Christmas at Ground Zero

A holiday mod for Introversion's Defcon. Merry Christmas!

The Dangers of Playing Guitar Hero

So the pitcher of the Detroit Tigers has hurt his hand... not by training, but by playing Guitar Hero. It's a problem that is unavoidable when you play the game; you're so into it, it's difficult to put it down, even when your hand is hurting. One of the first things I noticed when I started playing was that my left hand hurt the same way it did when I (unsuccessfully) tried to teach myself to play the real guitar. But pain is no obstacle to go on playing... nor tiredness--right after after getting Guitar Hero II, I played until I was practically falling asleep and therefore failing to hit a single note.
Soon we will hear about "wiimote's elbow" or "DDR knee". Doctors should start preparing a speciality on videogame injuries.

(We Game Eaters bloody love Guitar Hero, don't we?)

There are cool games for Mac (only) too

I just came across Sketchfighter 4000 Alpha, a Mac-only game by Ambrosia Software (these guys also did the Mac port of Darwinia). It's a shooter game, but not a shoot'em up--it has the controls of Asteroids, which force you to navigate the space carefully, while you shoot the enemies that come at you. This, in a way, it forces you to move carefully and not too fast. The concept is interesting, though its hybrid nature makes it more appealing to players that like slow-paced games rather than action-packed.

What made me download the game was how it looked. Following on with the confession series started in the previous entry, I have to admit I admire retro-looking games which turn technical limitations into a style choice. What is now "realistic" (mind the quotation marks) will look old-fashioned with the advent of the next generation of consoles; you can see this yourself by checking early PS2 games, for instance. Making a statement with your visual style that goes beyond "you can count the hairs in this guy's head" is what I'm interested in. There are beautiful "realistic" 3D games out there, as FFXII (which looks fenomenal), but if game developers give a chance to riskier and new visual styles, we can get more stuff like Okami.

Sketchfighter is neat, it makes its visuals part of the concept of the game, the game that you imagined with your notepad doodles, this time moving for real. The music is not sci-fi themed, but more of a retro-calm-leisure soundtrack which makes you feel, not that you're in outer space, but that you're a kid playing with pen and paper.

The only bad thing is that it's for Mac only. Give it a try if you can.