The 100th Blog Post - Game of the Day - Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines

Today's Game of the Day is Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines.

Since today is Halloween and its our 100th blog post on the Video Game Pad I thought I would talk about an awesome game that not too many people know about. This is the perfect game for Halloween too. This game is an RPG where you are a newly turned vampire. You must complete various quests for the Elder vampire aka the Prince. You will also meet many other Vampires as well. When you start the game you Get to choose from 7 different vampire clans:  Brujah, Gangrel, Malkavian, Nosferatu, Toreador, Tremere, or Ventrue. Each clan has its advantages and disadvantages and they all have different styles of game play which gives the game high replay value (To learn more about the clans check out the wiki.). You have a very elaborate character building system. You can either be a brawler, a gunman or stealthy. You can also choose to be a persuasive vampire, a seductive vampire or an intimidating vampire. You can also build other skills like finance or computers. You also have set abilities which are based on which clan you pick. The game also has awesome voice acting and its like watching a movie at times. You will find yourself absorbed in this game  and find yourself playing for a long time. I also like how they set up the vampires up in this game how they they aren't your typical vampires and it feels more realistic. Also you can't let people see you are a vampire because you will violate the masquerade laws and if you have 5 violations you get a game over. You can also get masquerade redemption's as well. You also must maintain your humanity to control the beast inside of you  .if you have low humanity and your blood is low you are more likely to go into a frenzy and you will attack and feed on people in to open causing you to get a masquerade violation. There is a lot that goes into this game and that's what makes it awesome. Happy Halloween and thank you for reading the 100th blog post. We hope you continue to read on as we continue to write posts.

Game of the Day: Phantasy Star Online

Today’s game of the day is Phantasy Star Online for the Dreamcast. What can I say about this game other then I love this game. This is one of the main games that made my Dreamcast totally awesome. It was one the first console online RPGs and it was tons of fun. Unfortunately you can’t play it online anyone if you are playing it on the Dreamcast but it is still an awesome single player game. There were 3 classes: Hunters, Rangers and Forces. Hunters specialized in close range combat, Rangers specialized in long range combat and Forces where the Technique/Magic users. Each class was unique in its own way and you strategies were mainly based on the class you picked. Another thing that helps increase playthroughs were the races. You had Humans, Newmans (an elf like race) and Androids. Humans where the most well-rounded classes they are pretty much good at everything an. Humans are available as Hunters, Rangers and Forces, Newmans has the highest TP (technique points) there were the best magic users and they were usually better at evading attacks and being quicker but they lack the strength. Newmans can be either a Hunter or a Force. Androids have the highest strength, defense and accuracy being machines they are much stronger they Humans and Newmans but their main drawback is they are unable to use TP. Androids can either be Hunters or Rangers. Regardless of what you pick to play you will have lots of fun and it’s always fun to try multiple classes and races. I usually used humans and my main character was a human hunter and it was so much fun to rush right up to enemies and get engaged in battle. If you haven’t tried this game out you should there is also a version on the GameCube it’s kind of expensive but it’s worth it if you don’t have a Dreamcast. There is also a game that I own that is similar it’s called Phantasy Star 0 For the Nintendo DS. I wrote a post about it a while ago to check it out click here. Phantasy Star Online is awesome and it’s so much fun you need to check it out.

Game of the Day: Super Mario World

Today’s game of the day is Super Mario World for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

Super Mario World is the first game I ever played and owned for the SNES. This is my favorite vintage Super Mario game in the series (not including Super Mario RPG). This was a great sequel to an already awesome game Super Mario Bros. 3. Super Mario World takes place in Dino Land where as usually the Princess has been kidnapped by Bowser. This game had a very familiar game play style with some new power ups like the feather which game Mario the ability to fly, glide and dive bomb enemies. You also had the ability to perform a spin jump at any time giving you the ability to break certain types of blocks. The best addition to the game was the introduction of Yoshi.

