Jazz X Rivera
First played 08/1992
Altered Beast was the
game that first exposed me to
Greek Mythology and the
amazing wonder that comes with
it. At the tender age of four I saw
my character rise from the grave
by Zeus himself to save his
daughter Athena from the
underworld.
Fighting mythological
creatures and earning enough
power ups to be altered into
different beasts fascinated me
beyond words. It was the first
game to really open my
imagination to a complete other
level. Altered Beast will always
be one of my all time favorites.
Altered Beast Skills

TIMING is a skill that needed to be mastered in order
to succeed in finishing this game with only a handful of
lives. The enemies would charge seemingly out of
nowhere and being a second off in timing would
consequently cause your health bar to be docked
drastically. Playing as Roman centurion it only seems
fitting to totally focused in timing to survive these
hellish waves

TIMING: The ability to complete actions at a precise
moment.

Timing would be nothing without PATTERN
RECOGNITION. Memorizing the exact moments
when a pack of two headed wolves attack was crucial
to avoid being trampled and slaying one to obtain a
power up needed to transform you into the beast you
need to become to defeat Neff, the dark lord that has
Athena hostage. Once you reached the end of each
level, Neff was waiting to turn into a monstrosity of
different creatures to try and stop you. In the first level,
Neff transforms into an ogre like creature like creature
made up of trees, shrubs, and dead people. Throwing
multiple heads at you, you needed to remember how
many times he threw it before he would let his guard
down so you can rush in and begin your offensive.
PATTERN RECOGNITION is a key skill used in this
game if you want to reach the end with enough lives to
finish Neff off for good.

PATTERN RECOGNITION: The ability to distinguish
commonalities between various items.
Altered Beast Mechanics
Pressing the A button caused the player to punch, and by
pressing the B button, the player performed a low kick. The TIMING
of these two in combination with the C button’s jump action aided
the hero in the slaying of multiple enemies such as demons,
snail/turtle hybrids, and zombies. Another item crucial to the
centurion is the spirit orb power up dropped by blue two-headed
wolves. The power up system was simple yet the process from
mere man to beast was impressive. When our hero jumps with the
C button into an orb a merely bulks up, gaining muscle mass. A
second time receiving a power up he then turns from an athletic
build to a body builder sized frame. The third orb collected is when
he is finally transformed into a beast. The power up system isn’t just
there to aide in the killing of enemies; rather it is needed in order for
Neff to see you as a worthy adversary before he in turn, turns into a
monster. The mechanics mentioned all played a role in honing the
timing needed to win
Altered Beast Mechanics
Continued
PATTERN RECOGNITION would be impossible in the
game with the aide of the artificial intelligence surrounding it. The
items such as zombies, goat men, dragon headed rattle snakes,
and winged demons that encompassed the world would spawn at
the exact moment in the level every time. You already knew when
the dragon headed rattle snake would drop down from the screen,
so dodging its bite was no problem at all. The boss’s system
mechanic was interesting. I recall that the defeat of Neff’s
transformed state caused him to safely warp into the next level, not
before stripping you of the power ups you just collected; leaving you
as the man you once were. Your character then jumps into the
worm hole to pursue Neff into the next level. So in turn, defeating
the boss turns you back into a human. The actions of jumping,
punching, and kicking were so repetitive that you remembered
which action would affect an enemy greater. A flying demon needed
a jumping kick in order to kill it where a low punch was the best
choice to fight the ferocious chicken stingers. It was second nature
when it came to which action to use. Pattern Recognition meant
longer gameplay as well as fighting effectively.
First played 12/1998
I grew up playing the original
Legend of Zelda as a kid on my brother’s
NES; however, The Legend of Zelda:
Ocarina of Time was my first real adventure
in a video game. I got this gift from the “fat
man in the red suit” for Christmas of ‘98
and it was the only thing I did during my
winter break from school. Between the
amazing story line, fast paced combat, and
amazing graphics compared to what I used
to playing growing up, I was in love. I
played for hours trying to save the princess.
While I played this game I was no longer
Jazz, the youngest of four and 4th grader. I
was Jazz the warrior and adventurer. It was
my first time playing a game that actually
made me stop and think about how I am
going to get out of this dungeon. For some
reason the water dungeons were always
the most complicated and riddled with
puzzles and hard bosses. Oddly enough I
couldn’t wait to get to them since I knew a
good challenge always awaited. I beat the
game multiple times and each time it felt
like the first.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of
Time Skills


