My wife was in bed so I tended the fire, drank iced tea and watched the flames. My I-Padster was fully charged and I played a lot of games, most notably the terrific shooter called Rainbow Six. I also played a freebie called Bullet Time, which seems pretty good after a limited time of playing it. After I fought many bad guys, I started reading, again on the I-Pad, and Abe Lincoln probably would have liked the back-lit screen better than reading by firelight. I read several free samples, trying to decide on which one to buy for my next read. One was a book about Rafael Nadal, my favorite tennis player. Another one was by Brad Thor, Path of the Assassin. I have never read one of Brad's books but I like his style. I also checked out a book by John Grisham, who is hard to beat if you like legal thrillers.
As I sat and watched the fire, getting up to throw another log on it occasionally, I grew sleepy. I spread an Indian blanket over me and extended the recliner. I thought about being a kid and going to Granny's house, where they never had power. I thought about those dark cold nights and trips to the outhouse. I thought about playing marbles and seeing your favorite one go down a crack in the floor. I thought about how they plowed a field with a big, mean horse named Kit that scared the tar out of me. I thought about how living in a dark land, far from help, left its mark on people. I thought about that place that the good book talks about where there is total darkness and knew I never want to go there because darkness really is a bummer. I thought about blind people and admired their guts as they deal with a reality that I can't imagine. I thought about the light bulb and power and how some woods put out more flame and less heat, how some smoke and smell and others have perfumed smoke. Finally, as I dozed off, I thought about my granny's gentle hand smoothing the hair on my forehead as I used to doze off with her telling me a story.
For those of you who dig the Japanese style games, there is a new freebie out called Kyotokei. I haven't played it much but I like it. You fly along shooting all sorts of quirky monsters and nubile faeries. They fire missiles at you, red and blue in color. If you are red when the red ones hit you, that's cool, because you absorb their power and gain strength toward having your own missile. If you are the opposite color, not so good. The cool thing is this; you can change your color, your polarity, if you will. This adds a nice, different touch to the shooter genre. The graphics are quite good, as well.
Let me say, for the benefit of those of you who are new to Apple products and are just getting your feet wet on the gaming, get an app called App Shopper. It's free and will tell you what is new, popular, or has been marked down in price. Trust me, if you want to game on the cheap, this app will see to it that you never have to pay for games. This week alone, there is a ton of new, free games on the store. Typically, I try 6 or 8 games a week and wind up discarding most of them. But my I-Pad is packed to the gills with good games. Also, if you can stand the pressure of not having the latest and best of everything, wait a few weeks on those $6.99 games and you'll get them at a very reasonable price. About three weeks ago, I saw a new game called Riptide GP. This game is a racing game and I play every racing game. This one has jet skis and the graphics are really nice. When it came out, the price was a hefty (For I-Pad) $4.99. Just a few weeks later, today, I bought it on sale for 99 cents.
Also for the new folks, when you see a new game that you like, jot the name down or just remember it. The chances are good that on the next holiday, there will be a sale and you can grab that game for 99 cents. Most of my favorite games I bought for that so-reasonable price. That way, if the darn thing won't seem to let you beat a certain level, or the game totally #**, then the frustration level is not so acute. Another gaming strategy. If there's a lite (free) version of a game, try that first, to see if you like it. Another ploy is to go to You-Tube and watch a walkthrough of that game before you buy. This also works if you are stuck trying to kill a cyberlobster or something, although I figured that one out on my own.
Flipboard is a good, free app that has app news sections that are very helpful. On Pulse, another free news app, you can add a section for 148 apps or Touch Arcade. They are the class acts of the gaming sites, in my opinion. If you want to read app news from a strange guy, try CE Wills. He has an odd sense of humor, I hear.
The whole IOS gaming thing is a fun little community, with a lot to learn and enjoy. It doesn't have to be expensive. If you shop carefully, your I-Pad can pay for itself in the entertainment savings you experience. Be prepared to watch less TV, have more to chat about with kids and grandkids, etc.
Hey, another quirky, little, free game for this week is Sarge. It's really not my style of game but it is a neat 'pick up and play' game to pass some time. For free it is a nice game.
True to form I have rambled on. From the author's green retreat, where there is now light, I bid you a good day.
I'm CE Wills.
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