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Podtoid 286: Dreams of Island Dictatorship
This show still exists
Apr 30
// Caitlin Cooke
We're back! This week Conrad Zimmerman, Jonathan Holmes, and Caitlin Cooke chat about PAX East, why every videogame is basically Earthbound, and why Firefly is the best thing since sliced bread and nobody else should say anything differently ever. We also learn more about Conrad's regime over his imaginary island! Listen to it via direct download or through iTunes.
Review: Daylight
Apr 29
// Caitlin Cooke
Daylight PC [reviewed], PlayStation 4)Developer: Zombie StudiosPublisher: Zombie StudiosRelease: April 29, 2014MSRP: $14.99 The player awakens as Sarah, a young woman trapped inside an abandoned hospital with a smartphone conveniently at her side. A creepy man barks instructions and vague allusions to her past through the phone, which also acts as a map and a light. Glow sticks can be collected and used for light and double as a basic hint system, casting a soft green glow to highlight item containers or puzzle mechanisms. Flares are the only other usable items and are used to fend off the creepy witch ghost thing that haunts you throughout the game. The goal is to make it through each level without getting too close to creepy witch ghost thing, who I am now dubbing Miss Ghost. Miss Ghost is deadly and can appear at any time, more often so as Sarah collects "remnants" -- notes and articles scattered about the levels. The mechanics are similar to Slender; the more remnants that are collected, the higher the threat of meeting Miss Ghost. Once all of the remnants have been found, the strange man over the phone instructs Sarah to collect a "sigil" -- basically a creepy token like a busted up bible or a haunted teddy bear -- and bring it to the gate to unlock the next area. Unfortunately during this phase, Sarah is not able to use glow sticks or flares, essentially making it a "run for your life" type of situation. I appreciated this from a horror perspective -- however, this feeling waned after I noticed that running right past Miss Ghost wasn't much of a problem at all. The game alternates between these "sigil" areas, and more laid-back puzzle levels where the goal was to get to the next area of the island. I didn't find these levels too engrossing as most of the tasks involved moving boxes around slightly or finding a lever to move past a barrier. That coupled with the fact that the glow sticks basically told you where everything was, there was really no challenge here. The overall atmosphere of Daylight was certainly chilling. The lighting was spot on - whenever Sarah put down her phone to bust open a new glow stick, the entire area would grow scarily dim. In true jump-scare fashion, the game would often have various items fly off the wall or unleash disturbing sounds at random. Occasionally Sarah would black out, and in an instant the game would transport me to a creepy hallway starring Miss Ghost. Though short, feeling properly creeped out was the high point of the game. Sadly, the rest of Daylight was lacking. Miss Ghost overstayed her welcome midway through the game, I had become immune to her scares and eventually just stopped using flares for fun. Even the plot couldn't compel me to care -- the remnants weren't particularly interesting, and reading them felt like I was taking a class on Horror 101. I also found certain mechanics to be annoying -- the fact that I never really ran out of glow sticks or flares enough to feel panicked, Sarah's constant whining of the same three phrases over and over again, the autosave functionality not working properly at times...the list goes on. Daylight does however have an interesting concept up its sleeve, besides the randomly generated levels. The game also integrates with Twitch, allowing viewers to enter commands and create spooky sounds or other events for the player. I wasn't able to test this feature out, but I can only imagine the havoc that Dtoiders can wreak on our Twitch channel. Overall I felt as if Daylight was made as a jump-scare machine with a loosely tacked-on plot. I never felt invested in Sarah or cared much for the mysterious man rambling through her phone. In fact, I was more concerned with getting Miss Ghost off my back so she'd stop screaming, more so out of annoyance than fear. Daylight would have benefited from a fresh set of spooks rather than intermittent scares and muddy plot lines, but at the end of the day if you're looking for a cheap thrill you've found it.
Starring: generic creepy witch ghost thing
I've been an enthusiast of the horror genre ever since I laid hands on Eternal Darkness for the GameCube. Although not a fair comparison to many survival horror games since, I've understood what it takes for...
Magic 2015 Duels of the Planeswalkers coming this summer
Introducing fully customizable decks
Apr 16
// Caitlin Cooke
Magic 2015 Duels of the Planeswalkers was announced for release this summer on Xbox One, Xbox Live Arcade, Steam, and mobile devices. While not a surprise considering they've produced a new game every summer for the past...
Struggling to survive in This War of Mine
Apr 16
// Caitlin Cooke
I started out with three characters stationed in an abandoned, war-torn house. Each person brought a different strength to the table from their previous life -- i.e., the journalist was good with people and the firefighter fared better in combat. During the day, I had my characters cook food, build beds, and craft weapons to prepare for what the night would potentially bring. Occasionally, traders would come to offer various goods but often wanted much more in return -- there was no such thing as an "easy" trade. I also had to be cognizant of how much time I was putting into trading -- a day timer loomed above my characters, their walking and crafting speed dropping the more worn down they became. Every night I had to decide who kept guard, who went out to scavenge at night, and who was lucky enough to catch some sleep. The decisions were easy at first, with the obvious thought that I'd pair everyone up to the task that matched their skill, but I found quickly that there is no "easy" part of war. Sleep deprivation, hunger, sickness, and serious wounds slowly brought my characters down, making it harder for them to do anything useful. At night I sent my scavenger off to collect resources from various buildings -- I could choose which structures to sneak into, but it was a gamble in terms of what (or who) I'd find. Stealth was a necessity, as people did not take kindly to me sneaking into their base and stealing their stuff. One night I had returned from a successful night of scavenging only to find that a troupe of bandits had sacked my own base and severely wounded one of my people. By the end of the of the sixth day my characters were all but dead. My journalist, despite the fact that she was sleeping most nights, had developed a sickness and hunger that probably wouldn't keep her alive much longer. My scavenger was defenseless since we had no materials to craft weapons, and the fireman had been beaten to a pulp during that random ambush. They gave me verbal cues letting me know that they wouldn't survive another day, and knowing that I had already failed them I put down the controller. This War of Mine was an interesting commentary, despite its depressing and difficult nature. The mechanics were a tad difficult to grasp at first, but once I got the hang of it I felt much more comfortable. I'm looking forward to seeing how it evolves before it's released this year.
Stayin' alive has never been so hard
In a sea full of bright, action-packed games at PAX it was a surprise to see such a serious greyscale game like This War of Mine, an 11 bit studios title about life during war. Rather than placing the focus on combat as most ...
Huge News: Charity Edition
Jan 27
// Caitlin Cooke
Granting wishes left and right
This week Jonathan and I partner with an amazing charity to grant Benny Disco (@TheBennyDisco) his dream of writing news for the video game industry! Please enjoy this latest installment as we read off Benny's favorite news stories from the past week. Love us? Hate us? Have questions or want a shout out on the show? Let us know at
[email protected]
Review: Broken Age: Act 1
Jan 24
// Caitlin Cooke
Broken Age: Act 1 (PC)Developer: Double Fine ProductionsPublisher: Double Fine ProductionsRelease Date: January 14, 2014 (for backers) / January 28, 2014MSRP: $24.99 (with free update for Act 2) Shay has lived his entire existence on a spaceship designed for toddlers. Day after day he's coddled by the ship's "mother," an overbearingly saccharine computer unwilling to allow him to take care of himself. Mother babies Shay in every way, including knitting sentient pals to keep him company and forcing him to take his daily nutrition paste. Shay's unending routine consists of completing childlike "missions," like saving his yarn pals from an ice cream avalanche or a hug-attack, which are designed to keep him occupied throughout his existence. Struggling with his confined life, Shay manages to discover a secret part of the ship and quickly experiences what it means to have real responsibility. Vella wakes up on the last day of her life, preparing to uphold the long-standing tradition of being eaten by a giant abomination named Mog Chothra to keep her village safe. A town that once prided itself on raising fierce monster-fighting warriors, Sugar Bunting now concedes to offering up its finest maidens to Mog Chothra during what they call the "Maiden's Feast." While the other maidens are excited to be considered potential meals, Vella can't help but wonder if there's another way out. She rises up to fight against her supposed destiny of becoming a delectable treat for Mog Chothra and breaks free to search for a way to defeat the monster before it consumes her town. Both stories are engrossing and highlight a certain childish curiosity that I haven't felt in a long time. I adored every second wandering through these worlds - the dialogue on all fronts is hilarious and crafty, the story elements thoughtful. Broken Age captures a style that is imaginative and expressive while still maintaining an environment that's easy to interact with. Above all, the art is captivating so much so that at certain points in the game I found myself staring at scenes just to take it in. Almost everything comes to life in Broken Age - characters range from charming to downright ingenious, all with spot-on humor and fantastic voice acting. One of my favorites is a needy spoon who regularly vies for the attention of Shay by shouting things like "It is my honor to be your training spoon today sir, I can't wait to start MISSION NUTRITION!" Puzzles are integrated well into the character's personalities - I found it amusing to discover what dialogue or actions would make characters give up an item or a piece of information. The game allows for switching between both stories seamlessly, which is not only creative, but a very useful feature. I enjoyed going back and forth regularly because it allowed for me to pace out the stories (for example, not getting too far on one side) and also gave me a chance to escape if a particular puzzle was stumping me. I also felt that Shay's story involved more interactive gameplay elements while Vella's focused more on dialogue and riddles, so being able to leave one story and hop to the other gave me a nice break. The format of Broken Age is obviously very reminiscent of the older point-and-click adventure games, however there are a few interesting camera perspectives and design choices in the game that change up the formula a bit. For example, in one area of the game you can literally fall through clouds if you're not careful where you step. Another section has the camera angle peering in through a window that's being cleaned by an adorable spaceship minion. These details seem marginal, but they keep the gameplay fresh and original. I found that the gameplay is so seamlessly integrated with the art that it's sometimes hard to tell when you're supposed to be viewing a scene and when you need to take action. For instance, it took me a while to solve one of the first puzzles in the game because the action I needed to take was during what I thought was a cinematic sequence. Although I appreciate that the game never took me out of the moment mentally, it did become frustrating after a while. My solution to this was to whip my mouse around the screen just in case the action circle appeared in future cinematics. Broken Age manages to keep the hand-holding clues to a minimum without completely withholding answers from the player. However, as the game progressed I wasn't entirely clear on what actions I could take. During one puzzle in particular, I had tried to combine and use every item possible to get past what I thought was the obstacle, but really all I had to do was move around it. The puzzles eventually make sense in time and are fairly thoughtful, although some of them could have stood to be a bit harder -- because for the most part, they didn't require a lot of brainpower. In the end this may not be a terrible thing but I would like to see a tad more complication thrown into the mix for Act 2. I haven't felt this surge of nostalgia and excitement about a game in a long time, and I truly think Broken Age will be looked back fondly as one of the greats. That being said, the first Act is only a few short hours and ended on a nail-biting cliffhanger with no word on how long we'll be waiting for the rest of the game. In some ways I feel cheated, but in the end it's the heart of the game that matters - and that certainly isn't broken.
