Fuck You Nintendo. Here Are My Thoughts On The New 3DS

Written By: Tyler

Sometimes it's hard to be a Nintendo loyalist. The Wii U had a botched launch, and they confused the hell out of more casual gamers to the point that they thought the Wii U was a Wii accessory. We're still waiting for a steady flow of Wii U games. Nintendo innovates in some ways, but then are so behind the curve in other ways, such as online gaming. Or there's the fact that in a game like Hyrule Warriors, they screw up the co-op by making one person play on the Gamepad while the other gets to play on a big screen (oh yeah, with no online co-op). There have been plenty of Nintendo blunders, both minor and major, but you get the point: Nintendo does awesome things once in a while, and once in a while they screw up. For every triumph, there seems to be a failure.

And yet I am a Nintendo fan, probably until I die. I have a love for Ninty that has been a gigantic part of my life for almost my entire life. I spent my youth playing games developed for the NES. I played these games before I even really understood what I was doing. In the immortal words of Brokeback Mountain, " I wish I knew how to quit you [Nintendo]."

My first blog post was a half-defense of the Wii U... one I still stand by. I enjoy the Wii U, and it sits firmly as my secondary console. I love the Gamepad. I love the exclusive titles I will see on the Wii U. The Playstation may be my primary console these days, but I will not go a generation without having a Nintendo console as, at least, my secondary. While I may play more Playstation, they don't have the loyalty from me that Nintendo does. No gaming company does.

After I got out of a movie last night, I had a message on Facebook from my older brother. It was a link to an article about Nintendo: more specifically, one about a new 3DS. I clicked on it cautiously. It turns out that they are releasing a 3DS with more CPU power, better 3D, more buttons, a new design, and more. It's really quite a wonderful release, and definitely moves the 3DS ahead.

The only problem is, they should have done this from the beginning. This is where I start to get angry.

The 3DS is a monster. I got one last year, and there were at least three games released on it that were among my top ten favourite games of last year. Animal Crossing: New Leaf won game of the year from me. Shin Megami Tensei 4 and Fire Emblem were high up there as well. While it doesn't see a lot of games, it certainly sees its fair share of quality games, and perhaps it isn't good for certain genres due to the limitation of only having one stick, but for things like platformers, RPGs, simulators, etc... it is wonderful.

Luckily Nintendo has decided to fix certain problems, by adding a C-Stick (among other things). Great. Why wasn't this originally in the plan for the 3DS? Or was it and they shipped an incomplete product to us originally? I am all for these upgrades, but they should have been there since the 3DS first shipped. They were painfully behind the times when they decided to only have one stick, and now they've finally decided to add one when people have already bought a fucking 3DS or even a 2DS, which came out less than a year ago.

So now we're expected to buy a new one, or potentially miss out on great games. There's a remake for Xenoblade Chronicles coming, and while I don't need it because I still own a Wii copy like a boss, that's a huge release. What other games will come out?

This shouldn't have happened halfway through its life cycle. They should have just rode the 3DS train until it was time for a new handheld, then implemented a lot of these features because unless everyone is just more understanding than myself, this is bound to create resentment.

Before anybody declares me as some whiny cunt, I'm cool with the 2DS because that was smart: release a version of the handheld without the unnecessarily 3DS shit and charge less. I'm cool with larger versions of the handheld that end up being a little more expensive. What I'm not cool with is segregating the audience by adding things that should have been there from the get-go.

This isn't an article about the confusion that the name may cause, even if that's true. This isn't an article filled with me hating on the advancements of technology. This is simply me ranting about the timing of a release like this. It isn't a money issue, because while I don't have an amazing job, I do well with buying games and consoles. I'm not being cheap, but it's stupid to expect us to buy a new one when the old one has only been out a little over three years.

Another thing that bothers me is that they are fixing something that isn't really broken. While it's true that it could benefit from a a C-Stick, more buttons, stronger technology, whatever, the 3DS is fine the way it is now. Nintendo should be focusing on the Wii U at this point, because they've already performed a magic trick with the 3DS and turned it around. It's time to concentrate on the console that has been a massive failure financially and critically.

Nintendo has not lost my loyalty. I'll get one of these when they're released in North America because I love games and am weak, but I will do so begrudgingly, because at the end of the day I feel like I'm being nickel and dimed. Not that it matters how much resentment I have when I buy it, because they will still be getting my money... but that doesn't make it morally right.

Hyrule Warriors Nintendo Direct And My Hyrule Warriors Impressions

Written By: Tyler

Watch here: http://www.nintendo.com/nintendo-direct/08-04-2014/#/video-ndirect

Today Nintendo hit us up with another Nintendo Direct. If you know me in person or follow this blog, you may be aware that while the Playstation has been my primary system since the first one, I'm a Nintendo fanboy in my heart and always treat their systems as my secondary console. Nintendo gives us games that no other platform will -- quite literally because they own and develop their most legendary IPs -- and they're just damn good. I also respect the fact that Nintendo goes off and does their own thing, even if it isn't always for the best. I actually love the Wii U and love the Gamepad.

They may be horribly out of touch in some aspects of their business model and plan, but in others they innovate. I always look forward to Nintendo Directs -- they're an event for me. They're usually about half an hour of showcasing new footage and breaking news. The only problem with the Directs is that they quite often disappoint. I, like many others, hope for certain things that we never get. Some of it is our own fault, but some of the blame rests on Nintendo.

This one focuses on Hyrule Warriors, which is a game I am looking forward to but it's not one of the big games of the year for me. I quite enjoy Dynasty Warriors but don't follow it religiously and I'm not a fan of Zelda at all outside of a few games that I mildly enjoy. So how did the Hyrule Warriors Direct fare? Read on for the news that matters.

Hyrule Warriors is looking like a good time with just enough change on the Dynasty Warriors formula to make it fresh. Don't get confused though, because this is still more of a Dynasty Warriors game with a Zelda skin than the other way around, but I'm okay with it.

The boss battles should be of interest in this. Though it will lack the legendary Lu Bu, it will have bosses from other Zelda games, and it will require the items that you find throughout the maps in order to defeat them. This should keep battles relatively unique and inject some strategy into the button mashing formula that Destiny Warriors is known for.

