Gotta catch ’em all! Or in my case, gotta step on ’em all. Each Pokémon creates its signature imprint into the bottom of your foot. They are all truly unique! (For the record, these were a gift from a relative. I did not bring all these tiny toys into my home.)
I do like the Pokémon games, but I’m a few generations behind (haven’t bought one since Sinnoh). We recently gave my daughter a copy of Diamond to play on our old DS, and I enjoy watching her experience the world of Pokémon for the first time. It’s fun to trade, battle, dig underground, and exchange trainer tips with her. Playing is also helping her get better at reading, although sometimes I catch her skipping through the game’s dialogue and later complaining that she’s stuck and doesn’t know what to do next. She’s determined to be a Pokémon master, so I know she’ll figure out a way 🙂
So I have always kind of scoffed at the Minecraft toys that I’ve seen in the stores. I know it’s an incredibly popular game, but I’m thinking, “Really? Did they need to make toys too?”
But, I have to admit that when I saw these Terraria toys for sale in Target right next to the Minecraft display, I felt strangely proud 😛
I made some brownies for a recent playdate. I cut them, arranged them on the tray, and it was only when I was almost finished with my task that I noticed I had meticulously cut and stacked them into little blocks.
So I guess in this instance, all that time playing the game helped me to make a cute brownie tray. However, there is also an unfortunate correlation between the state of my trunks in Terraria and the state of things in my home 😛 Hoping to turn that around. Really the only drawback of the game is that the item management is such a pain in the ass.
Terraria. Keeping me up at night and making me see little blocks when I close my eyes.
Terraria has been keeping me up late for about two weeks now. It’s a sandbox game that involves (if you want to) digging, crafting, fighting monsters, building your house, and lots more. I downloaded it on my phone and was hooked instantly. Several days in, I was worried that I was giving myself carpal tunnel syndrome because my wrist and arm were so sore! The phone is probably the least ergonomically friendly object on which to play games…or do anything really. It’s a flat rectangle. Terrible.
Anyway I love the way Terraria lets you reshape the world. Being a control freak, I think that’s what appeals the most. I can move mountains, pave over oceans, reroute lakes, throw away resources, kill monsters, or box them in so I don’t have to deal with them (or my favorite, box them in and then kill them when I feel like getting around to it), pick flowers, plant flowers, craft stuff, throw it away, anything I feel like doing at that moment.
As they try to attack me, I build little boxes around the monsters. Then I can get rid of them one by one.
My husband played the game a while back on the PC so it’s nice to ask him for advice and compare playing styles. He thinks it’s funny that I built platforms in the sky to avoid running on the ground over hills, valleys and endless slimes, but I think it’s equally funny that he took the time in his game to level the surface of the world. To me that’s boring and time consuming. (But I realize that to a lot of people, that’s what this entire game sounds like 😛 )
And by morning, all clear! The Roman Candle works well for flying monsters. Not too powerful, but you don’t have to be too accurate.
I like that the game can be as hard or as easy as you want it to be. If you’re feeling daring, you can summon a boss that will kill you in two seconds (or if you’re tougher than me, you might beat it!).
If you’re feeling artsy, you can make a really fancy house. I have to admit that I haven’t done much at all with mine. I have several shacks set up around the world that contain a few chests and crafting areas, but I haven’t gotten into decorating. Maybe one day I’ll make myself a shining gold-plated castle, but for now I’d rather go exploring.
The most relaxing thing for me is to dig around and explore. The other day I made it down to the lava and Fire Imps (not so relaxing!). I have also found a couple floating islands and I’m looking for more.
There’s so much more to the game, but at the core it’s pretty basic. It’s fun. There’s never anything I have to do, and that’s the best part.
Gotta catch ’em all! Or in my case, gotta step on ’em all. Each Pokémon creates its signature imprint into the bottom of your foot. They are all truly unique! (For the record, these were a gift from a relative. I did not bring all these tiny toys into my home.)
Cynthia M Voss 