- Battlefield Hardline
- Codename S.T.E.A.M.
- A Zelda-style game you should check out
- My addiction to figures is getting real
- I add a little social commentary to mix things up a bit.
www.soundcloud.com/jeffofallgames
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Podcast #6 is ready to be listened to!
- Battlefield Hardline
- Codename S.T.E.A.M.
- A Zelda-style game you should check out
- My addiction to figures is getting real
- I add a little social commentary to mix things up a bit.
www.soundcloud.com/jeffofallgames
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Let's Preview: Mortal Kombat X
We are less than a month away from my most anticipated game of the year, Mortal Kombat X, for the Xbox One, PC, and PS4 (with the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions coming out later this year). If you can't tell, I am a little stoked, as in "HOLY SHIT, I CAN'T WAIT!".
So why am I so excited? What do we know so far about MKX? WHY AM I SCREAMING? These are all valid questions, so let me break down what we know about the game, why I am looking forward to it, and why the anticipation is KILLING me.
If you know me at all, you know how much I love the Mortal Kombat franchise. Sure, not every game was a smash hit, and I will do a full on retrospective in a later blog post, but for a franchise to last 23 years (and counting, hopefully) and stay not only relevant, but generate as much hype as it has for a new entry, speaks volumes to the quality of the games.
However, let's focus on the next game in the franchise, Mortal Kombat X, and cover what we know so far:
- The Story
The story will start at the end of Mortal Kombat (MK9) and will transition to 25 years after. This gives the game the opportunity to show older versions of the veteran fighters and add a variety of new characters to the mix, including a handful of characters with genetic ties to veteran fighters. So far, with what's been revealed character-wise, this seems like a really good mix of classic characters and new blood. It will be interesting to see the classic characters in older, different walks of life. I think this is necessary in the series to help flesh out these characters using a story mode that already worked like gangbusters in MK9. For instance, we go from Johnny Cage chasing Sonya Blade and making moves on her, to now having a child and a divorce together. This will help us see new sides of these characters and give us substance to the new fighters.
- The Roster (So Far)
As previously stated, the roster is a good mix of young and old fighters. This is a necessity in any fighting game. If the roster stayed the same through every iteration, it would get old fast, hell, Street Fighter adds new characters, Tekken adds new ones, Dead or Alive adds new ones, it happens all over the fighting world, and Mortal Kombat was due for some new blood. The balance with that is: are you adding new characters for the sake of new characters, or are you adding new characters with meaning behind them? The latter seems to be true here, as many characters have ties to the classics. We now have fighters like Cassie Cage, the daughter of Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade, Jacqui Briggs, daughter of Jax and member of Cassie's Special Forces Unit, Kung Jin, a descendant of Kung Lao and member of Cassie's Special Forces Unit, Takahashi Takeda, son of Kenshi, and another member of the Special Forces Unit, etc. You will, of course, get your Scorpion/Sub-Zero/Raiden fix and it's good to know there's something here for everyone.
Then of course, there was the announcement that Jason Voorhees (of Friday the 13th fame) will be a downloadable character. This is nothing new for MK, as characters like Kratos (God of War) and even Freddy Krueger (Nightmare on Elm Street) have made appearances, and I always like cross-franchise attempts. I may not use Jason a whole lot, much like I didn't use Freddy a whole lot, but it is a cool addition. Though I do look forward to seeing what kind of fatalities Jason can come up with.
A big draw with the characters is the idea of character variations. Every character will have 3 different variations which will change the move set, and change the way that character is played. For example, Scorpion's "Ninjutsu" variation gives him dual blades, the "Hellfire" version gives him emphasis on fire attacks, and the "Inferno" version gives him hellspawns to help him in battle. These variations will change up how you fight AS and AGAINST each fighter and adds an extra layer of depth.
Of course, the full roster is not yet announced, so expect even more "Oh, awesome" moments in lead-up to the release.
- The Modes
The modes currently listed are: "Story", "1 vs 1 Ranked", "King of the Hill" (hopefully using the Xbox avatars or some equivalent like they did in MK9's version), "Survivor", and "Test your Luck" (which I loved from MK9). There are 2 new modes that have me very excited and I want to dive into them more here: "Living Towers", and "Faction Wars".
"Living Towers" takes the Challenge Tower concept (the basic "fight up the ladder" arcade mode) and adds the twist that the ladder will change every hour or so. This is a bigger change than it may initially seem, since this will infinitely increase replay value, giving you a new ladder experience throughout your playtime.
"Faction Wars" seems absolutely incredible to me. When you boot up the game, you choose which faction you want to represent, you choose between the White Lotus, Lin Kuei, Brotherhood of Shadow, Black Dragon, or Special Forces. Everything you do in the game adds points towards your faction, whether it's Story Mode, Versus, Online, whatever, it all goes towards the overall rank, both within the faction and for the overall faction rank. Obviously, you get more faction points when you defeat someone online who is of a different faction, so this really pushes a team aspect to the game. For a random 24-hour period during the week-long faction war, there will be an "Invasion" from a powerful realm, so then all the factions turn their attention to the invading realm, creating uneasy (or Deadly) alliances. Ranking up and doing well within the Faction Wars will grant you rewards like faction specific fatalities.
Here is the Netherrealm Studios team talking a bit about these two modes, every time I see this I get a little more amped for this game.
The "Faction Wars" idea seems amazing and the idea of something new every time I turn the game on is something I can't wait to be a part of.
- The Fatalities
Oh my God! Holy Shit! Sure, the series is best known for gruesome, match-ending Fatalities. I will also mention here that Brutalities make their return to the franchise and look, well, Brutal. X-Ray attacks are also retained from the last game. But, Holy Hell, those Fatalities! These are not for the weak of heart, and you can tell the team who last put out Injustice: Gods Among Us which had NO fatalities, had some pent-up aggression when making Fatalities for MKX. If you have a weak stomach, don't watch this...but still watch this:
That's just SOME of them. This is a bloody mess and you may need to pause the game to compose yourself after seeing these. Awesome!
- Final Notes
This is the first Mortal Kombat game to appear on this generation of consoles, and so far, it looks fantastic. One of my favorite little touches is the living character select screen, where the character you select walks into frame, looks at your opponent, mean mugs them, and they both walk off opposite sides of the screen. It's a little touch that adds a lot to the overall immersion.
I hope this helps paint a very bloody picture as to what kind of experience we are getting with the next installment of Mortal Kombat. Personally I can not wait to start playing this. As much as I loved MK9 and as much as I love the series as a whole, the character lineup, the modes and features, the level of gore, and the fan service, is helping Mortal Kombat X look like it may end up being my favorite game in the franchise. Mortal Kombat X comes out April 14th for Xbox One, PC, and PS4, with the 360 and PS3 versions out later this year.
Now all I ask is they put Stryker in the game. Pretty pretty please?
So why am I so excited? What do we know so far about MKX? WHY AM I SCREAMING? These are all valid questions, so let me break down what we know about the game, why I am looking forward to it, and why the anticipation is KILLING me.
If you know me at all, you know how much I love the Mortal Kombat franchise. Sure, not every game was a smash hit, and I will do a full on retrospective in a later blog post, but for a franchise to last 23 years (and counting, hopefully) and stay not only relevant, but generate as much hype as it has for a new entry, speaks volumes to the quality of the games.
However, let's focus on the next game in the franchise, Mortal Kombat X, and cover what we know so far:
- The Story
The story will start at the end of Mortal Kombat (MK9) and will transition to 25 years after. This gives the game the opportunity to show older versions of the veteran fighters and add a variety of new characters to the mix, including a handful of characters with genetic ties to veteran fighters. So far, with what's been revealed character-wise, this seems like a really good mix of classic characters and new blood. It will be interesting to see the classic characters in older, different walks of life. I think this is necessary in the series to help flesh out these characters using a story mode that already worked like gangbusters in MK9. For instance, we go from Johnny Cage chasing Sonya Blade and making moves on her, to now having a child and a divorce together. This will help us see new sides of these characters and give us substance to the new fighters.
- The Roster (So Far)
As previously stated, the roster is a good mix of young and old fighters. This is a necessity in any fighting game. If the roster stayed the same through every iteration, it would get old fast, hell, Street Fighter adds new characters, Tekken adds new ones, Dead or Alive adds new ones, it happens all over the fighting world, and Mortal Kombat was due for some new blood. The balance with that is: are you adding new characters for the sake of new characters, or are you adding new characters with meaning behind them? The latter seems to be true here, as many characters have ties to the classics. We now have fighters like Cassie Cage, the daughter of Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade, Jacqui Briggs, daughter of Jax and member of Cassie's Special Forces Unit, Kung Jin, a descendant of Kung Lao and member of Cassie's Special Forces Unit, Takahashi Takeda, son of Kenshi, and another member of the Special Forces Unit, etc. You will, of course, get your Scorpion/Sub-Zero/Raiden fix and it's good to know there's something here for everyone.
Then of course, there was the announcement that Jason Voorhees (of Friday the 13th fame) will be a downloadable character. This is nothing new for MK, as characters like Kratos (God of War) and even Freddy Krueger (Nightmare on Elm Street) have made appearances, and I always like cross-franchise attempts. I may not use Jason a whole lot, much like I didn't use Freddy a whole lot, but it is a cool addition. Though I do look forward to seeing what kind of fatalities Jason can come up with.
A big draw with the characters is the idea of character variations. Every character will have 3 different variations which will change the move set, and change the way that character is played. For example, Scorpion's "Ninjutsu" variation gives him dual blades, the "Hellfire" version gives him emphasis on fire attacks, and the "Inferno" version gives him hellspawns to help him in battle. These variations will change up how you fight AS and AGAINST each fighter and adds an extra layer of depth.
Of course, the full roster is not yet announced, so expect even more "Oh, awesome" moments in lead-up to the release.
- The Modes
The modes currently listed are: "Story", "1 vs 1 Ranked", "King of the Hill" (hopefully using the Xbox avatars or some equivalent like they did in MK9's version), "Survivor", and "Test your Luck" (which I loved from MK9). There are 2 new modes that have me very excited and I want to dive into them more here: "Living Towers", and "Faction Wars".
"Living Towers" takes the Challenge Tower concept (the basic "fight up the ladder" arcade mode) and adds the twist that the ladder will change every hour or so. This is a bigger change than it may initially seem, since this will infinitely increase replay value, giving you a new ladder experience throughout your playtime.
