One of the most hyped games of the past two E3s has been No Man's Sky, and for good reason. The promise of nearly limitless space exploration sounded astonishing, and the pure scope of the game is something that's been praised since it was first announced. Gaming press that went hands-on described how each planet was literally planet-sized. Onlookers fell for the game's pretty, clean art style. And when space combat was announced? Well, that sealed the deal for just about everyone. When I look at No Man's Sky I see a huge, beautiful sandbox with loads of potential. The idea of travelling around different planets and encountering their unique forms of life is a major draw, and I can see myself spending plenty of time on that exploration and discovery aspect alone. However, what would make me want to travel to more planets than I needed to? Or, better yet, what would make me interested in one planet long enough to explore its entirety? There are spacesuit/spaceship/etc. upgrades you can/have to grind for to proceed closer to the center of the universe, but what would make that experience enjoyable if I just keep traversing similar planets with similar beasts and similar robotic guards? I can only speak on what's been shown of the game so far, but No Man's Sky seems to lack a distinct sense personality. The visual style is striking, sure, but it also feels a bit generic. There're certain upgrades to achieve, but what else sets me apart from the other players? Look at other open world games like Skyrim and even Minecraft; I think visually customizable characters and ships would be a great addiction here that would help many players to feel like their experience is a uniqueone. Not only that, but I'd also appreciate something that would make me feel a special tie to the planets I've traversed. Instead of just landing, glancing around for a few minutes and moving on, it would be nice to be able to make some sort of camp or settlement wherever you're currently stationed that could make your experience somewhat unique. Think along the lines of Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire's secret bases; imagine if you could set home bases up at certain pre-designated areas of the planet, and imagine being able to customize those bases. Whenever you returned to that planet you'd have somewhere where you'd instantly feel at home, and the planet would feel more unique to you because of your home there. Other players would also be able to stumble across your base and get a real feeling that someone else had already been there (as opposed to a simple "Already Discovered: Planet _________"). You could even imagine being able to put your mark on a planet in different ways, such as monuments you could build when you have enough currency or tents scattered around that could serve as saving points and safe zones from pursuers. There are so many things the developers at Hello Games could implement to make each stay on a planet that much more meaningful to the player. What do you guys think could make for a more meaningful exploration experience in NMS? Hit me on Twitter and let me know--I have a few wilder, less reasonable ideas that I'd love to share. Hope you all enjoyed the post, and see you tomorrow!
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Yeah, probably. Follow me on Twitter, and see you guys tomorrow! But seriously. As some of you guys know, I only recently (about a month ago) bought a Wii U. The Splatoon bundle finally enticed me enough to make a purchase, and I hadn't had any regrets at all. I was especially excited because I got it right before E3, and I was pumped to see what was on the horizon for my new console. Well, fast-forward and we all know how Nintendo's E3 ended up going--disappointingly. What started off as excitement and high expectation quickly turned to outrage and sorrow, and while I'm not nearly as malicious as some of the comments I saw around the Internet following the Digital Event, the distinct lack of new Wii U support made me second-guess my decision for the first time. Two of the most promising titles shown were platformers: Yoshi's Woolly World and Super Mario Maker. Though I love platformers, they aren't exactly fresh and new for Nintendo. Star Fox looked interesting, but like more of a HD remake than a groundbreaking sequel. Xenoblade Chronicles X will definitely be a day one purchase for me, but I was devastated by the December release date. Perhaps the worst offense, however, was the lack of any Wii U games being released for the next three months (aside from Never Alone, which just came out last week). Nintendo's lack of major support for the Wii U this year only looks harsher after their premature unveil of the NX. Even mentioning that they were working on a new system so early in the Wii U's life cycle sparked tons of doubt as to if Nintendo was simply giving up on their current console in favor of a new, potentially more profitable one. With Star Fox and Super Mario Maker acting as their major system pushes and Zelda U not coming until 2016, it does seem like the Wii U push has ended a bit too soon. However, it's not quite over just yet. Nintendo is clearly still trying to drive Wii U hardware sales. Games like Splatoon, Super Mario Maker, Starfox, Yoshi's Woolly World, Xenoblade Chronicles X and even Genei Ibun Roku x FE are all high-budget AAA titles, and they're all Wii U exclusives coming this year. The Nindies@Home program (which I recently covered) just launched and promises to deliver nine indie games to the Wii U e-shop this year as well. And though most of those games are multi-platform, other titles like FAST Racing Neo are also going to make Wii U their exclusive home. So while there were no huge new Wii U announcements that took everyone by surprise at this past E3, that doesn't just mean that Nintendo is leaving its console adopters high and dry. In fact, I'd argue that the amount and quality of content coming to Wii U this year rivals any year before it. Zelda U? We'll have a few other loves before we fall for you. Thanks for reading guys! I know this post is a bit later than usual, so also thanks for sticking with me. See you all tomorrow!
