Thomas Can Never Be Alone

Genre: Puzzle-Platforming

Developer: Mike Bithell (PC, Mac, Linux)/Curve Studios (PS3 & Vita)

Publisher: Mike Bithell

System: PC, Mac, Linux, Playstation 3, Playstation Vita

Initial Release Date: July 24, 2012 (PC & Mac)

Minimalism seems to find a way to get into video games, and Thomas Was Alone is no exception to this rule. Like Journey and flower, this game does not have a huge drawn out plot. The game follows the story of several AIs in a computer mainframe run out of control and gain unique personalities and abilities. Using each of their own abilities, these AIs help each other get from point A to point B while facing various obstacles.

Each of the AIs has an ability that can help the other AIs solve puzzles. Laura (the pink rectangle),
acts as a trampoline. 

You'll have to switch between AIs in order to progress through each level, so there's some form of strategy needed in order complete the game, which gets harder with more AIs as the story progresses.

The only way we can know of each of the AIs personalities is through the narration (and humor) of the narrator, Danny Wallace.

If you're looking for something that has some puzzle solving strategy and something that isn't plot-heavy, then look no further than Thomas Was Alone.

Anyways, sorry that this was up late!
-Anthony-

Setting A Schedule

Hey everyone. I apologize for the lack of any sort of postings last month, I had plans to start after graduation, but that plan backfired due to guests being over, as well as me being more focused on my real life job, so I haven't had any time to get a post up.

I've been thinking it over a maybe I won't have it set to being two posts per week, but just one for the time being since work has now become the main focus.

Check back on Friday to see anything new that comes up. Until then, later everyone!

-Anthony-

The Fate of This Blog

Hello everyone. Today's post will be to inform you the future status of this blog.

This blog was initially created for a college class that I am taking, and of course because of this class, the Hidden Gamer Blog was born. Throughout the experience of the blog so far it's been a very bumpy ride, from trying to make deadlines meet, to thinking of how the blogs will turn out.

There was a lot of planning, and even though that it was a lot of work, it was fun as well.

So, because of these reasons, I'm still going to continue posting here, but the posts will be updated more so on weekends, and at most two post per week.

There will be no blogs next week due to graduation requirements, and no blogs this weekend due to exams and work.

So until everything is taken care of, the blog will be on a temporary hiatus.

Also, I'd like to thank everyone who has come to visit this blog, wherever you are, along with those who have posted comments.

Until some other time!
-Anthony-

"Trial And Error" - Crayon Physics Deluxe

Title: Crayon Physics Deluxe
Genre: Puzzle
Developer/Publisher: Klooni Games/Petri Purho
System: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android
Release Date: January 7th, 2009

And just when you thought that a game involving flowers was crazy enough, there has to be a game involving CRAYONS. Well, it's true, there is a game with the use of crayons. In this post of Trial and Error, it's all about the puzzle solving and drawing simulator that is Crayon Physics Deluxe. 

An example of one the levels in the game.

While this game has no real story line to it, the game is more about thinking things through by get the circle all the way to the star. The first level (image shown above) tells you to draw a box in order to move the circle (though in later levels you'll have the ability to move the circle by clicking it.) You'll have to make a variety of objects and obstacles in order to get all the stars in the game.

Whenever you collect a certain amount of stars, a new level will be unlocked and ready for you to go on and play.

As this game is a physics related game, there will be puzzles in which involve the effects of gravity, mass, kinetic energy as well as momentum, which could pose as challenges even with the game's simple design.

You can create your own levels with the level editor.

One of the more interesting things with Crayon Physics Deluxe is the ability to create your own levels and share it with everyone. You can make the level as simple or as complex as you want it in whatever way you want it.

...Or you can just be bored and just doodle on the map. Your use of the crayons isn't restricted to just the levels themselves.

Crayon Physics Deluxe is an interesting puzzle game that makes the fun use of crayons and bringing drawings to life while making it fun and challenging with its puzzles and design. However, on Steam, the game is priced at $20, which for some people may be a turn off with the amount of content the game has. Though Steam does have a tendency to put things on sale, so if you want to try this game in full, it would be best to wait.

Thanks for looking up!
-Anthony-

Going Western with Gunman Clive!

Title: Gunman Clive

Genre: Action, Adventure, Platformer

Developer/Publisher: Horberg Productions

System: iOS, Nintendo 3DS

Release Date: April 3rd, 2012 (iPhone)

The year is 18XX, and a group thugs and outlaws have been overrun in the west. One day a group of bandits decide to kidnap Mayor Johnson's daughter and spread havoc across the western plains. Now, it's up to Clive to rescue Ms. Johnson and bring order to the west...

So, if you're looking for something that's both worthwhile and of course easy on your wallet, then Gunman Clive's here for you at only $2. The game consists of 20 levels, split into four areas of five in which Clive must defeat all of the biggest baddies in the west in order to save Ms. Johnson. Of course, rescuing damsels in distress being a thing, you know that it won't be easy to reach the end.