You will also need to use the items to open up different areas much like in Zelda. 

There are tons of things from the Zelda series brought in, such as the Cucco. They will come after you if you hit them and you'll see them mingling with the enemies on occasion. However, in some situations you can actually make them your allies. Other characters such as the Bombchu or even the Moon from Majora's Mask will also be included. It's safe to say that there will be plenty of fan service involved but it's interesting how they incorporate some of these. For example, you can hookshot the Moon to have it fall on enemies.

You'll have things like grass cutting, which seems silly, but it is part of the Zelda charm. Apparently they were going to have a stage that consisted solely of grass cutting but they didn't include it. I think that might be a good thing because I can't really see that being enjoyable. Sometimes Nintendo makes a bigger deal out of certain aspects of their IPs than they deserve, and I reckon the grass cutting is one of them.

These are the characters that they talked about in the Direct: Link, Zelda, Impa, Sheik, Ruto, Darunia, Midna, Agitha, Zant, Fi, Ghirahim, plus some new characters like Lana. They will all have their own attributes and weapons, such as a sword, a giant hammer, etc. This is typical Dynasty Warriors fare.

This isn't really news, but expect to see a bunch of stages based on places that you know and love within the Zelda universe, such as Skyloft, Lake Hylia and Twilight Field.

You can fill a bar by defeating enemies that will power-up your character when used. It is called "Focus Spirit."

In terms of character progression, it's light but it exists. Your characters level up as you slaughter your foes, and some materials drop in battle that you can use to craft badges that enhance your stats. You can also acquire weapons that enemies drop... some of these also have skills in them or if they have an empty slot you can fuse your own skills in it, such as more attack damage or a better chance of finding hearts.

There's a mode called "Adventure Mode," which basically slaps you on a NES-inspired map and you can move around to the different stages and play them. Each stage will have its own victory conditions and once you achieve them the level will end and more spaces on the grid will open up around you so you can progress to the next stage. It's not mind-blowing, but it's something.

Like any Destiny Warriors game, the core gameplay consists of spamming attacks until hundreds of enemies fall to your might. You can take over bases in the middle of combat to help turn the tides of battle, but mostly it'll just involve you laying waste to enemies yourself.

One sore spot for me is the lack of online co-op, and how they handle the local co-op. I don't know why but for as forward thinking as Nintendo is in a lot of ways, they have some problems with minor issues. Instead of playing on the same screen, which is completely acceptable in local co-op, especially since most people have bigger TVs these days, one person will use the Gamepad screen and the other will use the TV and Wiimotes. Not only that, but the screen resolution will go down when playing in local co-op. I don't know why they felt the need to do this to use, but it's a bit of a downer. I normally play Dynasty Warriors with a friend but I'll be playing this one solo.

As the Direct ends, we are shown Ganondorf. Of course he is badass, and of course you will want to play as him. If you're a Nintendo Club member then you can get the Demon King costume set, and like most games, there are pre-order bonuses from select retailers.


I think the variety and whatnot of the enemies, mixed with the Zelda characters and atmosphere, will make it a little more exciting than just a normal Dynasty Warriors. I enjoy this idea as a one-off, but if it became a series I think the novelty would wear off. After seeing the Hyrule Warriors direct, I don't know if I'm more excited for it or not, but most of my fears have been put to rest, and the problems I had with the game I already knew (such as the co-op).

Resisting The Urge To Dig Myself A Grave With A Shovel Joke (Dammit) -- A Shovel Knight Review

Written By: Tyler
Platforms Available On: PC, Wii U, 3DS
Platform Played On: Wii U

The first of many badass encounters.

Rating: 9/10
Verdict: A love letter to the past, but also a game that forges its own identity, Shovel Knight is an 8-bit inspired platformer that reaches beyond its humble roots and gives us a game that mentions the past but doesn't rely or get lost in it.


Releasing games inspired by the classics of the 8-bit era isn't anything new within the indie community. The indie scene is flooded with nostalgia, and you can't go five seconds without tripping over something that harkens back to the past. Shovel Knight is no different in that regard, being a game that is very much entrenched in the days of yore, but not trapped in them.

Let's just get this out of the way, because this is what you're here for: Shovel Knight is awesome. There will probably be very few games this year that bring me greater joy than this unassuming little platformer about a knight with a shovel who is trying to save Shield Knight from the evil Enchantress. Mario, yes, but that's not where it ends. The levels look like Mega Man, you can use your shovel and bounce off enemies and objects like in Duck Hunt. The world map is ripped right from Mario 3. The references are numerous, but like I said in the first paragraph... Shovel Knight owes to them but isn't defined by them.

Despite how obvious the influences are, the game forges its own path ultimately, and that's something a lot of indie games lack when calling to the past. It's one thing to make us go "aha" when we spot a reference, but that overstays its welcome. The better route is to make us go "aha" but then follow that up with making us go "wow" because the game has its own identity.

Shovel Knight has simplistic controls. Use a button to jump and another to swing your shovel. Press down while you're in the air and you can use it as a pogo stick. Press up and the attack button and you use your spell. If you're playing on Wii U you can either press a button to call up your inventory or use the screen on the gamepad, which is what I do. That's about it, but the game doesn't need anymore because the foundation is so solid, the levels so well-designed, that what might appear as a limitation these days is a strength. You don't get bogged down at any point.

All games need clever world/level/stage design, but platformers need it more than most genres, and Shovel Knight has it in spades. Every level has its own motif, whether it's something a little more trippy, or it being dark with only lightning lighting the way, or a level that uses air in interesting and dynamic ways, the game is always throwing something new at you.

Enemies are placed in interesting areas, and if you're not careful you might jump over to a ledge only to get hit off because that particular enemy is placed for that sole reason... the game assumes you'll get careless and make that jump without thinking, and a lot of people probably will. There are times that your platforming skills are truly tested, as the game consistently throws new types of jumps at you. The game is hard, but -- to the dismay of some retro-gamers -- it's not impossibly hard, which I'm completely fine with. I had a nice challenge throughout the whole thing.

Each stage ends with a boss, of course, and like the rest of the game there's a lot of variety to them. Since all the characters are knights with different specialties, such as the Tinker Knight, Specter Knight, Polar Knight, etc, they all have their own method of attacking and you have to adapt to that. The battles are fast, and if you sit back they will probably eat you up. I tended to lose on the first fight but won on the second more often than not. 

