Ginger, on Costume Quest

If you don't know about this game, shame on you and move out from that rock you've been living under. But seriously, this game is amazing. Developed by Double Fine Productions and released October 20th 2010, Costume Quest is a Halloween themed adventure role-playing video game. While that might sound dumb as a box of rocks and just about as fun, they did a really good job. This game is a blast. The main character, who you play, is a child who's trick-or-treating with their twin on Halloween when they encounter a monster that kidnaps your sibling. Afterward you travel around the local neighborhood collecting candy, costume materials and other children as companions in order to face the bad guy and save your sibling. All before curfew.

The really cool thing about this game is the costumes: the costumes are used in battle segments, where the player character and companions are transformed into the monsters and creatures they are dressed as to fight other monsters. (You get to watch a cool little action movie for the creature you're dressed as at the start of each fight, so you might want to switch it up a bit to see all of them.) Each costume also has a special ability used in fights or for exploration, or if you're really lucky, both. The costume you start with for example, The Robot, has these wheelie shoes that boost your speed way up for ramps and stuff as well as a special missile attack for battles. I really dig the transformation part for battles - it's just like pure kid imagination run wild, like this is what the kid was thinking when they made that costume and this is what they feel like waring it. I remember feeling like that when I was a kid, so it's nice to see other people remember what it felt like too.

Seriously dude, you're giving us a bad rep.

There are three different worlds (stages?) for you to complete are really well developed and planned. The art for the game is really well done too. A little on the cuteys side, but I actually like that. I'm not a fan of super scary things, like large spiders or elementary schools. Since there are no voiced parts, there is a lot of reading in some sections of the game - but it's cool 'cause that kind of gives it that old school RPG feeling.

As far as replay ability, I think it's something you'd only play a few times a year. But if you're like me and you love Halloween, it's still pretty cool other times of the year too. If you have younger kids, I think this would be an awesome game for you to bond over too - especially if you like video games more than they do. I think the subject matter would be more accessible for them than a classic style RPG, and it's a lot less complicated. It's also challenging enough for you not to get bored helping them but easy enough for them not to get super frustrated a want to quit either.

The secret cave is totally secret. Totally. (From expansion.)

Currently, it's available for download on the XBox 360 (the verison I played) and Playstation 3. The is an additional down loadable chapter, "Grubbins on Ice", that was made available in December 2010 alongside a free patch to correct some of the game's performance and gameplay problems (I didn't have any so I'm not sure what the patch fixes). Taking place some time after the events of the main game while winter falls upon the kids, they find a portal to the monster's world, Repugia, where Lucy (a companion from the first game) is captured by the monsters during a revolution. The other three kids don their costumes to help save Lucy. While many of the core game's features carry over into the add-on, new costumes and abilities are available in the expansion. (Yay!) And the expansion is just as fun as the original.

"Cheapass" Games with Anacronus Kspaz

Not swimming.

I love pool, no not swimming pools. They're cool too. I mean billiards. Anacronus told me about a pool game for X-box live.

The number one problem billiard games have in my opinion is that no controller ever replicates the feel of a cue. The wii got closest and it wasn't even really that good. This game, still doesn't but it does a lot of other things very well.

Let me get my nits out of the way. First off is the name, Balls. Seriously, I can't think this will help sell your game accept for someone who looks it up based on it's weird name. Next, your players don't actually play, your X-box avatar stands there and watches a cue float through the air, and play for you. Also your in a juice bar, I can't take the place seriously if it doesn't serve alcohol, like I said these are nits.

Dogs playing poker in the blurry background. Awesome.

On to things this game does well. The decor is beautiful, if only too bright to be a pool hall. (Right it's a juice bar, I forgot.) The dogs playing poker on the wall is one of the very nice touches. Strangely enough why they don't have the dogs playing pool I'll never know.

The background blurs out so your not distracted. The music is nice and tranquil.

Floating cue makes the shots,
maybe you use you mind to shoot

When you make a shot the meter actually displays where the ball will end up based on the power you are using. I hope this can be turned off in the full version of the game.

Also it's an indie game so it's only 80 points, but this also means the trial period for the game is super short. I didn't get to finish my first game.

It also has a variety of games you can play. Now if I can only find a controller which actually feels like a cue, I'll be all set.

So good luck and don't get hustled or if you do. Call Uncle Phil.

Not so serious PSA's

If someone asks you to fight a giant bug, just say No thanks.
This is a quote from an Animaniacs PSA making fun of the Power Ranger PSA's. I can't show you a clip because the other Warner's' wont allow it. This is also what held up this post from being posted.

Knowing maybe half the battle, but why did it always seem like violence was the other half. One of the webs grandmasters.

Seriously were they just trying to make the Xbox harder on those of us who grew up with a SNES?

Kids, Don't be a hater. We're trying to help.

Kids, seriously don't catch them all.

Kids don't underestimate your villian. Especially if he's Lawful Evil.

UPDATE: This post edited to make room for the real PSA that took presidence.