Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is for the Playstation 2, XBOX 360 Live game store, and PC. Since the game's release date in 2004, Rockstar sold more than 20 million copies. San Andreas is the biggest-selling Playstation 2 game of the GTA series. In this version, you main character roams three towns: Los Santos (Los Angeles), San Fierro (San Francisco), and Las Venturas (Las Vegas). Rockstar is known for it's Grand Theft Auto series. If it's from Rockstar, you know it will have a free roaming game map.

FUN: Like I said before, it's free roaming. That means that you can go anywhere (Well almost anywhere... at least until you progress in the storyline) when you aren't doing missions. You can fool around as long as you want, only certain missions have time limits. Besides wasting time (Don't worry, I do it all the time), there are story missions and sub-missions. Story missions progress the game's plot, while sub-missions unlock special items or abilities (Like outfits and cars or being fireproof). The main part that's fun in all GTA games is the fact that you can kill random people and steal cars, two things you can't do in real life without going to jail or worse. I rate FUN - 2.

REPLAY: Once you complete every mission, unlock everything, and finish gaining every skill, that's it... the only thing you can do now is to fool around with the free roaming. If you like fooling around, then you will have fun. If not... oh well! I rate REPLAY - 1.

STORY: You play as Carl "CJ" Johnson, an African American and a Los Santos native. You have just returned for your mother's funeral after being in Liberty City for five years. Once you arrive, you find crooked, blackmailing cops, strange rivalies and split ups in your family, and your neighborhood falling to gang violence. You decide to stay and help his fellow gang members while finding the truth behind his mother's murder. I rate STORY - 2.

DIFFERENCE/ORIGINAL: Not much is different, it's a basic Grand Theft Auto game. Most of the GTA games are similar to each other. What is different is the fact that you main character is an African American. Also different is the map or world. Rockstar kept saying that San Andreas has the biggest world map than any other GTA game. They also said the map is four times bigger than GTA: Vice City. I rate DIFFERENCE/ORIGINAL - 1.

DIFFICULTY: All Grand Theft Auto games are a mix between hard and somewhat easy. The fact that you need to stay alive while staying out of trouble (Wanted Stars) can be quite annoying and frustrating. On top of that, some missions need you to keep you car alive or force a time limit to make you hurry and take risks. I rate DIFFICULTY - 0.8.

TOTAL - 6.8.

Well... there you go. You will be seeing a lot of Grand Theft Auto games in this blog. The book has almost every single one (Or maybe it does...) of the GTA series. Thanks and see you soon.

The Sims 3 For The PC/MAC

The third version of the series Sims. The Sims 3 was released in 2009 by EA (Electronic Arts). Just like The Sims 3 for the Wii, Which I rated on my blog Nintendo Rater at www.bennintendorater.blogspot.com, The Sims 3 for the computer is a life simulation game where you take care of people called sims (Get it? Sims = Simulation). This game is a member of the family of The Sims series (The Sims and The Sims 2 are the first two versions of the family). Just like each version of The Sims family, The Sims 3 has expansion packs that add new things to the gameplay. Each expansion pack is sold separately and needs the main game installed first. Since The Sims 3 is the latest version, expansion packs are still being made for the game.

FUN: Just like The Sims 3 for the Wii, you will need to take care of your sims' needs and wishes. However, the PC and Mac versions of the game gives you a set number of cheats like freezing you sims' needs. Along with caring of you sims, you can build their homes and buy them new stuff (Both if you have the money for it. Don't worry... there's a cheat for that). You have the choice to let the sims do things by themselves or to tell them what to do. You will only like this game if you like simulation games. I rate FUN - 1.8.

REPLAY: This game can go on forever if you turn off aging or if you sims' family grows a new generation (You know... the adults have kids and then, the kids have their own kids. Aw... the magic of generation after generation). You can keep creating new families, aka save files, after all your sims died or while they're still alive. Besides that... no replay value. I rate REPLAY - 0.5.

STORY: I will keep this quick and short. Newborns, toddlers, children, teens, young adults, adults, elders, and death. When young lives bring the new while they become old and history. I rate STORY - 0.5.

DIFFERENCE/ORIGINAL: Instead of wants and fears from The Sims 2, this version introduced wishes and lifetime goals. EA upgraded the type of sims we play with. Now, the sims are fully automated to do the dull stuff (Like eating, sleeping, washing, and doing their business) if you want. On top of those two items, The Sims 3 allows your sims to travel anywhere in town without any pesky loading periods. Your sims are free to roam for the first time! I rate DIFFERENCE/ORIGINAL - 2.

