What I've Been Up To

So I haven't written in here in almost a month it seems. School got crazy, life got crazy, however I've still fit some time in for some gaming. Primarily, the biggest standout would have to be playing the Destiny Alpha. Me and my brothers got some quality time in, adventuring and doing Strikes, and let me tell you, that game is awesome. I can't remember the last time I had that much fun with a shooter and I'm anxiously anticipating the release of the beta here in a couple of weeks.

Well, and the full release in September.

Yes, it's that good.

I've also gotten quite a bit of time in with Mario Kart 8, and while I am not the best kart racer in the world, I still have a lot of fun. My son loves Mario and anything with Mario in it, but his favourite character is easily Bowser. Any time I am playing now I pretty much have to choose Bowser, but I'm ok with that. I also have played a bit of Pikmin 3 which has been a fun title as well, and I'm glad that I'm finally getting around to playing it. There's still even more gaming to get to but with my semester quickly ramping up I'm not sure how much I will play but soon I'll have a ton of free time.

Time to hit up that backlog that has been building up.

Nintendo at E3

I feel like I write more about Nintendo than anyone other gaming company on my blog, and with good reason. I love the Big N and love their games, and have for decades now. I've stated before here that I purchased a Wii U so that I could ultimately play Nintendo games with my children as they become old enough to game, though that doesn't keep me from enjoying them right now. As we head into E3 there are a lot of questions on peoples minds including my own so I wanted to speculate a bit and write about what I hope to see come out of E3.

Wii U

Only a few days to go.

I have been enjoying my Wii U since launch and even though third-party support has pretty much turned into no support at all, minus some Ubisoft and Activision games, there is still a bit of hope. Nintendo is a firm believer in the idea that software sells hardware and if they provide great games then systems will sell. We know that Mario Kart 8 is coming out this week and Nintendo has already started a strong marketing push for the game, and as well is offering free digital downloads for those that get the game and register on Club Nintendo. Smash Bros as well is going to be out by the end of the year, and I still stand by the prediction that it'll be out the week before Black Friday, though some are guessing December. I think November is still the better choice and it will help move systems through the biggest selling week of the year, though this will be the third Black Friday the Wii U will be on sale so hopefully things go a bit better this time around. But what comes between Mario Kart 8 and Smash Bros?

Bayonetta 2. Any new Platinum game is reason to celebrate.

Well the titles that should be coming out before long that we know about are fairly varied and should offer a little of something for a variety of gaming groups. Platinum's much anticipated Bayonetta 2 is expected to be out this summer and I would guess that we will see it in July at the latest. Also out this summer is Hyrule Warriors, or whatever it ends up being called, and the marriage of Zelda and Dynasty Warriors looks intriguing, but again this seems something up the alley of the more dedicated gamer. I feel this one will be slotted for September in the west, though it could be as early as August. With these 2 games Nintendo could lure away even more hardcore gamers and if not, when Smash Bros comes out look for these titles to be picked up alongside them. 

Yarn Yoshi looks straight up adorable.

Yarn Yoshi is another title probably heading out this summer or into the fall and offers up something for the families alongside getting Mario Kart 8. I'm surprised that this is the only family friendly title that we know of so expect to see something like a new Kirby or even a Mario sports title to show up.  But what else is there, what else is going to show up at E3? Hopefully we get some more word on X and on Shin Megami Tensai x Fire Emblem, again more for the hardcore, but I am certain that Nintendo will show off their new Zelda. While many feel that it will look similar to the teaser from a couple years back, through interviews with Aonuma I think it will actually have a similar aesthetic to Skyward Sword, and I am totally fine with that.

I think Nintendo will have a great deal of Wii U titles to show and with Mario Kart 8 and Smash Bros plus the other supporting titles they can start to turn around the system. However, if these titles don't do it then I think support for the system will really start to tail off as they push more towards their Quality of Life project.

