Discovering The World Of Video Gamming And Their Consoles For The FirstTime... Again

Contra... A particularly violent game... Definitely one that boys enjoyed back in the day!

When I was a kid, one of the things that I discovered at a very young age (as a matter of fact, I think I may have been in either 3rd or 4th grade when I first discovered these, but till then I was still so young that I was still mostly playing with toys... That was till I discovered the world of video games!

The way this happened was... Well it was when I was in Elementary School or so... You see, one of the things that the Principle of the School let kids do on Fridays, was get off School a bit early and one of the kids would bring in one of their Video Game Consoles (back then we are talking, Nintendo... Sega Genesis... etc...) And all of us kids got to play...

Well in the end, this gave me the opportunity to dive in to the world of video games at a very young age... And I will say, that video games...  As a kid growing up, gave me loads and loads of fun, I got introduced to some very awesome video games, such as: Final Fantasy (1987), Contra (1987) as well as, Space Harrier 2 (1988), as well as so much more!

A truly classic game, and was one of the ones that I am happy to say helped me to truly enjoy the world of video games when I was a kid!

 Well... I hate to say it, but as time went on, I came to stop playing video games all together... Considering the fact that I developed a website that has to do with reviewing and blogging about video games that this might be a little odd... But it is true!

You see, I happened to be in Colorado with my wife a few years ago visiting the inlaws, and her brother (who fancies himself a bit of a, 'gammer',) introduced me to the world of the, 'XBox 360'... And well to say the least, I was hooked like I was back in the late 80s through the 90s!

Well when my wife and I got home, of course I wanted to get me an XBox 360... Couldn't do so at the time... (At the time, the XBox 360 was still a bit pricey...) The first system though I was able to dive in to was Microsoft's original, 'XBox' video game console, and the few games I was able to get my hands on when I bought the system and games from a friend of mine who was selling his!

The first, 'XBox' video game console that Microsoft released.

 The XBox 360... A video game console that was released by Microsoft, and is one of two of probably the most prolific video game consoles to have come in the 21st century!

In the end, I was able to get my XBox 360... And I have not looked backs since!

Now you might be wondering why I am writing this... Well if you are some one who has any doubt about the value of a kid's first video game system... Well let's put it this way, coming from a gammer of many years... Engaging in activities outside is important for everyone, no matter what age they are, and so... The reason that I write this, is that yes, it is a toy... But you never know... Some day your kids could do what I did, and turn their love of video games in to a worthwhile career!

Final Fantasy (1987) - Video Game Review

Official Score = 3 Devils 

When I was a kid, one of the things that I had really wanted was a video game system of my very own, I had found out about them because when I was still in school, one of the things that the Principal let us do, is they let one of the kids (who had, it seemed like most of the available video games, and systems of the mid 80s...) And so of course I really wanted one!

Well my mom wouldn't let me have one... Not sure exactly why, to much violence in video games I reckon (in the mid to late 80s, that was starting to become an issue for a lot of folks, especially when it came to their kids...)

Well to the least, my Dad ended up getting me a Nintendo (I know, I am starting to feel really old,) anyway he got that with a Basketball game that was fun, but another game that was pretty addicting to my dad when he first got it for me, and is still one of my favorite games... (Albeit more Fantasy the Science Fiction... But there is enough of that to make it count...) That game is Final Fantasy (1987)!

A classic!

Originally developed for the: Famicom, and which would later be released on the NES. MSX2, Wonderswan Color, Playstation, Gameboy Advance, various mobile phones over the years, PSP, Virtual Console as well as for the, 'Playstation Network' tells the story of how when fours warriors of light appear, each carrying orbs that kind of control the 4 elements (earth, wind, water & fire.)

Now these orbs are currently all dark, and so monsters and the like are being allowed to run rampant, and it is the mission of the Warriors Of Light to destroy the monsters, and to bring the Orbs back to life!

The fighting sequence may look a little lame... But what do you expect? I mean this game came out in 1987... And to this day is still a total blast! 

Now this game is a total blast, and I will say this, despite the fact that this game is old, it is still so good, that I myself am currently playing it on an old phone of mine that I kept just so that I could beat it!

The only problem with this game is this, the Final Fantasy series is known for the players getting in to a lot of moments when they are going to have to fight, and the first one is no different, the problem is, is this happens a little to much, to the point  where it can start to get a little irritating, and thus can make long term play a little rough!

Check it out, it maybe old, but it is fun!

The Evolution Of The Video Game Soundtrack: From Analog Music ThroughMovie Styled Video Game Soundtracks

A program used by Mac computers to create computer generated music.

Most people recognize that video game soundtracks in the modern day are becoming more and more like Movie or TV soundtracks... But before this really began to take shape, at the beginning of the world of video games... well as it turns out, most video games had computer generated music, and before that, Cassette or LP generated music.

