Slog - Comments on Games: Put the Shovel Down http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down I was going to play video games all weekend long and post about them to make up for the lack of a games column in recent printed issues. But the sun showed up, so I broke character and took advantage--played a few pickup games of basketball (yes, real basketball); stopped by a farmers market; drove to Olympia and wandered around downtown; came back home and did some minor gardening with the girlfriend. Of course, it all comes around full circle. “For a second, I actually thought that planting something next to our walkway would attract a Cinnamonkey,” the gf said.... Copyright 2008 Mon, 25 Feb 2008 15:50:48 -0800 Tue, 26 Feb 2008 10:05:44 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Gloria Dude, Sims.

]]> Gloria http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947300 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947300 Tech Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:02:43 -0800 Comment by some dude viva pinata is like crack.

i downloaded the demo one night at maybe 3 am and after I got my little garden going it was all over. there was something so zen and peaceful about it.

i picked up the game the next day, and played the shit out of it for the next few weeks.

party animals is totally lame, though.

]]> some dude http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947301 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947301 Tech Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:03:14 -0800 Comment by Jewritto Dude, Bioshock.

Completely unrelated to anything above, of course. But still.

]]> Jewritto http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947302 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947302 Tech Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:03:59 -0800 Comment by NapoleonXIV At what level do you get to knock the stuffing out of them with a baseball bat?

]]> NapoleonXIV http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947303 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947303 Tech Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:04:07 -0800 Comment by kid icarus I just wonder when the market will finally collapse under the weight of another WWII FPS. Yeesh.

]]> kid icarus http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947307 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947307 Tech Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:05:52 -0800 Comment by Uncle Vinny I'm ashamed to admit that you CAN lose at Viva Pinata, and I found out the hard way. I still don't understand why, but I lost. All my little animals looked OK to me, but the gardener appeared and scolded me for sucking ass.

]]> Uncle Vinny http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947314 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947314 Tech Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:09:26 -0800 Comment by treacle Sam-- i think you are right: farming games are a reaction to (a) massive urbanization of humanity, and/or (b) companies running out of ideas for sci-fi/fantasty games, and/or (c) weird subconscious training for a younger generation that will have to farm again to feed itself.

]]> treacle http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947333 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947333 Tech Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:24:17 -0800 Comment by vooodooo84 I love harvest moon, the probably in my top 5 most fun to play games, seriously boring to watch someone else play though.

]]> vooodooo84 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947335 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947335 Tech Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:24:58 -0800 Comment by Mike of Renton My 4 year old is the only one in my house that still plays VP. Yesterday I went to my computer and found a browser open with "pinyatail" in the address bar. She said she was trying to go to the pinata island site to find out what squazzils eat.

]]> Mike of Renton http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947343 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947343 Tech Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:28:43 -0800 Comment by bobcat Puzzle Quest on XBLA FTW

fucking crack. Bejeweled * Dragon Warrior ^ satan.

]]> bobcat http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947351 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947351 Tech Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:33:31 -0800 Comment by kebabs The biggest shock in Mass Effect was finding out that at least one person in the future believes in the Christian God. When is the last time you saw that in any sci-fi universe?

]]> kebabs http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947373 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947373 Tech Mon, 25 Feb 2008 17:01:50 -0800 Comment by terry miller i tried to play this in nyc with my son last fall and it was hard! he was totally bored and hated it. i concurred.

]]> terry miller http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947381 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947381 Tech Mon, 25 Feb 2008 17:06:23 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle Viva Pinata is the only reason to get xBox360 if you're not a Sports/FPS nut.

That said, Sims rocks.

(oh, ok, Mass Effect isn't bad)

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947435 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947435 Tech Mon, 25 Feb 2008 18:20:57 -0800 Comment by elenchos If Charles Mudede had written this post it would have been half as long, but would have included a picture of a woman with amazing tits. And they would have flamed him for it.

]]> elenchos http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947512 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947512 Tech Mon, 25 Feb 2008 20:56:09 -0800 Comment by wench You can get Viva Pinata for the PC, by the way. ;) For those who haven't gone the 360 route.

]]> wench http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947518 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947518 Tech Mon, 25 Feb 2008 21:13:30 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle Does it work on Linux, @15? Or a Mac?

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947527 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947527 Tech Mon, 25 Feb 2008 21:33:22 -0800 Comment by GLADOS This was a triumph. I'm making a note here: "HUGE SUCCESS!"

I find it hard to overstate my satisfaction.

]]> GLADOS http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947557 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947557 Tech Mon, 25 Feb 2008 22:36:59 -0800 Comment by bobcat Will, you should know you can run anything on Linux or Mac. From Cygwin to WAB to Win4lin on *nix platforms and WINE to boot camp to parallels to virtual pc on MAC OS X, the sky is the limit.

Considering the the XBox 360 is simply a PC , it would only make sense that crap (Pinata) is available on PC.

]]> bobcat http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947651 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947651 Tech Tue, 26 Feb 2008 08:55:55 -0800 Comment by violet black Thank bob you got canned so you have more time to write. Great observations. Bring on the LOST game!

]]> violet black http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947758 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/games_put_the_shovel_down#c947758 Tech Tue, 26 Feb 2008 10:05:44 -0800