"Faction Wars" seems absolutely incredible to me. When you boot up the game, you choose which faction you want to represent, you choose between the White Lotus, Lin Kuei, Brotherhood of Shadow, Black Dragon, or Special Forces. Everything you do in the game adds points towards your faction, whether it's Story Mode, Versus, Online, whatever, it all goes towards the overall rank, both within the faction and for the overall faction rank. Obviously, you get more faction points when you defeat someone online who is of a different faction, so this really pushes a team aspect to the game. For a random 24-hour period during the week-long faction war, there will be an "Invasion" from a powerful realm, so then all the factions turn their attention to the invading realm, creating uneasy (or Deadly) alliances. Ranking up and doing well within the Faction Wars will grant you rewards like faction specific fatalities.
Here is the Netherrealm Studios team talking a bit about these two modes, every time I see this I get a little more amped for this game.
The "Faction Wars" idea seems amazing and the idea of something new every time I turn the game on is something I can't wait to be a part of.
- The Fatalities
Oh my God! Holy Shit! Sure, the series is best known for gruesome, match-ending Fatalities. I will also mention here that Brutalities make their return to the franchise and look, well, Brutal. X-Ray attacks are also retained from the last game. But, Holy Hell, those Fatalities! These are not for the weak of heart, and you can tell the team who last put out Injustice: Gods Among Us which had NO fatalities, had some pent-up aggression when making Fatalities for MKX. If you have a weak stomach, don't watch this...but still watch this:
That's just SOME of them. This is a bloody mess and you may need to pause the game to compose yourself after seeing these. Awesome!
- Final Notes
This is the first Mortal Kombat game to appear on this generation of consoles, and so far, it looks fantastic. One of my favorite little touches is the living character select screen, where the character you select walks into frame, looks at your opponent, mean mugs them, and they both walk off opposite sides of the screen. It's a little touch that adds a lot to the overall immersion.
I hope this helps paint a very bloody picture as to what kind of experience we are getting with the next installment of Mortal Kombat. Personally I can not wait to start playing this. As much as I loved MK9 and as much as I love the series as a whole, the character lineup, the modes and features, the level of gore, and the fan service, is helping Mortal Kombat X look like it may end up being my favorite game in the franchise. Mortal Kombat X comes out April 14th for Xbox One, PC, and PS4, with the 360 and PS3 versions out later this year.
Now all I ask is they put Stryker in the game. Pretty pretty please?
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Podcast #5 is UP!
The weekly installment of the Jeff of All Games Podcast is up now for all to hear. This week's (3/11/15) topics include:
- Cities: Skylines
- Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number (and the kick ass soundtrack)
- Devil May Cry Definitive Edition
- A return to a game that could end up costing me more of what little free time I have left
- And more!
PLUS, I dig through an old box full of video game swag. You never know what kinds of things you accumulate over the years when your a gamer.
www.soundcloud.com/jeffofallgames (Episode #5)
Thursday, March 5, 2015
ICYMI: Podcast #4 is up!
Episode #4 of the Jeff of All Games Podcast went up last night for your listening pleasure.
I cover topics such as:
- Screamride
- Rugby 15
- Helldivers
- Injustice: Gods Among Us
- How my Playstation Vita is having a rebirth
- Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain gets a release date!
- and more!
Check it out at:
www.soundcloud.com/jeffofallgames
I cover topics such as:
- Screamride
- Rugby 15
- Helldivers
- Injustice: Gods Among Us
- How my Playstation Vita is having a rebirth
- Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain gets a release date!
- and more!
Check it out at:
www.soundcloud.com/jeffofallgames
Monday, March 2, 2015
What's Coming Up In March 2015?
With February behind us, we can look forward to warmer weather (hopefully), St. Patrick's Day (happy drunk day!) and a plethora of new game releases and announcements thanks to things like GDC and PAX East. So what will March bring us besides amazing Shamrock Shakes at McDonald's? Let's have a look...
March 3rd:
Screamride - (Xbox One, Xbox 360)
Helldivers - (PS4, PS3, PSVita)
March 5th:
Mario vs Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars - (WiiU, 3DS)
March 10th:
Cities: Skylines - (PC)
DmC: Definitive Edition - (PS4, Xbox One)
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number - (PS4, PSVita, PC, Mac, Linux)
March 12th:
Sid Meier's Starships - (PC, Mac, iOS)
March 13th:
Code Name S.T.E.A.M. - (3DS)
March 17th:
Battlefield Hardline - (PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One)
Final Fantasy Type-0 HD - (PS4, Xbox One)
March 20th:
Mario Party 10 - (Wii U)
March 24th:
Bloodborne - (PS4)
March 31st:
MLB 15: The Show - (PS4, PS3, PSVita)
Neverwinter - (Xbox One)
Other Notes:
- The episodes of Resident Evil: Revelations 2 will be released on Sony's and Microsoft's platforms throughout the month.
- Borderlands: The Handsome Collection, which includes Borderlands 2, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel!, and all the DLC, as well as save transfer from the older console versions, releases for PS4 and Xbox One on March 24th.
- Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty is slated as "TBD March" for PS3 and Xbox One.
=========================================================================
Holy shit! Games and games and games. All of the games listed above will end up in my collection before the month is up, as well as some others that may sneak their way into March. Expect more previews during the weekly podcast and keep checking the blog as I start dissecting these new releases to see if they are worth your time and money.
Now to figure out what I am doing for St. Patrick's Day (Spoiler alert: drinking will be involved).
March 3rd:
Screamride - (Xbox One, Xbox 360)
Helldivers - (PS4, PS3, PSVita)
March 5th:
Mario vs Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars - (WiiU, 3DS)
March 10th:
Cities: Skylines - (PC)
DmC: Definitive Edition - (PS4, Xbox One)
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number - (PS4, PSVita, PC, Mac, Linux)
March 12th:
Sid Meier's Starships - (PC, Mac, iOS)
March 13th:
Code Name S.T.E.A.M. - (3DS)
March 17th:
Battlefield Hardline - (PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One)
Final Fantasy Type-0 HD - (PS4, Xbox One)
Mario Party 10 - (Wii U)
March 24th:
Bloodborne - (PS4)
March 31st:
MLB 15: The Show - (PS4, PS3, PSVita)
Neverwinter - (Xbox One)
Other Notes:
- The episodes of Resident Evil: Revelations 2 will be released on Sony's and Microsoft's platforms throughout the month.
- Borderlands: The Handsome Collection, which includes Borderlands 2, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel!, and all the DLC, as well as save transfer from the older console versions, releases for PS4 and Xbox One on March 24th.
- Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty is slated as "TBD March" for PS3 and Xbox One.
=========================================================================
Holy shit! Games and games and games. All of the games listed above will end up in my collection before the month is up, as well as some others that may sneak their way into March. Expect more previews during the weekly podcast and keep checking the blog as I start dissecting these new releases to see if they are worth your time and money.
Now to figure out what I am doing for St. Patrick's Day (Spoiler alert: drinking will be involved).
Saturday, February 21, 2015
The Blog's 1-Year Anniversary!
Today is the day I celebrate the anniversary of me being bored at work and deciding to write about my favorite hobby: video games. What started as a timekiller has evolved and has grown by leaps and bounds, since I am now a YouTuber and a Podcaster.
Sure, I may be just a small blip in the overall scheme of things, but I enjoy what I do, and whatever publicity or feedback I can get is always helpful and appreciated, whether it's just through likes, re-tweets, views of my videos/live streams, or making a financial difference through my charity efforts.
It is my dream to break into the industry and ideally become an official member of the video game media, so I thank you for checking out this blog, my YouTube channel, my Hitbox.tv channel, my podcast site, and, especially, my charity site.
Celebration Plans!
Tonight, around 7:00 CST, I will be on my Hitbox.tv channel (hitbox.tv/drjohnnylt) doing some live streaming to celebrate the blog's 1-year anniversary. While I haven't decided yet what the games will be, I'm sure it will be a fun time and I will say some dumb shit thanks to the alcohol I will be consuming. The plan is to go for a couple hours, so tune in and be entertained (hopefully) and help me kick off year #2 of the blog in style.
Thank you all for your interactions, your support, and your patience.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Podcast #2 and now it's on SOUNDCLOUD!
Podcast #2 is UP!
This week, I talk about how Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is eating up my time, my adventures in importing 3DS XL accessories, the longest download queue for one game I've ever seen, Hand of Fate, my thoughts on Evolve's DLC "scandal", and a big announcement concerning a new YouTube project.
Also, I am now officially on Sound Cloud. Meaning it's much easier for everyone to listen to me and my thoughts. You have been warned,
www.soundcloud.com/jeffofallgames.
Monday, February 16, 2015
About the Weekend... 2-13-15/2-15-15
Last weekend was Valentine's Day, so, for some of you, it meant spending time with a loved one, though, for people like me, we see the holiday for what it truly is: an absolute shitshow. You have to get JUST the right overpriced card, JUST the right overpriced thing of chocolate, JUST the right overpriced piece of jewelry, and JUST the right overpriced bouquet of flowers, and THEN you have to plan the evening JUST right with the right dinner location, the right mood, the right attire, the right words to say, and your reward for maneuvering this labyrinth successfully? She won't hate your guts and tell all her friends how much of an asshole you are for getting 6 roses when it should have been 12, or going to dinner at 7:00 instead of 6:30, and her entire life is ruined! (I'm fine, why do you ask?)
Though not having to deal with all of that did help me spend some time with some video games and have a relatively relaxing weekend, so let's talk about the weekend that was, in the world of video gaming.
- The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D was released at midnight on Friday (2/13), I haven't spent too much time with this yet - thanks to another release - but I can tell you many people on my friends list are putting a LOT of time into this. Majora's Mask 3D will also mark my first experience with the game, since I didn't play it when it came on to the N64. I played Ocarina of Time on N64 and didn't play another true Zelda game until Twilight Princess. Of course I have gone back and played most of what I missed out on, and I am looking forward to experiencing Majora's Mask for the first time.
- That OTHER game that came out, that one that ate up what time I had to spend this weekend? Yeah, it was Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate for 3DS. I had yet to dive into the Monster Hunter series prior to 4 Ultimate - I do own Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate for 3DS and Wii U but never had the time to attack the learning curve - that learning curve does exist here, but it seems easier to at least get a handle on it. I'm sure I will devote a post (and some time on the upcoming podcast) on Monster Hunter, but I will say I can not wait to get back in and spending more time with this. Consider me hooked.