3DS

The 3DS is in an interesting spot as it's still continuing to sell a great deal of hardware and software but little is known as to what is coming out soon for the system. That does include Smash Bros and really, everyone and their dogs is going to get Smash Bros to play on their 3DS so I don't blame Nintendo for holding much back, everyone will be too busy battling on the go and collecting StreetPasses to bother with much of anything else. At least Tomodachi Life comes out in a couple weeks and there seems to be quite a bit of buzz regarding that from people that I wouldn't expect to hear talking about the game. Looks like their ads are working, which sometimes makes me a little crazy that Nintendo has marketed the 3DS pretty well but still has done so poorly with the Wii U.

Smash Bros on the go, who doesn't want that?

Down the road though there are the remakes of Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire that will be coming out, and again people seem to be very excited for them. I have always had a rough time with the Pokemon games as their stories offer very little and I haven't ever quite gotten into the battle system. Regardless, those games will sell a great deal and those will be a lock for Christmas sales. What else is coming? Well Nintendo has confirmed that at E3 there will be a lengthy press-only event for an unannounced title and I have heard all sorts of rumours, such as a new Metroid. Whatever it is it'll be a meaty title that will end up on many a radar thanks to the showcase Nintendo is giving it, so I look forward to that. As for anything else, well we will have to see.

Assorted

I feel like Nintendo will probably have a good showing of some of their upcoming indie titles at E3, focusing on things like Shovel Knight and other titles that they really want to highlight. I think there will also be some more information given on the DS titles available for the Wii U which I am looking forward to as there are a few games that I would love to play on my tv using the system, especially the Zelda titles, and even Advance Wars.

Advance Wars for 3DS is what I really want.

Speaking of, what do I really want to see? I want an Advance Wars 3DS announced by Intelligent Systems probably more than anything. They have stated that they want to keep making the games and I feel after how big Fire Emblem: Awakening was they probably have the freedom to go and make a new Advance Wars. I would definitely be a happy camper if that showed up at the show. I also think it is still too early to talk about the Quality of Life concept in detail, but it could get a mention. Also, I feel that with the success of Wind Waker HD we may see some other Gamecube games given the HD treatment, and think that Super Mario Sunshine HD could come by the end of the year. Just a guess but I feel like it's going to happen.

What will happen at E3? Only time will tell but it's only a couple of weeks away so soon enough we will know what Nintendo has in store and though some still say the company is doomed, I think their future is bright and full of games that I'll enjoy, and that my kids will enjoy someday as well.

Transistor Review

When Transistor was first revealed last year I was enthralled. Bastion is one of my all-time favourite Xbox 360 games and when I found out what Supergiant Games was working on I had to have it. Well the wait is over and Transistor is finally out and after sinking a great deal of time into it I am happy to say that it has lived up to expectations and in some ways outdoes Bastion.

Red and Transistor. Image belongs to Supergiant Games.

Transistor is an isometric action game with some light RPG elements. I would say that sums it up best and is comparable gameplay-wise to Bastion in many of these aspects. The focus on the game is Red, a popular musician in the futuristic city of Cloudbank, which is part cyberpunk and part art deco. At the beginning of the game you are introduced to Red and the Transistor, which is a giant sword plunged into a mystery man that Red retrieves. However, it is not merely a sword but one that is imbued with intelligence and a voice. It's Transistor that provides the game with the bulk of the narration, guiding Red through the streets and rooftops of Cloudbank as she battles the Process, a type of robot legion, and searches for the Camerata who originally ordered her dead.

The story is very intriguing and I kept playing and searching through regions of the city to find little hints of story as they are strewn everywhere. Studious scavenging will reveal you with a great deal of backstory and even simple activities like voting at computer terminals gives you some insight into the world that has been created. The story and narration are key here, as is the beautiful world that you are presented with, but it is the use of music that really stands out in this game. Red is a musician so it goes without saying that music is a key to this game, and whether it is from her songs to the electro-infused jazz pieces that make up the games score, this game is an aural treat. With this soundtrack coming right after the outstanding Child of Light soundtrack, it's been a great year for music in games without a doubt.

