4898 0358 3971.
My Wii Friend Code is 4859 7530 9312 3844.

Game I'm Playing:Back after the Break

It's been a while since I updated my game list, but that doesn't mean I've not been playing games.

There's been about half a dozen games I've been playing over the last few weeks but the most recent games have been;

On the Wii

Disaster: Not selling very well. Still a very fun game in my opinion. A little bit like Resident Evil gaemplay with added Time Crises/light gun action areas. Short first time you play but many "collectables" to go back and hunt.
De Blob: A fantastic game. Simple idea. You go a colour blob. You change your colour by rolling in paint. And your mission, to paint all the buildings. The way it works is to gain access to further parts of the stage you have to gain X amount of points by painting and completing missions. The missions will range from racing to a certain point to painting certain buildings a particular colour. And the controls are simle, move and jump. That's all you need.
Wario Land: A simple 2-d platformer. Something a bit old school. It has basic level design for everyone to complete with harder areas within each level for serious gamers to hunt out. Its a simple but effect game.

Also some Virtual Conolse and WiiWare games that I've downloaded

Super Mario RPG: I love the Mario RPG games. Paper Mario (Gamecube) was my first. Super Paper Mario (Wii) I got first day it came out and couldn't put it down. The game is now in the hands of my sister. Mario and Luigi (DS) alot of fun handheld elements
But Super Mario RPG is where it all started. The first one and designed by one of the major RPG creators. I couldn't say no.
Mega Man 9: I never played a proper Mega Man game until I downloaded Mega Man 2 on the Virtual Console not so long ago. I bought downloaded this game because of all the reviews online. I have to say, this is without a doubt the hardest game I've ever played. I've played it for about 2 hours or so and not met up with a single boss yet. Its ridiculous. But they said it would be.

Games I'm (and the missus) playing this week 3

I may of already mentioned this game a few times on my blog, but recently I've mostly been trying to kick ass and take names on Mario Kart Wii


I've been a massive fan off the Mario Kart series since I picked it up as a little nipper on the old SNES.
Since then there has been about half a dozen games in the series and I've played nearly all of them (with the exception of Double Dash. The whole twin character kart thing put me off)
Since I played my very first Mario Kart years ago there have been a few things I have missed from the series, like the missing feather item from the original game, also the coin factor from the original and GBA versions.
There are also annoying factors, apart from the noted above Double Dash game, the only thing I've hated about the games is the AI's way of making every shell hit you if your are first.
Oh and Blue Shells. I! Hate! These! Things! So! Much!

At times Mario Kart can be the most frustrating game ever created (take word from the missus who lets rip 5 consecutive parental guidance word expletives every 30 seconds or so playing the game. I'll have to video her playing the game one time for you all to hear.)

There have been some great things happen to the series though. For a start all the games have had great playability. And the Mission Levels in the DS version.
I was pleased to see that the Mission Levels are in the Wii version too. Only problem is rather then like the DS version where you had 80 or so to start off with, in the Wii version you have to download the Mission Levels when Nintendo released them, which is about one every two weeks. That's a lot of waiting around for new levels.
But the Silver Lining is I can post my top racing/mission times online and compete against friends and relatives around the World. And the missus of course who is now starting to tell me she is beating my Time Trial Scores.

Those, as Mario Kart fans will know, are fighting words.

Also one of the most fun elements of Mario Kart Wii is the Wii Wheel. Playing with the Wii Wheel lets you steer like a proper car. All those times I laughed at my parents years ago when they tried to "steer" the kart by moving their hands, I know find myself enjoying that.
Also to those 'Fanboys' that slated the Wii Wheel before h'actually playing the game and said they were too hardcore to use kiddy controls, you have no idea what you're missing. The Wii Wheel could be the most fun way of playing any Mario Kart game in the series.

If you have Mario Kart and would like to add me or the Missus to your Roster, here are our FCs
Mine 1719 3801 4792
The Missus 3351 4677 3312

My Wii FC is 4859 7530 9312 3844

The cheese just ain't the same

I've started to find that I'm getting excited about really strange things.

When my mum was over visiting she bought me Mario Kart Wii and Wii Fit. I've spent so much time on these two games (and before you ask 35. My damn Wii Fit age is 35. Stupid frickin balance board)
And it's not just me. The missus has been playing a lot more Wii and even beating me on some Mario Kart time trials.
I love these two games and they are great presents.
But I'm trying to get a point across here, bare with me.
The best present I got that week was not the games but in fact a block of cheese.

Cheese over here just isn't the same.

It's all expensive and I just want a decent block of English Mature Cheddar. But it's so hard to come by.
They do have a lot of sliced cheese or grated cheese. But just not a lot of choice on affordable blocks of cheese.
So I've not had a cheese and (Branston) pickle sandwich in weeks. I'm missing them.

Another great thing that I've bought and I'm happy about is a pineapple. I'm so pleased I've bought a pineapple.
I've never bought a whole pineapple before. I've bought half of one or tinned rings, but never a whole pineapple.
I feel like my life has moved on a lot now.

