[Last month we held Mr. Raroo's first GSW contest, in which we asked readers to pitch a Raroo Fun System game in hopes of winning a free download of Arkedo's JUMP! or SWAP! In typical Mister Raroo style, the contest winners are announced in an atypical manner. Don't worry. The rest of us at GameSetWatch are as befuddled as you are!]

The latest issue of Japanese gaming magazine OK! Game! Score! lifted the lid on six new Raroo Fun System games that are currently in development and expected to release sometime in 2010. Intriguingly, the issue also provided a rare glimpse at three titles that have been cancelled. Preorders for the upcoming games began this morning, and as expected lengthy lines of fans gathered outside Awesome Onion game store locations.

We sent GameSetWatch’s Japanese correspondent, Shiichi Okuma, to provide coverage on what has turned into one of the largest gaming-related events of the year. Okuma interviewed many of the individuals standing in line to hear their opinions and expectations of the upcoming Raroo Fun System game barrage. Spirits were high amongst the preorder lines, and a handful of fanatics even came dressed in Police Chicken, Roger, and Mister Raroo costumes.

Angry Walter

It’s uncommon for Raroo Games to let a second party developer handle one of its top franchises, but that appears to be the case with Angry Walter, the direct sequel to this past year’s smash hit Hungry Walter. Unknown developer Midodok is credited with production, though at this point nobody seems to know anything of the company beyond their name. OK! Game! Score! describes Angry Walter as follows:

Yes, the Walter of Hungry Walter fame is back--and he's ANGRY! The premise of this game is simple: make...Walter...ANGRY!

1. Move Walter's burger.
2. Poke Walter in the belly.
3. Kiss Walter's girlfriend.

Kazushige Sasaki, better known as “RFS_Maniac” on popular gaming message board GEONEF, says Angry Walter is his most anticipated game of the coming year. “I was a little worried because Raroo Games isn’t directly handling the development, but since they are still publishing the game, I have high hopes. I’m glad Midodok appears to be doing something beyond a rehash of the first game.”

Lalia Leapwell and the Lecherous Lemurs!

P.F. Studio’s latest title is certainly going to help fill a noticeable void of traditional platformers on the Raroo Fun System. Though introducing a new intellectual property can be risky in the current economic climate, OK! Game! Score! had a hands-on session with the game and complimented its creative level design and gameplay mechanics. The magazine’s description:

Laila's husband-to-be, Lucky, lands lad-napped by a gang of lecherous pirate-lemurs, leave it to Laila to save the day!

Pole-vault over pirate traps, backflip your way around guards, and do sweet tricks on Uneven Bars luckily and inexplicably scattered just about everywhere you go! Can you make it to Lucky before he finds himself lost in lemur-love-limbo!?

Tom Dodgers, perhaps best known for his over-the-top game reviews on his site Frantic Knob, provided a shockingly positive response when asked what he expected of the game. “P.F. Studios has yet to disappoint, though naturally my expectations for Lalia Leapwell may be artificially inflated by the fact that their past titles have all pushed the envelope of platforming when compared to the mindless typhoon of tripe that clogs the shelves of retail outlets.” Okuma reports that Dodgers asked what site his quote would appear on then let out a snort when he heard the name “GameSetWatch.”

Continue reading "GameSetContest: Raroo Fun System Challenge - The Results!" »

Posted by Bill Sannwald at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

[We're reposting this up top, since the deadline is tomorrow. Mister Raroo is looking for the best ideas of new games for the (fictional game console) Raroo Fun System. Channel your inner game designer and come up with something nifty! Up for grabs are "tokens" for free downloads of Arkedo Series - 01 JUMP! and Arkedo Series - 02 SWAP! for XBox 360! Just remember to put fun above all else and be creative.]

A Few Quick Thoughts About Fun in Gaming

In case you haven't guessed, the Raroo Fun System is a work of my imagination. But the fact that it doesn't actually exist hasn't stopped me from thinking up plenty of silly game concepts for it! Starting with Mister Raroo's Hauntastic Voyage to Ghosty Ghost Island, I've since expanded the fictional catalog of games by creating trailers via Nintendo's amazing Flipnote Studio.

The Raroo Fun System is now home to such would-be classics as Galaxy Intruders, Police Chicken: Interrogation Specialist, and my personal favorite, Hungry Walter (he likes hamburgers!).

As the name of the system implies, the Raroo Fun System is basically my tribute to the bygone era in which games had one main purpose: fun! While I appreciate the complexity that exists in many modern games, I often miss the simple, straightforward approach to game design that was often the standard during the 1980s and early 1990s. It was during that time period in which my love for video games blossomed, so it makes sense that I have such a soft spot for video games which put an emphasis on fun above all else.

Continue reading "REMINDER: GameSetContest: Pitch a Raroo Fun System Game and Win JUMP! or SWAP!" »

Posted by Bill Sannwald at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

[In a change of pace from his usual GameSetWatch column, Mister Raroo treats us to a Halloween tale of gaming gone horribly wrong. As an added bonus, the story features guest artwork by death metal vocalist and illustrator Sean McGrath. You should think twice before you head to your favorite game store around Halloween, or you might suffer the same bad fortune as Mister Raroo. But don't worry, Mister Raroo's tale is only fiction. Or at least, we think it is. Now that we think of it, we haven't heard from him in a while. You don't think this chilling tale could be real, do you?!]

A Desperate Warning

Please hear my tale, dear readers, for it is through writing these words that I am attempting to confirm what is left of my sanity. I am still not completely sure that the events which transpired last night actually happened, as the mind is capable of strange and cruel fabrications. If it weren't for one horrible piece of evidence, I would write the whole thing off as nightmare. If only it were that had I ventured too far into the supernatural realms we visit while we sleep!

But no! I fear there is no escape, for even if it were all in my imagination, is there any refuge from the visions that fill our minds? When a moment arrives in which my throughts finally provide me with a brief respite from this terrible affliction, I hear her voice whispering in my ear. What a horrendous punishment! Why has fate chosen me to carry this burden?!

All my life I have had a fascination with the macabre, an attraction that has permeated into my interests and hobbies. My friends and colleagues did their best to warn me that too much attention to grim pursuits would come back to haunt me. I always sloughed off their words, but now it seems their ghastly predictions have come true. It's one thing to enjoy an occasional visit into the shadowy recesses of the world, but the horror that lurks in the darkness is nigh unbearable when there is no escape from it.

It is only now that I am a prisoner that I see the error of my ways. When we lend our minds to the ghoulish world, it can take hold of us and steal our sanity. Dear friends, it is with but a thin thread of reason that I am even able to focus and write these words! So please, hear what I have to say, and take heed of my warning! For if you follow the same path I have tread, you may be the next vicitm of this abnormal, unnatural curse and you will be unable to free yourself from the horror that is this relentelss video game psychosis. Beware!

Continue reading "GameSetSpooky: Halloween Time With Mister Raroo" »

Posted by Bill Sannwald at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

[Continuing his 'Game Time' GSW-exclusive column, Mister Raroo takes a moment to reflect upon the ten years that have passed since the Sega Dreamcast's famous 9-9-09 domestic launch, looking at Fuku-san's piggy ban, Dreamcast "vultures," life-after-death game releases, and much more.]

What a Difference a Decade Makes

Ten years ago today I walked out of my local Software Etc. with a Sega Dreamcast and handful of games for the system. The rest of the day was a blur of slashing all challengers in Soul Calibur, racing down a skyscraper in Sonic Adventure, and throwing everything in sight at my opponents in Power Stone. Not only was I floored by the Dreamcast's vibrant, smooth graphics, but I can't remember a time in which a game system's launch titles provided me with so much happiness on day one.

In many ways, my life was very different a decade ago. I was still fairly fresh out of college and was living at my parents' place while I tried to figure out exactly what I wanted to do in life. I had just switched my status at my library job from full-time to hourly so I could take the upcoming school year to earn my teaching credential. My parents didn't charge me all that much for rent, so I spent most of my free money on video games, and since I was single, playing games helped fill that void in my life, I suppose.

Continue reading "Dreamcast Time With Mister Raroo: Looking Back, Looking Ahead" »

Posted by Bill Sannwald at 4:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

[GameSetWatch has sent GameSetWatch columnist Mister Raroo and his family to San Diego Comic-Con to report on their adventures there. We've been running daily updates from the Raroos as the convention progressed, and after the first, second, third, and fourth parts, the fifth and final segment is about Sunday.]