I have a confession, and yes I've chosen until the middle of the review to say this: I actually am glad we've moved on from the past in a few ways. Namely, I hate redoing levels over and over just because I died. I welcome checkpoints. I did my time, so now once I beat a section I beat it and I don't want to go back until my next playthrough. Shovel Knight has a bunch of checkpoints throughout each level, and each time you die you lose money where you died and you can go back and collect it. This is an interesting play on what we know and love.

Part of the identity of the levels is the excellent soundtrack. Each level has its own, and the soundtrack itself has 48 songs. All of which are great. As I write this review I am listening to it, and each song fits the mood of the stage, transporting you into that world with its usage of chiptune. Yeah, it's another homage to the 8-bit era, but it's extremely well composed with a variety of different moods and atmosphere. Some of it is victorious, some of it is darker, some of it sounds incredibly urgent.

You don't level up in the game, but you can buy different spells such as a fireball, a green orb that bounces around, a powerful blast, and much more. There's a good variety of spells in Shovel Knight, especially when you consider that it's not an incredibly long game. More on that in a second.

You can also spend your money on giving yourself more life, upgrading your shovel with a few different abilities like an homage to Zelda where your shovel shoots something across the ground when you have full life. There are also a bunch of armor upgrades, all of which with their pros and cons, except for the gold armor which I don't think really changes your stats but makes you do a flip when you jump. Plus you look stylish and that's all I really want.

As of writing this review, the game is $15 and I feel like I got every penny nickel worth. I completed the game in roughly five and a half hours but I didn't get everything. Besides the main stages, there are side stages and side boss battles, along with the many dream sequences in which you fight enemies until the Shield Knight drops and you catch her. I don't know why I love this so much, but I think the numerous campfire scenes add to the experience. It's a nice touch. There's also a new game plus after you beat the game, which allows you to keep your old equipment but ups the difficulty.

Shovel Knight is special. It's one of the best platformers of the last ten years, at least, and it's a good price. If you're looking for a retro-inspired game that offers more than just nostalgia, then pick up Shovel Knight because while it does have the novelty of you playing as a knight with a shovel, it has an abundance of excellent level-design, lovable characters, great boss battles and amazing music.

I Won't Mention The Lack Of Gay Marriage, Oops... A Tomodachi Life Review

Written By: Tyler
Platform Played On: 3DS

Oooooooh!

Rating: 8/10
Verdict: It's pretty light on the "life simulator," but in small bursts it's an extremely funny, silly game that is sure to make you laugh a bunch of times.



Tomodachi Life is another Nintendo game that tries to go beyond the social norm of gaming and offer us an original, memorable and quirky experience. In my opinion, people should go out of their way to try to play these types of games because you often find the diamonds in the rough this way. But is this game a gem or a dud?

In Tomodachi Life, you are tasked with creating Miis and looking after them. You help shape their personality and even their voice -- the voices are robotic and silly but it fits perfectly within the context of the game. You have to feed them, clothe them, help them cultivate relationships, and watch them do plenty of strange things. Yes, it's like Sims meets Animal Crossing, but it's not really as deep as either or compelling. With that said, Tomodachi Life is not at all a bad game and there's a lot to love here if you're willing to give yourself over to the weirder side of things.

This is probably the biggest laugh I had in the game.

The main complaint that you'll hear almost unanimously across the board is that the game is repetitive and it loses its novelty fairly quickly. I can't even argue that, because if you play the game more than fifteen minutes per sit down, you'll often find yourself wondering what you can do next. The game isn't as demanding as Animal Crossing, and the experience is light. You have very little control over how your town develops, outside of creating Miis or solving problems, but the requisites for how to attain everything in town is clearly laid out for you. There just isn't a lot to do at any given time, but it's actually not a bad way to kill a few minutes a bunch of times a day.

There is a level progression system, which is a nice addition but what it offers is minimal. You level up your Miis but giving them gifts, feeding them, clothing them, giving them life and relationship advice, and when they reach a new level you have the choice of giving them a new interior for their apartment, a catch phrase, a song, a gift or pocket money. That's really about all there is to it but I'm still glad they put it in there because even though it's simplistic, it does give you the feeling that you're doing something with these people.

On the flip side, if you give Miis bad advice and they get their heartbroken, prepare to do the materialistic thing and give them gifts until they feel better. A black cloud will literally appear above their head as they mourn their broken heart. The Miis seem to proclaim their love for one another on a fairly regular basis, so be prepared to deal with them. My main Mii kept proclaiming his love for a girl that was already taken... oh how art imitates life. I mean, what?

The music is there, but there's not a whole lot to love. If you're anything like me, you'll keep the sound up because you enjoy listening to the Miis talk. For example, in the photo above, I have a Mii named jake and I could listen to him talk all day because his voice amuses me. 

So you may be asking yourself, how could I possibly give it an 8 when the game gets repetitive so quickly? There are two main reasons for that. The first is that it's okay to have casual games where it's just a quick pick up and play. It helps ease and relax the mind, and sometimes it's nice to not play something complex.

The other reason is the main one. The game is hilarious and will most likely be the funniest game I play this year, and it positions itself nicely in the history of amusing video games. The comedy is the real winner here. Though the game does often get repetitive, there were times when something new happened that would make me crack up. This could be something as simple as watching a Mii do something strange in their apartment because they don't know somebody's watching, only to turn to you, eyes wide open, when you choose to enter their apartment. Or maybe it's the most random conversation you'll ever see in a Cafe. Perhaps it's the first time you watch a song (that you can write) get performed on stage. It could be watching the comical events that take place each day in the Mii News. Or it could be taking a vacation -- with selfies -- in space. Maybe it's the joy of doing something like this:

Making a Ninja who lives in a jail.

The game breathes and encourages odd. That's why it's okay that the game isn't as deep as it could be. Sure, in time this novelty will wear off as well, but that's the nature of games: eventually things become ordinary. It's cheesy and doesn't take itself too seriously, and may not find a real audience among "serious gamers," but it would have been a blast to develop. It's not the deepest life simulator, but it's important to note that in my time with the game so far, I have yet to feel like the game has gotten entirely stale. Give it a chance if you want something different.

