Inbox: Munchkin 7 - More Good Cards

Inbox features items that I have recently purchased or received.

When I got the first Munchkin game as a gift, I also received with it Munchkin 7 - More Good Cards. More Good Cards is a slim expansion set for Munchkin that doesn't add anything particularly new: no new mechanics, no new races, classes or treasure types. What it does provide is a small stack of highly powered cards that generally work to enhance the use of other cards.

This includes even more over the top versions of cards like Super Munchkin and Half-Breed, which let you stack three classes or races together, rather than just two. However, since the expansion includes a lot of cards that modify other cards, but no actual treasures, monsters, races or anything of the sort, it might actually be too much for those who are just playing with the basic box, because it throws off the ratio of enhancer cards to basic cards, which results in drawing a lot of cards that can't or won't be used.

That said, as you get more expansions and your decks become enormous, the more useful More Good Cards becomes, letting you take advantage of the three or four cards in your hand that you might not have otherwise been able to use. Bottom line: this is a good expansion for those who already have a lot of Munchkin and want More Good Cards. For those who only have the basic box, I'd look at buying additional expansions in numerical sequence to keep the card ratios even. 6/10.

Links:

Progress Report: A Return to Azeroth

Progress Report provides ongoing impressions of games as I play them.

I had given up on World of Warcraft last year after a hacking incident took my characters. Well, with a new expansion on the horizon, I started feeling some cravings to go back into the game and explore all the new stuff. As I still have one medium level character left, I think that I can pick up close to where I left off and, hopefully, finally reach the endgame for the original Warcraft, and hopefully move into the endgames for the previously released expansions, at least enough so that I can finally have a say about the complete game.

So, yes, I am returning to Azeroth, for what I hope will be my chance to get through all the rest of the content before signing off again. I'll report on my progress now and again.

Hardware: The 3DS and Wii's Virtual Console

Hardware covers the technology of game playing, whether PC, consoles or figurines on a board.

News of the fact that Nintendo's 3DS will feature a Virtual Console (Handheld?) that will feature Game Boy and Game Boy Color games hit the headlines at the end of September, but I wasn't plugged in well enough at the time to notice it. However, finding out about it now, I'm glad to see that Nintendo might finally be doing something that I was hoping for.

As a largely retro-oriented gamer, I was quite pleased with the Wii's Virtual Console at first, although there are many problems that makes Nintendo's online implementation absolutely abysmal when compared to Sony and Microsoft. Still, despite Nintendo's generally poor implementation of its online service, I was still more than pleased to be able to play old classics on my Wii without having to dust off my ancient NES and somehow get it plugged into my new-tech setup. And yes, I was plenty willing to pay the premium (and essentially buy a number of games again) to enjoy some of these games.

However, as the life of the Wii's Virtual Console continued forth, and even though the number of supported systems expanded, the support for the Virtual Console started dropping away until now, where we get one game every month, if we're lucky. And a number of much hoped for games still have not shown up (Yoshi's Island and Earthbound, I'm looking at you!).

And then, when the DSi was announced and that it supported downloadable software as well, I got excited again, only briefly, because I thought that it meant that I might be able to get my hands on some old Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games on it and finally get to retire my old Game Boy Advance SP. Of course, when it turned out that there would be no Virtual Handheld (and that the DSi was also stuck with Nintendo's awful online implementation) I realized I had no reason whatsoever to purchase the DSi. My DS Lite handles the DS games and my GBA takes care of my older library. DSi dedicated games were few and far between and hardly interesting enough for me to cough up any more cash.

The announcement of the 3DS again brought up my hope and finally, with the news of the Virtual Handheld, sustained it. Should all my hoped for classic games make their way to the 3DS, then I will be able to retire my GBA and live with my DS Lite and 3DS, and, should GBA games also be supported, perhaps move on from the DS Lite as well. I still am wary of Nintendo's overall lack of sense when it comes to the online component, such as locking games to systems and not to accounts and the obtuse number system needed to play with people you know, but for a chance to play the late stage Game Boy Color games, The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Season/Ages, I might be able to overlook Nintendo's many flaws.