Point-and-click heaven
[Disclosure: I backed the Kickstarter. A review copy was used for this verdict.] The game formerly known as "Double Fine Adventure" has finally made its debut -- or should I say, half-debut. Broken Age: Act 1 is the culmina...
Review: Mario Party: Island Tour
Nov 27
// Caitlin Cooke
Mario Party: Island Tour (3DS)Developer: Nd CubePublisher: NintendoRelease Date: November 22, 2013MSRP: $39.99 Mario Party: Island Tour presents a variety of game modes: eight main party modes, three minigame modes, and StreetPass minigames. Party mode focuses on the core of the Mario Party series -- characters progress on a game board with the goal of either getting to the end first or collecting the most mini-stars. Each party mode is rated in three different categories: Skill, Luck, and Minigames. For example, the Rocket Road game is rated at two skill, four minigame, and five luck because it's basically a game where you roll a die to get to the end of a line, but also contains many tiles that make you switch places with opponents (i.e., lots of luck involved). Estimated play times are also shown, which I found helpful but somewhat unreliable. I had kind of hoped for a mode that resembled the original premise of Mario Party -- screwing over other players to collect the most coins and stars. Unfortunately, nothing like that exists. It's almost as if they took each aspect of the original Mario Party and chopped it up into different modes. One board's goal is to collect mini-stars, another board focuses on items that affect players, etc. There isn't really one "complete" Mario Party experience. That being said, there are a few boards that break from the mold. For example, Kamek's Carpet Ride utilizes cards instead die, forcing players to use a bit of strategy in which cards they decide to play. In Bowser's Peculiar Peak, the goal is to stay in last place by not making it to the end or Bowser will smash you with his hammer. These modes are somewhat enjoyable but not really the complete package I was hoping for since the goal is usually one-sided and involves finishing the board. To make matters worse, the gameplay is somewhat unbearable at times. I realize this is a child-friendly game, but Toad goes above and beyond with babying the players. His trademark is to point out something obvious each turn -- like who is about to win the game or how many rounds until a minigame is played. If I get a card or item that could potentially allow me to win the game, he'll say something like "Between you and me, if you use this, you could reach the goal!" Nothing is left for you to figure out on your own. Island Tour seems rigged in the sense that nothing is truly randomized -- the games are fair to a fault. Toad will sometimes rearrange the turn orders based on minigame ranking to allow players who are behind to catch up. Each mode also seems to have a mechanism to prevent players from progressing too far ahead, whether it be Bonzai Bill knocking players back or a Whomp blocking the path. In Star-Crossed Skyway players are forced to stop advancing once they hit a certain platform, allowing everyone else to catch up. And usually there's some sort of "random" havoc that happens every once in a while to even the playing field for opponents who are behind. The one mode I actually enjoyed was Bowser's Tower, a single-player story(ish) driven game where you climb a tower and defeat bubble ghosts by playing minigames. As you climb, Bowser likes to randomly select a punishment or reward which could affect enemy levels or your sacred Mario Party Points (which are used to purchase collectables). There's also an option to save and come back later to finish the tower, which is a useful addition for folks who are strapped for time. Minigames are the highlight of Island Tour -- there are a wide variety of games and for the most part they're entertaining and original. I was happy to find that 3DS capabilities were used in most minigames -- tilt, 3D, mic, touch screen, dual screen, and augmented reality all made an appearance. I did notice however that any of the games utilizing the mic were extremely off. I tested both voice impersonation games with my fiance -- he whispered lewd things into the mic while I actually attempted to play and I lost each and every time. It was hilarious, but disappointing. Although I enjoyed most of the minigames, Mario Party: Island Tour lacks heart at the end of the day. I explained the situation to a non-gaming friend and she replied, "So if this were a party in real life, the host basically ordered too much salad instead of pizza." Her assessment is eerily accurate -- in the Mario Party diet, the salad is the necessary but restricting structure and the pizza is the delicious, random fun that makes it worthwhile. The amount of hand-holding in this latest installment leaves me longing for the Mario Party days of yore -- a time when people actually worked hard to win minigames because it got them that much closer to the big reward: a star. The minigames in Island Tour are enjoyable but the structure around them can be tiring and almost too fair to bad (or just plain unfortunate) players. The only true merit of Mario Party: Island Tour is the ability to play Mario Party with your local friends on the 3DS. As long as they have a 3DS and are close-by, playing via Download Play is fairly quick and painless. However, the lack of online play and the overall single-player experience is a pretty big bummer. Unless you're desperate and need a quick Mario Party fix on the go, stick with a console version if you can.
More like Island BORE
I consider myself a Mario Party veteran -- I've been a huge fan of the series, with a particular emphasis on the cutthroat days of the N64 titles. There's nothing like losing the skin on the palm of your hands t...
Review: Super Motherload
Nov 21
// Caitlin Cooke
Super Motherload (PC, PS3, PS4 [reviewed])Developer: XGen StudiosPublisher: XGen StudiosRelease Date: November 15, 2013 (PS4) / November 26 (PS3) / 2014 (PC)MSRP: $14.99 Your adventure in Super Motherload begins as Employee 1001 -- a miner working for the Solarus Corporation on Mars. Solarus is hungry for precious minerals, and it's your job retrieve them. Aided by Mister Fix-it (your AI partner), you descend deep into the planet's crust to find minerals to exchange for cash to upgrade your rig. Refueling, repairing, and buying upgrades are the main staples required to continue the descent into the unknown. The further you dig, the more you begin to learn about the secrets of Mars and the strange occurrences happening throughout the various Solarus bases. Excerpts of video logs and sound bytes come through occasionally throughout the dig, and as a result you're sometimes left with a fetch quest. The interruptions are interesting but brief however, allowing more time to do what you do best: dig. Digging and refueling is a very simple gameplay mechanic, but despite the repetition the game is somewhat complex. Mostly, this is due to the fact that the deeper the dig, the more complicated the soil gets. For example, after hitting the third base (about a quarter through the game) I started to notice less open space and more metal plates blocking my path, forcing me to find a way around (or through) them to reach valuable gems. The game ramps up its presentation as well, with more and more complicated systems. At first, the Motherload starts off with a smattering of minerals such as "bronzium" and "goldium" which are fairly easy to obtain. Soon enough, the treasures become more valuable deeper into the descent, from rubies all the way to "unobtanium." Eventually, upgrades can be bought to automatically "smelt" minerals together which make interesting combinations like "katana gold." Smelting adds a bit more variety to the mining gameplay, allowing for the crafting of bombs and forcing players to think more carefully about the order in which they collect minerals. Gameplay isn't restricted to just "digging" though, as there are a number of different bombs that are made to blast through different types of elements, as well as some interestingly shaped bomb explosions to help navigate through barriers. For example, a "T" bomb will help blast the area directly above and one space to the left and right, creating said "T" shape. Some valuable minerals are trapped within rock or metal barriers that players must explode properly, without destroying the loot. I really enjoyed these short challenges but longed for a bit more complexity and variety as the same puzzles showed up over and over again. Despite the repetition in bomb puzzles, maps are randomly generated upon each new game making it so you'll never play the same map twice. Characters also have a different set of upgrade levels and abilities, making gameplay a bit different depending on which character you choose. For example, the unlockable character Laika is a ghost dog who doesn't take any hull damage, and another extra character, Demitri, has unlimited electron bombs. I also noticed that stations have different abilities and items for sale upon each new game -- in one game I purchased an ability to turn magma into money but in another game I found the same station selling an ability that makes "ironium" turn into fuel. Some of the upgrades can feel like downgrades at first -- like increasing the rotor speed is potentially dangerous as you can quickly damage your digger. However, once you get to the endgame these speed upgrades come in handy. About three quarters into the game though, I found a lack of plot movement and an increased difficulty in navigating around blockades. Even after purchasing all possible upgrades for my character it still took quite some time to get to the end and I was not prepared for what I had to do next. After spending hours digging through Mars, the endgame delved into new mechanisms that took me by surprise. However frustrating, I found it rewarding to complete it in the end. I heartily enjoyed Super Motherload -- so much so in fact, that I'm already whizzing past on my second playthrough and I plan to unlock and upgrade the rest of the characters. The act of collecting minerals and selling them has never been so exciting, and I can't quite place my finger on why. Perhaps it's the '80s vibe and the stellar OST that is reminiscent of Hotline Miami, or the feeling of zen when I dig. Regardless, I can't seem to stop playing. I did run into a few small but notable snags that are worth mentioning. The first problem I encountered was the touchpad -- bombs can be dropped by swiping or clicking the touchpad in a manner of ways. Me being the clumsy person that I am, I often dropped or misplaced my fingers on the controller making it so that I accidentally used up bombs at least a few times during each session. There isn't a way to turn off touchpad functionality, so I learned to be extremely cautious with how I picked up and put down my controller. Local co-op is available, but to be honest I found it to be more stressful than playing alone. Players share a fuel tank, which means that fuel gets wasted a lot more easily so it's a bit harder to progress. Everyone also shares a single screen -- all players have to be in the same area for the game to function. If you leave your controller sitting for more than a few seconds, the game automatically removes your character from play. I can see how co-op could be fun with the right group of people, but I personally prefer the single-player experience. And what a fantastic experience it is, despite its flaws. Super Motherload is simple enough so that anyone can pick it up and play, but complex enough for mining veterans to keep coming back to fully upgrade characters or even risk playing in hardcore mode. The sci-fi '80s vibe is delightful and the perfect setting for this ridiculously addicting game. I find myself coming back to it at the end of every day, ready for a new adventure underground.
