Control: 10/15

Graphics 10/15

Fun Factor 10/20

This game felt, as a whole, incomplete.  I’ve played several city building games, and this one just seems to be missing something.  It does a lot of things well, but nothing great.  It seemed like I was doing a lot of waiting and when something would happen there was no real payoff.  The highlight of the game was when a competitors island had a volcano blow up on it.

I would recommend this game if you just have to have another colonization game.  The mouse control didn’t seem very intuitive, but keyboard and mouse are the way to play this one.  This game goes on sale on Steam a few times a year for $10-$15, I would definitely wait for a sale.

Control: 10/15

Graphics 10/15

Fun Factor 15/20

So here is a game I played on a console many years ago and did not enjoy at all.  Since then they updated the game with the Scholarship Edition and made several patches on the PC.  Fast forward to the other day, my friend is playing it and having fun and talks me into getting it too.  I concur that it is now a lot of fun.  Basically it is the PS2 era GTA only instead of being in a gang you are a student.  Nothing fancy, nothing special, just a ton of fun.

I recommend this game if you have an Xbox game pad for your pc and a few hours to kill.  Hold off for a sale price, if you can get it for $10 or less you’ll get your moneys worth out of it.

Plane Landing Sim (PC)

Control: 15/15

Graphics 14/15

Fun Factor 5/20

While I am writing these Steam is having sales.  Steam is always having sales.  So this game I bought yesterday since it was under $2 and was getting good review.  Here is the problem, the game is a port of an mobile game.  Therefore it feels woefully incomplete.  I didn’t feel like there was any point to landing all these planes.  The gameplay itself and the graphics are awesome.  This has potential to be something great.  However it needs a reason to keep playing.

I reccomend this game if you are buying it on a mobile device with a touch screen.  If you are buying it on the PC, don’t pay more $2 for it, since I don’t think it carries anymore value than that.

Control: 15/15

Graphics 7/15

Fun Factor 3/20

I’m not really sure how to describe this game.  What you see is what you get.  Basically this is like Farmville, but instead of planting crops you are feeding fish.  You have to check in on this game every couple hours, feed your fish and that is about it. I loaded it, played for a few minutes to complete the tutorial, then closed it.  I checked on it this morning and had to feed my fish and tend to a sick one.

I recommend this game if you like Farmville but wish it had more fish.  This is part of the Last Day of Work bundle, I wouldn’t buy the bundle unless it gets below $10, I would not buy the game by itself unless it is $2 or less.

Control: 8/15

Graphics 7/15

Fun Factor 2/20

Remember the scene in Field of Dreams where he is plowing under his corn so he can make a baseball field?  Did you ever want to recreate that while playing video games?  Well you can’t.  Not unless you are willing to spend hours collecting John Deere Bucks while doing mundane farming tasks.  This game was made by the same company that made the two trucking games, however the control is so sloppy and loose on this one.  I was fighting to keep my tractor in a straight line.

I recommend this game if you are a huge John Deere fan and need a way to pass the winter waiting to get out and drive your tractor again.  The game is part of a package of simulation games.  As previously recommended, don’t spend more then $10 on the package.

Control: 12/15

Graphics 11/15

Fun Factor 17/20

I had never actually played this even though I have owned it for a while.  It was nothing like what I expected it to be, but it was a ton of fun.  Originally after the first tutorial map I was starting to think I would hate the game too.  However it is a light hearted fun game, the kind you would find on Xbox Live Arcade.  I plan on going back later to play this one later on multiplayer.

I recommend this game to anyone looking for a fun time.  Steam seems to have it on sale a lot.  I think I bought it for $5, I have seen it as cheap as $2.  The game would give value in my books up to about $20 so it is well worth it at full price of $10.

Control: 15/15

Graphics 7/15

Fun Factor 0/20

Yes, a second trucking game.  This should be a lesson to you all.  Just because a package has a bunch of games and is on an uber sale doesn’t mean you are buying fun.  This game is just like the Extreme Trucker game, but you are going across country.  It doesn’t even feature Omaha.  So instead I went from Des Moines to Minneapolis.  I got a ticket for running a red light.  I weighed in at the weigh station.  I almost fell asleep.

I recommend this game if you are seven and really want to be a truck driver when you grow up.  The game and package regularly go on sale on Steam, don’t pay more then $5 for the game or $10 for the package.

Control 14/15

Graphics 6/15

Fun 0/20

Remember back in 1999 there was that fun little Elf Bowling game?  You bowled, the elves mocked you, you killed a reindeer.  Everyone had fun?  Did you ever wonder why nobody ever made a sequal full of power ups and remove all the fun?  Well they did.  It was no fun.  Seriously, no fun.

I would recommend this game if you want to lower your expectations out of gaming before playing another game.  This game runs at $10, I have never seen it on sale except during the holidays.  It is part of the MumboJumbo Complete Pack which is worth the money.  Just don’t play this game if you buy that pack.

Control 12/15

Graphics 5/15

Fun 12/20

So this is a game I’ve played a few times.  The basics of the game is that you are in the future.  You have a parachute.  You jump off buildings.  Buildings that came… from space.  At least I think that is what they were saying.  The game is a little crazy.  By a little I mean a lot.  Anyways, you get points for getting as close to buildings as you can, you lose points for dying.  Fairly simple, right?

