Life is Strange Review

Spoilers follow for Life is Strange!

Life is Strange is an episodic teen-drama game. It received praise for tackling serious issues like domestic abuse, drugs, kidnap, and the dangers of using your time powers too much to the extent that it causes a natural disaster (okay so maybe that last one isn’t a real-life ‘issue’ per se).

You play as Max who has moved back to her hometown, Arcadia Bay, to attend Blackwell Academy (after a few too many playing Dragon Age I want to write Blackwall Academy, but that would probably have less photography and more whittling). Here she discovers she has the power to rewind time after she saves her childhood friend Chloe from being shot. The pair catch up by running in front of moving trains (as all great friends do) and discussing how Chloe’s friend Rachael has been kidnapped. Soon they begin planning how to use Max’s power to find the kidnapper. However, there are also the problems of... deep breath… a bullied friend, a controlling step-father, an angry drug dealer and his dog, random dead birds/whales, a gun-wielding psychopath, an imminent natural disaster, and winning a photography competition. Pretty standard teenage problems then.

How on earth can one game cover all of that in just five episodes? Well poorly unfortunately. The first episode does well to introduce key characters, setting, and conflicts whilst staying engaging. However, after this the mid-section of the game spends a lot of time following Max and Chloe on adventures that do little to move the plot. It isn’t until the final episodes that major plot move towards a conclusion. At this point I found myself hopping between time zones, alternate realities and broken plains of existence. I couldn’t help but feel more than a little lost. What explanation I received rushed past me in a bid to get to the next scene. Had I not have had the entire collection on disk, I would probably have given up at episode two.

That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy the story. There were aspects that I liked, for instance when Max is kidnapped it genuinely becomes nerve-wracking. It is also the only point when you feel like Max has actually become stronger as a character. I actually enjoyed the way that she manages to escape by hopping through time via photos, especially how we still have to deal with some consequences of changing history. I was also satisfied by the ending, and not in a thank god the credits are rolling kind of way. The idea that Max saving Chloe’s life so many times meant that other lives needed to be forfeit to restore the balance fitted in with the games themes and made sense (as much as any time travel plot can).

Playing on train tracks the perfect way to catch-up.

The puzzles involving time manipulation aren't anything newer then those seen before in games like Singularity or Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, but they are a little more intricate. The rewind ability did bring a cool twist on stealth, although many reviewers have slated. However, I thought that the rewind power brought an interesting twist on usual track the guard’s movements before walking slowly behind them action of most stealth games. There is also an interesting deduction puzzle where you need to pair up clues to find the kidnapper’s lair. This took a bit more thought than pairing random clues and made me feel like the world’s greatest detective (if only the Batman Arkham games had done the same).  And whilst there was nothing that set the world on fire, the gameplay was pretty solid throughout and the difficult progressed well.

What didn’t progress so well was the character development. I mentioned before how I liked that Max’s character changed that's true, but it isn’t until very late that this occurs. To add to this I took an immediate dislike to Max’s hipster personality, mainly because it was often rammed down my throat. It was her use of a polaroid camera, and wearing the hoodie and skinny jeans. I didn’t need every other character asserting it for me. There was also the problem of her inner monologue. After any action Max has a tendency to say something cynical which doesn't fit with her naïve exterior. When this happens she just comes off as being fake and I don't think it is intentional.


Chloe suffers from being a one dimensional character. Everything around her is ‘hella lame’ and she rants about pretty much everyone and everything. It pinpoints her father's death as the reason for her attitude, but it seems like a flimsy excuse. She reaches a moment of selflessness at the end, but it's a little too late. Considering the amount of time spent building the characters up a gradual character change could have been implemented better.

The background characters are fleshed out quite well. Every student at the academy felt they had history beyond the game. This was a nice touch that made Blackwell Academy believable as long as you are able to look past the clunky voice acting.

One thing I couldn’t look past was the character’s reactions to your dialogue choices throughout the game. Often when choosing dialogue characters would barely react to what Max actually said and would soon revert back to a neutral stance afterwards. I understand that in any choice game there is only so much a player's choice can branch away from the main plot, but usually the ease back into the script isn’t quite as bumpy.

The crucial story choices struggle with the same issue, and the course of action you choose soon becomes inconsequential. Two moments (Kate's potential suicide and Chloe asking to be euthinised) in the game which should be powerful lose impact as they are negated by the plot later on. However, whatever you choose in either instance is negated later on when Max has to fix the timelines Both instances lose a lot of impact because in the end the game will strong hand your choices to keep to the script.

By far my favourite aspect of Life is Strange is thesoundtrack. It has some great tracks including songs from Foals, Amanda Palmer, and José González, as well as many others. They are all indie tracks which go well with the atmosphere of the game itself. It is used very well to add extra emotion to integral scenes. The final scenes almost brought a tear to my eye which was helped more than a little by the track playing over the top. And in the end the Life is Strange soundtrack is probably the aspect of the game that will stay with me the longest.

There's a reason hipsters have become a bad thing.

Life is Strange made me feel quite sad after its completion. Surprisingly this sadness wasn't from the ending, but from the lost potential. In the moments when I enjoyed playing Life is Strange I could see that it could quite easily have been one of the most impact-full games I have played for a long while. Unfortunately a muddled midsection meant I was progressing through due to my own stubbornness rather than genuine enjoyment.