Sunday, July 26: Crossing the Finish Line

There can definitely be too much of a good thing, and Comic-Con is a prime example of that. After spending more of our waking hours at the San Diego Convention Center this past week than anywhere else, we are more than ready to bid it farewell until next year. Even though we really enjoy attending Comic-Con, it never fails that by the last day we are looking forward to its finish.

Sunday is always Kids Day at Comic-Con, and we got in the spirit by bringing along our 10-year-old nephew, Mario. Even though we were feeling completely wiped out, it was nice to spend the day with someone who was anxious about seeing what Comic-Con had to offer. Mario was definitely looking forward to whatever adventures awaited us at the convention.

When we first walked onto the main floor, we were right by the Bakugan booth, and Mario made a beeline for one of the demo station of the Wii game. There was already another boy playing a two-player session against himself, but he soon handed Mario the second controller and they fumbled their way through the rest of the battle. The Wii game was nothing memorable, but it was fun that at the booth you could pose for a Bakugan-themed snapshot and get a free photo printed out for each person in your group. Nice!

Next up was the Pokémon booth, where kids were given a cute Pokéball beach ball. Mario sat down at one of the many tables to get an introductory lesson on how to play the Pokémon card game. As the tutorial went on, it was clear Mario was starting to get bored, and by the time he was done playing a round with the instructor he was ready for something else. Perhaps learning to play the Pokémon card game was a little too much like being in school!

Continue reading "Comic-Con Time With the Raroos: 2009 Edition (Part 5)" »

Posted by Bill Sannwald at 1:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

[GameSetWatch has sent GameSetWatch columnist Mister Raroo and his family to San Diego Comic-Con to report on their adventures there. We'll be running daily updates from the Raroos as the convention progresses, and after the first, second, and third parts, the fourth segment is about Saturday.]

Saturday, July 25: Running on Fumes

We were originally planning on being at the Convention Center in plenty of time to catch a SpongeBob SquarePants panel at 10:30 am, but all the activity of the past few days has caught up with us and we opted to sleep late instead. Seeing as we were running out of energy throughout the day as it was, I think we made the right decision to let our bodies rest a bit. All in all, we felt both physically tired and a little worn out on Comic-Con in general. It is grueling.

Our slight ennui was compounded by a couple of dud booths. I really wanted to see Scribblenauts at the Warner Bros. booth, but celebrity signings meant the booth was off limits, even though they had a demo station up and running. To top it off, the WB representatives were rather rude when I asked if I could take a quick look at Scribblenauts, so we figured they weren’t worth any more of our time and we went elsewhere.

Sadly, we fared no better at the Mattel booth, where they had Cars toys on sale. Kaz has almost all of the main characters in his collection, but he’s missing Sarge and Sally, both of which were being sold for five dollars each. However, when we got to the front of the line we were informed we couldn’t buy a specific character, but instead would be given a random character for our five dollars. We didn’t want to waste our money since we probability wouldn’t have been able to snag Sarge or Sally without dropping a small fortune, so we told them to forget it. The day was not going well.

Thankfully, my luck soon changed. Taking the time to try out Ignition Entertainment’s games turned my mood around and put me in high spirits. After going a round or two with the impressive-looking King of Fighters XII, I noticed Ignition’s Shane Bettenhausen walking around and introduced myself. Not only had Shane heard of GameSetWatch (hooray!), but he was more than happy to guide me through a demo of Muramasa: The Demon Blade.

Continue reading "Comic-Con Time With the Raroos: 2009 Edition (Part 4)" »

Posted by Bill Sannwald at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

[GameSetWatch has sent GameSetWatch columnist Mister Raroo and his family to San Diego Comic-Con to report on their adventures there. We'll be running daily updates from the Raroos as the convention progresses, and after the first and second parts, the third segment is about Friday.]

Friday, July 24: Quite a Contrast

The great thing about attending every day of Comic-Con is that it helps me fall into the type of “vacation mode” that I enjoyed as a kid during the Summer months away from school. We woke up when we were ready to wake up, took our time getting ready to go, and headed over to the Convention Center at our own pace.

Today we brought Kaz and decided to experiment by not taking along a stroller. Even though that meant a great part of the day was spent with a nearly-40 pound weight riding upon my shoulders, it beat trying to navigate a stroller through the daunting crowds. I think it’s safe to say we’ll be going stroller-less for the remainder of the convention.

On the walk from our car to the Convention Center, we stopped off for a bite to eat. Kaz and I polished off an especially decadent hot fudge sundae. I couldn’t believe how much ice cream my little son ate, not to mention the fact that he let us know he still wanted more by chanting “Ice Cream! Ice Cream!” when the bowl was empty. But we figured he had more than enough sugar and made our way to the Convention Center.

Even though I praised the creativity of many of the costumed attendees in yesterday’s update, I witnessed a couple outfits today that made me realize that some people are better off in street clothes. Whether it was a Klingon with “cameltoe” or Wonder Woman with a not-so-wonderful rear end, there were plenty of examples of sights I didn’t ask to see. I wasn’t the only one in disapproval, either, as I overheard someone behind me make a comment about Wonder Woman to the effect of, “Man, I hope that doesn’t fly around in an invisible plane.”

Continue reading "Comic-Con Time With the Raroos: 2009 Edition (Part 3)" »

Posted by Bill Sannwald at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

[GameSetWatch has sent GameSetWatch columnist Mister Raroo and his family to San Diego Comic-Con to report on their adventures there. We'll be running daily updates from the Raroos as the convention progresses, and after the first part, the second segment is about Thursday.]

Thursday, July 23: Game Day

Thursdays are traditionally the slowest day at Comic-Con, but it seems tradition has been kicked to the curb because it was still pretty busy! Thankfully, the show floor was significantly less crowded thanks to all the panels and events taking place throughout the day. We decided to focus on checking out as many video games as we could manage.

Our son Kaz normally goes to daycare on Thursdays, and we decided we might be more efficient if let him go to “school” as usual and we headed to Comic-Con without him. While it was much easier to navigate from booth to booth, we found ourselves missing our little boy throughout the day and plan on taking with us him for the remainder of the convention.

Honestly, there weren’t that many games that really grabbed my attention off the bat. After strolling through Sony’s, Capcom’s, and EA’s booths, I was not feeling very inspired to push my way through the swarms of bodies to try out any of the demos. I attempted to speak with some of the press representatives at the various game company booths but just about all of them didn’t seem to know very much about the titles on display.

I was about to give up hope on even trying out any games at all when I spotted Bayonetta at the Sega booth and made my way through the crowd to give it a look. I don’t know if I’m too enthralled with the character design, but it seems like a nice, snappy action game. However, it was another game tucked away in the corner of the Sega booth that really got me excited: Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing.

I wish Kaz had been there to see the game because he would’ve been filled with glee. He loves Mario Kart and Sega Superstars Tennis, and with Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing developer Sumo Digital really seems to have combined the best of both words. I was taken aback at just how fun the game was as well as the level of polish it already seems to have, and I can’t wait until its release next year, which should be just in time for Kaz’s third birthday.

Continue reading "Comic-Con Time With the Raroos: 2009 Edition (Part 2)" »

Posted by Bill Sannwald at 9:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

[GameSetWatch has -- in a startling journalistic feat -- sent GameSetWatch columnist Mister Raroo and his family to San Diego Comic-Con to report on their adventures there. We'll be running daily updates from the Raroos as the convention progresses, and the first segment is about Preview Night.]

Wednesday, July 22: Not-So-Exclusive Engagement

There was once a time not very long when San Diego Comic-Con’s Preview Night was a much different affair than what it is today. Even just a few years ago, it was possible to navigate the aisles and not bump into other people at every other step. Booths were free from massive lines and it felt like a truly exclusive affair.

Those days are a long gone. Comic-Con’s main floor may actually be busier on Preview Night than on any other day due to the fact that there are no panels or events to attend, so wandering the aisles and checking out the booths is the only thing to do. With so many people packed into one place, it didn’t take long before the Exhibit Hall felt like a sauna.

Without a doubt, one of the most hectic areas of the entire show floor was the store at Capcom’s booth. Attendees were anxious to spend money on goodies, and Capcom was all too happy to rake in the cash. I promised JC from Tiny Cartridge that I’d pick him up a ServBot keychain, and I’m glad to say I came away successful. But it was quite a memorable battle!

