Starting out with the Nuzelock Challenge in Fire Red

So, I’ve started reading a friend’s blog recently (http://www.walnut100.com </shamelessplug>), and he’s started playing through a hacked version of Pokemon Emerald doing something called a “Nuzlocke Challenge.” I’m guessing that the name originates from the user who first came up with the challenge (or something), but here’s the basic rundown:

You play through a Pokemon game, but you add some personal, arbitrary rules to make it more challenging:
1) If your pokemon faints, it is “dead” and must be released. If all of your pokemon die, the game is over.
2) You can catch only the first pokemon you encounter in each new area.
3) No healing items may be used outside of battle.
4) You must use the SET battle mode, meaning you can not change your pokemon while opponent is switching (when you knock their pokemon out)

He’s added the following house rule, which I think I’ll play around with, as well:
-) If you white out at any point in the game, it’s game over

Since I’m already pretty far along in Soul Silver on my DS, I decided I’ll run it through Pokemon Fire Red, and I’ll be publishing my progress here. This is going to be a pain in the ass. >.>

Humans are so totally fucked in this game.

Well, Aliens vs Predator was finally released two days ago, and I hadn’t noticed. Started downloading it the night it was released, rather than the day. Anyway, started playing it last night, and this morning, and I’m loving the game. The demo wasn’t all that great, I’ll admit, but that’s mostly because Free-For-All in the AVP setting is pointless. To really enjoy the game, you need a Team Free-For-All, with each team being one of the three races in-game (Xenomorph, Predator, or Human). Although I have to say, playing as a Human/Marine in the multi-player game modes is very masochistic. Think about it – as a human, you lack the badassery of the Predators, which includes vision modes specifically designed to help hunt humans and Xenomorphs (believe me, in the dark multi-player levels, Xenomorphs are hard as fuck to spot, harder yet to kill, and don’t even think about catching one if they decide to sprint away), you lack the cloaking, so you’re easy as hell to spot, no matter where you are (again, the Predators can spot all humans with one visor mode, and the Xenomorphs (aliens, for anybody who hasn’t figured that out yet) can track you by “scent” – which, in gameplay terms, is an outline showing where you are. Unlike the Predator’s visors, though, Xenomorphs can see you even through walls), and if you aren’t with a group of friends – well, count yourself among the dead. Because that’s really the only opportune time to kill either of the opposing races – if they start to take out one of your buddies.

Playing as the Xenomorphs, in multi-player especially, but single-player as well, can get disorienting fast. You see, Xenomorphs can run on walls, and can jump from one wall to another. And they’re fucking fast. If I, as a Xenomorph, get injured and need a quick escape, I hold my sprint key and just fucking run. There’s no way that either a Predator or a Human will be able to catch up to me – especially if I’m switching between walls, ceilings, and floor, and jumping from surface to surface. But, as I said, this has the disadvantage of being severely disorienting, however incredibly bad-ass it may be.

Playing as the Predators is amazingly fun, especially in the multi-player games. While you can be seen by humans when your cloak is engaged, they’re usually twitchy as hell and won’t spot you well in the shadows. Xenomorphs still have their scent-tracking thing, and will spot you just as well as they’d spot a human, but you’ve got auto-tracking, shoulder-mounted badassery in the form of a laser gun that is fast enough to track them, provided they don’t jump behind a wall or into a vent. You’ve also got proximity mines, and a few other useful tools, and no player will be too happy when, out of nowhere, in spite of their vigilance, they’re blasted from behind by a laser cannon from a creature they can barely play. But hey, if they’re masochistic enough to play as humans in multi-player, that’s their own damn fault. Who wants to play a pathetic human when you can play incredibly-advanced alien hunters (I guess that human’s aren’t the toughest prey anymore) or incredibly-deadly alien beasts, anyway?

In short, if you have the chance to buy it, whether it’s for PC (where I play), XBOX 360, or some other platform, I highly recommend it. If you do get it on PC, don’t be a puss – buy it over Steam, not at a store, and hit me up for a game.