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Monday Gaming Diary: Shovel Knight

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shovel_knight_black_box_1_by_hananas_nl-d61jcbrI’ve been seeing the excitement for Shovel Knight for the last couple of weeks, and the game just looked too darn adorable to pass up. I heard it was a call-back to the retro era, which I should have connected to mean platforming. However, I’m so glad that I didn’t make that connection, because then I would have avoided a really, really, really fun game.

I guess I’m not as terrible at platforming games as I used to be, or the older games (or in this case, the call-back to older games) aren’t as difficult as they are now. I really wanted to like Guacamelee!, but the combination of platforming with specific moves proved to be my undoing after just an hour. It was with a heavy, heavy heart that I put that game down and lamented my wasted dollars. If I had heard beforehand that Shovel Knight was a platformer, I most likely would have written it off as another Guacamelee! and moved on.

Thanks to my ignorance, I bought it, was instantly scared after the opening level, but then I found myself having an absolute blast with a platforming game. I haven’t had fun with a platformer since I gave up trying to get past the halfway point in Super Mario World. I never finished a single SMB game, not even the original, because that’s how terrible I am at platformers and how little patience I have to practice at them.

It helps that I think Shovel Knight has an original idea and gimmick, and I find a lot of dialogue quite funny. Granted, I haven’t been able to play much of it so far, but after completing the first boss fight and all that, I’m still eager to play. I didn’t get half that far in Guacamelee!.

I haven’t tried it out on 3DS, only the Wii U, but fellow writer Blake has enjoyed it on the 3DS. I’m certain he’s saying that because he doesn’t have a Wii U. The game is absolutely gorgeous on the GamePad screen alone. Simply put, if you have a Nintendo product, just do yourself a favor and pick it up. Don’t look for reviews, don’t wait for my final thoughts, just do it.

 

Thursday Gaming Diary: Host Switching

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3b4So this was a fun experience and a half.

I decided to switch hosts after I turned in my two-week notice at one of my contracting jobs. SGR’s host was with that company, and I decided it would probably be best if I took SGR with me while I already had access to all of the administration side of our host servers. Better to do it on my terms than to deal with a rush job, right?

After my experience this week, I am so glad I decided to do this on my schedule.

I honestly thought this could be done over the weekend, but what I didn’t count on was slow upload speeds from our internet service provider, a wireless network card that was wonky, and the size of SGR. These are all mistakes I will do my damndest to never make again.

I don’t want to switch hosts again, but if I have to, at least now I know a bit more what to expect and how to circumvent it. But seriously, I never want to switch hosts again.

At least I chose a decent time to have some downtime. It’s a holiday week and it’s the summer doldrums. We won’t really have anything new to review until September, although I’m hoping for a Reaper of Souls console-edition strategy guide from Brady Games in August.

I am also sad to say I have made absolutely zero progress on Dragon Age: Origins. First I had to review Valiant Hearts, and then I got very, very sick, and then I decided maybe I should stay up to work through my book reviews that I’ve neglected instead of playing games. I know, I’m full of excuses. Since I’ll be down one job next week (hooray!), that should mean more gaming time, and hopefully I’ll play more than just Bravely Default. It’s so hard to not play that game sometimes. Oh you guys want to eat dinner? The dog needs to be fed? I haven’t showered in three days? Sorry, busy job grinding. It’s not that bad, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat down to play for just a few minutes and the next time I look at the clock, it’s after midnight.

Monday Gaming Diary: It’s Backlog Time, but I Get so Distracted

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3upi4pIt’s the summer, and I have that most-coveted reprieve in between game reviews. That means the time is ripe for getting through that horrid, horrid stack of shame. With Dragon Age Inquisition looming in early October, I have a supreme mission to finish up Dragon Age Origins before that time. I have my last save, and friends have said I’m somewhere between halfway and two-thirds of the way through. Obviously I’m going to need more time than I want to just get back into the groove, but this should be more than enough time, I would think.

I just have to actually sit down and do it.

Instead of restarting DAO last week, I instead spent gaming time replaying Murdered: Soul Suspect so I could find those last few collectibles I was missing to get a Platinum trophy. Since the final save doesn’t allow you to go back out into Salem (grrrrr), I had to start a whole new game. Fortunately, the collectible counter does not reset with a new game, so I didn’t need to play the entire game again. I had to play about half thanks to where some of these wayward collectibles were, but I didn’t have to do the last couple of levels again that I loathed because I’m so terrible at defeating demons in an efficient manner. But I did get the Platinum trophy in just a couple of days, which prompted me to dance around my office like I just won the lottery.

Over the weekend, I fully intended to play DAO, but it would have helped if I didn’t have Bravely Default downstairs on the couch. After putting the kids to bed, I played just a little bit of BD to wind down. Next thing I knew, it was three hours later and well past midnight. Somehow this happened every night. I have no idea how.

I feel a bit of the E3 haze lifting, so maybe I can get back on task this week. Do not let me go to Toys R Us and pick up my own copy of Skylanders SWAP Force for the PS4. I want to, but that is such a bad, bad idea. Dragon Age won’t play itself. Must stay focused. Must stay on target.

Monday Gaming Diary: The Games E3 Has Gotten Me Excited About

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I had an absolute blast at E3 to say the least. I was incredibly busy, and if you want to see most everything I saw at the show, my boss at Action Trip has compiled a nice list that I believe he is still updating as he adds more of my previews.

