Battle On Games: Dragon Fable: Review

This gaming site featured an online game updated every week based on players input and the creative minds of the creators. 

Most of the games were fantasy based, but there was one sci-fi on the list.  I’m a sucker for dragons so I decided to play the Dragon Fable storyline and was thrown into a high fantasy.

Of course, one of my first complaints, and a common one, I had was how the only race was human.  I stand by the statement as how playing a human online while you are really a human seems boring.  

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California Tries to Ban Violent Video Games to Minors-Thank God they Failed

I head about this proposed law yesterday while listening to KGO 810 and I commented promptly as to how I believe parents are responsible for what games their children buy, not the gaming industries, the stores or even the government.

The two laws were passed in 2005, but have not been enforced yet.  Luckily, the U.S. Court of Appeals are debating if the laws were unconstitutional, despite how it might protect children from the horrors of video games.

One of my greatest fears is how laws pass “for the sake of the children”.  This is not only a dangerous tactic but a useful one as well.  I’m glad I have freedom of speech here in America and I understand it only reaches to protecting me from my government, not my work or any other private industry.  This proposed law obviously stretches to a violation of freedom of speech, even if it only proposes banning “M” rated game sales to minors.

My question is always, “What’s next?”  It seems well and good at first, protecting the children, but what is the governments definition of violence?  The video game industry already has a very harsh rating system in place to inform buyers what the ratings mean.  But, I fear if a parent if offended to how Mario smashes goombas Nintendo may have a problem with even their “E” rated games.

 

Another issue is how people presume violent video games induce violent acts.  However, there is no actual study, other then through correlation, as to how video games affect violent tendencies.  It is also very difficult to perform a random study, because people will not play a video game unless they want to, so it defeats the purpose of random selection.

With all of the acceptance and tolerance thrown around about religion, sexual preferences and other social issues, I wonder if privacy, free speech and safety are balanced now.  I think people are so concerned about being safe we forget how quickly we are loosing our Bill of Rights. 

It may just be video games for now, but I really try to think as to how it could change the larger picture of freedom of speech.  The government would love to chip away at it because it is the people’s greatest weapon against politicians. 

So, all I can say is write to the California legislature, including the governor, and tell them how you feel about these laws.  Also, don’t forget to write to your own State legislature about this and tell them you are thoroughly against any such laws prohibiting freedom of speech, even if it is for the sake of the children.

Children do not stay children forever, so don’t reduce their rights for limited safety.

E-Mail Schwarzenegger NOW! 

"M" is for Mature

When I’m playing Left for Dead or Halo I expect to find a well rounded bunch of players (mostly boys) who are ready to kick some bad butt, not a screaming nine-year-old.

Both of the games mentioned are rated “M” for mature (or immature, depends how you look at it) players due to sex, violence or language. I understand the video game industry has some of the most stringent guidelines in ratings, but I think it’s better safe than sorry, especially when you consider how sue happy people are.

However, it is very unsavory to me to find a nine-year-old playing online at one a.m. on a school night. Sure they may be home schooled, but it still isn’t healthy for them to keep such irregular sleeping hours.

I understand some fathers buy games for themselves and want to enjoy it and let their children enjoy the fun, but at the same time it frightens me knowing children are shown such adult themes and violence. It may not be real, but why expose a child to it in the first place, especially when they may not understand what is happening.



I feel like the parent is being shellfish or downright irresponsible when they buy or let their children play mature games. I know kids games can be boring, but your parents suffered through endless board games with you.

I do feel that children’s games have become a bland mix of un-adventure and ground down plot, but there are still a few games out there appropriate for kids and fun for adults. It may take more work to find these games, but it’s the responsibility of the parent, not the gaming companies, to guide the child to appropriate games.


There is also a lack of knowledge to what these games hold within their boxes. I advise parents to buy a gaming magazine and read the reviews for upcoming games their children may want. Of course they may wine and complain, but you are the influential adult, so just say no.