I leave you with one last memory.

It's E3 Day 2 But I Need To Finish Day 1, So Here's Some More Before Day 2 Officially Starts

Written By: Tyler

If you've been following my coverage of E3 -- and I know you have, because IGN, Gamespot and Twitch are rookies -- then you know I went to bed pretty early last night. Because of this, there were some titles and some news that I may have missed that I am now catching up on today. Before coverage starts for today on sites like Gamespot and IGN, I think it's best to throw up a post to round up some of the stuff I missed because unfortunately I have a job.


Freedom Wars Looks Like An Incredible Vita Game
http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/06/11/e3-2014-freedom-wars-vitaas-most-promising-new-exclusive

I don't own a Playstation Vita because at the time I was considering buying one, I was turned off by the fact that I had to buy a memory stick on top of buying the actual Vita itself. I then decided to just go back to Nintendo and get a 3DS. I don't regret this purchase at all, but as time goes on, I'm really wanting a Vita more and more. Freedom Wars has a great premise: People can be given a million years in jail time for small crimes, and in order to knock years off your sentence, you have to do things for the State. Damn you State!

Aside from the fact that it gives you a reason to do a bunch of quests, the action looks fast and exciting. There seems to be quite a bit going on on screen and there's a lot of creativity on display. Freedom Wars is definitely a game to lookout for.


Final Fantasy 14 Is Getting Gay Marriage And Two New Classes
http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/06/11/e3-2014-final-fantasy-14-getting-two-new-classes-gay-marriage

Are you gay? Do you like Final Fantasy? This one is for you. When the next patch comes out you will be able to play as the Rogue, who dual wields weapons and uses enhanced movement skills and poisons. Then the Ninja can be unlocked afterward, who does all this but adds magical abilities. Whoa, magic in a Final Fantasy?

You will also be able to marry anybody. But not everybody, because that would be weird.



Impressions

Below -- I haven't gotten a chance to play Super Time Force, but I loved Sword and Sworcery and while these are completely different games, I have high hopes for Below. I don't love Roguelikes like the rest of the indie community seems to, but I enjoy them, and Below looks like an atmospheric, interesting take on the genre. I have faith that Below will be a nice mixture of visuals, music and gameplay. The choice to have the camera so far back on your character is neat, and the things said about the game in the demo I saw gives me faith that this will be special, such as the sense of exploration.

Helldivers -- This is interesting, a co-op game that kind of encourages you to be a dick, or at the very least lends itself to your friends being dicks. It's a top-down shooter (which we don't see enough of), and when you die, your friends have to call in a respawn. Oh yeah, there's also friendly fire. The action looks wonderful, and I'm a bit of a sucker for this type of game so I'm excited. I think the name is terrible, though.


Murasaki Baby -- I'm very impressed by this game. I feel like I heard of it before, maybe just that it was coming out, but I absolutely adore the hand-drawn, surrealist (I'm a big fan of surrealism) art style. It's disturbing and beautiful all at the same time. I'm also not usually a fan of touch-screen controls, but there are certain genres where it works well. Murasaki Baby looks like a game that will benefit from the touch-screen controls rather than succeed despite them. This is one of the games of the show I have been most invested in, and it's yet another reason I need a Playstation Vita.


No Man's Sky -- I have loved what I've seen so far, but I just listened to the developer joyfully discuss the story, multiplayer and -- most importantly -- the gameplay. Even though I have been positive and excited since I saw the reveal of the game, I would say there's a bit of cautious optimism because I was scared that the game wouldn't be that fun to play. The developer has soothed these fears for me because he explained how if you're a fan of combat, there can be a lot of it, or if you just want to explore there's certainly a lot of that, or maybe you just want to focus on building your suit. There seems to be a lot of variety, and the idea that we start on the outside of the universe really adds to the mystique of... what is at the center of the universe?


 Well that's pretty much it for me. It's a little late, but Day 1 is done for me. Bring on Day 2!

Weekly News Round-Up, May 4 - 10: New Unreal Tournament! Call of Duty Is Game Of Thrones! The Shaq-Fu 2 Apocalypse! The Gameboy Is Still Direct Competition! Exclamation Marks!

Written By: Tyler


Remember That Call of Duty Series? Here Are Some Details On The New Game, Advanced Warfare
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/tons-of-call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-details-emerge/1100-6419415/

Try not to pass out from this news, but it appears that there's a new Call of Duty coming. I know, I know... craziness.

Here are some details about the new game, stolen from Gamespot:

• In development at Sledgehammer Games for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. A separate studio to be named later is working on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions. There's no word on Wii U.
• The game runs on a new and unspecified game engine.
• The story opens with a catastrophic event that Sledgehammer Games cofounder Michael Condrey describes as "like a global 9/11." There's little more to go on, but major cities on multiple continents are affected by some kind of terrorism perpetrated by a terrorist organization called KVA.
• It is set in 2054.
• You play a character named Private Mitchell, who is voiced by prolific voice actor Troy Baker. You may know Baker for his recent roles in The Last of Us (Joel), BioShock Infinite (Booker), and Batman: Arkham Origins (The Joker). Mitchell only speaks during cutscenes; never during gameplay.
• Mitchell starts Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare as a Marine, who is squadmates with Will Irons, the son of Private Military Company Atlas Corporation CEO Jonathan Irons (played by Kevin Spacey). After their tour of duty is done, the elder Irons asks Mitchell if he wants to leave the Marines to join his company. Mitchell says yes and is outfitted with an "EXO" suit for his new job.
• Unlike past Call of Duty games, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare has only one protagonist.
• Kevin Spacey says he was "very excited" about joining the game when he was originally approached.
• You'll earn points every mission that can be used to upgrade your EXO suit. Using the EXO suit, you can climb walls with magnetic gloves, boost-dodge toward cover, perform super-jumps that let you get to higher ground, use optic camouflage for cloaking, and hover in mid-air.
• Your arsenal includes "variable grenades," which can be switched from concussion to threat detection while they cook. The threat detection grenade reveals enemy locations and makes this information available via an augmented reality system visible in your visor.
• Some of your guns are energy-based, and do not use traditional ammunition.
• There is a rideable vehicle called a Pitbull, which is based on the real world Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle.
• There's no official word on Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare multiplayer yet, but Condrey teases, "You can probably imagine the possibilities of a lot of the stuff you saw in single-player and how it would apply online." Activision also says it is "absolutely committed" to supporting eSports.
• Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare will have some kind of co-op mode.
• Veteran Metal Gear Solid composer Harry Gregson-Williams is working on the game's soundtrack. Audio director Don Veca says, "I think Advanced Warfare is going to be the best-sounding and certainly the best-mixed game ever."
• In an effort to create a believable world, Activision consulted with "experts from production design in movies to experts in the military to scientists and futurists," according to Sledgehammer cofounder Glen Schofield.