Some of the music that has been computer generated... Well in the early days was pretty horrible, and well, if you really dig in to it, there are some truly fun scores (such as: Super Mario Bros. (Believe it or not, it is a fun soundtrack) and even Final Fantasy 7!)

To really understand this progression, lets really start with the progression of computer generated music (I mean after all, computer generated music is where video game music got it's start.)

In this case, the first computer to generate music was a computer called the, 'CSIRAC', (which stands for: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Automatic Computer.) Now I can give you all the technical jargon if you want (but that is probably not much use for what we are working toward in this blog.)

The earliest known computer to play music.

To say the least, this computer (which is one of the oldest first generation electronic computers ever built,) was built in Australia in the late 40s by Trevor Pearcy & Maston Beard and which in the early 50s would be programmed by a mathematician by the name of Geoff Hill to generate music.

Since then, there has been many advancements in the programming for computer generated music, leading up to, and for our purposes, the first video game to ever play computer generated music...

Now before I continue on I should also mention the direct predecessor to computer generated music for video games...

Like movies, in the case of video games, early video game music was played on independent systems separate from the video game itself.

You see, in the 1970s, when arcades were really having their Golden Age, video game music would be played in analogue form (on cassette tapes, or on LPs.) Well to say the least this proved to be unworkable, and the age of computer generated music was born!

You see, it turns out that a more workable solution for this was to insert a computer chip that would create music from electric impulses created from the games code in to analog music.

Well to say the least, starting with Gun Fight (1975)... A game which proved to be one of the earliest examples of computer generated music for games, we find video games getting better and better computer generated music... Leading to (what I would say), would be some great early computer generated music from such awesome NES games as (well besides what I mentioned above,) such stuff as: Contra (1987), Mega Man (1987) & even Castlevania (1987), to name a few!

Castlevania... A fun game, with a fun computer generated soundtrack! 

And you know what? This music just kept getting better and better, with the passage from, '8 Bit' games to, '16 Bit' games, as well as the advent of the first Playstation, etc... I am going to go so far as to say that the height of singularly computer created music format for video games was with the advent of the first, 'Playstation.'

Don't get me wrong, there has been a ton of fun video game soundtracks to come out before this, but some of the video game soundtracks that came out with the first playstation were truly... Amazing! A great example again is, Final Fantasy 7! I mean the music for this video game was truly prolific , to the point where one could have been said to be a, 'Computer Generated Opera!'

Now I don't exactly know when the change first started occurring (I unfortunately had a bit of an absence from the world of video games,) but I did notice that as time has gone on, and leading (at the very least up until the XBox 360,) that video game soundtracks have become less computer generated, and more like movie soundtracks!

Crackdown for the: XBox 360 is a great example of a video game that has an almost, 'movie' like sound track to it!

I reckon that as long as video games keep getting better and better and the lines between movies and video games get more and more blurred, that in the end, the soundtracks will as well!

For more information, please check out these examples:

Final Fantasy. An Evolution From, 'Fantasy' To, 'Sci-fi Fantasy'!

Final Fantasy 3 for the Super Nintendo (as seen above), is the first earliest example of a Final Fantasy game that has begun to make the transition from, 'Fantasy' to, 'Science Fiction/Fantasy'.

When I was younger I was one of the last people in my circle of friends to get a, 'Nintendo'... I think at least part of that maybe the fact that my Mom, (like a lot of other mom's out there,) probably thought that there was to much violence in the games that were being released, and thought it wise not to get one...

Well never-the-less, eventually I was able to get one from my Dad... So my Dad ends up picking up the video game system with one of the, 'Basketball' games that came out at the time, and a game that would be come one of my favorite video game series of all time... That game being, 'Final Fantasy.'

Now for me, I was pretty lucky, because my dad ended up playing it so much before he got it to me, that he ended up laminating the maps and the like (he did such a good job preserving these maps, that they were actually in mint condition up till an old friend of mine accidentally sold them about 10 years ago...

This game I would say is still one of the better Final Fantasy game to have ever come out!

Needless to say I was a little bit miffed about that... But it did show the importance that the game did hold, and still does hold for me... And you know what? Like most video game series, this series just kept getting better and better!

Well I can't say that entirely (I hate to say it but I never actually had the chance to play the sequel... But I did have the chance to play the third one... And hot damn was that a fun game!

You see, the first Final Fantasy game was a primarily, 'fantasy' game... And you know that was a total blast, I mean being able to fight demons and monster and big bads and all sorts of creepy crawleys... Well if you haven't tried it, then I would say do so... You won't regret it if you are a fan of ancient games!
Well when the third one came out, it was this awesome fusion of kind of both... The ancient fantasy style game that made the first one such an amazing great time, but with an added technological element, that not only made it even more exciting, but in the end, this nice fusion of both, really made it for a more epic story line!

