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Gamerz

The video game blog for Tucson, AZ gamers

Gamerz – For the hardcore gamer in Tucson

by on Sep. 24, 2009, under Arts

If you are like me, you love a good video game.  I’m not talking about Solitaire, Freecell, or Minesweeper.  Those games came with your computer.  They offer fifteen seconds of distraction and two hours of frustration.  If you enjoy those, then you would also enjoy burning $35 for the first month and $15 per month after that on World of Warcraft (WoW) and think that game is also great.

If the above describes you, then Gamerz is not really for you. I may occasionally cover the more mundane games since I don’t discriminate and play all categories of video games. I just don’t enjoy some categories as much as others.

To start this blog off on the right foot, let us dive into a fun game that only those with years of gaming experience can truly appreciate. The first game here is a wonderful little Flash-based game called: “Robot Dinosaurs…That Shoot Beams When They ROAR!” (Click here to play – Arcadebomb.com)

Robot Dinosaurs = Awesome game

Robot Dinosaurs = Awesome game

This game is awesome due to the following formula: Robots + Dinosaurs + Shields + ROARING + LASERS + Explosions = Awesome!

Personally, I can’t think of anything ever going wrong with the above formula.

It took a genius game developer to come up with that formula and there is even a cool storyline with it. While I’m not the author, I can imagine what was going through the author’s mind as they added each game element. “Okay, I’ve got this idea for a game with flying robots in the ancient arcade parallax side-scrolling genre…what else should I add? Dinosaurs would be cool. Wait a moment. Let’s combine robots and dinos! Yes! I’ve got the magic formula! Awesome! Now…what else can I add…”

About half the people who play the game think it is dumb. The other half think it is the best game ever. The latter are what I would categorize as true gamers. They have played enough video games they see the pure genius behind this simple Flash game. And it leaves them wanting “MOAR”. This is perhaps an insight into the psychology of the hardcore gamer: They appreciate games like these while the rest of the population thinks it is terrible.

A little about myself: My name is Thomas Hruska. I’ve been playing video games since I was a kid. I have never owned a console nor have I the desire to own one. The PC is the most versatile platform in existence – games are developed on it, for it, and then played on it. I’m also a software developer and I work for Tucson Newspapers. See that poll above this paragraph? That’s my latest bit of handiwork. The games aspect of my life is just for fun. Developing things like the poll tool for the bloggers on this site is serious business. I take my job seriously but I take my video gaming just as seriously. I get the job done and then I have fun.

© Thomas Hruska. Permission to copy the first paragraph of any article granted as long as a link back is given and authorship is clearly stated.

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 24th, 2009 at 9:47 am and is filed under Arts. Tags for this post: , , , , , , , , , , , , , . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

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  • Jennatoolz

    Right on! I wouldn’t classify myself as a hardcore gamer…but video games have provided me with PLENTY of entertainment while I was growing up (and still does to this day). I’ve played on many different platforms, but my absolute favorite platform EVER has to be PC. I play mostly World of Warcraft nowadays, and have been playing it off and on since the game came out almost 5 years ago (still no level 80 characters, if that proves that I’m not a hardcore/addicted WoW-player, heh).  Before WoW though, I played tons of different games on many different platforms, from NES to PS3. Anything from Duck Hunt to Final Fantasy. Whatever game it was, I didn’t care…video games are cool.

  • Bjay

    I consider myself a gamer, but not really hardcore.
     
    I do try new games when they come out, but happened to get hooked on one over 10 years ago (Ultima Online) and play that one about 85% of the time.
     
    I love trying new ones (but hate going through beeing a noob for nothing if it sux), so I look forward to reading your blog and seeing what you have to serve up.
     
    This one looks kewl.  I’ll have to try it out with my son.
     
     

  • ldonyo

    I’ve been a gamer since Zork was new and the Commodore 64 was one of the hottest computers around. My favorite genre of games are true RPGs like Fallout, The Elder Scrolls series, the SSI Gold Box games, the Might & Magic series, etc. I’m waiting for November 3 so I can get Dragon Age: Origins.
     
    FYI, GOG.com is a great place to get DRM-free copies of some classic games for cheap. None of the games are over $9.99 and they run on 32-bit or 64-bit versions of XP, Vista or Windows 7. The latest purchase I made from them was the Might & Magic 6-Pack Limited Edition. This is a compilation of the first six games from the Might & Magic series and is quite a value at $9.99!
     
    I bought an Xbox 360 four years ago because Mass Effect was a 360 exclusive title at the time and there was no mention of a PC port until well after the game’s release. Since I’m not going to play through Mass Effect all over again on my PC, I’m going to get Mass Effect 2 for the 360 when it comes out next January.

  • thruska

    Idonyo – GOG.com is now definitely on my radar.

    RPGs are some of my favorite games.  Especially of the Square Enix variety.  I have Elder Scrolls IV and the expansion just waiting to be played.  I have a games-to-play queue that seems to be getting larger.  And with Thanksgiving around the corner, it is likely to increase.

    Mass Effect seems interesting but my team coordination/multitasking skills are lacking and therefore I tend to avoid such games – I tend to either “send in the troops” with the high-level commands and forget that I’m supposed to be involved in the action until the team is all dead or I go in “guns a-blazing” and I end up dead meanwhile the rest of the team is left back at some “safe zone” because I forgot about them.  Somewhere between those two extremes is the happy balance that allows for people who have the ability to multitask to win the game.  I don’t own Mass Effect but have come close a couple times to getting it.

  • http://www.tuslan.net/ TusLAN

    I am hosting a gaming event in November in downtown Tucson, and I would greatly appreciate suggestions on how to make this event better. While it is not free, it is non-profit and strives to give the best value for participants.  Consoles plus PCs will be included, and participants are encouraged to bring their own gaming rigs.  There will also be space for table games.  See the website for details.  http://www.tuslan.net/

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