CE Wills

    Hey, everyone. Carley and I watched a movie on satellite tonight. It was made in 2001 and stars Jean Reno as a French Knight in shining armor who lived centuries ago. However, he gets transported to present day America by a rather marginal wizard. In America, Thibault (Reno), seeks the help of pretty descendant Julie (Christina Applegate).      Thibault, even with Julie's help, finds it difficult to locate a wizard in Chicago. They are helped by Thibault's hilarious man-servant/slave Andre who is rude, crude and socially unacceptable. Let me give you a hint, don't ever take a breath mint from the guy.     It is imperative that Thibault returns to his own time, in order to save his bride from death. There is skulduggery afoot and it has washed its way through the corridors of time.      But, Julie needs help as badly as her ancestor. She has a really bad boy friend who is is in the process of stealing her ance...

     Hey, shooters. Well, it's out. Shadowgun: DeadZone has landed on the app store. Moreover, it is free. The file size is a relatively modest 134 MB.       I never play on-line but I couldn't resist at least trying this game, since I had devoted so many hours to its predecessor. It has reached #34, at last count, on the store already. To my surprise, the initial reviews are not great, and there are complaints of crashing.      I was playing on my I-Pad 3 and when I finished, it was sort of stuck on cruising around and showing me the scenery. It did not come up with a home screen or anything I could tap to start a new game. I had wanted to switch to the other mode. Let me explain that statement. You can either play in Death Match or Zone Control. I tried Zone Control and it sets you up a match with other players and you battle to control an area that is similar to the evil Doctor's lair from the previous game. Th...

    Hey, everyone out there in gaming, reading land. I have been under the weather with a summer flu. It really is not fun. My wife is not here to spoil me, so I must persevere, kill zombies and drink too much coffee. I have a number of things to address today. 1) About Frankenword. Last time I talked about Frankenword. It is a good game but I like to inform you if I run across something about a game which I have discussed with you. Frankenword takes the liberty of turning on Notifications for your device. I don't like this. It is not like it is really nefarious, but they shouldn't do it without your consent. As I've said before, I want to play a game, not have my game chatting back and forth with a remote location. Do as you like, but I turned it off on my I-Padster. To do this, go to settings, notifications, Frankenword, then turn all the boxes to off. You may want to keep it, I don't know your tastes. I kept the game and turned off the notifications. 2) Major May...

    Hey, everyone. I've really been watching for the new game called Dead Trigger , since I am an aficionado of zombie killing. This game is put out by the creators of the highly successful game titled Shadowgun . In Dead Trigger, you star as a survivor of an apocalyptic event that has turned most of humanity into zombies. Wait, has this already happened in real life? Just joking.      Birds of a feather flock together, so you start hanging out with other survivors, protecting them from the zombie hordes, since you are skilled with weapons. They send you out on dangerous missions, some of which seem a bit trivial. For instance, I got sent to find this dude's case of whiskey. This reminds me of what happened to Miller in my book called Lost Gap . You may remember that Miller's boss had designs on Miller's wife and sent him on a dangerous mission. But I digress.      Dead trigger is not about puzzles. It is not about strategy. It is...

    Hey, everyone. earlier in the evening, I started to post a blog that suggested you refrain from buying this game. I was stuck on the second level and it was extremely tough. I was having a hard time getting used to the controls and developing a strategy. For sure, you need to ignore the instructions when they try to get you to jump from behind cover. This will get you killed and you have to start the level over, yet again. I do not exaggerate when I say I played the Ice Giant level 30-40 times before I beat it. When I finally beat it and moved on, I was transported to a mother ship and was on my way to see the nice-sounding Inalli, only to see armed interlopers on our huge vessel. So I got into a pitched battle with these rogues while listening to a propaganda recording of our fearless leader. One suggestion for EA Games, please give us the ability to mute that guy's B.S. without muting the musical sound of our gunfire.      The credits (in-game c...

    Hey, everyone. I was wanting a new game to highlight the Retina Display of the New I-Pad and I wavered between Mass Effect Infiltrator and Infinity Blade 2. Since I don't really like sword-fighting games I chose ME: Infiltrator. It is a stout $6.99 and still has in-apps, which is irritating.     This game is almost a shock when you fire it up. Not so much on the cut-screen video, like some games, but the game itself, with the retina display, is a jaw-dropper. I was trying to take screen shots of my 'avatar' as he blasts guys and it was getting me killed in battle. He would throw some sort of Ion Grenade, which would blow the enemy into the air. Then, as he was in the air, you tap him to target him again and your guy shoots him before he hits the ground. Really cool looking.     My co-pilot assassin, Carley, was watching me get my butt handed to me and suggested that I place my blue circle of a target reticule inside the red circle on th...