To this day... Still a classic series!

But wait... There is more!

You see when Sony released the, 'Playstation', One of the games that was released on to this system was, 'Final Fantasy 7', and the truth is, is this game expanded on the concept of a, 'Science Fiction Fantasy' game even further!

Well, this one was a bit more Science Fiction then Fantasy, you see, in this game, you could almost see the fictionalized version of semi-modern day/futuristic cities... But with the characters that have to right the global wrong, they rely on stuff like, 'Magic', and swords and shields and what not (the stuff that made the fantasy aspect of this series so great,) but also more modern weaponry and the like!

This game is to the Sony, 'Playstation' what the first one was to Nintendo's, 'NES' and, 'Famicom'.

In the end, I hate to say it, but I haven't been in the position to play much more of these games (a situation I intend to rectify,) I mean I heard that there is potentially at least one game that brings together the heroes from the entire series together... But unfortunately I really don't know much more then that... I do hope though, they continued to use the whole, 'Sci-fi/Fantasy' aspect in more games... It was pretty fun!

Final Fantasy 4 (1994) - Video Game Review

[caption id="attachment_415" align="alignright" width="350"] Official Score = 4 Devils[/caption]

Everyone, I have learned has there basic classification for which type of gamer they are... Now that doesn't mean that they don't ever deviate... A fan of RPGs (Role Playing Games), can end up really enjoying shooter games as well, (I know because as far as video games goes, for me, my main type of  game that I have found that I really enjoy is, 'RPGs'... But I do enjoy a good shooter game from time to time!)

The reason that I mention this though is that those in their right groups will find specific video games that they not only found that they really enjoyed, but in the end, found to be rather memorable!

For me... One of those games happens to be, 'Final Fantasy 4' (1994)!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="432"] I may be calling this game, 'Final Fantasy 4'... but that is the Japanese title, in America it has always been, 'Final Fantasy 3'[/caption]

Released by Square (now, 'Square Enix'), this video game told the amazing story of a group of powerful men and women who have one common goal... That goal being to stop the monster, 'Kefka' and to take down the evil empire that has been terrorizing them... And they will do what ever it takes to do so!

In the end, it is the ultimate battle of good vs. evil, and magic vs. machines!

Now I found the story to be a lot of fun, and extremely engrossing (even as a kid), I mean the action is pretty amazing! And as for the controls... Well just about every Final Fantasy game I have ever played has always had easy controls, and this is no different!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="320"] Sword & sorcery come alive in, 'Final Fantasy 3'![/caption]

As far as music goes, 'Nobuo Uematsu' is such a good composer, that... well... I may never have owned the soundtrack to this game, but I did end up getting the soundtrack to part 7 and loved it!

In the end, this game is a total freaking blast, and if you get a chance, check it out, I doubt you will regret it!

http://youtu.be/RDMWp1oLoA0

Final Fantasy VII (1997) - Video Game Review

[caption id="attachment_415" align="alignright" width="350"] Official Score = 4 Devils[/caption]

One of the things that I have learned being a gamer since the days of the original, 'Sega Masters System' is that there are always newer video games that in a lot of cases generally out class their predecessors... Trust me when I say that admitting that was not easy...

But I will say this, and that is, that the classics never die... I mean sure they were once the extremely hot item, but if you were in to say video games on the, 'Nintendo 64'... Then if you still have them, blow off the dust and give them a try... I doubt you will regret it!

Now you might be wondering why I mention this... Well simply put, there is a classic game that I had the luck to have been able to play it when it first came out, and a few more times since then, and I have to admit that I still freaking love this game... That game being Final Fantasy VII (1997)!

Now this game, which was released by Square Enix in 1997, and which was the first, 'Final Fantasy' game that was released in the United States that had not been released on to a, 'Nintendo' system, but had actually been released on Sony's, 'Playstation' had actually originally been intended for the Super Nintendo, when development of the game had started back in 1994!

[caption id="attachment_1818" align="aligncenter" width="450"] This game was one of the first of it's series to be made for the, 'Playstation'[/caption]

That's right folks, it looks like this game had originally been intended for the, 'Super Nintendo', and had later been moved to the, 'Nintendo 64'... But with that video game system still using, 'Cartridge' based games, Square Enix ended up moving it over to the, 'Playstation'!

And well, even though the tradition was broken with this one, the game itself was truly a landmark game... I mean this game was so good that the soundtrack to it had been re-released as a music album, the graphics were light years ahead of most games up to this point,  and the controls were easy as hell, and you know what else... All of that and so much more is what made (and in my opinion), still makes this video game to be one of the better ones to have ever been released!

In the end, if you like RPGs, then I think you will really like this one, it is an extremely engrossing and fun quest... But I got to warn you, if you do play, play on a weekend... This game will certainly help you to loose track of time!

http://youtu.be/TEN-p5e2WkM