I'm cautiously looking forward to the 3DS. I hope it doesn't disappoint.

Inbox: Munchkin

Inbox features items that I have recently purchased or received.

One of America's best game designers is Steve Jackson, responsible for the design of the pen-and-paper roleplaying system, GURPS, as well as the fantastic card game, Illuminati, released during they heyday of the collectible card game craze. Munchkin, released in the early 2000's, is another game by Steve Jackson and quite possibly their most popular one yet, thanks to its comical tone, but engrossing multiplayer mechanics.

Initially designed as a send-up of pen-and-paper roleplaying games, gamers, and its associated culture, the main game features each playing taking the role of a dungeon adventurer (starting as a Level 1 Human with no class). Together, 3-6 players enter the dungeon, kick down doors, fight monsters, loot treasure and work with and against each other to this end. The object of the game is to be the first player to reach level 10. Levels are gained by defeating monsters, earning the levels in treasure and in selling equipment, but the last level may only be earned by defeating a monster. As the players encounter baddies, they can ask for assistance, bribing other players with treasure or appealing to their goody-goody nature (if they're elves) and likewise, players also frequently draw a number of "door" cards which enable them to cause trouble for each other in order to keep them from winning.

Like any card game, mulligans do happen and if the shuffled deck doesn't distribute card types well, then play can really slow down a lot. But, its inherent nature as a card game is its main weakness. Otherwise, the game is tactically simple enough that most gamers and even many non-gamers can get into it quickly after a couple demonstration rounds, but giving so many opportunities for players to help and foil each other makes every game unpredictable, while still giving the rules enough space to permit enough planning as so the game isn't entirely chaotic. I really appreciate how the game creates both a desire to cooperate with other players, as almost no player could survive without the occasional intervention of another player, but gives plenty of opportunities to backstab another player or tear them down just when they think that they might win.

The cards are published on quality cardstock that requires a little breaking in, but are durable with a strong matte finish. The latest (19th) printing takes the cards another level, including some revisions to cards to make their effects clearer and giving all the cards a color makeover. The included decks aren't enormous, so a six player game could possibly see all the cards run out. The included rules are printed in nice large print on a foldout. Sometimes the rules aren't exactly clear and it's not entirely easy to find out where certain rules lie on the page, so the instruction page could be better organized. In the case of who plays first and what order the players take turns, the game takes a comical approach, suggesting that the players roll the dice and argue about what it means. Fortunately, there is some good amount of online support, including an FAQ that resolves some questions that might come up while gaming as well as forums where a befuddled gamer can seek advice from more experienced players.

At this point, Munchkin is Steve Jackson Games' most popular product and so those that don't get their fill from just the first box have seven expansion sets to purchase. The game also has a number of spin-offs, featuring different themes from the standard set's medieval fantasy, like Space Munchkin, Munchkin Fu and numerous other themes. These spin-offs can largely also be mixed into standard Munchkin, with a few rules adjustments.

Overall, the game is a lot of fun, perhaps reaching its best point at 4-5 players. Again, a bad shuffle can really kill the momentum of the game and so the game does have that weakness, but its quality of player interaction, comical theme and solid game mechanics provide plenty of moments to enjoy with your friends (and enemies). I would imagine that standard Munchkin would be most enjoyable to those who have some background in medieval fantasy role-playing games (computer and console gamers included), due to the tropes involved, but the comedy is frequently broad enough that non-roleplayers. Some of the other Munchkin spin-offs might prove to be more accessible as well, depending on the background of the players. Highly recommended. 8/10.

Links:

Reviewing Multiplayer Games

So, I have a few board games and card games that I've played and/or received recently and want to write about them, but I realized that I never really set up a framework for evaluating the quality of interaction, not just between the player and the system, but how the system engenders play between players. Multiplayer, insofar as games are concerned is a broad field and encompasses a number of different modes of play.

