Sorry we haven’t updated recently, we’re painting a few rooms in Brad’s house so we haven’t had much time to just sit at our computers. Coming soon though will either be a post from Brad himself or me revealing my guilty pleasure game from my childhood days . . . we shall see . . .
Slán go fóill
Comments Hey GuysFor those of you who did not watch the live Flash Gaming Summit feed, Brad WON Best Indie Game of 2008!! I’m sure he’ll post something when he gets back on Friday or Saturday. He’ll be at GDC until then. Here is something to tide you over though, I wrote this a while ago but had to wait to post it because of all of Brad’s news.
So here you go:
So let’s face it, the only reason any of us play video games is because we are all sick in the head. We look for blood. We try to find a way to let out the TRUE killer within us.
Whether this is by playing zombie gamers where are victims are already dead or its a war game where we have true live prey . . . we all know the true monster within us all . . .
Continue The Bloodthirsty Gamer . . .
Comments The Bloodthirsty Gamer . . .So here’s an interesting last minute change of plans. Apparently I’ll be at the Flash Gaming Summit in a few days, as well as most of GDC.
Look Ma! I’m on teh interwebz!
Anyways, from what I hear, everything will be streamed live, once I get some details on that, I’ll update this post.
Anyone who’s going to be at GDC who wants to get in touch with me, shoot me an email. Sorry if I told you that I wasn’t going earlier, this is all super last minute…
Update: Ah, here’s the stream’s channel. Got a spiffy little chat there and everything.
And of course, here’s the programs. The award show and the panel that I’m on are the ones to watch 😉 Wish me luck!
Comments Last minute…Do I always have to come up with an original title? That could get old quick . . .
So I know I haven’t been putting up much game review, but seeing as Brad recently purchased Resident Evil 5 I guarantee I will be posting my review of that soon. Possibly next week if he doesn’t get sick of it before I get a chance to play co-op.
While browsing through titles of different areas that I might be interested in posting I ran across this. Yes this is quite an old post, dated November 2, 2008. Still, I felt some part of me cringe at this whole article.
First off, I do not distinguish between “gamer girls” and “female gamers”, I think the whole idea is simply preposterous. You either game and you are female, or you don’t. If you play games occasionally such as Guitar Hero or Mario Kart you are a social gamer. There are guys that are strictly “social gamers”. These types simply play with groups of people, they aren’t likely to play Metroid or Devil May Cry. They would probably fall more in the Halo or Super Smash Brothers category, strictly. Is that bad? No, it’s not. It’s the difference between a guy that would prefer to play tennis one on one and a guy that would prefer to play doubles. It’s a PREFERENCE.
Comments An Original TitleSo, apparently my site’s been down for quite some time and I just now noticed because I don’t have internets at my house for the time being.
Also as a side note, I have a plugin for WordPress that’s half working, if anyone wants to get emailed every time there’s a new post on my site, just send an email to the address on the Contact Me page. If you want to keep it simple, just put ‘add me’ as the subject.
Anyways, figured I’d expand this post a bit, since Newgrounds is a huge part of my Flash games career, maybe even the only reason I ever got into Flash in the first place. So here’s a nice little story for anyone who really cares 😀
Click below to read it!
Continue Newgrounds 2nd Annual Tank Awards
Comments Newgrounds 2nd Annual Tank AwardsFull Mirror’s Edge 2D Network Beta released!
We’re still calling it beta because there’s still a few bugs to iron out with the saving and loading, but that’s the full game there. Playing the game while logged in should be far more stable, so that’s the recommended way to go (plus your game will be saved no matter the computer, so I heavily recommend it anyway).
Of course, if you encounter any bugs, be sure to let me know, there’s a leave feedback button on the page. I’ll be trying to patch everything up throughout the week…
Comments Finally…Okay so I’m late, but give me a break haha.
So in honor of the passing of February 14th I will post about something near and dear to my heart.
Video games and relationships!
Continue Ah Valentine’s Day . . . sort of
Comments Ah Valentine’s Day . . . sort ofMaybe?