    Hey, everyone. I had a guy that commented on the armored shooters in the extension pack for Shadowgun. First of all, thanks for your comment. Secondly, I'm sorry that it took so long to get back to you. Thirdly, I have no idea, right now, how to kill those armored guys. I'm having a lot of trouble with them and have recently decided to step away from that game for a few days. For my own sanity.    I'm sure you've seen those huge, thick books in the stores that tells you all the needed knowledge for the big console games like Call of Duty . Maybe some hardy soul will write one of those for the beaten, down-trodden refugees from Shadowgun . What about it, M adfinger Games ? Can you throw us a bone?     From the author's green retreat, I'm CE Wills. P.S. I've been taking out my frustrations by playing Rage.

    Hey, everyone. I bought a game today called The Last Man Standing . This game is made with the Unreal Tech Engine and the graphics are outstanding. When you pay 99 cents for a game with graphics this crisp it is pretty cool. Here's the recipe.    Far in the future there has come a woeful time. There has been a mutated virus, the sort of problem that has turned most females into zombies. These ladies have destroyed all males with one exception. This dude looks pretty rough and if I could transport myself to this era, I would probably be the best looking guy on earth. Ha, ha.      Your controller is a non-mutated, non-zombie lady, who is very attractive. She sends you out on missions to kill the undead women. You appear in a foggy forest and face off with wave after wave of these pitiful creatures. Fortunately, you have a Gatling gun and the women have, well, ... let's talk about that.     As you fight your way through wav...

    Hey, everyone. I've been playing a lot of games today and I have several subjects to touch on. Firstly, lets talk about Shadowgun's new Leftover Expansion Pack . In this set of levels, there is a new bad guy. They are the armored shooters who are so difficult to kill. So far, it is my experience which dictates the following strategy. If you can find a place where you can cower behind a barricade without getting killed, the shooters get a little cheeky and walk slowly up to you. Then you can pop up and give them a shotgun blast to the face. This will settle their hash but it has to be at very close range. Otherwise, they merely do the thing where they sort of wilt and discharge electricity, then spring back to vigorous life. Other than this, even the plasma gun seems not to be a solution.     I read an interview with the co-founder of Madfinger Games the other day. This is the company that came out with Shadowgun . I noticed that the company is located ...

    Hey, everyone. It's a cold, snowy night, here at the green retreat. I have a fire going in the fireplace and I have been playing some games. I haven't played Shadowgun in quite a while. I was stuck on the Leftover Expansion Pack at the place where there doesn't seem to be any way to get into the control room with the glass wall. You could see several things inside that were lit up. For instance, the large blue gear which we are so used to seeing was in there. Well, I discovered that you have a yellow bullseye thing on the right side of the control room. You have to shoot that thing, through the glass. Make sure the red target is lit when you shoot it, just as you would on a human target. When you shoot the yellow bullseye the side door opens and you can go into the room. Heck, I had tried lobbing grenades through the fan and everything else.    Once inside the room, John Slade closes a steam valve. This allows that red hot pipe to cool off. Lo and behold, ...

    Hey, I'd like to give a shout to Cooper for his comment on To Kill A Lobster . I totally agree with you on this great and aggravating game called Shadowgun. Since the other day when they put out the update for this game it has been acting weird. For instance, I was playing it today and on the regular game, (not the new levels), every time I got in to the hot and heavy action the game would just shut down and send me to my home page with all the icons. I suspect that your problem with no green ball above the Cyberlobster's head may be because of the update too. Hey, another thing, right now I'm playing the new levels and I'm stuck in a hallway where there is really no exit. I got there by sprinting through these electrical fields that come out in bursts. I'm thinking about just starting over at level one of the extension pack and trying a different path. In that first level, you have a choice between dropping down an air duct or hacking a computer. Because the h...

     Hey, everyone. I wanted to thank my reader who commented on the post called The Shadowgun Manifesto . It's always nice to get feedback, especially from another gamer. At any given time, I may have as many as a dozen games that I am stuck on. The Driller on Shadowgun has been by far the worst. To this day, I have never beaten it. Nor do I ever wish to play that portion of Shadowgun again.     Again, feel free to comment on any post, at any time. From the author's green retreat, I'm CE Wills.      

     One post seems to lead to another these days, when you have to correct your mistakes. Concerning the Shadowgun update, you can indeed play the new levels without finishing the game. The screen shot will show two boxes. You click on the box on the right hand side that says expansion pack. Then you choose, 'start new game'. I didn't want to click this, because I was afraid that it would wipe out my progress that I have labored for the last few months. I know. It is pretty lame. Can I use the Old Guy excuse? Thanks.     At any rate, I have played quite a bit of the expansion pack. It is fun. You start out fighting these guys from Toltec Corporation who have come to kick John Slade's muscular butt for his depredations on Dr. Simon's abode. In reality, their motivation is more monetary, I suppose. The research in genetics by the twisted Doc is probably uppermost in their mind. At any rate, they are all wearing some sort of contamination suits and it ...

    Hey. I just tried the update for Shadowgun on my old I-Pad. The graphics are even better than ever, if you can believe that. The rolling feature is a nice defensive weapon during battles. It is activated by a small button next to the fire button. It was kinda cool. On my old Padster, I was on the level where you kill the Cyberlobster for the first time. I certainly settled his hash a lot faster this time. I hid behind a shield and popped up and down, blasting the yellow ball that signifies his AI controls. I must say that, at least on the I-Pad 1, there is a bit of crashing, in spots, with this update. I am sure they will fix this quickly. I haven't played the new levels because my I-Pad 2 is charging and you can't play the new section, called The Leftover Expansion Pack , until you have finished the game. Very cool that they didn't charge for this update. Class.     I am looking forward to Shadowgun 2. From the lair of the Cyberlobster, this is CE Wi...

