Gaming

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Cooking Mama – Nintendo DS
Chefville – Internet
Cook or be Cooked! – Nintendo Wii
What’s Cooking? with Jamie Oliver – Nintendo DS

Hello again; this time around I will be talking about cooking games. Let me just say I really don’t have a taste for cooking games (get it? taste! never mind), but I was asked what I think about them. I don’t like to give my opinion on games I haven’t played, so I played a few. The first game was Cooking Mama on the Nintendo DS.

Cooking Mama has a very Hello Kitty look to it, however Cooking Mama was just a game to play to pass the time. If you are looking for a game to teach you how to cook, Cooking Mama is not the game for you. Most of the time you’re just waving your styling pen frantically over the screen. After Cooking Mama, I moved on to Iron Chief America which is a very funny looking game and I am not talking funny ha-ha.

You cut, chop, dice, boil, and a handful of other things but everything is set for you to just copy and paste, I didn't feel like I was cooking at all.

I was just waving my Wii controller around. Plus a bodyless head giving you fun facts about the food you’re cooking is freaky. I would have to pass on this dish. Now on to Chefville which is just a point and click Facebook game somewhat like Farmville, sorry, it’s really just like Farmville just in a restaurant, so don’t think your going to learn anything about cooking.

Chefville is just another social media game. I will say this: if you like Farmville you will like Chefville, but if you invite a lot of friends to your game, it will slow down. Sorry! Moving on to What’s Cooking? with Jamie Oliver.

My first thought was no better than Cooking Mama. WRONG!!! This game is very well done, you basically do everything you do in the kitchen but it’s a hand held with very little talking. This game is for you if you don’t want a game talking at you while you play. All I have to say is Jamie Oliver with the Nintendo DS is an amazing way to go. Now for the last dish, Food Network’s Cook or be cooked!

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Video Game Consoles

I was talking to a friend about video game consoles and I just had to share the conversation with you the reader. It started off with the two of us talking about the Wii-U; I couldn’t help but hope that Nintendo will step their game up (Really!!!).

I understand the Wii was very cool when it first showed up on the scene, but the Wii doesn’t offer what true gamers want most of the time. There was no real deep game selection; I could only remember a few games like Zelda, Mad World, Muramasa: The Demon Blade, and House of the Dead Overkill giving me a fun gaming experience.

I understand Nintendo wanting to be a console for the whole family to enjoy but Nintendo forgot about the hardcore gamer that likes great graphics, high resolution, and adult content. I hope with the Wii-U this problem will be fixed. Don’t get me wrong, I like Mario, but how many times can Nintendo make a spin-off game with his name. I know some people will buy a Wii-U for nostalgia sake but will not buy any games because it will look better on the PS3 or XBOX 360 due to their resolution. One last thing to say about the Wii-U:  I hope Nintendo is not just integrating tablet technology just because it is a hot thing right now. The Wii-U controller looks a little funny and really big, it would be a waste if your controller has a screen on it and it really doesn’t do anything. Nintendo please prove me wrong and make the Wii-U amazing with great games that are engaging, great graphics with HD resolution, and titles for everyone not just aimed for children (if I see another Pokemon game, so help me God!!!). Enough with Nintendo it is Sony Playstation’s and Microsoft XBOX 360’s turn.

I have been behind Playstation and XBOX from the beginning, they are great consoles and each time Sony and Microsoft release a new console some things change some good and some bad. The good things that come with new consoles are better graphics and more disc space upgrading from DVD to Blue-Ray getting us closer and closer to playing video games with our mind (Ha!). No, really, with every new console we are getting closer and closer to realistic looking games; but with the good come a whole lot of bad, like Down Loadable Content (DLC) and downloadable games. The reason DLC’s rub me the wrong way is because I feel that the gamer shouldn’t have to pay more for what should be in the game already. DLC’s feel like a little bit of a cop-out, but that’s just me. It’s like going to the movies sitting in your seat eating your popcorn watching the show and 45 minutes into it the screen says the rest of the movie will be ready in 6 days and cost you another 10 bucks, and that’s not right. As for downloadable games, I really don’t have a big beef with them I just wish I can have a hard copy. I know that downloadable games are cheaper because the game companies do not have to put the game on a disc so I will let it go. I hate that I have to rant and rave but all I want to have is an amazing game console that lets me play as long as I want without my game freezing, hearing a fan buzzing, without the fear of the ring of death, or yellow light. If you do not know what I am talking about,  you are lucky. Also, bring back memory cards because I like to use my data or saved game info at any friend’s house with the same console without fear of messing up their console. Just make a console that is easy to use and will not break down in the middle of a game and make it easy to play game data that can work on anyone’s console that is the same. One last thing that I have heard but I hope doesn’t happen is that with the new consoles that are coming out will only play games assigned to the console that plays the game first, it’s called “game blocking”( I think not sure, Sorry). Which means your new console must be on the web and NO MORE USED GAMES!!! For example, say you buy yourself a brand new game, you go home and play, it’s everything you wanted in a game, then you tell your friend about it and he wants you to bring the game over to play it at his house with you. This goes on everyday but not with the new consoles if they do this, your friend would have to buy his own copy if he wants to play it at his house, which sucks for gamers that like to play with other gamers without the inter-web. This may not come to a head, just something I have read, but if it does happen gamers may become real picky about the games they buy which will bring down game companies profits. Also, if this happens it could kill gaming as we know it, gamers may stop playing video games altogether so keep your fingers crossed and hope that doesn’t happen. Now for a quick recap. Better consoles that don’t break down, the ability to play or share your data, make everything in a console have a point, no more paying for DLCs, and make hard copies an option for downloadable games. So until next time never stop playing.

By: Korey Blaylock