Gunman Clive plays very similarly to the Mario games, with some exceptions.

In the 3DS version of the game, you use "B" to jump, and "Y" to shoot enemies with your gun. Sometimes you the enemies you defeat will drop a piece of cake to restore your health, and sometimes there will be an upgrade that can allow you gun to fire multiple bullets at once, shoot a bouncing bullet, or even make your bullet size bigger. Enemies range from gunmen, birds, and even sometimes you'll come across sharp obstacles.

There are three playable characters in this game, with two being available from the start. 

Clive is the main protagonist, who's duty is to save Ms. Johnson from her captors. He bears no special abilities of any sort, and plays similarly to Mario.

Yep. It's true.

Ms. Johnson herself is also a playable character. In her story, the roles have been reversed, and it's up to her to rescue Clive. She has unique ability in which she can float in the air temporarily, similar to Princess Peach. 

A Duck is also playable once you've completed the game one time. The duck in this case has no methods of attack, but can flutter in the air, similar to Yoshi.

Don't expect this game to take you very long to beat, but if you're looking for something quick to pass the time, then this game is the perfect choice, especially with it having a great graphic design and music tracks.

That's it for now everyone!
-Anthony-

"Trial And Error" -- Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the TItan Demo

Hey guys! It's time to do something a little different for this blog and have some more variety to it. Generally up to this point, it's been me going over games that I've been familiar with. In this series of posts known as "Trial And Error" it follows me playing various demos and learning more about the games as well as how they play.

Title: Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan

Genre: Role-Playing

Developer/Publisher: ATLUS

System: Nintendo 3DS

Release Date: February 26th, 2013

Today's first posting for "Trial And Error" will be on Etrian Odyssey IV, the first game in the series that's been developed on the Nintendo 3DS.

Etrian Odyssey IV takes place in the land of Tharsis, where a mysterious tree known as the Yggdrasil looms over the area. The Outland Count of Tharsis decides to sponsor an explorer's guild in order to learn more about the tree's secrets, and like in every previous game in the series, you are the latest explorer arriving in the said area in order to seek fame and fortune.

You never know what might come at you, and sometimes, you will.

Etrian Odyssey IV, and all games in the series are dungeon crawler RPGs, where the battles take place in labyrinth like areas filled with monsters, and you don't know what you're going to encounter at most points. To know when you're getting closer to an enemy, on the bottom right hand corner of the 3DS' top screen, when it turns red, you're most likely to encounter something.

If you're familar with games such as the first two Elder Scrolls games -- Arena and Daggerfall, or something more recent like Legend of Grimrock, these are some examples of what dungeon crawlers are like.

Three of the character classes you can have your party members as.

The game features 10 different character classes, seven of which are available from the start -- Landsknecht (Swordsman), Nightseeker, Fortress, Sniper, Medic, Runemaster, and Dancer. Each class has their unique weapons, skills, and preferred positions (the front line or the back). You can have up to five members in your party for battle, and up to 30 members for your guild. 

Of course since you are the leader of your own guild, you'll be expected to take quests and help other people out along the way. The Mark Grand Court is where you get your missions which will progress the story, while the Dancing Peacock is an area to receive side quests.

Other areas of interest while in Tharsis include: the Saehrimnir Inn, which is where you can rest and restore HP and TP, revive fallen allies, and save your game, the Berund Atelier, the weapons, armor, and items shop, the Explorer's Guild where you can create more characters, and the City Gates where you can set off for adventure.

Things may have to be cut short...

Of course, like any demo, you can only have access to the game up to a certain point. However, an interesting thing with Etrian Odyssey IV is that you can save during the demo, allowing you to continue with your adventure once you have the full game.

So anyways, tell me what you think about this, and what I can do more for Trial And Error. Thanks again, guys!

-Anthony-                         

Mother, What Is Earthbound?

Title: EarthBound/Mother 2

Genre: Role-Playing Game

Developer(s): Ape, HAL Laboratory

Publisher: Nintendo

System: SNES (original), Game Boy Advance, Wii U (ports)

Release Date: June 5th, 1995

If you don't get the title of this post, it is that "Mother" is actually the name of the series, though in the U.S., it was localized as EarthBound. It is the second game of the series, and the only game of the Mother trilogy to have been released in North America. Compared to all of Nintendo's other titles, it is one of the few series that is not well known. 

Unlike most RPGs in the 80s to mid 90s that are usually based in some sort of medieval settings, EarthBound takes place in a more modern time -- "199X" to be exact, and also in a world that resembles America. And, the enemies that you face can vary -- from strange bizzare people, inanimate objects, beasts, and even aliens.

The Starmen are the most notable enemies in the Mother series, and are generally fought near the end of all three games.