The city of Cloudbank. Image belongs to Supergiant Games.

Combat however is the meat and potatoes of this game as you will be doing a lot of it, and guess what, it doesn't disappoint. At the start of the game you have a mere two combat actions, a basic close-range attack and a projectile attack. As the game progresses you gain access to more functions, which are the skills you can either equip as prime actions or you can set as support actions to increase the power of your main functions. This allows for a fair amount of customization and the ability to change your loadout, as it were, and whenever I got a new function I was always keen to see what it could do or how it could affect the others.

Red and Transistor and a stranger? Image belongs to Supergiant Games.

When in actual combat however you can opt to play it a couple of ways. You can maneuver the combat areas in real-time and use your attacks instantaneously without repercussion to how many actions you can take. The other way is to initiate a Turn which pauses the combat and lets Red move freely and use her actions. However each one takes away from her Turn bar and after you un-pause the game and let loose with your attacks, you will be left open for a time while your Turn bar refills. This leads to many decisions to be made in combat and quite a bit of risk-reward which I really enjoyed. As well, if you are to die in combat (which does happen) you will be revived but will be missing one of your functions. As long as you have functions left you can keep fighting but you will be hindered by the absence of needed abilities. It's never the end of the world and you get them refilled at the end of combat, but I enjoyed it as it added extra complexities to an already engaging battle system.

Red taking on a Jerk. Image belongs to Supergiant Games.

All in all, I enjoyed my time in Cloudbank. The world and characters have a great amount of depth to them, and the Transistor himself and his narration offer a great deal to the experience that Supergiant has created. With a great combat system, and a new-game plus mode to offer some additional replay value, Transistor is a game that should be added to your PS4 collection.

Score A-

The Value of Games

First off I would like to say that I really liked inFAMOUS: Second Son. I love what Sucker Punch did  with the game and their interpretation of Seattle. I quite liked Delsin and his brother Reggie and their war against Augustine and am still hoping for more instead of moving on to another Conduit.
However, it got me thinking, thanks to the recent hikes in price for newer games inFAMOUS cost just about $80 CDN with taxes.

I'm not one to complain really, I've been gaming for quite a long time and I remember paying $110 for Chrono Trigger on Super Nintendo. What it did get me thinking about is the great downloadable games I have picked up this year and the crazy value that these games are offering and a fraction of what a game like Mario Kart 8 will cost me. Let's have a look shall we.

Earthbound - Wii U ($10)

The legendary heroes of Earthbound. Image belongs to Nintendo.

I suppose that this was a game that when it first came out also cost the same amount as Chrono Trigger, and has actually steadily rose in value over the years. I remember renting it and playing it quite often, enjoying the characters and the world and the combat which could be unforgiving. If you have wanted to play it though over the last decade you pretty much either had to pay a large sum or download a ROM, the latter of which I have no interest in doing. So the fact that Nintendo announced last year that Earthbound was coming out on the Wii U Virtual Console was great news. The game still looks great and sounds great and having off-tv play has also been a boon. This is an adventure definitely worth checking out if you haven't had the pleasure.

Fez - PS3/PS4/PS Vita ($10)

The beautiful world of Fez. Image belongs to Polytron.

The first time I caught wind of this game I had little to no idea who Phil Fish was, I just thought this game looked neat. I tried it on the Xbox 360 and had fun but didn't get to spend the time I wanted with it. When it showed up on PS4 with cross-save with the Vita I knew I had to finally pick up Mr Fish's darling baby and see what all the praise has been about. This has been a welcome addition to my Vita on the go, and I love that I can start right where I left off when I get home. The puzzles are great but really it's the adorable graphics and the aesthetics of each little world I can't get enough of.

TowerFall Ascension - PS4 ($15)

TowerFall Ascension. Image belongs to Matt Makes Games.

