Review: Little Big Planet - The Definition of 'Next Generation Platforming'

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* Title:        Little Big Planet           *
* Platform:     PlayStation 3               *
* Release Date: October 28, 2008            *
* Developer:    Media Molecule              *
* Publisher:    Sony Computer Entertainment *
* My Rating:    10. Flawless                *
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   Little Big Planet is one of those games that will be very hard to give an all-inclusive review on. There is so much to it, that I cannot possibly hope to touch on everything I would like to mention. To start, let me say that the game is awesome from beginning to its non-existent end.
   The whole experience is only summed correctly by the tagline that has become associated with Little Big Planet: 'Play. Create. Share.' While the core gameplay in Little Big Planet is classic platformer, there is so much more going on. Much of the story mode of Little Big Planet is based on going through the game's fifty or so levels and collecting different objects for use in decorating both the game and your sack-person. The action is frantically fun, as you will navigate the 2.5D levels by running, jumping, swinging, and driving either by yourself or cooperatively with up to four total players. In addition to all of the objects you collect throughout the levels, you also are rewarded for things like finishing a level and making it through a level without dying. The collecting and decorating alone is enough to keep you coming back well past completion of the last level. Further, there are many side activities, mostly meant to be competitions, that you unlock throughout the course of the story mode. Really, the only way to sum it up is to call it amazing and watch a million trailers or play the game.
   The graphics are stunning. If Sony were to pick a game to be its poster child, I would hope they would pick Little Big Planet. LBP is the very definition of high-definition gaming. Everything is so crisp and clean. There are background objects moving around. Even the smallest objects have their own very visible characteristics.
   The audio only matches the graphics in terms of high-definition. Some of the levels will have you dancing in your seat. Everything has an appropriate bell or whistle attached to it for you listening amusement. Again, words simply cannot describe how amazing the whole experience is.
   The controls are a little awkward at first, but it becomes like second nature in no time. The levels are 2.5D, which means it is basically a side-scroller; however, there are three different planes in which the sack-people can be playing. You may have objects on one plane that you have to go around by hopping to a different plane. It goes without saying that you must look behind every object to collect all of the goodies. Many of the levels require you to grab hold of something to either swing or push or pull to get through to the next area. This is appropriately handled with the R1 button on the controller. When you get bored, you can dance around by waving the controller around; six-axis controls, and using the L2 and R2 shoulder buttons with the analog sticks to move your arms. It is absolutely fantastic.
   The story mode is really just a small part of Little Big Planet. Every person that plays Little Big Planet should really participate in the community. If the levels in the story mode are amazing, the levels in community mode are out of this world. One of my favorites so far is a roller coaster ride, which is fairly light on the gameplay, but just jaw-droppingly beautiful.
   Of course, every member of a community should make contributions. Little Big Planet has an excellent level creation tool. There are tutorials to help you get started, but after that, the only limitations are literally your imagination and the thermometer that gauges how much stuff can be in your level. You can make anything you want with the tools and set it to do practically anything. Make an object you like? You can save it for use in other levels and even share it with the community by including it as a pickup in your level. I do not have a published level yet; however, continue following my blog for an update on this. I have a couple of levels in the works and will definitely write a post about each when they are complete and released for play.
   Really, the only thing that needs to be said about Little Big Planet is I absolutely love it. If you were to purchase a PlayStation 3 but only had enough money to buy one game, you must buy Little Big Planet Game of the Year Edition. At this point, you can probably even pick it up for around twenty bucks. Hands down, this is one you absolutely cannot take a pass on.

Free / Indie Game Review: Hobo - Room for Improvement

Title:        Hobo
Platform:     Flash - Plays in browser
Sponsor:      Armor Games
Site:         http://www.flonga.com/play/hobo.htm
My Rating:    5. I wanted to like it,
                 but not much to it.