- Also, I did end up buying and importing a Circle Pad Pro to make this game even better. I had to import one since the American Circle Pads work for the smaller 3DS and I have an XL, so in the next couple of days I will have a bigger Circle Pad Pro.
- I figured I would take a dive back into World of Warcraft and continue the adventures of my Pandaren (Horde) Warrior. While doing more quests in the Outlands I was able to reach level 70. Once I did that, I ended up doing solo runs of low level dungeons so I can see what they look like (since I prefer soloing to grouping up), plus I get achievements and loot to sell on the Auction House. I think my next plan of attack will be to start questing in Northrend and see some Wrath of the Lich King content.
- Also got a few rounds in of Mario Golf: World Tour - my 3DS got WORKED this weekend - and I still enjoy the hell out of that game. Just saying.
Games Coming Out This Week You Should Give A Shit About (catchy, no?)
- Dead or Alive 5 Last Round (Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4, PS3) 2/17/15
Just happy to get another fighting game for my Xbox, plus I happen to like the series, and not just for the boob physics.
- The Sims 4 (Mac) 2/17/15
You should know my feelings on this game by not (and if not, you can read about it HERE) and now those of you who are Apple supporters can finally get your god hands on it.
- Kirby and the Rainbow Curse (Wii U) 2/20/15
Kirby's games are always enjoyable to play, and will usually be adorable to the point of throwing up (Epic Yarn was just so AAAAAWWWWWWWW). I can't wait!
- The Order: 1886 (PS4) 2/20/15
Still looks awesome and still one of my most anticipated games of the year (Don't worry Mortal Kombat X, you are still at the top of the list).
- Hand of Fate (rumored) (Xbox One, PS4, PS Vita, PC)??? 2/17/15
I say "rumored" because I saw this info in my recent Game Informer magazine and went "hmpf, first I've heard of this". I bought this game in Early Access a while ago and it seemed like a cool mash-up of RPG and deck building.
Last Words
I did officially sign up for Extra Life 2015! This will be my 3rd year taking part in this amazing program, so let the campaigning begin.
What is Extra Life? The short version: People sign up and devote an entire 24 hour period to playing games, video games, table-top games, card games, whatever, and donations are made and given to our respective charities. Extra Life works in partnership with Children's Miracle Network.
Where do I come in? This year's scheduled day is Saturday, November 7th. So I will be playing video games online, via my Hitbox.tv account, from 8 AM on the 7th to 8 AM on the 8th, with all donations going to the University of Iowa Children's Hospital.
Donations can be accepted throughout the year, whether it's one donation or a recurring donation, any denomination is accepted, appreciated, and tax deductible.
How can you help me?
- Click HERE
- Click "Support Me"
- Fill out the info
- Feel like a hero.
Keep checking the blog for more info as the date gets closer.
=========================================================
That's pretty much the weekend that was, and the week that will be. Podcast #2 should be up either Tuesday night or Wednesday night, and the plan is to do more live streaming/adding content to YouTube. As always, keep checking the blog for more random thoughts from my digital mind and thank you for your continued support.
Though not having to deal with all of that did help me spend some time with some video games and have a relatively relaxing weekend, so let's talk about the weekend that was, in the world of video gaming.
- The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D was released at midnight on Friday (2/13), I haven't spent too much time with this yet - thanks to another release - but I can tell you many people on my friends list are putting a LOT of time into this. Majora's Mask 3D will also mark my first experience with the game, since I didn't play it when it came on to the N64. I played Ocarina of Time on N64 and didn't play another true Zelda game until Twilight Princess. Of course I have gone back and played most of what I missed out on, and I am looking forward to experiencing Majora's Mask for the first time.
- That OTHER game that came out, that one that ate up what time I had to spend this weekend? Yeah, it was Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate for 3DS. I had yet to dive into the Monster Hunter series prior to 4 Ultimate - I do own Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate for 3DS and Wii U but never had the time to attack the learning curve - that learning curve does exist here, but it seems easier to at least get a handle on it. I'm sure I will devote a post (and some time on the upcoming podcast) on Monster Hunter, but I will say I can not wait to get back in and spending more time with this. Consider me hooked.
- Also, I did end up buying and importing a Circle Pad Pro to make this game even better. I had to import one since the American Circle Pads work for the smaller 3DS and I have an XL, so in the next couple of days I will have a bigger Circle Pad Pro.
- I figured I would take a dive back into World of Warcraft and continue the adventures of my Pandaren (Horde) Warrior. While doing more quests in the Outlands I was able to reach level 70. Once I did that, I ended up doing solo runs of low level dungeons so I can see what they look like (since I prefer soloing to grouping up), plus I get achievements and loot to sell on the Auction House. I think my next plan of attack will be to start questing in Northrend and see some Wrath of the Lich King content.
- Also got a few rounds in of Mario Golf: World Tour - my 3DS got WORKED this weekend - and I still enjoy the hell out of that game. Just saying.
Games Coming Out This Week You Should Give A Shit About (catchy, no?)
- Dead or Alive 5 Last Round (Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4, PS3) 2/17/15
Just happy to get another fighting game for my Xbox, plus I happen to like the series, and not just for the boob physics.
- The Sims 4 (Mac) 2/17/15
You should know my feelings on this game by not (and if not, you can read about it HERE) and now those of you who are Apple supporters can finally get your god hands on it.
- Kirby and the Rainbow Curse (Wii U) 2/20/15
Kirby's games are always enjoyable to play, and will usually be adorable to the point of throwing up (Epic Yarn was just so AAAAAWWWWWWWW). I can't wait!
- The Order: 1886 (PS4) 2/20/15
Still looks awesome and still one of my most anticipated games of the year (Don't worry Mortal Kombat X, you are still at the top of the list).
- Hand of Fate (rumored) (Xbox One, PS4, PS Vita, PC)??? 2/17/15
I say "rumored" because I saw this info in my recent Game Informer magazine and went "hmpf, first I've heard of this". I bought this game in Early Access a while ago and it seemed like a cool mash-up of RPG and deck building.
Last Words
I did officially sign up for Extra Life 2015! This will be my 3rd year taking part in this amazing program, so let the campaigning begin.
What is Extra Life? The short version: People sign up and devote an entire 24 hour period to playing games, video games, table-top games, card games, whatever, and donations are made and given to our respective charities. Extra Life works in partnership with Children's Miracle Network.
Where do I come in? This year's scheduled day is Saturday, November 7th. So I will be playing video games online, via my Hitbox.tv account, from 8 AM on the 7th to 8 AM on the 8th, with all donations going to the University of Iowa Children's Hospital.
Donations can be accepted throughout the year, whether it's one donation or a recurring donation, any denomination is accepted, appreciated, and tax deductible.
How can you help me?
- Click HERE
- Click "Support Me"
- Fill out the info
- Feel like a hero.
Keep checking the blog for more info as the date gets closer.
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That's pretty much the weekend that was, and the week that will be. Podcast #2 should be up either Tuesday night or Wednesday night, and the plan is to do more live streaming/adding content to YouTube. As always, keep checking the blog for more random thoughts from my digital mind and thank you for your continued support.
Friday, February 13, 2015
Flashback Friday: Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)
While today marks a big day for Nintendo - with the release of the NEW 3DS XL as well as Majora's Mask 3D AND Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate for 3DS - Yesterday marked the 25th anniversary of one of the best games ever made, so I dedicate today's "Flashback Friday" (and today's "Reason I feel really old") to Super Mario Bros. 3 for NES.
Super Mario Bros. 3 was released in Japan on October 23rd, 1988, and finally hit U.S. soil on February 12th, 1990. This is actually the fourth entry in the Super Mario series behind the original SMB and both versions of SMB2. Shigeru Miyamoto and his team of a little over 10 people took over 2 years to complete this game. If that's not a sign of the times, I don't know what is. A group of 10ish people take 2 years to develop a game back then and it ends up being one of the greatest games of all time, a group of 10ish people take 2 years to develop a game nowadays, it's labelled an "indie" and hopes to get a cult following.
Miyamoto has always been known to get inspirations from what seems like thin air. He is an absolute genius. He got the idea for the original SMB while on a train seeing the horizon scroll, imagining a man jumping along the way. He got the inspiration for Pikmin just by doing gardening work. This real-life inspiration was evident in 3 with the Chain Chomp enemy, a rabid ball-and-chain hooked on to a wood post, if it seems like he shares mannerisms as a dog, that's because it's based off a bad childhood experience Miyamoto had. If you get the chance, spend some time researching him and his life, it's really fascinating, and he is definitely on my list of people to meet in life.
The game also marked the first appearance of the Koopalings (or Koopa Kids, whichever you refer to them as), and they were based off seven of the programmers as a tribute to their hard work. They were named after famous musicians as well, for example: Ludwig is named after Beethoven, Iggy is named after Iggy Pop, and Roy is named after Roy Orbison. Of course these names didn't come to be until Super Mario World came out, but we can go back and figure out who's who.
There are so many innovations/outstanding features in Super Mario Bros. 3, where to begin?
Let's start with the first thing you see when starting the game:
The Map.....(!)
This alone blew people away. The fact that you didn't have to play every level was mind-boggling at the time. Like here in the very first world; you didn't want to play stage 3 or 4? Then don't. The map wasn't just there for show though, as you could go to the toad house and get items, play the card mini games, break rocks with a hammer item or go through pipes to access secret areas, have random encounters with Hammer Bros, etc. 3 pioneered the idea of an overworld map and it was utilized MANY times in MANY games - not just Mario games - and is still being used to this day.
The Raccoon Tail/Tanooki Suit
You had your standard Mushroom and Fire Flower abilities, but (with all due respect to the Frog Suit and the Hammer Suit) these two abilities stood out to most gamers. Being able to fly opened up the levels like never before and was an essential way of traversal. Throw in the Tanooki's ability to turn into a statue to crush enemies and you have a very powerful and fun combination of abilities.
Kuribo's Shoe
The shoe only appears in one level of the game, leaving fans begging for its return. When equipped, Mario (or Luigi, #teamgreen) can step on sharp enemies like Spinies and Munchers. The shoe is lost at the end of the level.
The Music
From top to bottom, the music of Super Mario Bros. 3 was outstanding, here are a couple examples:
The Wizard
Of course I am talking about the 1989 film The Wizard. The movie was based on Nintendo and its various competitions (yes, eSports were a thing back then too). This was America's first glimpse of Super Mario Bros. 3.