Competition, Cooperation, & Everything In-Between

One distinction that needs to be made is between cooperative and competitive play. Many games have one or the other, but many games also possess a combination of both. An example of purely cooperative play would be where a group of players work together to win against the game. One example would be a typical pen and paper roleplaying game like Dungeons and Dragons, where a group of players are largely working together to surmount obstacles in a story, weaved by the dungeonmaster. The dungeonmaster's role isn't competitive because she or he doesn't "win" if all the character's die. It's more of a very hands-on facilitator, like the role of the narrator in a game of Mafia. Likewise, a totally competitive game would be like a game of singles tennis, where two players test each other's physical skill against each other.

Team-based competitive play is the obvious example of cooperative and competitive interaction, like in the children's outdoor game, Capture the Flag. There are also more interesting cooperative/competitive hybrids, such as the dynamic found in The Legend of Zelda: The Four Swords, where players have to work together to complete dungeons, but each are ranked individually by score and so there's a tension between helping each other in order to win together and trying to outdo each other in order for individual glory. On the flipside of the coin, many board and card games, like Monopoly, encourage trading and cooperation but with the idea that eventually only one person will win, leaving alliances fragile and temporary and trade being a measure of who is really getting the better deal when working together.

There Is Art in Interaction

Any actor is aware that the creation of the artifice between two actors is art in itself, an expression between two role-players colliding in a single work. While I'm not necessarily focused on gaming-as-art (although it certainly can be, has been and will continue to be), that quality that emerges between two players of a game, an exchange between the players, when done well, can be moving, pleasing, and possibly enthralling. As such, when evaluating multiplayer games, I think it's somewhat important to focus on the quality of the interaction. If it's merely trying to top a high score on a leaderboard, like on Bejeweled Blitz for Facebook or topping distances in a hammer throw on the track and field sport, I don't really want to consider that any sort of actual multiplayer, but rather, social single-player gaming as there are no mechanics in the game that demand some interface between players.

I suppose, then, when a game's primary mode is multiplayer, I will have to consider the depth of the interaction. Different games have different degrees of multiplayer. For example, in the card game "War" (one of my most reviled games), the two players interact and are competing, but the decks are ultimately stacked and the players are merely turning over cards, iterating a routine and I would consider it poor multiplayer. I feel like good multiplayer keeps you engaged with the other player(s), whether indirectly or directly and the mechanics of the game force you to need to interact with them. So, for that reason, while I find multiplayer battle Tetris to be a lot of fun, its multiplayer aspect is a little limited since merely excelling at playing regular Tetris is what sends lines to your opponent. Super Puzzle Fighter II improves on this regard by providing mechanics to reduce an "attack" by the other player and the game isn't built on playing solo, but rather wiping out an opponent. Both games force you to play better solo because the other player adds a ticking time bomb to your solo game, but Puzzle Fighter requires that you be aware of what your opponent is doing more. Both might be fun, but Puzzle Fighter II has deeper multiplayer.

And, I guess that's how I'm going to be looking at multiplayer aspects of games, whether the game is both single and multiplayer or exclusively multiplayer. I'm not going to say that a game is better or worse by having shallow multiplayer or deep multiplayer--per se. I don't think a value attribution need apply, except insofar as how well the multiplayer succeeds in engaging the participants and how balanced it is. After all, multiplayer gaming is about sharing an entertaining experience--if the game has multiplayer hooks that force players to interact at deep levels, but is otherwise boring, it would be a failure as a game.

Inbox:Hardware: Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite 2010 Spring Bundle

Inbox features items that I have recently purchased or received.

Hardware covers the technology of game playing, whether PC, consoles or figurines on a board.

In the spring of 2010, Microsoft released one of their best bundles for their Xbox 360 yet: one with the improved Jasper motherboard, which reduced the failure rate of their hardware to regular consumer electronics levels. Furthermore, copies of Forza 3 and Halo: ODST were bundled with it, two Xbox 360 exclusives that were fairly well received. Perhaps the best Xbox 360 bundle yet.