It's not too late to go back...
Super Motherload was supposed to be my "tester" experience -- the first game that I booted up on my PlayStation 4 to get a feel for the system. I planned to take a few minutes to acquaint myself with the control...
Ken Levine on the evolution of Elizabeth in Burial at Sea
Oct 04
// Caitlin Cooke
In Burial at Sea: Episode 1, Elizabeth seemed a little bit jaded, if not completely cold, in comparison to her personality in BioShock Infinite. I asked Ken to elaborate on what's happening with her character, and he explained, "In [Burial at Sea: Episode 2], there will be even more changes and each experience. It's really about taking Elizabeth from the woman you met in the tower [in Infinite], this naive person, to the person at the end of Infinite who's gone through some terrible things, [then] to this femme fatal, opaque, cold and then going inside and seeing what caused all of that." "When you get to the end of this, where does that leave her and what does this experience do to her? We basically want to show you the world from her perspective [...] that's a journey that you can complete only when you step into her shoes." After learning about the "lighthouses" from BioShock Infinite, it can be confusing to understand where Burial at Sea falls in the timeline and how it fits into Elizabeth's world. Ken Levine clarified that "This is 'Elizabeth prime,' this is the Elizabeth that went through the experiences in BioShock Infinite and this is the Rapture from BioShock. We're not splintering that." Elizabeth's combat style in Burial at Sea: Episode 2 hasn't been announced yet, but the gameplay will be more of the survival-horror variety. Ken elaborates on the gameplay that "It's probably even more resource management intensive and stealth oriented. Elizabeth is a different person, she's not a "guns blazing" person. "Without going into too much detail, it's the world through her eyes. Each game (BioShock Infinite, Burial at Sea: Episode 1) are bespoke experiences, we're working on game experience stuff that varies from each of them." Perhaps we will be getting a completely different gameplay mechanic when we step into Elizabeth's shoes. There is no official release date for Burial at Sea: Episode 2, but I imagine we'll have our answers when it's most likely released sometime next year.
A cold, jaded lady
Warning: Minor plot/theme spoilers BioShock Infinite - Burial at Sea: Episode 1 ends on an interesting note to say the least, and I'm curious to see what is in store for the next episode. When it was announced, Burial a...
Preview: BioShock Infinite - Burial at Sea: Episode 1
Oct 04
// Caitlin Cooke
[embed]258998:49773:0[/embed] BioShock Infinite - Burial at Sea: Episode 1 (PC [previewed], PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)Developer: Irrational GamesPublisher: 2K GamesRelease: Holiday 2013 Elizabeth informs you that she knows a crazy artist named Cohen (sound familiar?) who may know the whereabouts of Sally. After viewing the new areas Rapture has to offer, your first objective is to procure a rabbit mask that will grant entry into Cohen's secret party. This task introduces a new aspect of gameplay where Elizabeth distracts shopkeepers as you wait for the right timing to sneak into the back areas. I found it highly enjoyable and tense (in a good way), but also very brief as this particular mechanic doesn't show up again in the DLC. Once you steal this mask, you enter Cohen's crazy little party. From there, those of you who have played the original BioShock can assume things get dark and twisted very fast. Note: This is the last of the story I'll reveal. The combat mechanics in Burial at Sea, including Plasmids, are very much the same as in prior BioShock installments. However, this time around resource management is much more prevalent than it was in Infinite. On medium difficulty I found myself often running out of bullets and Eve, thus having to conserve my resources to ensure I could make it through to the next area. This was intentional from a gameplay perspective, and I actually found myself getting more out of the combat situations versus the rushed combat mentality of BioShock Infinite. Enemies are different this time around as well. They were much less likely to rush at me, and often times I could observe them milling about before they were even alerted to my presence. This gave me time to plan my attacks in advance, making it easier to strategically place Plasmid traps and route enemies. Despite the lack of resources I ended up feeling more accomplished at the end of my battles, which is something I didn't really feel in Infinite despite the numerous and often large amount of enemies. The setting in Burial at Sea is gorgeous and colorful -- all assets have been redone, breathing in new life to Rapture. Bars, shops, art galleries, and even slot machines adorn the main area. One of the settings, a derelict department store, is an interesting space in its own right. Clothing, electronics, toys and various other relics from Rapture in the 1950s are scattered about in a creepy yet eye-catching way. The pacing and overall design felt much more open than Infinite as well. So much more open in fact that at one point I had accidentally skipped two parts of a quest because I bypassed it. Enemies had cropped up in the meantime making it harder every time I made a mistake in my path selection. Hidden areas are still prevalent in Burial at Sea, with Elizabeth always at the ready to help pick locks. Audio diaries are scattered about, providing extra context to what's happening in Rapture at the time and also some interesting tidbits regarding a certain "phenomena" occurring. I highly recommend not skipping these! I fully completed this DLC and truly enjoyed it. In fact, I loved it so much that it makes me wonder why it's not a standalone game. I felt like it blended the best parts of both BioShock and BioShock Infinite; the combat was challenging and thoughtful, the story was captivating, and the pacing was perfect. Infinite was a fantastic game in its own right, but bringing Booker and Elizabeth to Rapture is literally a whole new world. Burial at Sea: Episode 1 does not have a specific release date, but they do anticipate it coming out before the holidays. We'll do a full proper review closer to release. In the meantime, enjoy this ominous "Fact from Myth" video which foreshadows what may have happened after Elizabeth and Booker meet in Rapture ... [embed]262949:50775:0[/embed]
All assets have been redone, breathing in new life to Rapture
Warning: minor plot spoilers I swore hand over heart that I would not spoil the resolution of Burial at Sea, so that will remain a mystery until the rest of you fine citizens get to enjoy it before the holidays. However, to g...
Ken Levine on BioShock Infinite's new DLC, Burial at Sea
Jul 30
// Caitlin Cooke
Ken and his team have built Burial at Sea from the ground up, including the objects and assets. This was surprising to me seeing as it's only DLC, but Ken explains, "it was a huge undertaking and I'm not exactly sure why we do things that take so much time, but we thought this was our last chance for a while to give our fans a love letter so we decided to do it." This method seems to pay off -- when Ken describes the game to me, I can already tell how unique it will be compared to previous installments. He continues: "It's basically two parts -- [the first episode] takes place in sort of the pristine Rapture, and that's very much like being in Columbia at the beginning. There's a hubspace that's pretty…I think actually one of the best BioShock spaces that the team has ever built in terms of what I like to see. "I look at levels like the medical level in BioShock and Fort Frolick as sort of the right structural layout of things because they're less linear, they're more sort of the center. They feel organic to me, [but] buildings are designed in a hierarchical fashion […] where the more big action stuff tends to push you down a single corridor. It is a constant struggle to get the team around that non-linearity. We've definitely done a better job I think in this DLC than we did in Infinite." When I asked about the story, Ken didn't want to get too much into the specifics so as not to spoil it, but he did say that everything ties together and certain characters will make appearances. "We're fans of integration, we'll put it that way. We want to both give people a chance to see characters from BioShock before they splice up as much as they do and what they were like beforehand. There is a very well known character in BioShock who will be involved substantially in the story [...] It is connected to the larger story." Ken also touched on a few themes from the original BioShock, and mentioned that this DLC will dive a bit deeper into the intricacies of Rapture. "You see this opening part which is in pristine Rapture and there's this whole quest there that doesn't involve combat and your journey takes you to […] a department store that's now a prison that you're there for a reason, you'll find out. That's a very traditional BioShock experience with all the fucking crazy splicers down there and the place has gone to shit. So you get both -- you get the pristine Rapture and the 'gone to shit' Rapture in the same package." I prodded about the second episode, in which players get to experience everything through the eyes of Elizabeth. I was particularly interested in Booker's role, but it hasn't been fleshed out completely so Ken was hesitant to share a lot of information. However, he has an outline of a story in mind and wants it to have a different combat feel than the other games. "We're in relatively early stages of the third part of the DLC [Burial at Sea Ep 2]," Ken told me. "It's something that we wanted to do, we didn't know if we could or had the time or resources but finally we decided it was important that we did it. It's funny, each of the DLCs are a different combat feel, the first one [Clash in the Clouds] is very much like Infinite. The second one is much like BioShock, we reintegrated much more of the player-initiated combat notions of BioShock. In the third one, it's almost like survival horror. Elizabeth is not like Booker, she's not a huge tank. We're still figuring out the details, everything is open to change, but we want her to feel like she's always on the bleeding edge of resources and decisions and even push the stealth mechanic." Ken continues, "We also have this notion of grifting from the original game that we didn't have time to do, and I wanted to show that side of Elizabeth and her saviness through her wits to get the things she needs done, done." When I asked about everyone's favorite characters, the Luteces, Ken said that "I'm not only a huge fan of writing them but I'm a huge fan of working with Oliver [Vaquer] and Jennifer [Hale] on them, and I'll leave it at that." For now, Ken seemed excited about the future and about what fans will think of Burial at Sea. He explains, "We never know what we're doing next but I think if we knew… it wouldn't be surprising because we'd have to surprise ourselves. I'm just curious to hear people's reactions. We know people were frustrated by how silent we were and how long it was taking, but at the end of the day we're always going to make the choice to present things in a way to actually give people a sense of what we're doing and do the thing that we think is right for the gamer in the long run, not in the short run. So they're frustrated that they haven't gotten the content yet, but we could have done something quicker but it wouldn't be this. People get anxious but I think they're going to be pretty happy."