I’ve been reading this, has anyone else seen this?
as opposed to this
Key word = Random
So I don’t know what everyone thinks about the whole booth babe thing . . . but honestly, it annoys the heck out of me. I know that many might think its because I’m a girl and I just can’t “handle” the competition.
Give me a Break . . .
Continue Return of the Booth Babes . . .
Comments Return of the Booth Babes . . .What else you guys?
Video games.
Yep, video games . . .
What?
No! Not SPORTS! What are you, crazy?
Hm?
No! Not the workplace! Seriously . . .
Yes, video games, I promise.
Ah video games, the only thing left untouched by complete and total political correctness . . . probably why it is so quickly condemned. Maybe that’s why girls aren’t into them? I have no idea.
Continue The TRUE Great Equalizer . . .
Comments The TRUE Great Equalizer . . .A stalker that is short, white, a bit wide, with a flat face . . .
Continue I have a stalker . . .
Comments I have a stalker . . .To think I was wondering what I might discuss in this blog post . . . apparently the blogging gods somewhere decided to throw me a bone. A bone in the form of Robert Brockway’s 5 Bizarre Ways Video Games Are Screwing Up Your Health. Here is my take on it . . .
143 diggs, “5 Bizarre Ways Video Games Are Screwing Up Your Health” Cracked.com
#5 Poor Self Esteem . . .
Apparently seeing the women in volleyball video games is supposed to give me a negative body image. Along the same line that watching anime movies will make me want to grow a tail and have animal ears. Ask Brad, the typical response I have to that stuff is to laugh. It’s just funny to me.
They aren’t just applying this to women though, they are applying it to men too. So how many of you desperately dreamed of achieving Ryu’s figure after playing Street Fighter? or longed to develop the amazing pointy ears that Link sports in Zelda?
I’d like to point out that after I showed Brad my statement on Link’s ears he responded with “only after hearing how hot you thought they were.”
Point proven.
I do not know anyone that has gotten a negative self image from video games. However, it can cause some people to have unrealistic expectations of the opposite gender. For instance, Link’s pointy ears 😉
I do have a question, if video games give a negative body image . . . does that mean that angelina jolie should be killed?
I mean shoot, walking down the STREET will affect your body image. SHOPPING will affect your body image . . . okay well maybe most of this stuff only applies to women. I’ve shopped with Brad, his routine consists of going through pants, finding his size, buying it. That’s about it. Not a whole lot of time to lament the fact that maybe an inch was added onto his waist.
When I’m looking to get a certain body type I do not look at women in video games . . . why? Because they could all kick my butt and I’d rather not scare people away. I think if I decided I wanted to look like Chun Li physically most people would be afraid to come within fifteen feet of me, have you SEEN her calves?
Moving on . . .
Comments Oh here we go . . .Okay so first off here is the ME 2D Beta
So, let’s be honest , most of the reason why some things are appealing is because they are so discouraged. This includes soft drinks, candy . . .
So what happens when all the sudden you hear that, hey! This stuff isn’t all that bad, does it lose its appeal? Hopefully not, because despite all the arguments coming from Jack Thompson (blech) there is still a lot of positive things that come out of video games. I’ve been hearing about them for a while so I was a bit surprised when I see gonintendo with an article from CNBC bringing up this well researched subject.
However! I was a bit disheartened when I discovered the entire article was about Madden. Okay, so I have nothing against Madden, none at all, but seriously . . . Madden?! I’m guessing this was mostly because EA (God bless them) were defending their franchise using this particular game. I guess I would have liked to see a bit more in depth information then just the fact that playing Madden heightens your knowledge of football. Understood . . . but is that really all they could come up with?
I know, I know, all the negative aspects of video games, it promotes violence (unproven) and kids spend too much time in front of the TV (which they’d probably do with or without video games).
So, why don’t I just give my personal take here. This is going to come from a combination of personal experience as well with discussions with my mother.
Continue Does this ruin it for you?
Comments Does this ruin it for you?To continue, if I may, on my own personal nostalgia, let’s talk about the videogames that Brad used to win my heart.
That’s right guys, videogames, who knew it could be the easiest way to convince a girl to drag herself out of bed when all she really wants to do is curl up on her bed in her dorm room and sleep.