One thing that did happen at E3 that I did not expect was excitement about games I previously had zero interest in. A few I was able to either play at the show or see at an appointment, but even those I did not still had me pumped.

Sunset Overdrive

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I’m a fan of Insomniac Games. While I never played any of the R&C games because, well, platforming, I greatly appreciate what Insomniac did with the franchise. I also loved the Resistance series and I was one of the few who loved Fuse. However, when they showed off Sunset Overdrive last E3, I was less than impressed. Oh yay, another zombie-apocalypse-like shooter that just has brighter colors. Another Resistance that has more than brown in it. Yeah, the Microsoft press conference showed me just how wrong my assumptions were.

Upon seeing the very first word effect in the trailer, I knew I had to have this game. I love it when a game incorporates this type of humor and is willing to make fun of itself. It may be another zombie-apocalypse game, but at least it’s one that has humor AND bright colors.

Assassin’s Creed Unity

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I have sworn off Assassin’s Creed after my horrific experiences with both Revelations and Assassin’s Creed III. I couldn’t finish Revelations due to pure boredom, and my copy of AC3 was so broken, by the time they fixed it, I stopped caring. I didn’t even attempt Black Flag after I heard about all of the sailing, as I loathed that part the most in AC3. So yes, I was ready to be very against Unity prior to E3.

And then they announced co-op gameplay, bringing the multiplayer-style play that I originally wanted when they announced multiplayer for Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood.

Not to mention, all of the crowd elements that they’ve incorporated for you to use as you see fit…to use as a distraction or to complete side quests…it’s completely mind boggling and I must play it.

Just as I get out of AC entirely, they rein me back in! Curses!

Far Cry 4

I never played Far Cry 3, and I never really wanted to. I heard great things about it, but I was afraid it was more about stealth than anything, and I would of course masterfully fail. I knew a Far Cry 4 announcement was coming at E3, but I didn’t expect to have any interest in it at all. What did it? Well, two things: 1) co-op play and 2) the ability to ride elephants.

I love the idea of playing the game along with a friend to help with a mission, and wait, you can ride elephants to wreck shit? Oh sign me UP.

After playing the hands-on demo on the showroom floor, now I really want to play Far Cry 3. Not sure when I have time, but I’ll have to try to figure it out somehow in my schedule.

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

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Here’s another series I feel that has been played to DEATH over the course of several years. I haven’t been back to CoD since MW3, and I wasn’t planning on it anytime soon. Thanks to E3 pressers and my appointment with Activision, I see so much potential and, well, FUN. For the first time since probably CoD III, the focus appears to be back on the single-player campaign, which of course makes this story gamer really happy.

I’m a little nervous about the stealth-only portions they showed, but hey, BradyGames confirmed at E3 that they will publish a strategy guide for it. Hooray for stealth hand-holding! This chick needs it badly, like a wizard needs food.

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor

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An action-RPG that takes place in the world of LOTR? Snoozefest! No matter how many great news stories I read and had to write about, it took seeing it at the show to get me pumped up about it. I now see the potential that the game has and I’m eager to get my hands on it and see how many awful decisions I make.

The crux of the game lies in two places: 1) the decisions the player makes and 2) procedural generation. Everything is procedurally generated, and I mean everything. The NPCs, the bosses, the maps, it’s amazing how much different your game can be compared to someone else’s. During the demo, the presenters said they hadn’t even had the same demo all day long, and I saw it in the late afternoon, after several presentations. That’s insane.

On top of it all, you can play the game how you want to, whether it’s stealth, action, or a mix. It’s a fantasy RPG that should have my name written all over it. I just hope they don’t screw up Tolkien’s world too much, even though the game takes place centuries after Return of the King.

Monday Gaming Diary: Luigi Needs Anger Management Classes

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No, you’re not hallucinating when you see the diary for this week is not by Keri. Keri is probably trying to calm down before she starts the madness that is E3. I’m sure she will have a blast and accomplish many great things, but that doesn’t diminish my envy. I am looking forward to an abundance of text messages about games I want to see, but enough about her!

I recently picked up Mario Kart 8. I mean, the Wii U receives so few titles that when something as hype as this is drops, it is almost an instant must buy. I was cautious and so I watched a few of the launch party streams on Twitch before I bought the game, which is becoming a new trend for me. I can honestly say, this is some of the most fun I have had in this series. It’s bright, it’s colorful, there is FINALLY a way to combat that friggin blue shell of epic frustration, and it is just a darn good time.

There is one thing about the game that is a bit disturbing, and that is the recent discovery that Luigi has some serious anger issues. Just jump on Twitter and search for #LuigiDeathStare and be prepared for loads of videos and memes revolving around the look that Luigi gives after he destroys someone with an item. It is almost freaky to see the fun loving plumber of my past sport a look that would scare the likes of Hannibal Lecter. I know it is the year of Luigi and all, but should Mario be concerned for his safety?

The fact that this is now a trend on social media proves a solid point. The point is that Mario Kart 8 is one game that has managed to numb some of the complaining and hate on the Internet and replaced it with excitement. It has been a long time since I’ve seen people have this much fun with a game, and it is a welcome change. Sure, us Wii U fans might be small in number, but we also have a blast with our games! Wait, is that my Wii U turning itself on? I MUST PLAY MORE!

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