Tap Titans (free) is a tapper with RPG elements. All the main gameplay consists of is tapping repeatedly on the screen to make our hero (the guy with the scarf and sword) swing away at whatever beast he faces. It's a simple premise, and yet it's done with such finesse and attention to detail that you almost forget you're not playing an actual RPG. For one, the game boasts impressive levels of depth for a tapper. There are 10 monsters to defeat in each stage, with the 10th being either a boss or a mini boss. The more monsters you slay, the more gold you get. When you have a certain amount of gold, you can recruit other wandering heroes to fight by your side. These heroes passively attack every few seconds. Different heroes you recruit attack at different speeds and with increasing amounts of power. Both you and your companions unlock special attacks and abilities the more you level them up, and you can even equip your main hero with different stat-boosting equipment that's unlocked as you progress. You can tap at whatever speed you want to kill the first nine beasts, but each boss/mini boss encounter requires you to deplete its health bar in 30 seconds. It's a great change of pace that forces the player to focus and level everyone consistently. It's here that the game presents an actual challenge; there've been several times when I struggled against bosses at first, spent a good deal of time grinding against weaker enemies and earning gold to level my heroes up, and eventually overcame said boss in a fit of glory. Though the core gameplay is nothing more than tapping, Tap Titans is designed to entice the player with nearly unfathomable goals to encourage constant progression. For perspective: I'm currently at Stage 68 and Level 414. At Level 600 your character achieves Prestige and starts again from Level 1, but this time with powerful Relics that you can use to more swiftly defeat monsters. The game has plenty of other content to reward long-term players, too; in fact, there are items that you can only unlock at 200 Prestige! Slightly less daunting, though not by much, you can also level all of your supporting heroes up to Lv. 1,000, where they also achieve Prestige and come back in more powerful incarnations. The game is massive with a whopping total of 3,000 stages to complete, or 30,000 monsters if you don't do any grinding (which, of course, you will). The constant feeling of progression via new environments, new party members and new skills achievable at certain levels all make it feel as though you're moving towards a goal, and because all you have to do it tap, it's an easily accessible time-waster. That's really the purpose this game serves; it's not meant to be a traditional, fleshed-out gaming experience, and it's not supposed to be one that you can sit down and finish in 20 or 30 hours. This is a long-term, when-you-have-a-few-spare-minutes type of game--think Pokemon Rumble World, or even Animal Crossing: New Leaf. And the game progression easier on you via passive gold collection that your party accumulates even when you're not playing. As a free experience (you can buy Diamonds with real money, or you can earn them by reaching certain milestones or via random drops) Tap Titans proves that not all great gaming experiences have to be expensive--or cost anything at all.
