1 minute Dragon game

So I’ve got another “1 minute” game for you.  This time, here there be dragons.  Yep.  Those big winged flapping lizard-like creatures.  You have 1 minute to list as many video games that have dragons in them.  Be they bosses, pets, or just in cut scenes.  It should be easy, right?  So . . .

On your mark . . . .

Get set . . . .

Go . . .

You got started off really fast.

You’ve named a couple but are you sure they really have dragons in them?

Oops, is that a duplicate?

Come on keep going.

You’ve run out of ideas already?

Okay . . . and time’s up.

How many did you get?  Here’s my list.  I have a few maybes on it and I’ll have to explain those.

 

My list:

Legend of Dragoon

Final Fantasy X

Final Fantasy VII

Dragon Age: Origins

Dragon Age 2

Skyrim

Spyro the Dragon

Spyro the Dragon: Ripto’s Rage

Sypro the Dragon: Enter the Dragonfly

Blue Dragon

My maybes:

Dark Stone

Balder’s Gate

Champions of Norath

Summoner

Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade

Gauntlet

So I got 10 that I know of for sure that have dragons.  I could have probably listed all of the Final Fantasy games but I wasn’t sure if they all had a dragon in them.  I’m not even totally sure with FF7 but I’m hedging my bet that it does.  And I'm know there are more Spyro games that what I have listed but I can't remember any more than what I put down.

As to the maybes I have various excuses or doubts about including them.  I might have to do some research to see if I’m just imagining things with these games or I got it right.  Unless someone wants to do it for me and put it in the comment’s section. 

It’s been a very long time since I played Dark Stone and then I didn’t even get very far in the game.  I’ve been meaning to go back and what I remember of the game it’s perfect to have a dragon.

It’s also been a very long time since I’ve played both Balder’s Gate and Champions of Norath.  They are also a couple of games that have got to have a dragon or two.  I’m pretty sure that my brother dain and I have finished both of those games but nothing comes to mind specifically about dragons.  Even if not a boss but just something terrifying to look at in a cut scene.

Summoner is the game dain and I are supposed to be finishing for the PS2.  When I think of “summoners” I think of magic and summoning dragons.  So there’s got to be a dragon in that game right?

Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade is a game I’ve been playing on the PSP.  It’s another game that I’m not very far in but seems perfect to having a dragon in the game.  If not a boss, then some eye candy instead.  There’s another game in the Untold Legends series that I have but I can’t remember the name so I didn’t count it.  Warrior’s Code.  Or maybe, Warrior’s Guild.  Or something like that.  Since I can’t remember what it’s called, I’m not counting it.  Even as a maybe.

Gauntlet is a game my brother dain and I have finished a couple of times.  On the N64.  On the PS.  And on the GameCube.  And maybe more systems and versions of the game.  I can’t remember if there are any dragons in the game.  If there are they’re probably fought while on the ground.  At least I don’t remember any aerial combat battles in any of those games.  And since I can’t remember any subtitles for any of those versions I’m only counting them as one game.  And that’s only a maybe too.

Personally I’m disappointed with myself.  I thought I would have done better than that.  Especially since one of my favorite genres of video games is RPGs and those are usually fantasy games.  And aren’t dragons, in one form or another, a requirement in fantasy games?  Maybe if I played more of those games . . . or at least played more IN all of those games that I have I could have done better.  How well did you do?  Leave your results in the comments.  And if you’ve got some ideas for more “1 minute” game ideas leave those in the comments as well.  I’ve got a few more ideas I want to explore but it won’t hurt to have more.

Poll Results - Tell me what to play

When I did my blog post for this poll I said if I don't get more than 6 votes I had the right to throw the results out the window and do my own thing . . . unfortunately for me I voted at the last minute and that put the total to 7 votes. So, yes master, I will get to playing the winner, master. Don't beat me master.

And the winner is.....

Which game should I play so I can play the sequel?

Assassin's Creed = 1 vote
Dead Space = 1 vote
Fallout 3 = 1 vote
Mass Effect = 3 votes
Force Unleashed = 1 vote
Marvel Ultimate Alliance = 0 votes
Dragon Age: Origins = 0 votes

Okay, my vote was for Dead Space. That is a sleeper hit that I don't think gets enough attention. When I was checking the poll and found no one voted for it I was sad, so I voted for it. And that is why I have to do your bidding for awhile. What I've played of this game I really like. It scares the hell out of me, but that's a good thing. I can't tell you how many times I've come across a dead body on the floor and spent some time pummeling it into mince meat even long after there was any possibility of the corpse rising up and attacking me. Better to be safe than sorry in that game.

I'm not surprised Marvel and Dragon Age didn't get any votes based on the competition. I'm a little surprised that some of you didn't consider Marvel. I don't know much but I think the story in the second one is a continuation of the first. So if you haven't played the first you won't really understand what's going on in the second. All the more reason to play the first one if you ask me. But I understand the popularity of the other games and I know my friends are tired of not talking about them in front of me.

I do know about the story in Force Unleashed and that it's best to play the first one before playing the sequel. But I guess that game didn't get more votes because the sequel wasn't out until recently so no one knew if it was worth playing. Of course that didn't stop me from buying the sequel. I'll just have to wait to play it until I've played the first one.

I also thought Assassin's Creed would get more votes partly because everyone says the second one is better than the first one. But on the other hand, as far as I know, you don't really need to play through the first one to fully understand what is going on in the second one. Sure, it might help, but it's not necessary.