   Hobo is a Flash game available over at Flonga that will take most of us back to the glory days of the Nintendo Entertainment System. See, Hobo is a 2D side-scrolling brawler that was made from the same cookie cutter form as its 8-bit ancestors. Instead of taking a chance to innovate, the developers stuck closely to the old blueprint and produced a game that any of us older gamers will instantly recognize.
   As you may have guessed by this point, Hobo is a story about a bum who was minding his own business, sleeping wherever he could. A cop decides that he may not sleep there and treats him rather unkindly. Hobo becomes disgruntled and decides to wreak havoc on the local neighborhood. Playing the part of Hobo, you punch, kick, and disperse bodily fluid through several different local landscapes.
   For me, where Hobo really fails is the gameplay. I must admit, there are no pesky bugs or misspellings that bothered me, it just was not an inspired experience. Even on the hardest mode, Hobo is just a simple brawler without much going on to keep you entertained. While the combos are disgustingly great, you never do anything more than punch, kick, or dispense bodily fluid on random characters. I think every game looking to emulate a classic style should also look to bring something new to the table. We should never feel that we are stuck with old standards; however, that is all Hobo brings.
   The controls in Hobo are executed flawlessly. I admit that it is hard to not resort to button-mashing. However, for those of us that like to play and think we have some strategy, kick and punch is all you need to know. Different combinations allow for special moves, all of which involve spraying some bodily fluid on the enemy. The combos are not all available at the beginning, you unlock them as you go, so that gives something to work for.
   The looks and sounds of Hobo are great. The graphics are done particularly well. You really feel like you are playing a Nintendo-era game with high-definition graphics. I believe this was the aim and it was executed perfectly. The different sound effects mixed with the animations will have you laughing. This is how such a game should be.
   It is very unfortunate that the gameplay is not so great in Hobo, because the rest of the presentation is absolutely wonderful. A game cannot just look and sound good and get a pass to be great. At the same time, you cannot have great gameplay but be lacking on the looks and sounds and expect to get good reviews. However, gameplay; or lack thereof, will always impact the review score I give a game drastically. There is plenty of room for improvements in Hobo. I am excited to know that there are already several sequels out. I will be playing them soon. Follow my reviews and find out if the series takes a turn for the better or has maintained a permanent spot in the land of mediocrity.

A Customer Service Experience: Alliance Auto Transport

   These days, customer service is of the utmost importance. People have very little extra spending money and infinite ways to dispose of it. Therefore, when a customer goes to purchase a good or service, they are not just looking for high quality, they are also looking to be treated as if they were part of high society. The feeling is one that has been bred into us through the years. However, no matter how the feeling came to be, the fact remains that customer service is a part of purchasing products and services.
   For some of us, customer service comes naturally. We aim to please. However, for most of the rest of us; myself included, customer service just is not our thing. This does not mean we get a free-pass or that it is an excuse. Frankly, we should always be looking for ways to improve our relations with other people. Recognizing you are not good at something should not be an excuse for avoiding that thing. Rather, it should be an opportunity to improve ourselves. Everybody will find themselves in positions where they must deal with people they would rather not deal with regularly. Every such situation should be looked at as a training program: handled the best you can, evaluated afterward, and have thought given to how the next such situation can be improved.
   All of this said, I would like to share a recent customer service situation I was involved in. This time, I was the customer. My family and I are in the process of moving across the state. I needed to have my car transported on a carrier as cheaply as possible. I went to one of the many websites that offer to give away your information to every company in the phonebook and let them bid on the job. I went with the cheapest, but best peer-rated, company to bid, Alliance Auto Transport.
   The people there were very easy to work with. The job happened much more quickly than I thought it would have. It also cost exactly what the quote was, which was very important to me. Everything was excellent, except for the driver of the truck. After dealing with this guy for the whole day the day of pickup, the only reason I let him carry my car was because he seemed to handle his rig expertly. I cannot really explain the situation better than I did in the letter that I sent to the person at Alliance Auto Transport that handled my job. Therefore, following is the letter, then a conclusion.