That's all for this post guys. If you want to know right when the next one goes up, follow me on Twitter @CreamBasics (or just check back every weekday). See you all Monday! Hey guys! So something that anyone remotely close to me knows is that I love YouTube. Specifically, I love gaming (and hip hop) channels. From JonTron to SmoshGames to GameExplain, there's a ton of variety within the gaming community on YouTube. However, while I love a bunch of them (including the ones above), there are some smaller channels that I can't get enough of recently. So, here's a top 3 countdown of my current favorite gaming channels. NUMBER 3: SullyPwnz The one attribute that's vital for a gamer on YouTube is an entertaining personality. Otherwise, you could just watch regular gameplay videos without commentary. That's one thing that Sully has going for him. His commentary and silly nature is hilarious, and when paired with games like Tomodachi Life, his low-brow style of comedy shines through. This is hands-down the funniest Let's Play series I've ever watched, and his newer content (especially his Mario Party 10 sessions with his boys) is also watch-worthy. NUMBER 2: BlahblahLPs I'd never watched a stream on Twitch before Blah. I originally found him while looking for Splatoon gameplay of the Global Testfire, and after a few videos I really began to appreciate the lighthearted, colorful commentary he brings to the table. There aren't many YouTubers I've come across that're more genuine than Blah/Johnathan, and I don't know if it's because we're similar in age, but I can definitely relate to him really well. He's not as laugh-out-loud funny as Sully, but he's more personable and interactive with his viewers. NUMBER 1: Haedox Who saw this coming? The least-known YouTuber on the list is actually my favorite of all! Though I only started watching his videos a couple weeks ago, I've been marathoning them like crazy. Haedox is a young channel (it just launched last fall), but his reviewing style feels markedly unique and objective. You can tell that he's just a gamer who decided to make some videos, and that authentic feel resonates strongly with his fanbase (even if it's only a little over 5,000 subscribers). The fact that his channel is so small and yet consistently quality inspires me to keep making content because I love it, not because I should expect massive numbers or fame and riches. When I'm on a Haedox video it feels like I'm in good, friendly company, and that's what I aspire to make people feel with this blog. Give a few of his videos a watch! Pls. Thanks for reading guys! For more recommendations, first impressions, opinion pieces, and anything else, check back every single weekday. Have a beautiful day!
Splatoon is one of my favorite games right now, period. It was the final push needed in my Wii U purchase, and I honestly think it was one of the best gaming decisions I've ever made. With that said, I'm also aware of its flaws. There have been several criticisms leveled against Splatoon, but the most infamous one--especially with the recent data mining leak--is the slow trickle of new weapons and maps under the guise of "free" updates. This likely wouldn't be a lingering issue for too many people if the game had launched with abundant content to begin with, but seeing as it didn't, some gamers feel cheated out of a full day-one experience. So, where do I stand on this sore subject? I actually don't mind the steady flow of updates--they give me something to look forward to. Though I understand where people are coming from when they point out that all the content is already "on the disc," just imagine if you would have had 40+ weapons to choose from in the shop at launch! Most would probably try a few, settle on a favorite, and leave the rest in their inventories to collect virtual dust. By spacing out the release of new weapons the game gives players a pleasant surprise every week and encourages trying the new instead of sticking with the old. Whenever I get on and play the day a new weapon is released I always see others using it. Whether they stick with it or not isn't the point--the updates are consistent enough to where the steady stream of new weapons to try gives many players an added incentive to turn the game on one more time (aside from it being pure fun anyway). I feel slightly differently about the map releases. While new weapons are more an added bonus than a necessity, a plentiful selection of maps are pretty essential to keeping the experience fresh. The fact that Splatoon only launched with five maps and that its design only allows for two to be playable per mode (with the two changing every four hours on a 2-6-10 cycle) made for very little variety in the first week or so of the game's release. Since then, though, we've gotten three new maps, and the release of each one has definitely caused players to jump back in for hours to master the new layout and play styles required. It just makes sense strategically for the developers to continue to release a new map every couple of weeks to keep players busy (and interested) until the big August update. What's my final verdict then? Well, with the combination of both weapons and maps being consistently unlocked throughout the summer, I think Nintendo made a wise decision that'll definitely extend the game's life cycle. Would I have liked the August update to come in June instead? You bet. But as things are right now, I keep having a new reason to come back and get hooked on Splatoon all over again. Thanks for reading friends! I write new posts every weekday, so come back often! If you wanna say hi, you can easily reach me @CreamBasics on Twitter. See you all tomorrow!