Score: 6 out of 10

What did you think of Life is Strange? Let me know in the comments section.

Can a game without gameplay possibly be one of the best created?

I may well have just played one of the most emotionally impacting games of my gaming career. And amazingly it may well have been the least interactive too. Featuring no driving, shooting, climbing, jumping or actually much gameplay at all. What it did have however made me blub more than the screaming child on my bus who was denied a lolly.

In my last post I mentioned that I had decided to delve the depths of Steam for their Summer Sale. Among my haul was the indie game To The Moon, although the term game is applied loosely. Despite being created using the RPG maker  To The Moon isn't your traditional role playing game. Instead it is more of a basic point and click adventure game, with a major focus on story.

And what a story it is! Not often can a story evoke much emotion. No not because I am heartless or unfeeling, but because as a Creative Writing student I have been taught to scrutinise events and recognise calling signs for plot points. This has turned me into a somewhat jaded person, and even films have to go an extra mile to impress me (I am a self-confessed story snob).

I will happily admit that I felt tears welling in my eyes as I played To The Moon. A reason behind this may be down to the topic on hand. You play as two scientists (Eva and Neil) who work for Sigmund corp, a futuristic company that specialises in creating memories. The two scientists arrive at a large house to alter the memories of Johnny, and implant his dying wish, to go to the moon. To implant this memory Eva and Neil must travel through Johnny's life and find out why he wants to travel to the moon so that you can make the memory stronger.

As you traverse his timeline you find out about his marriage to River. At first everything seems fine, and Johnny appears to be an attentive husband to a wife that's weirdly distant. As you progress you find the reason as to why they seem strained despite having a strong connection. The story really is heartfelt and is very human, which is why it provoked such a strong reaction from me. I won't go into anymore detail or risk spoiling it.

The graphics won't stun you, but the story certainly will.

One of the greatest strengths of To The Moon  is the beautiful soundtrack. The opening title screen has a unique piano score that signals the touching story to come. Another great song comes courtesy of Laura Shingara, whon many people will know for the song There's a Zombie on Your Lawn from Plants Vs. Zombies. This song, Everything is Alright, is completely different and reflects the emotional roller-coaster you will have experienced at the moment it is played.  

I can't say that I enjoyed playing To The Moon. But that is because there is very little gameplay about it. Each level is spent wandering around a specific scene in Johnny's memories interacting with a number of objects. Once the amount of objects have been clicked on a simple tile-based puzzle is revealed. This lack of gameplay leaves it in a weird place, not enough action  to be considered a game and too much for it to be a interactive comic. Yet what it did have ensured I kept clicking with intrigue even after the credits rolled. 

I really couldn't get enough by the end, and the plot wormed its way around my brain for days later. To The Moon is my new frisbee to throw at the face of anyone who ever says that video games don't contain smart stories.

Steam Summer Sale Hangover

I consider myself a gamer. I play video games, keep up to date with the industry and have even attended video games conferences like Eurogamer. Yet I have never purchased anything from the Steam Summer Sale. Something many people regard as a staple activity of any gamer.

Steam Summer Sales are famous, or rather infamous, for a vacuum for any gamer’s wallet. Many people sink their hard earned cash (or their parents) in the gamer equivalent of impulse buying. It’s easy to do after all most of the sale prices only last for 24 hours and then they are lost, replaced by the next day’s offers. And when you factor in the flash deals that happen twice daily you have a recipe for a very expensive disaster.

This year’s Steam sale began on the 11^th June and for once I have taken part.

Steam has been tempting me for a while now. I am a late comer to the party mainly due to my inexperience at PC gaming. But the cheaper price tags and selection of Indie games has finally drawn me in. Although considering the sale’s reputation it has for panic buying this is perhaps a bad thing.

But I am glad to sale that I have been good (so far), and only bought games that I have had my eye on for a while. Here is a round-up of my purchases and my initial thoughts.

Outlast is a recent horror game from Red Barrels studio. You play as investigative journalist as he traverses an asylum looking for a news scoop about patient abuse. Unfortunately, by the time you have arrived the inmates have escaped and now chase you down the corridors. It has become known as Youtube Lets Play fodder. Horror games are the go-to game when it comes to making reaction play-through videos. Plenty of jump scares to overact to and gain viewers.

I have played an initial half hour and I am so far impressed. There is real tension as you walk the halls and the camcorder mechanic is a great idea. In areas devoid of light you must use the camcorders night vision function to find your way. Of course this severely restricts your view and causes everything to have a greenish tinge. It is a lot like playing a video game version of Rec. or Cloverfield.

Outlast reminds me a lot of the last generation horror game F.E.A.R. Not just because of the horror theme, but the controls feel very similar. You can open doors hesitantly, listening for the sound of inmates before entering and have the ability to lean left and right to peer around corners. The main difference is that Outlast lacks guns and hordes of soldiers to fire at, all you have is a camera and you must hide to survive.

So far I am rather impressed by Outlast, even if it does try cheap jump-scare tactics at times.

