Forums > Contributor Zone > RotW for 4/26 to 5/2, 2009 --- I FEEL ASLEEP!

Well, since I don't think we have our new, improved RotW roster all finalized and stuff, I guess I'm doing this week, mainly since it probably be my turn anyway. I don't know, I'm all confused and all. But I have a free afternoon, so here comes the pain!

Anyway, onto what I do know......staffers don't get anywhere here. And only one review by anyone can count on any given week.

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THIRD PLACE: Hover Bovver (C64) by sashanan

This was another pretty difficult week for me to make my picks. I'd say that overall, not just my top three, but a good couple of non-placing reviews all were very close together in my eyes, meaning that my top three order was likely determined by various factors possibly including my health, how hungry/full I was, how sleepy I am, etc. I could have done this yesterday and had a completely different order with a couple different reviews listed and the same could be said if I had waited another day. In short, some very tight competition. What gave you third place was primarily how you took an entertaining look at what is essentially an old-school arcade-ish game on an old computer system.....but with a comical premise. This is a sound review that doesn't go overboard with witticisms revolving around the game's theme of stealing a lawnmower and having to fight off neighbors and your own dog to mow your lawn, but still has some good lines. Particularly the "don't presume that Sash doesn't mind if you borrow his Commodore" one at the end.

SECOND PLACE: Legacy of the Wizard (NES) by randxian

I'd have to say that this is not only the best of your four reviews this week, but also the best review I've ever seen by you. Engaging, lively tone presented here and you don't pull punches in skewering this game. I've had a bit of experience with this game and can't say I disagree much with anything you said. I recall borrowing it from a friend and.....eventually getting stuck. I might have got one crown. But yeah, this game really is the pits. Better than CastleQuest, but in the same vein of horribly-executed puzzle-adventure game.

OVERDRIVE PLACE: Archmage: The Reincarnation (PC) by zippdementia

You caught my attention with that little narrative dialogue at the beginning, which was some good stuff that made me interested in what sort of game you were playing, but more importantly, when you got around to the actual game, you did a very good job of explaining it while not losing my interest. This game seems like it has a ton of strategy and you did a very good job of bringing it to the forefront — with both resource management and with unit stacking. But all the while, you can get through your alloted turns in a handful of minutes, making it deep and accessible. Very good review that really makes this game look intriguing.

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Whew. Might be taking a nap now. Or eating something and then entering a food coma. Kinda a lazy day for me, so that sounds like a wonderful option.

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I'm not afraid to die because I am invincible
Viva la muerte, that's my goddamn principle

Wow! Another win for Zipp! I tried some new things with both my latest reviews (Odin Sphere and Archmage). To be honest, I would've put the money on Odin's Sphere for this one, figuring it was a safer review, but safer isn't always better!

I'm glad to see some of my risks paid off.

As always, thanks to the people who take the time to do these every week. Hopefully I'll be able to ease your jobs a little bit in the future by taking one myself!

On another note, Archmage is a really fun game that I reccomend for anyone with 15 minutes a day to kill. The first time you play, it will probably take more like an hour to get into it, but it really is a fifteen minute game after that. If you join up, join the blitz server, that's the one I'm on. Let me know!

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Note to gamers: when someone shoots you in the face, they aren't "gay." They are "psychopathic."

I had read Zipp's review, but I think HGWars will be my first and last MMORPG, at least for a year. In fact I was thinking of using HG points I thought I might have won in this ROTD to help my cause :)

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Zipp
As far as Odin Sphere goes, I really liked the review, but it did kinda have one glaring weakness in that it was a 10/10 review that ended on a negative note as far as the game goes. Great praise review, but the last things that stuck in my mind were the flaws (like how you'll be in a high-drama situation.....but have to do a bunch of character-building stuff AND how you visit the same regions in every chapter). You would have been served better by more subtly interspersing the negative aspects instead of slamming the reader with them right at the end.

Bloomer
Of your reviews, I loved the RE one....but not as a review of one particular game. As an entrant in Lewis' contest, it was a great look at RE and video game horror. But I had the conflict with the whole concept of the contest and what I feel should be an RotW review....in that while I really enjoyed what you wrote, it wasn't a review of that game, which kinda took it out of contention for me. If it's any consolation, it might be my personal favorite of the entries I've read for the contest, though.

For Aztec, it was one of those "in contention" reviews. I think the thing that kept it out was simply that it might be the kind of game I'd have to have experienced to truly get what you mean, as you essentially said the game's horribly glitchy.....but those glitches help make it good, as they can get you through seemingly impossible rooms. If you haven't played the game and experienced that in person, that's a hard concept to wrap the brain around.

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I'm not afraid to die because I am invincible
Viva la muerte, that's my goddamn principle

I was thinking specifically of Aztec. Don't worry about RE – I wasn't thinking about that, as it was specifically for the contest. To the extent I almost forgot I submitted it this week. I also wacked the reply button quickly here to try to avoid seeing anything you might have said about it, just to avoid any feedback on it in advance of the contest thingy!

In ROTD/ROTW you often have to deal with reviews for stuff you haven't played and still decide on them as reviews in their own right. In a sense you have to do all you can to negotiate this issue whenever it comes, but maybe as you say you found it too hard a bridge to cross in this particular case.

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Muchas gracias. I'm on the whole pleased with how that review turned out. It does need a little editing still, such as getting rid of a couple of abuses of first person plural.

Congrats to randxian and zipp, obviously. *goes to read said reviews as he hasn't yet*

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''Yes, yes...but apart from all that, Mrs Lincoln, how was the play?''

looks like tons of talent since I left.

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I may even give Hovver Bovver a try. I've known the name for what feels like centuries (but is more realistically 19 years?) but never knew what the game was about. So I feel pretty good having read this review.

Au contraire, I don't think I'll give Legacy of the Wizard a try.

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Good feedback on the Odin's Sphere review, OD. Thanks for that, I hadn't thought about that when constructing it.

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Note to gamers: when someone shoots you in the face, they aren't "gay." They are "psychopathic."

I had Hovver Bother for the good old Speccy 128k. Good times.

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For us. For them. For you.

Holy crap! I didn't even notice these until now. I guess I should check the Contributor Zone more often.

Thanks for the feedback. I did feel Legacy of the Wizard is one of my better works so far.

Liked the Hover Bower review. Very informative and fun to read.

I tip my straw hat to zipp for making a text game sound so interesting. Very convincing review.

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I CAN HAS CHEEZBURGER?

Thank you, randxian. This is by far my most popular review, having risen to almost a 1000 views in nary but a couple weeks.

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Note to gamers: when someone shoots you in the face, they aren't "gay." They are "psychopathic."