Racing Games

There is nothing better then playing racing games with your friends and competing against them in a battle of skill. One of the best racing games out there is Daytona racing from Sega. This arcade game is a classic and is located in nearly all arcades across America. I usually go to Dave and Busters on the weekends with some friends and challenge them for bragging rights on who can earn first place. One thing is for certain; no matter who wins everyone will have a great time. The Daytona game allows you to sit in the driver's seat of a professional race car. Once you are sitting down in the arcade machine there are speakers that are built into the base design that allows you to hear every single crowd noise and turn. There is a built in vibration feedback that goes into the steering wheel, so you can feel the movement of your vehicle on the terrain. The graphics of the game is not as good as it use to be but does stand the test of time. The graphics for two car collisions are still quite adequate and fun. I only hope that in the arcade world that you can purchase some type of auto insurance before you can play. This is a great racing game that should go down as one of the best ever games in arcade history. There has been several arcade games that have been releases that are in the same genre as Daytona but none lack the staying power of this classic video game. I only can hope that one day that we are blessed with a sequel to Daytona that it will cause a massive population movement into everyone's local arcade.

Are video games still fun?

In the past 20 years we have seen advancement in technology that has shifted the development of video games to be more focused on graphics and sound. This shift by major studios has had a dramatic impact on the how we play video games. The games do look better, sound better, and play better but are games actually more fun? This is a simple question to think about and the motive behind the question is not to ruffle any feathers but to bring light the importance of game design. Like any movie, no matter how big the budget is, if the script is not good people will wait to watch the movie when it is released on rentals. So, are video games more fun now? I have enjoyed great games in the past such as Space Quest, King's Quest, MYST, and Wing Commander. These are classic PC games that were well designed, entertaining, and that fueled the growth of the video game entertainment industry in the past. These games were simple, fun, and innocent. Now, as we approach the year 2010, there has been great progress in graphics and sound that make games look photo realistic and really bring the player into the game. There have been some great games like Halo, Gears of War, John Madden Football, NBA 2K, Final Fantasy, Super Mario Kart, and Grand Theft Auto that has really pushed the video game industry forward. These games are very fun and well designed. Now, with the internet moving to Web 2.0 and the advancement of fiber optics and cable modem delivering large amounts of information at high speeds has open the door of playing sophisticated flash games over the internet. A lot of developers big and small have taken notice of the popularity of flash games over the internet. These developers have incorporated development of flash games into their portfolio and are now the driving force of creativity that is fueling the growth of the arcade industry over the internet. The arcade industry that has been decimated by the console video game system is now seeing resurgence on the internet. A startup arcade website that is growing very rapidly, Humtumgames.com (http://www.humtumgames.com) has over several thousand flash games that are innovative and fun. So, are video games still fun? The answer is "Yes".

Curse Village - Flash Game Review

Welcome to the first installment of our flash game review series in trying to identify the best flash games on the internet. There are so many games floating throughout the internet that no one knows what games are worth playing. We are working hard in trying to find the best games worth playing and making it easier for people to just relax and have fun enjoying great flash games.

The first game that we are going to review is a game called Curse Village. This is an interesting game in which you must protect your territory from zombie intruders that are looking to wreck havoc on your town. You are armed with some of the latest gadgets that you can use to dismember your zombie opponents. Some of the weapons that you have to choose from are chainsaws, machine guns, flame throwers, and a lot more. There are thirty levels to play through in this side scrolling horror game. This game is fun to play through but could be a little repetitive in the later levels. I have been playing the game for the past couple of day and I still cannot stop playing the game. I guess the actual simplicity of the game, friendly controls, and basic story makes it very easy to get into the game. So, check out Curse Village and have fun.

Flash Game Review: River Rapids Rampage - Episode 1

So, what happens when you find a game that reminds you so much of the cartoon that you watched in the past and that you have a chance to live an adventure of the show that you grew up with? You play the game! Scooby and Shaggy are up to mischief again in their latest adventure in trying to find hot peppers to make a special hot sauce. They must travel through the jungles, and brave the rapids and avoid their latest villain in trying to accomplish their mission. The graphics of this adventure game is cartoony to say the least and works quite well for this genre of games.

The game play consists of puzzles that Scooby and Shaggy must solve by using tools to help them pass obstacles that block their path in finding those special peppers. The animations in the game are probably the best to watch and are very funny. I found it to be quite enjoyable trying to use objects that I picked up in the game and using them against an enemy only to see what actions would happen. This is a great game for kids to play and for adults to check out to relive their memories of watching the adventures of Scooby and the gang from television past. So check out your local online arcade and give the game a try, I am certain that you would enjoy the game.

Great time to be a gamer

I said it once and I will say it again, "this is a great time to be a gamer". The advancement of the internet and software technology has allowed everyday people to take up game design and development. There are more people that are taking a chance in developing flash games and using tools to publish their content on the web for all to play. As a result of creativity and the market being flooded with flash games there are many arcade websites that have popped up all over the internet. Some of the more successful arcade websites do a great job in cataloging these great games into their inventory and delivering these games to the gamer. There are lots of games that are quite ordinary but if you take the time play through them you can really find some gems. The best thing to do is to rely on the ratings systems that are set up by arcade websites and users that play the games provide feedback by posting a rating or comments to the flash game. This may be the best way to gauge what games are worth playing and what games that you may want to avoid. The great thing is that there are a lot of games out there, and there are many ordinary people that are trying to be extraordinary in trying to bring some great games to the public. This is a great time to be a gamer.

Mario or Sonic?