Returning to Rapture on the eve of its downfall
Irrational Games, and Ken Levine in particular, have been known for creating games with innovative narratives and unique gameplay. BioShock Infinite is no different, and we expect the same for the remaining downloadable cont...
Next BioShock Infinite DLC is taking us back to Rapture
Jul 30
// Caitlin Cooke
BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea set on the eve of Rapture's downfall
Irrational Games revealed the intentions for their remaining BioShock Infinite downloadable content plans to follow up the Clash in the Clouds DLC: Burial at Sea, a Booker and Elizabeth tale set on the eve of Rapture's down...
BioShock Infinite's first DLC is out on Steam today
Jul 30
// Caitlin Cooke
BioShock Infinite: Clash in the Clouds (PC [previewed], PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)Developer: Irrational GamesPublisher: 2K GamesRelease: July 30, 2013 (PC) / August 2013 (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360) Clash in the Clouds does not tie into the storyline specifically but rather is a standalone arena-based combat game. You continue to play as Booker Dewitt with Elizabeth at your side, tearing the fabric of space and time to obtain useful items in battle (as usual). The DLC consists of four maps (The OPS Zeal, Duke and Dimwit Theater, Raven's Zone, Emporia Arcade) with each containing 15 encounters, or waves, of enemies. The waves get progressively more difficult and sometimes require a lot more strategy vs combat in the main game, especially as the enemies grow in number. The beauty of Clash is that it can be fun for both hardcore arena players or for gamers who want a bit of challenge without the need to be ranked. If players can successfully beat all 15 waves without dying, they'll be placed on the glorious leaderboards for all to see. If the player dies at any point, they can resume the game to continue collecting cash but won't make it onto the rankings. Extra lives can be purchased at the office door in between waves, which allow players to spawn at the door with no penalty and at full health. Players earn Silver Eagles at the end of each wave, and can also get bonus Eagles by killing enemies in various ways (headshots, vigor combos, etc). "Blue Ribbon Challenges" can also be attempted to earn cash bonuses throughout each wave. For example, a few of mine were to defeat enemies only with the hand cannon, or defeat enemies only using the skyline. At the end of each wave, health and salts replenish and you have the opportunity to stock up on new guns or buy upgrades with your money. Silver Eagles can also be used to purchase artifacts from the Columbian Archaeological Society, a really neat-looking atrium with a giant bronze statue of Songbird hanging above. This was actually my favorite part about the DLC -- you can buy character statues, individual songs playing on their own phonograph, Kinetoscopes, Voxophones, and concept art to fill out the space. There's even something waiting for you when a certain duo is unlocked ... but I won't spoil the surprise. Overall I enjoyed my time with Clash in the Clouds. For $5, or included in your Season Pass purchase, you can't really go wrong. It's honestly worth it just to unlock some really cool story items from Infinite and test your combat skills when shit hits the fan. Clash in the Clouds is coming at you later today on Steam, and will be released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 by the end of the week. Burial at Sea, the next two downloadable content packs for BioShock Infinite, were also revealed to us, and this will be story-driven content that is set on the eve of Rapture's downfall. Rapture being the setting of the original BioShock. You'll even get to play as Elizabeth here. Check out the trailer and our impressions of that here.
Clash in the Clouds is an arena-based combat game
We're here folks! Breathe that big ol' sigh of relief because by midday you'll see BioShock Infinite's first piece of downloadable content, Clash in the Clouds, available for download on the PC through Steam. Clash in the C...
Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments looks sweet
Demo puts LA Noire to shame
Jun 15
// Caitlin Cooke
Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments is the seventh installment in the Sherlock Holmes series from Frogwares development studio, and so far it's looking pretty stellar. Crimes and Punishments holds many firsts for the seri...
It's Deadfall Adventures Time!
Jun 15
// Caitlin Cooke
UPDATE: Deadfall Adventures will be $39.99 on PC and $49.99 on X360, not $60. Deadfall Adventures may seem like an Indiana Jones or Uncharted rip-off, however the game is doing the exact opposite: it is engrained in the ...
Contrast lights the way to fun platforming
And a has a cool setting to boot!
Jun 14
// Caitlin Cooke
Contrast is hands down the most unique game I played at E3. It's rare to find a game that melds adult themes with the whimsical storytelling mechanics of a child's mind. Blended with interesting puzzle platforming, Contrast is surely going to spark some interest when it arrives.
Phoenix Wright: Dual Destinies is lookin' fine in 3D
Jun 13
// Caitlin Cooke
The demo I played was very reminiscent of the original series with the same dialogue style and basic gameplay mechanics but with the extra oomph that the 3DS can offer - mainly, short 3D cutscenes and added graphic detail. Oh, and of course Phoenix's hair is even more spiky in 3D. Players can still shout OBJECTION! into the mic and I imagine the investigation will also incorporate some 3DS features, however the demo did not get into the crime scene portion. The court scene was very much the same as it's always been -- lots of banter, pressing the witnesses, presenting evidence and of course all the courtroom drama that goes along with it. It was entertaining watching Phoenix stumble his way through his first investigation in years - it wouldn't be an Ace Attorney game without embarrassing the main character! The new gameplay mechanic, the "mood matrix," allows Phoenix to sense how the witness is feeling during their testimony -- happy, angry, sad, or surprised. Pinpointing an unexpected emotion allows for Phoenix to press the witness even further on their testimony, exposing new information. It didn't seem very difficult but it was interesting being able to view the witness' memories play out. I found this to be a unique addition and I'm curious how it will play out in the long run. Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies is being released in Japan on July 25th with western regions following suit in the fall for 3DS download only. Yes, it's sad, but hey at least we're getting it, and getting it soon!
I have no objections
I'm a big fan of the Ace Attorney series but fell off the wagon somewhere between the Apollo Justice and Miles Edgeworth games, so it's exciting to see that Phoenix is making a comeback in Dual Destinies. The game takes place...
Magrunner: Dark Pulse looks really darn cool
Magnets, how do they work?
Jun 13
// Caitlin Cooke
Magrunner: Dark Pulse is a game that you may brush off as a Portal imitator at first - but I urge you not to do so. After playing through some levels on the E3 show floor, Magrunner has caught my attention not just with its delightful puzzle-solving mechanics but through the world and story itself.
Rune Factory 4 is pleasantly complex
'Harvest Moon on steroids'
Jun 12
// Caitlin Cooke
Attending E3 has given me the chance to try out some games I normally wouldn't think of picking up - Rune Factory 4 being one of them. I always considered the Rune Factory series to be a Harvest Moon imitator until I gave it ...
