Fitocracy: Workout, Get Achievements!

OK, I’ve been working out on and off for quite a while and I’ve invested years into DailyBurn.  They’ve got tons of my details and I’ve been using their mobile apps to keep track of it all. Last year, Fitocracy launched and it caught my attention as all of their goals are awarded like achievements like on today’s popular gaming systems.  Here’s a blurb from their website…

FITOCRACY – FITNESS SOCIAL NETWORK, TURN WORKING OUT IN THE GYM INTO AN RPG

Fitocracy will get you addicted to fitness just like a video game, only you level up in real life. Earn points, unlock achievements, beat quests, and slay the laziness dragon. Join the best fitness community on the planet and get in the best shape you’ve ever been.

FEATURES

• Incredible speed: track your entire workout all on one screen.
• Embark on an epic adventure: Unlock achievements to visualize your progress. Beat quests to push yourself and take on new challenges.
• Be inspired: Follow other Fitocrats to get daily inspiration and join in on conversations.
• Ultra motivation: Bring the support hundreds of thousands of Fitocrats with you on your journey. If competition’s your thing, there’s plenty of that too.

OUR MISSION

Our mission is to make exercise more addictive and accessible for everyone. Play Fitocracy to track your progress, learn new exercises, get support from the best fitness community around, and finally reach your goals.

When they launched, it was a beta invite only affair. So getting on was a wait and see deal. Luckilly, I was selected to get in and off I went!  *queue “Link acquired” music…*

When I first got on, the site was pretty plain and options were bleak. Lots of workouts and routines were missing and having to adjust what you did to fit into their naming conventions was kludgey at best. That was at launch. After practically forgetting about them, I got back on and witnessed a very polished UI and their workouts and routines had blossomed! On top of that, the database of achievements had exploded, making the experience that much more enjoyable.

Achievements and individual tasks are available but there are quests to go on as well. With something as involved as a quest, you can guess that there are multiple items to complete ad well as the ability to level up! *insert Final Fantasy Victory Fanfare music*

With summer upon us, don’t let the heat stop you from having a good time while shedding some pounds. If you are looking for a fun way to get into fitness and feel like you are a character in a video game, give Fitocracy a try.

(At this time, there is no app for android but is available for iOS. The upside is that the mobile experience is quite good and will handle pretty much everything that the app covers. They do promise an Android release this summer.  Check out the mobile site at http://fitocracy.com/m/play)

Linger in Shadows (PSN)

If you have a PS3 and like to play some weird a$$ games I recommend you download Linger in Shadows for $1.99 on PSN. I played this game a month or so ago and at first found it quite frustrating. I couldn’t figure out how to play. I found that I could fast forward or rewind this video that was playing but other than that I was not sure what to do. So even though I hate to do it I looked up a guide online and used it to get the hang of the controls.

According to the internetz it is an interactive art game that lets the player control this 7 minute art video. Honestly I just used the trophy guide because I had no idea what was going on. While the game play was confusing I have to say there is something mesmerizing about the game that makes you wish there was more (the game takes 7 minutes – more if you try to get all the trophies). The art style is weird but if you like that kinda of weird interactive game play then this game is for you.

Recently the same developer that worked on this game released a game on PSN called Datura that is supposed to be similar in fashion. Hopefully the price will drop on that soon and I can write a review for you. I enjoy seeing games like this that challenge the big blockbuster video games (not that I don’t enjoy some of them) by doing something different.

I notice a lot of people on my PS3 friends list have played this so I am curious if anyone else out there has checked it out? Please let me know!

Techno Kitten Adventure (iOS)

I have really been getting into iOS gaming after listening to a few people in the youtube video game community rave about the quality and prices. I still have a hard time with the idea of not having a physical copy of the game but for $.99 how can you go wrong?

I downloaded the free version of Techno Kitten adventure on my iphone (I believe the app is also available on android market and xbl). It took me a while to get the game mechanics under control but once I did the game has been really addicting. Essentially it is a side scrolling game where you weave a cat through obstacles. to reach the end of the level. The graphics and distractions are over the top and remind me a bit of a bullet hell shooter I played a while back with Fred. Most of the items on the screen are just distractions, only the translucent border and static objects made of the same material will kill the kitty if he runs into them. In some tracks the screen with pulsate and others it will switch directions entirely. All to upbeat techno music.

In the game you have unlimited lives but the longer you soar without dying the higher your score gets for that level. Like I mentioned, the game is free but you can download more packs (levels) to play in for a cheap price. I splurged and got one that was $.99. I recommend anyone who has an apple or android phone check out some of these unique games and let me know what they think. Future of gaming? I dont think so. A nice little distraction? Definitely.

GO RIGHT!!!

What a great video about traditional gaming!  😀

5th Avenue Frogger

Check out the new twist on the old classic!  They have taken the original and added some new twists!  5th avenue has some great things to dodge and it’s all delivered by a remote cam and merged with a new hack of the original.

Check out more of the project at http://www.5thavefrogger.com/

My personal XBL subscription expires tomorrow

I sat around too long to get this renewed so it happens on it’s own and I have minimal downtime.  Even though it doesn’t really bother me all that much if I do have a lag between tomorrow and when I actually renew.  So I won’t be able to play Skullgirls or Left 4 Dead 2 online right away.  No biggie.  My big question for everyone is this:  How does everyone renew their Xbox Live subscriptions?

Add to the discussion.  If you are under the “Other” category, where do you buy from?  Why do you buy/renew from your particular source?  Is price a factor?  I’ve got a small batch of $5 Amazon Gift Cards so we know where my answer will lay.  😉