EXPLORATION is a big skill needed to make
the best out of Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of
Time. Either running on foot or on the back of
your horse Epona, the land of Hyrule was
there to explore and seek out items needed
for your quest. In order to get new items you
had the option of completing side quests. An
option I had never heard of prior to playing.
Exploration allowed me to take my time and
enjoy my game. Something that was very
new to me at the time.
COLLECTION of items went hand in hand
with exploration. Gaining new items and
weapons such as the slingshot and fairy
arrows gave you a sense of accomplishment
and wonder of what would be the featured
item found in the upcoming dungeon.
Although ammunition and health can be
found throughout the land, health potions
were critical when fighting bosses, which
meant the collection of rubies were
important. The collection skill in this game
taught me how to manage and assign items
when they were needed.

EXPLORATION: The ability to move about
an area with the purpose of learning it.

COLLECTION: The ability to gather items.
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Mechanics
The actions that helped build my skill of
EXPLORATION was the Z-Targeting action using
the Z-button on the back of the Nintendo 64
controller. Being able to lock on enemy items like
Skull Kids, Armos, and ReDeads, the fighting was
more accurate allowing you to explore the land of
Hyrule. The fighting system was one of the first of
its kind. Switching targets on the fly to fight
prioritized enemies and dodge enemy attacks by
doing back flips and strafing was crucial during
the exploration of temples and dungeons that
was littered with monsters.
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Mechanics Continued
The inventory system mechanic is an important asset
to the COLLECTION skill. You were able to view what
equipment and items you already posses and which ones
you are currently missing. At this time you are able to assign
items have like the fire and water tunic, slingshot, ice arrows,
and the awesome hook shot which worked as a grapple gun
to get to high places. The hook shot also had the ability to
stun enemies, opening them up for a killing blow. The actions
which helped in the collection process was pressing the B
button to swing the sword to break jars and cut shrubs to
collect jewels. Another important action was to press the A
button while running to do a barrel roll into trees which also
dropped jewels and items. The collection skill is needed in
this game to be able to carry out quests effectively and most
importantly, safely.
First played 11/2001
HALO: Combat Evolved was the shooter that
turned me into a true gamer. This was the first game I
played on Xbox and first real co-op experience.
Playing on Legendary (the hardest difficulty) you
NEEDED a good team mate to battle the hordes of
the Covenant and Flood. Playing as the second
player during co-op since my brother was always first,
the default setting for my controller was set on an
inverted (up is down and down is up) aim. Struggling
to play I mastered it and to this day people stare at
me crazy when I switch the aiming to inverted.
HALO: Combat Evolved changed the way I
looked at gaming. Hearing the soldiers crying out
before throwing a grenade left me in awe. The
advanced AI (artificial intelligence) the NPCs (non
playable characters) were developed with made me
feel like I was in the heart of battle with real people.
The AI made you WANT to help them and try to save
as many of your soldiers as you can. The AI for the
enemies throughout the game left you feeling like you
were actually fighting a worthy adversary. And you
were. You had to out-smart the aliens and that made
this game even more more of a challenge One of my
favorite things I remember about this game that they
have kept true throughout the series is that you never
see his face. It makes it so you are the Master Chief
under the armor. It leaves the imagination to take over
and really attach to this character.
I give all of my thanks to the creative minds at
Bungie who developed such an amazing piece of art.
This is the game that pushed me to become a
designer.
HALO: Combat Evolved Skills

COMMUNICATION is a skill needed if you want to
beat the HALO: Combat Evolved campaign on
legendary with a friend. Constantly communicating
with another player was vital to strategize on taking on
the next room or wave of enemies. Without
communication you could stay on a checkpoint for
hours and possibly even end a friendship! Yes, it is
that serious. HALO: Combat Evolved has very smart
AI within the enemy hordes and without
communication as the forefront in your strategy you
will be stuck on the first level and wish you had just
played on normal.

