Playing on the Go

Contra 4’s American box art was quite possibly one of the most bad@$$ pieces of art we at Playing on the Go have ever seen. The main character, Lance Bean, wields an RPG as he sneers at his enemies, most likely aiming to obliterate them in the most painful way as possible. The T for Teen logo emblazons the front, letting every passerby know that this game is not for children or the faint of heart (especially considering this is a sidescroller). His partner has his pistols blazing…OK, I think you get the point.

The Japanese title takes a decidedly more reverent, anime art style to it. The main character wields his rifle close to him, staring off into the distance retrospectively, analyzing his past failures and mourning the memories of the many people he has killed. While the game is of great quality, it’s always interesting to see the different ways companies market to different cultures.

I am a Disney fanatic, my family and i have been continuously purchasing annual passes to Disneyland for the past 15 years. The venue must bear some sort of “Magical” quality that continually draws be back to spend more money. A few months ago, however, i did find a feature of that park that i had never noticed before. This is the kind of improvement that Disney can perform without the average guest noticing, Open WiFi, that is, a network without a WEP or WPA encryption.

While in an aggravatingly lengthy line for Splash Mountain, i flipped on my PSP and decided to use the thoroughly deficient internet browser. I expected WiFi to be scarce in the happiest place on earth, however, i discovered there was one network aptly named “DisneyNet.” I forgot the actual title but I was sure that Disneyland was running for it, probably for their employees or executives. With this find, it is possible for PSP and DS users to play in multilayer mode, over the internet, while in Disneyland.

Much to my chagrin, about three hours later, i was unable to connect to the network. I haven’t used any other devices on their network since then so i wouldn’t know if this was just a chance occurrence. The prospect of internet access at Disneyland inspires me to bring my iPod Touch with a cup of coffee and blog by the Rivers of America! I encourage anyone reading this with access to Disneyland to bring your WiFI enabled device and enjoy the Happiest WiFi on earth.