Also, whenever I mention The Wizard I need to mention the Power Glove, because it was so bad.
=======================================================================
Super Mario Bros. 3 was the perfect Mario game for the time. The great graphics, the fluid gameplay, fantastic music, new abilities, the innovations, it all meshed together to produce one of the best games ever made.
On a personal note though, while I hold this game very near and dear to my heart, it is actually my 2nd favorite Mario game, as it sits JUST BARELY behind Super Mario World.
Happy Anniversary Super Mario Bros. 3!
Super Mario Bros. 3 was released in Japan on October 23rd, 1988, and finally hit U.S. soil on February 12th, 1990. This is actually the fourth entry in the Super Mario series behind the original SMB and both versions of SMB2. Shigeru Miyamoto and his team of a little over 10 people took over 2 years to complete this game. If that's not a sign of the times, I don't know what is. A group of 10ish people take 2 years to develop a game back then and it ends up being one of the greatest games of all time, a group of 10ish people take 2 years to develop a game nowadays, it's labelled an "indie" and hopes to get a cult following.
Miyamoto has always been known to get inspirations from what seems like thin air. He is an absolute genius. He got the idea for the original SMB while on a train seeing the horizon scroll, imagining a man jumping along the way. He got the inspiration for Pikmin just by doing gardening work. This real-life inspiration was evident in 3 with the Chain Chomp enemy, a rabid ball-and-chain hooked on to a wood post, if it seems like he shares mannerisms as a dog, that's because it's based off a bad childhood experience Miyamoto had. If you get the chance, spend some time researching him and his life, it's really fascinating, and he is definitely on my list of people to meet in life.
The game also marked the first appearance of the Koopalings (or Koopa Kids, whichever you refer to them as), and they were based off seven of the programmers as a tribute to their hard work. They were named after famous musicians as well, for example: Ludwig is named after Beethoven, Iggy is named after Iggy Pop, and Roy is named after Roy Orbison. Of course these names didn't come to be until Super Mario World came out, but we can go back and figure out who's who.
There are so many innovations/outstanding features in Super Mario Bros. 3, where to begin?
Let's start with the first thing you see when starting the game:
The Map.....(!)
This alone blew people away. The fact that you didn't have to play every level was mind-boggling at the time. Like here in the very first world; you didn't want to play stage 3 or 4? Then don't. The map wasn't just there for show though, as you could go to the toad house and get items, play the card mini games, break rocks with a hammer item or go through pipes to access secret areas, have random encounters with Hammer Bros, etc. 3 pioneered the idea of an overworld map and it was utilized MANY times in MANY games - not just Mario games - and is still being used to this day.
The Raccoon Tail/Tanooki Suit
You had your standard Mushroom and Fire Flower abilities, but (with all due respect to the Frog Suit and the Hammer Suit) these two abilities stood out to most gamers. Being able to fly opened up the levels like never before and was an essential way of traversal. Throw in the Tanooki's ability to turn into a statue to crush enemies and you have a very powerful and fun combination of abilities.
Kuribo's Shoe
The shoe only appears in one level of the game, leaving fans begging for its return. When equipped, Mario (or Luigi, #teamgreen) can step on sharp enemies like Spinies and Munchers. The shoe is lost at the end of the level.
The Music
From top to bottom, the music of Super Mario Bros. 3 was outstanding, here are a couple examples:
The Wizard
Of course I am talking about the 1989 film The Wizard. The movie was based on Nintendo and its various competitions (yes, eSports were a thing back then too). This was America's first glimpse of Super Mario Bros. 3.
Also, whenever I mention The Wizard I need to mention the Power Glove, because it was so bad.
=======================================================================
Super Mario Bros. 3 was the perfect Mario game for the time. The great graphics, the fluid gameplay, fantastic music, new abilities, the innovations, it all meshed together to produce one of the best games ever made.
On a personal note though, while I hold this game very near and dear to my heart, it is actually my 2nd favorite Mario game, as it sits JUST BARELY behind Super Mario World.
Happy Anniversary Super Mario Bros. 3!
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Podcast #1 ! 2/11/15
The first official (and as of now unnamed) podcast is UP! I have done it.
In this episode I talk about my time with Evolve, my recent live stream of Quake Live, talk a bit about the New Nintendo 3DS XL, and... Cricket?
To listen: click HERE
Thanks for listening and hopefully my cold won't lessen your enjoyment.
You will need a Google account to listen to it, FYI. It's free to host on Google for me so that's what I am choosing to do at this time.
You will need a Google account to listen to it, FYI. It's free to host on Google for me so that's what I am choosing to do at this time.
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
What I Think Of... Evolve
Many times, when playing games, when we face a giant enemy/boss, we wish we could play as that hulking beast. Much like in the days of the Rampage games, we want to be a giant monster capable of laying waste to all we see.
Enter Evolve, giving you the opportunity to not only BE that monster, but to take down that monster. Players got a chance to experience the game through the "Big Alpha" and the beta, showing off the 4 v 1 mechanics, but would the full release bring a full-featured game, or would we be left with a one trick pony?
Here is what I think of Evolve:
So first off: what exactly IS Evolve? At its core, Evolve takes 4 "Hunters" each with their own designated class (Assault, Support, Medic, Trapper) who have to take down a giant monster on one of many maps across the planet Shear. The monster (Goliath, Wraith, or Kraken) gains armor by killing and eating the planet's wildlife, and once enough food has been eaten, the monster has the ability to "Evolve", which adds health and allows the monster to put more points in their abilities, essentially "leveling up", the monster can do this twice throughout a match, so level 3 is the cap. Of course, the Hunters' job is to prevent this from happening.
Let's just walk through a typical "Hunt" mode match (the standard match in Evolve):
- The monster gets a bit of a head start to roam the map, looking for wildlife to kill, building armor and buidling up their "Evolve" meter.
- The Hunters are airdropped in and begin searching the map for the monster, they have a number of ways they can track him down, such as: footprints, birds that get scared by the monster, a trail of dead animals, any number of Hunter abilities such as a UAV, a pet, sound spikes, etc.
- Once the Hunters find the monster, the fight is on! The monster uses their abilities to try to take out the Hunters, and the Hunters unleash hell on this towering behemoth. This usually involves the Trapper using the most critical ability in the game: the Mobile Arena, which places a dome in a 60yd radius of wherever it is placed, trapping the monster inside. This lasts for a minute and is essential to victory.
- The Arena goes down, the monster usually high-tails it outta there, and the cycle repeats until a win condition is met.
- The game ends when: (A) The Hunters kill the monster (B) The Monster knocks all the hunters out or (C)The Monster destroys a Power Relay after hitting stage 3 evolution.
Got it so far? Ok, so lets get a little advanced.
There are 3 different characters found within each Hunter class. They have 3 unique abilities and 1 shared ability. For example: The "Assault" class is made up of Markov, Hyde, and Parnell, they all have a personal shield which grants temporary invulnerability, but Markov's arsenal includes a lightning gun, assault rifle, and arc mines, while Hyde uses a flame thrower and minigun, and Parnell uses a shotgun and rocket launcher. This adds a layer of strategy that the other members of your team need to account for. This also gives players more options and more characters to master and helps keep the action fresh. It also helps that these characters are likeable and unique (Buckets is a support and one of his abilities is to rip his own damn head off and use it as a UAV, how freaking cool is that?).
While in a match there will be a couple "Elite" animals that, when killed, offer a random perk to who ever kills it/eats it. These range from "Less fuel burned using jetpacks" to "Heath regeneration" , to "Damage increase". This adds another strategic element and the right perk at the right time could mean the difference between victory or defeat for either side.
Playing the monster is a lot of fun, and while you may not be an indestructible Godzilla-style giant (the Hunters need a chance to win too right?) it is still satisfying to wail away on puny humans and hear their cries for help. The Goliath is the monster that has been on all the marketing for the game, and he is the melee bruiser of the group, using rock throws, fire breath, slams, and charges, to take down the enemy. The Kraken is the flying monster that throws lightning upon its foes, and the Wraith is your stealth style monster, utilizing fast slashes and decoys to cause havoc.
The team of Hunters must work together, using all of their abilities, to stand a chance in the fight. Never has the term "Play Your Class" been more relevant than here in Evolve. If your Medic isn't throwing those heals on the right people, if the Support isn't using their shield properly, or locating the monster through whatever means necessary, if the Trapper is missing with those critical Mobile Arenas, or if the Assault isn't doing the damage they need to do, the team will fall.
You will die in Evolve, many times. If you are incapacitated, you can be revived with a "Down Penalty" which is a 20% hit on your max HP. You get 2 "incaps" before you die outright and have to wait for the next airdrop to get back in the fight (there is an exception with one character, Lazarus, a Medic, who's ability is to rez a fallen Hunter with no down penalty, which makes him a prime target and someone that may be difficult to play for a beginner).
"Hunt" isn't the only mode though. The other modes include:
- Nest - Hunters must destroy 6 eggs spread around the map, the monster tries to prevent this and can even hatch a egg to spawn a minion to help fight.
- Rescue - Hunters try to save (and the monster tries to kill) survivors spread around the map. There are 3 waves of survivors, 2 in the first, 2 in the second, and 5 in the third, first team to score 5 wins.
- Defend - Hunters try to protect a home base while waves of enemies (and the monster who is stage 3) try to destroy it. The monster wins by destroying the base, and the Hunters win by either killing the stage 3 monster, or lasting the time limit.
You can play these modes/maps individually with "Quick Play" or go through the "Campaign" with the Evacuation mode. Which is REALLY neat. In Evacuation, there are 5 maps/mode combinations (or "days") that go one after the other, and whoever wins a match with get a little boost for the next map. For instance, if the Hunters win on a certain map, they get access to med bays on the next map, but if the monster wins, those med bays are destroyed and soaked up by plants that the monster can eat to gain health. It is said there are hundreds of thousands of different combinations of Evacuation, which really ups the replay value.
My biggest concern was that this was going to be a multiplayer only game, and you had to be online all the time. Luckily, that is not the case, since you can play every mode, even Evacuation, offline with bots. You can also earn achievements and rank up your equipment offline. Thank God! The last thing I need is for internet assholes to keep yelling at me to play better when I just picked the game up. Of course there is more fun to be had online, it is nice to have the option and more games should take note of this.
