Windows 8: First Impressions

A little background before I begin my rambling on Windows 8.

Windows 8 is one hell of a radical change with the implementation of a touch UI (Metro) which is the UI platform that Microsoft seem determine to implement for all of it's products and services.

As such, Microsoft want to completely phase out the traditional start menu and desktop environment that mostly every GUI desktop OS uses today.
This has kicked up a lot of controversy since the Developer Preview and following Consumer Preview have been tested over the past months in that most people are taking sides.

One side likes the change and would rather the Metro UI then proceed to criticize others for not accepting and adapting the change.

And the other side states that it is a total step-backwards in terms of a desktop GUI and the experience is really jarring, intended for touch, not ready which also leads to criticizing how blindly people believe in the Metro UI for a desktop environment.

Now here is what I think:

My experience has been jarring, switching back and forth from the Metro UI and normal desktop that I would rather one or the other, not a mash-up of two platforms then there is the massive tiles that represent my applications in the metro start menu.

I know this will be intended to be "Live Tiles" but where is the customization? Why are they so huge for normal applications? Why must I now learn shortcuts to do things? (I know they are more efficient but feels like I don't have the option between the two now).

                                         (Tiles only 3 rows on 40 inch display 1920x1080)

This might change in the Release preview but for now, not really doing it for me so I use Classic Shell to bring back the start-menu and the recent applications list with customization.

The focus seems to be entirely on touch and I know touch is great for it but I am not exactly going to run out and buy a couple of touch-enabled displays to use it. (I might of if it did not cost 3 times as much to replace my current set-up with a touch panel)

I can see touch being used in the future for sure and the Metro UI touch interface is great for that but at the moment, it has major issues and for me, it is really a step backwards if they think it is gonna be usable for desktop users with a keyboard and mouse.

Much in the way that cloud computing applications have entered the scene, their interfaces and features are somewhat limited or spartan compared to their desktop counter-parts.

The Metro UI and applications are looking like they are taking the same route even though it might be early days for development, it requires yet another shift in Windows development much like when Microsoft decided to move to their .Net framework which was followed by them totally dropping support for VB6.

Though I do think change is great as when Microsoft released Windows Vista debuted back in 2006, the changes and features that Microsoft brought with it were a step forward even though it had it's fair share of controversy due to being somewhat unstable and under-performing for most low-mid spec computers.

I just think Microsoft is jumping the gun a bit by trying to make Windows a touch-centric OS too soon in that, it should really complement both Touch users and Mouse+Keyboard users and not annoy the hell out of Mouse+Keyboard users.

Windows 8 has been a blast to use for general use and stability (The experience in terms of stability, refinements to windows explorer, file copy/paste prediction etc.)

There is also WDDM 1.2 as well which is rather long winded to explain but it is an improvement over how GPUs are handled and managed so in theory, better performance and efficiency with certain things.

Total War: Shogun 2 has been the only game/application not working since it updated recently with the expansion update and the Android ADB does not function on it.

Which brings me to my final points, if you enjoy using the Metro UI and keyboard short cuts then it's great you managed to adjust to it however if not and you would still like to use Windows 8:

It's either a start menu and desktop for me or a no go for now.

Classic Shell:  (A great and customizable start menu, explorer and would even recommend it over
                        the Windows 7 one).

          Start8:  (Mini start-menu version of the Metro UI screen though it performs strangely and not
                        really adequate in my opinion yet).

PS Vita Game Review (Lumines: Electronic Symphony)

Lumines: Electronic Symphony!

Does it repeat the same fantastic experience as when the very first Lumines launched on the PSP or it is just a minor iteration of the Lumines series?


Recap: Lumines

For those of you out there who don't know what Lumines is, it can be thought of as another take on the ever so popular "Tetris" style gameplay (blocks fall down, you got to match them in a certain way and clear them before it reaches the top or it's game over).

The mechanic works in that tiles which are made up of 4 squares drop down the screen which may be made up of various colors in any of the 4 squares and the idea is to match 4 colors around each other so it makes 1 tile of 4 squares with the same color.

The additional mechanic in the original Lumines is that you get a special colour square which will send a chain reaction throughout the colour it is and clearing them all.

For example: A red square with the special icon (which looks like a + sign imposed on the colour square) will clear the red square it touches side by side and any squares which are further connected side-by-side hence why it has it's name, Chain Reaction.

Lumines does not only just have this puzzle aspect to it but it also ties in a very strong emphasis on a music aspect in which the game has a very epic Electronic/Dance soundtrack and every stage (skin) has been specially designed to respond to the rhythm and beat of the track playing.

This works as the rhythm and beats of the song playing control how the blocks are cleared by the use of a line that pulses over the block lines and clears any blocks you matched as it passes over it.

There are also additional visuals in the background which also visualize in sync with the music.

This fusion of puzzle and music/visual effects gives an energetic, engaging experience to what would otherwise been an extremely lifeless block clearing puzzle game.

You advance the stage by clearing blocks which in turn also advances the song, sound effects are played when you move or match a block or finish placing it and these are the same beat as the song playing.

This is the stage that was set! Can Lumines: Electronic Symphony improve upon that and make yet another epic gaming experience?


Visuals/Graphics

The graphics of the original PSP game were good but with the PS Vita and that amazing 5 inch OLED screen, has Electronic Symphony also evolved with it?