Review: Might & Magic: Duel of Champions
Jun 03
// Caitlin Cooke
Might & Magic: Duel of Champions (PC, iPad)Developer: UbisoftPublisher: UbisoftRelease: May 28, 2013MSRP: Free Duel of Champions begins with your choice of a faction: Haven (protection and healing), Inferno (attack damage), or Necropolis (infecting and stealing life). The story and deck you receive depends on the faction you choose -- I chose Haven and ended up as an elite mercenary, fighting for the glory of the holy empire in battle. The campaign map started off with a few missions and included a boot camp (tutorial) to learn the basics. Each encounter (duel) started off with some dialogue to tie into the plot, and after finishing the duel I was showered with rewards like XP, gold, and seals. At first the gameplay seemed very generic but as the tutorial eased me into it I realized there were a lot of elements at play. Cards are not only cast with resources, but may also require a combination of three different abilities to come into play: might, magic, and destiny. Each player is represented by a hero who can add one of these three abilities to their pool or in lieu, can cast a special ability. To add to the complexity, each player brings eight event cards to the duel which are shuffled together and brought out in twos. On any given player's turn, they have the option to play one or both cards if they have enough resources. Some of these cards are simple -- each player draws a card, add 1 attack to this creature, etc. -- however some event cards have the power to turn the tables quickly. Three types of main cards can be found in the deck: creatures, spells, and fortunes. Fortune cards require enough of the "destiny" attribute to put into play and twist the rules of the game (i.e., adding resources to a player's pool). Spell cards are pretty typical and usually affect creatures on the board (like raising an attack score, or eliminating a creature from the board). Creatures have an attack score, a retaliation score (damage dealt back to an attacking creature), and health points. Health is not regained at the end of the turn so players have to be careful with how they place cards and who they attack. During the action phase players can cast creatures onto the battlefield, which consists of two rows on each player's side. There are three types of creatures -- flying, melee, and shooter -- each having their own rules on where they can be deployed on the board (i.e., the front line, back line) and how they attack. Creatures usually have to be in the same row as an enemy creature to make the attack, and can only perform one action each turn. If no creatures are in the row to block the attack, players can attack the enemy hero instead. Just like Magic the Gathering, once a hero's life total goes from 20 to zero the game is over. Players can win gold, seals, and XP by winning duels (PvP) or encounters from the single-player campaign. Gold and seals are used to buy consumables (like tickets to compete in a tournament), decks, and card packs. Gold is accrued much easier than seals and you'll utilize more of it to unlock decks and packs, whereas seals are won at a much slower rate but are used to purchase rarer items. After playing through the tutorial, I found that I had enough seals and gold to buy about five card packs. Not bad, although it seems like you'll need to play quite a bit or hand over the cash to unlock rare decks. Despite all the fun I had playing Might and Magic: DoC, I had my share of pet peeves when running through the game. The game moves way too fast on an enemy's turn -- it's hard to tell what they're casting and what the effects are, and since there's no way to pause the game I found myself having to backtrack by clicking through cards in their discard pile. I suppose this is something that players would get used to once they're more familiar, but it would benefit newbie players to slow it down a bit at first. I also felt like if I made one or two mistakes the game was basically over -- it's hard to recover from a duel when your battlefield is basically empty. The dialogue in the main campaign isn't really anything to rave about, but at least it's there - it allows for nice context that many collectible card games do not provide. However, you can't really skip through it even if you've already played that specific encounter. I also wish there were more ways you could play with your friends but alas Practice mode is the only option at this point. You can't remove the timer and there are no rewards/XP offered so playing in Practice is kind of pointless. Fortunately, playing in Duel mode (normal pvp match) is worthwhile as you receive rewards even if you lose. I was surprised in a good way to find that I never had to wait longer than 20 seconds to find a match. I did notice that practically everyone I played with was way more advanced than I was in terms of skill, which gave me the impression that only super hardcore players stuck around after the beta. However, on rare occasions I did actually find myself playing against similarly-skilled opponents. My favorite and least favorite part of the game happens to be the same thing: the deck-building tool. I love that the game actually HAS one, for starters. The most important piece, however, is that you can completely customize decks to your liking as long as cards are in the same faction. Unfortunately though, I found the tool to be a bit cumbersome and confusing -- it's hard to see the cards and there's no real structure overall. For first-time players it would be super beneficial to have a tutorial or a "suggested" deck tool which could assist players in building decks from scratch. Might & Magic: DoC is easy to learn but quite difficult to master. Card fans seem to already be flocking with almost 150k ranked players and duel wins up in the thousands. The game has been in beta for months but with the official launch Ubisoft has added a new card series called Herald of the Void, which includes 120 new cards. When I first started up Duel of Champions and played through the tutorial, I never thought I'd be playing for the next four hours. I found myself becoming easily lost in the game, with my duels lasting over a half hour but only seeming like 10 minutes. It's a solid CCG for sure, and one that I don't mind being tied to at the moment.
A delightfully addicting CCG
Might & Magic: Duel of Champions is yet another contender in this year of our collectible card game lords, 2013. CCGs are being released in droves this year and with most of them running on the free-to-play model, competi...
Magic 2014 Duels of the Planeswalkers to have sealed play
May 08
// Caitlin Cooke
[Update: Further details on the sealed play mode and potential cost can be found here. It sounds like players will not need to pay for booster packs, rather the game will come with two sealed deck slots in which you can edit ...
Impressions: Zynga's mobile card game War of the Fallen
Simple and accessible, Zynga may be winning yet
Apr 15
// Caitlin Cooke
Zynga has just released their latest social game endeavor War of the Fallen for iOS, with Android soon to follow. This new card battle game steps up to the plate with hopes of introducing casual game players to the world of c...
Magic: The Gathering
Magic 2014: Duels of the Planeswalkers sneak peek
This summer Chandra is kicking ass and taking names
Mar 25
// Caitlin Cooke
Wizards of the Coast has announced the return of its Magic: Duels of the Planeswalkers game series this summer. In addition to the usual platforms (iOS, PC, Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network), the game is also being relea...
Heroes of Warcraft
PAX: Hands-on with Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft
Easy to pick up, engaging for all
Mar 24
// Caitlin Cooke
Being a huge Magic: The Gathering fan, I was super excited for Blizzard's Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft announcement on Friday. However, I was a bit wary on how they would approach the game. Collectible card games...
Toki Tori 2
PAX: Singin' and stompin' with Toki Tori 2
The little yellow chicken that could!
Mar 23
// Caitlin Cooke
I love puzzle adventure games, so I couldn't pass up the chance to play Toki Tori 2 on the PAX show floor. What's not to love about an adorable yellow bird tromping around a brightly animated forest? I got a hands-on with Two...
Videogamer: The Film Seeks Funding
Bringing you closer to the games you love
Mar 22
// Caitlin Cooke
"Through our numbers we can get the world talking about innovation. The gaming industry revolution is now." Videogamer: The Film is a neat little project with a huge undertaking -- a full-length film which pulls back the...
PAX: Details on Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft
Collectible card game, ho!
Mar 22
// Caitlin Cooke
Blizzard has announced new details regarding its free-to-play collectible strategy card game, Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft. To start, there will be over 300 cards in the game. Players can unlock cards by purchasing or...
Games to play with your boyfriend on Valentine's Day
Feb 14
// Caitlin Cooke
Portal 2 Who doesn't love to play adorable robots that can hug and high-five each other all day long? Atlas and P-body are like mini versions of your relationship, only they're more prone to falling off ledges! For those of you new to the co-op portion of the game, GLaDOS, your evil (or maybe just misunderstood) A.I. guide leads you and your partner through various rooms in order to retrieve data disks for a certain unknown but most likely evil purpose. Portal 2 is a great way to bond with your boyfriend, especially if you're both into puzzle-solving hijinks! Saints Row: The Third Nothing says "I love you" like taunting your boyfriend with a big fat purple dildo. Saints Row: The Third is the sandbox game you wished for and finally received -- it's fantastically silly, loads of fun, and extremely self-aware. To be honest, I haven't played through much of the game because I'm too busy doing stupid stuff like skydiving out of airplanes and crashing parties, but from what I've seen it's the perfect game to play with that someone special. So, what are you waiting for? THQ isn't getting any younger…oh wait. Torchlight II Surprisingly, killing lots of things can be delightfully romantic. Created by members of the original Diablo II team, Torchlight II pays homage to those long lost yet reawakened hack-n-slash dungeon-running games. The music will give you all kinds of nostalgic lady boners, and you even get to choose your own pet, ranging from a panther to a random made-up animal like the Chakawary, featured above. As an added bonus, you and your boyfriend no longer need to fight over loot -- you both get your own! Gone are the days of "No, honey, YOU take One-eyed Willy's Other Eye!" Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game This Valentine's Day, you and your boyfriend should wreck the s*@$ out of Ramona's 7 evil exes. Why? Because nothing says romance like kicking some side-scrolling ass to amazing chiptune music, that's why! Even if you haven't read the Scott Pilgrim graphic novels (which if you haven't, you totally should) the game is a blast. The sprites are adorable and the game puts a totally unique spin on traditional side scrolling beat-em-ups by just being…completely silly. My personal favorite characters to play are Scott and Kim - they were meant to be together anyway, right? Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed Go back to your roots and share something special with your significant other, like your favorite Sega characters! AiAi, Beat, B.D. Joe, Tails are just some of the few playable characters which you can level up. Even better, the levels in this game are insanely immersive -- in addition to your standard driving you can also fly and float your way through the track (which, by the way, often falls to pieces during the last lap). Racing Transformed will soon win your heart and become your go to "kick your boyfriend's ass" game. You Don't Know Jack Boyfriend doesn't game much? You Don't Know Jack is the ticket - everyone loves a super difficult, zany trivia game. The only catch is that you'll probably end up as an ex-couple by the end of it. Every round contains 10 questions plus a few bonus rounds, and a "Wrong Answer of the Game" in which you have to keep your eyes peeled for an answer related to the "sponsor" (which can be anything from Banana Toasters to Granny's Roach Butter). Overall YDKJ is a quick and fun way to enjoy each other's company this V-day. Plus, who doesn't love a game where you get to screw your significant other? Honorable Mention: Having your boyfriend cuddle up and watch you play Condemned…in the dark.
Romance is just a game away!
Valentine's Day isn't always about getting taken out to dinner and receiving fancy treats and trinkets. Okay, well maybe it is, but who's to say that you can't get a little gaming on the side? Consider spending some quality time with your boyfriend by reeling him into the following co-op games. If he resists, consider your future with him wisely...