My second purchase is To The Moon, an indie game I have had my eye on for a while now. This one is more of a puzzle-based point and click with a heavy focus on story.

Many people have remarked how powerful the story is in this game and mentioned that it can be a tear-jerker. I haven’t got very far yet, but have arrived at the bedside of a dying man to fulfil his last wish: To go to the moon. However I can tell I am going to love the game and I am already in love with the soundtrack, a hauntingly beautiful piano score.

I have also purchased Prison Architect, a management game where you build and regulate a prison; including budget and facilities. I have yet to play this, but tried it at EGX and found it to be quite fun. Also the fact that I have recently got into watching Orange is the New Black helps, if I can name the characters I may just re-enact season one; although I will fire Mendez ASAP.

Darkest Dungeon was a must buy as another game. It is an RPG (Role Playing Game) where you must look after your party’s mental health, as well as the usual physical health, peaked my interest long ago. After each mission you have to look out for tell-tale signs of depression, jealousy and even PTSD which may be detrimental to your characters. The mental effects of adventuring are often overlooked in games, so I can’t wait to play.

Lastly I need some help from seasoned Steam gamers for a game that I am having issues with. I bought Grimm Fandango a while back long before the sale. Hearing great things about this classic I couldn’t wait until a sale to play it. Unfortunately upon starting I am greeted by an error about Open GL and it won’t play. Any help is much appreciated.

I hope everyone is enjoying the sale as I am, and that you aren’t going too over budget. Let me know your purchases below in the comments.

Animal Crossing x Mario Kart 8 - DLC Review

This week saw the release of the second pack of DLC for Mario Kart 8 on the Wii U. This coincided with a slight lull in university work and a visitation from my friend Andy Dodd, who is also an avid Nintendo fan, both events forcing me to play (I tried protesting… honest).  

The DLC (for a explanation of DLC see Here) is named Animal Crossing x Mario Kart 8. It is the second pack of DLC for the game coming about a year after the games release. The staggering of extra content for Mario Kart 8 demonstrates Nintendo’s refreshing approach to DLC. Don’t worry I won’t praise Nintendo’s  DLC policy too much, I don’t need to when I did it in this post.

Animal Crossing x Mario Kart 8 infuses the game with elements of the Animal Crossing series of games. The DLC adds a total of three new characters, six new kart parts and eight new tracks. All of these come at the price of £7.00 which isn’t too bad, especially as it hasn’t come straight after the game’s release.

As mentioned I have played, and been trounced on (thanks Andy), the tracks and thought I would give a brief review of my thoughts. We were also joined by Amy in this, who terrified us both with a spot of road rage (‘spot’ may be a slight understatement).

Crossing Cup

Baby Park

Courtesy of Nintendo Everything

This track is a remake of the Mario Kart Double Dash track on the Nintendo GameCube. The track is a small oval and the normal three laps is increased to seven. Whilst in some racing games a simple oval can be boring, in Mario Kart they become gleefully chaotic. By the middle of the race you are often left unsure whether the person you have just passed was in front of you, or if you lapped them. Plus there is the potential for weapons overload, which can lead to both tears of joy and frustration. Either way the simplicity of the track hides the hectic fun to be had.

Image courtesy of Nintendo Life

Cheese Land

An impressive 3D remake of the 2D GameBoy Advance Mario Kart. This track didn’t make much of an impression on me, although to be fair, I have only played through once. It just seemed to pass by in a blur of cheddar-yellow and reminded me of Dry Dry Desert. Still a track made of cheese can’t be a bad thing, right?

Wild Woods

Image from Mario Wiki

This is probably my favourite track of the Crossing Cup, not because of the track, but because of the scenery. The track winds its way through a forest full of Shy Guys and Toads having fun. There aren’t many racing games where characters swing above you on tree vines or wave from rope bridges. But even though these are background elements, they add fun to the game. These touches demonstrate why Mario Kart can be such a fun franchise, as it combines endearing characters with gameplay that makes you want to Luigi ‘death stare’ your nearest and dearest.

Animal Crossing

A cool elongated figure of eight map which takes you around an Animal Crossing town. The cool feature of this map is that, like the game, the season changes randomly when you select it. All I have experienced is winter at this point, but driving through snowmen is rather entertaining.

Image from Nintendo Everything

Bell Cup

Neo Bowser City

A remake of the track from Mario Kart 7. This track goes through a brightly lit city under the control of King Kooper himself, Bowser. The track is cool in its design, but compared to the other tracks in the Bell cup, didn’t make much of an impression upon me.

Image from Nintendo Everything

Ribbon Road

Image from Mario Wiki

My favourite track of the DLC, due to it being made up of toys, including the titular road made of ribbon. Everything about this track screams fun, except when it makes you actually scream as a result of another Red Shell. The track reminds me heavily of Toy Story, right down to the wallpaper and bed in the corner. The best part, in my opinion, is the gliding section where you have to avoid two swaying jack in the boxes. Once again the playful element is a sure sign that you are playing Mario Kart.

Image from Mario Wiki

Super Bell Subway

A cool track which includes some formidable subway trains. These add an interesting element as they can be avoided, or boarded from above. This means that each lap is different as the trains continually move as you play. Just make sure that you mind the gap.