I expected it to be a dead heat between Fallout 3 and Mass Effect. I know how much time my friends invested in those games so I know they really liked them. I also know that those two games are the ones that they're dying to talk about but I won't let them. I don't mind hearing little things like "you'll have to go to this place and do that" type of stuff. What I don't like is someone blurting out that "your dog dies" in Fable 2. That's a major spoiler to the story. And a central point in your progression of your character. Don't give that information away to someone who hasn't played the game.

There's been too many times when I've been asked to turn down my headset or unplug my mic so my friends can talk about a game. Just last night, while in a room with some friends all playing Fable 3, one of them said I could be in the room if I wanted to but I would probably hear things I wouldn't want to because they were not going to be quiet about it. I stayed and whenever things started to go in the direction of what might be spoilers I just tuned them out and concentrated more on my game than to what they were saying. I was surprised at how well that turned out. I heard some things but since I was concentrating on my game at the moment what they said didn't really sink in. I'm sure when I get to those points in the story things might come back to me but until then I'm safe.

I'm really not surprised Mass Effect got most of the votes. Since you can import your character from the first game into the second one it makes sense that the first one should be played, well, first. You don't have to do that. I know some people, that once they finished the first game they deleted their game save to make room for other games. I also know people that went back and played the first game (for the fourth or fifth time) just so they could have a game save to carry over to the sequel. And the same thing will apply when Mass Effect 3 comes out.

So, since the majority voted for Mass Effect that will be the game that I'll be playing when I'm not getting some multiplayer action with my friends. I have to say I'm not sorry it's that game even though I am daunted by the scope of the game. I know how long it took some of them to play it. And I'll want to play it good. Then I'll want to play it bad. Then I'll want to play it to save this person. Then that person. Make out with this person. Then that person. You get the idea. Now you know why some people have played it multiple times. And that's not counting any difficulty changes.

Now that you've told me what to play, I'm wondering when I get to tell YOU what to play. I've got a new whip that I can't wait to start cracking. Any volunteers?

New Poll - Tell me what to play

Normally I don't like it when someone tells me what to do. When that happens I usually do the opposite or nothing at all. You're not the boss of me, okay! Well, now I am making you the boss and I WANT you to tell me what to do. (Or course if I don't get more than 6 total votes then I reserve the right to do whatever I want anyway so tell your friends to vote.)

So tell me which game I should be playing so that I can play the sequel. The added benefit of playing whichever game is chosen means you can actually talk about the game in front of me and I won't yell at your for spoiling things for me.

Which game should I play so I can play the sequel?

Assassin's Creed
Dead Space
Fallout 3
Mass Effect
Star Wars The Force Unleashed
Marvel Ultimate Alliance
Dragon Age: Origins

Poll Results - Best game of 2009

Okay, either my polls suck or you guys have gotten bored reading my blog. Either way I lose. Here are the (pathetic) results from the last poll:

What was the best game of 2009?

Assassin's Creed 2 = 2 votes
Halo 3:ODST = 0 votes
Modern Warfare 2 = 1 vote
Left 4 Dead 2 = 0 votes
Dragon Age Origin = 0 votes
Borderlands = 0 votes
New Super Mario Bros. Wii = 0 votes
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 = 0 votes

Maybe the reason why some of you didn't vote was because of the economy and you couldn't afford to get some of the latest games. Maybe you just don't care anymore about what the latest/greatest game is. Or, like I said, maybe I'm getting boring in my old age.

I was just getting into Dragon Age when I was robbed so I don't know if the rest of the game is just as exciting as the first part. And while I owned (past tense, another victim of the robbery) Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 I hadn't played it yet (because I hadn't finished the first game). I played the demo for Left 4 Dead 2 and realized that it would be nearly impossible to play single player. That's a game best played with friends. Borderlands is a cool game but I haven't come across anything in the game that says "Whoa! this is unlike anything I've seen before". Maybe that's just me. I'd love to play Halo 3:ODST but I didn't have the money to buy it when it came out AND I wouldn't play it until I had played the earlier games AND those earlier games got stolen so I just don't see the point of buying it now to see what it's like. And seriously Nintendo? How many times are you going to "port" your original Mario Bros. game and call it "super" or "new" or both? As for Modern Warfare 2 it's got some problems.

I hate the fact that you can't jump into your friends party lobby. No can do. You've got to wait for an invite if you want to play with friends. And if your friend is already in the middle of a match you've got to send him a message saying you want in. If he stops to read it he might get killed. And do you want that on your conscience? And what happens if your party jumps out of a pre-game lobby to pick up a friend only to find out they want to play something else? Do you know how many "easy" rooms we've left only to find ourselves in those rooms where nothing goes right and everybody on the other team is glitching?

So that leaves Assassin's Creed 2. And that's the one I voted for. Even though I haven't played it (haven't finished the first game - another robbery victim). So how can I know it's the best game of 2009 if I haven't played it? I've read a lot about this game. And I've listened to what my friends have been saying. It's the game that the first one promised to be. It's the game that changes how you move and play through a game. It's also the game that opens up the game industry to approach their games differently than a standard hack-n-slash or FPS. Much like what BioShock did when it came out. And since I love BioShock why wouldn't I love Assassin's Creed 2 even if I haven't played it?

New Poll - Best game of 2009 was . . .

Here's a new poll for you. I've limited the choices to those games that are playable on systems I owned . . . or use to own. That leaves any PS3 and Nintendo DS games out.

Best game of 2009 was . . .

Assassin's Creed II
Halo 3: ODST
Call of Duty: Modern Warefare 2
Left 4 Dead 2
Dragon Age: Origin
Borderlands
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2

Vote for your favorite and feel free to tell me what you think in the comments section. Especially if your favorite isn't on my list.