Continue reading "Comic-Con Time With the Raroos: The 2009 Edition (Part 1)" »

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[GameSetWatch is proud to unveil Mister Raroo’s Hauntastic Voyage to Ghosty Ghost’s Island, the first release on our new video game publishing label, GameSetWatchGames. Designed by Mister Raroo, Hauntastic Voyage to Ghosty Ghost’s Island will soon be released for the Raroo Fun System game console. Note: Mister Raroo’s Hauntastic Voyage to Ghosty Ghost’s Island, GameSetWatchGames, and the Raroo Fun System exist solely in the mind of Mister Raroo!]

Junior Game Designer

I fancied myself something of a game designer when I was in elementary school. However, I knew nothing about the technical side of developing video games. Instead, I thought that once imagined in the minds of their creators, video games were somehow just made by companies, as if it simply happened on its own. The idea that actual people were involved in the creation process didn’t even dawn upon me.

My lack of understanding led me to believe that if I had a “genius” idea for a video game, I could send my concept to one of my favorite game companies and within a few months that game would hit store shelves. And, of course, I’d be given a free copy of the game as a reward for my efforts. Naturally, I kept myself very busy by putting pencil to paper and drawing up the levels for my games.

Unfortunately, the companies I sent my video game ideas to didn’t seem to share my vision. To their credit, just about every time I eagerly mailed off my ideas, I received a response. Sadly, all the game companies had the same thing to say: “Sorry, we don’t solicit ideas for games from outside parties.”

I didn’t understand it. I believed my game concepts to be absolutely brilliant. Who wouldn’t love a game starring a guinea pig that had to make it through a series of perilous platforming levels so he could eat the evil carrot king waiting at the end? Or who wouldn’t want to play a game starring a boy with a broken arm named “Cat” who needed to rescue lost cats? It just didn’t make sense to me.

I wish I’d made copies of the game ideas I sent to companies because I never got them back. Most likely, my game designs found their way into the waste paper baskets at the desks of the individuals in charge of opening mail at the various companies. It would be neat to be able revisit the output of my childhood imagination, but all I have left are faint memories of my game ideas.

Continue reading "Game Announcement: Mister Raroo's Hauntastic Voyage to Ghosty Ghost's Island" »

Posted by Bill Sannwald at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

[In a GameSetWatch-exclusive article, Mister Raroo catches up with one of his first gaming loves, Hudson Soft. Hudson have had an interesting presence in the game industry over the years, and Mister Raroo explores not only Hudson Soft's history, but how his personal experiences and feelings have intertwined with the company's software.]

First Kiss, First Love

Two things happened during my eighth grade class’s trip to the East Coast in 1990: I awkwardly kissed a girl for the first time, and I fell in love. However, other than the fact that both happened while I was in New York, the two events are not related to one another. The kiss, in all its embarrassing whoops-our-teeth-just-knocked-together glory happened during a makeshift game of Spin the Bottle while on a late evening bus trip. The falling-in-love, however, occurred one afternoon at FAO Schwartz toy store.

Fresh off its cameo in the Tom Hanks flick Big, FAO Schwartz was a destination that excited many of us eighth graders, if only because we wanted to visit the store we had seen in the movie. Thankfully, we were not disappointed, and our senses were almost overwhelmed with the many dazzling sights and sounds that surrounded us. But for me, my attention was focused on a wall of television screens working in unison to display an incredible sight: Alien Crush for the Turbografx-16.

I was not unfamiliar with the Turbografx-16, and in fact I had brought along a number of video game magazines jam-packed with information about the system on the trip with me, but this was the first I had seen any of the system’s games in motion. Put simply, I was blown away. Alien Crush sported a level of graphical detail the likes of which I’d never seen outside of an arcade, and I declared then and there that I’d do whatever it took to own a Turbografx-16. Unfortunately, this was easier said than done.

With an allowance of five dollars per week, it would take a ridiculously long period of time to save up for a Turbografx-16, not to mention a game or two to play. To my mom, a video game system was a video game system, and she didn’t understand why in the world I needed another game system when I had a perfectly good Atari 7800 at home. It took months of effort on my part to even get her to the point of considering the prospect of buying me a Turbograx-16, and it wasn’t until my birthday in 1991 that I finally got my mitts on the system.

Continue reading "COLUMN: Game Time With Mr. Raroo: 'Love Stung: My Affair With Hudson Soft'" »

Posted by Bill Sannwald at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

[In an interesting mash-up, the latest instalment of Mister Raroo's regular GameSetWatch column uses one of his wife’s blog posts as the backbone for this article, discussing the trials and tribulations of parenthood -- specifically about how being a dad has changed his gaming tastes.]

From Akemi Monster to Car Monster

Not too long ago my wife Akemi wrote an entry called "Taking After Our Child" on her blog that discusses how becoming a mother has led to her taking up interests should would normally have no taste for simply because our son loves them. One of the key examples she gives is how even though she’s never had any inclination to think twice about cars, our car-obsessed toddler has given her a new appreciation for them.

Akemi remembers, “When I was pregnant with our son, my husband and I decided that we wanted to keep the baby's gender a surprise. We not only liked the idea that the birth would be like getting to open the biggest surprise gift ever, but we also wanted to avoid the trap of receiving piles of gender specific shower gifts. The thought of ending up with a collection of ‘My Little Slugger’ or ‘Our Princess’ apparel truly appalled us. We were determined to raise our child in as gender neutral a way as possible. And then...our son was born.”

Indeed, though we didn’t intentionally steer Kaz toward “boy” interests, those seemed to be what he just naturally gravitated towards. For example, from before the time he was a year old, he loved playing with balls, usually in the form of throwing them directly at my head (often when I wasn’t expecting it). He seriously possesses an amazingly good arm for such a little guy! But it was in past few months that he found his true love: cars.

Continue reading "Game Time With Mister Raroo: Growing as a Parent, Growing as a Gamer" »

Posted by Bill Sannwald at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

[In a change of pace from his usual articles, Mister Raroo reports on an unhealthy gaming trend that has recently plagued Japan. With reckless abandon for personal health, a subculture of users exploited a medical product as a way to engage in intense competition for top spot upon an online leaderboard. Thanks goes to GameSetWatch’s Japanese correspondent Shiichi Okuma for assistance in interview translation.]

Use Only as Directed

Sometimes ideas that are sound in theory can end up having unforeseen devastating effects. This past week, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare issued a recall order for Makoto Otoi Corporation’s Happy Health Toilet Seat. In a sad bit of irony, the device, which was intended to provide a fun and interesting way for Japanese consumers to monitor their personal health, quickly led to a wave of hospitalizations for a surprisingly large number of its owners.

Using state of the art medical technology, the Happy Health Toilet Seat examines users’ bowel movements and, by calculating numerous factors such as toxin levels, provides corresponding health data. Instead of a complicated medical readout, however, information is presented on a small LCD screen featuring a charming, customizable character that looks like something from the Dragon Quest series, not unlike Takara Tomy’s BankQuest. When healthy ratings are registered, the character “levels up” and can be equipped with new outfits and accessories. Also, users’ health ratings are updated on an online leaderboard with each use of the Happy Health Toilet Seat.

Unfortunately, a flaw in the design of the Happy Health Toilet Seat was quickly discovered and exploited by users, leading to a frantic battle for top spot aboard the leaderboard. Users found their character’s statistics could easily be boosted in accordance with the amount of solid waste they created at each session, which led to extreme overeating and abuse of laxatives by top scorers. Though Makoto Otoi Corporation attempted to solve the problem with a firmware upgrade, most users of the Happy Health Toilet Seat choose not to accept the update and instead kept exploiting the glitch.

Shunichi Okada, vice chairman of Makoto Otoi Corporation, states that his company did all within its power to combat the problem. “We attempted to issue the firmware upgrade, but when that didn’t work, we offered a monetary rebate for anyone that traded their Happy Health Toilet Seat in for a newer model with the updated software.” Additionally, Makoto Otoi Corporation ran television and radio advertisements urging users to use the Happy Health Toilet Seat as an instrument for health, but these attempts may have actually backfired and sparked more interest in competing for the top spot atop the online leaderboard.

Continue reading "Mister Raroo Investigates: Japan's Dangerous "Toilet Gaming" Subculture" »

Posted by Bill Sannwald at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

[Mister Raroo's been a very busy man in the past few months, which means his regular GSW column has been a little on the sparse side a of late. However, anyone looking for a Raroo fix should note that he has been quietly chronicling the games he's been playing on his relatively new blog, Moments. Here's some highlights...]

Mass Effect (Xbox 360)
As my party and I approach the Presidium on our way to the Wards, we encounter an argument between a Turian officer and a Hanar evangelist. The poor officer seems at wit’s end trying to dissuade the Hanar from continuing to preach without a license. Even though I’ve got more important business to take care of, I decide to step in and see if there’s anything I can do to help.