Big Blue

The final track is one long stretch of road broken into sections instead of laps. It is based on the F-Zero games series. This is a racing series featuring flying cars, and this fits in perfectly with Mario Kart 8’s new anti-gravity mechanism. A race along this road is filled with futuristic visuals and uncertainty as to which way up you are. I am glad that another single lap track has been added as it makes a nice change from the usual lap-tracks.

Image from Mario Wiki

As this is Mario Kart each of these tracks is accompanied by upbeat theme tunes that are sure to get stuck in your head. The best track of the bunch is probably the theme for Wild Woods.

I haven’t tested out the characters yet as I am still playing as Link from Legend of Zelda. After all what is better than when two of your fandoms combine?

A note on the character of Dry Bowser courtesy of Andy, can any of you imagine a Dry (aka firey-zombie) version of Mario, Luigi and Peach… shudder.

Five Little Known Facts About Nintendo

As a student of Creative Writing at the University of Winchester, I have been spoilt for choice in choosing my topics for assignments. The nature of the degree has meant that whilst the format of the assignments/essays has been stipulated, the topic or genre hasn't.

One of my final assessments for my degree is a twelve panel exhibition for a module known as Writing for Display. This module has been all about writing for the general public. Thankfully, due to my part-time job as a freelance copywriter I have a good knowledge of how to write engaging and informative texts for a range of readers. The topic of the exhibition has been left up to us, with our tutor suggesting a subject that will interest us to make research enjoyable.

It shouldn't come as much of a surprise to regular readers that I picked to write about Nintendo, a company close to my heart. As I did research for the exhibition I found myself learning somethings that I had not realised. I thought I would share some of these with you today, along with other facts I knew, but find interesting.

Nintendo has been around for a long time.

Nintendo was founded in 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi. At this time there wern't any HD TVs on the market, and therefore no need for video games consoles. But people still wanted to be entertained and Nintendo were happy to oblige. The company began life manufacturing Hanafuda cards, which are traditional Japanese cards to play a game similar to Solitaire. It is a game where players must match up cards with the same suits.Nintendo continued making playing cards right up until 1963 when they branched out into games, food, hotels and even taxi services. During this time they became the first Japanese company to produce plastic playing cards on an industrial scale. It wasn't until 1970 that Nintendo started experimenting with electronic entertainment.

Nintendo make traditional Hnafuda cards too.

The Origins of Mario.  

I knew some things about Mario's origins. The fact that he first appeared as the playable character 'Jumpman' in the arcade game Donkey Kong is common knowledge. But what I didn't know was that originally Shigeru Miyamoto (one of Nintendo's most influential designers) had wanted to make a game based upon the character Popeye. When Nintendo couldn't acquire the character license they re-skinned the game. Mario was originally Popeye, Princess Pauline was originally Olive Oil and Donkey was meant to be Bruto. As someone who isn't a fan of Popeye I must say that I am pleased that a license couldn't be agreed upon.

The Origins of Other Franchises.

Sticking with the theme of origins did you know that The Legend of Zelda series is based upon Shigeru Miyamoto's childhood. He grew up in rural Japan exploring the fields and caves near his home with no map or compass. This goes to explain a few things about the first Legend of Zelda, such as a lack of guidance when you begin your quest.
The main characters default name is link because he is the hero that links the games, regardless of time period. His green costume is based upon Peter Pan, a favourite childhood story of Miyamoto.

It seems that inspiration from childhood is prevalent at Nintendo, as Chain Chomp was based on a tethered dog that would jump at Shigeru. The dog, like Chain Chomp would always be stopped when he reached his tether. The Pokemon series is based upon its creator, Satoshi Tajiri's, love of collecting bugs.

Brotherly Love 

I always assumed that Mario was at least a few years older than Luigi. But I was wrong. According to Yoshi's Island they are actually twins. Both were delivered in a single bundle by a stork (sweet right?), Mario is thought to be older because he left the bundle first.

Name Game

Mario's name comes from the landlord of the warehouse that Nintendo of America used to rent. And the fictional character's full name is Mario Mario, with Luigi being Luigi Mario. Luigi's name origin is slightly less interesting. The development team wanted an Italian-sounding name that went well with Maio. Luigi was picked, also partly due to a nearby pizzeria called Mario & Luigi's.

The reason behind Yoshi's name (in the game's lore) is due to the island that they were discovered on being called Yoshi Island. Perhaps they were discovered by the same person as the Galapagos Tortoise. 

Quick-Fire Mind Blowers

And now for some smaller points that surprised me: 

When Mario breaks a block he isn't doing it with his head. Even in early games his fist is raised briefly showing that Mario isn't as foolish as I thought. 

Wario's name isn't as lazy as I thought (just Mario with an upside down M). Actually his name is Mario's name combined with the Japanese word for bad, Warui.

Lastly, in the original Super Mario Bros, the reason Bowser kidnaps Peach isn't due to love. Instead, it turns out that Peach is the only one who can undo the spell Bowser has put on the Mushroom Kingdom.

So, there you have it. Some rather interesting tidbits I have discovered about Nintendo as I build an exhibition. Once the full exhibit has been submitted I may post it on this blog.