So, as I’m sure all of you know, I was the weird girl who hung around the guy’s dorm, perched on the couch, watching the boys play their videogames. So, how did I end up getting incorporated into their gaming routine? Brad tempted me with my first love (no, not him, Battletoads!)
Oh yes boys, more beat’em up games. I remember being in the middle of homework, an essay, or simply reading a book, then hearing my phone ring or an IM pop up, and there was Brad.
“Wanna come down to the common room?”
“I’m in the middle of an essay.”
“I have Battletoads.”
“I’ll be right down!”
That’s more or LESS how it happened. Haha.
So . . . wooo co op games!!
Again, I rant because as far as I know this is NOT available for download on the Wii. Seriously?? SERIOUSLY?? I mean who did NOT play Battletoads!?
I will forgive them for creating this co op game to battle Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and I thank God that they didn’t try to make a cartoon out of this . . . Did they? (google) Oh wait, they did. Well, at least it didn’t make it to TV. I think I prefer pizza eating turtles to fly eating toads. That might be politically incorrect, but I stand by that statement.
Anyway, back to Battletoads. Basic beat’em up game, hard as anything. Seriously guys, this game was known among game critics for its difficulty. It didn’t make it any easier that you have to keep separate from your co op partner because you can take them out with one fatal frog kick. No option to disable it.
Like most NES games there was no save feature, so this could quite possibly be the most frustrating co op game ever. If you die, you die, and you go back to the beginning. Trust me, dying is the easiest thing to do in this game.
Oh yeah, and the obstacle courses . . . co op is a pain on these obstacle courses guys. If one of you screw up, you both end up back at the beginning. So this ends up being even more difficult as a co op game. However, if you play this single player, you are really missing out on a lot of fun. Half of the entertainment of the game is screaming with your partner after one of you fades off into oblivion.
“You stay on this side! I’m on this side!”
“Dude! Don’t do that!”
“It was an accident!!”
“Get’em, get’em!”
“Stay over there!!”
“AGH!!!!”
So MY advice, if you think you are a hardcore gamer, once this becomes available (and it better), get it, play it. This is another beat’em up game that I have yet to beat, but I am determined TO beat.
Comments To continue . . .yet I still feel as though I’m still in them 😉
Fairly here with what I guess is my first OFFICIAL post in what we like to call Fairly’s Corner (we as in Brad and me.)
I guess the first order of this corner business is to go ahead and throw some personal and reminiscent childhood moments into the midst of this post. Give me a few sentences, I swear there is a point to all of this.
As all (or at least most) of you know, I am, in fact, female. I am, in fact, engaged to Brad (aka DrNerocf.) I also am, in fact, a gamer freak (in the most positive sense of the word.) I attribute this trait of mine solely to the fact that I was raised in a culdesac full of boys. Despite the random girl moving in ever so often I was continuously sucked into the circle of gaming, it was necessary for my personal survival. I have two older brothers and one younger brother, all who were constantly spending their allowances on videogames. I was guilty also, I split the difference for new consoles with my younger brother.
When I was growing up I was surrounded by possibly ever console known to man, if my family didn’t have it our neighbors across the street had it. Consequently, even if I didn’t fully play the game, I ended up getting the full experience by watching it. There is no way I’m going to claim that I am absolutely amazing at all things gaming. I’m probably good FOR A GIRL, but that’s as far as I am going to go with that. I’ll play almost any game, but I am not a fan of first person shooters. Brad has tried to get me into those, but I just can’t, they don’t click with me for some reason. So, unless you count shooting arrows off a horse in Zelda, count me out on first person shooters. After having a brother and a friend who were both ranked in Halo, I hung up my controller on that one and left it to them.
So, as a tribute to my brother J.B., who helped to truly foster my love of videogames I’m going to go ahead and start this whole blog with a series on co op games I loved as a kid. The first one I’m going to talk about is . . .
There is a NES version of this available for download on Wii Virtual Console, it is THE Double Dragon, not the SNES version you see above. However, I am not going to pretend like I have experience with the NES version of it, but I am going to have to download it and play through it if only to get the experience.
