Embedded Files
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 & 2
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 & 2
Neversoft
Neversoft
Bibliographic Information
Developer(s): Neversoft[a]
Publisher(s): Activision[b]
Producer(s): Scott Pease
Designer(s): Jason Uyeda
Programmer(s): Mick West
Artist(s): Silvio Porretta
Composer(s): Brian Bright
Platform(s): PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, Dreamcast, N-Gage
Release: September 29, 1999
Genre(s): Sports
Mode(s): Single-player, multiplayer
Source: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (video game) - Wikipedia
Summary
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater is a video game in which players can engage in simulations of skateboarding through avatars of legendary skaters. The main objective of the game is to perform various skating tricks and complete various missions. There are three modes of play: career mode, in which players must complete tricks and obtain goals to develop their characters, a free-skate mode, and multiplayer mode with different competitions. For this review, I played multiplayer mode with my six-year-old nephew, Lincoln, who is a gaming prodigy.
Critical Evaluation
Setting aside the caveat that I am not an adept gamer by any means, I argue that Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater is an excellent game for showcasing players’ gaming agility and facility with the controller. It’s totally nonviolent (unless you count falling down, which I do a lot whenever my nephew and I play) and there are tons of maps based on real skateparks from around the world to choose from. The graphics are realistic, the music evokes the vibe of the skater lifestyle, and the feeling of skating is smooth, and, when you can actually land a trick, exhilarating. What I find most appealing about the game is the fact that it offers the opportunity for non-skaters and people who are unable to do skateboarding for whatever reason the chance to experience the world of skating, to learn its lingo and its most popular icons, and to compete with friends and family members while vibing to punk and ska music. Be prepared for a learning curve. There are lots of button combinations to learn to boost your score and become truly competitive.
Player’s Annotation
Have you ever felt like skaters are some of the coolest cats on the planet, that you wanted to experience the lifestyle, but were too shy or scared or just unable to participate? Grieve no more, because you can, with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater.
About Tony Hawk
Anthony Frank Hawk (born May 12, 1968), nicknamed Birdman, is an American professional skateboarder, entrepreneur, and the owner of the skateboard company Birdhouse. Hawk completed the first documented "900" skateboarding trick, licensed a video game series published by Activision, and is a pioneer of modern vertical skateboarding. In 2014, Hawk was named one of the most influential skateboarders of all time by FoxWeekly. Hawk has appeared in films, other media, and his own series of video games. He has also been involved in various philanthropic activities, including his own Tony Hawk Foundation that helps to build skate parks in underprivileged areas. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Hawk)
Genre
Computer games, sports
Gametalking Ideas
I would record video of myself playing with my nephew Lincoln, highlighting his amazing score. Given the chance, I would load the game and let audience members test it for themselves.
Playing level
8+
Challenge Issues
Punk music
Why I Chose This Game
I was looking for a non-violent video game that would appeal to all kinds of people and I’ve actually played this one more than a few times (never well, alas).
Catan
Catan
Klaus Teuber
Klaus Teuber
Bibliographic Information
Other name(s) The Settlers of Catan
Designer(s) Klaus Teuber
Publisher(s) Kosmos (Germany), Catan Studio (English-language)
Publication date First edition: 1995; Second edition: 1996; Third edition: 1997;
Fourth edition: 2007; Fifth edition: June 2015
Players 3 to 4 (standard), 2, 5, or 6 (with expansions), 5-12 (movie edition)
Setup time 15 minutes
Playing time 1-2 hours
Random chance low-moderate
Skill(s) required Strategy, Negotiation
Website catan.com
Source: Catan - Wikipedia
Summary
Catan is played on board made of interlocking hexagons (hexes) surrounded by blue ocean. These hexagons together represent an island, and players represent settlers on the island. Each hexagon is a different type of land (forests, pastures, hills, mountains, and fields) which yields a different resource. Forests offer lumber, pastures offer wool, hills produce bricks, mountains produce ore, and fields yield wheat. Players are able to gain these resources when they roll the dice. The numbers rolled correspond to different hexes on the board. Players with settlements adjacent to the hex rolled will get one card representing the resources of that hex, while players with cities will receive two cards for that resource. A robber token adds obstacles to game play. Initially placed on the desert hex, it can be moved if a player rolls a seven and prevents the hex it’s on from producing. It also allows players to steal resource cards from others. Rolling a seven also means that players with 8 or more cards of a given resource must discard half of them. When it’s a player’s turn, they can spend combinations of resource cards to build settlements and roads and convert settlements into cities. The goal of the game is to earn ten victory points: one point for each settlement, two for each city, and bonuses for other attainments, such as building the longest road or largest army (using knight cards).