Hi there Scott,
   I just want to let you know that my Chevy Malibu was successfully transported and give a little feedback.
   First off, you guys in the office are awesome. I really appreciate being able to get the car carried up there for as cheaply as I did. I know the cost of this job was next to nothing profit-wise. Towing the car behind a moving truck would have cost about the same with trailer rental and extra gas to pull it. Moving is always stressful, so to have that taken care of is one of the weights off the shoulders. Your customer service is excellent. You and Phil were on the ball.
   The web-based system works great. I cannot remember which site I went to for the quotes, but you guys get the response within minutes it seems, so good choice for advertising. I just saw the order form though. I never did fill it out and send it back to you. If you need it for your records, let me know and I will send it to you.
   The carry itself went off without any damage to the car as far as I can tell from pictures sent from the receiving end.
   I had a few issues with the driver though. He was very rude on both sides of the carry. He did not want to answer basic questions. He did not want to drop the car at the house on the receiving end.
   I was told he would be here between 9 and 10 AM on Friday. At 10:30 AM, I called him to find out what his estimated time of arrival was. He said he was in the shop having an unknown problem diagnosed/repaired on the rig. I was fine with that and just let him know to give me a call when he knew. He called me about 2 hours later and asked me for directions, but still said he was not sure what time he would be there. I gave him directions, but I was concerned that a person that drives a truck for a living doesn't have a GPS or at least a map, he seemed to have the time at the shop to look at one. I let him know he could come any time except between 2:30 PM and 3:30 PM. He asked to meet him at a shopping complex near my apartment when he did come so he would not have to worry about driving the rig through the complex. That was fine, but I reminded him of the time constraint. He said even if he did arrive at that time, he would wait. At that time he did not sound like he had a problem with it.
   So about 2:40 PM, the guy calls. He wants me to meet him elsewhere with the car about 4 miles from my apartment. I reminded him that I was picking up my kids and would not be able to meet until 3:30. I told him I could not take the car to where he was, because I did not have a ride back home and did not plan on walking the 4 miles with my kids. Everything was still fine at this point, he was irritated that I was not able to come that moment, but he agreed that he should meet me somewhere closer to my complex (the shopping center we initially agreed upon is literally across the street from the complex).
   I rush my kids home, I drive over there, park the car perfectly behind the truck ready for him to drive up the ramp, it's 3:29 PM. I walk up and introduce myself. He was eating a sandwich and said "I was eating my lunch, but I guess I'll put it away." I kind of just thought were you not expecting me here? Anyway, so he looked over the car briefly and told me older than 10 years shipped as is. I am fine with that, but I still wanted to mark down the damage I have on the fender and stuff, just to establish the base condition of the car. He did not like that very much, I am not sure why. He loaded the car, and I was trying to get some basic information out of him while doing it. I ask him if he were driving up to Sacramento that night or the next day. He just kind of snorted something about his truck being empty. When he was done, he did not even say anything, just started heading back to the cab. I asked if there was a copy of the paper for me and he acted like I was ludicrous for asking. I told him I definitely wanted something stating that somebody else is in possession of my car for the purpose of transporting it upstate. I verified the cost of transport, he asked what I was quoted. When I told him, he did not contradict it, but he was definitely not happy about the price. Really, not a big deal, just kind of rude. I asked if he would call me when he knew an estimated window for delivery. He told me he would call the recipient when he arrived.
   I was told by Phil the drop would be Friday afternoon or Saturday morning. I knew loading the car Friday afternoon meant it would arrive either Saturday morning or Saturday afternoon. By about 12:30 Saturday afternoon I had not heard anything from the guy. I called and asked what the estimated time for delivery would be. He told me he was still filling his truck. I told him that was fine, but insisted he could have shared this information the day before. He was very rude about it and just said that it would be arriving sometime on Sunday. I told him that was fine, but asked if he thought it might be before noon or after noon. He said definitely before noon. He then asked if the recipient would be able to meet him elsewhere for pickup. I told him no. I was paying him to deliver it to their door, which is a house in a neighborhood that circles around. I understand not coming in the apartment complex, but he had no reason to not drop the car at the house. He said he would, but then asked for directions. It's not really a big deal, but this guy drives a truck for a living. How does he not know where he was going?
   Anyway, so I guess he gets to Sacramento at about 11 Sunday morning. He calls my friend. He insists my friend meet him elsewhere to get the car. She told him no. Eventually he took it over there, but only after asking again for directions and having a frustrated conversation with them. I am told he was rude during the whole drop and did not want to give a receipt for the cash he was given.
   I don't know what the guy was mad about, but some people might not want to deal with you if all the drivers are like this. It is too bad too, because besides him being so rude, half a day late on my side, and a full day late on the other side, he actually did a really good job. He definitely seemed as if he knew what he was doing while handling the loading of the truck.
   Anyway, I'll let you know, and you should let him know, I had sent an extra $50 for my friend to give him as a tip, because I knew he did the job for dirt cheap. However, since he was such a PRICK, he did not get a dime.
   Again, thank you for your service.
Brian