Review: Kinect Party
Jan 14
// Caitlin Cooke
Kinect Party (Xbox Live Arcade)Developer: Double Fine ProductionsPublisher: Microsoft StudiosReleased: December 17, 2012MSRP: 800 Microsoft Points Building off of its predecessor, Kinect Party continues the "just play" mentality of the series. There is no start, end, or goal -- the point is to have fun! When starting Kinect Party, it launches straight into the Television, the gateway to playing these quirky yet entertaining games. Players interact with the environment around them for a few minutes until the Television changes the "channel" and moves onto a new game. The menu can be accessed by shouting "Hey Television!" which will allow the player to choose the game they want to play next, or to take/view/share pictures. Kinect Party has a total of 36 mini-games, a few being more "involved" than others. For example, some of the interactions are basic -- the player walks around an environment like a forest or a beach and has to feed pigeons or look for treasure. Other modes are more intense and mimic games like Space Invaders, Tempest, and Breakout. At random points, the game will capture photos of you (with warning, so you can pose) and save them for you to look at later. Unfortunately, those pictures will eventually be overwritten by new ones and will not be saved permanently unless you share them to Facebook. This is my one major gripe with Kinect Party, as I'm not really partial to sharing rainbows coming out of my butt for my coworkers, friends, and family to see. Like its predecessor, Kinect Party can support up to six people simultaneously. To my delight, this included my dog Tali, who was obviously not aware of her projected surroundings. At one point, she leapt in front of the Kinect to destroy one of her toys, but on-screen, she was immersed in sand. The device instantly picked up every second of her movement and as a result, sand was being kicked up all around me. I was impressed by this, and by the abilities of the game and of the Kinect to work hand-in-hand to create an authentic environment based on my furniture and movements. I specifically mention this because when playing other games for Kinect, I've noticed that my environment is rarely analyzed properly. Kinect Party seems to nail it down correctly. Kinect Party is a fantastic game in the right scenario. If you often have guests over your house, especially family or children, then this is definitely something to check out. It's hard for anyone to dislike a game in which you build a castle and promptly turn into a dragon to destroy it. However, I find that this isn't the best thing to suit lone gamers like myself. I do love pretending to be trapped inside a jello mold with my dog every once in a while, but that can get old. That's not to say that it isn't a good game -- it certainly is for what it aims to achieve -- but Kinect Party is best played with others! Folks who own Happy Action Theater will already know what Kinect Party has in store for them, and will delight in knowing that the game is only 400 Microsoft Points. If you are one of the lucky to have snagged Kinect Party while it was free over the holidays, you can't go wrong. Fun to be had at no cost is nothing to complain about. If you missed out on the free promotion, don't kick yourself. It's certainly worth the $10 if you're willing to let your imagination fly!
Double the fine, double the fun
Hey, Television! Check out Double Fine's latest game for Xbox Live Arcade: Kinect Party. In fun-loving Double Fine fashion, it was released for free upon launch in mid-December until the New Year. For those of you who d...
Preview: Lost Marbles
Dec 10
// Caitlin Cooke
Lost Marbles (PC)Developer: Binary TakeoverTo be released: December 2012 Lost Marbles begins with straightforward introduction levels, which ease you into learning how each of the marbles operates. There are three types of marbles: Rubber, Paper, and Metal. Rubber balls are your basic ball -- bouncy (giving the ability to jump over obstacles) and are able to float and maneuver in water. Paper balls are fast and flexible, having the ability to shrink to avoid dangerous obstacles. Given their light weight, these balls are prone to strong winds, which can also be used to the player's advantage. Metal balls are slow and easier to control, able to best most obstacles -- unlike paper and rubber, which are vulnerable to fire and spikes -- and contain a speed boost to give it that extra edge when moving uphill. As the game progresses, the levels challenge your ability to solve puzzles as well as test your reflex and timing skills. Once you have the basics down, the stages grow into somewhat of a marble co-op where you're able to freely switch between the various balls to solve puzzles within the level. For example, in the level Shock Value, the player is presented with a string of electricity running across the platform. Rubber absorbs lightning, which would allow the paper and metal balls to pass through. However, there is a small river separating the marbles from the rest of the level, in which the paper ball cannot pass through. Either the metal or the rubber marble must make its way past the water to activate a switch, allowing fans to blow the paper ball past the water. The level continues with each marble assisting the other for all to make it to "home" (i.e. the end of the level). The game keeps track of your times, so once you're a puzzle-solving aficionado, you'll be able to replay the level to create a new best. Lost Marbles can be played either via keyboard or with an Xbox 360 controller. I found that the game is best played with the controller, as it gives a bit more sense of control, though it's certainly not unplayable with the keyboard. The layout and controls are akin to something like Super Monkey Ball, which adds to the challenge as you're not only focusing on the puzzles, but your ability to control tiny marbles on floating platforms. I found that the level design was interesting and progressed at the right speed, yet the controls were a bit too touchy for me. This is part of the challenge though, to fine tune maneuvers in order to complete levels -- and one that makes the game so addicting to play. However, there are a few abilities that need more work including the metal ball's speed boost (I often found that it wouldn't boost in the direction I was pointing or facing) and the sensitivity of some outside elements, such as magnets. Although frustrating, they're not entirely game-breaking. These are details that Binary Takeover said they were currently tweaking to make gameplay more efficient. Despite the few issues, overall I've come to enjoy the game and found myself wanting to pursue the challenges in every stage. Each stage brings bright graphics and thoughtful, unimposing background music which only add to the simplistic charm of the game. My hope is that when Lost Marbles is fully released, there will be more content in terms of levels and added challenges. Unfortunately, due to Steam's new classifications on smaller indie games, the two minds behind Binary Takeover were not able to get Lost Marbles directly onto Steam as they did with Turba. They're currently working through the Greenlight process (you can vote for them here). For now, a demo of the game is available on Binary Takeover's Steam page.
Found: puzzle game!
I first came across Lost Marbles at the Boston Festival of Indie Games this past September. As I walked past Binary Takeover's booth, I couldn't help but stare at the bright ambiance emitting from the screen and the fun...
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I've never earnestly went drinking before so it's cool to know I'm the slow, sleepy, impaired type.
The Dyslexic Laywer
Got to admit I didn't expect to find a mewtwo amiibo at my bookstore of all places...
Mike Martin
My cousin found out I slept with his girlfriend and is pissed. Understandable. I am totally sick of the angry phone calls though. It reminds me so much of playing Call of Duty online. The screaming 11 year olds suck on there too.
Huh. Apparently even Japan has a Black Friday sale going on on PSN right now.
Yes, Resident Evil: Revelations 2, I know that somebody has 2,625 more medallions than me. No, Resident Evil: Revelations 2, I don't really care.
Dr Mel
This fucking Bloodborne DLC, jesus. I'm on new game+, about level 90, and shit just tears my dick off. I don't know if I want to start another guy just to avoid NG+ and level him up, etc. sigh....
Wii U, top selling black friday item on target.com. Take that you anti-Wii U people. http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/11/27/wii-u-helps-drive-targets-biggest-online-shopping-day-ever?utm_source=IGN%20hub%20page&utm_medium=IGN%20(front%20page)&utm_conten
I am pretty hyped for when I get a laptop because I'll be able to have a good enough connection to stream XbOne/soon PS4 games to it along with natively rendered Steam games. Hype!
Got a PS4 that came with SW Battlefront this week, and planning on picking up the FFX/X-2 remake. Hype is through the roof, especially for FFX. If I were to get one other game, what should it be?
Niero Desu
Did a google maps search around my parents house for bars and there isn't one in like 25 miles, so I picked up an Intel compute stick and South Park: Stick of Truth on Steam. That's more or less the drunken screaming I'm in the mood for at about the cost.
Do you ever have that moment of clarity when talking to someone and suddenly realising: You're just a skull, and they're just a skull, with fucking eyeballs and a sac of skin being the only comparative difference between you visually? ..just me then?
Nathan D
After quitting for two days out of frustration, I beat Ludwig on my first try of the night. I'm on cloud fucking nine right now.
Pixie The Fairy
When I did my retail shift today, we were moving more Smash/Splat Wii U bundles and the Gears/Rare Replay/Ori XB1 bundles than Uncharted and Battlefront PS4s. I think Nintendo and MS have better value on their side this holiday. Sony got lazy.
I found this weird game called Samurai Heroes for 8 dollars today. Its not bad.
Solar Pony Django
Got Deadpool, Arkham Asylum and BioShock 1 and 2 all for 30$. Not to bad for going Black Friday shopping late.
If you haven't played Tales from the Borderlands yet, GO BUY IT! By far the funniest game I have ever played, and the characters and narrative are incredibly well written. Very few memes unlike BL2 by the way.
James Internet Ego
Played all of Life is Strange today in one sitting. Bloody hell. You should all play it. Only game this year to make me cry. Bravo developers. Possibly the most valuable thing I've ever bought for £10.
Last night, got farther than ever in Wasteland 2. This is my third playthrough-once thru beta, once through the orig version, now on Directors cut. Worth the restart, and it speaks highly of the game that I like it enough to do this. DAMONTA HERE I COME!
GUYS HELP I KEEP BUYING MORE AMIIBO. Today it was Little Mac, since he went back up on Gamestop's website. I probably would have gotten Captain Falcon as well if I wasn't already running a little short on cash.
50 hours in and I can safely say that Xenoblade is the best JRPG I've played in years. Should hopefully be finished in time for X too!