Hanafuda image from Nintendo Wikia, Zelda image from Wikipedia, 

The New Nintendo 3DS &3DS XL: Are They Really New?

I remember when Nintendo first announced the new 3DS XL, alongside its sister the new 3DS, not to be confused with the existing 3DS XL and 3DS of course. Back then it was being referred to as the 3DS XL LL and 3DS LL respectively. A few thoughts struck me as I clasped my face in my palms. Firstly, 'that's a lot of random letters.' Followed by 'that’s a lot of 3DSs.' I realise that console makers are known for remodelling their consoles in a bid to keep a fresh appearance, but the 3DS family has become a bit ridiculous.

In the beginning we had the 3DS, launched in 2011. The 3DS XL brought us a bigger screen in 2012. I could see the logic in increasing the size, but the time gap could have been longer. For 3DS owners like myself, the announcement of an update mere months after purchasing the first felt like an insult. Then came the 2DS in 2013, and to be frank I’m still not sure why. The unique selling point of the 3DS was the 3D in many ways. It distinguished it from the original DS in more so than updated graphics, but the release of the 2DS took focus away from the 3D aspect. Also, it doesn’t close like the rest of the family, making the 2DS closely resemble Cousin Itt from the Adams Family. This then brings us to the new Nintendo 3DS and 3DS XL. Do we really need them?

They offer some improvements to the past models; both have bigger screens than the 3DS, although the same size as the 3DS XL. These screens have apparently got improved 3D ability, which overcomes the original 3D problem that it limited you to looking directly at the screen. You had to have your head positioned exactly a 30cm ruler’s distance away, with your eyes pointed directly at the screen's centre, and make sure there wasn't a strong wind to tilt your gaze or you would end up with a fragmented image.

I have owned a few too many of these
 to mention without embarrassment

The new 3DS and 3DS XL are also said to have a quicker processing power than older consoles, and have been redesigned slightly in regards to button colour. As well as this, the positions of the stylus, volume slider and game cartridge is different. The buttons do look nice in a purely superficial way, but I don’t agree with the relocation of the stylus. I am a creature of comfort, therefore the stylus should be found on the top of devices or the right-hand side to avoid confusion (it doesn’t take much). Cartridge and volume slider movement doesn’t really bother me much. The start/select buttons have moved too, and actually they have improved in ease of use but not aesthetics.

The biggest draws for these new consoles come from the new C-stick and exchangeable faceplates. The C-stick allows for two joysticks, which comes in handy. Most gamers have become accustomed to movement and camera being controlled by separate analogue sticks, and handhelds that offered a single stick always feel a bit clunky. Directional pads can never quite live up to the precision of an analogue stick in my opinion. The C-stick is about the size of a pea and looks like it is made of a rather uncomfortable rubber substance, and I was a bit unsure of whether the new addition would be welcome. After giving it a try, however, I found it quite accommodating, responsive and all-round a nice new addition. It is very similar in appearance to the mouse nubs some laptops have sitting at the heart of their keyboards, but these have a tendency to be too responsive and often shoot the mouse off to an unknown screen edge at the lightest touch. Thankfully, the C-stick doesn’t and actually feels like you are slowly rotating a normal analogue stick despite not actually moving itself. The C-stick feels good and gave me a reason to play Monster Hunter 3, which I enjoy more now as it is easier to control. I was very impressed by this and it outshines some full controllers, and is a definite improvement on the 3DS Pro that Nintendo launched a few years ago (this was a bulky add-on that clipped to the side). 

I feel the need to mention that new shoulder buttons have also been added, but I have yet to find a use for these.

The exchangeable faceplates are a nice touch for people, like myself, who like to buy new devices when the old one begins to bore them. I look forward to the release of new designs, and the changing of plates is as simple as unscrewing two screws and unclipping the old plate. They also announced two limited editions, a Majora’s Mask edition and a Monster Hunter 4 edition. As a life-long Legend of Zelda fan I fell in love with the Majora’sMask edition on site.

I may be a nerd, but now I'm a happier nerd.

I haven’t really noticed a dramatic improvement in the 3D effect. Although, I tend to play it with the effect off unless I am watching a particularly stunning cutscene.  I have noticed that the device looks flatter and feels a bit lighter, although neither is too noticeable.

Lastly, a word on data transfer. Nintendo have issued various step-by-step guides that help to transfer data from your old device to the new. As someone who is an avid player with a lot of game-time this was essential. The process was nail-biting to say the least. As I watched a cute little animation of Pikmin moving my data, the thought that I had accidentally deleted years of my life made me feel ill (I can hear you judging me over there). Thankfully, the process went smoothly, and no data was harmed in the transfer.

If you are looking to buy the new 3DS or 3DS XL then I would say it would be worth it, but on a few conditions. One, that you do not already own a 3DS and you have been looking for a reason to buy one. Two, that you own an old 3DS and think the increased screen size of a 3DS XL is worth it (it is). But I would not advise those who already own a 3DS XL to buy the new one. The C-stick is a great addition, but I would hold out on buying one until major games are released that can't be played without it; like Xenoblade Chronicles. Unless you are like me, and can’t stand being behind in all things new and shiny.