*Oh, and side note: I think Splatoon's amiibo use is actually one of the best yet. You get exclusive gear, which is cool, but you also unlock extra challenges that test your inking skills. Have mine coming in the mail on Saturday! Welcome to the final installment of my short Nindies@Home series. It's been a long time coming (well, since Friday), and we're finally down to the last three Nindies@Home games, The Doubtfuls. These are titles that I was disappointed by, and though there were some fun and creative elements in each of them, the previews didn't leave a positive impression on me. To reiterate from the first post of the series, these impressions are solely of the previews--the quality of the full/finished product might very well be different. Anyway, on to the games! _____________________________ Typoman (multi-platform) It's tough to be too hard on Typoman. In concept, the game sounds brilliant and unique: you control a stick figure--made up of the letters 'H E R O'--and navigate him (it?) through a series of environmental puzzles involving various kinds of wordplay. For instance, in the screenshot below you come to an area where it's raining into a ditch, and you have to get across. The only problem is that you can't swim; instead, you have to move that rightmost 'D' against 'RAIN' to make 'DRAIN' and clear the water out of the ditch, thus making it safe for you to move across without drowning. Sounds like a really inventive, enjoyable gaming experience right? Well, unfortunately, while there are some impressive puzzles like these that make you feel like a genius when you solve them, the actual movement of Typoman feels unsatisfying. He's heavy and can hardly jump, thus making the game feel like its dragging along listlessly as our hero steadily trots across the landscape. While this may sound like a silly criticism, the moment I picked the gamepad up I felt really constricted by the controls and weight of the character. This oppressive gameplay experience wasn't aided in the slightest by the art direction, which seemed purposefully dark and dreary. The moment I came to the area below and saw the first non-monochromatic colors was the moment I gave an involuntary gasp of joy and relief at seeing life within this desolate world. It was probably designed to evoke that reaction, and reflecting back on it it was a very cool moment, but the rest of the time trudging through black and gray wasn't worth it for me. Aesthetics aside, this can be a punishingly difficult game. I won't go into too much more depth seeing how long this impression already is, but look at it this way: if you don't mind severe trial-and-error design, and if you have an abnormal amount of patience, you might enjoy Typoman. Soul Axiom (multi-platform) It really hurts me to put this one in The Doubtfuls. When I watched the E3 trailer I was instantly interested and excited to see what kind of game it would be and how it would function. A visiting friend drew the obvious Bioshock comparison, and while this game is nothing like Bioshock, the power coursing through the main character's arms do look quite similar; in fact, the visual effect when you cast your powers is probably the best-looking part of this game. In all honesty, this was by far the worst preview out of all the titles, and not just for visuals either. *Spoiler Alert* You start off in a drab and mysterious temple, but you can't interact with anything inside; you just walk around, look at a couple statues, fall into a crevice, find a way out and continue walking. The game feels like it only really starts once you've followed the path out to the desert landscape you see below. From here, you're supposed to pick up on extremely subtle environmental clues ("That structure shows those three shapes, so I have to manipulate the shapes of the center structure to match") in order to destroy the surrounding temples and reach the item you're after on top of one of them. The problem is, you have absolutely no idea what you're supposed to do. The game is more old-school in that it lets the player look around and figure out what their powers do and how they're supposed to use them on their own. This would normally be fine, but the barren sandbox that is Soul Axiom's preview stage is full of empty space along the edges and around the temples, and your character moves infuriatingly slowly. I literally strolled around the ruins for a good 20-30 minutes looking for clues and wondering what to do, taking in the lovely brown, muddy textures the game had to offer. When I finally figured the objective out I was excited and proud, but also felt defeated that I'd just wasted a nice chunk of time doing nothing. Soul Axiom may have some wonderful later stages and more intuitive gameplay elements--as the trailers suggest--but for a stage that's supposed to get players excited to experience what your game has to offer when it goes on sale, this was a critical failure. Extreme Exorcism (multi-platform) Similar to RIVE, Extreme Exorcism is a fun game with strong core mechanics that just feels bland and generic--RIVE, however, had much more polish. Double-E also draws a comparison to Runbow, one of my favorite Nindies, in that this game must be played with friends to fully enjoy it. The crucial difference here is that Runbow, unlike Dub-E, offers online multiplayer for those who don't have people to play with locally. This is a massive downfall of Extreme Exorcism as the joy of running and gunning through the levels alone fades after the first few run-throughs. The first time I played the preview I was quickly turned-off and bored of the two sample levels. When I invited a friend over to test it a second time, however, I was shocked at how much more fun I had. We had a blast yelling warnings of "Watch out!" and "Dude, over there! No, that one!" and senselessly creating strategies that fell apart moments later. The multiplayer definitely hits the sweet spot. The thing is, I swear I've played games almost exactly like this--same retro art style and everything--on Newgrounds or Addicting Games. Those were Flash games, and they were free. I can see the appeal of Extreme Exorcism, and I did have some fun with it, but there's no way I can see myself spending money on something like this, online leaderboards or no. And with those last few harsh comments, the series has come to an end. If you enjoyed it there's a new post every single weekday, so check back often for more awesome gaming content and unpopular opinions! You'll know right when the next one goes live if you follow me on Twitter @CreamBasics. As always guys, I hope you have a beautiful day.