Somebody took some influence from TITANFALL.


Guns Up! And Everything's Game Trademarked By Sony
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-sony-trademarks-discovered-before-e3-include-guns-up/1100-6419427/

Continuing their pursuit of trademarking stupid and silly names, Sony recently trademarked Guns Up! and Everything's Game. I can only assume that Guns Up! includes guns.


The Best Kept Secret Since Area 51 -- What Is The Dualshock 4 Light Bar Really For?
http://ca.ign.com/articles/2014/05/08/dualshock-4-light-bar-created-for-project-morpheus

What is the Dualshock 4 light bar for? When did it come here? Is it friendly or foe? Does it prove the existence of life outside of Earth? Is it alien technology? Does it make sandwiches?

I can answer one of those questions. The Dualshock 4 has annoyed a lot of people apparently, and they released an update that allowed you to dim it. But why is it here? Well... it is on the controller because it has to do with the construction of Project Morpheus, the VR system that Sony is working on.

http://thepsdualshock4disclosureproject.com/notarealurl.html


Phil Spencer Is Talking Again
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-boss-promises-new-ip-and-sequel-announcements-at-e3/1100-6419419/

Phil Spencer recently said that there will be new IPs and sequel announcements at E3, but he also said some other stuff. Again, from Gamespot:

• Microsoft is focusing on hardcore gamers for the show.
• Some announcements will be made in May, ahead of E3. "Yea, you'll get a couple of things before. May should be a good month for news. Took me a month to get plans set," Spencer said.
• Microsoft will announce new studios it's working with.
• Spencer is not allowed to talk about anything related to what Halo studio 343 Industries is working on.
• Microsoft's overall goal for 2014: "I feel like what we will show this year is stuff we are committed to, from top studios, for this year and future."
• Don't expect a Microsoft-made gaming handheld anytime soon. "I don't think we'll do a dedicated handheld gaming device, rather just focus on [Windows Phone], tablets, maybe with controller support someday," Spencer said.
• Spencer wants Microsoft's E3 2014 showing to be more "fan focused."
• Microsoft thought about using the voice of Cortana for their E3 show, but Spencer did not like this. Asked if the Cortana voice search functionality could come to Xbox One someday, Spencer said, "I like [Windows Phone] feature but don't want to overdo it."
• Gamers won't need to wait until the Tokyo Game Show (September) to learn about new Japanese Xbox One games.
• Microsoft is close to finalizing a release date for the Xbox One version of Minecraft.
• The Lost Odyssey rights are "a bit complicated," but Spencer would like to see the 2008 role-playing game come to Games on Demand some day.
• Details about external storage support for Xbox One are coming later.
• Why there hasn't been a Battletoads sequel: "Just time, lot's of things we want to build, all the teams are full right now and a long list of what they'd want to do next. You want to spend time because you want things to be as good as they can be, I don't want to do cheap ports," Spencer said.

Their E3 presentation will be titled "Xbox: Game On" and it will take place Monday, June 9 at  9:30 a.m. PDT.


First Screenshot From Tales From The Borderlands Has Shown Up
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/first-images-of-walking-dead-developer-s-borderlands-game-emerge-what-do-you-think/1100-6419425/

The game is told from the perspective of Rhys and Fiona, and is told through flashbacks. The loot that you can collect will be usable in other games in the Borderlands universe. 



NHL '15 Announced, Nobody Is Surprised
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nhl-15-announced-for-xbox-360-xbox-one-ps3-and-ps4-check-out-a-teaser-trailer/1100-6419423/

If you thought a new Call of Duty was a big surprise, then I have a whopper -- not to be confused with the delicious burger -- for you: there's a new NHL game from EA. There's a teaser trailer in the link above, but I can tell you exactly what it'll look like. I bet there's going to be two teams full of people with bad hockey hair, hitting each other and pucks. I know, I'm psychic. 


Mortal Kombat Will Not Show Up On The Wii U Virtual Konsole
http://www.destructoid.com/ed-boon-shuts-down-possibility-of-mortal-kombat-wii-u-virtual-console-releases-274268.phtml

It's important to know that this was called, "If video games were real."

Ed Boon said that the first few Mortal Kombat games will not show up on the Wii U Virtual Console. That's it, seriously. That's pretty much all he said.


Marek Okan Is A Tease
http://www.destructoid.com/the-last-of-us-concept-artist-teases-something-with-artwork-274281.phtml

He posted this picture and said, ""let me tease you something... Its coming."

It looks like a grown-up version of Ellie from The Last Of Us. After he realized people gave a crap, he said this:

Lol. This is how you know you are teasing your stuff the right way
So before its gonna get blown out of proportions - its gonna be strictly personal image.
Is it about TLOU2? Not really... Maybe... Its classified ;P
But seriously its gonna be just a fan art ;]

Oops I did it again, I played with your heart...

From Software Has A New Game?
http://ca.ign.com/articles/2014/05/05/from-softwares-rumored-to-be-working-on-project-beast

There are images in the link above, and if it is true, the game is titled "Project Beast" as of right now. Is this legit or is it fake? I don't know, but I will call From Software tomorrow.



People Are Going To Jail For Stealing In-Game Items
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/thieves-going-to-jail-for-stealing-in-game-items/1100-6419443/

Two people realized that they could make money by taking in-game items and selling them for real money in the game Dungeon Fighter Online. They were unemployed and dedicated so they got someones login information and cleaned him. And now they're going to jail.