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Tropers: Rembrandt Q Einstein
We don't have an article named Tropers/RembrandtQEinstein. If you want to start this new page, just click the edit button above. Be careful, though, the only things that go in the Main namespace are tropes. Don't put in redirects for shows, books, etc.. Use the right namespace for those.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
- Filed Under
Friends of Shelly Diersing Shockey are raising money for the 41-year-old's daughter and son.
Police found her dead in her home on Monday evening. Shockey's husband, David, was charged with aggravated murder and tampering with evidence. Danielle Crokie, a 19-year-old, was charged with tampering with evidence and obstructing justice. Police believe Crokie is David's girlfriend.
Janelle Samu, who went to Pioneer Vocational School with Shelly, said there wasn't a mean bone in ...


text:
A potential for recreation
Town parks and recreation Director Audrey Ball told council members that while baseball teams are constantly clamoring for more fields, creating official baseball diamonds would require significant work grading the land, building a pitching mound and grooming the lawn.
To me, ball fields and open space still conflict, and we need to do the right thing in the right location, said Ball. "There's a high demand for baseball fields prior to opening day, but the use tends to dwindle after that, and there are lots of traffic and parking issues, because every parent drives their own car to the games."
Ball said she recommended the council seek options that would not alter the land and watershed areas.
"Lacrosse and soccer teams, for example, just need open fields, and when they use fields, they clean up, fill in the holes, and you never know they were there," said Ball.
Supervisor Paul Sausville suggested the town set up portable pitching mounds and a backstop.
"For a few thousand dollars, we could put out backstops, mow the fields, and offer it for use on a first-come, first-served basis," said Sausville.
Can the buildings stay?
Council members agreed it's the land, not the house that's the best asset on the property.
"This is a beautiful area, and a true open space," said Ball. "This would make a great pocket park, linking to Meadow View and Century Farms. It's also very important to preserve the barn. There's lots of focus right now statewide on keeping barns in rural landscapes."
Ball said a barn restoration program was created in 2000 by the state Legislature to help preserve historic barns and protect agricultural points of interest across the state.
"There are many state resources available such as matching grants and information for maintaining and adapting new uses of old barns," said Ball.
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text:
New NFTRH Model Portfolio (4 Holdings) 0 comments
This is not a toot the horn type of post because the new model portfolio's performance has as much to do with timing as my would-be genius ability to pick stocks. I just happened to be in a position to put a real-world model portfolio to work in the newsletter at a particularly good time to be buying.
I am probably known as a gold bug or what have you, and indeed the portfolio is balanced by gold. But the holdings in this portfolio are meant to be part of a diversified mix in alignment with whatever my view happens to be on an intermediate (read: less frequent trading) basis.
The chart shows a few items I felt were due for an extended swing trade and these were first presented in NFTRH a couple weeks ago in #190. Emerging Markets, Emerging global income (w/ dividend), Lithium and the premier silver royalty stock, SLW. The portfolio also holds my two favorite gold explorers, crude oil, a couple REE stocks and another global income fund, all bought on recent downside excess along with a tactical actively managed global fund and the Permanent Portfolio fund 'for all seasons'.
The portfolio will maintain a strict risk management regimen at all times, but not in trading the short term swings. If I believe the intermediate is still on coarse, I'll try to keep this portfolio intact and on course to provide capital appreciation and income in sensible areas and manage risk and re-balance as needed within that context. A nice, diversified group is the ideal.
This adds a tier of quality to the NFTRH service that previously only included a non diversified 'speculation' portfolio, which is my actual IRA. Now I can feel better about going into more detail on what I believe is a more sensible take on how one market manager is deploying (and preserving) funds in my regular brokerage account.
Subscribe to NFTRH or
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Disclosure: I am long EMF, TEI, SLW, MCP, REE, USO, GIM, SHY.Themes: stock market, global income, emerging markets, lithium, rare earth elements, crude oil Stocks: LIT, SLW, REEIQ, USO, GLD, EMF, TEIBack To Gary Tanashian's Instablog HomePage »
Instablogs are blogs which are instantly set up and networked within the Seeking Alpha community. Instablog posts are not selected, edited or screened by Seeking Alpha editors, in contrast to contributors' articles.Full index of posts »
Deflation Or Inflation? http://seekingalpha.com/a/1n69v Dec 16, 2014
Economy Post-Jobs Report: Real Or Memorex? http://seekingalpha.com/a/1mubb Dec 10, 2014
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When you feel confident, sexy and attractive you don't post these stupid picks.
Shes a crack whore, what else would you expect?
Cheers to you too sweetie…stay away from that douchebag C.B.
They're both attention whoring cunts.
This one is a lot easier on the eyes.
"POW! Right in the kisser!
Did you cum yet, baby?"
27 years from now:
"Dang, Grandma! You used to look like that?!?"
"Yep. Now come ere an rub me butt some."
That picture says "Kadooment" all over it
Rihanna The New Amy Winehouse
but with less singing talent.
yeah, maybe so, but she's got a much better ass, and she's not afraid to use it.
You actually used the lame, overy-used, hackneyed 'Hitler' in your handle to get some attention?
What are you, a fucking Kardashian?
That Cayuga looks listless.
shes disgusting
One girl, one cup!
No wonder she lost the Nivea endorsement she had … they think she is too trashy for the brand, ha ! Hilarious. Lots of fucked-up celebrities today, lol. Randy Travis in a nude DUI ? :D
This bitch got forehead for days.
Classy as ever. A trip to rehab, finding religion, and a TV Movie of The Week awaits.
I think I'll have Rihanna start following me around so that I'll have someone to carry my drink as well as a place to stick my cellphone.
"Do I look trashy enough?" *looks at clevage* "Yep!"
"Look – when i sqeeze my breasts together with my arms, I almost have cleavage"
It's the female equivalent of the 13 year old boy's "crossing arms with hands under them to fake a pair of biceps" trick.
Fashizzle ?
She's so ugly! I lol when people say she's hot. Like, get your eyes check. This bitch is fug.
I felt bad for her after she was beaten up by Chris Brown. Then I found out what she was like and figured out couples abuse and humiliation is the attention whores foreplay.
She is missing an 'M' between the A and P on that hat.
Can only assume she had that cap tailor made to fit that giant forehead.


text:
2012 Kenworth T660
Gulfport, MS
2016 Freightliner BUSINESS CLASS M2 106
Somerville, NJ
1995 Chevrolet 3500HD
New Hampton, IA
2015 Chevrolet 3500
Orlando, FL
2007 International 9400i
Lake Butler, FL
2013 Freightliner CASCADIA 125
Des Moines , IA
Trailer for 2016 60 Ton Wide Spread Lowboy
Voorhees, NJ
2012 Freightliner CA12564SLP - CASCADIA
Healdsburg, CA
2004 Freightliner C11242ST-CENTURY 112
Ocala, FL
2010 Kenworth T660
Cincinnati, OH
Description: See the Auction Listing!Mercedes-Benz OM 647 LA Engine, Automatic Transmission, 8550 lb. GVWR, Spring Type Suspension, Air Conditioning, Cruise Control, Power Windows, Power Locks, Power Mirrors.More Information
Didn't find what you were looking for? Click here to request availability from our dealer network.


text:
Bring a breath of fresh air to your promotional products and trade show giveaways with our distinctive tote. With 210 denier polyester material, a sling-style strap and a hook and loop closure, they're a smart way to reinforce your brand. Add a custom imprint for promotional materials that keep your marketing message fresh. Choose from four classic colors and find the perfect match for your corporate palette. Includes a 31" long shoulder strap.
Purchased samples may include random imprint to evaluate imprint quality and location.
|Product Colors
|Black-Gray-White, Navy-Lime-White, Red-Black-White, Royal-Black-White
|13 " x 14 " x 3 "
|Imprint Area
|9" x 9"
|Set Up Charge
|$55.00 Per Order
|Set Up Charge Includes
|Imprint charge
|Art, Proof, & Layout Charge
|Imprint Area
|9" x 9"
|Art, Proof, & Layout Charge
|Imprint Area
|9" x 9"
|Art, Proof, & Layout Charge
|Estimated Production Time
|5 business days after proof approval and 1-2 days for order processing and art prep time. Does not include shipping time. Please call for Rush services.
|Rush Production
|1 business days (1 Day). Please call us at 866-604-6774 for rush production pricing. Rush production may include an additional fee.
|36-hour Products
|We offer FREE 36-Hour rush service on over 100 promotional products. These products ship in 24-36 hours after proof approval. This does not include in-transit time, weekends & holidays are not included. We recommend high quality artwork to speed art prep. Failure to approve proof can result in order delays.
USImprints.com requires a minimum imprinted order of $175. The minimum order of blank items is $100. Blank items are not returnable or refundable.How does your low price guarantee work?
USImprints.com will match or beat any advertised price on the exact item.What if I need more than one imprint color?
Most items include a standard one color imprint, if you need more than one imprint color please contact us. Additional set-up and run charges may be required for multi color imprinting. Some items can only be imprinted with one color.I need my order yesterday!
We offer rush services on most items. Please call for availability, delivery time, and pricing. We work hard to make sure we meet your in hands date! Check out our large selection of 36-Hour promotional products.How do I make sure my order is done right?
You will receive a free virtual proof to preview your new order before we go to press.What art formats do you accept?
We prefer high quality vector artwork in .eps, .ai (adobe illustrator), with fonts converted to outlines. We may also accept high resolution .jpg, .gif, PSD or PDF files.How do I match an exact imprint color?
We have most standard imprint colors, but if you need to match a color exactly, there may be a PMS color match charge.Do you charge sales tax?