   Now, Alliance Auto Transport is a contractor that subcontracts the carry out to trucking companies. This was the first time they had ever worked with this particular trucking company. Scott at Alliance was none to pleased to see the direction this letter took. He did straighten things out on both ends. The trucking company did give me a phone call with a formal apology as well. Even though I did not like the truck driver, the way Alliance Auto Transport handled the response to this email was of the highest quality in customer service. Due to this, I give Alliance a 5-star rating. The truck driver? Well, perhaps he was having a bad day. His day certainly did not get any better after speaking to his manager about this carry, but hopefully he got a talking to and is now doing better with his customers.
   Look, part of the service you offer when you offer any service is customer service. Do not think your customer will sit down quietly while you act inappropriately? If you are in an industry that requires you to deal directly with customers, always be on your best behavior. Again, I understand I also have improvements to make in this area. However, I hope this guy has learned his lesson.
   Alliance, thanks for the carry. Double thanks for making sure the truck driver was informed of his bad behavior and attempting to have it corrected. I truly appreciate the gesture and would highly recommend anybody looking for a carry to call Scott and Phil at Alliance Auto Transport.

More Controllers: The Touch Interface

   Another entry in my controller series, is a control setup that simply cannot be ignored any longer: the touch interface. For most of us, this comes in the form of our smartphones. Of course, I could not hope to cover all touch interfaces with a single post. This post mostly focuses on those touch interfaces that are implemented well, so think iPlatform and high-grade Android phones.
   I must say, I absolutely love the touch interface. I can see a future where all of our devices are actually a touch-interface. Keyboard keys? A thing of the past. Numerical buttons on the telephone? A thing of the past. A touch interface can easily do these things. Best of all, it is not bound to a single purpose. Because it is essentially a monitor, it can be manipulated to display different screens and behave in different ways.
   I was a little wary when switching to a smartphone. Many of my friends already had one. I thought they were cool, but I simply could not see myself doing much on such a small screen with what seemed like not the greatest functionality. The reality is though that these touch interfaces with their wide ranges of functionality work incredibly well. Being the type of person that regularly ignores the phone when it is ringing, I had a hard time thinking I needed a fancy phone to do anything. I could not have been further from correct. I may only talk on my phone for less than 100 minutes per month, but the amount of other things I do with it account for hours out of each day.
   In the case of playing games, a touch interface only works well if it has multi-touch capability. This means that the phone can easily register both of your thumbs on the screen at the same time. When this functionality is done correctly, the screen can instantly be transformed into a controller or anything else you need for games. There is a little bit of processing power that needs to be added in order to make the response seem up to par, but even when emulating older games, the touch interface on many of these devices is more than adequate.
   A major concern I had with the touch interface is fingerprints. Oh how I hate fingerprints on my screens. Many of these device manufacturers knew this though and designed their screens to be able to easily wipe away the prints. Further, high definition beats out fingerprints any day. Anybody concerned about fingerprints messing up their view on a touch device does not yet have proper experience with a touch screen.
   I really feel that the touch interface is the wave of the future. No Microsoft, dancing in front of a camera to interact with your television will never become mainstream. However, we can certainly make multi-purpose devices with touch screens that do whatever we need. While I would not recommend using a cheap device, if you have apprehensions about touch devices, this is the day and age to get one and get comfortable.

Cool Stuff Watch: Bamboo Tablet - Write on Your PC

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* What?      Bamboo Tablet                  *
* Why?       Drawing pad for the PC         *
* How Much?  $60+                           *
* Where?     Electronics store              *
* Really?    Yes, everybody feels a need to *
*            jot something down on the PC   *
*            from time to time.             *
*********************************************

   Did you ever wish you could sign a document in your email without printing it out first? Have you ever used an art application, but wish you had something better than a mouse to draw with? Have you ever just thought, "this would be so much easier with a pen and paper type interface?". The Bamboo Tablet, a touch pad for the PC, is the answer for all of these needs.