 Size comparison image from Gomgom54, Nintendo tree from Pinterest

Retro Gaming Gabbing - (Part 1)

Last week I became aware of a gift box site called Man Crates from a friend. Apparently they sell gift boxes sent in crates, and of course, need to be opened with a crowbar. At first I thought that he was just kidding, that perhaps it was a riff on the Loot Crates idea. But then I checked it out and was rather taken aback to say the least.

You can check out a link to their gifts for men page here.

I have to say that upon viewing their site I was hooked by the humour and shocking range of sets (I'm not sure eclectic covers this place). Two boxes stood out to me. Firstly, the zombie crates which seem to all feature some rather intimidating knives. But mainly their retro gaming crates, which would be like mana from heaven for a geek like me.

As soon as I spied the cartridge of Duck Hunt in a crate package I immediately had inspiration for this week's blog post. 

Good job they provide a crowbar, perfect for re-enacting Half Life

As I began to reflect upon my personal gaming history I realised it wasn’t just a hobby. Gaming is something that has helped me shape the person who I am today. Some may say that this is a reason that gaming should be banned, but we will ignore that for now.

So where to begin? Well, I think it would be best to deal with it by console generation.

For those that don't know consoles can be catagorized by generations. Typically generations are when consoles that were released in neighboring years are grouped together. Usually the key console makers (companies like: Nintendo, Sony, Sega etc.) release one console per generation and aim to create a new console every ten years or so. Right now we are in the eighth generation of consoles with the likes of the X-Box One, the PS4 and arguably the Wii U.

Generation Three

Technically I wasn’t born until the fourth generation, but thanks to an older brother and a family a little behind the times my console experience predates my birth. My gaming experience from this gen was of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and the Sega Master System I.

Specifically I have fond memories of playing the NES around my Nan’s house. My brother and I would end the visit with an hour playing coop on the console. Unfortunately, we only had one cartridge that would work; fortunately it was a double pack: Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt. An odd combination, but a lot of fun as Duck Hunt included a light gun. As you can imagine we had many arguments over who was winning and who was cheating by edging closer to the screen. 

However, one thing we united over was our hatred for the giggling dog that popped up when you missed the targets (thank you Super Smash Bros. forWii U for allowing me to enact vengeance upon the pooch finally). Super Mario Bros. was my first introduction to platforming and I still have the theme song permanently etched on my brain. We never did actually complete the game, the furthest we got was world five… out of ten!

Laugh for now, but your time will come!

The Master System was our home console and we had a few games, although I don’t remember any. I think the reason I don’t remember that many is because I rarely played anything other than Sonic the Hedgehog. As such I actually finished this one.

Once again I found myself bounding with my family through gaming and not just my brother. My Mum too got involved in this game and actually spent more time playing it than I did. She didn’t make it past world two; the bridge level always foxed her.

Suffice to say that despite not being born when this generation was active I have strong memories of the consoles that make it. 

Generation Four

I don't have much experience with this generation. We did have a Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) at home, but I don't really remember playing it too much. It was my brothers console really, and we only played a few titles together like Killer Instinct and Donkey Kong Country. This generation passed me by somewhat and I do regret missing out on some genuinely good titles. I especially regret never owning a Sega MegaDrive.

Image courtesy of the Old Computer.

I hadn't realised when I began this post that I would have so much to talk about in such early generations. To help this I will end this post here and carry on the generation reflection in next week's post. Be sure to check back in a weeks time.

Also I want to hear your gaming history, let me know in the comments section below as always.


Man Crate image from ManCrate.com, Duck Hunt image from IGN,

Fantasy Life

It appears that video game obsession with me is like waiting for a bus. You can't engage with one game deeply for a few years and then three come along in a short time; and suck all time you have for anything else. This time the game that is dragging me away from  my life is Fantasy Life on the 3DS.

Don't worry I won't be giving any spoilers away, so read ahead.

It came as no surprise to me that I became a little engrossed in Fantasy Life. The game comes from developers Level 5 who have hooked me in with little resistance on many occasions. I have been an avid fan of their Professor Layton series and last year I spent more time playing Ni No Kuni than I care to admit. There is something about the innocent cartoon-like art style that conceals deep game play and a deeper story line still.

This game is no exception, and the world is as colourful as ever. Lush green fields, luminous caverns and vibrant towns are all a pleasure to explore. There are times when I just find myself strolling around the field just because it is quite relaxing. Except when set upon by wolves, or having to sneak past the Nap Dragon; who despite always sleeping terrifies me.

Gameplay wise it is an RPG combined with a life simulator game. Imagine if Animal Crossing and Final Fantasy had a child, or if Skyrim was colourful and less adult. For those of you who those references bypassed. It is a game where you can live a peaceful town-based existence, buying a home, filling it with furniture and generally living a simple existance (Animal Crossing). But, to earn your money for this you go out adventuring, exploring dungeons and slaying beasts (Skyrim style).

Fantasy Life's main unique selling point is it's life license system. Where most games will give you a choice of the type of person you want to be: warrior, mage, farmer etc. Fantasy Life allows you to chop and change your life on a whim through exchanging your license. Your lives soon become intertwined, as a warrior you need armour so you become a blacksmith. Then you need ore for that armour, so off to mine you go. But wait, those swords also have wooden hilts, and wood chopper becomes necessary. It could be easy for you to pick two lives and then not try others, but Fantasy Life makes it rather integral, and enjoyable, to play many at once.