So while that may be a synopsis of the game, actually playing it is an absolute blast. Whether it's playing as a Hunter or the monster, getting a win is so satisfying and rewarding. There is always that uneasy tension as a Hunter when you are searching the map just waiting for the monster to show its ugly head, knowing that you could also be straight-up eaten by certain animals. While playing as the monster you have that feeling of being hunted and it makes you feel a little uneasy. You know that at any moment, a group of wannabe heroes can get all up in your face and try to take you down, you have to nut up and show them who is king of the damn jungle. It's pretty freaking awesome.
Let me wrap up by saying this: Evolve is a unique shooter that I have not experienced before, it is NOT a run-and-gun shooter like a Call of Duty or a Battlefield and it is not a pure class based shooter like Team Fortress 2. I actually liken this more to a Dota 2, not in gameplay, obviously (even though Goliath is basically Roshan, right?), but more in the sense that you have to know how your character works with the team, you have to work together, and it is a marathon, not a sprint. You have to pick your battles, engage the right way, and make the best use of your abilities. If you do all that, you will get the most out of Evolve, and I recommend you do, because this game is a hell of a lot of fun.
Side Note: Evolve has one of the best logos I have ever seen. It is simple, sure, but take a second and look at it. 4 boxes on the left 'V' 1 big box on the right. 4 v 1 where the 4 are equal to the 1. Brilliant! Genius!
Enter Evolve, giving you the opportunity to not only BE that monster, but to take down that monster. Players got a chance to experience the game through the "Big Alpha" and the beta, showing off the 4 v 1 mechanics, but would the full release bring a full-featured game, or would we be left with a one trick pony?
Here is what I think of Evolve:
So first off: what exactly IS Evolve? At its core, Evolve takes 4 "Hunters" each with their own designated class (Assault, Support, Medic, Trapper) who have to take down a giant monster on one of many maps across the planet Shear. The monster (Goliath, Wraith, or Kraken) gains armor by killing and eating the planet's wildlife, and once enough food has been eaten, the monster has the ability to "Evolve", which adds health and allows the monster to put more points in their abilities, essentially "leveling up", the monster can do this twice throughout a match, so level 3 is the cap. Of course, the Hunters' job is to prevent this from happening.
Let's just walk through a typical "Hunt" mode match (the standard match in Evolve):
- The monster gets a bit of a head start to roam the map, looking for wildlife to kill, building armor and buidling up their "Evolve" meter.
- The Hunters are airdropped in and begin searching the map for the monster, they have a number of ways they can track him down, such as: footprints, birds that get scared by the monster, a trail of dead animals, any number of Hunter abilities such as a UAV, a pet, sound spikes, etc.
- Once the Hunters find the monster, the fight is on! The monster uses their abilities to try to take out the Hunters, and the Hunters unleash hell on this towering behemoth. This usually involves the Trapper using the most critical ability in the game: the Mobile Arena, which places a dome in a 60yd radius of wherever it is placed, trapping the monster inside. This lasts for a minute and is essential to victory.
- The Arena goes down, the monster usually high-tails it outta there, and the cycle repeats until a win condition is met.
- The game ends when: (A) The Hunters kill the monster (B) The Monster knocks all the hunters out or (C)The Monster destroys a Power Relay after hitting stage 3 evolution.
Got it so far? Ok, so lets get a little advanced.
There are 3 different characters found within each Hunter class. They have 3 unique abilities and 1 shared ability. For example: The "Assault" class is made up of Markov, Hyde, and Parnell, they all have a personal shield which grants temporary invulnerability, but Markov's arsenal includes a lightning gun, assault rifle, and arc mines, while Hyde uses a flame thrower and minigun, and Parnell uses a shotgun and rocket launcher. This adds a layer of strategy that the other members of your team need to account for. This also gives players more options and more characters to master and helps keep the action fresh. It also helps that these characters are likeable and unique (Buckets is a support and one of his abilities is to rip his own damn head off and use it as a UAV, how freaking cool is that?).
While in a match there will be a couple "Elite" animals that, when killed, offer a random perk to who ever kills it/eats it. These range from "Less fuel burned using jetpacks" to "Heath regeneration" , to "Damage increase". This adds another strategic element and the right perk at the right time could mean the difference between victory or defeat for either side.
Playing the monster is a lot of fun, and while you may not be an indestructible Godzilla-style giant (the Hunters need a chance to win too right?) it is still satisfying to wail away on puny humans and hear their cries for help. The Goliath is the monster that has been on all the marketing for the game, and he is the melee bruiser of the group, using rock throws, fire breath, slams, and charges, to take down the enemy. The Kraken is the flying monster that throws lightning upon its foes, and the Wraith is your stealth style monster, utilizing fast slashes and decoys to cause havoc.
The team of Hunters must work together, using all of their abilities, to stand a chance in the fight. Never has the term "Play Your Class" been more relevant than here in Evolve. If your Medic isn't throwing those heals on the right people, if the Support isn't using their shield properly, or locating the monster through whatever means necessary, if the Trapper is missing with those critical Mobile Arenas, or if the Assault isn't doing the damage they need to do, the team will fall.
You will die in Evolve, many times. If you are incapacitated, you can be revived with a "Down Penalty" which is a 20% hit on your max HP. You get 2 "incaps" before you die outright and have to wait for the next airdrop to get back in the fight (there is an exception with one character, Lazarus, a Medic, who's ability is to rez a fallen Hunter with no down penalty, which makes him a prime target and someone that may be difficult to play for a beginner).
"Hunt" isn't the only mode though. The other modes include:
- Nest - Hunters must destroy 6 eggs spread around the map, the monster tries to prevent this and can even hatch a egg to spawn a minion to help fight.
- Rescue - Hunters try to save (and the monster tries to kill) survivors spread around the map. There are 3 waves of survivors, 2 in the first, 2 in the second, and 5 in the third, first team to score 5 wins.
- Defend - Hunters try to protect a home base while waves of enemies (and the monster who is stage 3) try to destroy it. The monster wins by destroying the base, and the Hunters win by either killing the stage 3 monster, or lasting the time limit.
You can play these modes/maps individually with "Quick Play" or go through the "Campaign" with the Evacuation mode. Which is REALLY neat. In Evacuation, there are 5 maps/mode combinations (or "days") that go one after the other, and whoever wins a match with get a little boost for the next map. For instance, if the Hunters win on a certain map, they get access to med bays on the next map, but if the monster wins, those med bays are destroyed and soaked up by plants that the monster can eat to gain health. It is said there are hundreds of thousands of different combinations of Evacuation, which really ups the replay value.
My biggest concern was that this was going to be a multiplayer only game, and you had to be online all the time. Luckily, that is not the case, since you can play every mode, even Evacuation, offline with bots. You can also earn achievements and rank up your equipment offline. Thank God! The last thing I need is for internet assholes to keep yelling at me to play better when I just picked the game up. Of course there is more fun to be had online, it is nice to have the option and more games should take note of this.
So while that may be a synopsis of the game, actually playing it is an absolute blast. Whether it's playing as a Hunter or the monster, getting a win is so satisfying and rewarding. There is always that uneasy tension as a Hunter when you are searching the map just waiting for the monster to show its ugly head, knowing that you could also be straight-up eaten by certain animals. While playing as the monster you have that feeling of being hunted and it makes you feel a little uneasy. You know that at any moment, a group of wannabe heroes can get all up in your face and try to take you down, you have to nut up and show them who is king of the damn jungle. It's pretty freaking awesome.
Let me wrap up by saying this: Evolve is a unique shooter that I have not experienced before, it is NOT a run-and-gun shooter like a Call of Duty or a Battlefield and it is not a pure class based shooter like Team Fortress 2. I actually liken this more to a Dota 2, not in gameplay, obviously (even though Goliath is basically Roshan, right?), but more in the sense that you have to know how your character works with the team, you have to work together, and it is a marathon, not a sprint. You have to pick your battles, engage the right way, and make the best use of your abilities. If you do all that, you will get the most out of Evolve, and I recommend you do, because this game is a hell of a lot of fun.
Side Note: Evolve has one of the best logos I have ever seen. It is simple, sure, but take a second and look at it. 4 boxes on the left 'V' 1 big box on the right. 4 v 1 where the 4 are equal to the 1. Brilliant! Genius!
Thursday, February 5, 2015
What I Think Of... Dying Light
Zombie games are everywhere these days and zombies are rapidly becoming a default enemy in games, when in doubt, add zombies. When you think of zombie franchises you think Left 4 Dead, Dead Rising, and to an extent, Resident Evil, though RE has been drifting more towards mutants with recent iterations.
You may also think of Dead Island, the 2011 action/RPG/zombie killer. I really enjoyed the first Dead Island, the sequels - Dead Island: Riptide and Escape Dead Island - were mediocre at best, and we will see how Dead Island 2 pans out.
Enter Dying Light, created by the same studio that did the original Dead Island. This, naturally, got my attention. So how did this mix of zombie and parkour turn out? Here is what I think of Dying Light.
The zombie outbreak - described as a rare form of rabies - breaks out in the fictional city of Harran, which is based off Turkey. You are Kyle Crane, an undercover agent sent in to retrieve what's believed to be the unfinished plans for the cure to the zombie outbreak. Those plans were stolen by a man named Kadir Suleiman, who plans to manufacture this cure. Trouble is, since it is unfinished, it is highly toxic in its current form. Suleiman has taken an alias, so his whereabouts are unknown, but he is believed to be the head of one of the two main factions in the city.
As the game opens, you are airdropped into Harran, and things already go wrong. You land on the street hard, ambushed by bandits, attacked (and bit) by zombies, before being saved by survivors from the Tower, a safehouse nearby and one of the main factions. You get your shot of "zombie suppressant" and are tasked with helping out around the safehouse since these guys did save your life and all.
Of course, what sets Dying Light apart is the traversal, the parkour aspect, the sprinting, the jumping, the hanging on, the wall running, and it all works really well here. Crane is very flexible and athletic and can climb on pretty much anything you can look at. While a game like Assassin's Creed is very deliberate about what can and can not be climbed on, Dying Light makes it feel more natural and immersive. This is good for when you drop down, suddenly find yourself surrounded by zombies, and need a quick escape route.