As stated, since the game takes place in Eagleland, which is based on America, you'll notice that the game has references to American pop-culture, through dialogue, and even in the game's soundtrack.

In EarthBound, one night, Ness awakens to see that a meteorite landed on top of a hill not far from where he lives. Near the meteor, he meets an Alien known as "Buzz Buzz" who tells him about a mysterious evil in the future that is too powerful, and that it is up to him along with three others in order to save the world. The task is to located eight melodies using an item known as the Sound Stone in order to unite his power with everyone else's in order to stop this evil from ever existing.

The main cast of EarthBound

Ness -- A 13 year old boy from Onett who has strong PSI powers, who's main mission is to collect all eight melodies in order to save the world from evil. He always has his red cap sideways, and wears a blue and yellow striped shirt. His weapon of choice aside from his PSI powers is baseball bats.

Paula -- An 11 year old girl from Twoson who also has PSI powers, and knew about Ness in a dream. She joins Ness after she has been rescued from some of the main villians. Aside from PSI attacks, Paula uses frying pans as her weapon.

Jeff Andonuts -- A 13 year old child prodigy and the son of the Dr. Andonuts, a notable professor/scientist who resides in Winters. He is the only character in the party to not have the ability of PSI. He uses guns/lasers to deal damage to enemies, and can also use bombs and bottle rockets.

Poo -- The last recuritable member who lives in Dalaam. A dedicated warrior and also popular with the ladies of his hometown. He lets his fists do the damage dealing along with his PSI skills. He also can wield a special weapon known as the Sword of Kings. Unlike other characters who can heal their HP and PSI with Western food (like pizza and hamburgers), this is not as effective for Poo, so having Eastern Foods and Water will help restore him.

Nintendo Direct is Nintendo's update series that talks about games coming out on its current consoles. 

Now, here comes the main reason why today's blog is about EarthBound and not something else. In today's Nintendo Direct, Satoru Iwata, president of Nintendo announced that EarthBound will be coming to the Nintendo Wii U's eShop/Virtual Console sometime later this year.

I'm sad to say that I never played EarthBound when it first came out on Super Nintendo Entertainment System, but now I'm more hopefully that once I acquire a Wii U, I'll be able to play it for sure.

When EarthBound was released back in 1995, it wasn't very successful and sold poorly, but now that the fanbase has grown, and more people have been demanding it, with more people downloading EarthBound on the Wii U, it could gave future EarthBound games more availability to come overseas.

Also, while not mentioned in the video, EarthBound was not released in Europe, so there's a first for a lot of people over there.

If you want to learn more about the Mother/EarthBound series, the best site for all things related to these games would be Starmen.net, where they have new and previous information regarding EarthBound as well as Mother (known by the fans as "EarthBound Zero") and Mother 3 ("EarthBound 2").

Well, I think that covers everything for this blog, stay tuned for more exciting things to come!
-Anthony-

Show Me Your Poker Face! Poker Night at the Inventory (1 AND 2)

Titles: Poker Night at the Inventory 1 & 2
Genre: Card Game (Poker)
Developer/Publisher: Telltale Games
System: PC, Mac OSX (both games), PS3, 360 (Poker Night 2 only)
Release Dates: November 22, 2010 (original), April 23rd, 2013 (2)

Poker... with characters from various video games and other big franchises... well, now that's something to think about.

Poker Night at the Inventory puts you against four notable characters in a battle of cards, Texas Hold 'Em style (with the second game adding Omaha Hold 'Em in the mix). The first game features you going up against Max from the Sam & Max series, Strong Bad from Homestar Runner, The Heavy from Team Fortress 2, and Tycho from the Penny Arcade webcomics.

In Poker Night 2, you opponents this time are Brock Sampson from the [adult swim] animated series The Venture Bros., Claptrap from Borderlands, Ash Williams (not to be confused with Ashley Williams of the Mass Effect series) from the Evil Dead movies, and Sam from Sam & Max. GLaDOS from the Portal series also makes an appearance in this game, serving the role as the dealer.

The cast of Poker Night 2. 

The general gist of Texas Hold 'em poker is this: each player is dealt two cards, turn by turn each player can choose to call the amount the previous player put out or raise in order to earn more money. Players can fold if they feel that their hand is inferior to that of the others.

After all bets are done, the first three cards of the river go out, and the process repeats until there are five cards out on the table. The player with the best hand wins the pot.

And just when you think the game is all about money, you best think again. Each character has a special item that you can obtain which can be used for another game.

In the case with the first game (and probably the second), each of the character has a special item that they can put up as part of the bet, and if you win the bet, that item is yours. In the first game, obtaining a special item will grant you bonus weapons and gear in Team Fortress 2.

Winning more poker matches allows you to unlock extra tables and cards based on each character's series. In Poker Night 2, they made special areas/maps for all 5 characters.

If you're looking for something fun and/or want to learn about playing poker without using real money, then both Poker Night games are a choice for you, and both are $5, with pre-ordering Poker Night 2 (on Steam) will grant you the original Poker Night free of charge.