COMMUNICATION: The ability to share ideas and
thoughts with others

RISK ASSESSMENT is very important when playing
HALO: Combat Evolved. Jumping on a tank may not
be the safest bet at times since you will be a massive
target for the covenant, consequently being blown up
in seconds. You had to outweigh the pros and cons of
certain before rushing into a room full of enemies.
Utilizing the skill of assessing risks in the levels helped
aide you in planning on which weapons to carry, which
route you should take, or simply whether or not you
should just run pass them and hopefully hit a
checkpoint. There was so much thinking involved in
the game that towards the end of a level you were left
exhausted. Something I never complained once about.

RISK ASSESSMENT: The ability to recognize the
pros and cons of a motion.
HALO: Combat Evolved
Mechanics
Items such as the Warthog (armored personnel carrier)
needed strong COMMUNICATION between you and your fellow
Spartan. As one drove the Warthog and the other manned the
mounted turret, communication was key in gaining the best
offensive positioning against the Covenant. The shielding system
mechanic was also vital in mastering the skill of communication.
When playing cooperatively with a friend, especially in the
Legendary difficulty, shielding and your health was important. The
armor’s shield depletes with every hit. Once the shield is down,
Master Chief’s health bar decreases with every hit. Communicating
with your team mate, you can lend cover fire while the other has
time for his shield to regenerate. Pressing the B-button allowed
Master Chief to perform a melee attack. One hit to the back of the
head and an alien will be killed in an instant. Very effective however
it can be very hard. While your team mate gets the alien’s attention,
you can flank the enemy from behind, press the B-button and
presto; enemy dead and ammunition saved.
HALO: Combat Evolved
Mechanics Continued
Considering which items to use in a situation was
very important in mastering the skill of RISK
ASSESSMENT. Items such as the Rocket Launcher,
Plasma Pistol, Shotgun, and Magnum Pistol were vital
in successfully completing certain levels. The Library
mission contained hundreds of Flood (a parasitic
organism who reanimates the dead) and without the
Shotgun you were doomed. Assessing the risks in each
level also meant knowing the radar mechanics of the
HUD (heads up display) on the screen. All enemies will
show up as blips within a twenty-five meter radius.
Seeing how many enemies lay behind each wall can
help determine your next move. Whether it is a risk or
not, you can count on the radar to give you that
assessment.
First played 06/2000
During the summer
of 2000, my parents
signed me up for
basketball at the local
YMCA. Throughout the
summer and the other
seasons thereafter, I
learned a lot about
myself and the
fundamentals of working
as a team.
Basketball Skills


Aiming is an obvious skill needed in
order to be successful in basketball. In
order to score, you needed a good
stance and a good eye in order to
make the basket. At times you can not
make a shot from inside the key and
you will need take it to the three point
range. At that time aiming comes in to
play.
Team work is important, but PACK
MENTALITY takes it to another level.
Playing in a random game on the
streets doesn’t give you the same
pack mentality one would feel if you
were playing with team mates that you
have practiced almost every day with.
The sweat, aching muscles, and the
bruised body parts were all endured
together as a pack.