   Many people know that I am currently self-employed, working from home. Many people also know that I just graduated from an online school. Therefore, it is easy to think that if I printed each and every document I need to sign simply to fax it straight back to the person that needs it signed, I would be wasting incredible amounts of paper. The Bamboo Tablet has a plug-in for most of the major office suites that allows you to write directly on your documents. No more printing, no more scanning, no more faxing. Sign, save, send back in the email. This tablet literally pays for itself in the ink you save.
   Another great use for the Bamboo Tablet is when drawing stuff on whatever art suite you use. Most of us have at least minimal experience messing around trying to create one art asset or another. All of us with this minimal experience can easily agree that the mouse really does not work well compared to pen and paper. Those of us that are left-handed feel the pain even more. The Bamboo Tablet brings the feel back to paper and pencil. While my art skills are not anything to brag about, I feel infinitely more comfortable drawing with the tablet than I do with the mouse. Added bonus: the kids absolutely love it. Again, savings come in the form of not wasted paper. Also, know how the kids always love to save their drawings? Well computer storage is much cheaper and can be managed much more efficiently than real-world storage. A particularly good drawing by the kids? Use it as your wallpaper. See, this really is great.
   For the true Bamboo Tablet enthusiasts, the tablet can completely take the place of the mouse. The tablet is fully functional as a mouse and is every bit as responsive. I have not taken it to this level yet, but have a couple of friends that swear by it. If you are the type of person that wants a touch screen monitor, but cannot yet afford it, this is definitely a viable alternative to start with.
   In this age, I honestly cannot think of a person that does not have a need for a PC tablet such as the Bamboo Tablet. As more and more of our transactions quickly turn from the physical world to the internet, a tablet such as the Bamboo Tablet will be absolutely essential to our daily needs. Be ahead of the curve and get yours now.
   Exclusive Cool Stuff Watch tips: Do not worry about going too expensive. If you really like the tablet, I highly recommend upgrading to a touch screen monitor. A basic touch pad with a pen should do you well. If you go with the Bamboo Tablet, this is one piece of hardware in which you will want to use the drivers on the disc. I attempted to use the over-the-internet drivers and the tablet did not function as well as I could have hoped. Use the disc.

Review: Rock Band 2 - The New Definition of 'Fun for the Whole Family'

Title:        Rock Band 2
Platform:     PlayStation 3
Release Date: October 19, 2008
Publisher:    MTV Games (Viacom)
My Rating:    9.5 - Super

   These days, it is very rare that a video game will keep me up until sunrise. Downloadable content? Not for me. Online duels? Again, simply not for me. More than one way to play? Sorry, I do not have the time. However, Rock Band 2 is that rare jewel that will keep you playing in all modes. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a report on why it is I will not be purchasing Rock Band 3, so it is only appropriate to give Rock Band 2 the review treatment.
   I would love to say that the gameplay in these plastic-instrument music games needs no explanation at this point. However, as a late comer to the genre myself, I fully understand that you really do not know what you are getting into until you start playing. Simply put, you play the game with plastic instruments. The PlayStation 3 version of Rock Band 2 comes with about 100 tracks, including the extras you get a voucher for on PlayStation Network. When you begin playing, you see that the buttons on the instrument are mapped to the "highways" on the screen. You try to hit the buttons in sync with the notes as they pass the cursor at the bottom of the highway. Hit successive notes to gain score multipliers. Play well and make it to the end of the track or do poorly and fail. The more difficult the level of play, the more close to playing the actual music you are.
   There are several modes in Rock Band 2 including Quick Play, Tour, and Practice. You must play on the tour mode in order to unlock all of the tracks. You also get to create an avatar and customize it using cash you earn in the gigs to purchase new clothing, accessories, and instruments. Quick Play is my favorite for practicing, because you do not need to worry about losing fans if you fail. One thing about Rock Band 2, while playing in Tour Mode, you feel as if you are constantly progressing. You are unlocking tracks, moving to different locales, earning fans and cash, and, if you are challenging yourself, moving up in the difficulty levels. For those that need a little extra practice, there is a practice mode to help you get started. For the drums in particular, the practice mode is great. However, for the guitar and the vocals, the best way to get better is just to play.
   I have already alluded to the different controls in Rock Band 2. You have my favorite, the Stratocaster Guitar. Also, there are drums and a microphone. Of the three instruments, the drums make you feel the most like you are playing an instrument. You can literally hear the beat coming out on the plastic drum set as you are playing. I cannot keep a beat, so I generally stay away from the drums. The microphone probably allows for the sloppiest play; however, in the harder difficulties, you either have to be able to sing well or be a female. Serious, every female I know can play vocals on hard and do well. The guitar offers a lot of challenge, but is admittedly the furthest from being an actual instrument. Do not get it wrong, your fingers will fly on the harder difficulties and tracks, but the five button setup simply is not playing a real guitar. What I really like is that with two guitars, you have a four player game. I often complain about the fact that I have four controllers but most games still seem to only support two-player play. Four people in my family plus four playable instruments equals fun for the whole family.