Thanks again for reading!
-Anthony-

Gotta Conquer Them All! - Pokemon Conquest (Part 2)

Hey everyone, and welcome to part 2 of my discussion on Pokemon Conquest!

As a brief reason for why there's a part 2 was mainly due to me not feeling very well over the course of the last blog's posting, and there's plenty of things that I feel that I didn't cover in the previous part, which will be rectified as of this post.

Oichi and Jigglypuff, your first partners in the game.

One of the first things you'll notice that (with the exception of the hero/heroine) every major character's name is Japanese. Every warlord in all of the nations of Ransei is based on a particular person in Sengoku-era Japan, or has some involvement in Japan's history. Oichi for instance is the younger sister of one of the warlords. Who is it? Well.... you'll have to play the game to know for yourself.

Pokemon, as well as the warlords have unique abilities that can assist their own Pokemon and others in battle.

Even though I did mention this previously, the warlords, like their Pokemon have their own unique abilities that they can use during battle. Some abilities can increase certain status such as Attack or Defense, increase the range of attacks, or even heal.

Pokemon, since the third generation of games (Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed, & LeafGreen) have special abilities they can use during battle (and some outside of battle). Some abilities from the main games (such as Static, Torrent, and Overgrow) are featured, along with some that are only exclusive to Pokemon Conquest.

Obtaining new Pokemon to your party is different from the main series.
 

Normally you would use Poke Balls in order to acquire new Pokemon to your party, however, Poke Balls are absent in Conquest. The only way to add new Pokemon to your party is by forming links with them.

On the bottom screen of your DS you'll notice yellow orbs and small gauge. When the yellow orb reaches the dotted circle, you press A at that moment and it will increase the gauge. Missing the timing will cause the gauge to be lowered. Even if you don't fill it all the way up in one attempt, you can still try again until the bar is full.

In every kingdom, there are areas to find other Pokemon, a shop for buying items such as Potions, and a Ponigiri shop.

Even though that Poke Balls are absent, items like Potions and Antidotes are still available for to buy at item shops (buildings with blue roofs). Ponigiri shops (buildings with red roofs) will allow you to feed ponigiri to your Pokemon, which can increase their energy level for upcoming battles.

These buildings can also be upgraded and they'll be able to provide you with more powerful items for you to use.

On some occasions, there may be a traveling merchant who will sell you items that are not generally in the item shops, such as evolutionary items.

Evolutionary items also work differently in this game. Rather than using it right away or having to trade in order for the Pokemon to evolve, the conditions are different. Pokemon who evolve that require these items need to either win a battle or win and recruit someone into the player's army.

Every one of the warlords has their own story to tell.

The last thing that I will mention is that after you clear the main story, you will get a series of side stories or "episodes" that follow around certain warlords, which unlock after fulfilling certain conditions. There were 5 extra episodes that are downloadable via Nintendo Connection, however, as of December 31st, 2012, those bonus episode are no longer available for download.

Anyways, I hope you've enjoyed my second part of Pokemon Conquest!
-Anthony-

Gotta Conquer Them All! - Pokemon Conquest! (Part 1)

Title: Pokemon Conquest
Genre: Tactical RPG
Developer: Tecmo Koei
Publishers: Nintendo, The Pokemon Company
System: Nintendo DS
Release Date: June 18th, 2012

It's one of the VERY RARE events in which one of Nintendo's main franchises decides to have a cross-over game with another series of games that isn't the Smash Bros. series. Pokemon Conquest is a game that combines the game play and strategy/tactical adventure of Nobunaga's Ambition with Pokemon.

The story of the game takes place in an area known as Ransei, where a legend states that if one nation has control over all seventeen of the kingdom's regions (which are based on all 17 Pokemon types), that the creator of the region will return once more. 

The Ransei region, the setting of game. The landmass itself is based on the legendary Pokemon, Arceus.

As stated previously, the goal of the game is to conquer all 17 nations of Ransei. You start off as a hero/heroine of Aurora, an area that specializes in Normal-type Pokemon. Like in Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, your starter Pokemon is an Eevee.

Unlike in Pokemon games where normally, you would send out a Pokemon and face an opponent 1-on-1 (or 2-on-1/2-on-2 for Double Battles), you and your allies each send out one Pokemon and that Pokemon is the only that can be used for that battle until all enemies are defeated. There is also a handful of different things that differ from normal Pokemon rules:

                             - Each character can vary in the number Pokemon the can have (most 8, least 2).
                             - Up to 6 characters can be in one nation at a time.
                              - Pokemon evolve when they reach a certain energy level
                              - Oddly enough, warlords themselves can also "evolve"
                              - Pokemon may sometimes leave a character's party
                              - Characters may also leave the army if not used at all
                              - All Pokemon will only have one attack to use.
                              - Warlords and other characters can use special abilities to aid the party

Now that's some of main things to look out for in this game. There's a lot, but once you start playing, you'll understand the mechanics quite easily.