I love Yoshi and I’m not sure who doesn’t love Yoshi (If you don’t love Yoshi I’m sorry but something is wrong with you). Yoshi was a green dinosaur that had a very long tongue used to grab and eat enemies. Green Yoshi was the normal Yoshi and there are three other colors of Yoshis in the game. Along with green Yoshi you had red, yellow, and blue Yoshi. The Yoshis have very few differences Green Yoshi as I said was normal if he ate a red koopa troopa he would spit fire. He ate a green koopa troopa he would just spit out the shell. If he ate a yellow koopa troopa he would just spit the shell out also he would be able to stomp the ground and kill enemies under and nearby with a power stomp as long as he had the koopa troopa in his mouth. If he ate a blue koopa troopa he again would just spit the koopa troopa out he would also gain the ability the fly as long as the koopa troopa was in his mouth. The other Yoshis would do the same thing except red Yoshi always spits fire no matter the color of the koopa troopa. Yellow Yoshi always had the ability to do the power stomp as long at a koopa troopa is in his mouth. Blue Yoshi is probably the best Yoshi for the fact that no matter which type of koopa troopa he has in his mouth he can fly. Yoshi is a very big deal in this game but the game has so much more to offer then just yoshi. You can gather point every time you complete a level you can collect anywhere for 0 – 50 points at a time when you complete a level. Once you hit 100 points you get a bonus level where you can get some 1ups. This game is a big game with 8 main bosses. Just like in the SMB3 you will fight all of Bowser’s kids and then you battle Bowser at the end. You also have mini castles called fortresses. You also had ghost houses which have a lot of tricks and secrets within them. There is also an area called the Star Zone and once you complete that you get to go the Special Zone and when you Defeat the Special Zone the game looks very different when you leave the Special Zone. The first time I saw it I didn’t understand what happened I asked a friend and he said that’s just what happens when you complete all the levels in the Special Zone. This game has a ton of content and I still haven’t covered it all. If you haven’t played this game you need to get it and play it. If you have a SNES and you collect game this is a must own for the system. If you don’t own an SNES but you do own a Nintendo Wii you can download it on the Wii virtual console for 800 Nintendo Wii points ($8). So if you have the means to get this game please do because if you don’t you are missing out on loads of fun.

Game of the Day: New Super Mario Bros.

Today’s game of the day is New Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo DS. This game is an awesome game it gives you an old school feel with a new school twist. If you love Super Mario Bros. and own a DS you must buy this game. It has awesome game play and if you have any experience with Super Mario Bros. games you will feel very comfortable with the game. They have also added mini games which you can play by yourself or with up to 4 players with a DS and they don’t need to own the game this game supports single game card multiplayer. The mini games are very fun and include a good variety of games. The best feature added to this game is the 2 player battle mode Mario vs. Luigi. This game can get intense and only one person has to have the game for this feature as well. You must collect the set about of stars before your opponent. You get to choose from 5 different levels that are very unique. You can collect random stars and steal your opponent’s starts from them. This feature is so much fun and if you and your friend are competitive you are going to be playing Mario vs. Luigi for a long time. If you haven’t played this game and you on a DS go by it. If you don’t own a DS and like Super Mario Bros. you can get a DS for a very good price now. So check this game out. Check out the video below to see some single player action of New Super Mario Bros.

Single Player

Game of the Day: Blur

Today’s game of the day is Blur.

I’m not a big fan of racing games but I really like this racing game. This game is Mario Kart for adults. It has tons cars and weapons to wreck your opponents with. This is a very fun game especially in a group and its gets very competitive. This might not be the best racing game out there but its tons of fun. I’m not a racing game expert or a huge racing game fan but I do like Mario Kart. This reminds me of Mario Kart and I like it. Again I’m not a racing game fan so I don’t play many racing games, but Blur is awesome and I love it. If you like racing games with good racing and Mario Kart style power ups this is a game for you so check it out. This game is available on the Xbox 360, the PS3 and PC. To see more check out the game play video below.

