Tradition!

I was thinking the other night about how limitations in video games in the olden days are still around, but they're now seen as standards rather than limitations. Granted, I can only think of two prime examples, and some publishers have done their part to do away with them.

Firstly (and I know I've brought this topic up before), fighting games still use health bars and the underlying system. I assume it started back in the days of the first fighting games and has stuck around ever since. I've said before that I'd like to see a game where fighters take location-based damage and injuries to one side of the body would affect attacks from that side's arm or leg. The only real example I can think of that tried to do away with this is Square's Bushido Blade.

Secondly, RPGs should lose random battles. It started with RPGs like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, where the NES just didn't allow for many sprites on the screen at once, so your team would be randomly flung into battle. Games like Chrono Cross and Grandia have shown that this is no longer a limitation, but the FF and DQ series still use it as a standard. In most games, it is nothing more than an annoyance to the player, knowing that there's no way to avoid battle.

Well, that's what I have to say about that. On to more personal matters.

The other day, I was going to buy Guitar Hero on a whim (curse you Paul!). Adam and Holly came over, and I was expecting more people, though it didn't pan out. We went to Future Shop at about 8:20 and they were sold out of copies. The guy helping us said that most places in the city were sold out too, though I don't know his sources. Today I'm going shopping with John's sisters (because I really don't have anything better to do). While I'm out, I'll check Walmart and EBGames for it (though I doubt Walmart will have it), but the purchase would have been more significant on Friday as it was both on a whim and with people with whom I could play the newly purchased game.

My ENGL119 mark came in, and I got 83. Not too bad. If I get 90 in CS234, I'll make dean's list again.

Turns out my dad's computer has a DVD burner on it, so I'm taking advantage of Video Network's $1 rentals.

Well, my paragraphs have turned into sentences. That means I haven't much left to talk about.

Listening to... Watching the Train Go By - Nine
Link of the moment... Gotta put more thought into grad studies