The Danish Government Created The Entire Country In Minecraft
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/danish-government-creates-entire-country-in-minecraft-users-promptly-blow-it-up-and-plant-american-flag/1100-6419412/

The Danish Geodata Agency created the entire country on a 1:1 scale as a teaching tool. Then, because they forgot to disable the minecart with dynamite item, users started blowing stuff up... replacing things with American flags and tanks.

Ah yes, just like the good ol' days.


Microsoft Released Its Second ID@Xbox Game: Nutjitsu
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-s-first-sub-10-game-launching-this-week/1100-6419461/

On May 8th, Nutjitsu was released. This is big news because it's the second game released under the ID@Xbox program, but it's also the first Xbox One game to be under $10. $6.49 to be exact.



Get In On The WildStar Open Beta Between May 8 - 18
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/upcoming-pc-mmo-wildstar-gets-an-open-beta-this-week/1100-6419450/

Go to this linky right here in order to request a key so you can play the open beta of WildStar. If you are unaware of what the game is, it's an MMO because the market is getting a little shallow in MMOs right now. In the beta, you can advance to level 30.


The Shaq-Fu Sequel Has Reached Its Funding Goal
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/shaq-is-back-new-shaq-fu-fighting-game-reaches-funding-goal/1100-6419447/

Activision Is Giving Bungie $500 Million For Destiny
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/activision-investing-500-million-for-bungie-s-destiny/1100-6419444/

It appears that it is their destiny (I'm sorry) to get lots of money, as Activision is giving Bungie $500 million to make Destiny. This is just pocket change to me, but I'll let Activision handle this one.



Here Comes The Doom And Gloom Again -- Nintendo Posted A $457 Million Loss
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/wii-u-sales-slow-to-a-crawl-as-nintendo-posts-457-million-loss/1100-6419475/

Speaking of pocket change, Nintendo posted a loss of $457 million. Here's the article in a nutshell: The Wii U isn't selling (shocking), but the 3DS is doing better. Nintendo is still expecting to post a profit though.

If you want specific numbers of sales and whatnot, they're in the link above.


EA Will Announce 6 Games At E3, 1 Will Work At Launch
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-will-announce-a-major-frostbite-3-game-at-e3-what-do-you-think-it-is/1100-6419476/

EA's presentation at E3 is going to be called "EA World Premiere: E3 2014 Preview," and it takes place June 9 at 12 p.m. PDT. They are expected to show off six games and announce a "major" Frostbite 3 game. 


Nintendo Is Low On Money... Re-Releasing Pokemon Ruby And Sapphire In November
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-ruby-sapphire-remakes-coming-to-3ds-this-year/1100-6419483/

3DS owners will see the re-release of Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire this November. They will be titled Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, and they will make a lot of money.


Don't Start Is Going To Have Multiplayer
http://www.destructoid.com/multiplayer-is-coming-to-don-t-starve-274469.phtml

Entitled "Don't Starve Together," Don't Starve will be receiving multiplayer in alpha form in summer of this year. I look forward to maybe eating my friends. I also look forward to playing Don't Starve Together.


The Second Towns Developer Has Left... And You Probably Shouldn't Pay Attention To This Game Anymore
http://www.destructoid.com/towns-left-in-limbo-as-second-developer-quits-the-project-274462.phtml

"I'm putting this whole fucking town in my rear view."

Florian Frankenberger is making like Ben Affleck in The Town and putting Towns in his rear view. After the original developer left, he tried to do what he could, but he's not making money and has bills to pay and people to feed so he's out. And you should be out of Towns. Go to a nice village or something, avoid the city.


Stephan Frost Says That WildStar Is One Of The Most Feature-Complete MMO In The Last 10 Years
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/upcoming-pc-game-wildstar-is-one-of-the-most-feature-complete-mmos-of-the-past-10-years/1100-6419508/

From Gamespot:

"We decided to go with the subscription fee because we are a triple-A game," Frost said. "We are one of the most feature-complete MMOs to be coming out in the past 10 years. HBO, for example, is premium content. It has great shows like Game of Thrones and True Detective. They don't charge extra for those things, they're just charging that sub fee and people gladly pay it because it's good. If it wasn't good, they wouldn’t pay for it."

Except HBO is a channel that offers TV shows of various types... you're a single game that offers the same experiences all the time, because you're just one game. But besides that, yeah, you're right.



The Elder Scrolls Online Delayed For Consoles
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/elder-scrolls-online-xbox-one-ps4-delay-confirmed-bethesda-explains-why-it-was-necessary/1100-6419504/

If you're a console gamer and are waiting to be bored like the rest of us, you'll have to wait. It looks like The Elder Scrolls Online is delayed for consoles. They cited "unique problems," but they're trying to make us a deal: if you buy the game on PC now, you can transfer your characters from PC to Xbone/PS4 and get the game for consoles for $20. Why not... buy it twice?

Go PC Master Race!


Activision Is Comparing Call Of Duty To Game Of Thrones... Nobody Buys It
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/activision-wants-call-of-duty-to-be-talked-about-as-much-as-game-of-thrones/1100-6419503/

Yup, another masterpiece by yours truly.

They want CoD to be discussed like people do with Game of Thrones. They are planning to make Advanced Warfare story heavy, hoping to hit emotional moments that resonate with players for years to come.

But people do talk about Call of Duty. It just... usually isn't nice anymore, it seems.


Nintendo Abandons The Wii U To Develop "New Consoles" In Other Markets
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-to-launch-new-console-not-the-wii-u-or-3ds-in-emerging-markets/1100-6419501/

I'm just kidding... Nintendo didn't abandon the Wii U. But they are developing different consoles for countries like China in order to get their foot in the door.


Nintendo Explains Why Mario Won't Be On iPhones Anytime Soon
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-explains-why-you-won-t-play-mario-on-your-iphone-anytime-soon/1100-6419502/

The President of Nintendo, Satoru Iwata, said, "Our games such as Mario and Zelda are designed for our game machines so if we transfer them into smartphones as they are, customers won't be satisfied. If customers aren't satisfied with the experience, it will decrease the value of our content."

To be fair, I won't be satisfied with the experience just because touch screen controls are the devil.


Nintendo Feels Responsible For Their Problems
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-president-i-feel-deeply-responsible-for-poor-performance/1100-6419499/

Satoru Iwata also said, "Posting an operating loss for the fourth fiscal year running is something unacceptable. I feel deeply responsible for this and I need to fulfill my responsibility by recovering the momentum of our business."

