Giant Bomb site redesign and old PC games
By StarFoxA 13 Comments
Well, the long-teased site update is finally here. I'm really actually liking it, and I haven't ran into many bugs or glitches yet. Here are some quick, bullet-point impressions.
- The profile background seems interesting on paper, but it really could use a little work. It would be nice if the profile page could adjust according to the resolution of my monitor, because otherwise the page stays the same and the image stretches out of the boundaries of the page.
- Image uploading is a lot more seamless and easy. I also like the ability to drag and drop images into various galleries (which is easier than going to each individual image).
- The profile page reminds me a lot of GameSpot now. I do like how most of the stuff is on the sidebar and how all of the feed updates are in one easy place.
- The menus at the top are a lot smoother and it's easier to get where you want to go.
- Syncing Twitter is a cool option, but who knows how much I'm going to use it.
- The main page is a lot cooler looking now; I like how it shows your friends blogs there, now. One thing that I don't like, however, is how it doesn't show the "most popular" or "highest points" of the day anymore.
- I'm not liking the new dark gray on black on the wiki pages (the yellow on black was better).
- The "latest updates" on wiki pages isn't really that accurate (it doesn't really show right after I make a new wiki edit or something).
Well, that's about all I can think of right now. I really am liking the redesign; it isn't too big of a change where I would hate it, but it isn't too little where I think of it as the same thing.
So, I finally got around to downloading ScummVM for Mac OS X and got several games. I played through Beneath a Steel Sky, and loved it. I did dislike how there were minor items that were obtained through some complicated process that I never would have guessed, and then these seemingly unimportant items are needed to get past specific areas much later in the game. Despite that, I really enjoyed the storyline (although it did end rather abruptly). With rumors brewing of a new sequel in the works, I'm definitely interested.
I also sold about eight of my old DS games and picked up three new games. Burnout Paradise, which I've been meaning to buy for quite some time, I finally got for the new, reduced price of $20. I quickly grabbed the free DLC, and jumped into Paradise City (I rented the game previously, and had progressed a little in the game). What amazes me is the vast scale of the game. There is literally always something to do on every road; a road rule to break, a time to beat, an event to finish. Most of the cars handle really well, and I can see why it was one of the best games last year.
I also bought two new DS games: The World Ends With You and Elite Beat Agents, both of which I've been meaning to buy for a while. I got The World Ends With You for $30 and Elite Beat Agents for slightly under $10. The gameplay in The World Ends With You has a really steep learning curve, but after catching on, I've begun to love it. The story is also interesting, and the soundtrack is growing on me. Elite Beat Agents is also awesome, and most of the hilarious situations have made me smile.