The Hanar claims to have no money but feels it’s wrong to have to pay to spread its message. The Turian, on the other hand, is just trying to do his job and obviously would rather not be dealing with such a trivial issue. After hearing both parties out I decide to pay for the Hanar’s permit and everyone is happy. I linger for just a moment to take in the strangeness of the jellyfish-like Hanar’s appearance before continuing on my way.

Continue reading "GameSetPlaying: Mister Raroo's Moments" »

Posted by Bill Sannwald at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

[Returning to his GameSetWatch-exclusive column after a break, gaming's very own Garrison Keillor, the permanently sunny Mister Raroo looks at why, although many gamers are accustomed to certain types of structure in games, the moment-to-moment enjoyment of playing may be even more important.]

Just Noodling Around

Recently I was trying to describe the Playstation 3’s delightfully odd Noby Noby Boy to some of my friends, but the same question kept coming up: “What do you do?”

I tried to explain how basically you control a kind of a stretchy noodle that can make itself longer and shorter, and you can direct the noodle to eat objects in its environment only to expel them out of its rear end. Noby Noby Boy is certainly more of a plaything than a game, and this concept was difficult for many of my friends to grasp.

As for me, some of my favorite video games are those in which there really isn’t a point to them. I can lose myself for hours in a title such as Electroplankton on the Nintendo DS.

Though many people may not understand the appeal of what is essentially a musical toy, Electroplankton’s allocation for seemingly infinite sound combinations is like heaven for me. There are no levels to complete, no Achievements to unlock, no story to keep track of. Some gamers may get frustrated and ask, “How do I win? When does the game end? What am I supposed to be doing?” Instead, I can just have fun with musical experimentation.

Continue reading "Game Time With Mister Raroo: Gaming in the Now" »

Posted by Bill Sannwald at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

[Mister Raroo's latest regular GameSetWatch column considers the positive and negative aspects of digital distribution - where, naturally arguments for and against are made by an angel and devil sitting upon his shoulders. Can the angel and devil reach a consensus, or will Mister Raroo have to listen to their squabbling to no end?]

Is there really anything to debate here? It’s obvious that Mister Raroo loves digital downloads! Look at all the games he’s purchased from the Wii Shopping Channel, Playstation Store, and Xbox Live Arcade. In fact, he probably plays those games more than any of his disc-based games.

No more driving to the store to buy games. No more game cases cluttering up his shelves. No more having to get off the couch to change game discs! He has completely stepped into the digital distribution era!

Oh come now! Mister Raroo’s got some hang-ups about digital distribution. Remember all those digital duds he bought? Does Heavy Weapon ring a bell? Or how about RoboBlitz? They’re just sitting neglected and taking up valuable space on Mister Raroo’s Xbox 360’s hard drive. In an ideal situation, those games would be eBay fodder. But, oh wait! Mister Raroo can’t resell games that he’s downloaded, can he?

Let’s not forget, Devil Raroo, that digitally downloaded games are usually significantly cheaper than disc-based games. Together, the two “duds” you mentioned cost $25, which is less than half the price of most new Xbox 360 discs. Sure, it’s unfortunate that Mister Raroo wasted $25 on games he doesn’t play (knucklehead!), but that’s his fault.

Every Xbox Live Arcade game has a demo, as do some Playstation Network games. As for Wii…? Well, you’re on your own in that department, but in this day and age it’s not hard to go online and read impressions and reviews.

I’ll agree that Mister Raroo is sometimes an idiot when it comes to buying games he shouldn’t waste his money on, but there are times when the demos can make games seem more tantalizing than they actually are. You buy the game and—poof!—you’re stuck with a disappointment.

And publishers sure do what they can to make digitally downloaded games a breeze to purchase. How many times does a message pop up in the middle of a demo prompting you to buy the game? If the demo is halfway decent, it can be hard not to accept the offer and purchase the game on the spot, especially when the price is often deceptively unclear.

“Deceptively unclear?” I assume you’re referring to the use of “points” instead of actual monetary units for games downloaded from the Xbox 360 and the Wii. I’m surprised you’re not fond of that, since it is indeed devilish of Microsoft and Nintendo to substitute real money with points. Get it? “Devilish”? Haha! Ahem. Getting back on point, I'll admit that purchasing games via digital distribution can sometimes make it feel like you're not spending actual money. After all, there is no physical transaction taking place and you’re often spending pre-purchased points instead of dollars.

Dropping 400 points on a game feels far less significant than spending five dollars. But all the same, unless you have only a juvenile grasp of monetary and mathematical understanding, there is no deception in the fact that you are spending actual money. You do have to spend money on points in the first place, after all.

Continue reading "Game Time With Mister Raroo: 'Two Sides to the Story: The Pros and Cons of Digital Distribution'" »

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[Mister Raroo contemplates what life is like when you're in love with a non-gamer. Speaking from experience, he provides inside tips on how to have a happy and healthy relationship without sacrificing playing video games. This may be the first GameSetWatch article to visually depict carnal relations, too!]

Eat, Breathe, Game

You’ve met the girl of your dreams. You seem to have so much in common. Everything is going swimmingly. And then it happens: You find out the object of your affection doesn’t have any interest in video games. Is this relationship doomed? Stay calm. It’ll be fine!

Two people can be very much in love without sharing the exact same set of interests. The problem for many serious gamers, however, is that they don’t just play video games, but their lives are often consumed by them. Even when they’re not playing games, they’re talking about them, reading about them, writing about them, or thinking about them.

At least, that’s how it is for me, and I’m sure it’s that way for plenty others, too. Video games are more than just a casual hobby for me. I can’t remember a day in which video games didn’t factor in one way or another. While some people don’t go a day without checking in on the stock market or tackling a crossword puzzle, I don’t pass a day without somehow doing something game-related.

Of course, that’s not to say video games are my top priority in life. I take pride in being the best friend and husband I can for Missus Raroo. Also, ever since I became a father almost two years ago, parenting has been more important than gaming. Thus, I’m very family-oriented, and I often tell Missus Raroo that my two main goals in life are to be both the best father and best husband I can be.

But all the same, I’m still enthralled by video games and they are a part of my being. I loved video games when I first met Missus Raroo, I loved video games when I fell head over heels for her, I loved video games when we got married, and I loved video games when our son Kaz came into the world. That’s just the way it is, but thankfully it’s okay because my affection for games has not outweighed my affection for the things in life that are more important.

Continue reading "Game Time With Mr. Raroo: 'Cross-Platform Lovers: How To Cope When Your Girl Isn’t A Gamer'" »

Posted by Bill Sannwald at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

[Another 365 days has passed, and in an exclusive GameSetWatch article, regular columnist Mister Raroo takes the opportunity to reflect upon 2008 in terms of not only gaming, but his personal life as well -- and as an added bonus, he includes his top 10 games of the year!]

2008: Challenging But Rewarding

It’s hard to believe that 2008 is already drawing to a close, but looking back it was certainly a full and busy year. Between watching my son Kaz develop and grow on a seemingly daily basis, working full time, and taking courses toward my Master’s of Library and Information Science degree, it’s felt like I’ve barely had time to do much else. That said, I always make an effort to squeeze a little recreation into my days, usually in the form of playing video games. It’s important to step back from things and give yourself a break, even if it’s only 15 minutes here or there.

Financially, 2008 was more than a bit depressing. The economy’s instability led to ongoing budget cuts at work, causing both Missus Raroo and me to worry about our job security. Our home, which we purchased last year, continued to drop in value while, at the same time, we had to pump more money into it to fix a few problems that arose. Our cars both needed to have some costly work done on them while other expenses, such as rising daycare costs, just continued to pile up. We’ve managed to squeak out from under these financial weights and stay in the black, but not by much.

Even in difficult financial times, though, things don’t seem so bad when you have people in your life that make each day feel special. I’m very fortunate to have such a lovely wife and wonderful son, not to mention both sides of our families in town. Holidays and special celebrations are always happy times because we are able spend them with the people we love. As trite as it may sound, I may not be wealthy in terms of money, but I’m a rich man when you consider how much family support and love I have. Family can sometimes be stressful, but the good by far outweighs the bad.

As a parent, 2008 was a particularly amazing year because I was able to watch Kaz grow from being just a cute little guy we took care of to a bona fide member of the family. It’s pretty incredible to think that at the beginning of the year he didn’t know how to walk or say any real words. These days, he’s running all over the place, helps pick up his toys, uses actual words to talk, and even takes on the chore of feeding our dog Howie his dinner. It sounds funny, but Missus Raroo and I often comment that Kaz has finally become a “real person.”