I do believe this world is trying to make children grow up too fast and this has made the gaming industry loose touch with their child like side. Kids buy games too, but it doesn’t mean they have to be bland or boring, everyone was a kid once, just try to remember what excited you then and make a game out of it.



It’s hard to find games appropriate for Timmy, especially when he reaches the pree-teen age, where being a child is questionable, but being an adult is impossible. Gaming industries seem to have forgotten how to tell a good story and go for shock value.

For me, this has made games a little more than grotesque at times. There is a large difference between pushing the envelope and plainly for the sake of gore. I wouldn’t say Left 4 Dead or Halo have crossed this line, but games like Dante’s Inferno have crossed it, mainly with the excuse, “we’re in Hell”.

Parents, it’s time for you to just say no and tell video game companies what you want. There are games for kids, adults and families, the gaming industry has tried to accommodate but. we are the power consumer, we control what our children buy, take advantage of that power and give your child a healthy happy life.




Games I Recommend for Kids:
A Boy and His Blob: Wii
Legend of Zelda: Windwaker: Gamecube
Any of the Lego Adventures (Batman, Indiana Jones, Star Wars): Multiple Consoles
Any of the Super Mario games (I really liked Mario Galaxy): Wii, Gamecube, ect
Banjo Kazooie: Nintendo 64, New game on X-Box 360 (You can download it on the X-Box)
Pokemon Snap (or any of the Pokemon series, this is just my favorite): Nintendo 64 (Downloadable on Wii)
Spore: PC
Zoo/Roller Coaster ect...: PC



Little Big Planet: PS3
Viewful Joe: Gamecube
Pacman: Multiple consoles
Dance, Dance, Revolution: Multiple Consoles (and different versions, or plain rip-offs)


These are just a few of the games I grew up with and played (and still play), but don’t be afraid to explore yourself. I find these games are the least lame children’s games available.

Remember NiGHTS?

Quickie: Don’t Buy

Remember Nights, on the Sega Saturn? I used to spend hours at Sears playing the game and having no idea what I was doing, but it was fun to have the almost unlimited freedom to roam a beautifully mystical world with a character that looked like a jester in a purple leotard. Well it’s back on the Wii…

BORING!

I just wanted to fly, I loved flying in the game, but you have to play as a pre-teen running around collecting her Ideya…sounds like idiot to me…

But even when you have the chance to fly you have to Dualize with NiGHTS…it sounds like a sex term and instantly looses its innocent charm.

When you do have to play as the human they walk around like ducks and are horrible to look at. Your only weapons are the Blue Chips and it’s all timed so you can’t focus on the games beauty at all…and there isn’t very much, because the landscapes look like they took a Picasso painting and put it through a shredder.

I found myself pressing (+) at every cut scene, unfortunately you can’t skip. I don’t need all of the whiny drama or storyline to make the game better, it actually made it worse because the characters were as thin as paper.

Personally I can do without the story altogether and fly, by jamming the nunchuck stick to the right…yes…they even ruined the enjoyment of flight by making it as restrictive as a nunnery.

What is the point of having flight in a game if there is no freedom in it? It’s like giving a child a bike with flat tires; too much effort to ride, so they just leave it to rot in the sun and rain. It’s the same with NiGHTS, no freedom equals no enjoyable play.

It was repetitive and felt like a never ending torture flying through loops and chasing down keys for a pointless mission from the horrible storyline. The freedom was lost from the Sega Saturn I’d experienced and turned into a suppression via Nintendo.

One boss, Bomamba, was such a pain in the butt I just gave up on the game. You had to roll all the kitty heads…that’s right heads…into little holes in a certain amount of time…and there were many stages of ulcer causing pain.



I must have tried for two hours to complete this boss, but those kitty balls just wouldn’t fall in, especially if there was a hill to roll over.

The developers were trying too hard to add sense to the NiGHTS universe. Honestly I would have been satisfied with a little prologue and a simple storyline of saving children’s dreams or something but instead the player was given flat character children, boring levels, complicated bosses and limited flying, which killed the game ultimately.

Don’t try, don’t buy, it will just make you cry.