A battle in the Fire Nation, Ignis, home to Fire-type Pokemon.

I think that I'm going to put a stop for now, and have a Part 2 for this entry as well, since there's a lot to talk about, and I haven't been feeling well. So stay tuned!

Looking Back -- New Info From Previous Tidings

Hey everyone. Today's blog is pretty much going over things that I did not get a chance to put and or update that status on certain blogs that I've previously posted on here.

If you've saw my post about Journey, you probably remember that the topic was on it's soundtrack being given a nomination at the 55th Grammy Awards earlier this year. Unfortunately, it did not with the Grammy, losing out to The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo's soundtrack, composed by Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross.

Still, for a video game that has gotten a lot of praise such as Journey, getting an Oscar nomination is just as awesome, even if they didn't win, which proves that video games can reach certain points it never could before.

Secondly, I will discuss the current events still going on with Shovel Knight and it's Kickstarter, which is still on for another two weeks. The developers have now reached their $75,000 goal, and have now decided to start up on "stretch additons" which are extra things they can add into the game, all at varying goals.

Some examples of these stretch goals include: a music player, achievements across all platforms, and a New Game Plus option.

If you haven't gotten already done so already, then check out the game's Kickstarter page, and read up on what's to come, and if you wish to do so, donate to get more things for the game.

Third, and most likely finally, I hope that everyone had a happy and safe Easter! Here's to April just not that far around the corner!

-Anthony-

Ground Zeroes And A Phantom Pain

Today's blog will be rather brief, as it is about something which is new information in regards to the latest in the Metal Gear series.

Title: Metal Gear Solid V (5): The Phantom Pain

Genre: Stealth, Action, Third-Person Shooter

Developer: Kojima Productions

Publisher: Konami

System: Playstation 3, Xbox 360 (other systems pending)

Release Date: TBA

Over the last year, there have been two major teasers that led up to Metal Gear Solid V's reveal at this year's Game Developer's Conference. It was initially announced through two separate games: "Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes" and "The Phantom Pain". It is also the first game to utilize the FOX Engine.

The Ground Zeroes trailer serves as the prologue for the game, which takes places after the events of the previous game in the Big Boss story line, Peace Walker. In the full trailer, it is shown that Big Boss has been a coma for nine years. How and why has yet to be known.

Trailer from GDC 2013:

Now to be fair, I've never played any of the Metal Gear games (unless counting the demos for Snake Eater 3D for the 3DS and Metal Gear Rising: Revengance count in any way), but I've always been interested in the series in itself for some reason. My guess is it's just the gamer instinct or something.

Anyways, more stuff will come in the following weeks and months until it's release, so until then enjoy the trailer!

-Anthony-

Rayman...Unvamped? Why You Need to Try Origins and Legends

Hello everyone!  This is a special edition post from yours truly, Rambo Covey, creator of The Gaming Athlete blog!  I'm here to amaze, wow and hopefully help you out in the gaming realm!

Now, please take a step back in time all the way to . . . the 1980s and 90s!  Forever ago, right?  Now, imagine how most games were set up.  Platforming games ruled back then and one certain game stood out, making a name for itself: Rayman.

A platforming game that should have stayed that way.

Rayman helped the platforming genre after its release in 1995 with it's colorful levels and fun-filled gameplay.  Unfortunately, platforming was about to enter its twilight years and Rayman went with it, as Rayman 2: The Great Escape moved over to a 3D format.  At that point, I thought one limbless hero might be gone forever . . .

However, at some point in 2010 and after many difficult attempts to recapture Ray's lost magic, some brilliant new minds at Ubisoft had decided to go back to the roots of the hero and bring a new title back to the platforming age!  On November 15, 2011, Rayman Origins was released, and the title couldn't be any more fitting.

Origins brought back the original style of 2D platforming and mixed it with a vivid new layout and wonderful HD cartoon graphics.  This also helped the gameplay look fresh and renewed, as some abilities had been added since the first game of the series.  Co-op is an absolute blast to play and it's definitely more enjoyable and entertaining when two people are playing instead of just one.

The funny thing about this screenshot is that it's in-game, not a poster.

The other great thing about Origins is that ole Ray hasn't lost his charm over all these years.  Add in the stunningly beautiful new visuals and you have a game worthy of being played over and over again.  In fact, the game was such a success that a sequel, Rayman Legends, is in the works.  It was to be originally released exclusively for the Wii U, but was pushed back so versions for the Xbox 360 and PS3 can be made.

What needs to be said is this: Rayman is back and he's better than ever.  Origins has brought this series back to life and Legends only looks to build on what was done right in 2011.  Often times, old ideas are best decisions to make and in the case of good old Rayman, a better decision couldn't possibly be made.