Game of the Day: Knuckles Chaotix

Today’s game of the day is Knuckles Chaotix for the Sega 32x.

This is a very fun game. If you have played any Sonic games you will have no problem with this game. The thing that makes this unique is the fact you always have a partner and they are connected to you by the power rings you both hold. This doesn’t matter too much in one player mode, but in two player mode you must work together if you don’t have teamwork you won’t complete anything in the level together. You start off as Knuckles for the opening stage and you meet Espio the Chameleon and he becomes your first partner. After beating the opening level you can pick from Knuckles the Echidna, Mighty the Armadillo (who previously appeared in the 1993 arcade game SegaSonic the Hedgehog), Espio the Chameleon, Charmy Bee and Vector the Crocodile. The game also featured two additional partners known as Heavy the Cook and Bomb the Bomb. These character you can get from the claw machine where you get your partner in one player mode (You can use the claw machine in two player mode as well). Heavy and Bomb are pretty much useless. Heavy is a robot that kills everything he runs into and is indestructible. Bomb is quick but all he does is blows up when he gets hit and hurts enemies around the explosion and he can also hurt his friends as well. This is a very fun fast paced game like all the Sonic games. This is one of the better games on the 32x and its pretty rare now a days. When it came out it got mixed reviews you either loved it or hated it. I was part of the group who loved it. If you have a 32x this game is worth picking up. Check out the video below to see some of the game play.

Resources: Knuckles Chaotix Wiki

Game of the Day: Final Fantasy VI (Final Fantasy III US SNES)

Today’s game of the Day is Final Fantasy VI (Final Fantasy III US SNES release). This is one of favorite Final Fantasy games in the series. This game was released as Final Fantasy III in the US on the Super Nintendo and re-released for the PlayStation as part of the Final Fantasy Anthology. Then it was released again on the Game Boy Advance as Final Fantasy VI advance. The game is the exact same as the version on the SNES. The PlayStation added some nice cinematics. The only difference on Final Fantasy VI Advance is they gave each character a job label. For example Locke is an Adventurer and Sabin is a Monk. The GBA version also has a quick save option which has been added to a lot of RPGs on hand held systems. The version I own in the GBA version. Final Fantasy VI has one of the most unique cast of characters. Each character has his/her own set of special skills. Here are a few examples: Locke can steal, Edgar can use tools and Sabin uses his blitz skills. There is also a character named Shadow who shows up from time to time. You can pay him to fight by your side but he can leave at anytime. You never know how long he will say with you it’s very random. There are also times where your adventure can split off in to different parts. You are also able to pick which part of the story you want to play first. Regardless of your choice of what order you complete the different branches they will always connect at the ends of each branch. This game like most Final Fantasy games has a killer sound track. The boss battle theme is probably one of my most favorite songs in the series. This is an awesome and there are multiple systems so it’s easy to get a hold of. If you’re a fan of Final Fantasy or turn based RPGs and you haven’t played this game you must get this game and play it. You can check out the game play in the video below.

Game Play Video

PlayStation Version Opening Video

FFVI Boss Battle Theme

Game(s) of the Day: Pokémon Black & White

Today’s game(s) of the day are Pokémon Black & White. I bought the Black Version but there aren’t too many differences between the two versions. If you have played any of the Pokémon games you know this to be true. Now Pokémon games all pretty much have the same style of game play so the originality is not very high with these versions, but if it isn’t broke don’t fix it. They really did an overhaul for the graphics. The graphics are awesome when you walk into a city it really looks like a city and you will see people walking down the street and everything. They have introduced triple battles in this version I haven’t done one yet, but I’m very excited about this feature. When you play through the game you can only catch the new Pokémon in the Unova region. Once you have beaten the Elite Four and the champion you will get to catch Pokémon from other game as well as the ability to trade Pokémon from previous DS versions of Pokémon games. One really cool thing is the inferred technology they added so that you can battle someone right then and there without got to a link station in Pokémon Center. Pokémon Black & White are awesome games if you are a fan of the series it’s definitely work picking up

Check out this video of a triple battle.