Yes, we charge sales tax in Tennessee and other states where applicable. We are required to charge sales tax for orders placed in the same state as any of our vendors.Need help finding the right product, questions about artwork, or anything else?
Just call one of our friendly branding specialist to help at 866-604-6774.
**While we try to make sure that all prices listed are accurate at all times, we cannot be responsible for typographical and other errors that may appear on the site. If the listed price for a product is incorrect due to typographical or other error (e.g., data transmission), USImprints is only responsible for the correct price, which we will provide to you as soon as we become aware of the error.
USImprints requires a minimum product order of $175 for imprinted items, or $100 for blank items. All blank item purchases are non-refundable. Most items include a 1-color imprint, unless noted. Additional imprint colors may require additional run charges and set-up charges. Please call to confirm pricing.


text:
- 163Promote
Unisex V-Neck
Wild 2 by Eric Fan & Garima Dhawanby Garima Dhawan
American Apparel Fine Jersey V-Necks are made with 100% fine jersey cotton combed for softness and comfort.
collab with the very talented Eric Fan in the ongoing wild series. Eric is at http://society6.com/opifan64/Wild-2-b...
Cool Garima!!!
Beautiful work
Very cool!
Always great to work with you!
You both are awesome! I love this version too!
This is awesome!
So fantastic!
Great version! You both are great artist! Congrats for this artwork
Bravo! Stunning collaboration! ;)
thumbs up!
Congrats on front page!!! I know you're not really on FP but your work is! So big congrats and hugs! Great collab!!!!
Very cool!!
Thanks so much Linda, Paula, Paul, HLMM, piareiprints, Libertad, Caleb, Ben, Nikola, Eric, Monica, Madmi, Sherri, Terry & Lauren ♥
I'm the 100th promoter! Such fantastic work by you two!
yay! thanks so much Alexandra!
so pretty
I am SO in love with these!!
Thanks so much Bev & Josie!
This is delightful, with the colored stripes!
thanks so much TheCore! This is turning out to be a cool series
Thanks so much Jacquie!
This is so great!
See More Comments


text:
I got something strange growing inside my newly acquired Nikkormat FT2 viewfinder. Here are two closeup pix of what I call "strands" that appear to "hang down" from the top of the prism(?) housing. Because they seem so symmetrical, my guess is that they are either inside the prism, or perhaps laying on its (top) surface. But I haven't opened up the top plate yet (I have a spanner wrench on its way to help me open it). Since they appear to hang from a housing or shroud at the top of the prism, my guess is moisture got into the area between the top of the prism and the housing, and it (mold or fungus?) started there.
Does anyone have a guess as to what this is, and suggestions on how to clean it? If it is laying on the prism, would it be ok to use denatured alcohol or other solvent to tackle it, or could damage the prism? Is it worth trying to clean it?
Prism1m is a view of the largest strand, right in the middle of the viewfinder, and Prism2m is a shot of the lesser strands. I can still use the camera, and view through these as I compose my shot (and they are just a blur), but they sure are an annoying nuisance.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks....


text:
Hurom Slow Juicer # HU-100WS
This slow juicer from Hurom excels at juicing apples but little else. Not only is the unit hard to clean, but it also struggles at juicing hard vegetables and works very slowly. The Hurom was one of the most expensive models in our test too.
Manufacturer's Warranty: 10 years on motor, one year on parts
Reviewed: March 2013
Price When Reviewed: $359.00
- Excellent at extracting juice from apples
- Excellent owner's manual
- Does a poor job extracting juice from carrots and kale
- Slow to juice
- Difficult to clean by hand and not dishwasher safe
- Expensive
What do you think?
The Best Electric Ranges for Your Kitchen
Our Institute pros turned up the heat on the newest electric ranges — and these winners cooked the competition.
Ecovacs Deebot 83
The Ecovacs picked up debris well on bare floor, but performed poorly on carpet.
Pursonic i7 Pro Multifunction Vacuum
The Pursonic maneuvered well around furniture, but pickup performance on carpet was poor.
Miele Scout RX1 Robot Vacuum Cleaner
The Miele has advanced maneuvering technology and is very easy to use.
More From Appliances


text:
The Best Cure For Balding May Be to Pluck What's Left
Shaved heads have come in and out of fashion over the past few decades, but some people don't have the option of allowing their locks to grow. Thankfully, for those who do suffer from hair loss, or alopecia, help may be at hand. Somewhat counter-intuitively an effective treatment for baldness may come from… »


text:
Atypical school district spends $400,000 each year on utility bills; some generate costs as high as $20 million per year. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that many districts could save 25 percent of that money through better building design, widely available energy technologies, renewable energy use and improvements to operations and maintenance.
Nationally, the estimated savings could pay for 40 million new textbooks, 30,000 new teachers or 1.5 million new computers every year. To help schools achieve these savings, DOE created the Energy- Smart Schools campaign as part of its Rebuild America program.
The EnergySmart Schools campaign is designed to motivate schools to use energy wisely and help them do it. Through Rebuild America, schools receive training workshops, publications, recognition and access to a broad network of private and public sector partners for help. On the local level, they can join or create community partnerships to benefit from even broader assistance—direct technical support and financing programs, among others.
Schools that adopt smart energy policies in their buildings, buses and classrooms not only save money but reap a host of other benefits:
- Classrooms are more conducive to learning, with better lighting, better temperature control and less outside noise.
- Buses emit fewer dangerous pollutants, particularly into areas where children learn and play.
- Schools spend less time— thus fewer resources— maintaining and operating buildings and buses.
Behind the scenes, the program works with legislators and policymakers to develop incentives for energy improvements. Also in the works are energy design guidelines to help schools be smart from the start, strategies to encourage businesses to provide more school products and services and efforts to eliminate policies and regulations that are barriers to school energy improvements.
Finally, the campaign creates and distributes teaching materials so that tomorrow's decision makers build better buildings, use renewable energy technologies, design better buses and continue to be smart about energy.
Success Stories
Many schools are already engaged in energy smart strategies. Through DOE's Rebuild America program, a school in Tanana, Alaska, is saving $22,000 annually by cutting its energy use 30 percent. In Indio, Calif., the Desert Sands Unified School District is using energy savings performance contracts that guarantee savings of more than $300,000 each year for 10 years. In Washington, D.C., with help from the Department of Energy and the Army Corps of Engineers, the city schools will save an estimated $3 million annually over a 10-year period.
Sometimes the simplest steps can save a district a considerable amount of money. Ken Schow, assistant superintendent with the Idaho Falls, Idaho, schools, reports energy savings of $8,500 over the winter holidays alone. "The largest contributor to savings was temperature rollbacks manually done in all buildings," notes Schow. "Simply unplugging specific vending machines that have interior lighting and compressors is very cost effective."
Schow, who believes that schools—typically the second largest consumers of energy in a community—have a moral and financial obligation to conserve energy.
Districts might even consider alternatively fueled school buses to meet the current oil crisis. The Lower Merion School District in Ardmore, Pa., began its move to compressed natural gas (CNG) buses in 1995 when the community raised concerns about noise and pollution from the district's diesel buses.
Certainly one of the most ambitious energy conservation programs is the one currently underway in the Portland (Ore.) Public Schools.
In 1990, reports Mira Vowles, Portland's energy engineer, energy use in the district was above average for school buildings and increasing at about five percent a year. The board of education adopted an energy policy that year dedicated to keeping "energy usages and costs at the lowest level that is reasonable and consistent with an efficient learning environment."
The capital improvement phase of the program began in 1993. During the next five years, the lighting in every building was retrofitted, and comprehensive energy retrofits were accomplished in 70 of the district's buildings. Benefits of the retrofits, in addition to making the district more efficient and dampening the impact of rate increases, include reduced operation and maintenance, fewer emergency outages and the reduction of air pollution emissions.
The energy-awareness phase of the energy program began in 1995, when a utility company partnership provided two energy specialists to instill building user practices.
According to Vowles, the energy program has saved more than $9 million in today's dollars. "This is particularly noteworthy in light of the ever-increasing computer, printer and fax machine loads, as well as increased evening building use by the district, the Portland Park Bureau and the community," she notes.
Portland's strategy includes:
- Accelerating capital improvements while utility incentives were available, including a design-build approach to lighting improvements and a unit-price approach to installing computerized energy management systems;
- Coordinating energy work with preventive maintenance and bond work;
- Taking advantage of technological advances in energy control equipment;
- Installing improved energy accounting software; and
- Using energy education to increase awareness and change behavior.
School districts might consider the Kingston (New York) School District's strategy of entering into an energy performance contract with the local power company. Kingston did so with the New York Power Authority, which guaranteed savings. For Kingston this was an equipment replacement program in which oil burners were replaced with new energy-efficient equipment. The power authority provided the financing so the district didn't have to appeal to the public for upfront costs.
Timing is Right
The timing is ideal now for schools to adopt an aggressive stance on energy. With fuel prices spiraling upward, an effective energy management program is the best insulator against rising costs and is likely to be met with public approval.
Give Help—Get Involved
Businesses and organizations can join DOE in helping America's schools by participating in the EnergySmart Schools campaign through Rebuild America.
Partners offer services and products ranging from workshops and publications to design and construction. In some cases, they provide school services such as building audits at no or low cost. For more information, call 1-800- DOE-3732 or visit the DOE Energy- Smart Web site at www.eren.doe. gov/energysmartschools.
Reprinted with the permission of the American Association of School Administrators. © AASA