Not that you can't pick one life and stick to it. Yeah you may need armour, ore etc. but you can just buy them from merchants. You miss out on some great gameplay doing this though. Fantasy Life then attracts a minor annoyance with this too. When you begin a new life you need to go through a tutorial mission for that life. Which wouldn't be a problem, except they all follow the same pattern. Talk to Guild-master, go see a previous student, fulfill a certain request and then be on your merry way. After completing two or so it becomes rather repetitive. Thankfully it gives you the option to bypass these and doesn't penalise you for doing so.

Fantasy Life is an amazingly deep game. I have sunk almost fifteen hours into it already, and have barely scratched the surface. I have tried five of the twelve, or so lives. Exploration wise I have only unlocked the main town and it's adjacent field. The reason for this lack of progress is quite simply because I can't help re-exploring every area to ensure I uncover every secret; sometimes even twice.

The only downside I have found with Fantasy Life so far, apart from being a time-sponge, is that it does end up being killing small animals and harvesting natural resources. I don't exactly feel like the great guy all the towns folk are praising me as.


Fantasy Life box-art from Kotaku, Game-play image from Nintendo, Pretty field image from Hardcoregamer.

Shovel Knight and SteamWorld Dig

This Christmas I decided that after shunning gaming in favour of university work for the past six months that I should treat myself for the holidays. So I hit the 3DS' Nintendo e-shop and bought myself a couple of indie games and set aside Christmas day and Boxing day as work free relaxation days. During which time I ploughed through SteamWorld Dig and part way through Shovel Knight. Both of which I have been eyeing up for a while.

SteamWorld Dig is a steampunk western exploration game that is very similar to Minecraft or Terreria. The focus isn't on levels or storyline and instead it is about digging your way down and discovering the hidden treasures beneath the surface.

Image from Steam Store

You play as a mining robot who has come upon a small town built upon a treasure-rich abandoned mine. There are legends around town about a famous miner who disappeared in the depths below and you head off to seek the treasure he sought. As far as plots go it isn't that detailed, but believe me, you don't need much else.

Despite lacking a strong antagonist or reason beyond go explore little robot there is not much else to prompt you along. Unless if you are like me you are quite content to just keep exploring in an OCD like fashion determined to find all the possible items you can. Well if it has worked for the likes of Minecraft, Pokemon and various other collection games it may as well work with this one.

Indeed I found myself rather obsessed with the game and couldn't quite put it down. It is rather addictive and I found myself becoming rather thorough in my tunneling. Like Minecraft I found myself loathing having to trudge back up to the surface. It seems there is an innate desire in me to burrow myself away if I am given the chance. Going to the surface when I had a full inventory brought the chance to upgrade myself and the town before heading back below.

The graphics are not amazing in a realism type of way. If you are looking for a photogenic steampunk robot game then this isn't for you (perhaps next year's Call of Duty will be better for you). Instead it chooses a 2D cartoon type art style which compliments the old west theme perfectly. Characters are cute but not sugary and remind me of the film Robots.

Technically there really is nothing that productive in the game. You dig to find minerals which pay for new upgrades which allow you to dig further. This mindless cycle was just what my overloaded brain needed right now. Something I could dribble over for a few hours whilst someone shoveled mince pies into me.

I love how distinct each character seems

Speaking of shoveled: Shovel Knights a game which has already found a lot of praise piled onto it. Another 2D, graphically simple game but one which has a complex background. This game has received a lot of recognition due to its retro feel. Not just in its 8-bit art style, but also because it is making a name for itself to being rather challenging and one of those games that you learn to master slowly.

You play as the titular Shovel Knight an adventurer who once was known throughout the land for his escapades. His companion Shield Knight was forever at his side until one fateful day when the tower she was in disappeared. Shovel Knight in his grief turns to farming, what else? Until the day the tower returns. With its return an evil enchantress also follows and her army of evil knights.

As Shovel Knight, the player must visit many levels and rid them of the evil knight that plagues them until he reaches the tower and the enchantress herself. Gameplay is very much like the games I would watch my brother play on the NES or Sega Mastersystem. It reminds me mostly of Castlevania in its setting, villains and gameplay. You move left to right platform jumping and sleighing enemies (or should that be shoveling) until you reach the boss of the level.

These bosses are one of my highlights as each are rather individual and very recognisable. In fact what attracted me to the game originally was the Plague Knight; who I have yet to face. The reason for this is despite sounding simple the game is rather tricky and there is a lot to explore beneath its surface. Whilst it can be completed quickly it would take a few playthroughs, and a bit of an obsession to do so.

This is Plague Knight, he's my favourite.

Both of these games are really good in there own right and for the prices asked, great value for money. SteamWorld Dig is about £8, and Shovel Knight about £13. Which compared to most modern games isn't bad considering both can be played multiple times through.