I guess the first step is admitting you have a problem.


Nintendo To Get Into Figurine Games
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/update-nintendo-to-integrate-skylanders-like-figurines-with-wii-u-and-3ds/1100-6419497/

Like Skylanders, Nintendo is looking to integrate figurines into their games. They're going to call it NFP-nfc. They also announced Mario Kart TV, which will tie into Mario Kart 8 and let you watch Nintendo videos, replays and see rankings.


Nintendo Plans To Quit Hardware Business At The End of 2015 And Focus Solely On Making Games For Microsoft


Gimme Gimme Gimme -- Monolith Soft's X Is Destined For 2014
http://www.destructoid.com/monolith-s-x-is-still-on-track-for-2014-for-both-japan-and-the-west-274523.phtml

X is going to rule the world. Seriously, after Xenoblade: Chronicles I have so much faith in them that I'd buy Farmville if they were making it. Good news for fans who are looking forward to X, because it should be released in Japan and North America in 2014.

They also gave a brief list of some other games and their release dates:

• Bayonetta 2 -- 2014
• Hyrule Warriors (temp.) -- 2014
• Yarn Yoshi (temp.) -- TBD
• Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem (temp.) -- TBD
• The Legend of Zelda (temp.) -- TBD

Dying Light Is Delayed Until February 2015
http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2014/05/08/hopes-of-dying-light-in-2014-flicker-out-as-title-is-delayed.aspx

Techland said this week that Dying Light will be delayed until February 2015, so they don't have to compromise on any of their ideas. This is good news for quality, I'm sure, but I wanted to play it!


Here's A Doozy -- Epic Games Revealed The Free Unreal Tournament
http://ca.ign.com/articles/2014/05/08/epic-games-reveals-free-to-play-unreal-tournament

The next Unreal Tournament is coming in the not-so-near future, but it's going to be free and co-developed with the community so their mods and whatnot will be important post-launch. Free Unreal Tournament, and they stress it's "not free to play, just free."
 

Oh Yes, Sunset Overdrive Gets Its First In-Game Footage
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/462820/video-watch-sunset-overdrives-first-in-game-footage/

Ladies and gentlemen, our cherries have been popped, because we got some footage for Sunset Overdrive, that you can find in the link above. I'd post the video here but blogger is stupid and sometimes it just deletes the videos I post.

If you can't watch the video, basically it's crazy. It's an open world game but you can run across walls and movement seems to be really fluid. There are a lot of crazy guns because it's Insomniac Games, and it just looks like it's going to be ridiculous.

Anybody want to start funding my Xbox One purchase?


Harmonix Released The Free-To-Play Rhythm Runner "Record Run"
http://www.destructoid.com/harmonix-releases-free-to-play-record-run-for-ios-devices-274557.phtml

If you got an apple device, you can grab the new Harmonix game for free now. It's a rhythm runner where you avoid obstacles and whatnot, and you can import your own playlist. So finally you can use that grindcore-laptop-death-pop-jazz fusion-jelly-fishcake-thrash-rap song that you really like.

It's going to be coming to Android as well.



Believe In The Shield Because Portal Is Coming To The Nvidia Shield Next Week
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/valve-s-beloved-portal-comes-to-nvidia-shield-next-week/1100-6419520/

On May 12, you can pick up Portal on the Nvidia Shield. So... do that.


Oculus VR To Create The Largest MMO Ever?
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/oculus-vr-aspires-to-create-an-mmo-world-with-1-billion-people-in-it/1100-6419518/

The Oculus CEO stated this week that he wants to create the largest MMO ever, using the Oculus Rift. He is planning on a billion people. He also had this to say, which I want to make fun of:

"Do we want to be Game Boy, or do we want to be iPhone or Android? I think Game Boy is an awesome platform, but I think you'll see that handheld gaming device largely disrupted by the mobile market. For VR, where we want to go, connecting a billion people, do you want to be building a platform that has a billion users on it, or 10 or 20 or 50 million?"

Released last century, still on competition today... apparently.

 It's fun that he mentioned the Game Boy since we're at the Nintendo 3DS. I know this is just semantics, but like I said I want to make fun of him. For someone so forward thinking, it's great that he chose such an old handheld.


Games I Kind Of Wish I Could Stop "Reporting" On -- TITANFALL and Battlefield 4

New TITANFALL DLC Is Called Swampland, Here's A Picture Of It
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/titanfall-dlc-map-swampland-screenshots-and-details-released/1100-6419517/

DICE Give Up, Turn To The Community
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/battlefield-4-dev-turns-to-fans-for-help-testing-new-improvements/1100-6419516/

It appears that DICE themselves realize that they can't fix Battlefield 4, because they have created the "Community Test Environment" that allows PC users to help them test out things.

You've spent your money on it, now you can help fix it. That seems... fair.

I kid Battlefield 4, I kid. I actually enjoy you.


GLAAD Is  Not ?Glaad? That Tomodachi Life Doesn't Have Same-Sex Relationships
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-responds-to-criticism-regarding-same-sex-relationships-in-tomodachi-life-update/1100-6419530/

It appears that GLAAD -- the LGBT group -- is not happy about Nintendo not including same-sex relationships in their odd, life simulator (that doesn't fully simulate life) game Tomodachi Life.

Wilson Cruz cruz'd to a criticism of Nintendo, stating, "In purposefully limiting players' relationship options, Nintendo is not only sending a hurtful message to many of its fans and consumers by excluding them, but also setting itself way behind the times."

The Big N had this to say in response, "We apologize for disappointing many people by failing to include same-sex relationships in Tomodachi Life. Unfortunately, it is not possible for us to change this game’s design, and such a significant development change can’t be accomplished with a post-ship patch. At Nintendo, dedication has always meant going beyond the games to promote a sense of community, and to share a spirit of fun and joy. We are committed to advancing our longtime company values of fun and entertainment for everyone. We pledge that if we create a next installment in the Tomodachi series, we will strive to design a game-play experience from the ground up that is more inclusive, and better represents all players."