And then I found it on sale for $250, so, I couldn't resist and purchased it. The Xbox 360 Elite is a fairly slick device and bears a black matte finish. It medium sized, but has a huge power brick, which fortunately has enough slack to hide it under the entertainment cabinet instead of within it. It comes with a controller and a standard AV cable. It does not have wireless internet unlike its console peers, the Nintendo Wii and the Sony Playstation 3 and it bears a 10/100 Ethernet port. A wireless adapter can be purchased separately for $100 (!). The included hard drive is 120GB and proprietary, so you have to purchase a Microsoft branded hard drive in order to replace or upgrade and the Microsoft ones are pricey per gigabyte. Oh, it also doesn't come with an HDMI cable (?!), but that puts it on par with its equally stingy PS3 peer.

I previously wrote about the Xbox 360 controller and my comments stand for the wireless version, whose only notable different is the battery pack on its underside, which accepts AA batteries or a charging pack. The system also comes with a headset, which is a rather cheap plastic over the head thing and plugs into the controller via a mini-jack. A wireless headset is available for $70 (with a much lower street price), but reviews don't treat it kindly. I'm hoping that you can replace the headset with any other non-proprietary wired headset made for mobile phones.

The system software itself is pretty slick, although I hear that's it's undergone many changes since its inception to make it more user friendly. It has a task oriented interface and while some parts of it are littered with ads, it's pretty intuitive in terms of finding what you want to do. They've also added an avatar system for your profile and the cartoony avatar is nice and as useful as Nintendo's Mii's, while more customizable (although it looks like many of the customizations require some form of micropayments). One thing I particularly like is that the Xbox 360, despite its networking hardware weaknesses, is very attuned to being an online device on the software side, complimented by a bevy of online tools and programs and robust interactive tools to help you chat with your friends, compete with them and play with them. While the Live Gold service does cost $50 a year (you can buy yearly membership cards for cheaper if you buy them at retail), the service is a head above the PS3's free service and light years beyond what Nintendo has to offer. Besides the price, the other gripe would be that the Microsoft points system isn't a 1:1 (PSN), 10:1, 100:1 (Nintendo) or even 1:1000 ratio, but rather uses a strange 80:1 ratio for points to the dollar, possibly to obfuscate how much money any person is spending on the service.

However, in a bit of a silly story, just a couple weeks after I purchased this Elite and set it up, Microsoft announced and released a new Xbox 360 Elite, with a smaller form factor, lower power requirements (including a smaller power brick), included wireless networking (!!) and a 250GB (but still proprietary) hard drive. In the meantime, they've reduced the price on the older Elite models to $250, which means that I didn't save any money at all. Boo.

While the 2010 Spring bundle comes with Forza 3 and Halo:ODST (approximately a $60 value, based on current prices for these games), I think that the additional $50 spent for the new Elite easily outstrips the value of the added games, so if you're still in the market for the system, I'd ignore the old and pick up the new.

As for me, I'm not too sore about it, as I still paid the "normal" price for the 2010 Spring bundle and after adding a switch and a very long Ethernet cable to my setup, I don't need wireless anymore. Furthermore, I can now play all the Xbox exclusive games I've been missing out on. Granted, I could've played most of them (or at least the ones I cared about) on the PC, but the DRM restrictions for PCs are often brutal and turned me away from non-exclusive PC games, with the exception of a few genres that are better played on the PC.

All in all, the 360 Elite (fat) is a fine system with (what I hope to find are) some very fine games. In terms of hardware the old model lags behind the PS3 (both fat and slim, with the exception of the old 20GB PS3), but the new Xbox 360 Elite looks like an able competitor to the PS3 slim even though I think I prefer certain design decisions of the PS3 console a little more. But the 360 has the superior controller. The Xbox 360 has the superior system software, especially because of its excellent online strength, which makes me like it more than the PS3 or Wii, despite the fact that it's a pay to play service.

However, when it comes to consoles, I don't really think that the strength and design of the hardware is the real driving force behind having the system. It's important, but the real driving force is games and the 360 seems to have enough exclusive games to warrant owning, just as the other two systems do as well. So, my recommendation is, look at the games for the system--if there are any you see that are "must-play" then get a 360, and if you want a 360, ignore the 2010 spring bundle that I purchased and go straight for the superior new 360 Elite (slim). 7/10.