There are times, however, when you have to defend yourself and bash in some zombie skulls (always aim for the head). Weapons are littered throughout the world and all have their own stats as far as damage, durability, and speed. These weapons can range from baseball bats, to water pipes, to cricket bats, to hammers, to (rare) guns. The weapons have rarity ratings as well, so a purple hammer is bound to have better stats than its blue counterpart. You can also upgrade and modify the weapons to add elemental effects. You can also craft throwing weapons like a molotov or firecrackers, as well as consumables like medkits and lockpicks using crafting items found throughout the city.
The weapons do wear down with use, so they will need repaired occasionally, and they can only be repaired a certain amount of times, forcing players to root around the city looking for new weapons of undead destruction. You can also buy special weapons from vendors and receive free items from "Quatermasters", so you will always have something to smack zombies around with. If all else fails, you can give them the ole' "Duke Nukem Boot" or, my favorite, drop kick them. There are also instant death spike traps around which you can use to your advantage.
The zombie types do vary, you will have your generic shambling zombie, the faster "28 Days Later" zombie, your spitters, your big, hulking zombie, and the terrifying "Night Hunters".
Which is the other big thing about this game: the day/night cycle. It boils down to this; you better get your shit done during the day because at night, the freaks come out. The heavy zombies come out and will wreck your shit up if they see you, which you can see via the Metal Gear Solid-style vision cones on your mini map. Noises will attract them too. They can be defeated, it just takes a lot of work to, which is why you have a UV flashlight to aid you. Your XP doubles at night, and some missions require you being out at night, so there is incentive to be out, but your best bet is to find a safehouse and sleep till morning.
I used the word "terrifying" earlier and this is one of those rare zombie games I've played where I was actually afraid. Normally, I can play Left 4 Dead, get my shotgun or whatever melee weapon I have equipped, and just go nuts. This game actually gave me chills. One really neat touch is the ability to look behind you when sprinting. This may seem like a small thing, but when you are running for you life, being able to look behind you at the horde of zombies stopping at nothing to get at you, it gets your heart pounding.
As you perform tasks, you get XP, whether it's for helping survivors, leaping from ledge to ledge, or smashing zombie brains, you can upgrade your character, increasing stamina and health, unlocking new blueprints to craft new weapons, etc.
You don't have to go it alone though. The game supports up to 4 player co-op and it is a lot of fun to get your friends together and create chaos. The game will also randomly create challenges, such as "Kill the most zombies", "Loot the most money", and so on, awarding XP to the winner. There is also the "Be a Zombie" mode, which allows you to invade other players games as the Night Hunter, looking to kill the human(s). Imagine you are trying to survive the night and you see another player has entered into your game hellbent on devouring you, how scary is that?
You can definitely tell this is the same team that made Dead Island, but Dying Light feels more fluid, and adds the real element of being afraid for your life. The game looks great, plays smooth, and it is still satisfying to take a baseball bat and smack a zombie upside their undead head. Sure, there are some bummers: the UI is a little cumbersome, and the climbing can get a little janky at spots, but overall, this is a very satisfying and suspenseful zombie game. Yes, zombie games are a dime a dozen, but Dying Light does enough to stand out and be well worth any zombie-slayer's time.
You may also think of Dead Island, the 2011 action/RPG/zombie killer. I really enjoyed the first Dead Island, the sequels - Dead Island: Riptide and Escape Dead Island - were mediocre at best, and we will see how Dead Island 2 pans out.
Enter Dying Light, created by the same studio that did the original Dead Island. This, naturally, got my attention. So how did this mix of zombie and parkour turn out? Here is what I think of Dying Light.
The zombie outbreak - described as a rare form of rabies - breaks out in the fictional city of Harran, which is based off Turkey. You are Kyle Crane, an undercover agent sent in to retrieve what's believed to be the unfinished plans for the cure to the zombie outbreak. Those plans were stolen by a man named Kadir Suleiman, who plans to manufacture this cure. Trouble is, since it is unfinished, it is highly toxic in its current form. Suleiman has taken an alias, so his whereabouts are unknown, but he is believed to be the head of one of the two main factions in the city.
As the game opens, you are airdropped into Harran, and things already go wrong. You land on the street hard, ambushed by bandits, attacked (and bit) by zombies, before being saved by survivors from the Tower, a safehouse nearby and one of the main factions. You get your shot of "zombie suppressant" and are tasked with helping out around the safehouse since these guys did save your life and all.
Of course, what sets Dying Light apart is the traversal, the parkour aspect, the sprinting, the jumping, the hanging on, the wall running, and it all works really well here. Crane is very flexible and athletic and can climb on pretty much anything you can look at. While a game like Assassin's Creed is very deliberate about what can and can not be climbed on, Dying Light makes it feel more natural and immersive. This is good for when you drop down, suddenly find yourself surrounded by zombies, and need a quick escape route.
There are times, however, when you have to defend yourself and bash in some zombie skulls (always aim for the head). Weapons are littered throughout the world and all have their own stats as far as damage, durability, and speed. These weapons can range from baseball bats, to water pipes, to cricket bats, to hammers, to (rare) guns. The weapons have rarity ratings as well, so a purple hammer is bound to have better stats than its blue counterpart. You can also upgrade and modify the weapons to add elemental effects. You can also craft throwing weapons like a molotov or firecrackers, as well as consumables like medkits and lockpicks using crafting items found throughout the city.
The weapons do wear down with use, so they will need repaired occasionally, and they can only be repaired a certain amount of times, forcing players to root around the city looking for new weapons of undead destruction. You can also buy special weapons from vendors and receive free items from "Quatermasters", so you will always have something to smack zombies around with. If all else fails, you can give them the ole' "Duke Nukem Boot" or, my favorite, drop kick them. There are also instant death spike traps around which you can use to your advantage.
The zombie types do vary, you will have your generic shambling zombie, the faster "28 Days Later" zombie, your spitters, your big, hulking zombie, and the terrifying "Night Hunters".
Which is the other big thing about this game: the day/night cycle. It boils down to this; you better get your shit done during the day because at night, the freaks come out. The heavy zombies come out and will wreck your shit up if they see you, which you can see via the Metal Gear Solid-style vision cones on your mini map. Noises will attract them too. They can be defeated, it just takes a lot of work to, which is why you have a UV flashlight to aid you. Your XP doubles at night, and some missions require you being out at night, so there is incentive to be out, but your best bet is to find a safehouse and sleep till morning.
I used the word "terrifying" earlier and this is one of those rare zombie games I've played where I was actually afraid. Normally, I can play Left 4 Dead, get my shotgun or whatever melee weapon I have equipped, and just go nuts. This game actually gave me chills. One really neat touch is the ability to look behind you when sprinting. This may seem like a small thing, but when you are running for you life, being able to look behind you at the horde of zombies stopping at nothing to get at you, it gets your heart pounding.
As you perform tasks, you get XP, whether it's for helping survivors, leaping from ledge to ledge, or smashing zombie brains, you can upgrade your character, increasing stamina and health, unlocking new blueprints to craft new weapons, etc.
You don't have to go it alone though. The game supports up to 4 player co-op and it is a lot of fun to get your friends together and create chaos. The game will also randomly create challenges, such as "Kill the most zombies", "Loot the most money", and so on, awarding XP to the winner. There is also the "Be a Zombie" mode, which allows you to invade other players games as the Night Hunter, looking to kill the human(s). Imagine you are trying to survive the night and you see another player has entered into your game hellbent on devouring you, how scary is that?
You can definitely tell this is the same team that made Dead Island, but Dying Light feels more fluid, and adds the real element of being afraid for your life. The game looks great, plays smooth, and it is still satisfying to take a baseball bat and smack a zombie upside their undead head. Sure, there are some bummers: the UI is a little cumbersome, and the climbing can get a little janky at spots, but overall, this is a very satisfying and suspenseful zombie game. Yes, zombie games are a dime a dozen, but Dying Light does enough to stand out and be well worth any zombie-slayer's time.
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
What's Coming Up In February 2015?
We have made it through a slow month in video games and now we are in the month of love, black history and (for those on the East Coast/Midwest) blizzards of the goddamn century.
Luckily, for us gamers, we get some releases this month! YAY! Let's get to it!
February 1st:
#IDARB - (Xbox One)
Luckily, for us gamers, we get some releases this month! YAY! Let's get to it!
February 1st:
#IDARB - (Xbox One)
I've put HOURS into this game already, adding new characters, songs, logos, and enjoying all the ridiculousness of it. If you have a Xbox Gold subscription, this is free all month, GET IT!
February 3rd:
Apotheon - (PC, Mac, Linux, PS4)
Action game with light RPG mechanics with a striking art style set in the world of Greek Mythology. Free for Playstation Plus members currently and I did enjoy what I have played so far of it.
February 5th:
Cities XXL - (PC)
The largest city-builder game just got even bigger. More buildings, more maps, and a discount to anyone who already owns Cities XL. I am looking forward to this and will do some live streaming on my hitbox.tv channel when it is released.
February 10th:
Evolve - (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
The much-hyped "All-VS-One" shooter is finally released. While it has my interest, I still am curious to see what the single player aspect will be (if any, as in Titanfall).
February 13th - (Nintendo's day)
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate - (3DS)
The next in the long running and super popular Monster Hunter series is released. Multiple base camps, emphasis on 3D movement, and the largest cast of NPC's are promised.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D - (3DS)
Do I really need to say anything? Sure, it's no Ocarina of Time, but still, if you have a 3DS, I bet you're going to own this game day 1.
Of course both of these games will be released alongside the NEW Nintendo 3DS XL system. Which includes a faster processor, a "nubbin" for a right stick, and additional shoulder buttons. Don't worry though, you can play Monster Hunter and Majora's Mask on your current 3DS systems.
February 20th:
Kirby and the Rainbow Curse - (Wii U)
Kirby has always been Nintendo's testing ground for new ideas and Epic Yarn was a DELIGHT! Rainbow Curse adds a claymation art style and looks like yet another adorable, enjoyable experience.
The Order: 1886 - (PS4)
One of my most anticipated games of 2015. Set in alternate-history London where an old order of knights save the world from half men/half beasts. This looks incredible
February 21st:
The 1 year anniversary of this very blog! My how the year has flown by. Keep checking in as plans are released for an anniversary celebration!!!
Other Notes:
- Game of Thrones: Episode 2 - The Lost Lords is available on pretty much everything during the February 3rd - 5th window.
- The Sims 4 gets a Mac release on February 17th.
- Also on the 17th: Total War: Attila for PC.