I would like to thank Anthony for this opportunity to post on his blog.  His information is rich and should be considered by any gamer and again, swing on by to my domain, The Gaming Athlete!!

_____________________________________________________________________

Like what you read?  Leave a comment on your thoughts and like this post and don't forget to read other posts from before for more gaming madness!  Also you can follow me on Twitter at @RamboCovey58!

Deuces for now bros!

Petals Through the Wind - The Life of a Flower

Title: Flower

Genre: Adventure

Developer: Thatgamecompany

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

System: Playstation 3

Release Date: February 12th, 2009

A game about flowers? What is this madness? Well, madness or not, a game of flowers exists. Flower is the second game created by Thatgamecompany as part of their three part original deal with Sony (alongside flOw and Journey).

If you're expecting a huge plot from this game, don't expect that.

The game conists of six levels (seven if you count the ending credits) which follows the dreams of each flower in a variety of different landscapes -- from meadows, near windmills, farms, and even a city.

At the start of each level, a petal will be plucked from the flower and carried away by the wind. You control both the wind and the direction of the petal and collect other flower petals along the way.

You have only two controls in this game: press any button on your controller to control the wind, and tilting the controller will change the direction the petals will go.

Rather than focusing on a major plot, the game is meant to show a variety of emotions such as happiness, which is done through the game's scenery and soundtrack, in which it would correspond with the player's actions in the game.

Flower is a game that's simple and has the ability to capture people's emotions as they play through. If you're looking for something that's affordable (at $7) and pleasing, then Flower's your choice here.

Kickstarting The Code of "Shovelry"

Hello everyone.

Normally at the top of this blog you'll normally see information about the game, it's name, it's release, publisher(s) and what not, but that's not the case for today's blog.

Not that long ago I came across a trailer for a new game that has yet to be released. I instantly was amazed by it's concept. The title that I'm talking about is "Shovel Knight".

Shovel Knight is an upcoming action/platformer game that will be released on Steam (PC), and also on Nintendo Wii U and Nintendo 3DS that will be released sometime in 2013. The game is done in a retro 8-bit design, from enemies, dialogue boxes, and even the musical score.

Like any indie game before it, making a game costs money, and of course the company behind this game, Yacht Club Games, is in need of funds in order to finish the game in its entirety. With the way the economy is, and how money goes by quick, sometimes you have turn to something in order to get the project at full speed.

That's where sites like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo come in.

A week or so ago, Yacht Club Games started their Kickstarter campaign for Shovel Knight, and need a total of $75,000 in order to fully finish the game. Now you're probably asking: "Why should I donate to for this campaign?" Any campaign done on Kickstarter or IndieGoGo, regardless of the project type, gives people who donate certain amounts rewards in return.

Kickstarter and IndieGoGo campaigns can offer special rewards to those who donate. People who donate $100 or more for Shovel Knight's campaign get "official Shovel Knight Dirt" along with a special secret, and all other previous rewards.

Of course, the company must pay part of the money once that have fully funded their campaign to the site itself (this is the case for IndieGoGo, though I'm not 100% sure about Kickstarter).

Even though there's still a little over three weeks of campaign still going on, and it's reached halfway towards it's goal, the sooner it gets fully funded, the sooner progress can be made for the game's completion. Even if you donate just $1 to the campaign it helps a lot in a way.

So let's see what we can do to help get this game into a reality!

The Shovel Knight Kickstarter Page

Shovel Knight's Steam Greenlight Page (NOTE: You must have an account/login to Steam to vote it up)

Shovel Knight Trailer

Shovel Knight will also be shown at this year's PAX East, which is this weekend. So hopefully more info on the game will come out soon.

Cheers, everyone!
-Anthony-

Harmonious Harmony - HarmoKnight Demo

Title: HarmoKnight
Genre: Rhythm, Platformer
Developer: Game Freak
Publisher: Nintendo
System: Nintendo 3DS
Release Date: March 28th, 2013

You're probably surprised that I'm posting something about a game that hasn't came out yet, but luckily there's a demo of this game on the Nintendo eShop and I decided to check it out.

Because I'm talking about a demo, this blog will be pretty short, and spoiler free.

HarmoKnight is Rhythm based Platformer developed by Game Freak, the company that's well known for making the Pokemon series. Every now and then they'll make a non Pokemon based game, but if you still need that Pokemon fix in your life, several levels in HarmoKnight feature music from various Pokemon games.

The plot of HarmoKnight is simple: you play as a young warrior named Tempo and find out that monsters known as Noizoids have come and attacked Melodia (a planet/main setting) and it's up to him to save the planet from these monsters.

Going by the demo, you have two main controls: B in order to jump and A to attack enemies. Occassionaly there will be times where you will need to use the circle pad/controller in order change directions.

Again, to keep spoiling the game, it would be best to try out the game and or demo for yourself. Sorry for the short posting! And happy belated St. Patrick's Day everyone!