Welcome back friends! This is Part 2 of my 3-part Nindies@Home series. In a world where Nintendo is regularly criticized for the lack of content on the Wii U and the lack of third-party support for the system in comparison to Sony and Microsoft, Nindies@Home is certainly a step in the right direction. Similar to the preview program Microsoft revealed last week for the Xbox One, all nine of the games above had free downloadable previews for the week of E3 (they just went offline this morning). After playing through all of them, here's my list of the Nindies@Home games that have great potential, but didn't quite hit the mark for me during their previews. ______________________________ RIVE (multi-platform) Hands-down one of the most visually impressive titles shown, RIVE was both a joy to play and look at. The production values really shine here, most notably the sound design and explosion effects. RIVE feels incredibly satisfying to control, too, and there were few gameplay experiences more enjoyable out of all nine titles than swiftly shooting an onslaught of enemy robots into pieces of scrap metal. The developers really nailed the user experience here. The only real issue is that, well, I could've sworn I've played this before. RIVE is greatly lacking in personality; from the way my robot feverishly shot 360 degrees around the screen to the generic enemy robots and weapon upgrades, I felt like my experience wasn't special or unique at all. The weapons (particularly the missiles) did feel fantastic to unleash, but I can recall so many shooters with the exact same weapon upgrades. I'm sure the game will have more varied environments and a stronger sense of identity in the final version (especially playing through the campaign), but my time with the preview has left me a bit wary. Mutant Mudds Super Challenge (Wii U & 3DS Exclusive) I'll say this right off the bat--the Mutant Mudds series isn't really for me. I enjoy the platforming and how the game handles, but I've never been a fan of the game's aesthetic or Max's character design. The art style is colorful and the chiptune songs are pretty catchy, but the sound effects and giant gold tokens always seemed a bit odd and low-quality to me. Nonetheless, fans of the series love it for its gameplay, and the tightness of MMSC's controls is undeniable. This new entry in the series is punishingly difficult--much more so than its older brother on the 3DS--and yet I could blame no one but myself when I died constantly playing this preview. The game is so hard (hence "Super Challenge") that even one of the developers from Renegade Kid couldn't collect all the tokens in a level without dying repeatedly during the Nintendo Treehouse gameplay. While it may be fun to watch, I didn't enjoy the game too much myself. This is a real love letter to fans of the series, however, and with the additions of boss fights, challenging ghost levels, bonus costumes of characters from other e-shop titles and cross-buy, you really are getting a quality experience here. Freedom Planet (Wii U Console Exclusive) If I could sum up Freedom Planet in one sentence, it'd be "An old-school Sonic game with original artwork direction and a few mechanical changes." The game was literally intended to be a fan-made Sonic game at first, but was later refined into a more original experience. There's no getting around it--from the moment you pick it up, you know you're playing a Sonic game. The classic sprinting and platforming is as fun as ever, though, and your character is undeniably adorable. Freedom Planet looks so different from Sonic that the gameplay similarities actually don't bother me too much. What does bother me, however, is how the game's stages are set up. When playing through the preview with one of my friends, we established that we'd switch off every level, expecting them to be short and sweet like the original Sonic levels. After 15 minutes of playing, however, the level still hadn't ended, even after I defeated the boss--it just transitioned to a second, samey part of the level. While I'm excited to see where the story goes and enjoyed the nostalgic gameplay, I'm a bit hesitant to fully embrace the title due to level design and pacing issues. Thanks for reading friends! Be sure to come back tomorrow for the third part in my Nindies@Home series, The Doubtfuls. Follow me on Twitter @CreamBasics to know exactly when the next post goes up. Until then, have a wonderful day!