Overall they were a brilliant distraction from work for a couple of days. Small enough that they can be picked up and trawled through in a few hardcore hours. Or you can play bits at a time as neither have plots that are hard to follow. I loved every second I got with both and cherished the precious moments I got between my girlfriend snatching away my 3DS. This wasn't in a bid to force me to spend quality time together, but for her to play Mario Kart 7. Time she spent swearing like a sailor at the screen and making me fear for my limited edition 3DS' life.

Shovel Knights image from SoundonSight, Plague knight image from Planet Minecraft

Alien Isolation

As I mentioned in my previous EuroGamer Expo post, I was very fortunate to attend this years event. It gave me a chance to get hands on and see some of the biggest releases that would soon be hitting the highstreet. The biggest developers were there of course along with many indie developers and the event drew quite the crowd.

Whilst I don't tend to enjoy playing snippets of games pre-purchase I was quite eager to try Sega's Alien: Isolation.  This game has been causing quite a stir since its announcement and has won many awards at this years E3. After the last game in the franchise, Alien: Colonial Marines, ended in such devastation I was wary of the hype it was gaining. I as with many others had been burned by the previous game and felt I needed to see it first hand to avoid the problem a second time.

One big problem with bigger games such as this is that they drew the queues. Some of the lines boasted waiting times of over forty-five minutes for only a few seconds of demo. Thankfully this wasn't the case with Alien: Isolation. The queue seemed to dissipate in massive chunks and I started to question what they had behind the massive curtain perimeter. What didn't help was the smoke that seemed to be emanating from somewhere inside. Perhaps inside the infamous Xenomorph lurked and we gamers were in a production line of sorts fed to the hungry beast.

As I approached the staff energetically engaged with us in a refreshing manner that many other booth staff were not. All wearing uniform drawn from the film series, they ushered us forward stating that their 'Xenomorphs were hungry' or to move closer to 'warm us up, Aliens like their food hot. They also provided us with a free comic that ties into the game and told us of the competition that ran alongside the demo. If you could survive until the end of the level (a big IF they emphasised) your time taken, if good enough, would be added to a leaderboard. For those who made the top ten a free T-shirt was yours, if you came first a replica jacket from the game. With such customer interaction it is no wonder the booth apparently won an award for best visitor experience.

We entered the area in groups and were shown a short video about the games production. Then ushered into a darkened box filled with monitors ready to scare the unfortunate watchers. Many articles have said that the game is 'terrifying' and I hoped that it would live up to this. I am still very much on the hunt for something to scare me and I as of yet go rather sedate when confronted with all manner of horror media. I ensured I was sat comfortably, knew the controls and had the headphones secured to ensure I was as immersed as possible.

Immediately felt a sense of familiarity as I looked around the cramp cargo hold I started the level in. As a fan of the film series the iconic look that they carry was like an old friend. Everything is a light grey, piping hangs from the ceiling and tubes of coolant encompass me. This clearly where my character as the daughter of Ripley belongs. The developers clearly understood the feel of the franchise. It could have been tempting, with all the graphical technology at their disposal, to create a wondrous and eye-catching setting. But instead they have stayed true to the gritty, bleak, cargo ship feel that evokes the nostalgia.


I soon found myself gathering everything in the room to help my survival: metal scraps, extra batteries for the motion tracker, health bars and of course a handy flamethrower. I liked the sense of urgency this installed in me from the get go. I hope that a lack of resource will be big in the game making your chance of survival defendant on careful management.
Making my way cautiously towards the objective, a switch to activate the lifts door control. Utilising that trusty tracker to ensure I avoided any unwanted attention. I liked the fact that the tracker seems to take up a lot of the screen when used, which should discourage overuse. Anything else and a player could become reliant; much like Arkham Asylum's detective mode. I noticed a few times my wall-hugging technique would bring me in collision with the scenery. At which point a box would tumble and it's noise seemed to echo too loud for comfort. I felt the atmosphere was just right and really affected my playing style. I became very cautious of tight spaces where I may knock something; which drew me out into the open.

I soon learnt that this would be a bad sign.

I soon met my hunter of course, it was inevitable, unfortunately this wasn't as exciting or terrifying as I had hoped. I just watched him pass me by before sneaking behind him. A lot has been said about the Alien's intelligence, but I still saw the same adherence to a patrol pattern as any guard has in countless other games. Not to say it isn't imposing, I did find myself taking a breath in as it walked past hoping it wouldn't turn its gaze my way. When I made it to my destination I was given the next objective, head back to the lift. At this point there is a scripted attack, but as I kind of guessed there would be I was prepared. I flamed the Xenomorph in the face and then sprinted to the exit, pressing the lift control and surviving... on my first attempt.

It may be a bit boastful, but I will tell you that I did indeed make the leaderboard, unfortunately not the top. I was pretty proud of my free T-shirt especially since they had said no one had won for a while.

The demo was good, yet it wasn't quite as outstanding as I had hoped. Yes, it was atmospheric and yes, it is definitely an improvement on Alien: Colonial Marines (but the what isn't?). Groundbreaking, however, it isn't. The Alien was very easy to outsmart and this meant I never truly felt too vulnerable. I know in the main game there will also be other threats to deal with, I'm sure it has potential.

For now I will keep an eye on it, however, not enough  to pick it up on release day.







Alien: Isolation image from ABCgames, in-game image from Videogamewriters.