It's summer, and I'm still playing games

Last I posted to this blog, I was regaling you with stories of my Nintendo glory project, Style Savvy. What the name might not adequately convey is that it's a very, very cool game, and I say this as someone who up until being recruited for the project late last year did not pay one whit of attention to the gaming industry. 

All that's changed now. I own a DSi and have been known to play it while waiting in line for the ferry. Yes, even on a nice day.

The thing about the DSi is, once you buy it, you realize you must acquire games. That's games, plural.

First there was Hotel Dusk, which my intrepid and entirely delightful Nintendo team leader Steven Grimm said I'd like because it's beautifully drawn and well written. It is both, and also reminiscent of a Choose Your Own Adventure novel. Then of course I had to get Super Mario DS, because it's a core Nintendo title. It's terrific but might be an even better game to play on the Wii. 

After these, I had to buy Carnival Games for the DS, a purchase I rationalized as critical to my research. I'd just been hired to write player manuals for Cat Daddy Games, and Carnival was one of their big titles. Carnival is chock full of clever mini-games, including, to my delight, Ski-ball (though it's not called that in the video game). I was a big Ski-ball player back in the 80s, about the last time I played video games with regularity (Asteroids, Missile Command, Centipede, ah...). 

What I like about Carnival games is what also attracted me to Cat Daddy: They've been designing for casual gamers for 17 years, so they get that we might need more help with the directions and that we're not coming to the game motivated by a need to shoot people. The games are clever and infused with a Midwestern type of humor that is by turns irreverent and cornball.

Before leaving Nintendo, I had to take last-minute advantage of my contractor discount at the employee store, so I bought The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass and Animal Crossing Wild World. These are two games that the aforementioned Steven Grimm referenced over and over again while we worked on Style Savvy, so I had to check them out. 

I'm really glad I bought both. I got my first taste of game addiction on Zelda, as I convinced myself that once I got the Leaf spirit, I should be able to finish the game easily. However, I was soon driven to seek walkthrough help and am still humbled. Animal Crossing: What an adorable game. Both it and Zelda must represent the best ideas, art, and writing in the game industry today (but then, I'm not a core gamer, so what do I know?).

Taking advantage of Nintendo DSiWare (freebie downloads), I bought Sudoku Student and Aquia. I'd probably appreciate Sudoku if I were into that kind of thing, but I'm just not, and as much as I liked the look and sound effects/music on Aquia, I couldn't figure out how to play it. As simple a design as it seems, others have found it challenging.

For the past six weeks or so, I've been playing Cat Daddy's games for the DS and Wii, both of which will be released this fall. They're circus-themed games sponsored by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. This is for the work, of course, which has been steady. First I wrote player manuals for both games, and then I got pulled into drafting a voice-over script and in-game text, and finally, box package copy. It's been great working with such a talented group of people.

My seven months at Nintendo had strongly prepared me for this gig, as there I'd written thousands of in-game dialogue records, including some challenging characterization and naming work as part of the localization process. I'm lucky to have been recruited out of the blue to write for the legendary Treehouse, and they appreciated having me on the team.

Comments

[Norm Gregory]

I was wondering where you were and what you were doing. Games and Facebook? Hmm. Different planets for me.

[Lisa Albers]

Thanks, Norm. I'm flattered that you wondered about me. It's nice to be in touch with you again on Twitter.

[r4 ds]

Hi all...
I am playing games on pc and i like to know more about gaming...
I like this article because it's provide lot's of fun and knowledge...

[Lisa Albers]

r4 ds,

Glad I could help you.

Lisa