SUPER Double Dragon is the game that I remember playing the MOST with my younger brother. We never beat it (sadly), it always seems we would get to the last level get right to the last boss and then inevitably die. If this ever becomes available for download for Wii Virtual Console I will have to make him come home for a weekend just to see if we can finally kill those stupid Shadow Warriors.
Unlike the its predecessors, SUPER Double Dragon was made exclusively for the SNES (the others were derived from an arcade version of the game). This is a simple beat’em up game complete with satisfying punching and kicking sound effects, not to mention the “Hah!” that’s thrown in there after you have done something completely satisfying.
The weapons, oh the weapons, I still remember trying to beat J.B. to the nunchuks or that random barrel that would show up on screen. What’s even more fun about these beat’em up games is the ability to actually beat each OTHER up. If you aren’t extremely serious about beating the game, it’s always fun to randomly grab an oil drum and toss it at your co op partner. Who doesn’t enjoy watching their faces turn red as they try to throw you over their shoulder to toss you off the next cliff your characters might come to?
The backgrounds to this game are actually quite nice, although if you have ever played Animal Crossing some of the curtains and decor might remind you a lot of what you might buy for 1,250 bells.
Warning: Remember that you can consume your co op partner’s lives, always a sure fire thing to make them mad when you manage to die three times in a row within five minutes. (Now, by consume I do not mean that you will turn into a giant pink fluffy marshmallow that will eat your partner and therefore take his life from him.)
As I said, this is where most of my childhood memories of co opness come from. Bittersweet memories having never beat the game, but all the same memories. I sure hope that Nintendo has the heart to no longer deny Super Double Dragon to the general Wii public. This is definitely that Saturday game where you grab your best friend and sit down to play the game straight through for about two-four hours (it’s not an uber long game) praying that you have more then half a power bar when you finally get to the end.
Sorry this isn’t more detailed, but as I said, this is a simple beat’em up game. In MY opinion one of the best of its kind. If you consider yourself a beat’em up connoisseur I suggest your write to Nintedo and demand this become available ASAP lest you be laughed off the gaming stratosphere when your peers find out you have not played this game.
(and before anyone chooses to mock me for not beating this game with my little brother, I would like to remind you that I was 7 and he was 6 when it was released) 😉
Slán go fóill
P.S. As for my “guilty pleasure” game, I will reveal that in time . . . for now you can go to the worst games ever and take your pick from the list. If you get it correct I will admit my slip in videogame taste 😉
Comments Oh the childhood years . . .Brad and I have been talking for a while and he suggested that I begin posting on the actual blog instead of restricting myself to the forum. He’s always so busy and he hates not being able to update his blog and he figured I could help fill in those blank days.
I probably brought it on myself because I expressed interest in trying to start something where I could attempt to give my personal view on new games and even old games that have disappeared or almost become obsolete. That would include giving reviews of new games I’ve played, first takes on games about to be released (by watching teh previews of them and all that), and relating personal experience with older games.
Just wanted to get everyone’s opinion on that proposal. I’d hate to shove myself into Brad’s blog and have everyone decide I’ve treaded on ground that’s sacred 😉
If y’all even have some more suggestions on what you’d like to see from me that would be good too.
Slán go fóill
=)
Comments Fairly Here . . .Another year and another promise to update this site more often, heh.
Got a new build of Mirror’s Edge 2D up yet again, but this one adds a little something special.
I’m adding ‘evidence’ to this build. Evidence is another set of collectible items, but they’re only found in smaller rooms, protected by the bad guys. Yep, that’s right, you’ll be able to check out how I’m handling baddies in this build! The one baddie room I have in there right now is very simple and fairly easy, but it’s just the first one, so don’t worry about that.
A few tips for collecting evidence:
– You’ll have to find the room hidden in the main level, remember, look for red.
– Your health will regenerate pretty quickly, cover is your friend!
– Watch where he’s looking. Time your running appropriately.
– If you die while carrying evidence out of the level, you’ll drop it.
– If you’re pinned down, wait for him to reload.