I would recommend this game if you are easily entertained by flashing lights.  It plays with the keyboard and mouse, but the controls feel slugish and take some tweaking to get to where you can do better jumps.  Steam puts it on sale reguarly for $5, however even at the full price of $10 you will get your moneys worth out of it.

Control: 15/15

Graphics 7/15

Fun Factor 0/20

This game should get higher marks because of the realism, but really it is realism that kills it.  The point of this game is that you are on the History Channel driving a big truck.  I was on an ice road delivering fuel.  Sure I was as cool as Jack Jesse, but I felt like I was at work.  I kept checking the map to see if I was there yet.  A game shouldn’t feel like work.

I would recommend this game if you can grab it on the cheap.  It played really well with the 360 controller.  This game routinely goes on sale on Steam for $5-$10 as part of a bundle.  Do NOT pay full price for it.

Oh Goat it is on like Donkey Kong!

I am going on a quest to play as many games as I can and post a review of every one of them here and I’ll give a reason as well as a recommendation.

If you want to play along, you can get most these games on Steam.

However, as everyone else, I HATE LANCING.  Lancing is the single worst thing in my life, period.  I have tried probably 20 different lancing devices.  I have settled on using the OneTouch lancing device that came with my meter.  It was vastly superior to anything BD puts out and way easier to use then the Accuchek Multiclix.  That thing is like six inches long and a nightmare.  Anyways, I never minded changing lancets, it is really easy with the little caps that OneTouch uses.

So I decide I’m going to try the OneTouch Delica.  It is tiny, has a really unique design and boasts a 33g lancing needle and reduced vibration.  Others on the internet have said it cannot be felt at all.  I’m thinking it sounds perfect, a reduced pain device from a brand I trust, right?  Right?

I believe there is one phrase to describe how wrong this thought was.  ALL ABOARD THE FAILBOAT!

See, what the box didn’t tell me was that Delica wasn’t a name to say how delicate the pokes were, it was to say how delicate the device itself is.  This is how it came out of the box:

Now, that little black thing on the bottom?  That is the lever you use to eject the lancet so you can put a new one in.  Now that is supposed to be part of the lancing device, it isn’t a detachable accessory.  It isn’t designed to come off. So now I don’t know about you, but when I get something to poke my skin with sharp objects, I want it to be sturdy and rugged.  I don’t want it to be so fragile it broke in the box.

I give this product a big whopping zero out of 100 possible points.  I never got to try it, and now am too worried about shoddy craftsmanship to get a replacement to try.  I’m not sure I trust OneTouch anymore.   I definitely do not recommend their products anymore, no matter how much I like my meter.  I am actually thinking about calling my insurance company to switch to an AccuChek meter.

So here’s the scene: The Mind and I are rollin on Cumming (heh) Street, leaving downtown and heading out west. We see this car driving like a man possessed. I mean, remember how when you were a kid you thought that driving required constantly turning the wheel left and right? Then when you got older you realized doing that would let you go three wide all by yourself? Ok, Maybe only Kyle Busch learned that lesson. Anyways, for those who watch racing, you know the move I mean.

So this car is blocking all three lanes and going for the victory! I assume he is just an idiot. It would stand to reason. The car had an in-transit, so I had to assume driving like that he was coming from Iowa. The Mind (pronounce it like wind by the way. She is really smart, but I’m not talking about her brain) informs me I am the idiot and he is drunk. Of course, we all know, it took a few minutes for me to agree.

So a few red lights later we are up near 40th and we have caught back up. I now agree that he is drunk. Then just as I was about to pull my phone out of my pocket and report him, then maybe get some video, he starts getting REALLY stupid. All we can do is watch as he veers left, misses the 88, veers right, misses the 20 and then manages to smack the wall light post.

The car comes sliding out into traffic, and comes to rest in the middle lane about 100 feet from the light post, looking worse for the wear.  Now I’m pretty sure if it was the 48 or the 18 team this car would be back on the track without missing a lap, but since this was my last racing reference this post, you know it is a goner.  So we pull over and get out.  He looks hurt.

I call 911.

It rings.

It rings again.

It starts to sound like when you call your mom at 9pm and it just keeps ringing.

60 seconds pass.

“What’s your emergency?”  “Oh, you need the emergency people, let me transfer you.”

Let me transfer you?  I called 911!  Isn’t that >THE< emergency people?  Oh, right, I should have called 912.  So literally, it took about two minutes to get 911 to take to my call.  Then they roll the cavalry.  Luckily for this guy, one of the other people is a nurse, I presume at Creighton Med Center by the bright purple gloves.  The paramedics come, the firemen come, the police come, the Heartland Towing guys come, the Spanish Inquisition come.

What?  You didn’t expect the Spanish Inquisition?

Anyways, in closing, as with the last few times I have had to call (when you live downtown you end up calling at least once a year) the service given by 911 was abysmal.  I can’t believe my tax dollars pay for this joke.  I half expect to get an IVR next time I call.  “To continue this call in English, press one.  A continuar la presente convocatoria en la prensa española dos.  De poursuivre cet appel dans la presse française trois. Zur Fortsetzung dieser Aufforderung in der deutschen Presse drei. Hey ya’ll for good ole southern I’m fixing to have you press the one in the middle.”

Then of course, when they finally answer it will be “Thank you for calling 911 and/or Dell Technical Support.  This is Anoop, how may I be of help?”