by norm stovall norm@904skate.com
flOw has been labeled under many categories, but I don’t think any of those labels really fits. The basic idea of flOw has you controlling a sub-microscopic looking creature, collecting items and growing longer flagellum in the process. Along the way, you will come across other creatures that you will absorb, get distracted by, or interacted with in some way. To control your creature, you simply tilt the Sixaxis controller in various directions. Gameplay wise, you could compare it to Pac-Man, Geometry Wars, or maybe even some kind of interactive screen saver, but you would only be partially right.
In flOw, the visuals feature simple colors and soothing yet fulfilling music that seems to suit the game perfectly. While most on-screen characters seem simplistic in design, when in motion they move more gracefully than anything you have ever seen in a game, and as you progress the colors will draw you in just as much as the characters you are controlling. There is no real way to describe flow, as you have no scoring system, now heads-up-display, and no real way to end the game-it really is something you have to play and experience yourself to form an opinion about. Some may hate it, as it may seem pointless, and some may love it for the same reason, but for the $7.99 you pay to download it from the Playstation network, it certainly won’t kill you to try it, so please do.
On March 10th and 11th the event known as Final Round 10 will go down in Atlanta, Georgia. If you aren’t familiar with the event, Final Round is a competitive fighting game tournament held once a year in the ATL. Staying true to their arcade roots, the people behind Final Round run most of the games on authentic arcade style cabinets throughout the tournament. There are some exceptions, of course, but for the most part you will be getting authentic arcade-style gaming. The entry fee to the event is $20, and there will be a $10 Sign-up fee for each game you compete in. The list of games includes Marvel Vs Capcom 2, Street Fighter 3: Third Strike, Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection, and Guilty Gear XX: Slash, in addition to many other official and casual games to be played. For more info on this 2-day event go to the official website, or hit up the forums at SRK (www.shoryuken.com/forums) and look up “events” for an official registration thread. I’ll be there, of course, to cover the happenings and ultimately to lose at a bunch of games.
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