As a whole, I think 2008 was pretty spectacular. There were far more highs than lows for me, and there isn’t much I’d change given the opportunity. My family was healthy, a lot of great memories were created, and even the presidential candidate I voted for won the election, for once! Yep, 2008 was not a bad year by any stretch of the imagination. And when I think about all the excellent games I played during the year, it just seems even sweeter.

Continue reading "A Year With Mister Raroo: Bidding a Fond Farewell to 2008" »

Posted by Bill Sannwald at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

[Mister Raroo continues his exploration of “non-games,” this time with an examination of the oft-maligned Wii Music. Raroo believes that anyone with the slightest bit of musical knowledge, a touch of rhythm, and plenty of creativity should think twice before they dismiss Wii Music. It may not be software that all gamers can appreciate, but it may also be worth another look.]

Not Just For Band Nerds

When I was growing up, I played the trumpet. I did so through junior high, but got out of band by the time I entered high school because I was too embarrassed to join the marching band and take the field during halftime at football games. Remembering the jeers the band received from spectators, I think I might have made the right choice. I wasn’t one of the “cool” kids in high school, but I also wasn’t one of the “losers,” which sadly most of the band kids were. They had a tendency to get picked on and teased by the other students, which was something I was more than happy to avoid.

Still, I have some great memories from being in band. Many bandleaders think it is fun to have the kids play “Tequila,” and mine was no different. Of course, being junior high kids, some of us boys took this as an opportunity to display our lack of maturity, and we’d always yell “Pussy!” instead of “Tequila!” It was usually drowned out in the crowd, but every now and then I swear our bandleader would raise an eyebrow, trying to figure out if he actually heard what he thought he just did.

And, despite not keeping up with band, I continued to be involved with music. Like many high school kids, I started expanding my musical palate by listening to new bands, especially those that weren't played ad nauseum on the radio. My friend Jon and I got really into experimental music and death metal, and we’d get together and jam with a drummer named Travis. Jon was a better musician than me, but our styles melded well and we always had a blast.

Continue reading "(Not Quite) Game Time With Mister Raroo: "From Cacophony to Harmony: Wii Music is Better Than You’ve Heard"" »

Posted by Bill Sannwald at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

[Missus Raroo once again takes the helm in the Game Time column, bringing her unique and personal perspective to the topic of commitment. With our lives seemingly getting busier all the time, it’s tough to commit to just about anything, especially gaming. Missus Raroo examines how in many ways her life has become a series of “quickie” commitments, and brings this discussion around toward ways in which games can successfully make use of the “quickie” mentality.]

My Life in Quickies

There are a few things in life that I wish would always last longer, things such as my almost-two-year old son’s naps and the time between my head hitting the pillow and my alarm clock going off. Notice that both of these examples involve sleep. I love sleep—I have since I was a little kid. Unlike my son, who seems to defy the sleep requirements for a toddler since he barely naps and can stay up as late as a teenager, I was the kid who could fall asleep standing up or while sitting in a high chair with my face in a cup.

So, barring sleep, I must say that I often prefer that things in life would be shorter. Take movies. I don’t have the patience for movies that last much more than about 90-minutes. In fact, since our son was born, Mister Raroo and I have given up on watching most movies altogether, opting instead to rent TV shows on DVD. While it can seem nearly impossible to squeeze a complete movie into our evening schedule, we can easily commit to fitting in a quick television episode.

Of course, ironically, we have been known to become addicted to certain television series and end up watching multiple episodes in a single sitting. We’ll get to the credit music, hit “next” on our DVD remote, and anxiously hope that there’s still another episode on the disc. While this means the sum of our watching time sometimes ends up being way more than the time it would’ve taken to watch a movie, the initial commitment is something that is always much easier to make.

Being afraid of commitment is not something people would normally associate with me. I love being married and never went through the experience of having cold feet before our wedding. I never thought twice about ending up stuck in a job forever nor did I worry about how being a mother would be a life-long endeavor. These are major life commitments, but they are ones that are easy for me. The ones that I find hard are the day-to-day commitments that I face.

Continue reading "Missus Raroo Says: "Quickie Gaming: Small Commitment Equals Big Fun"" »

Posted by Bill Sannwald at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

[For those of us old enough to remember arcade gaming during its peak, Mister Raroo takes us on a trip down memory lane, recalling the beauty of the high score. Though their importance may have been diminished in the more recent past, his GameSetWatch column examines how in some ways, they may be more popular than ever.]

Pizza Grease Memories

During my formative gaming years of the early- to mid-1980s, I spent much of my free time at the local Straw Hat pizza parlor. Located less than 10 minutes from my house by bike, Straw Hat featured a special area of the establishment that was dedicated to arcade games. Crammed with the hottest new cabinets, Straw Hat’s makeshift arcade drew a menagerie of gamers from the local area, each with pockets full of quarters and one goal in mind: high scores.

Straw Hat’s arcade games not only attracted nerdy little kids like me, but it was also a hangout for some of the seedier teenagers and adults from the surrounding neighborhoods. Hyperactive, long-haired, pimple-faced rockers with faded Ratt t-shirts, 30-something go-nowheres still living at home and getting an allowance from their mothers, and burned-out stoners zoning out and forgetting where they are at and what they are doing are but a sampling of Straw Hat’s rogues gallery of gamers.

I quickly discovered the optimal times to visit Straw Hat during which I could steer clear of the shadier patrons. Still, there were those few unavoidable times when I’d end up playing shoulder to shoulder with some pretty questionable fellows.

I’m still filled with fear when I think back to being yelled at by one particularly fierce Gauntlet player. I wasn’t necessarily appreciative of the swearing that was blasted in my direction and in my honor, but at least I picked up a few choice combinations of curse words that I’d never heard before.

No matter whom it was that frequented Straw Hat on any given day, there was nary a person immune to allure of being able to permanently make a mark of their gaming prowess by scoring enough points to enter their initials on a game’s high score screen. There were a handful of diehard Straw Hat regulars who continually jostled for the number one position, proudly putting their initials on display.

And, on the other side of the token, there were jokers who took the golden opportunity to perform electronic graffiti by entering their initials as FUK, DIK, ASS, or any other number of clever three-letter profanities. I only managed to claw my way to the bottom of the high score charts on a few rare occasions, but it still was enough to make me feel like I was riding on air as I peddled my bike back home.

Continue reading "Game Time With Mister Raroo: "Get High: The Return of the Score"" »

Posted by Bill Sannwald at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

[Do you finish your games? Do you believe a game’s quality is measured in part by its length? Regular GSW columnist Mister Raroo takes a brief moment to reflect upon why some games keep his attention while others don’t. As it turns out, he loses interest in most of the games he plays, and he thinks he has the answer to why this is.]

I have a guilty secret: I rarely finish video games. There was a time I used to play every game I tackled to completion, often replaying games multiple times to uncover every last secret. Not so these days.

Between working full time, pursuing a Master’s degree, and being actively involved in family life, the spare morsels of time I have to devote to gaming are a luxury I try not to waste. When a game gets to the point where any degree of tedium sets in, I often end up moving on to something else.

It’s not really the fault of the games, I suppose. Nobody wants to pay $60 for an experience that is over in an evening. Thus, games are usually stuffed with enough content keep players busy for weeks or even months. That said, too often the length of games is artificially lengthened in order to provide players with the perception of a longer experience. I’ve done enough backtracking and fetch quests in games to know filler when I see it.

It pleases me to report, then, that the other night I actually finished a game. I did it in one sitting, too. The game was Portal, which I’d heard so many great things about but never got around to playing until then.

Continue reading "Game Time With Mister Raroo: A Short and Sweet Look at Game Length vs. Quality" »

Posted by Bill Sannwald at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

[Happy Halloween, GameSetWatch readers! After a short hiatus, Mister Raroo returns to discuss some of the games he’s been playing this Halloween season. As is par for the course in Raroo’s articles, other topics manage to find their way into the mix, including embarrassing Halloween costumes, scurrying cats, The Puberty Fairy, and more!

Halloween Time With Mister Raroo

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday, going back to my earliest memories of childhood when my mom wouldn’t allow me to buy pricey costumes, opting instead to settle for budget-priced fare that was, in her opinion, just as good. “Just as good” didn’t cut it when I was a Return of the Jedi-obsessed elementary school kid in 1983 and had my heart set on dressing up as one of the pig-like Gamorrean Guards from Jabba the Hutt’s palace.