But the greatest thing I have bought in the last few days, in fact for some time, was a double socket scart adapter.
Seriously.
A simple adapter for the TV that lets me plug in my Wii and my DVD in to the TV at the same time. The TV only has one scart plug/AV channel. This causes some unnecessary time wasting.
Before yesterday if I wanted to play some Mario Kart I'd have to turn the TV around, check what scart was plugged in the TV and swap them around if needed.
If after playing some Mario Kart and then wanting to watch some Seinfeld I still have no clue what they are saying on Spanish TV so I don't watch that) then I have to turn the TV around. Unplug the Wii. Plug in the DVD and then turn the TV back round the right way.
And vice verse if swapping from the DVD to the Wii.
But now, thanks to the special magical properties of a little black box I now have both the Wii and DVD plugged in to the TV and to use one all I have to do is switch it on. I don't even need to turn the channel.

And I wouldn't give up my Mario Kart Wii or Wii Fit for any amount of blocks of cheese.

In's and out's

Well here is what I have been up to in the last few days.

Work has been pretty slow. We've not really been having people come to the sales deck so I've not had the chance to earn any cash. I've been told that more effort is being made to get people on to the sales deck this week, so hopefully I should start to be earnig some money soon. Working for €20 a day isn't great.

Life has been pretty much quite since the family left. The missus has been busy loking for a job and after work I have been trying to get some stuff sorted out that has needed to be done for a while, mainly tidying, getting a new bed and sorting out some home movies. And playing lots of Mario Kart and Wii Fit.
If you would like to see our movies then check out robbiesherman.blip.tv or look at the rss feed on the side of my blog.
Here is the video of our first day. Take in to account that we had been up since 3, been stuck out shopping for a few hours, rained on and very hungry.

Apologies about the screen size. I think the camera records in widescreen and the ratio has been messed around somewhere, not sure where.

My feet, having spoke about them in teh previous post, are fine now. I think in another week or two I might try and climb one of the large hills/small mountains outback. Or at least see how far up I can get. Although Spain does not have maps anything like Ordnance Survey maps, so I might have to take a pad and pencil and draw my own. Hopefully I'll come back with plenty of pictures though (although not sure on the quality as I won't have my regular camera.)

The weather also hasn't been great this last week. And it isn't forecast to get much better over the next week but I believe the UK has been seeing some great weather the last few days though. Lucky.....
But today will be spent in the pub. The missus has found a bar that will be showing both the Chelse and Man United games so I'll be down there in a few hours watching the last 90 minutes of the season with my fingers crossed that Chelsea pip United at the post.

Anyways, that's what I have been up to lately.

Back to reality

Well the parents have gone. I'm back at the house. Hear is what has been happening.

Last Friday mine and the missus parents landed in Spain to see how our new life is coming along.
We went to the villa they were staying at to surprise them. We were only suppose to stay the weekend, but were asked and offered lifts to work all week if we did stay. Of course how could we say no?
So the last week I have been away from Home.

In that time work has been very hectic and strange. Sunday night I had a phone call to say not to go in Monday. On Tuesday I found out that the company I work for were changing their franchise from one holiday club company to another. The rest of the week there have been some changes and some extra training starts on Monday. I've not really had chance to do any proper work yet so I haven't earned any money and have only been picking up very basic wage.
I'm kind of hoping things settle down this week so I can start earning money to play out.
Although once I get my N.I.E card this week I'll hand my CV in to a few bars for extra work.
I've also found out that I can't have any holidays at work but we get the whole of August off. Unpaid. So I need something to cover me for those weeks.
Plus I have just had a text saying to go in at 1230 tomorrow rather then 10. In a company were things are changing all the time I hope I'm not going in to be told "go home, you're not needed!"

Also my camera has broke. It just stopped working one day. Well half of it doesn't work. I can see photos that I have taken, but when I try to go in to shoot mode the screen goes black. Plus the lens cover wont close properly. We've sent it home with the parents to be sent to a repair shop and sent back when the next visitors come over. So my photos might not be as many for the next few weeks.

I've also picked up Wii Fit and Mario Kart Wii this week so I'll be playing a lot of them. But more about them later.
For those with Mario Kart Wii my FC is 1719-3801-4792.
Also my Wii FC is 4859-7530-9312-3844

The weather is getting much better here. Far better then the first week we were here. It's nothing but sun. I know you don't want to hear that back in the UK, but there is a point to this. I hope the damn pool gets filled up soon.
I'm waiting to have a nice splash around, but the pool is still empty. And it's pretty hard to swim without water. As you may of guessed.
But the other point is that with the pool being empty, the pool area which has a lot of space for sunbathing and chilling out is closed. As we have no balcony there isn't many places for us to go at the moment if we want to sit outside, except the car park.
But I still haven't got that much of a tan. I'm taking my time with that.

Lizard Spot tally is going up. But more on that soon.