Damn yes it has, the background visuals are even more engaging and completely varied per song...no more static images with lights on them, the entire screen comes alive with various visualizations tailored to the song itself. (My favourite has to be Played A Live which has a giant robot in the background attacking a city with choppers attacking etc except the robot dances to the beat of the music!)

The squares themselves have a more in-depth and 3D look to them as you move them across the screen they pivot to face the angle you push them in, giving a very nice 3D effect.

However, this can be distracting as my brother who also tried it out found the backgrounds to distract him a bit more and with me, I ended up focusing so much on the game itself that I completely blanked out the background (not completely though, the Played A Live skin was extremely hard and impossible to not get captivated by it.)

Audio
 
The audio is one of the most important aspect of a Lumines game and this one has a combination of some of the best Electronic music from the 1990s! Q? Entertainment really listened to the fans on this one as in addition to this, the track listing went up early and the soundtrack is available this time around!

The advancement of the music as you clear blocks and the sound effects of the blocks themselves are  more fluid and transition superior to the original game.

I also discovered some fantastic electronic tracks I have never heard before.

Track Listing:

•       “4 AM” – Kaskade
•       “Aganju” – Bebel Gilberto
•       “Always Loved A Film” – Underworld
•       “Apollo Throwdown” – The Go! Team
•       “Automatons” – Anything Box
•       “Autumn Love” – SCSI-9
•       “Bang Bang Bang” – Mark Ronson & The Business Intl.
•       “Celebrate Our Love” – Howard Jones
•       “Close (To The Edit)” – Art of Noise
•       “Disco Infiltrator” – LCD Soundsystem
•       “Dissolve” – The Chemical Brothers
•       “Embracing The Future” – BT
•       “Flyin Hi” – Faithless
•       “Good Girl” – Benny Benassi
•       “Gouryella” – Gouryella
•       “Hey Boy Hey Girl” – The Chemical Brothers
•       “Higher State of Consciousness” – Wink
•       “In My Arms” – Mylo
•       “Kelly Watch The Stars” – Air
•       “Moistly” – LFO
•       “Never”* – Orbital
•       “Out Of The Blue” – System F
•       “Pacific 707” – 808 State
•       “Played-A-Live (The Bongo Song)” – Safri Duo
•       “Rocket (Tiesto Remix)” – Goldfrapp
•       “Sunriser (Publicmind Remix)” – Ken Ishii
•       “Superstar” – Aeroplane
•       “The Future of the Future (Stay Gold)” – Deep Dish
•       “The Sun Rising” – The Beloved
•       “What’s Your Number” – Ian Pooley
•       “Windowlicker” – Aphex Twin
•       “Wolfgang’s 5th Symphony” – Wolfgang Gartner
•       “Wooden Toy” – Amon Tobin
•       “Yesterday, When I Was Mad (Jam & Spoon Mix)” – Pet Shop Boys


Gameplay

Gameplay remains true to the foundation of what is considered "Lumines" however it does refine and add upon it!

A new special block has been added which when it is placed, will randomize the color of every square currently on-screen which can lead to a very large number of block clears saving you from losing a game or doing completely nothing.

The animated avatar now has the ability to trigger the next block to have a special in it when you hit the avatar, great for a last resort to recover a game that is almost about to end however it will be put on a recharge after that (0-100%) which is filled either by block clears or by rubbing the back touch panel.

Implementation of the touch panel above is a tough one as most PS Vita games have kinda poorly implemented the touch panel, it is extremely awkward to use it as I found in Electronic Symphony.
It took too much out of controlling my blocks and found I was messing up with block placement trying to rub the back to recharge the meter.

Touch control is available for the placement and adjustment of the blocks however the D-Pad or Analog Stick is still the best for utmost control and precision.

Something else I noticed is the clear line smartly clear blocks now! as in any blocks that get cleared by a special but the clear line has past over it will not get cleared, the same applies if you get a block match as the clear line pasts over the mid-section of it, only the blocks ahead of the line will get cleared.

The game also now has a level up system, the more blocks you clear...the more experience you get.

Each level unlocks avatars which have their own specials such as a chain reaction block, remix block, stop the line, pause the block drop etc.

The last 2 modes are a stopwatch mode (clear as many blocks in a certain amount of time) and master mode (the blocks drop faster as you progress though each level and this mode is especially difficult).


Connectivity

Lumines also has Avatar and Skin sharing over NEAR as well as a world block mode where every block you clear contributes to clear one gigantic cube of about 900,000 squares contributed by everyone who has submitted the blocks they cleared for that day.

It only has an ad-hoc mode for dueling with other players in a split screen setup where each player has to keep ahead of each other and avoid their play area filling up to the top.

The great thing with this, is the avatars have an additional ability to use on your opponents to mess them up when they are in a dire salutation with their blocks.

Finally, it has the typical Leader-board scores among the world and friends.


Conclusion

Did Lumines: Electronic Symphony live up to expectations and deliver yet another epic puzzle fusion journey? Hell yes and not only that but this is the best Lumines game ever.

The price may be steep but if you look at the tracks, the visualizations, the synchronization and you just know that a lot of time and development went into this that they even run out of time to do a full on set of trophies! (they might do a more extensive trophy set with a platinum in the future).

Lumines Fan: Buy
Never played Lumines: Buy/Trial/Rent
Did not like Lumines on the PSP: Trial/Rent