DIFFICULTY: I just have one thing to say... the more sims you have, the harder it is to keep them alive. However, only if you don't use cheats. I rate DIFFICULTY - 1.8.

TOTAL - 6.6.

Here you go! However, this is for the computer versions (PC/Mac). If you want to read how I rated The Sims 3 For The Wii, then go to my other video game rating blog called Nintendo Rater. The website address is at the top of this post. I repeat, I will not copy the version for the Wii into this blog. You will need to visit my other blog to read it. Thanks and visit soon!

Lemmings for the Sega Game Gear

Lemmings is a puzzle game about little green haired men trying to get from one place to another. It came out in the year 1991 from DMA Design. It all started when Mike Dailly was testing animation with characters in an 8x8 pixel grid. Programmer Russell Kay loved the little guys and thought they would make a great game.The first day Lemmings was sold, 55,000 copies flew off the shelves (Which was great at that time).

FUN: The point of the game is to get the lemmings from their entrance to their exit safely. Using a point and click interface, you give them skills to help them stay alive or to reach the exit. It's funny to watch these tiny people move and use their skills, as well as the many ways they can die. I rate FUN - 1.5.

REPLAY: The only thing about replay that's good is the fact that you can try different ways to get the lemmings home. The down side is that it only works for some of the levels. I rate REPLAY - 0.5.

STORY: I know what you are thinking... does a puzzle game have a storyline? Nowadays, some puzzle games have a storyline or plot. However, in the early days, puzzle games rarely had plots. This game is one of them without a storyline. I rate STORY - 0.

DIFFERENCE/ORIGINAL: Lemmings started the whole 8x8 pixel design. Also started the whole tiny creatures as the main characters in games (Like Worms and Populous). I Rate DIFFERENCE/ORIGINAL - 1.

DIFFICULTY: Lemmings is a pretty basic puzzle game... the farther you get in the levels, the harder the puzzles get in the game. I rate DIFFICULTY - 2.

TOTAL - 5.

There you have it... Lemmings rated by the Nintendo Rater aka Benjamin P. Parker. Please comment and visit soon. Thanks!

When Old The Meets The New

There you go. I have posted the four games that I already rated in my older blog into my newer blog. That is all. Check in soon. Thanks!

The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time for the N64

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the fifth Zelda game in the series. This is the first Zelda game for the Nintendo 64. Ocarina of Time was released in North America on November 23, 1998. Nintendo sold 7.6 million copies worldwide. The game was also re-released on both the Gamecube & Wii systems. On top of that, there will soon be a remake of the game on the Nintendo 3DS. In the gaming edition of Guinness World Records 2010, Ocarina of Time holds the world record of being the most critically acclaimed game of all time.

 

FUN: First of all, you play a magical ocarina. That's the main part of the game that really fun. You also get a horse to ride on named Epona. It's also fun to move around in a 3D world. However, the only problem was the fact of the annoying fairy named Navi. I rate FUN - 1.5.

 

REPLAY: Let's face it... the Zelda games don't have any replay value. I rate REPLAY - 0.

 

STORY: Link, the Kokiri without a fairy, later finds out that he the chosen one to defeat a evil named Ganondorf. Link would be needing to gather the three elemental stones and later tokens from sages Link wakes up. After pulling the Master Sword from the Temple of Time, Link ages seven years. With the help of a mystery person named Sheik, Link travels around Hyrule to awaken the trapped sages. We also find out that Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf each have a piece of the Triforce. Link has courage, Zelda has wisdom, and Ganondorf has power. I rate STORY - 2.

 

DIFFERENCE/ORIGINAL: The game is the first one to use play note by note buttons for the ocarina. It also began the two characters Ganondorf and Sheik. This game started the whole Ganondorf equals Ganon business. This game also explains the holders of the three parts of the Triforce. Ocarina of Time added a whole new travel companion, Epona the horse. Also the fact that there were three girls that like Link instead of just Zelda. The other two girls were Saria the Kokiri and Malon the farm girl. Of course the big introduction was the annoying fairy, Navi, who kept saying 'Hey! Listen!' at bad times and also over and over again. I rate DIFFERENCE/ORIGINAL - 2.

 

DIFFICULTY: I can go half and half on this. Some parts are easy and the other parts are hard. It all depends on the person who's playing. I'll leave it up to you. Comment on this, I really want to hear you guys opinion. Until then, I rate DIFFICULTY - 1.

 

TOTAL - 6.5

 

There you have it... that's my rating of Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Even though this is my favorite 3D Zelda game, I still rated it fairly and by the topics I picked out for this blog. Thank you and keep reading.

