This past Christmas, in 2010, my brother and I recanted tales of this long lost game. At first, we struggled to even remember what the game was called. After doing some online research, we are now certain the game we once enjoyed was indeed Voodoo Castle. I don’t exactly know the time-frame in which we originally played it, but it was popular in our household at some point around 1983-1984. This game is probably where I mastered my typing skills as a young lad.

Voodoo Castle was released on a plastic cartridge that you plugged into the back of the computer (image below). As such, there was no way to save the game! Once we turned off the computer, all progress was lost. If you’re too young to have used a computer in those days, I’m sure you can’t even imagine what that was like. Well, that was the reality for games that were released 30 years ago. We simply didn’t know any better!

I have no recollection of how the game ends. I do vividly remember repeatedly reaching a point in the game where it told us, “You are lost in a maze of passages.” At that point, you are virtually screwed and no exit can be found.

I’m excited to announce that the complete game is now available on the Internet for free. You can play it in its entirety in your browser via a Java applet. I have played it, and it really took me back. Try it yourself!

The iPhone version of Plants vs. Zombies is absolutely fantastic. It is likely the best iPhone game I have ever played. The desktop version is perfectly recreated on the iPhone. The touch interface fits the game like a glove. I played for hours last night. If you have an iPhone or an iPod Touch, this game is a must-have.

A favorite game of mine is Spore. I don’t think Spore got the best reception from PC gamers, but I personally enjoy playing it. EA Games generously provides both a PC and Mac version of the game on the Spore install DVD. Unfortunately, the system requirements for the game strictly forbid Mac Minis using the GMA 950 graphics chip. I did a lot of online research and found people who said they were able to rig it to work, and others who disputed that.

Frustrated at all of the conflicting information, I decided to try it myself. After a lengthy install, the game updated with patches from EA, but when the actual game launched, it failed time and time again. Therefore, I’m here to say once and for all, you cannot play Spore on a Mac Mini that uses Intel GMA 950 graphics. Period!

With that being said, you can run Spore on the very same Mac Mini if you boot Windows via Boot Camp. Within Snow Leopard, I activated Boot Camp and installed Windows XP SP3. From the Windows side, Spore is indeed playable with the same hardware. Go figure.

So now I am enjoying the fun of Spore, only I’m doing so running Windows on my Mac machine. Doing so, Spore runs just fine using the lowest graphic quality settings within the game, at 800×600 full-screen resolution. I hope this clears up all of the Spore/Mac Mini uncertainty that is all over the web.

Boost must be earned through aircraft upgrades. It isn’t available immediately. To enable boost, enter the Customize Aircraft menu, then add boost to the inventory. If you win unlimited boost, it will be labeled Boost 4. Once boost is enabled, during gameplay there will be a thin vertical green bar next to the throttle indicator at the bottom left. To boost, simply double-tap the square controller button (same button used for accelerate). Bam. It’s that easy. I hope this helps.

I was worried that it wouldn’t play on my computer. My Mac Mini has an integrated Intel graphics processor, and the Mac version of Spore doesn’t allow that configuration. The fastest Windows PC that I own is a Dell laptop with a Pentium M processor at 1.7 Ghz, 1 GB RAM, and ATI Mobile X300 graphics card. Despite being below the system requirements laid out by EA, the laptop seems to play the game with ease. All of the settings for audio and graphics are set to a minimum by default. Despite being set low, I’m still very impressed with the graphics.

So far, I’ve worked my way from the ground up by passing the Cell stage, the Creature stage, the Tribal stage, and now I’ve reached the Civilization stage. The game gets more impressive and complex as you evolve into higher stages. Watch the videos of Spore on YouTube that showcase the Tribal, Civilization, and Space stages of the game. After watching those clips, I was wowed at the possibilities that lie ahead.

I’m having a ball playing Spore. Two big thumbs up!

In the big picture of life, this game is meaningless, and really serves no purpose whatsoever. But it is quite fun to check in on, and can become quite addicting. If you use Facebook, try adding this app. Mouse Hunt was rated 4.9 out of 5 stars after over 1000 votes on Facebook. That makes a pretty good case for giving it a try.

I have to say that overall this game is very mediocre. It only has 30 songs, and you cannot buy bonus tracks in career mode, as you are probably used to in the normal Guitar Hero series. There are indeed a few gems in these 30 tracks, but overall, they should have made a way better setlist with which to showcase the 80s. Those gems in the list for me are: Turning Japanese, Radar Love, We Got The Beat, Hold On Loosely, and What I Like About You. While still fun to play, the rest of the song list doesn’t have nearly as much appeal. There don’t appear to be as many stage characters to choose from, either.