- Rounding out the 17th: Dead or Alive 5 Last Round for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360 and PS3.
- Don Bradman Cricket 14 (don't knock it 'till you try it, I like it) comes to Xbox One and PS4 "sometime" in February.
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Some big releases coming out already, so hopefully you used January to save up. Also, you never know when the arctic sky will fall on us again, so you might as well have something to pass the time with while staying warm.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Jeff of All Games News Break 1/22/15
We all deserve a break today, don't we? How bout a news break? Here are some of the latest video game news, and updates on what's happening with THIS GUY!
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What's up in the video game industry?
- The Elder Scrolls Online finally received a release date for Xbox One and PS4, June 9th is the day. What's more, there will not be a monthly subscription fee as the game will drop the fees for all versions on March 17th. It seems that maybe the game didn't do as well as Bethesda had hoped, and maybe with the fees dropped and new console versions coming out, more players may take a look at this. I played the beta and decided to skip the launch since I am already paying for multiple MMO's, but I will be getting the Xbox One version and check it out now that there will be no fees.
- The cover art for Forza Motorsport 6 was unveiled. Why is this a big deal? It coincided with Ford unveiling the all new GT super sports car.
I find this to be doubly dope! Forza is a hell of a series (5 notwithstanding) and the new Ford GT is a mean looking machine.
- Grand Theft Auto V for PC was pushed back to March 24th. This seems like the set-in-stone date now. You can pre-order off Steam now. If you pre-order before February 1st, you get the $1,000,000 extra cash (which is split in half between Single player and GTA Online).
- Microsoft held a keynote yesterday detailing Windows 10 (still kinda bugs me that we just forgot all about 9 and went straight to 10) and it does sound like a nice upgrade. Some features that stand out to me personally:
* They crammed Cortana into everything possible, including the redesigned Internet Explorer
* You can stream Xbox One games with any Windows 10 enabled device
* The promise of more Cross-Platform games where Xbox users and PC users can play with/against eachother (which they used Fable Legends to demonstrate).
* If you have Windows 7 or newer, the upgrade is FREE for you to upgrade within a year.
What's up with Jeff?
Oh not much, how YOU doin?
Seriously, what's up Jeff?
Actually a lot!
- I got back into live streaming via hitbox.tv/DrJohnnyLT . Last night I streamed an hour of Robot Roller Derby Disco Dodgeball and an hour of Massive Chalice, both of which can be found on my YouTube page. Expect more of that in the near future with updates blasted on my Twitter feed.
- I am currently looking for the best way to put together a weekly podcast. I already have the software I need, now I just need to hash out a show format and find some royalty-free music to slap on to make it sound like I know what I am doing. Updates will be forthcoming.
- Crossy Road finally came out for Android devices, so if you don't hear from me for a while, you now know why.
- I had three 12-packs of Surge arrive from Amazon yesterday, so I may not sleep for, like, a year, and it will all taste so glorious. (Side note: Surge and Kinky Blue is quite tasty, which I found out by pure happenstance).
Games I Am Currently Playing:
Puyo Puyo Tetris - Xbox One
I imported this game from Japan last week via Play-Asia.com. The game is all in Japanese (obviously) so I would suggest searching for a translation online, but, man, I've been playing A LOT of this and it is ridiculous and awesome. Highly recommend. Plus you get Japanese achievements which are always fun to have, since nobody on your friends list is going to have them (except me, of course).
Saint's Row IV: Re-Elected - Xbox One
Pokèmon Omega Ruby - 3DS
Crossy Road - Android (must...keep...tapping....)
Games I Want to Spend More Time With:
Shin Megami Tensei IV - 3DS
Citizens of Earth - PS4, Vita
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth - 3DS
The Game of Thrones game AND Tales from the Borderlands. Basically any Telltale game I have.
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There's just a brief summary on some of the big stories and what's going on in the life of me. Check back for future news as it unfolds, and don't forget to check out my hitbox.tv channel and my YouTube channel as I continue to add more content.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What's up in the video game industry?
- The Elder Scrolls Online finally received a release date for Xbox One and PS4, June 9th is the day. What's more, there will not be a monthly subscription fee as the game will drop the fees for all versions on March 17th. It seems that maybe the game didn't do as well as Bethesda had hoped, and maybe with the fees dropped and new console versions coming out, more players may take a look at this. I played the beta and decided to skip the launch since I am already paying for multiple MMO's, but I will be getting the Xbox One version and check it out now that there will be no fees.
- The cover art for Forza Motorsport 6 was unveiled. Why is this a big deal? It coincided with Ford unveiling the all new GT super sports car.
I find this to be doubly dope! Forza is a hell of a series (5 notwithstanding) and the new Ford GT is a mean looking machine.
- Grand Theft Auto V for PC was pushed back to March 24th. This seems like the set-in-stone date now. You can pre-order off Steam now. If you pre-order before February 1st, you get the $1,000,000 extra cash (which is split in half between Single player and GTA Online).
- Microsoft held a keynote yesterday detailing Windows 10 (still kinda bugs me that we just forgot all about 9 and went straight to 10) and it does sound like a nice upgrade. Some features that stand out to me personally:
* They crammed Cortana into everything possible, including the redesigned Internet Explorer
* You can stream Xbox One games with any Windows 10 enabled device
* The promise of more Cross-Platform games where Xbox users and PC users can play with/against eachother (which they used Fable Legends to demonstrate).
* If you have Windows 7 or newer, the upgrade is FREE for you to upgrade within a year.
What's up with Jeff?
Oh not much, how YOU doin?
Seriously, what's up Jeff?
Actually a lot!
- I got back into live streaming via hitbox.tv/DrJohnnyLT . Last night I streamed an hour of Robot Roller Derby Disco Dodgeball and an hour of Massive Chalice, both of which can be found on my YouTube page. Expect more of that in the near future with updates blasted on my Twitter feed.
- I am currently looking for the best way to put together a weekly podcast. I already have the software I need, now I just need to hash out a show format and find some royalty-free music to slap on to make it sound like I know what I am doing. Updates will be forthcoming.
- Crossy Road finally came out for Android devices, so if you don't hear from me for a while, you now know why.
- I had three 12-packs of Surge arrive from Amazon yesterday, so I may not sleep for, like, a year, and it will all taste so glorious. (Side note: Surge and Kinky Blue is quite tasty, which I found out by pure happenstance).
Games I Am Currently Playing:
Puyo Puyo Tetris - Xbox One
I imported this game from Japan last week via Play-Asia.com. The game is all in Japanese (obviously) so I would suggest searching for a translation online, but, man, I've been playing A LOT of this and it is ridiculous and awesome. Highly recommend. Plus you get Japanese achievements which are always fun to have, since nobody on your friends list is going to have them (except me, of course).
Saint's Row IV: Re-Elected - Xbox One
Pokèmon Omega Ruby - 3DS
Crossy Road - Android (must...keep...tapping....)
Games I Want to Spend More Time With:
Shin Megami Tensei IV - 3DS
Citizens of Earth - PS4, Vita
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth - 3DS
The Game of Thrones game AND Tales from the Borderlands. Basically any Telltale game I have.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There's just a brief summary on some of the big stories and what's going on in the life of me. Check back for future news as it unfolds, and don't forget to check out my hitbox.tv channel and my YouTube channel as I continue to add more content.
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Awesome Video Game Music - Batman (NES) Stage 1
While perusing my NES library (yeah, that's right, perusing), I found some old Konami titles I played a lot in my youth. While one of them, unfortunately, was the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (ugh), another one I found was Batman. (yay).
While these two titles may not share the same qualities when it comes to...well, quality, they do share one thing: Konami Drums.
Here is the song I wanted to focus on, it comes from stage 1 of Batman (Streets of Desolation) on the NES, enjoy!
You can hear those kickass drums drive the beat forward. Also, it fits the character very nicely, with the dark tones yet heroic feel.
Batman the game was pretty awesome, if not extremely difficult. While Superman has had to deal with some real shit in the video game world, his Gotham counterpart has had relative success, especially with Arkham Knight due out this year.
Friday, January 2, 2015
New Year's Resolutions (With Gaming!)
We see it all the time at the beginning of every year: resolutions. The typical "I vow to...", or "I want to..." which inevitably ends up being a lifelong goal on January 1st and all but forgotten on January 2nd.
With the help of video games, let's look at some of the typical resolutions that will be at the forefront of everyone's "To-Do" list for a maximum of 24 hours.
1. Lose Weight
As if I needed another reason to not go to the gym, stay away from gyms for the first week or so of the year, because every machine will be taken, every locker will be full, and there might not even be enough space to stretch. This is a temporary issue since the thought of getting all the right clothes on, loading up the car and driving across time, all while paying a substantial monthly membership fee, will deter many of these people and leave them thinking "This is who I am, dammit!"
Stay home, save money, and play the millions of fitness-centered games such as Wii Fit or Shape Up! or games that get you on your feet like Kinect Sports or Dance Central. No membership fees, no waiting for machines, and no trainers yelling at you while wearing a shirt 3 sizes too small.
2. Find Love
Many people will fall in love this year. Relationships will start and relationships will end. One thing remains constant though: dating sucks.
I mean the process of dating. Picking just the right place to go, wearing just the right thing, saying all the right things, hoping she's not a serial killer, you know, the basics. Then after the date is over (and the awkward 'will she kiss on a first date?', and 'What if I go for a hug and she reaches her hand out for a handshake and grabs my junk?' moments) you have to play it cool and not seem desperate by texting her within X amount of hours or you ruin whatever chance you may have had left after you admitted to your love of video games....
...yeah, dating sucks.
Instead, save your personal drama and heartache and watch fictional digital characters go through it. Your options are numerous, even going back to Super Mario Bros.
3. Quit Drinking
Have a little too much to drink for New Year's? (personal note: yes). Well, you aren't alone. Much like every time you have a little too much, you say "I'm never drinking again". Then proceed to do it all again the next weekend. One of these days, you'll get that girl's number if you keep buying her drinks. At some point, you've got to be the best looking guy in the bar...right?
Tell you what, save money (and your liver) and just get drunk in games like Mass Effect 2, Grand Theft Auto V, and Watch_Dogs. You won't have to try to remember that girl's name that happens to be sleeping next to you before you do the eventual "Hey...you" thing.