Chrono Trigger for the SNES

Chrono Trigger Is A Super Nintendo Game Made By Squaresoft. Squaresoft Is The Same Maker As The Final Fantasy. Squaresoft Is Now Known As Square Enix, But It's The Same Company. Chrono Trigger Is Another RPG From The Company.

 

FUN: In My Opinion, Chrono Trigger Is The Best RPG EVER! Let's Face It... Square Enix Makes Fantasic RPG. The Moves & Reactions That The Characters Have Is Just Funny As All Get Out. Also, Being Able To Travel Through Time Is So Cool! The Music Is Also Pretty Sweet Too. The Battles Are Fun To Play As Well As Watch. I Rate Fun 2.

 

REPLAY: Chrono Trigger Has A Neat Feature After You Beat The Game Called NEW GAME +. This Feature Allows The Player To Play The Game Again Using The Levels That The Characters Are At When You Beat The Game. Example: Chrono Was At LV 45 When You Beat The Game. Once You Press NEW GAME +, Chrono Starts The Game At LV 45. Along With Playing The Game Over Again With Old Levels, There Are New Feature Scattered Throughout The Game. However, It's Pretty Much The Same Game. I Rate Replay 1.8.

 

STORY: It All Starts Off With Chrono (Or Any Five Letter Name) Heading Off To The Town Festival In Town Square. When He Gets There, He Runs Into A Girl His Age. She Calls Herself Marle. Both Chrono & Marle Heads Over To Watch Chrono's Friend's Invention In Working Order. The Invention Is A Teleporter Pad. When Marle Offers Her Help & Steps Onto The Pad. However, Marle's Necklace Creates A Worm Hole That Sends Her Into The Past. Chrono Figures That She Was His Duty To Bring Her Back & Jump Into The Worm Hole. I Rate Story 2.

 

DIFFERENCE/ORIGINAL: In The Battles, The Enemies Attack When They Are Able To & Every Five To Twenty-Five Seconds. The Main Character Is Named Chrono & Travels Through Time. Get It? Chrono As In Chronology? Chronology Is The Study Of A Series Of Events, Which The Main Character, Chrono, Has To Deal With Through Time. I Rate Difference/Original 1.

 

DIFFICULTY: This Game Is A Bit Hard, But Not Impossible. Enemies Will Attack You Randomly. It Hard To Stay Alive In A Very Long Game. Well... Only If You Are A Greenhorn (Beginner). Other Than That, It's Not Really Hard. I Rate Difficulty 1.

 

TOTAL - 7.8

 

Well... There You Have It. The Nintendo Rater Rates Again! Thank You & Visit Soon.

Link's Awakening for the GBC & GB

Zelda: Link's Awakening Is The First Zelda Game For The Game Boy. It Is Made By Nintendo. Not Only Was Link's Awakening For The Game Boy, But Nintendo Remade It For The Game Boy Color As Well. This Game Came Before Zelda's Two Part Games Ages & Seasons, But It Also Came Before Ocarina Of Time For The N64.

 

FUN: Let's Face It... The Fun Never Ends In This Game. Link's Awakening Was The First Portable Zelda Game Ever Made. It Has Eight Dungeons Each With There Own Keys. Some May Not, But You Have To Go Through A Series Of Events To Get To It. It's Also Fun To Explore The Whole Island. I Rate Fun 2.

 

REPLAY: Like A Lot Of Zelda Games, There's Little Replay Value In It. You Could Play The Game Again Just To Try & See If You Miss Anything Or Didn't Get Something, But Other Than That, Zilch. I Rate Replay 0.5.

 

STORY: It All Started When Link Was Traveling On A Sail Boat, Looking For Unknown Lands, When It Started To Storm. This Storm Had Lightning & As The Storm Got Stronger, A Lightning Bolt Struck Our Tunic Wearing Hero's Boat. Link Washes Up Onto A Beach, Where A Beautiful Woman Named Marin Finds Him Unconscious. Throughout The Whole Game, Link Does Not Know Where He Is As He Tries To Find A Way Off. Another Thing Link Doesn't Know Is The Fact That The Might Be Just A Dream. I Rate Story 2.

 

DIFFERENCE/ORIGINAL: First Of All, Link's Awakening Started The Whole Game Boy Zelda Series. Along With Started The Portable Zelda Games, This Game Brought Forth The Ocarina & The Red And Blue Tunics. It Also Started The Eight Dungeons For Most Of The Game Boy Zelda Games. The Game Introduced The Shovel As A Tool. The Young Woman, Marin, Only Appears In This Game. Another Key Interest Is The Fact That The Island May Actually Be Just Link's Dream. This Game Is Also The First Or Only Game That Got Remade Into Color. One Last Thing, I Believe Link's Awakening Started The Whole Trading Side Quest. I Rate Difference/Original 2.