AIMING: The ability to pinpoint a target

PACK MENTALITY: The ability to
synchronize within a group for a
common goal.
Basketball Mechanics
The basketball is the key item needed in
order to aim. Without the basketball, well, there
will be no basketball! The action needed in order
to score in the game of basketball is to shoot the
ball into the basket. A mechanic done the entire
time of the game that in the long run will cause
the skill of aiming to increase. The scoring
mechanic of the game is simple. A shot from
inside the key is 2 points, outside the key is 3
points, and a free throw shot is 1 point.
Basketball Mechanics Continued
The PACK MENTALITY skill is mastered through
yourself the token. In order to have a pack mentality you
need to let go of any selfishness and egoism that people
usually have. The action of passing the ball using either a
bounce pass action or an over head pass is essential in
making sure plays go thru. Working as a team using these
actions correlate with the pack mentality skill. The pack
mentality is mastered once the playmaking system mechanic
is memorized to the letter. Based on the players skills the
coach would assign the players positions such as point
guard, center, and forward. Based off of the positions they
would make plays such as pass and go and top of the key
shifts. The pack mentality is the most crucial part of winning
games. You can be the best player on the team, but with out
playing as team you will the point difference would more than
likely be drastic.
First played 03/2000
Monopoly may have
caused many fights in my family
in the living room, but it was one
of the few activities we shared as
a family. Monopoly was important
in that as a unit, we were able to
sit down and spend quality time
with each other. My father was
always the banker due to the fact
no one else was trusted to do the
financing in fear that some money
would wind in their personal
stash. Despite the fact we only
finished the game half of the time
we played, the laughter and dirty
looks when rent was due got the
family closer together. Memories I
would never forget.

Add Image Here
Game 5 Continued


PROJECTION OF POWER is a skill
that benefits you the most when
applying it to the game of Monopoly.
Buying properties, collecting rent, and
buying rail roads adds to the power
you are projecting. The more
properties you have the more of a
threat you are to the other players.
Making you the dominant player in the
game.
Utilizing your resources in the game of
Monopoly to your advantage is a
product of RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT. If you were distracted
through out the game and not keeping
tabs on what you have already bought,
you can miss out on being paid rent.
Knowing exactly what properties you
own along with the general idea of
how much money you currently have
is a must when you want to have a
fighting chance at being the only one
not bankrupt by the end of the game.

PROJECTION OF POWER: The
ability top press against a target the
hunter’s superiority.

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: The
ability to control separate sets of items
Monopoly Mechanics
Some of the items which aide in your PROJECTION of
POWER are property cards belonging to some properties such as
Pacific Avenue , Boardwalk, and Baltic Avenue. On these items,
you are able to see how much money is owed to you once another
player lands on your property and has to pay rent. Right away you
are seen as more powerful since they technically landed on your
territory, and you wish to claim what was owed to you. The token
(yourself) is the most influential mechanic to the projection of
power. Having a strong demeanor while playing automatically
makes you someone who will not be trifled with. If you play
seriously you will be taken serious; play too serious and you will be
seen as weak. Once you find that perfect medium between the two
you will be seen as a powerful adversary in the game of Monopoly.
The system mechanic of properties and building upon your land is
crucial in your projection of power. When you buy all properties in a
color group you are able to build houses and hotels on it enabling
you to receive more money from the player who lands on your
property. The houses and hotels are a good way to ensure you will
always have money in your account.
Monopoly Mechanics Continued
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT is a skill mastered
when using items such as title deed cards, play money, and
community chest and chance cards. Although completely
different items, together they make you a resource master.
Using all of the items when needed and using them
strategically helps you in the skill of managing your
resources. When you are running out of money and close to
bankruptcy, the bankruptcy system mechanic is when you
really test the skill of resource management. When you owe
money you do not have you need to start looking at your
assets and see what you can start selling to the bank for cash
in hand. I have been close to bankruptcy before and planning
ahead and using my resources I was able to bounce back
and stay in the game even longer. Although a bit depressing
having to give up most of what you owe, it makes you a very
worthy adversary to use what you have to get you out of a
tough situation.