Nintendo is a company often lampooned for the lack of third-party support on its systems. Though there has been plentiful third-party support for the 3DS, the Wii U has seen a severe drought of new titles in general, much less ones from outside Nintendo. The Nindies@Home program looks to fix that and show consumers that Nintendo can still have strong relationships with indie developers. Each game featured in the program has a free preview you can download and try before the full version releases this year, and doing so will save you 15% off the purchase price. After eagerly downloading and playing all nine previews, I compiled them into three categories: The Top 3, The Most Potential, and The Doubtfuls. The other two posts in this three-part series will come on Monday and Tuesday, respectively. Keeping in mind Nindies@Home ends Monday morning, I recommend downloading all the previews this weekend while they're still available and deleting any unwanted ones later. Though these are early builds of each game and aren't necessarily representative of the final products, here are my impressions of what they gave us to try. ______________________________ Runbow (Wii U Exclusive) We're starting out strong here. Runbow is a party game, pure and simple. It supports up to nine players either locally or online, a great option for those without a ton of friends to play with locally (like myself). The base concept is pretty simple: players dash to the end of a level that's manipulated by constant changes of color that wipe across the screen--platforms appear and disappear, openings are blocked off based on what the current color is, and so on (this is only one mode; there are four different ones, all with optional multiplayer). I invited a couple friends over to play the preview with me, and it was a pretty good time! We laughed, shouted, and screwed each other over to gain an advantage--all signs of a great party game. The character designs and animations are full of personality, and out of all the previews Runbow probably made me feel the happiest while playing it. I highly recommend getting some friends together and trying this preview out for yourself! The Nintendo Treehouse gameplay is also great if you want to see it in action first. Forma.8 (multi-platform) This was by far my favorite single-player experience. You control a tiny space ship as it flies around beautifully-stylized cave environments armed only with mines and a protective force field. The exploration in this game fully enveloped me, and I found myself playing the lengthy demo for about an hour and a half. The art and sound design do a fantastic job creating this ominous, foreboding atmosphere, and it really pulls you in. Depending on the final release's length and variety, I could easily see myself putting a couple-dozen hours into Forma.8. It's a shame it isn't an exclusive (apparently it was originally an iOS game, but later expanded to consoles), but it nonetheless controls smoothly and naturally on the gamepad, so I'm not complaining. Lovely Planet (multi-platform) You've never played anything like this. From the super-cutesy art style to the earworm main theme, the first-person shooter is unapologetically Japanese. It feels strange to call it a FPS, though, because it's so different from others in the genre. Though it was originally released almost a year ago on PC, Lovely Planet feels right at home with the gamepad controls. The game introduces new mechanics gradually, and I never felt like I was cheated when I died. There isn't room for much frustration since you restart a level almost instantly after dying. The reason for picking LP up isn't the lackadaisical, appropriately floaty gameplay, however--it's the aesthetic. While playing I couldn't help but feel encouraged by the cheery music, and I felt admittedly awesome wielding my strange flower-gun weapon. This is definitely a divisive title, though, so I'd overwhelmingly recommend playing the demo before buying the game. Thanks for reading guys, and look for the other two posts in the series early next week. Follow me @CreamBasics on Twitter to know right when they go up. Hope you all have a great weekend!
Let's face it: this has been one of the worst-received Nintendo E3 events in years. In fact, I don't think a Nintendo video has ever gotten as many dislikes as the trailer for Metroid Prime: Federation Force accumulated in just two days. However, there're two sides to every coin; for every FF, Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival, and Skylanders SuperChargers, there's a lesser-known title coming out that gives me hope. All of the following are confirmed for a 2015 release. Without further ado, here are my Top 3 Hidden Gems of Nintendo's E3. NUMBER 2: Little Battlers Experience (3DS Exclusive) Though it was previously revealed during the Micro Direct before E3, we got to see a lot more of LBX gameplay yesterday with the Nintendo Treehouse. The level of customization options for your Battlers looks insane, and it instantly recalls fond memories of Custom Robo. It's also said to be tied closely into the TV show which, from what I've heard about the show, is a great thing in terms of the game's story. The only possible issue I have is with multiplayer; though we've seen how much fun the local multiplayer looks, it would be an absolute travesty not to have online multiplayer with a game like this. Being able to fight against other random players around the world with their carefully constructed Battlers (and don't even get me started on online 2V2 and 3V3 possibilities) seems like a