Links:

Progress Report: Resident Evil

Progress Report provides ongoing impressions of games as I play them.

So, I've had this game for a little while now and I've tried to play through it a couple times before, but I got distracted by something or another and would forget about it. I have played the old Playstation version and am now trying to work my way through the Gamecube remake.

Immediately, the game has a great way of instilling dread, even though I hadn't even seen a single zombie as the music just keeps the tension up. Graphically, the game is leaps and bounds beyond the Playstation original and also seems to clean up the dialog and replace the campy opening movie with a more serious CG opening movie. There seem to be some additional features added, such as an instant 180 turnaround (great for running away from the many zombies that want to nosh on your face). The game still controls like the original, which means it's that still tank-like control from before. Fortunately the zombies aren't super mobile either, so it's not a terrible handicap.

Having played the original before, this run-through the game is a little easier as I kind of have an idea of what I have to do, at least through getting the three keys. And I know not to waste ammo killing zombies I can simply avoid. That still doesn't make my nerves any less tense while playing. The game has excellent atmosphere and does a great job of creating suspense. I have to admit that the pre-rendered backgrounds and, therefore, pre-selected camera angles, while they are quite compelling to look at and do a great job of creating atmosphere, they sort of make the gameplay more awkward and difficult.

So far, I've only killed a few zombies and made sure to scorch them because I found out that if you don't blow up their heads or scorch them, they come back as fast moving super strong zombies. I've gotten myself one of the keys and the shotgun and will soon be shooting up some zombie-dogs in order to get the next key. I hate those dogs. I've only died three times so far, on easy mode, so that means... well, I have to work on improving my gaming chops. There's nothing sexy about watching a zombie nosh on Jill Valentine's neck. I hope by next update I'll have all the keys and have beat the big snake again. I hate that snake.

Hardware: The Desire for an HD PS2

Hardware covers the technology of game playing, whether PC, consoles or figurines on a board.

If there's one thing that's true about me when it comes to gaming, it's that I love retro games. I have more virtual console games for my Wii than all the Wiiware and Wii-software titles combined and will probably get more virtual console games before I buy more regular Wii games. Likewise, I'm looking at PS1 releases and arcade ports more than new PS3 games and should I ever get an Xbox360, you know that Xbox Live Arcade is where I'm going to be spending most of my money. So, it should be no surprise that I want to play PS2 games.

In fact, I intentionally bought a PS3 when I learned that future iterations would lose backwards compatibility so that I wouldn't have to get a PS2 in order to play those PS2 games that I had previously purchased to play on my previous roommate's system. But, I'd learn to my dismay that the PS3 version I purchased (80GB software emulation) isn't fully compatible with the range of PS2 games, including several that I want to play. Which means that I'm going to have to get my hands on a PS2 to play them--legacy connectors, resolution and accessories as well.

That would not be cool.

But I also looked into getting a beat up used PS2 and pulling the BIOS off to use for an emulator like PCSX2 so I could play those games on my PC instead. The benefit of that would be that, on the PC, I would be able to take advantage of its superior processing power and graphics capabilities, which can then be leveraged into playing PS2 games at higher resolutions with new shaders and filters to make the experience even prettier than a TV-upscaled version played from the old box. The process of pulling the BIOS, however, is a little complicated and would probably not be all that fun to make work, although I could. Furthermore, I was glancing at the compatibility list on the PCSX2 site and it turns out that many of the same games that my PS3 has trouble with, PCSX2 also has problems emulating, nullifying the main advantage of emulating.

So, it looks like I will have to eventually pick up a PS2 if I want to play those old PS2 games, unless Sony changes their minds (as they are wont to do) and greater backwards compatibility shows up on the PS3. But, that got me thinking. See, a lot of households have now entered the HDTV era and own nicer, fancier sets capable of 720p, 1080i and 1080p, using component and HDMI hookups. The old PS2 is still stuck in the stone age, putting out SDTV visuals which then have to be stretched either by the TV or some other processor in between and end up looking like blurry fuzz on the TV.