Game of the Day: Punch-Out!! 1984 Arcade

Today’s game of the day is Punch-Out!! the arcade version.

This game was released in 1984 and is the first game in the Punch-Out Series. The first game I played in the series was Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! The first time I played the game was December 31, 2010 when I came across the game in the arcade at my local mall. You don’t see many arcades around anymore where you can play a game for 1 quarter. My local mall is small and hardly has anything in it but it has a nice arcade but that’s another blog post. I was so excited to see this game so I played the game. The game play style was different but the strategies for beating characters like Glass Joe or Bald Bull are along the same lines. The controls are a little different but the Punch-Out series has kept the same feel for all its characters throughout the series. This game is awesome and it’s always nice to see where one of your favorite game series started. If you get a chance to play this game do it so you won’t regret it. I took some pictures and a video with my cell phone and I apologize for the low quality for the video and pictures my camera isn’t the best with quality. I hope you enjoy this quick video I shot and the game play video I found on YouTube.

More Pictures



My Video

Punch-Out!! the arcade game by madcupid

Game Play Video

Game of the Day: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Today's game of the day is Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night first came out on the PlayStation. When the Xbox 360 came out they released it for download on the Xbox Live Arcade. The version on the Xbox Live Arcade has enhanced graphics in HD and it doesn't have load times. You can also unlock Castlevania: SOTN on the PSP game Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles. Castlevania: SOTN start right after Castlevania: Dracula X (a.k.a Castlevania: Rondo of Blood). It starts off with Richter Belmont defeating Dracula. Then after that you find out that Richter has vanished. Then it talks about Alucard the son of Dracula he awakens to vanquish the evil. After the quick briefing you take control of Alucard and the action never stops. This game uses a non-linear style of game play (kind of like Super Mertoid) and most of the modern Castlevania games followed this style of game play unlike most of the original Castlevania games that used a linear style of game play. This game also adds some RPG elements such as: leveling up, equipping weapons and armor, learning spells, and some other goodies. Castlevania: SOTN is of the best Castlevania games every made with tons of twists and turns and an awesome soundtrack fans of action games and RPG's would like this game. This original game on the PlayStation is selling on average no cheaper then $20 and that's the greatest hit label if you want the Black label game it will run you about $50 or more it depends on condition of the game. You can always download it on the Xbox Live Arcade for 800 MS points ($10). If you are a fan of the Castlevania series this is a must own. Even if you aren't a fan or have never gotten into Castlevania this is a must own. Whether you have it on PlayStation, Downloaded the game on the Xbox Live Arcade, or even unlocked in on the PSP game Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles this game is awesome. Most people say this is the best Castlevania in the series and it's one of my most favorite games in the series and over all.

Game of the Day: The Legend of Zelda

Today the game of the day is The Legend of Zelda on the NES.

As I said before this is my favorite NES game ever. This is the first time we met Link, Zelda, and Gannon. It was the first true adventure game I ever played. You set out as Link to retrieve the Triforce, defeat Gannon, and rescue Zelda. There are so many secrets and lucky for us they filled the games with hits to help us with our progress. Back in the day we would use Nintendo Power to help us find all the secrets. We would also come across new secrets by accident and then tell all our friend and they would also spread the word. The first secret I came across was when I typed in Zelda when I started a new game and discovered the 2nd quest. Today we still have strategy guides and we can also look online and find all the maps and secrets. The Legend of Zelda is never ending fun with a very high replay value. If you have this game on NES never get rid of it and if you don't have an NES anymore you can also download this classic game on the Wii virtual console for 500 Wii points.