   Whether or not you like the audio in the game really depends on your tastes in music. I would like to think there is something for everybody in Rock Band 2; however, as the name suggests, the music is very rock-centric. PlayStation Network has many downloadable tracks, but be careful, because much of the new music is not supported on Rock Band 2. While playing, your ears will eventually start to pick up when you miss a note. It sounds as if you play a bad chord. I love it, but I can see where you might not like it if you do not like the majority of the music.
   The visuals in Rock Band 2 are downright hypnotizing. There really is nothing extraordinary about the scenery. However, most of the backgrounds are either psychedelic or have a strobe light type effect going on. While focusing on the highway, playing the track, the background is constantly going with vibrant colors and patterns. Often times, at the end of a track, I feel dizzy. Some people might not like this feeling, but I love it. When a game can do that with its visuals and keep you playing, it has certainly hit the jackpot.
   Without a doubt, Rock Band 2 is the new-age definition of "fun for the whole family". I honestly can see a not-too distant future where games such as Rock Band take the place of karaoke machines in bars. While it will take more steps in the right direction, perhaps better publishers with less restrictive control over their music, I truly hope to see the Rock Band series regain a foothold in our living rooms.

Free / Indie Game Review: Sticks - A Quick Physics Puzzler

Title:        Sticks
Platform:     Flash - Plays in browser
Sponsor:      Armor Games
Site:         http://www.flonga.com/play/sticks.htm
My Rating:    8.5. Pretty good, but awfully short.

   Sticks is a Flash game over at Flonga that instantly hits home with most of us. You play an invisible role helping an ordinary-Joe named Bob scrounge up a little extra change. See, Bob is like many of us. He is a regular guy, works a regular job, drives a regular car, and has the regular dreams of riches. Of course, like many of us, the reality of Bob's financial situation hit home whenever he checks his bank account.
   One day, on his way home from work, Bob drives by a store called Sticks and gets an idea. He can use these sticks to get some more change rolling his way. More appropriately, you can use the sticks to help Bob get some more change. In thirty different levels, you draw sticks on the screen to help some loose change fall towards Bob. Different levels have different amounts of change, and it is not always a coin somewhere above Bob falls downwards towards Bob. You really have to get creative to get some of these coins moving at all. You can arrange the sticks however you like, although you can only use a specific overall length worth of stick in each level. Many of the levels, you obviously make a ramp of sorts for the coins to roll down, but be ready to get a little more creative. Sometimes you will have to go around things or avoid falling objects. Other times, you have to catapult the coins across the screen.
   The controls are very simple. Click the mouse on the screen and drag to draw a stick. Cross two sticks to make them connect. Make a mistake on placement? Just double-click and that stick is gone. A play/pause button allows you to turn on or off gravity, starting and stopping the action. This is great, because if the coins drop incorrectly, you do not need to wait for a "you lose" message. Pressing pause puts everything back where it was before you pressed play.
   The audio and visual effects were appropriately simple. The soundtrack is a quiet, melodic beat that reminds me of Phonics Monkey. When the gravity is turned on, the falling items appropriately plop. When the coins reach Bob, you hear falling change and the unmistakable cha-ching of a cash register. The graphics are very minimal. Bricks represent static items that do not move when the gravity is turned on. The same basic background of stacked coins appears in every level.
   Sticks does have a couple of distracting bugs. One, if you stretch a stick off-screen then try to get rid off it, a ghost stick remains in its place. Not so bad, but you do not get that length of stick back, so it is not usable unless you refresh the level. Another issue arises when you press play and the gravity is turned on. If the sticks are placed awkwardly, they bounce around, defying the physics the game is based on. One other thing I noticed was that there were some stages that were not centered correctly on the screen. This is not excusable in a release product.
   Sticks also has a couple of shortcomings. There is not enough variety in the levels. This is fine though, because it is only thirty levels. Another thing that I dislike; especially after reading some articles on the psychology of video games, is the lack of a rewards system. I mean, I know the purpose is to get Bob the money, but can we not spend just a little of it for some different types of sticks? Not in this version I guess; however, I hope to see some of this in the sequel, if it ever comes.
   While there are some shortcomings in this short game, I think Sticks is a very fun game to play. Bob is a character we can all easily relate to. Weighing in at a very quick to play thirty levels, Sticks will have you entertained just long enough to finish the game.