It turns out that this game was released in July 2007, so it doesn’t have some of the snazzy new features that are in GH3, such as a splash indicator of how many perfect notes you have scored in a row. This Encore 80s game feels more like it was pieced together with leftovers from GH2. The menus and look and feel of the game are somewhat simplistic. Perhaps I am being overcritical here. I rented Guitar Hero 3 a couple of weeks ago and I think it is blurring my expectations a bit, since GH3 is way better than this one.

All that said, it is still a fun game to play since I love jamming on Guitar Hero. This game is just a little more stripped down. I can understand them wanting to release an 80s-only game, but I wish they’d picked much better 80s songs to put on it.

Pogo, on the other hand, mostly has Java-coded web games, which work on my PC platform. A few of the games do require IE and Active X (like Bejeweled), but I have found there to be decent alternatives to these that use Java (i.e. Sweet Tooth). Pogo is a product of EA Games, who I have much more admiration for than Microsoft. I love the reward of earning tokens. You can use them to buy in to nightly, weekly, or monthly drawings…for real money! Overall, the site itself it is a pleasure to navigate and use. Adding friends is also easy, allowing you to join your buddies in a game.

I now use Pogo exclusively for web gaming. I think it is the best of its kind. Laura is now a Club Pogo member. She is enjoying ad-free gaming, with access to 30+ games that I cannot access on my free account. Sweet. It is easy to lose a couple of hours on the site without even realizing it.

Now that I own it, the game is simply terrific! I didn’t know how much I’d be into it when I first heard about this game, but all that changed once I had the instrument in my hands. I have never owned a wireless controller of any kind for a game system. I recommend the wireless guitar for sure. It is an incredible amount of fun. It looks like a toy, but don’t be fooled. Each song is stunningly complex, even at the Medium level. The fingerings and chords truly do mimic natural guitar handiwork. And the game gives you an incredible feeling of power when you rip your first few chords. The song list is quite good. I had never heard of most of the songs in this game, since they tend to be of the hard rock and metal variety, but the guitar work in each song is quite catchy, and I grew to like each of them after only one or two attempts. Overall, the game is truly awesome. Highly recommended! I can’t wait to get Guitar Hero 2 someday!

The new game has 40 tracks. Many of the new songs included are outstanding. The game supports all of the features of the last two in the series, such as the Eye Toy device, duet modes, and multi-player games. The American Idol twist is new. I think it was wise for them to pair up with the hit TV show, especially since season six of the show starts in mere weeks. The Idol mode of gameplay takes you through the whole audition process, from start to finale. Each performance in this mode is verbally critiqued by Simon and Randy. Paula Abdul is noticeable absent from the judges panel, being replaced by some look-alike named Laura. The judges comments are pretty funny, but seem a little long-winded and become repetitive after a while. One thing worth noting is that if you pick one of the more absurd full body costumes for your character, the judges will comment on your bad style.

If you like singing, if you own another KR title, or if you like American Idol, this game is well worth picking up. It costs $40 without an included microphone, which is a good price for a just-released Playstation 2 game. Me and Laura have already had a ball trying out the new songs and unlocking new goodies. Here is a complete song list for all KR game titles. Scroll to the bottom of that page for the 40 tracks included with this new Idol game.

Worth noting is that if you happen to have any of the SingStar karaoke games from Sony, the microphones used for that game are not compatible with any Karaoke Revolution title. I have never played any of those games, but I thought it was worth mentioning. If have no interest in those games because they aren’t easily available in the U.S. and the song lists aren’t as inspiring. Not to mention the microphone incompatibility. I recommend this new Idol game (and the KR Party) over any of those SingStar titles.

Now, 2007 is knocking on our door and the very long awaited Playstation 3 is finally here. I stress finally! Years overdue, a massive production shortage, technical blunders, and with a price that equals an arm and a leg, I wonder what we’ll be saying about this machine in years to come. I even wonder if we’ll still be talking about it years from now. From what I have read, the small number of release titles have not been that well received. To top it off, some 200 PS1 and PS2 titles do not play properly on the new machine. That issue is being resolved via a firmware update that Sony is to release online. Combined, these issues just might make this product a failure.

At $600, I cannot afford a PS3. I don’t really want one, either. The games on the PS2 look and play good enough for my taste. I am not going to spend $60 a pop on brand new PS3 releases. For me to be interested, the price would have to be cut in half for the system and the games, and a lot more of the population would have to adopt it first.