The Ouya definitely has its fan base and I have had a little interest in the system, but the game that really impressed me was TowerFall. Therefore, I was ecstatic when it was announced that it would be coming out on the PS4 and it hasn't failed to impress. This has become our go-to party game, with easy to pickup controls but ones that are also difficult to master. I'm pretty certain that only when Smash Bros comes out at the end of this year will this game be dethroned, but until then we will continue to enjoy the best multiplayer game thus far, hands down.

Child of Light - Wii U ($15)

Child of Light. Image belongs to Ubisoft.

While this game is available on every system under the sun (and on the Vita in the next month or so) I wanted it for the Wii U as it seemed like playing with the gamepad controller would be the way to go. I have been in love with the visuals of this game and it never ceases to impress with the amount of colours and refreshing takes on standard RPG world design. The music as well is some of my favourite, as Coeur de Pirate hit it out of the park with the score and it was the first of two soundtracks that I needed to have this year. If you are looking for a beautiful adventure game with an interesting take on combat in the vein of Grandia or old Final Fantasy definitely give this one a chance.

Transistor - PS4 ($20)

Red and Transistor. Image belongs to Supergiant Games.

Another favourite of mine on the Xbox 360 was Bastion as I adored what Supergiant games did with storytelling in that game, having the narrator tell the story of the boy as you travelled through the worlds. Suffice it to say, I have been waiting for a good year it seems for Transistor to finally come out and while I have only spent an hour or so with it so far, I have loved it. Their new lead Red, an interesting female character uses a giant sword to defend herself in the neo-futuristic city of Cloudbank. This is another one game with phenomenal music and it looks like i'll be picking up the soundtrack for this as well.


There you have it, for seventy dollars you can have all of the above games and still be a bit under what it is going to cost you for Mario Kart 8. Not that there is anything wrong with the big, AAA-titles but it just goes to show that indie or smaller developed titles are definitely proving their worth and are titles that you should be adding to your collection. I know I am definitely happy with all of the above purchases. Anyone else been enjoying these?

It's Almost E3 Time

So I just realized that in a little over a month E3 will be upon us again. There's been a little talk here and there about what to expect but I think it will be completely crazy this year. I've heard that Microsoft is really going to be showing off even more games, which is nuts as they already have a number of holdovers from last year that still haven't come out so it'll be interesting to see where they are at. Sony will definitely provide more insight into Morpheus (the VR for PS4) as well as after last weeks "accidental" unlocking of most PSX and PSP games for the Vita many have rumoured that they will announce Vita TV for the West, for 99.99 and have all the games available for it that haven't been thus far. Also, hopefully they will announce some new games and at least have some new footage for some exclusives. Not that exclusives are the be all and end all, but Microsoft definitely has been showing what they did with their billion dollars they paid for exclusives. Hopefully Sony will have much to show.

As for Nintendo, well of course this is going to be the most interesting. After last years decidedly meagre showing and the fact that there is still not much known in regards to what is coming out later in the year, hopefully Nintendo will do a presentation and have a big showing there. Tomodachi Life comes out just before E3, and then Smash Bros for 3DS comes out this summer, outside of that, not much is known for the 3DS. For the Wii U, well Mario Kart comes out just before E3, and Smash Bros won't be out until November (which is my prediction). Otherwise there is Bayonetta 2, Yarn Yoshi, Hyrule Warriors more than likely coming this year, with X maybe this year and Fire Emblem X Shin Megami Tensai still not coming till maybe next year.

The incredibly hilarious Mega64 video showcasing Nintendo's E3 plans.

They just announced as well that they will be doing an online presentation again much like last year, which is somewhat troublesome, but again is how Nintendo is choosing to do things. Hopefully they will still get journalists to cover it as much as the other big press conferences, but really, we all just want to see what Zelda U is going to look like. It's a little over a month away and I seriously can't wait, best time of the year.