Since my mom wouldn’t fork over the cash for an expensive costume, I had to don a cheap plastic mask and body suit that made me look more like a Gamorrean Janitor than anything else. Such a get-up effectively made me a subject of mockery for some of the hooligan junior high kids who also chose to dress as Gamorrean Guards but were lucky enough to have realistic-looking rubber masks. But, I forgive her! Now that I’m a parent, I understand that there’s not always money available for frivolous expenses like costly Halloween costumes.

Still, even something like the Gamorrean Guard embarrassment wasn’t enough to deter my love of Halloween. I don’t think there’s been a year yet when I haven’t dressed up, and between chaperoning my niece Autumn and my son Kaz, trick-or-treating has continued to be an annual ritual for me. This year will be no different; Kaz and I will be dressing up as bees and Missus Raroo will be taking on the role of beekeeper. I’m hoping that having such a cute theme will score us extra candy when we make our trick-or-treat rounds!

Halloween was the first major holiday Missus Raroo and I celebrated together, and the memory was so special that we decided to make it our wedding date. Having our anniversary on Halloween makes it feel like the world is celebrating right along with us. Instead of a cheesy romantic dinner over candlelight, Missus Raroo and I will be carving pumpkins, eating candy, and watching Kaz take in the wonder of his second Halloween.

But when all is said and done, one of my favorite ways to wind down after a long evening of Halloween festivities is to kick back and play some video games. Over the years there has been no shortage of game releases perfectly suited for a creepy Halloween night, and this year has been no different. So, without further ado, I present you with Mister Raroo’s Top Picks for Halloween 2008!

Continue reading "Game Time With Mister Raroo: Mister Raroo's Top Picks for Halloween 2008!" »

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[In honor of the 9th anniversary of the Dreamcast launch in the United States, GSW columnist Mister Raroo takes a look back at 9 of his favorite Sega Dreamcast memories. Beyond simply being a home console on which to enjoy some games, the Dreamcast allowed Mister Raroo to bond with a young student, speak to strange creatures, and even contributed to him falling in love with Missus Raroo. For anyone that fondly remembers the Sega Dreamcast, this article is for you!]

Nine Years Old Already!

The Sega Dreamcast has reached legendary status in recent years, with many gamers placing it upon a pedestal and citing it as the best console in the history of home video gaming. There is no doubt that the Dreamcast was a fantastic machine, but I’ll leave the debate over its place in the annals of gaming history to the denizens of gaming message boards and forums. I love the Dreamcast, and I’ll just keep my opinion as simple as that.

With a software library full of diverse and engaging titles like Chu Chu Rocket, Shenmue, Tech Romancer, and Daytona USA, the Dreamcast offers a smorgasbord of software for just about any gaming taste. Though the system may have lived only a short life, it was an extremely memorable one, and it has made a significant impact upon me as a gamer.

In my opinion, the Dreamcast was the last system that truly wowed me. I’ve had a blast with just about all of the game consoles that have been released since the Dreamcast’s U.S. launch of 9/9/99 (And for the record… Yes, I know, it was released in Japan almost a year before that!), but no other system has struck me as being such a massive step forward. As great as Xbox Live is, for instance, my favorite online gaming memories come from the 56k-enabled Dreamcast.

In honor of the Dreamcast’s 9th U.S. “birthday,” I thought it would be fun to take a look nine memories relating to Sega’s last home console that stick out in my mind. The Dreamcast holds a dear place in my gamer’s heart, and there is certainly a reason it is still hooked up to my television and given regular play almost a decade after I first brought it home from the store. So, without further delay, I present nine of the many things I love about the Sega Dreamcast.

The Day Itself: 9/9/99

I had only one thing on my agenda for September 9, 1999: Play Sega Dreamcast. And indeed, that is all I did. I had preordered the system at my local Software Etc. and, to their credit, they had a very efficient set-up for picking up preordered Dreamcast consoles and games. Granted, there was nowhere near the level of launch day madness that there is today. Nobody was camped out for days beforehand and everything was calm and orderly. But all the same there sure were a lot of people at Software Etc. excitedly picking up their Dreamcasts.

My day was a blur of Soul Calibur, Power Stone, Hydro Thunder, and Sonic Adventure. I remember calling my friend Henry to tell him how awesome the system was, and he quickly drove over to my place for a few hours of Soul Calibur goodness. I was floored by the clarity of the graphics and the intriguing oddness of the system. The VMU, for example, with its little screen within the controller, was so weird and neat! All four of the games I bought that day have held up surprisingly well over time, though people may argue Sonic Adventure is nowhere near as good as it seemed back then. Still, I’d propose that being chased at breakneck speed by a killer whale is pretty fantastic!

Continue reading "'Happy Anniversary, Sega Dreamcast' - Starring Mr. Raroo" »

Posted by Bill Sannwald at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

[Feast your eyes on this! Regular GSW columnist Mister Raroo continues his specially funded examination of non-games with a look at Flash Focus for the Nintendo DS. As it turns out, Mister Raroo's prescription called for eye strain, dizziness, and an eventual secession from the exhausting demands that Nintendo places upon its loyal fans.]

Of Side Eyes and Chalazions

When my niece Autumn was in fifth grade, I was introduced to the term “side eye.” A boy in her class had a lazy eye, and in the type of merciless mockery typical of elementary school children, the other kids started calling it his side eye. However, despite the heartlessness of such a mean term, it became a part of our family’s vernacular and we’ve been referring to lazy eyes as side eyes ever since.

Missus Raroo’s family is not at all unfamiliar with the curse of the side eye. Though somehow she was lucky enough to have missed the side eye gene, both her brother Thomas and his son Mario have extremely noticeable side eyes, enough so that they’ve both had to attend training sessions with a specialized doctor in order to help improve their eye control. The trainings have been very beneficial and allowed for improved vision, but they’re also costly and intense.

Recently, I came to the realization that I, too, have a bit of a side eye. It’s nowhere near as noticeable as that of Thomas, Mario, or the poor boy in Autumn’s class, but it’s still evident enough that I’ve been worried about it. I’d always thought my eyes looked a little funny when I saw photos of myself, but since nobody ever specifically mentioned that I had a side eye, I never gave it much thought. However, recently I was trying out some of Mario’s eye exercises (he gets “eye homework” from the sessions!) and couldn’t do them.

Continue reading "Not Quite Game Time With Mister Raroo: (Side) Eye Training in Minutes a Day!" »

Posted by Bill Sannwald at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

[Get ready for more non-game exploration as our very own regular GSW columnist Mister Raroo puts on his magic hat, picks up his Nintendo DS, and tries his hand at Master of Illusion. Unfortunately, it turns out being a master magician is not as easy as it would seem. Do you believe in magic, dear GameSetWatch readers?]

Come to Mister Raroo’s Magic Show… Or Not

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always had a soft spot for magic. When I was in elementary school, I purchased a set of magic cards from the school’s annual book fair and put in hours of practice in order to “masterfully” pull off card tricks for all onlookers. Unfortunately, “all onlookers” equated to my mom, who was kind enough to sit and suffer through my clumsy magic routines, sweetly pretending to be impressed with my lack of magical prowess. I wasn’t a very good magician, it seemed.

But my poor performance as a magician never deterred my enthusiasm for magic, at least until I met my wife. At the time we first started dating, I was much more into music than I am now, and I especially liked a lot of symphonic metal, much of which uses a great deal of synthesizers and keyboards. Once while listening to a particularly synth-heavy album in the car, Missus Raroo noted, “This sounds like ‘magic music.’” I wasn’t quite sure what she meant, so she elaborated. “Magic music” is the cheesy keyboard-heavy soundtracks that accompany flashy magical performances. As magicians and their assistants prance around stage, the music blares to amplify the excitement and drama.

Being that it’s both over-the-top and thoroughly corny, being compared to "magic music" is hardly a compliment for any album. But here’s the sad thing: Missus Raroo was right. A lot of the music I was listening to at the time had more than a passing resemblance to the audio atrocity that is “magic music.” I couldn’t listen to some of those albums ever again without picturing some clown like David Copperfield waving his arms and raising his eyebrows as he turned a woman into a tiger.