If the PS3 had to compete solely against the XBOX 360, I think it would fair well in the long run, as long as prices come down, issues are resolved, and enough games are made. But since Sony faced so many delays to get the system on the market, they now have to contend with the Nintendo Wii, which looks to be kicking their butts. I just want a console game system that plays games well and connects to the Internet for online games. That is it. I don’t want it to serve as a computer, entertainment center, or DVR. I only want to play games. At this minute, if I could snap my fingers and have a new system to play, I would honestly like to play a Wii. After that, I’d like to play a 360. The PS3 is at the end of my list. A year ago, I never would have expected that.

What will come of the Playstation 3, time will tell.

Hydro Thunder is an intense speed boat racing game. I have spent many nights in the past, duking it out on 2-player mode. The game is just so much fun. The graphics, sounds, boats, tracks, etc. are all outstanding and top notch. The game has a very fun and loose feel to it. It is the kind of game that you can play over and over, and yet still find a new shortcut or speed booster in new places you didn’t even know were there. I simply never got tired of playing this game. It is among the most fun 2-player games ever made. I don’t have a Dreamcast, but I wish I had a way to play this game, even if just one more time.

Years after the original game, Midway tried to come out with a sequel, this time involving snowmobiles, called Arctic Thunder. When I heard it was being released for the PS2, I was excited. The final reality was that the game was absolutely terrible. It looked so unpolished and played so sloppy that it behaved like a beta release or something. The premise of the game was okay, but the actual game-play is nearly the worst I have ever played. All of the magic in the original Hyrdo was gone in this game. It is complete crap.

My plea to Midway: Please revive Hydro Thunder again and release it for the PS2 and/or Xbox. Don’t stray far from the original. Keep the same hilarious boats, such as “Chumdinger”. Perhaps juice it up by adding Internet play and even more arenas and shortcuts. The game is just too great to let this opportunity pass. We’ll buy it if you do.

Other titles from EA Games have already had their servers taken down as of early August. Most of them are outdated sports titles with the year after them (like Madden 2004, etc). But I am very disappointed to find out GoldenEye is going bye-bye. The weaponry, respawning speed, and hilarious kills will surely be missed. No other game that I own quite compares.

Again, they say official online gaming ends 10/1/06, but I am finding that I cannot join or host a game, even now. So much for a good thing. Shame on you, Electronic Arts!

Pokerstars is the only website that I have played poker on the Internet. Back in late 2004, I started out with play money, then months later added some actual real money to gamble on. All throughout, it has been up and down. I keep track of my games and tournaments through an Excel spreadsheet that I made for myself on the computer. That has been a project in itself. In the file, I note money won and lost, position, overall gains, etc. It is a fantastic way to measure my progress.

I certainly have not earned any money by playing this. If anything, I have lost money. But it comes and goes so slowly, I hardly notice. That said, I do enjoy playing on Pokerstars. I have to give it marks for being a lot of fun, their adding of new features, and their customer service.

My only problem is that I feel that there is at least a 50/50 chance that the whole game is rigged. This is primarily true for the regular tables, and less so for the tournaments. Simply too many hands have straights, flushes, and sometimes four-of-a-kind. These big hands happen one after the other, on some nights. How often does this happen is real life, I wonder? Sure, you can say that the computer can deal out five times as many hands per hour as a real life game, but that doesn’t explain why deal after deal is an amazing hand. See, the better everyone hand is, the more money the Pokerstars business gets from the “rake” of the winnings. They have an interest in hurrying the game up, or encouraging people to bet more. I can’t swear to any conspiracy, but if you like poker, check out Pokerstars.com. Below, you’ll see my player icon:

Here’s why. I love first-person shooters, mainly. And I really enjoyed the old GoldenEye game that was made for the Nintendo 64, long ago. So I had high hopes for how fun this would be. This game for the PS2 is online, which is the main reason that I bought it. My only complaint in this area is that trying to wade through the options of hosting your own game are too complicated and choosing and managing the map rotation is not implemented in an easy way.

Other than some technical things like the above, the game is a lot of fun to play. It is very addictive. The things that happen while everybody is gunning each other down is often hilarious. Some of the weapons will make your enemy fly through the air when they get hit, which makes me laugh every time. It has a great set of weapons and objects to collect in the arenas. In fact, a great thing about the game is that you can use the arenas themselves to kill other players, though traps and stuff. That is something I have grown to love that I haven’t seen anywhere else.

I have played this game a lot since I got it, which was probably a year ago. I don’t get tired of it. I am not sure why some other people disagree. Actually, I play this game more than any other of mine at the moment. My review here is primarily based on how much I play the online mode. I have not played the single player walkthrough mode nearly as much. I reached a certain point, and the game got repetitive and impossible.