– Duck!
I wanted to include this in the beta since it’s quite a bit different from how bad guys are handled in ME3D. I’d like to see what you guys think of it.
Also of note, hitting R while paused now will reset your lap, instead of reloading the entire level. Should be useful for for speed runs.
And last but not least, a round of apologies for my terrible temporary background artwork in the baddie level.
Comments Happy ’09 / baddies in the betaUpdate:
Just in time for Christmas Eve!
World 2, Santafied 😀 Click the picture to play.
Wish I could have changed more, but I had vastly underestimated the amount of hair clips I had to change (seventy billion, I believe). There’s probably a few mistakes in there, but oh well.
Here’s another present. When the game is paused, you can change the jump button to whatever you want. If Fancy Pants Man isn’t jumping, you might have accidently changed the jump button. Hit space to pause and press whatever you want jump to be. It’s still just a little quick and dirty hack, but I figured someone might want to use it.
Christmas has always been my favorite time of the year, so I figured I should come out of radio silence to wish everyone a merry Christmas or whatever happy holiday of your choosing.
We’re still way hard at work on Mirror’s Edge 2D, but I still wanted make some noise on the internets and send a few Fancy Pants digital presents to everyone out there.
Don’t worry, I’ll add more as I make them.
Click for full size version (1920×1200, pretty massive). If you need a different size, go ahead and request it in the comments.
“Christmas: If it moves, put a Santa hat on it.”
I knew the little guy would come around, eventually. Hmm, wonder what’s in the box…
Also, feel free to request anything, icons, wallpapers, character art, (art for a different religious holiday?), etc… Tis the season of giving, after all (though I know I’m cutting it sort of close to Christmas day, I know!).
Maybe I should make it a New Years resolution to post more art and fun stuff on the site :/
Comments Christmas updatesSince ‘Borne Games‘ is really just one person, you’re going to get a few posts on here that are far more more personal than business, and I think that this really deserves a post, so here’s the link to the Mirror’s Edge 2D Beta post, first off.
Notice something there?
As of November 26th, Jenna (FairlyObvious in the forums) and I are engaged!
Not a bad setting for a proposal, no?
Brad Borne and Electronic Arts are partnering up for the release of Mirror’s Edge 2D!
I made a post about it in the forum a few days ago, but it looks like the news is out, so here’s the official post about it.
We’re still a week or two away from full launch, but I’d like to get as much feedback about the beta as possible, so if you find anything glitching out, or anything you’d like to comment on, just comment this post.
Update: Just added a timer, lets see those scores! Finish the level to store best time.
To anyone having problems with high jumping from ledges:
Run at the ledge
Jump right before you hit it (or go too high from a wall climb)
Hold jump when she snaps to it
Keep holding jump
Annnd yeah
Criticism and responses: there has been a ton of aspects of the game that have been tweaked to address some criticism. I’ll try to address things that I’m not changing, or won’t add until the final game (most likely, at least) here:
Enemies?
There will be some sections with enemies (like, mini-levels), if I can get the balance right and keep it fun. Basically, enemies slow the player down, I know that most people want to keep moving on big sections.
Wall jump / jump is too powerful / not realistic enough
Well, yes, the wall jump probably seems to powerful in this level. I had it toned down much more at first, but that made Level 2 impossible in some parts. Same thing with the jump height. Certain level designs just aren’t possible if I keep the movement too conservative. And this is 2d, I need to use those two d’s as much as I can! That means lots of vertical ground covered, far more than in the console counterpart.
Re-mappable controls
This definitely highlights my hatred of the keyboard as the standard of input for computer games, but what can I do about that (besides tell you guys to use joytokey, darwiinremote, gamepad companion, etc)? Re-mappable controls are only necessary when games get too complex, devs ignore standards, or in the case of PC gaming, there are hardly any standards at all. I’ll try and add a few different control types to the game if I have the time, but I like to try and keep all my games so that the arrow keys map to the d-pad, and the WASD map to the face buttons. Basically, I’m a console gamer developing for a mouse and keyboard input scheme.
Comments Mirror’s Edge 2D Beta