 

DIFFICULTY: This Game Have Both Hard & Easy Parts To Them. First Of All, You Can See Everything On The Screen. Link's Awakening Is Similar To The First Zelda Game Ever Made For The Nintendo System (NES). The Only Time The Screen Moves Is If Link Moves Off Screen To A New Panel. Also The Controls Are Simple. Press A Or B To Use Highlighted Item & Use The D-Pad To Control Movement. Along With Easy Visibility & Easy Handling, The Hard Parts To The Game Is The Solving Of The Puzzles & The Bosses. Okay... So The Boss Fights Aren't That Hard, But they Aren't Easy Either. The Puzzles However Are Somewhat Difficult & Involves You Needing To Use You Brain. I Rate Difficulty 2.

 

TOTAL - 8.5

 

Wow! Great Score For Link's Awakening. To Tell You The Truth, This Is The First Zelda Game I Ever Beaten. This Is The Nintendo Rater Signing Off. Thank You & Visit Again!

Luigi's Mansion for the GC

Luigi's Mansion Is A Gamecube Game Straight From Nintendo. Luigi Mario Is The Green Younger Brother Of Mario Mario, The Mighty Red Plumber. This Time, It's Luigi's Turn To Raise His Stardom.

 

FUN: To Begin, It's Fun To Play As The Green Guy. As You Play, Luigi Gets Frighten, Starts Humming, & Sucks Nasty Little Ghosts With A Darn Vacuum Cleaner. Yeh, It's Pretty Sweet. When You Get Further Into The Game, Your Vacuum Gains Super Powers After You Find The Matching Medals. People With The Faint Heart, Don't Play This Game. Ghosts Randomly Appear In The Rooms. I Rate Fun 1.5.

 

REPLAY: After You Beat The Game, A New Mansion, Called Hidden Mansion, Appears As One Of The Choices. The Hidden Mansion Is Built Differently & It's A Bit Harder. I Rate Replay 0.5.

 

STORY: It All Started When Luigi Got A Letter Telling Him That He Won A Mansion. Luigi Tells Mario To Meet Him There To Check Out The New Mansion. However, When Luigi Arrived A Little Bit Late, He Could Not Find Any Trace Of His Older Brother. As It Became A Dark & Stormy Night, Luigi Slowly Walks Up The Steps Of The Mansion & Enters, In Search Of His Lost Bro. I Rate Story 1.

 

DIFFERENCE/ORIGINAL: Let Me Spell It Out To You... L-u-i-g-i Is The S-t-a-r! There Are Not Many Game With The Green Guy As Number One. I Mean... There's Two Versions Of Mario Is Missing, One For Nintendo (NES) & Another For Super Nintendo (SNES), But That's For Another Time. Another Difference Is That Your Tool Is A Hot Red Vacuum Cleaner. Along With Sucking Power, The Vacuum Can Blow Fire, Ice, & Water From The Hose. I Rate Difference/Original 2.

 

DIFFICULTY: Luigi's Mansion Is Somewhat Easy As Well As Simple. All You Have To Do Is Point & Suck. While Sucking Just Move The Control Stick In The Direction Of Where The Ghost Is Going. Another Tip, Don't Get Hit. The More You Suck, The More Your Health Doesn't Go Down & You Stay Alive. I Rate Differculty 1.5.

 

TOTAL - 6.5

 

Here You Go People! Luigi's Mansion From The Nintendo Rater. Thank You & Visit Soon!

The Latest Project From The Nintendo Rater

Hello. I'm Benjamin P. Parker (aka The Nintendo Rater). You people may have already read my other two blogs; The Nintendo Rater and A Novelist's World. Well, now I have a third blog! It's called "It's By The Book." The book that I'm talking about is the 1,001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die. I will rate not only Nintendo games, but PC, Sony Playstation or PSP, Microsoft XBOX, and more. I will rate them by the same way I rate on the Nintendo Rater blog. Just in case you forgot or don't know, here they are:

+FUN
+REPLAY
+STORY
+DIFFERENCE/ORIGINAL
+DIFFICULTY

So far I have already rated four games from the 1,001 book. You will find them on my Nintendo Rater blog at www.bennintendorater.blogspot.com. Those games are:

+The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time for the N64
+Chrono Trigger for the SNES
+Link's Awakening for the GB and GBC
+Luigi's Mansion for the GC

I will try to post these old posts on this blog, but until then... please check them out on that blog site. Thanks and keep checking in for new posts.