Beckett Gaming

What is it exactly about the Pokémon games that makes older (and when I mean older, I mean old enough to have gone through puberty) gamers continuously buy the newest versions of what is, in essence, the same old thing?

Obviously the kids (sort of) have an excuse: it’s the big thing right now, and they were too little to have been playing the last version(s) when they were the big thing.

But what about those of us who are old enough to have kids of our own?

Some might say that it’s fun to obsess with collecting every last freaking Pokémon. Most of the adults I know love the games for this. But who exactly do we show these completed lists to once they’re complete? Any significant other in our life would likely roll their eyes at us, and unless you’re in a company where goofing off with kiddy games is expected (like it is here), you can’t gush about it with co-workers.

For me, it really isn’t about collecting them all. Waiting around on route 214 for Thursday night to roll around so that rare Pokémon “might” show up never really interested me. Nor do I have to have a maxed-out team or become the best Trainer.

It most certainly isn’t about the story, that’s for certain. And while the Pokémon are quite cute, it’s not to satiate that urge I get from time to time to grab every cute thing in my line of sight. Even the “new” features don’t really interest me.

What I think it is that keeps many of us coming back for more is the way this game lets us be kids again without patronizing us (once you get past the beginning few minutes, that is, that exist solely to teach new players how to play). The game, while embraced by children, doesn’t make adults feel stupid for playing. It says “hey, we know there are adults out there, so come have fun with us.” Quite honestly, it’s nice to be a kid once again without actually being treated like one.

-Rebecca Bundy

Okay, this is going to be a little strange. I received this e-mail today from a publicist trying to promote this daredevil stunt in NYC. He told me that the AP didn't pick up on it so he thought he'd send it to a few people. I believe we're one of the first to get it and post it. So, here it is...

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I have exclusive photos of Ringling Bros daredevil Bello Nock risking his life high above the Spectrum in Philadelphia -- hanging from a helicopter!  Bello received recent national attention when his tiny bike got stolen in NYC.  Today (April 20) he did an unprecedented trapeze act without a harness as his brother the chopper.  Bello's stunt marked the arrival of Ringing Bros. and Barnum & Bailey at the Wachovia Spectrum through April 29.

There has always been a strong aversion to theft. In the old west, a horse thief could get strung up, while a murderer might not even get a second glance (especially if the killing was in a saloon). In the mid east, you could still have your hands cut off for pick-pocketing. Even in modern America, the lowest of the low is the person who takes something that does not belong to him.  

The game designers think so. Kill stealing is one of the major design focuses of MMOs. Big games and small games alike work hard to make sure that kill stealing is made as unlikely as possible. Guild Wars, for instance only allows you to go out into PvE areas with a chosen party. Only you and your friends are there to reap the rewards of your hard work. And even then, drops and experience are doled out on an equal basis, so that everyone in the party gets a share. In other games that allow non-party characters to mingle, such as Acclaim's new 9 Dragons, experience and drops are based on who has done the actual damage. So if you do 99% of the damage, you get the lion’s share of the experience and drops.  

The temptation to walk over and take that shiny little trinket from someone who you don't even know and will probably never meet is overwhelming to some. MMOs allow the nerds to become the school bullies and the one thing that bullies do best is to pick on the weak.  

And thus we get to the inevitable “can’t we all just get along” statement. Seriously, though; does taking that little victory really make you feel good? If the game consisted of nothing but people you could swoop in and take their kills, would you really want to play that game?

I’ve always combated my urge to kill steal by looking at it as an opportunity to give the little guy something. Sure, I’m not really giving him the kill. But I am giving him something a little more than that. I’m giving him a break.

- Marco Soto

This is my first review for a music-related video game. I think SingStar Pop is a blast! If you've ever gone to a Karaoke Night at a nearby food and drink establishment or just love to sing songs in your car or at home, then this new game is for you! SingStar Pop contains music from many top music artists from the past 30 years. Some of the biggest names include: U2, Avril Lavigne, Alicia Keys, Gorillaz, James Blunt, Franz Ferdinan, Destiny's Child, Cyndi Lauper and The Clash. Just pop this game into your PS2 or PS3 grab hold of one of the accompanying microphones and you're all set to feel the music. You can sing the songs as a duet or individually. There are three different levels: Easy, Medium and Hard. When on the Easy mode, it's okay to miss a few of the words as long as you get most of them. However,  on the Hard mode you need to correctly pronounce every word that the artists sings and time them properly in order to receive "Good!" or "Cool!" points. These points are then added up at the end of the song and if your total is high enough, you'll be placed on a Top 5 list of singers.  One thing to remember, when you're looking to sing individually, place the red Microphone plug into the blue jack instead of the red jack on the SingStar USB port connector. If you don't it won't work properly.

And if you ever set your sights on becoming the next American Idol, this could help you improve your singing and help you remember the words to each song.

I got to play this game with my family and we had a lot of fun. If you love today's music artists, I would highly recommend it. I would rate it an 8.5 out of 10.

-Doug Kale

My eyes have been glued to my television screen for the past couple of evenings. It isn't from a movie or TV series, and it's not even from a game on a next-gen system. No, the game that has held my rapt attention lately is Tales of the Abyss. It's not even a new game, but it is the latest in my towering stack of unplayed titles.

The Tales series has always impressed me with its relatively simplistic, yet innovative design as compared to other RPGs. It doesn't rely on eye-candy and high-polygon models nor fancy CG cut scenes to impress the player. Rather it utilizes what I believe to be one of the two most important elements of an RPG to great effect: the characters.

From the time I first saw Rutee of the original Tales of Destiny game, scavenging the battlefield for loose change while her companions fought for their lives, I was enamored with the characters of the Tales series. Story, which I feel is the other most important element to an RPG, is usually pretty hit or miss in the Tales games, but any flaw is masked over by the characters' unique personalities and inevitable growth throughout the game, and the interactions between characters through skits and in-engine cut scenes are priceless in their entertainment value.

Tales of the Abyss has thus far lived up to my expectations in delivering engaging characters. The main protagonist, Luke, in all his sheltered naïveté, serves as the perfect vessel for the other characters and NPCs to explain the world to the players (The "Idiot Lectures" exposition, as I've heard them called). The only character he holds any sense of superiority over is the group's small animal companion, Mieu, a fire-breathing cheagle who is bound to Luke for repentance.

The other characters include Tear, the cold-hearted soldier with an unexpectedly soft side; Anise, the rambunctious young bodyguard who isn't shy about displaying affection; and Natalie, every bit the princess she was raised to be. These ladies serve as potential love interests, or perhaps more like sources of endless antagonism, for our belabored hero. Guy, the heterophobic servant who is hiding much more than he lets on, and Jade, the intellectual elitist colonel from the enemy nation with an ominous reputation help to complicate matters with their snide remarks and teasing.

The developers of the Tales series always include several opportunities for character interaction throughout gameplay, including post-battle quips and periodic skits in addition to the normal story development. Tales of Legendia had character interludes between the two major stories in the game, each focusing on one of the supporting characters to further develop their backgrounds. I absolutely loved those stories, and I felt that those were superior to the main plot and the sole reason for playing the game. I doubt I'll get to see that for Tales of the Abyss, but at least I'm not disappointed by what I've watched so far! - Joe Chan