If you were in a brawl, who would you rather have by your side, Mario or Sonic? We all know that Sonic is one cool hedgehog that can run faster than lightning and has one cool spiky hair cut. Mario is a good jumper that can shoot fireballs and has saved the princess countless number of times. We all played the Sonic and Mario games at some point in time have formulated our support of one character over the other. The real question is not what game is better or what characters that you like better but who would you take to a brawl with you? I know that this may be a great time to check your contacts in your blackberry and scroll down to find Master Chief's cell phone number and see if he is available but that is not the question. The question is Mario or Sonic? Let us break down the traits of two characters a little bit further in terms of strength, speed, and brains. In terms of strength, Mario is the stronger character. He has the ability to break bricks with his head, without taking Advil. Sonic is much faster than Mario, and can run faster to a fight than Mario ever could. Brain power could be equal, with Sonic running into things and Mario hitting things with his head, I expect that both characters are not rocket scientists. Then again, Mario did play a doctor in one of his games. If you were in a brawl and had to choose Mario or Sonic, who would you want to back you up?

What is old is new again

The simple game mechanics that were a central piece in the success of retro games in the early 1980's is making a comeback almost thirty years later. With developers driving creativity and the medium of the internet to drive traffic to games, this has been a match made in heaven. There are many games that are popping up all over the internet that are new and have been developed by people that are just joining the video game evolution. The games that are being developed are flash games that are highly sophisticated, unique, and use simple game play to drive enjoyment for the player. This is a big shift from the super graphical games that are being pumped out by big budgeted studios and these flash games can be somewhat addicting games, to say the least. I personally enjoyed playing the console games for the last twenty years, and found that over the years that these games have tend to become less fun. The console gaming industry seems to be using the same formula over and over again. Now developers are building flash games for the internet that is refreshing, innovating, and changes the way we play games. I am hopeful that this new trend in innovation and simplicity will help drive the console market in developing games that are more fun to play. I believe that Nintendo has recognized the issue of applying the same formula to game development and came out with the Wii to help foster creativity in video games. There has been some success in the console market in refocusing their efforts in producing games that are more retro in game play, and going back to the basics in making games more fun. As a video game player, I am hopeful for the future and thank the developers of flash games.

What to expect from the future of gaming?

Over the last twenty years there has been a quantum leap in technology and the ability to develop video games that are very photo realistic. This has got me thinking about how far we have come in this industry and what would video games be like twenty years from now? I think video games would use holographic technology that would interact with the user based on motion detection and would have sophisticated artificial intelligence that would communicate with the player like they are a person. I could only imagine how future iterations of Halo or Gears of War might be twenty years from now. Perhaps, the game would be a holographic image that would take up the entire room and you would be entrapped in a three dimensional world. You as a player would have to dodge the elements and beat the bad guys through a series of actual movements and actions. Also, these video games would incorporate other human senses such as smell, and the ability to touch to further enhance the environment of the world that we play in. I do wonder what social implications or political actions that may be taken due to the advancement of technology. I think about how fun Grand Theft Auto might be twenty years from now or how much exercise I might get by playing Sonic the Hedge Hog. I can only imagine how great playing a role playing game would be in the future. Can you imagine interacting with characters that would help you on your quest or confronting enemies that wish you harm. There are a lot of things to look forward to in the future but also there many games to look forward to right now. So, think about the future but enjoy the present.

Having Fun with Duck Hunt

I remember one of the first games that I played when I was a kid, was Duck Hunt on Nintendo. The video game cartridge was quite bulky and probably had a storage capacity of 500 kilobytes. Despite the size of the cartridge, and the storage of memory the game was quite fun. There was always a lot of action on screen, with ducks flying around, and a dog chasing those ducks. Playing this addicting game when I was a kid was pure joy, and bliss. The sound effects were quite simple for a shoot and click game, and can be explained with the following word, "pow". I have not played that game in over twenty years and I can reminisce about that dog always laughing at me after I missed shooting those ducks. The game was simple, enjoyable fun that I would play with my father from time to time. This was probably the turning point in time from moving from board games to video entertainment systems. Duck Hunt came packed with the first release of the Nintendo system and I have seen flash reincarnations of this classic game on several arcade mediums. The original Duck Hunt game represents a milestone in history that brought arcade games to television sets. This landmark in time may be equivalent to the shifting of home cook meal to TV dinners. Sure, Mario is credited for being that arcade game that represented this cultural shift in entertainment but Duck Hunt was packed in the box too. To my fellow retro Nintendo players, long live Duck Hunt. Retro games rule!

Halo is King

Have you ever played a game that was so breathtaking that it represented a mental shift in imagination? This is what the Halo game represented to me, the moment I placed the disc into the Xbox. The story is one of the greatest in any first person shooting games to date. You play the character Master Chief and you are a soldier sworn to protect and uphold the rights of the citizens of planet Earth. There is an alien invasion that takes places against Earth and your planet's resources are at stake. You may use any weapons that you can find, even use alien technology to fight off the evil aliens. One of the coolest guns is the plasma needle gun. You fire purple glowing needles into the enemy, and they explode about two seconds after impact. One of the biggest moments in the game is the introduction of the Flood. The Flood is the second alien race whose sole purpose is to eradicate all life, human and alien. This is one of the greatest action games that I have ever played. There have been several sequels to the Halo game that has spawned record sales around the world. If you have not had a chance to experience this game, you should go to your local video game store and pick up a copy. After I played the Halo series, I was a lot more critical to other first person shooters, and used Halo as the standard in this genre. The only game that has come close to the Halo series is Unreal. Still, Halo is number one in my mind and is still the king of all shooting games.