Yet even with the cards stacked against me, so to speak, my affinity for magic was recently reignited when I got my hands on Master of Illusion for the Nintendo DS. After spending a couple of hours checking out all the neat tricks the software allows users to perform, I became even more excited and a grand vision played out in my head. I decided I was going to put on a magic show of epic proportions. I began thinking of people I could invite and I even told my teenage niece Autumn to let all her friends know about the upcoming event. I could hear the announcer’s voice…

“Ladies and gentleman, prepare to be dazzled by this showcase of Mister Raroo’s magical might! Expect the unexpected as Mister Raroo wows you with clever and mysterious tricks and puzzles! With the aid of his trusty Nintendo DS, Mister Raroo will—hey, wait! Where is everybody going? Come back! You’re going to miss the magic!”

Yes, that’s right. Nobody seemed to care about my magic show, especially when they learned I was going to be performing the tricks with my Nintendo DS. My show was a failure even before it even happened! Maybe it’s because people don’t trust the legitimacy of magic via an electronic device. Or perhaps it’s because magic just isn’t popular these days. After all, even the most famous illusionists like David Blaine are better known for their feats of endurance more than their traditional magic. Whatever the case, Mister Raroo’s Magic Show was a flop before it ever got off the ground.

Continue reading "Not Quite Game Time With Mister Raroo: Mister Raroo’s Magical Mishaps" »

Posted by Bill Sannwald at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

[Mister Raroo returns with his regular 'Game Time' column to discuss how his personal finances no longer permit him to buy games in the same quantity as he used to - and why that isn't necessarily a bad thing, given the multitude of choices and alternatives available to today's gamer.]

From Surplus to Deficit

It’s interesting how just a short amount of time can make such a difference on your perspective. Videogames certainly have the potential to be an expensive hobby, and a few years ago I didn’t think twice about dropping $50 on any game that caught my attention. I had enough disposable income that the price of games was never a factor in my decision-making process. Instead, if something looked interesting, I went for it. I was spending hundreds of dollars a month on games because, quite simply, I could.

Today, however, it’s an entirely different story. In a nutshell, I can’t afford games like I used to be able to, and I know from speaking with many of my peers that they’re in the same boat. Not only has my salary remained stagnant while the cost of living has gone through the roof, but I have more expenses than ever. Back when I was able to buy games on a whim, I didn’t have to worry about mortgage payments, child care costs, or climbing gas prices. Money is a lot tighter now, and that has had a serious impact on my spending habits.

I’m happy to report I’ve managed to find ways to continue purchasing and enjoying games, though not without making many sacrifices and significantly changing my spending habits. The days of buying any game that catches my fancy may be long gone, but I’m continuing to find ways to fund my favorite hobby. I might not be able to spend hundreds of dollars a month, but I can still buy new games from time to time.

There are many strategies I’ve employed to help free up some gaming funds, and overall I think I’ve been very successful. I might not be buying games at the frequency I did in the past, but in many ways I’m actually getting more enjoyment out of my game purchases. Without sounding too much like an infomercial, I must point out that the fiscal tactics that have worked for me may not be the right fit for others, but hopefully this article will give readers some ideas on how to still afford games even when their wallets may be getting awfully thin.

Continue reading "Game Time With Mister Raroo: 'How to Afford Games When Your Cash Flow is Low'" »

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[We sent regular GSW columnist Mister Raroo and his family to Comic-Con to report on the event from their usual unique perspective. While the Raroos spent a lot of time investigating the games on display, they also found time to meet up with friends, ride long escalators, and even overhear the difference between Ronald McDonald toys.]

In The Beginning

It all started with Maurice. He used to be a delivery driver for the library system I work for. In his spare time, he volunteered for San Diego Comic-Con International. Almost a decade ago, Maurice was kind enough to use his influence as a volunteer to get Missus Raroo and I into our first Comic-Con. We’ve been hooked ever since.

Maurice was always a humble and unassuming guy, spending his days driving heavy totes of books from library to library. However, as we were about to find out, at Comic-Con he was almost like a rock star. We set up a place and time to meet and before long, we saw Maurice walking toward us.

Dressed in a full suit, Maurice escorted us past the massive lines of hopeful attendees. Along the way, security guards and other Comic-Con staffed greeted him, calling him “sir.” At the front of the line Maurice introduced us as his personal guests and the staff treated us like we were royalty. It was rather surreal.

I haven’t talked to Maurice too much in recent years because he transferred to another department, but every now and then we bump into him at Comic-Con. He’s often leading panels with big name celebrities or generally walking around looking busy but happy. It’s pretty neat to think that Maurice’s simple kindness of hooking Missus Raroo and I up with free Comic-Con passes that one Summer led to us becoming regular attendees, anxiously looking forward to each year’s convention.

Over time, our interest in Comic-Con has waned a little, mainly because it has become increasingly crowded, making the simple act of walking very difficult a great deal of the time. In addition, as we’ve gotten older we’ve had less energy and patience—not to mention spending money—to handle the demands of such a massive event. Nevertheless, we always end up having a good time and each year has been a memorable event.

Continue reading "Comic-Con Time With The Raroos: A Report From San Diego Comic-Con International 2008" »

Posted by Bill Sannwald at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

[Adorable regular GSW columnist Mister Raroo has been specially funded by GSW to examine what we're elegantly calling “not quite games” - and he starts things off with a visit to My Pokémon Ranch on the Nintendo Wii. Anyone who has ever awkwardly been harassed by a farm boy for being a “City” should take special note with this piece!]

Not Much of a Farmer

In one way or another, farms have always been a part of my life. My family’s American roots are in the Midwest. My parents were both born and raised in Illinois and my mom’s family owned a farm since the time she was a young girl. It’s important to point out the difference between owning a farm and living and working on a farm. My mom was raised in the suburbs of Rockford, so she’s in no way a farm girl by any stretch of the imagination, but it just so happened that her family happened to own a farm in the nearby rural areas. Today, she and her brother both retain co-ownership of the farm and all things considered it’s been a solid investment for them.

When I was a kid, I didn’t fully grasp the concept of how farms worked. My view of farm life was primarily limited to the cartoons I watched, and since my family relocated from the Midwest to Southern California when I was still an infant, going to visit the family-owned farm wasn’t something I had an easy opportunity to do. To me, farms were places where Foghorn Leghorn stood just out of reach as he teased leashed dogs.

We usually visited my Grandpa’s home in Illinois during summers, but I spent most of my days there playing with amazing vintage toys in his basement, looking for treasures in his attic, and catching fireflies (who somehow managed to open the lid on the jar and escape after I went to sleep... which I discovered years later was my mom letting them free to live out the rest of their little lives). Going to visit the farm wasn’t something that was on the agenda.

Continue reading "Not Quite Game Time With Mister Raroo: 'Harvest Mew: My Time as a Pokémon Rancher'" »

Posted by Bill Sannwald at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

[In this article, Mister Raroo takes a look at the assumptions that are not only made about gamers, but that gamers themselves make Along the way he manages to discuss a potential murderer that frequents the library, a "bear" meet-up at Disneyland, discussing games with a UPS delivery driver, and more!]

Never Judge a Book…

While using a phrase like “never judge a book by its cover” to begin an article is fairly corny, I thought maybe it was apt since I work in a public library. When people visit the library, they often make assumptions about me that aren’t necessarily true.

I’ll be asked if I’m a volunteer (no, I’m a paid employee), if I sit around reading books all day (sorry, I wish I had the time to do that!), and why I would pick such a boring job (it’s actually pretty interesting and sometimes even exciting).

I often make assumptions about library patrons, too, usually based upon their looks, the materials they check out, and the habits they display. One of my favorite patrons is a man I like to call The Killer. He lacks any type of computer literacy, so he’ll ask me to “do a Google” and “download everything” about particular homicides.

I usually just print out four or five news stories, tell him that’s everything I can find, collect the 15 cents per page for the print-outs, and bid him farewell as he wanders off to find an empty seat and study the information.

The Killer is a tall, intimidating older man with a grizzled beard and a booming voice. He looks like he’d have no trouble overpowering his potential victims. Though he’s always pleasant, there is an air of urgency in his requests. I like to assume that he is checking up on the homicides he’s committed, seeing how close the police are to catching him. Most likely, The Killer isn’t actually a murderer, but it’s fun to believe he is. Just in case, I always make sure to be polite to him so that I don’t become his next victim!

Making assumptions about people is something we all do, at least to some extent. The reason it is so important to make a good first impression, for example, is because people will judge and assume things based upon those first few moments. Even though we might make assumptions that aren’t true, that doesn’t stop us from being influenced by them.

During World War II my wife’s grandparents, despite being American citizens, were sent to the Japanese internment camps because the assumption was made that their Japanese ancestry made them a threat (although my wife’s family tree does potentially trace back to a clan of ninjas, so look out, America!).