Day One in the Dark - Darkstalkers That Is

Title: Darkstalkers Resurrection

Console: Playstation 3, Xbox 360

Genre: Fighting

Developer: Capcom (originals), Iron Galaxy Studios

Publisher: Capcom

Release Date: March 12th - 14th, 2013

9 times out of 10, I usually don't purchase a game on the first day it's out, whether it be a physical copy or for digital download, but since I've never played any of the Darkstalkers games, it was worth my while to download it one it's first day out.

Darkstalkers Resurrection is an HD port/compilation of two games: Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge, and Darkstalkers 3 (the second and third games of the series), the prior of the two making it's first appearance outside of Japan. In addition, like with Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Online Edition, both games have been made to have online playability.

Between the two games, the cast consists of 18 playable characters, with most characters being based on some form of supernatural entity, such as vampires, succubi, and even zombies as some examples.

Morrigan Aensland, a succubus, is one of the playable characters in the game, and she is one of the most popular of Capcom's characters. She also appears along with other Capcom characters in  crossover fighting games.

In regards to characters, since this game is a compilation of two games, certain characters are only playable in either game.

Exclusive to Night Warriors:
Donovan Baine
Huitzil
Pyron

Exclusive to Darkstalkers 3:
B.B. Hood
Jedah Dohma
Lilith
Q-Bee

So you're probably thinking "how can play both games?" You can press "Select" (on a PS3 controller) or "Back" (on a 360 controller) and switch between the two games.

The menus for both games consists of the following:
- Single Player (play through a series of matches against the CPU in Arcade Mode or learn each character's moves)

- Multiplayer (play online with people, watch replays, and set matchmaking options)

- Ranking Boards (view the online rankings for the online portions of Night Warriors & Darkstalkers 3)

- Awards (view any in-game achievements)

- Vault (see concept art, pictures, and videos of all of the characters)

- Help & Options (learn what the controls are and change volume and control output)

- Playstation Store/Xbox Marketplace (view/purchase any downloadable content)

In order to unlock the art in the vault, you must earn points which can be done through leveling up and completing certain in-game achievements (as shown in the Awards section).

In online multiplayer you can save your replays, and just like with Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Online Edition, you can also upload replays to YouTube as well. Here's an example:

Because these games were release back in the mid 90's, output for using each characters moves are different from today's current fighting games like Tekken Tag Tournament 2 or BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend, so they included challenges to show some techniques that each character can use.

Seeing that it has been too long since Darkstalkers has had any actually games since Darkstalkers 3, the reason for Darkstalkers Resurrection is to see if there is enough interest in making a new Darkstalkers game. With enough people this can be possible, but it's ultimately Capcom's decision.

To wrap things up, Darkstalkers to me so far has been an interesting experience, especially since it's something that I got on the first day. I've been enjoying it so far and will continue to see what I can learn from this classic fighting game.

Shaping Sounds - Thoughts on Sound Shapes

Title: Sound Shapes
Console: Playstation 3, Playstation Vita
Genre: Music, Platformer
Developer: Santa Monica Studio, Queasy Games
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Release: August 7th, 2012

Ever since I first played Super Mario 64, platform based games have always held a place in my heart, with each level in the game having different obstacles to overcome in order to reach the end and rescue Princess Peach.

Sound Shapes is like that, just without all the Mario elements, and having more focus on music rather than constant princess rescuing.

The basis of the game is to get a mysterious ball like being to a record player at the end, all while avoiding various obstacles such as lava, lasers, and even small enemies.

A screenshot from "Galaxanoids", one of the four stages in the "D-Cade" album.

While trying to get your way to the end of each stage, you can collect a series of coins. The more coins you collect, the more music will play in the stage. In the main campaign mode, if you get hit by an enemy or injured from an attack, you'll restart at the last checkpoint you were, but any coins you collected after re-spawned are reset.

The campaign itself consists of five sets of albums (or levels in this case), hence why the game is a music platformer. In order, the campaign consists of the following:

                          "Hello, World" - Music by: I Am Robot and Proud (Shaw-Han Liem)
                          "CORPOREAL" - Music by: Jim Guthrie
                          "Beyonder" - Music by: I Am Robot and Proud
                          "D-Cade" - Music by deadmau5
                          "Cities" - Music by BECK

Even though that the campaign itself is short with each album consisting of four levels, I don't have a big problem with it being that length, as the music from all the albums are catchy and unique in their own ways.

Also, if you have a Playstation Vita, Sound Shapes is on sale for $10.49 for Vita owners in part of the one year anniversary of the Vita's release, so go download Sound Shapes!

Thanks again for reading, and I apologize for the lack of updates!

-Anthony-

Fire Emblem Awakening Discussion Part 2

After pretty too much delay, I bring to you the second part of my Fire Emblem Awakening discussion which will focus briefly on character classes, battle layout, and conversations.

