Thursday, August 28, 2008

My (latest and multiple) Obsessions

So I've been thinking about what my next Arcade games was going to be. I have lots to choose from. You see, I need some small little game to focus on whenever I need a break from the larger, harder and usually more time consuming disk games. Backgammon, Puzzle Quest and Jewel Quest all filled that need. So I've been looking for the next one.

Then I found it.

I loved playing Fable on the original Xbox. I've never got very far in the game because I spent too much time exploring and robbing people (I love doing that). So when I found out Fable II was coming out I was very excited. Then I found out that there would be an Xbox Live Arcade game that you can get before the game comes out that would have mini games from Fable II in it. And THEN I found out if you pre-ordered Fable II you'd get a code to unlock the Arcade game for free. I was there.

From the very first note on the opening screen I was hooked. I love the music of the first Fable game. I even have the soundtrack and listen it to quite often at work. Then I started to play the games. While I haven't figured out any strategy, besides random chance, in the Spinnerbox game I love the other two, Fortune's Tower and Keystone.

When I first started playing I couldn't win anything in Fortune's Tower. Keystone on the other hand was a gold mine for me. And no I haven't been using any of the glitches that make you win big even though you bet small. I finally figured out a strategy for Fortune's Tower and I've been doing well ever since.

The problem is all the games are so addicting. When it's time to go to bed it's just so easy to tell yourself you'll play one more pyramid, or archway or just one more spin. Next thing you know 30 minutes have gone by and you can barely keep your eyes open. Or you find yourself just wanting to get in one quick game before you go to work only to find yourself in a mad dash out the door trying to get to work on time (or maybe arriving late and sneaking past your boss).

Those games are addicting and fun and I'm loving every minute of them.

And then when I feel I need to pull myself away from the Pub Games for the sake of my sanity (and my job) I've started playing Hexic HD. A simple game that can be over quick but that could also provide an extended amount of play and challenges. I wasn't expecting much while playing it but I've pick up 4 achievements in the last couple of days and now I'm getting addicted to that game as well.

I finally made my first black pearl last night in a "just one more game and then I'll quit" moment. Considering I lost 6 silver stars in two separate collapses because I wasn't paying attention before I made the black pearl I was very proud of myself. I wasn't trying for it specifically, just trying to see what I could do. Any game that rewards me with achievements when I'm just trying to have fun and experiment with game play is worth it to me.

The only down side to my latest obsessions is that they're all single player games. I'd love to have an Arcade game that I obsess about getting all the achievements in that I could actually play along with my friends. We usually have such a good time playing with each other, name calling not-with-standing, that it bothers me I can't combine the two things. Oh well, maybe someone will come up with a game (Novadrome, Marble Blast Ultra, Small Arms or something) we could all agree to play.

Until then you can probably find me in the Pub. Spinning disks, rolling dice or dealing cards. At least the din of the background noise in the Pub makes me feel not quite so alone. Now if only my patron could loan me some more money, I feel an obsession coming on.

5 comments:

metallicorphan said...

i know what you mean Penny,i love this as well(not keen on spinnerbox,but pressed A one saturday night for 3-4 hrs to get everything i needed from that,and wont be playing that game again)

fortunes tower is good,and like you said...one more and i am going to bed,one more and i will play some COD4,one more and i will go breathe the air outside


a friend gave me some advice on Keystone,it worked wonders for me,and eventually got me out of debt,and made me quite a bit of tourney money..worked for normal games as well(at least for me anyway)

from 8ball
'If you want to cheese the Keystone tournaments, this worked for me for all of them.

Pay the entry fee. Put one outer arch bet. Then every roll, bet max on all the triples (bottom row). There's a chance you'll run out of money, in which you end up losing the entry fee. However, there's a good chance at some point they'll roll a triple, and then you earn an insane amount. You hit it once, you're basically guarenteed a top 5 finish (though I was 1 or 2 on every time it hit the triple, and usually #1 by a long stretch).'

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
i played this game a few saturdays ago,started at 11pm,and finished at 8am sunday morning,after getting everything unlocked,achievements,items and games etc...but using that from above,really helped me


can't wait for Fable II..my must have of 2008

Pengwenn said...

I've never thought about that strategy orphie. I always thought the triples were too risky to bet on them unless I had a gut feeling (don't trust your gut when you're gambling).

The bad side of playing the Pub games is that every time I hear the music and the background noise I want to play Fable SOOOOOOOO bad. And the fact that I refuse to play a sequel until I've finished the first one . . . . and I haven't finished the first one yet. :(

metallicorphan said...

hmm,i bought the game from xbox live originals....downloaded it


first of....it isnt the lost chapters...its the original...and the lost chapters is pretty cheap so i should of done it that way

second,it crashes sometimes when i load up the game

and third,the noises it makes,big buzzes or crackles when it isnt suppose to,all audio glitches...my Cat runs a mile when it happens!!!


so i have give up on the download of the game and may try and buy the Lost chapters in the classics range from the preowned section in GAME

last time i actually played the first one was so very long ago...i remember being at the end of the game,can't remember beating it though,LOL

Pengwenn said...

Well I don't think I'll buy any of the downloadable originals because of all the problems I've people are having. Besides I still have my original Xbox and if I bought an original game I'd like to play it on whatever system I wanted to instead of having it on a single hard drive.

metallicorphan said...

is the game backwards compatible?(and if so,which version,...original or lost chapters..or perhpas both)

i wouldnt mind playing it that way,i have had no problems with other XBOX 1 games that i have played on the 360(disc version)..apart from that damn DLC on star wars battlefront that i ended up paying for about 10 times!!..grrrr