I wish more people would be online to play with. I think the reason that finding a host is spotty is due to the silly, complicated way they made it work for someone trying to create a host. Some of the default settings, like ending the match after only 10 kills, are stupid. And it defaults to using the same map over and over. I think this is why there isn’t a good deal of choice when searching for a game to join.

In the end, if you like this kind of game, I’d recommend playing it. I dare say that I like playing it more than Medal of Honor when it comes to comparing just the online modes. And that is saying a lot.

You should know I have played every version of Flight Simulator since version 95. Long, long ago, I even had an even older version that came on 1/4″ floppies. Ancient! I can’t imagine what it would look like today if it were presented side-by-side with its modern equivalent. Today’s 2004 version comes on 4 CDs and uses 3 GB of hard drive space if you choose the complete installation. Wow! A far cry from the old days of computing. To my dismay, you must keep the fourth disc in the computer in order to launch the game. I am sure this is to deter copying, but it is also a bit of an annoyance.

The new game has a lot to like. The graphics engine in the 2004 version uses the new DirectX 9.0. Scenery and landscapes look crisp and detailed. Improved Air Traffic Control makes the simulation very realistic with other airplanes in the sky around you. Communication with the ATC and airport tower are essential for safe flying. The game boasts having 24,000 airports around the world coded into the game. There are add-ons that one can purchase to add aircraft, graphics detail, and scenery to the game. I do not have any of these. The aircraft that come with the game give you a wide range of planes to enjoy. You can fly something as basic as the original Wright Brother’s airplane, a number of single-engine planes, up to a 747-400, and even a helicopter. I cannot seem to find a Concorde to fly, though I remember seeing one on the box cover for the old 2000 version of FS. Perhaps that plane is available in the Deluxe or Pro versions of the game. I don’t know. It doesn’t appear in my list and for that I am a little disappointed.

The game’s performance has been good, even though my computer is an aging Pentium-III. Lots of RAM and a great video card will help the performance. I have had good success while using modest settings in the game display. Of course, the better your computer, the more you can crank up the settings and detail. I’d imagine this game would look breathtaking if it was maxed out to take full advantage of it. I do not know why, but this game has crashed on me twice while I was flying. That upset me, but I am not ready to suggest that it is the game’s fault.

If you like airplanes and simulation games, then pick this one up. It is much more fun with a joystick. Using the keyboard is not smooth at all. The game has an online mode where you can fly in the skies with other real Internet users that are playing the game as well. I have not tried this feature, so I cannot comment on it. It sounds intriguing, though. My number one gripe about this game, as was true in the 2002 version, the airplanes do not crash properly when you hit the ground. The simulation simply stops and it says “CRASH”, without any fire or explosion of any kind. I think that sucks and takes half of the realism away. Also, make sure you don’t have the crash tolerance set too high the game, or your plane will bounce off of objects in a very cartoon-ish way, and keep on flying, which I don’t have to tell you, is ridiculous.

If you have version 9.0 (2004) of Flight Simulator, be sure to go online and download the 9.1 update.

Now, after having played Karaoke Revolution Party for a few weeks now, I can say we probably unlocked just about all that there is available. It is a truly revolutionary game that actually does grade your vocal pitch when you are singing into the USB microphone. The game has 50 songs, a duet 2-player mode, sing and dance mode, and it even supports the Eye Toy. I do not have an Eye Toy, (nor do I want one), so I can’t comment on that feature. The game does require either a USB microphone or headset. I have both, but I highly recommend that you try the microphone. It is so much fun to use and the cord is generously long. I love leaping around the house, jumping off of the furniture, and all the while trying to keep up the gig and score well.

All in all, the game is fantastic. It is extremely enjoyable and a blast to play. The game has an impressive spread of 50 tunes that span practically every music genre. I have now learned the words to songs that I have never known before. Everyone will find something to love in this game. It grades you based on vocal pitch and timing. Still, you can still be a bad singer and have fun with this game. I simply do not get tired of it.

In addition to its impressive spread of songs, characters, accessories, and performance arenas, Karaoke Revolution Party servers up a two-player duet mode and singing battles. In these modes, two microphones can be used at one time. There is even a sing and dance mode where you sing and literally dance on a PS2 dance mat to the tunes in the game! I find that mode to be particularly challenging.

The bottom line is that if you like music, and enjoy singing in the shower or in the car, you will love this game. It is highly addictive. Traditionally, I love shoot em’ up games, but I have not played any other game other than Karaoke Revolution since I got turned on to it many weeks ago. I give it the highest rating, if I had such a system.