no-brainer. We're still waiting for confirmation, but if it's excluded, hopefully it's because the single-player is fleshed out enough to where online is unnecessary. NUMBER 1: FAST Racing Neo (Wii U Exclusive) One of the biggest disappointments of this year's E3 Digital Event was the lack of a new F-Zero game. Gamers have been clamoring for a new futuristic racer on the Wii U (and other options aside from Mario Kart 8 in general) for awhile now. The team at Shin'en saw the need and decided to fill it, and though it's not F-Zero, it looks flipping amazing. Although the trailer looked okay, it wasn't until I saw the Treehouse gameplay that my mind was blown. Even in its Alpha stage (don't worry, it's definitely still confirmed for later this year) the game seemed to run at a full 60fps and had a layer of polish that almost approached MK8 standards--and this is just the alpha! From the menus to the car designs to the environments and track designs, you can tell that presentation was extremely high on the list for the team. During the gameplay demonstration there were a couple graphical hiccups during races and slightly long loading times, but those things are understandable at this stage in development. The game still ran silky smooth, and the sense of speed that it conveyed on the slowest difficulty tier was ridiculous--if there's one worry I have with the game, it's that it might be almost unplayable at the highest speed setting. That aside, though, I highly recommend you check the gameplay out on Nintendo's YouTube channel--whether a new F-Zero is in the works or not, this looks like it'll be perfect to tide people over. Oh yeah, by the way--ONLINE MULTIPLAYER CONFIRMED! And another thing--it's an e-shop title! A game like this with online multiplayer (and leaderboards) at an e-shop price? Shin'en, take my money. As always guys, be sure to check back daily for more video game coverage. Follow me on Twitter @CreamBasics to know as soon as a new post is up. The blog is young, but it's doing beautifully. Hope you're enjoying E3 week! Cheers. While some people have slowly started to come around to mobile gaming, there's still an ambiguous stigma attached to the format. It doesn't necessarily seem that people hate all mobile games, but a wide net of doubt and distrust is nonetheless cast over the entire category due to the reputations and practices of the most popular ones. I was never personally interested in mobile gaming until I got an iPad a couple years ago (the first time I'd ever had an Apple device, and my first exposure to the App Store). Ever since then I've really been exposed to the breadth of experiences available on mobile for nothing or next to nothing. Despite the elitism of "hardcore gamers," there really are some great and intense experiences to be had on iOS and Android. Here are some of my favorites. Incoboto (Puzzle Platformer) This is one that completely came out of left field. The game centers around a small boy named Inco as he traverses various planetary systems in search of life following a mysterious cataclysmic event. He's accompanied by a baby sun named Helios that serves as your only companion and source of power. This is really an experiential game; everything from the subtle, ambient score to the uniquely sleek/cartoonish art style pulls you in, and you really feel like you're the tiny Inco wandering hopelessly through space. The atmosphere of the game exudes loneliness, and the farther you get the happier you are to have Helios hovering over you all the time. The story is told through bits of text when you reach certain systems, by taping on the skeletons of past explorers (when you do, you'll be able to read their final thoughts), and by hilariously dismissive and belittling signs left by the governing entity simply called "The Corporation." The skeletons are also used as a great vehicle for delivering clues about nearby puzzles; more than once I was stuck and frustrated before I paused, thought over what a skeleton had said, and discovered the solution right away. The puzzles range from finding ways to have multiple timed switches on all at once to using the power of Helios' sunlight to access otherwise unreachable areas, and you can't access the next planetary system before you complete all of them. The mechanics are simple, but it's far from a casual game. Before long you'll find yourself trying to wrap your head around some pretty challenging and multi-layered problem-solving tasks--like any good puzzle game should have you doing. The one-hand touch controls feel good and work well enough that I could never really blame anyone but myself for having to attempt the same puzzle a dozen times. There's a lot of content here, and with the added challenge of collecting 50 Star Map pieces, completionists will have their work cut out for them (trust me, some of those are downright punishing to reach).
Incoboto is a real treat to play, and was a pleasant surprise for me when I started it. This was one of the first games that showed me that a quality gaming experience didn't have to come from a traditional gaming platform. I highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in puzzle platformers, or anyone just looking for a good, meaty puzzle experience on mobile. But that's just me. Have any of you played it? What did you think? Let me know on Twitter (@CreamBasics)! And don't forget to come back often! I'll have a new post every single weekday, and maybe even spontaneously over the weekend sometimes too. Until next time, have a beautiful day! |
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