10/06 Update: Since we no longer write for the Edmond Sun, this section is temporarily housing our podcast links for our iTunes feed. All of the columns are in the archives menu if you feel like exploring.

These columns (as well as the 'releases') come from weekly content that we write for the Edmond Sun, out of Edmond, OK (though we live in Chicago). This page contains the archives for said column, many of which are in their pre-published, unedited state. Some titles and editing by Brendan Sinclair.

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Graffiti Kingdom
Wednesday, August 24, 2005

One of the most interesting, creatively satisfying games in quite some time was released last week, and you were too busy playing Madden "2005" 2006 to do anything about it, weren't you? While you wallow in shame and I shake my finger disapprovingly, I'll tell you what you're missing. Graffiti Kingdom is a very simplistic Action/RPG, with the astonishingly fun and well-designed twist of being able to create your own character from scratch. The equally obscure prequel of sorts, Magic Pengel: The Quest For Color featured a similar creation mechanic, only quite a bit cruder and wrapped around an equally mundane game. Oh, I should probably mention right now that the gameplay is nothing special, even a bit tedious. If you're even considering getting it to have an extra Action/RPG lying around, don't. Buy Champions of Norrath instead. Ninety percent of the enjoyable content in this game comes from building and tweaking your character from the ground up, and seeing how your mutants fair in the game world.

After a rather long introduction to the silly story and some explanation about the gameplay mechanics (kick, punch, repeat, morph into one of your enemies if you desire), you have the option to start creating, and I suggest you take it. The canvas interface is pretty simple and intuitive, and once you get the hang of sculpting in three dimensions on a two-dimensional television screen, you'll be whipping up classic characters like my Phallus Phil in no time. Sure, I took the predictable route to comedy, but there are a near infinite number of ways to amuse yourself/offend passersby with the tools available. The workflow goes something like this: doodle a shape, then choose from several interpretations of that shape in 3D, most of which are pretty spot-on guesses of what you were trying to do. It will instantly create and place that shape on the canvas, which you can then color, tweak and add functionality to. When you're ready, just add a connection point and doodle the next piece and it will drop into place. If the legs are long enough, you'll automatically get a set of knees, if the tail is sensibly sized it can become a deadly weapon, if you throw on some wings you can set them to flap majestically, etc. You can also quite easily ignore the typical body structure and just make a quivering, spinning mass of multicolored pinwheels, but you just might find yourself wanting a bit more out of your creation once the laughs are over.

So, to recap - whip up a body, throw some limbs on, give it some color and basic functionality, and a snazzy name. What's next? Attacks, movement and voice. The attacks are all variations of punching, kicking, charging and jumping, but you can get some pretty great stuff going on there even with those default actions assigned to your character. The movement menu assigns a general pace and body language to your character, and some are shockingly appropriate. A slow, lumbering gait can add a lot for some, while a small, skittish run works incredibly well for others. And lastly, the voice, which is more of a small squeak that you'll make while jumping or attacking; it's a subtle touch, but it can add a lot to a character.

After spending more time messing around with the creation tool in GK than playing any other regular game in a recent gaming session with my buddy/co-writer Tom, the question was quickly brought to the surface as to why more games don't include a feature like this. What about the bots in Timesplitters' custom maps? Summon creatures in RPGs? Avatars for puzzle games? Pets in adventure games? I can think of dozens of scenarios where it would make perfect sense in the context of the game, and if a fairly small developer can create such a relatively powerful editing tool, what could a larger team and a more serious budget accomplish? Building your character has always been thrillsville, from WWF Warzone on the N64 to Tiger Woods 2005 (two games in which the feature is actually the most interesting part of the package). With all of the fuss Microsoft is trying to stir up with the customizable 360 faceplates, you'd think that they might investigate incorporating that spirit of individuality into their games. Hell, it's even a pretty effective tool for learning the basics of character design for aspiring young developers. Anyhow, I'm getting into a very lengthy topic here, and that wasn't the point - if you're a gamer, and an artist in any sense of the word, I highly recommend picking up Graffiti Kingdom. It might not be most the enthralling game on the surface, but once you start messing around with the creation aspect you'll be spending hours making sure your Pickle Jar Beast's limp is just right. And that's a good thing in my book.

- Nick


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