Continue reading "Game Time With Mister Raroo: ‘Mistaken Identity: The Perception of Gamers’" »

Posted by Bill Sannwald at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

[Missus Raroo takes the lead and brings her unique perspective on gaming to this week's Game Time With Mister Raroo column. She discusses how during her initial time as a new mother recovering from a cesarean section, the Nintendo Wii provided an unexpected source of support. The Wii proved to be more than just a way to play games. Rather, it was a way to access the world beyond the loveseat she was confined to most of the day.]

When Mister Raroo went gaga over purchasing a Wii at launch, I was a good supportive wife. I listened to all of the pre-release hype and even helped him hone down his list of games to buy at launch. Upon getting the Wii set up in our home, I participated in Mii-making and even gave some games a run.

In those early months, I attempted some Monkey Ball mini games, shot my way through a few Elebits levels, and joined in some Wii Sports and Wii Play action. Truth be told, though, I never had the urge to independently power on the Wii until after the birth of our son, when I suddenly found myself clocking more hours on the Wii than my gamer husband. I was using the Wii for everything but gaming, but I was in love with the Wii all the same.

Prior to our son Kazuo's birth, my image of motherhood did not involve me strapped down to our little loveseat of a couch with a Wii-mote in hand. I had seen too many black and white photos of that woman with a newborn nestled in her arms, dreamily staring out at the world through a window.

I always imagined that woman must be thinking, "Ah, I have this precious new life in my arms and the world is simply amazing!" Don't get me wrong, as I find myself entering my second year of motherhood, I do find myself watching Kaz in awe all of the time and feel that being a mother is truly amazing. All the same, those first weeks after his birth were far from the idealistic image I had stored in my mind.

Continue reading "Missus Raroo Says: 'A Baby, A Loveseat, and the Wii: How Nintendo Helped a New Mom'" »

Posted by Bill Sannwald at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

[You may remember that we sometimes publish 'GameSetPlaying' round-ups, discussing what games we've been checking out. Well, new GSW columnist Mister Raroo takes the helm in the newest GameSetPlaying to discuss what he's found the time to play lately. It looks like someone's got Nintendo Fever!]

Wii Fit (Nintendo, Wii)

I’m glad I preordered this a couple months ago because it is hard to find. My coworker Raquel told me she’s so tired of trying to find a copy that she might just buckle and pay the absurd asking prices it’s currently going for online. I had initially thought the $90 price tag was too high, but after seeing the quality of the Balance Board, not to mention the substantial amount of content on the disc, the cost seems very fair.

Wii Fit has actually kept me very motivated to use it since release day, mainly because when all is said and done, it’s a lot of fun! I surprised how much I like the Yoga exercises, though my balance and leg strength are still terrible at this point. The Balance Games are excellent and I can’t get enough of them. They make me hope the rumors of a Wario Ware game that uses the Balance Board become a reality.

The World Ends With You (Square-Enix/Jupiter, DS)

My long-time message board pal Brandon Sheffield said this game is “Pretentious self-indulgent Nipponophile wankery.” Though in many ways that’s very true, I’m still having a great time with it. I’ve been playing The World Ends With You daily on my lunch breaks and trolley commutes and it’s got a hold on me.

What I find so appealing about the game is how every element comes together to provide an experience unlike anything I’ve really played before. While at its core it's an action-RPG, the dual-screen battles and overall flavor make it feel very fresh. I could do without some of the eye-rolling angst in the dialogue, but I can look past that and enjoy everything else this bizarre game has to offer.

Continue reading "GameSetPlaying: The Mister Raroo Edition!" »

Posted by Bill Sannwald at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

[In this GameSetWatch opinion piece, Mister Raroo returns to take a look at how videogames have helped to break down barriers and bring him closer to his in-laws... and manages to discuss his favorite part of the chicken in relation to his wife's anatomy, spying on someone's late-night cartoon watching, helping to relieve bladder and hunger problems for a hopeful Wii camper, and much more!]

Welcome to the Family

When all things are considered, I was very lucky to end up with the in-laws I did. It’s never easy to adjust to gaining a new family when you get married because, put simply, they’re not your family. I’m most comfortable with the family I grew up a part of, and though my wife Akemi’s family is very accepting and inviting, there are times I feel uncomfortable and out of place. Sharing common experiences and building bonds by discussing shared interests have helped break down some of the barriers that stood between my in-laws and me, but there are times things still get strange.

One time during lunch with Akemi’s family my father in-law posed a question to me out of the blue: “So, is the breast your favorite part of the chicken?” I happened to be eating a chicken breast at the time, so there was context for his question, but it still seemed really eccentric. After a quick moment of confusion, I gave a short reply. “Uh… yes, it is.” He proceeded to ask another question. “What is your second favorite part of the chicken?” Was this some type of metaphor? Was he asking, “So, what part of my daughter do you like the best? Her breasts?!”

Continue reading "Game Time With Mister Raroo: 'Super In-Law Bros.'" »

Posted by Bill Sannwald at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

[Kicking off a more regular column from Mr. Raroo with an offkilter starter - the following text is an excerpt from a longer paper he wrote for the course “Information and Society” in the Masters in Information and Library Science program at San José State University.]

The paper’s intended audience is individuals who know little to nothing about video games and have no idea how or why games can be an important part of any public library’s collection. The bulk of serious gamers will no doubt find information in many parts of the paper that is common knowledge to most game enthusiasts, most notably statistics about the average gamer and a discussion of the popular perception of violence in videogames.

I’ve decided to omit those portions of the paper and instead present two sections in particular: “Circulating Videogames in Public Libraries: Difficulties and Possible Solutions” and “Videogame Use In Library Programming.”

To provide some background context, I work in a public library in the position of library assistant. To describe my job in layman’s terms, I’m the person sitting the Reference Desk whom you might ask help in finding a book.

Currently the library system I work for does not circulate video games to our patrons, which I find disappointing. The benefits of providing video games as part of a library collection is steadily becoming apparent as more and more libraries start offering gaming resources to patrons.

Please view the full document to access the Works Cited list - a link to the paper in its entirety is provided here.

Continue reading "Game Time With Mister Raroo: 'Games In The Modern Public Library'" »

Posted by Bill Sannwald at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

[In this GameSetWatch opinion piece, we're delighted to welcome veteran game zine writer Mister Raroo, who mailed us because he wanted to talk about how games figure into your life when... your life changes. And we really appreciate his honesty in documenting a change that is affecting so many long-time 'hardcore' gamers.]

On Becoming An “Adult”

I don’t think I really became a bona-fide “adult” until a couple years ago when I hit 30. Sure, I’d been living what would appear to be an adult life long before that. I was married, working full time, paying rent on time, and generally being a responsible member of the community.

But, at the same time, I wasn’t taking things too seriously. My days basically consisted of going to work during the day, spending time with my wife in the evening, and playing videogames late into the night. I bought so many games that the clerks at my local Gamestop not only knew me by name, but could usually guess what new release I was walking into the store to buy and have it ready for me before I even got to the counter.

I wasn’t really giving any deep thought to becoming more financially responsible, having kids, or doing much beyond living in the present. I was happy and I wasn’t in a rush for things to change. In a lot of ways, I was being selfish. In that sense, I don’t think I was really an “adult.” But at the time, I feared true adulthood would mean sacrificing the lifestyle I was accustomed to, and in terms of videogames, I thought it would spell the end of that hobby.

Yet for some reason, I started changing my outlook around the time I turned 30. Maybe it was the fact that 30 sounded “old,” or maybe it was just coincidental and everything simply came together for me at that period in my life. Whatever the reason, I started thinking about buying a home, starting a family, and doing more with my expendable income than spending it on videogame after videogame.

I went though a huge personal transformation, something many individuals in my peer group are currently facing. It is this change in my life, moving away from being just a self-centered consumer and focusing instead on living beyond the current moment, that I consider the point in which I became an “adult.”

In just a couple years my wife and I welcomed a son into our lives, bought our first home, and began putting any extra money we had into personal savings, retirement plans, and college savings plans. It turns out, however, that my fear of giving up my gaming hobby was unfounded.

I’m still very much enjoying videogames, though my habits have changed quite a bit. That said, I’m happy to report that it is definitely possible for one to enjoy games while still being a genuine “adult."

Continue reading "Opinion: 'All Grown Up: A Gamer Comes to Grips With Adulthood'" »

Posted by Simon Carless at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (18)