4. Quit Smoking
Along the same lines of alcohol, many people try a healthier lifestyle by ceasing use of tobacco (or are just fed up with paying so much for a pack of cigs). Many of these people will try and fail, finding it difficult to escape the warm embrace of nicotine. Some people will quit with help of a patch, others will try a step "down" with e-cigs or "Vaping" (which may be one of the worst phrases mankind has ever coined, much like "Infotainment").
If you are traveling down the path to clean lungs, then get your fix in the video game world. I mean c'mon, if Solid Snake, Duke Nukem, and Tychus Findlay light up, it's gotta be cool, right?
5. Travel
So much to do, so much to see. This big, beautiful world of ours is begging to be explored and eventually have all pictures posted on Facebook to brag about how much money we spent to look at mountains. Or, better yet, use Snapchat to send 50 images of a beach to your midwestern friends who obviously have no clue what sand is, you will look like a hero (see: douche).
So, you can overpack, lose luggage, get your seat kicked by a kid, pay way too much for souvenirs, get lost while in your rental car, almost miss your flights, and get food poisoning at the fancy restaurant you just HAD to try, or you could see an entire world for the fraction of the cost with World of Warcraft while also doing some good deeds for your fellow man, or orc, or elf, or goblin, or whatever.
6. Start a Family
If you were able to find love and get married, the next step may be to start having kids. Maybe it just feels right, maybe your parents are pressuring you, maybe it's the millions of unnecessary pictures your friends post on Facebook of how far along they are, or their ultrasound, or what clothes they bought for their baby, or "OMG THE BABY MOVED :) #SOCUTE #AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW".
Whatever the reason, it's a big responsibility and a lot of work to make sure your child/children grow up to be positive contributors to society. Or, at the very least, look really damn good and get a lot of money for looking real damn good.
Or just play The Sims, where you are just a point and click away from beauty perfection, or setting something on fire. Ah, the joys of being a parent.
7. Go Back to School
Further your education, start a new degree, finish a degree you've been putting off, give all your money to a university bookstore for one book that will be obsolete when second semester rolls around, or just prove why you were the "King of the Keg Stand" back in college, either way, it is never too late for learning.
Or you could just play Bully and take out all that pent up anger you had ever since Mike knocked your Shaquille O'Neal Trapper Keeper out of your hand and sent all your homework flying in the hall. Bastard.
8. Buy a Really Expensive Car (aka the "Midlife Crisis")
It never fails, and it's something I see all the time since I work in the auto business: that brand new Mustang, Corvette, Charger, whatever, looks really nice to the 40 - 60 year old demographic. Hey, I'm not judging since I have owned 2 Mustangs in my life. They could have saved money all their lives preparing for this moment or it could have been a "spur of the moment thing", but the end goal is simple: "I wanna bag that 24 year old skinny girl who may not know who Abraham Lincoln was but has a damn orgasm whenever that Nick Jonas song comes on".
More power to you, my friend. Though I'm betting the closest I am ever going to get to owning a Ferrari will be in the Forza or Gran Turismo series. While that may sound a little pessimistic, I come back with this: no monthly payments. WIN!
9. Renew Your Faith
Perhaps you want Sundays to be days of worship, perhaps you've had a really rough previous year and are turning to a higher power to see you through these dark times, or perhaps your chosen football team decided to suck this year and now you have Sundays free (we will get 'em next year, Bears). It can feel very rewarding to go to service, sing songs, meet new people, and feel renewed.
Me? I think I'd rather play Smite and watch the various historical gods throw lightning and fire and each other. Singing is optional and you don't have to worry about shaking strangers' hands.
10. Be More Fiscally Responsible
Did you realize you spend way too much money on things you may not need? (personal note: hahahahaha yeah right). Well, maybe you are taking steps to increasing your bank account number. Maybe you're buying non-named brand groceries, maybe you go out to eat less frequently, or maybe you shop at CostCo or Sam's Club and only buy in bulk, everyone needs that 5 gallon jar of mayonnaise after all.
Then you might be the type of person to hang out with the father (or, I guess uncle) of all penny-pinchers: Scrooge McDuck. Just be prepared for nephews trying to schmooze you for that money.
===
People will make AND break these resolutions in the time it took me to write this post, so I keep my resolution simple and easy to maintain:
11. Play More Video Games
Ok, fine, twist my arm.
With the help of video games, let's look at some of the typical resolutions that will be at the forefront of everyone's "To-Do" list for a maximum of 24 hours.
1. Lose Weight
As if I needed another reason to not go to the gym, stay away from gyms for the first week or so of the year, because every machine will be taken, every locker will be full, and there might not even be enough space to stretch. This is a temporary issue since the thought of getting all the right clothes on, loading up the car and driving across time, all while paying a substantial monthly membership fee, will deter many of these people and leave them thinking "This is who I am, dammit!"
Stay home, save money, and play the millions of fitness-centered games such as Wii Fit or Shape Up! or games that get you on your feet like Kinect Sports or Dance Central. No membership fees, no waiting for machines, and no trainers yelling at you while wearing a shirt 3 sizes too small.
2. Find Love
Many people will fall in love this year. Relationships will start and relationships will end. One thing remains constant though: dating sucks.
I mean the process of dating. Picking just the right place to go, wearing just the right thing, saying all the right things, hoping she's not a serial killer, you know, the basics. Then after the date is over (and the awkward 'will she kiss on a first date?', and 'What if I go for a hug and she reaches her hand out for a handshake and grabs my junk?' moments) you have to play it cool and not seem desperate by texting her within X amount of hours or you ruin whatever chance you may have had left after you admitted to your love of video games....
...yeah, dating sucks.
Instead, save your personal drama and heartache and watch fictional digital characters go through it. Your options are numerous, even going back to Super Mario Bros.
3. Quit Drinking
Have a little too much to drink for New Year's? (personal note: yes). Well, you aren't alone. Much like every time you have a little too much, you say "I'm never drinking again". Then proceed to do it all again the next weekend. One of these days, you'll get that girl's number if you keep buying her drinks. At some point, you've got to be the best looking guy in the bar...right?
Tell you what, save money (and your liver) and just get drunk in games like Mass Effect 2, Grand Theft Auto V, and Watch_Dogs. You won't have to try to remember that girl's name that happens to be sleeping next to you before you do the eventual "Hey...you" thing.
4. Quit Smoking
Along the same lines of alcohol, many people try a healthier lifestyle by ceasing use of tobacco (or are just fed up with paying so much for a pack of cigs). Many of these people will try and fail, finding it difficult to escape the warm embrace of nicotine. Some people will quit with help of a patch, others will try a step "down" with e-cigs or "Vaping" (which may be one of the worst phrases mankind has ever coined, much like "Infotainment").
If you are traveling down the path to clean lungs, then get your fix in the video game world. I mean c'mon, if Solid Snake, Duke Nukem, and Tychus Findlay light up, it's gotta be cool, right?
5. Travel
So much to do, so much to see. This big, beautiful world of ours is begging to be explored and eventually have all pictures posted on Facebook to brag about how much money we spent to look at mountains. Or, better yet, use Snapchat to send 50 images of a beach to your midwestern friends who obviously have no clue what sand is, you will look like a hero (see: douche).
So, you can overpack, lose luggage, get your seat kicked by a kid, pay way too much for souvenirs, get lost while in your rental car, almost miss your flights, and get food poisoning at the fancy restaurant you just HAD to try, or you could see an entire world for the fraction of the cost with World of Warcraft while also doing some good deeds for your fellow man, or orc, or elf, or goblin, or whatever.
6. Start a Family
If you were able to find love and get married, the next step may be to start having kids. Maybe it just feels right, maybe your parents are pressuring you, maybe it's the millions of unnecessary pictures your friends post on Facebook of how far along they are, or their ultrasound, or what clothes they bought for their baby, or "OMG THE BABY MOVED :) #SOCUTE #AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW".
Whatever the reason, it's a big responsibility and a lot of work to make sure your child/children grow up to be positive contributors to society. Or, at the very least, look really damn good and get a lot of money for looking real damn good.
Or just play The Sims, where you are just a point and click away from beauty perfection, or setting something on fire. Ah, the joys of being a parent.
7. Go Back to School
Further your education, start a new degree, finish a degree you've been putting off, give all your money to a university bookstore for one book that will be obsolete when second semester rolls around, or just prove why you were the "King of the Keg Stand" back in college, either way, it is never too late for learning.
Or you could just play Bully and take out all that pent up anger you had ever since Mike knocked your Shaquille O'Neal Trapper Keeper out of your hand and sent all your homework flying in the hall. Bastard.
8. Buy a Really Expensive Car (aka the "Midlife Crisis")
It never fails, and it's something I see all the time since I work in the auto business: that brand new Mustang, Corvette, Charger, whatever, looks really nice to the 40 - 60 year old demographic. Hey, I'm not judging since I have owned 2 Mustangs in my life. They could have saved money all their lives preparing for this moment or it could have been a "spur of the moment thing", but the end goal is simple: "I wanna bag that 24 year old skinny girl who may not know who Abraham Lincoln was but has a damn orgasm whenever that Nick Jonas song comes on".
More power to you, my friend. Though I'm betting the closest I am ever going to get to owning a Ferrari will be in the Forza or Gran Turismo series. While that may sound a little pessimistic, I come back with this: no monthly payments. WIN!
9. Renew Your Faith
Perhaps you want Sundays to be days of worship, perhaps you've had a really rough previous year and are turning to a higher power to see you through these dark times, or perhaps your chosen football team decided to suck this year and now you have Sundays free (we will get 'em next year, Bears). It can feel very rewarding to go to service, sing songs, meet new people, and feel renewed.
Me? I think I'd rather play Smite and watch the various historical gods throw lightning and fire and each other. Singing is optional and you don't have to worry about shaking strangers' hands.
10. Be More Fiscally Responsible
Did you realize you spend way too much money on things you may not need? (personal note: hahahahaha yeah right). Well, maybe you are taking steps to increasing your bank account number. Maybe you're buying non-named brand groceries, maybe you go out to eat less frequently, or maybe you shop at CostCo or Sam's Club and only buy in bulk, everyone needs that 5 gallon jar of mayonnaise after all.
Then you might be the type of person to hang out with the father (or, I guess uncle) of all penny-pinchers: Scrooge McDuck. Just be prepared for nephews trying to schmooze you for that money.
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People will make AND break these resolutions in the time it took me to write this post, so I keep my resolution simple and easy to maintain:
11. Play More Video Games
Ok, fine, twist my arm.
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