Game Over

Well classmates, we made it! It has been a good semester. I enjoyed gaming but I still wish that I had more time to devote. The final project was a challenge and didn't really turn out to be impressive but I learned new things. I have learned a new appreciation for games in education and am more motivated to incorporate them into my classroom. Thank you all for being great classmates. I appreciate your support, especially through the MUD experience. Have a great Christmas. I'm sure I'll blog with some of you next semester. What courses are you all taking?

Game Over.

Holiday Gaming

As the holidays approach, I look forward to family gaming. This usually consists of board and card games. I love playing with our family and friends. Hopefully this year we will be playing the Wii some with our family. Wii Music (see previous blog) is a great group game. It is fun with one or two players but it is for sure a game that fits "the more the merrier!"

Last night we played Buzz Word with my parents. This is not an electronic game but it is great fun. If you haven't played, you should look into getting it for the holidays. It comes with a deck of cards, each containing a buzz word. The cards show ten clues whose answers include the buzz word in them. One team reads the clues and the other team answers. It is so fun and is a lot of laughs. It is great for multi-generational groups as my parents were able to answer references to older songs and movies and my husband and I could answer the more recent clues. Check Buzz Word out! It is great fun!

Have a wonderful, blessed holiday!

Wii Music

Last weekend we bought Wii Music. We really have had a blast with it. Players use the Wii remote to play different instruments. Once players learn how to play the different instruments, they can play in a jam session and record their video. Players can design their video cover. There are mini games which are my favorite part of the game. One minigame allows the player to become the maestro and conduct an orchestra or choir. The second minigame is Handbell Harmony. Players use the wii remote and nunchuck to strike their handbell at a designated time (kind of like guitar hero, DDR, etc.--so fun!!). The third game is pitch perfect. This game challenges players to find the lowest pitch, match pitches, create harmonies, etc. This is very hard for me. My husband is a musician and he loves the creative aspect of this game. It is great to play in a group. It has been a good purchase thus far. My dad and I jammed out to Scarborough Fair on the jaw harp and cow bell. We laughed a lot!! Check Wii Music out!

Shrek the Third

We rented Shrek the Third for Nintendo Wii. This was a fun game that kept me busy for a while. There was a sort of plot line and sense of adventure, which mad it more interesting. The game allowed players to play as Puss in Boots, Shrek, Donkey, Artie, Fiona and Sleeping Beauty. What I liked about taking on the role of difference characters was that each one had strengths and weaknesses. For example, Shrek was strong and could destroy enemies much quicker than the others but was not very quick and couldn't jump very well. However, Puss was agile and could jump high but was not as fierce of a competitor. The game took the player through different levels. Each had a new challenge. Each level has a list of objectives that the players strive to achieve. Overall, I liked this game. It was not as challenging as I had hoped. We beat it in the time that we had it rented (five days) and we really didn't play it that often within those days. I'd recommend it for rental but wouldn't buy it as one might become easily bored by it.

Coffee Buzz

I tried a trial of a game, Coffee Buzz. It wasn't what I expected but it was fun for a little while. I was expecting more of a simulation where you have to make the recipe and serve the drinks. What it ended up being was like BeJeweled. You had to make a set of three for them to disappear. You could only click on two items for them to trade places. It was not very difficult but it was decent fun. I think my husband and I are going to go rent a Wii game to play, hopefully that will go better.

By the way, what courses are you all taking next semester?

Game Creation

I worked on creating a game with that software and it was actually pretty fun. I guess a lesson that I have learned is to stay open minded. I hated the game making software and last outpost at first. I warmed up to both and even enjoyed them. I would still be playing Last Outpost if I could but it is not worth the risk of dying and losing a level again. I am really enjoying this class and am actually learning a lot about myself through it. I just wish that I had more time to dedicate to some of these projects. They are fun but I have to quit before I actually want to. Anyway, I hope that my final project turns out alright. I am afraid that I have bitten off more than I can chew. Is Dr. Miller supposed to return the contracts or do we go ahead and start? I was kind of waiting to make negotiations to the contract before beginning but time is clicking by. Happy gaming all and good luck through the rest (and fastest part) of the semester! Oh, and Happy Halloween!

Last Outpost Part 2

Well, friends it does, in fact, get easier. I am almost to level five. I have played for a long time. I was to level four with a gnome and died twice and then there I was back to the beginning. One of the kind, helpful people on the game recommended that I try to start over with a human. So I did. (I'm not Jah instead of JAH). It has been better. Things are going more smoothly this time. Quil has been a fun companion and Bent has been more than helpful and that's just two that I know. There have been many others that have helped me with things. I think that the most difficult part is the lack of images. I kept trying to visualize where I was in relation to other things and I was never where I thought that I was. Anyway, Bent and others were right that it would get easier. I am still learning though. Hope it is going well for everyone else.