Nintendo's Ups and Downs

I write a lot about Nintendo on here, because, well I am a huge fan. I have been playing Nintendo games for a quarter of a century so there is a lot of history here. I have made it known that I love my Wii U and wish there was more support for it. Lately I have been playing my PS4 a bit more, but that has been mainly thanks to school eating up most of my time and only having time here or there to spend on games like inFAMOUS Second Son and Resogun.

Mario Kart 8.

However that has been changing. I have been embracing the indies on the Wii U more and more and have been enjoying some of the titles on the system. I finally got my hands on DuckTales which brings me back of course to the old NES days. I also picked up Unepic which is a more rpg heavy Castlevania type game that uses the gamepad in really interesting and smart ways, and is super tough. Plus, Child of Light comes out next week, and while it will be on most systems I am planning on getting it for Wii U, just because I love playing on the Gamepad.

Child of Light from Ubisoft.

There are even more games coming, slowly but surely. Mario Kart 8 is out in just over a month. Bayonetta 2 is probably going to be out this summer, as well as potentially X, Yarn Yoshi, Hyrule Warriors and of course Super Smash Bros, which will be out in November (that's my guess anyways). There are also over 50 more indie games on the way thanks to the Wii U and it's support for Unity, which is also good news, and some interesting things like Shovel Knight are coming.

Tomodachi Life from Nintendo.

The 3DS of course is still killing it, and I really don't need to say more than the Pokemon games selling over 12 million units, and price cuts on the key 5 Mario games due to them selling as much as the Pokemon games. Also, Tomodachi Life has been confirmed for the 3DS and is coming in June as well, and man that game looks amazing and ridiculous. There are also a ton of great smaller titles for the 3DS and Nintendo's first attempts at free-to-play are also of note. The 3DS is continuing to exert dominance in the handheld space even with the rise of mobile gaming.

Mario Kart 8 footage from Nintendo.

So what is going to happen next for Nintendo? Well, I feel that once Mario Kart is closer to launch there will be a huge marketing push and hopefully new interest in the system. Hopefully Nintendo starts doing a better job at explaining what it is and what it can do. Also, later on in the year there will be a big push with Smash Bros coming and hopefully the official announcement of the new Legend of Zelda and perhaps another big title. There is also however the Quality of Life "system" that they are working on and the next handheld, which I am sure will be shown later this year as well. I think that the Wii U will still do better than the Gamecube but probably not by much. I love the system and hopefully some support starts to show up soon though.

PS4 New Game First Impressions

So I am currently deep in the heart of paper writing season, followed by finals, so what I am playing on my PS4 is pretty limited (I did however just finish Thomas Was Alone and am now playing Fez on my Vita). I have spent a bit of time though with a few new games and wanted to share some thoughts.

inFAMOUS Second Son

This is the game that I got a PS4 for. I love the other 2 inFAMOUS games and love the somewhat dark superhero world that Sucker Punch has created. So far I have enjoyed the variety in conduit powers that you can get, and how gorgeous the game is. I'm still not super sold on Delsin as a lead, and miss Cole and Zeke, but so far it hasn't been so bad. The gameplay more than makes up for it. Again though, this game is so pretty and a definite showcase for the PS4.

Fez

I have played a little bit of this on my PS4 but mostly on my Vita. On the PS4 it looks really sharp and the colours are so crisp. The gameplay is as good as it was on the 360, and apparently the framerate is much better on this. We will see so far, but for now it's been great and another great addition to the PS4 library.

Mercenary Kings

This was one that I was really pumped up on, especially as I love the character design/ art style of the guys behind the Scott Pilgrim game. It's essentially Contra mixed with Monster Hunter. Side-scrolling shooter and when you kill things you get items that you can craft into new weapons, armour, etc. I have to say I like it, and want to play more multiplayer of it, but after playing TowerFall this game seems really sluggish, and I hate that you can't shoot diagonally. It's a bit of a letdown but I'm sure that playing it more I'll get used to it.

Anyways, back to work, look for my TowerFall review in the days to come over on Recultured.