Also the missus has been shopping for the house. We have throws for the couches, new colourful plastic cups. A candle in the shape of a giant crab shell and the house furniture has been moved around and all looks much much better and homely.

The main portion of this week has been spending time with the parents. It was really great to see them and to show them that all is going well here (apart from my foot injury at the beginning). We ate out a lot and drank a lot of alcohol, so all this week I'm drinking nothing but water - except for tomorrow when the Chelsea Newcastle game is on - and learning how to use that big block thing in the kitchen that shoots our flames.
There were a one or two things that I didn't get to show my parents, like Tutti Frutti - the local night spot - but that can be done another time. It was nice just to see them and spend time with them.
The parents have already said that they will be revisiting soon. I hope my dad can make it out soon as there are plenty of mountains here for him to climb and not a lot of maps. Any maps that are out there aren't very detailed. A walk in the park without a map is a favourite method of my dad's hill walking.

Anyway it's getting late. I have about 160+ feeds to go through, so I'll try and catch up soon.

Games I'm Playing This Week 2

Well my gaming habits have been a little quite last few weeks, but since the weather hasn't been great here and I've not been working I've had chance to get stuck in to some games I bought a while ago.

This week I have mostly been playing No More Heroes.


I bought No More Heroes a few weeks before we left for Spain. I played a few hours of it and then put it away as it seemed like the kind of game I could spend a good couple of hours playing each day so I thought it would be best left until I had moved.

So this week I've gotten the chance to play with it for a few hours and I'm loving it.
For those that don't know, you control the protagonist Travis Touchdown, who receives a Beam Katana (think light sabre) and wants to become Santa Destroys top assassin (my current position is Rank 5). Queue lots of walking around streets and fighting till the death.

The graphics ooze style and look really good. There is a air of paying homage to retro games. Power ups and save points are highlighted with giant floating large pixeled signs. The leader board looks like something out of Space Invaders. The game also has a great sense of punkishness about it. You can definitely sense that alot of Japanese will be doing cosplay out of characters in the game (although what dont't they cosplay?). And their is a great deal of humour, for example to save the game you have to go the toilet. All very strange.
There isn't a great deal of skill, you hit the A button a few times, carry out a motion sensored final blow and move on to the next guy. The fun for me comes when rather then just one foot soldier attacking you, there can be dozens trying to kill you at once. It's a bit like an old school beat 'em up. Steets of Rage, Golden Axe, those kind of lost games. A whole lot of fun.
There is even one side mission were you have to kill 100 hundred enemies, and your arm takes a little beating with all the frantic swinging.

The thing I have most enjoyed about the game is all the sidemissions and objectives. Kind of like miniassasinations, take out various pizza owner's, 100 man war (mentioned above) or even fighting a pack of enemies and you can only take one hit, that's when a bit of skill and a lot of luck comes in. For example I've done Free Missions 1, 3 and 4, but keep losing on level 2. Damn you level 2, damn you.

I expected a lot from this game, I was looking for something meaty and enjoyable and it has delivered.
Now I'm off to see how high up the leader board I can get before my preordered Mario Kart Wii arrives and that is permanently stuck in my Wii.

Games I'm Playing Week 1

So trying to find a topic thats not Spain related so not to bore you all, let's go over games I am currently playing.

Having tried to get rid of a dozen or so games lately to lower baggage weight (I promise thats the only Spain related drop) I almost traded in Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles with a bunch of others, despite having only played just over an hour of it.

It wasn't until the shop assitant shown me my hidden £16 credit under my £2 credit note that I decided to keep hold of Umbrella Chronicles.

On my second time round I'm really getting in to this game. It's an "on the rails shooter" meaning you can only aim at the screen and have no control over the character movement.
There are other options in the game that I completely missed first time round, like side missions and upgrading of weapons, which makes the game much deeper and alot more fun.

I'm glad that I got the chance to give Umbrella Chronicles a second go, I've fallen a bit for it and it's a highly enjoyable game.

For those looking for some cheap thrills on their Wii I highly recommend this pick up and play title.

Anyone want to add my Friend Code, it's 4859 7530 9312 3844. Just drop me a comment to let me know.

Friends forever

So this weekend took our count of major things to do before we move down by one. We entertained some of my friends and had a final big night out with all the missus friends too.
By the end of the night there had been plenty of offers and requests for a space staying on the new couch, which is always a nice sign.


Most of Friday was filled thanks to the guys over at Nintendo and passing the time away with some old gaming favourites, mainly Golden Axe.

I was with all the guys.

Games continued with a "Who can unintentionnally pull the funniest face" game.

The missus had a good time with the girls too


There was plenty of drink and some dancing, not by all but some enjoyed it more then others.


Easter had been forgotten about for most of the night until we walked out of the club and right in to a parade, which had a good turn out.


Towards the end of the night there were tired feet and heads. A few tears, making up with arch nemisis, missing coats and the next morning had some of the previous nights heavy drinkers with a huge day lasting hangover and generally feeling of sick.

But overall everyone had a good night.


Usual slideyshow