PixlBit

Now that I had my original Xbox working, I was able to do what I wanted to do today: use all three Xbox systems. I played Capcom Classics Collection vol. 1 on Xbox, Peggle and King's Quest: Chapter 1 on X360, and Minecraft on XBO. Here's how it all went. 

The Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 1 is a very good collection of 80s (and a few 90s) arcade games. Thing is, I think I've decided not to bother with these collections any more. The games never play like they should because they were designed for cabinets with joysticks or other special control inputs. I think, if I want to play these games again, I'll go find an arcade. That being said, my favorites were 1943: Battle of Midway and Final Fight (full list here). I liked that, in the settings, you could choose remixed versions of the original soundtracks. I have the theme music from 1943 in my head most days as it is. I wanted to hear something different. 

Then I booted up the 360 and downloaded King's Quest Chapter 1 that I got for free one month. Its 3 GB file downloaded in a half hour and, while that was happening, I played Peggle. Then opening King's Quest, I had to download two compatibility packs totalling about 185K. But this download took almost two hours! I don't understand how that could be, but I waited anyway because I really wanted to try this game. During that time, I went and picked up some pizzas and watched Mark playing Minecraft on XBO. 

King's Quest Chapter 1 is a modern point-and-click adventure for consoles. The graphics are wonderful, the voice acting stellar, and the writing really funny. The puzzles were inventive and not impossible at first, but after a while, I had some trouble and began looking up a walkthrough. Eventually I was running all over the environments wondering how to get more coins and got too frustrated to continue. Well, this is how it usually goes with me and point-and-click adventures. If I have to look things up too much, I'm out. Maybe I'll tackle it again sometime from the beginning. Everything about it is so inviting. I could hear all the dialog again for sure.

Then it was XBO time and presumably Halo 2 within the Halo: Master Chief Collection, but I jumped in Mark's Minecraft world, and the next thing I knew, it was time to stop for the night. Minecraft is so addicting. We played an extra large world to see what that was. You have to make several maps to navigate it. I spawned some untold distance away from where Mark's town was and had to gather supplies for new maps as I went because, once you go off your current map, you get no more help on which direction you're going. I created a second map with mined matterials and then crossed that second area completely. From there I could see Mark's town from a mountain and so didn't have to create a third map right away. It's really cool to have such a large world, but navigation can take a lot of time. Eventually we started a new world with the classic size, just one map's worth - so much better.

I think I may be mostly done with achievements as I engage with the current gen. Games are getting so crazy long, I just can't even concieve of total completion any more. I still like achievements (and trophies too) but I'm not going to chase them like I did on last gen systems. I like the idea of just letting them happen and not looking them up. It's a new gaming landscape these days and it's beginning to look more and more like the world depicted in the book Ready Player One that I'm reading right now. I'm not sure that's a good thing, but I'm having fun so far.