Critical Evaluation
Catan is not a game to be played only once. In order to really grasp how to build up your stock of settlements and cities, how to negotiate with other players to gain the resources you need, and how to win, you must play it several times. However, your time won’t be wasted if you can appreciate how interesting this game is. It is really unlike any other game I’ve ever played. The instruction booklet is long and takes time to read. I suggest assigning that task to the game nerd in your group, who can then, in turn, explain how the game works to the other players. The first game is probably going to be a throwaway, just a session to learn how gameplay works. But once you and your fellow players play again and again, you will start to experience the interesting strategizing that this game calls for. First of all, where you place your settlement matters, but at the same time it’s impossible to foresee what rolls of the dice are ahead. Getting the right mix of cards for building and trading can be tricky. Yes, you can negotiate with other players to gain the cards you need, but it’s likely that if you don’t have what they need, no amount of persuasive acumen on your part will compel them to relinquish their cards, or even divulge which resources they are holding. Catan is a game to play with a group committed to playing it several times over the course of several weeks or months. But if you commit, you can be a Catan geek.
Player's Annotation
Build settlements and cities, attain and trade resources, weave roads across the gorgeous board of Catan.
About the Designer
Klaus Teuber (born June 25, 1952) is a German designer of board games. He won the Spiel des Jahres award four times, for The Settlers of Catan, Barbarossa, Drunter und Drüber and Adel Verpflichtet. Teuber's By Hook or Crook, published by Avalon Hill in 1991, was an early import of a German-style game into the American market. Teuber retired from his profession as a dental technician to become a full-time game designer in 1999. As of 2007, he lives in Darmstadt with his wife Claudia. They have two sons, Guido and Benny. (Klaus Teuber - Wikipedia)
Genre
Board games, strategy games
Gametalking Ideas
Introduce the rules of gameplay and do a demo.
Playing Level
10+
Challenge Issues
N/A
Why I Chose This Game
Catan is unique and, with its national and international tournaments and expansions, and with players creating their own custom boards, it invites nerdy obsession, always a welcome quality in a game.
Scattergories
Scattergories
Hasbro
Hasbro
Bibliographic Information
Publisher(s): Hasbro, Winning Moves Games USA
Players: 2-6
Setup time: 1-3 minutes
Playing time: A little over 3 minutes per round
Random chance: Low
Age range: 12 and up
Skill(s) required: Vocabulary, general knowledge, counting, social skills
Source: Scattergories - Wikipedia
Summary
The implements of Scattergories are simple: a two-minute egg-timer, an alphabet die, a set of 16 categories cards, and a pad of paper of 12-line sheets. With these tools, players can enter into a competition which rewards the generalist, the creative, and the clever. Players begin by rolling the die to turn up a letter, then simultaneously turn over their categories card and set the timer. The goal is to come up with items for each category that begin with the given letter, but to avoid putting down any items that other players might also have. At the end of each round, players read off their entries and cross off any that they have in common with at least one other player, and then tally the number of unique entries for that round. If one or more players reject the entry of an opponent, the group may discuss and vote whether to accept the entry. After sixteen rounds, the player with the most points wins. According to Wikipedia, “The game is based on a traditional game known as Tutti Frutti, Jeu du Baccalauréat, Stadt Land Fluss, and many other names.”
Critical Evaluation
One of the best things about Scattergories is that you don’t have to buy the game to play. There are lots of free Scattergories style lists, alphabet dice, and timers available online. It’s also an addictive game. Although you do get tired after playing for hours, it’s hard not to want to challenge your brain to come up with instances of each category for the given letter. You might even find yourself playing alone in your head as you wait in line at the store or drive around, or after a particularly grueling game you did not win. The intellectual challenge draws on many skills: certainly, the extent of players’ general knowledge greatly impacts play. The more you know about the world--about fish, weather, movies, historical figures, athletes, celebrities, geography, things in junk drawers and purses, and so on--the more like it will be that you can come up with answers for every category. But creativity and a sense of humor will also serve and can make for memorable additions to friend and family lore. For example, the Rich Velvet Suit and the Run-Down Woman are now both part of my own family’s store of in-jokes, having passed into legend. Modified versions of the game could be played on car trips and can be adapted to the classroom. In a library setting, it would suffice to supply the categories cards, die, and egg-timer. Players could bring their own paper.
Player’s Annotation
Quick, can you think of something you find on the beach that starts with the letter K? How about a weather event that begins with H? Playing Scattergories will challenge you to come up with dozens of answers to similar questions.
About the Designer
N/A
Genre
Category games, vocabulary games
Gametalking Ideas
Show the game trailer or a how to play video.
Playing Level
12+
Challenge Issues
N/A
Why I Chose This Game
It’s appropriately challenging, fun, social, versatile, and can potentially be played for free.
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