    Hey, everyone. The game store is rocking, so don't bother knocking. EA games and Gameloft have placed their titles on sale for 99 cents, for the most part. I saw some guys I know at the library yesterday. They were running their hands down behind the couch cushions, racking up a few quarters and dimes. I asked them what was going on and they said, "Hey, 9MM is on sale for 99 cents."     "I can see where you're coming from," I said. Then I gave them $5 and said, "While you're at it, grab Back Stab, Desert Zombies, Nova 2, Rainbow Six and Scrabble."     They laughed and teased me about the Scrabble, but I had to give the puzzle people some love. When I reached the door, I turned and said, "Hey, try the hospital waiting room. All those old guys up there wear polyester pants."      Sure, this is a joke. But it illustrates my point. Panhandle, spare change people, or sell coke bottles but it's that time of the year! Almost e...

    Hey, let me give a quick shout to AzNDuDe about his comment. When you are fighting the cyberlobster, you can do another thing besides running from side to side. Let's face it, it's more difficult to aim when you're running. Try crouching behind one of the shields. The missiles should go over your head. Then you can slide your crosshairs over the yellow ball and pop up and down to shoot. Make sure you keep a full clip in your gun and pour the bullets into that tennis ball looking thing. It will take a number of hits to kill it. Lots of luck and thanks for reading the blog!     (This was a comment on my post To Kill A Lobster. )    From the author's green retreat, I'm CE Wills.

    Hey, everyone. Nice to be back with you after a tough, hectic week. We have had some snow, sleet, fog, drizzle, torrential rain and flooding this week.      I'd like to talk, yet again, about Shadowgun , the shooter game for I-Padster. I was much further along than what I thought when I posted about some of the battles yet to be faced for those of you who had just killed the Driller. The fact is that I am on the last level. This level has Dr. Simon, the resident evil nutcase, inhabiting a monstrous, powerful robot. His brain resides in a bubble on top, much like a cherry on a hot fudge Sunday. (Yes, I am still on my eating binge) It is a tremendous fight because you not only have to kill this huge semi-person, but there are a bunch of mutant guards, flying drones etc. to deal with at the same time. I had played the darn level about thirty times and decided to check out someone else's battle. So I went to You-Tube and typed in, Dr. Simon Exoskelet...

    Hey, everyone. I thought it might be a good time for a bit of an update on the riveting game called Shadowgun. Consider this your spoiler alert and tune out if you want to.     Once you get past the dreaded Driller, things get better but you are certainly not out of the woods. You will want to make sure you keep a full clip in your gun as you stroll through the realm of the evil and crazy Dr. Simon. But hey, you're John Slade, the Shadowgun, and wherever you set your foot is the place to which your authority extends.      I love the way that some of the barriers disintegrate under the impact of bullets. I didn't learn this at my mother's knee but I darn sure know it now. I have learned that there are certain places it is good to plan on using the rocket launcher. Keep your stock of those filled. There are these transporter guys who are aggressive punks. The only way they respect you is if you kill them, so that's the way I roll. As...

      Hey, everyone. Let's talk about the game called Shadowgun, the I-Pad game with which I have a love-hate relationship. Most of you who made it past the evil Cyber Lobster are doubtless locked in a death struggle with the Driller at the end of level 4. At this point you have been in the cave for a long time. The Driller breaks through the rock wall and chases you through the tunnel as you try to shoot out the green lights which slows the Driller down. If you are slick enough to shoot out all the lights and emerge from the cave, a rolling door crashes on the Driller and crushes his aggravating carcass. I have tried and failed to beat the Driller at least 250 times. I hate the Driller to the heights and depths my soul can reach. I hate it like a plague. I hate it with intensity of feeling. I hate it like a rich man hates taxes. Excuse me, I got carried away.       We had a big dinner here at the green retreat and my friend Trevor was ...

    Hey, everyone. Shadowgun is a great game for IOS but I've decided to give it a one star rating on the app store. The reason why? The Driller . At the end of the 4th level, John Slade (Alias, me) is deep in the bowels of the planet. A huge drilling machine chases him through the cavern as he flees and tries to shoot out these lights. So far I have failed to pass this level about 200 times. The driller crushes me again and again. 200 times I've dealt with this ignominy. This is after choosing what is supposed to be the 'easy' difficulty level.     You buy a freakin' game for $7.99. You play, you work, you strive. You even kill the dreaded Cyber Lobster . Then you don't get to play the last half or more of the game because some geek does not understand the definition of the word 'easy'. Let me read to you from Webster's dictionary. Easy-Not difficult. Free from anxiety or pain. Comfortable, restful. Free from constraint. Not severe. Unhurried. Gra...