But, what if a new PS2 was released? A new enhanced PS2 that has more firepower than the old and can connect audio and video via HDMI? A new enhanced PS2 that takes emulation tech to the next level, by not only perfectly emulating the entire library of PS2 games, but on top of that, adding all the features of PC PS2 emulators, like improved 1080p resolution, and newer graphics technology to add effects to the visuals, like filters and shaders. On top of that, make all the PS3 accessories compatible with the new HD PS2 and we're set! One set of controllers, two boxes, say hello to breathing new life into your old PS2 games!


See how a custom "storybook" shader works on ePSXe (PSX emulator) for FFVII

In that ideal world, I'd finally be able to play all my old games (and many more that I don't have) for the PS2, but also get to play them with the advantages of modern technology. That said, I think retro gamers like me aren't as common as those who will only play the newest and shiniest games, but, Sony, if you're listening at all to me--here's a way to further extend the life of your old platform.

Preferably, you'd just improve backwards compatibility for my PS3 and just add all these features in, but barring that, I'd buy an enhanced HD PS2.

Inbox: Fallout Trilogy

Inbox features items that I have recently purchased or received.

Black Isle Studios, back while they were still around, were responsible for more than a small number of my favorite RPGs back when they were still around, mostly revolving around their Dungeons & Dragons license. However, the development studio was responsible for another groundbreaking series that I had never actually played. In fact, being so far removed from when the games were released, I had almost entirely forgotten that Fallout had existed, until Fallout 3, the license having changed hands from Interplay to Bethesda and went from its isometric roots into a first person adventure RPG.

However, one thing didn't change about Fallout when the third numerical iteration was released: widespread acclaim. Granted, upon looking at the game, it seems like Bethesda just wrapped up their Elder Scrolls: Oblivion game in Fallout's post-apocalyptic setting. But it seems to have gone over well with game critics and general populace alike. That might be exciting had I any experience with Bethesda's other works, but Bethesda is not why I'm interested in Fallout, Black Isle is.

The setting is interesting and the game seems mature, in that actions have consequences and weight attached to them. And, with the return of Interplay, they wonderfully bundled up their two Fallout Games, plus the separately developed Fallout: Tactics into a compilation and then sold it for cheap. Of course, Gamestop had it on sale for even cheaper, thanks to a limited time sale, so I couldn't resist. I'm looking forward (?) to stepping into this critically acclaimed wasteland.

As far as a collection goes, it's pretty simply the Interplay-age Fallout games, updated to run on modern (Windows Vista) systems and not much more. Depending on the price you can find it at, it can be a pretty good deal, although gamers might consider digital distribution like gog.com for a more up to date port. 7/10.

Game List:

Links:

OOPs: Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

OOPs features games that I wish I had purchased or played before they went out of print.

While I've played many of the games in the Mario series there are a few that I've missed along the way. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island is one of them. Granted, it can be argued that it is not necessarily a core Mario game because its mechanics and hero are very different from the core Mario series. Rather than controlling the plumber, in this game, he is merely a baby and you control a yoshi instead. While still a platformer like its namesake, so much of the game works differently that you really could call it a different animal.

I remember watching this game at my friend's house when I was but a young lad and being surprised by its unique visual style and also by the different gameplay mechanics. Yoshi can, like in the original Super Mario World, swallow his enemies and turn them into eggs, but this time, he holds onto those eggs and can aim them at his enemies with many degrees of freedom. I did want to play it at the time, but when you're that young, there are only so many games you can buy and I was much more interested in RPGs, so that's where my money went.

Time has passed and after replaying a number of classic platformers, including others in the Mario series, I realized that I actually wanted to play this game too. Unfortunately, it's for the SNES and a Wii Virtual Console version has not been made available and, so, to play it, I would have to hook up my old SNES and purchase a working used copy of the game, which, goes for over $20 these days. So, instead, I'll wait until the game does eventually show up on the Virtual Console and download/play it then. I hope it does make a showing on the Virtual Console.