1. Character Classes and Weapons

In Fire Emblem: Awakening, each character is specified by a different class, which allows them to use specific weapons in battle that can either deal damage or help out other allies in battle. Characters can use swords, lances, axes, tomes, staves, and other items to assist them in battle.

The Avatar, shown above is part of the Tactician class, one of the new playable classes in the game who can wield swords and tomes.

While most characters can use weapons to battle others may not have that luxury. For instance, Clerics use staves in order to heal other players in order to gain experience rather than by fighting.

Some character classes such as Mages and Archers who wield tomes and bows can attack enemies from two spaces away (but in this case Mages can also attack up close, while Archers cannot). Lancers who wield a Javelin can also attack enemies two spaces away.

Characters can also be promoted to other classes or change classes (via specific items). In the case of the Avatar he can be promoted to a Grandmaster or change to any other class entirely.

2. Battle Layout

Shown above is the layout of one of the battles in Fire Emblem Awakening. Blue units are your characters, Red units are enemies, and while not shown here, Green units are allies.

The general condition of battle can be to either A: Defeat all enemies in battle or B: Defeat the leader of the enemies, which ends the battle automatically.

While in battle you can view the enemy's status and weaponry. And in regards to weapons (specifically swords, lances, and axes) there's something you should pay attention for.

Sword wielders have an advantage over characters with lances, lance wielders have an advantage over axe wielders, and axe wielders have an advantage over swordsmen. Wielding a weapon that is weak against an opposing weapon that is strong will harm your chances in battle, but it won't always be the case.

Characters can also pair up together in combat and enhance their allies' statuses, and sometimes even help out in battle alongside them. Winning battles while paired up will not only give them experience, but it will also allow them to have special conversations, which will be mentioned finally.

3. Conversations

Characters can have up to three to four special conversations which can be done outside of battle. Male characters conversing with female characters will have four conversations (the fourth being an eventual marriage) while same gender characters, characters who are siblings to others and siblings to parents will only have three.

Depending on which two characters are interacting, the scene will be different with each character as they are all unique in their own way.

While I have given some information about the game, the most important thing for anyone to do is to experience the full game themselves and learn about what goes on the world each game takes place in.

Thanks again for watching,
-Anthony-

Yet Another Brief Update Post

Hey guys, sorry for the late posting, but due to having to dedicate more time at my job, I haven't been able to get time to work on a new blog as of late. I'm hoping to turn this around by at least giving a tentative list of blogs that will be coming out.

The following will topics will be covered in future blogs:

-Fire Emblem Awakening Part 2 Discussion
-More Than the Big Three - Steam Box, SHIELD, and Ouya

The following games may be reviewed as well. Again, also tentative:
-Persona 4 Arena
-Okami HD
-Fire Emblem Awakening

I apologize in advance.
-Anthony-

"Journey" At The Oscars

 

 Now, I know what you guys are thinking: "Why do video games have to ANYTHING to do with the Grammy Awards?" Well in this very rarely seen case, one video game has been able to make the cut and be nominated for a Grammy for "Best Score Soundtrack Album for Visual Media." And trust me, I'm not kidding.

Title: Journey
Genre: Adventure
Console: Playstation 3
Developer: thatgamecompany
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Digital Release Date: March 13th, 2012
Collector's Edition Release Date: August 28th, 2012

Journey is the third game developed by thatgamecompany and the last game published under their contract with Sony Computer Entertainment, the other two games being flOw and Flower. The soundtrack, which the game was given the nomination for was composed by Austin Wintory.

In Journey, you play as a mysterious red robed figure traveling through the desert in order to reach the top of the mountain. Along the way players can meet up with other players (via Playstation Network) and work together to reach the mountain and discover new areas and learn more about the history of the robed figure.

Players can meet with other random players via the PlayStation Network. Image shown is two robed figures nearby the Broken Bridge, the second area in the game.

As previously stated, Austin Wintory, composer of the game's soundtrack, was to give players a sense of emotion that builds as you progress further and further on in the story.

Even though that Journey is the first game to received a Grammy nomination for it's overall soundtrack, it is not the first video game to receive a nomination. The first game to do so was Sid Meier's Civilization IV, being nominated (and winning) for "Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocals" with it's opening theme "Baba Yetu".

Baba Yetu Music Video:

 Journey's competition for the Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media Grammy include soundtracks from the following movies: "The Dark Knight Rises", "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", "The Artist", "Hugo", and "The Adventures of Tintin". It would be quite a shock to see a video game soundtrack win against several popular movies.

To end this blog, here's a taste of one of the tracks from Journey, "I Was Born For This".

You can download the full soundtrack for Journey from Amazon or itunes, or you can check out the Journey Bonus Bundle on bandcamp, which includes tracks/remixes from Journey and flOw.

The Oscars will air Sunday, February 10th, at 8 P.M. EST.

Thanks for reading!
-Anthony-