Inbox:Hardware: The Beatles: Rock Band - Wireless Rickenbacker 325 Guitar Controller

Inbox features items that I have recently purchased or received.

Hardware covers the technology of game playing, whether PC, consoles or figurines on a board.

Yes, I had The Beatles: Rock Band that came with wireless drum and guitar controllers, but that still left me short one guitar controller for the full band. Or even if we wanted to play with a pair of guitars (Harrison and Lennon) or a guitar and a bass (Harrison or Lennon with McCartney). So, wanted to maximize multiplayer options, I decided to buy a guitar controller for Rock Band. I figured, since I already had Beatles themed instruments, I might as well make sure that the next one matches. Of course, when I started looking, the limited edition controllers were out of stock everywhere, skyrocketing the prices up to more than 200%.

Eventually, they released more Rickenbacker 325's, but not Grestch Duo Jets, so I grabbed one of those. Comparing to pictures of actual Rickenbacker 325, it definitely does a good job of matching many of the details, even though it still looks more like a toy. Still, for a guitar controller, it's fairly classy, even if it's not as much of a premium product as the higher end guitar controllers and seems to be built fairly sturdily. We've played around on it a lot since we got it and we've never had a problem with it. A good piece of gear. 8/10.

Links:

Progress Report: The Beatles: Rock Band

Progress Report provides ongoing impressions of games as I play them.

I previously wrote about my initial experiences with The Beatles: Rock Band's story modes and found the experience enjoyable, especially when playing through with friends. It was at our own pace (and we set it pretty fast) and it takes you along the journey of the Beatles, complete with fun little movies that signify the different periods of the Beatles' career.

Over the next couple months, I got to complete the challenge mode, which, like the Story Mode, divides sets of songs by the period of the Beatles' career. However, the challenge mode is less about telling the Beatles' story and more about... challenge. Essentially, it creates non-stop song sets of each period where you get one composite score for the whole set, as opposed to getting to start over with each song. This also means that if you are failing or flailing on one song and are on the precipice, you remain in trouble when you start the next song. It makes things challenging, certainly and also because you're playing 5-7 full length Beatles songs, which means at least 15 minutes of consecutive playing/singing.

Another part of the game I checked out was the online store, where I purchased the full albums of Abbey Road (woohoo! medleys!) and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. This is how they get me to buy each album twice. Anyway, the store on the PS3 is a little clumsily set up, having to buy inside the game, but then leave the game to install it. As of right now, three full albums, the previously mentioned, plus Rubber Soul, are available, plus the standalone song "All You Need Is Love". There hasn't been a new album release in a little bit, so I'm not sure if there will be any more, but I hope so. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to downloading Rubber Soul when my budget is ready for it.

The most recent thing I've been messing with in the game is the Tutorial section, which includes a vocal harmony trainer and a drum trainer. I haven't had any opportunity to do the harmony trainer, but, having fared poorly on drums, except on easy mode so far, I decided that I'd give the drum trainer a shot. First of all, I think that it's a lift from the Rock Band 2 drum trainer, so all the basics are the same, but there's an extra mode called "Beatles Beats" which focus on Ringo's own signature rhythms.

After looking at Beatles Beats, I realized that there's no way I'm going to be able to start there and decided to go to the regular drum trainer. Honestly, it really does try to teach you the basics of rhythms, and most importantly, carrying independent rhythms on different limbs. It's not a substitute for actual drum lessons and the Rock Band kit is no real drum set, but it still teaches you the basics of rock rhythms. That said, I also discovered that although I can finally get all the beats working on different limbs, I'm just not a very fast drummer and I can't seem to hit the 8th notes consistently at the fastest tempos (180+). There go my dreams of playing drums on expert. But, considering how much I did grow in keeping rhythm, I'd say it's a pretty neat feature.

Next up: more drum training, some vocal training and then kicking the tires on the online multiplayer features.

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