In my humble opinion, it would have been nice if Nintendo had included homosexuality in Tomodachi Life so I could finally come out of the closet in a safe environment (with myself?), but it's likely that a lot of people will just see this as silly, thus hurting GLAAD's crusade.

Can't we all just get along? #Ihatehashtags


Sony's E3 Press Conference Is June 9 At 6 p.m. PDT
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-playstation-e3-2014-press-conference-dated-for-june-9-6pm/1100-6419546/

Sony last year.

On June 9 at 6 p.m. PDT, Sony will be doing their press conference. If you remember, which if you're a gamer you probably do, Sony came in like a wrecking ball last E3. Will they do what they did last year and become the Heavyweight Champion of the World while they slap down the competition? Or will it be more normal? I can't wait to find out.




Well folks, that is it for the Weekly News Round-Up. We've had United States terrorism/imperialism, free Unreal Tournaments, DICE throwing in the towel, and lots of Nintendo saying things. We've had some good times, we've had some bad times, we've had some grey times because LIFE ISN'T BLACK AND WHITE MAN. Until next week -- or whenever I write another article that you will subsequently ignore -- I am Tyler, and you can tell me what you think on my pretentious Twitter account @ArtBathednCrime or in the comments below. You can even send a carrier pigeon to my house if that's what tickles your fancy. See ya!

Video Game History Month: The SNES Is The Best System Ever (Part 2) -- The RPGs

Written By: Tyler

In the previous installment of "The SNES Is The Best System Ever," I talked a little bit about the more technical aspects of the system, and discussed briefly why it's the best system ever. But now it's time to get down and dirty and start talking about what makes any system a success: the games (or in the case of the Wii -- a gimmick followed by Wii Sports).

The SNES has a lot of great games, and I'm not going to be able to cover every single game but I would like to drop dime on some of my personal favourites. To do this, I figure it will be more efficient to group the games into genres and write a few posts instead of just having one massive article that nobody will ever finish. Since I'm a role-playing game fan at heart, I reckon that the RPGs are a good place to start. I'm not going to talk about every single RPG on the SNES, but I will select a decent collection of them. So let's begin this party with some big-ass letters.


The RPGS

Final Fantasy 3/6 - Final Fantasy 6 (3 in North America for a long time) is probably the best Final Fantasy ever. It had a large cast of characters, but most of them were actually memorable. I can only think of a couple that weren't, and to be honest, they were optional characters anyway. FF6 managed to be incredibly dark and surprising, with excellent gameplay. It always amazes me that the villain basically "won" halfway through the game when Kefka destroys the world. Sure, you beat him in the long run, but he's also messed up everything at that point and it'll be a long time before they can rebuild society.

I once borrowed this game from a friend, and I ended up losing it... though to this day I feel like my mom misplaced it or something else happened. Regardless, it seemed to have disappeared. To pay my friend back, I gave him one of my games, and for the longest time I felt like he was getting a better deal out of things anyway. I'm not entirely sure I feel that way anymore, but the next game in the list is said game and it's a testament to how good both games are that I'm conflicted about which is actually better.


Chrono Trigger - One of the greatest RPGs of all-time. It is a story of time travel with very memorable music and characters. At the time it was a small but wonderful detail that added to the immersion, but I was impressed by how you just whipped out your weapons and scrapped on-site. Not many games afterward actually did this.

I spent a lot of time playing this as a kid, and if you haven't played it you should... you owe yourself that much.


Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars - The marriage of two of the most influential companies in my life at that point: Squaresoft and Nintendo. Yes I know that Square developed games on the Nintendo platform before, but they literally took Mario characters -- along with creating some of their own -- and made an awesome RPG out of them. The battle system was still turn-based but due to the nature of timing your attacks, it added another dimension to it.

Super Mario RPG still has a line that I use to this day on occasion, "Are you leaking, my dear?"


Final Fantasy 2/4 - Though it's kinda sorta lightweight compared to the absolute monster that came afterward, Final Fantasy 4 (again, Final Fantasy 2 for a long time in North America) is still a completely solid entry in the Final Fantasy series, with incredible music and a lot of human sacrifice -- if only they hadn't ruined that at the end. There's actually a lot of emotion present throughout the game because of how much each and every character goes through. There are twins turning themselves to stone, love triangles, friend betrayals, Cid jumping down a massive hole, etc.

To this day, Kain is a favourite Final Fantasy character for me, and he brought about my love of Dragoons. Even in Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn, I got giddy once I did my first "Jump" attack.


Final Fantasy 5 - This is a Final Fantasy that didn't touch down on North American soil until later on, unless you had an emulator because a bunch of Gods translated it. I don't go to this one for the story or the characters, but it had a pretty boss job system that encouraged replay.


Secret of Mana - Secret of Mana, what can I say about you? I spent many hours playing you by myself in a dark room with romantic music on and with friends. Outside of the fact that maybe the ring system is a little outdated -- it's not a bad system, but in magic heavy battles it's annoying being the guy who isn't casting magic -- it's one of the best RPGs ever and just an amazing game to play with a friend.

Seiken Densetsu 3 - This is the sequel to Secret of Mana, and it wasn't released here in North America. Luckily, like Final Fantasy 5, it was translated by some fine people and I was able to play it. Technically it's probably a better game than Secret of Mana because it offers more of everything, like multiple characters and classes to choose from with more plotlines to play, and enhances the experience while retaining the core gameplay. I usually say I prefer Secret of Mana due to the amount of time I spent with it but SD3 is awesome too.

Secret of Evermore - It's not Secret of Mana, which was a disappointment for some, but it had its own flair, style and gameplay mechanics that made it its own game. The story was more out there and Sci-Fi, which I think was actually more interesting than Secret of Mana, but it is a lesser game as a whole. Regardless, I'm not saying it's a bad game... it's just lesser compared to an RPG that's one of the best of all time. That's hardly even a criticism.


Earthbound - My brother told me that a nerd at Comic-Con said that Earthbound is "too mainstream." I remember a time when nobody knew it. I remember going to rent it and getting that massive instruction manual/strategy guide that is still the best instruction manual I've ever seen. I remember playing Earthbound for hours on end as a kid, being amazed by the humour, characters and music. Years down the road I remember digging deeper into the story and being impressed by how clever the game actually was.

What I'm trying to say is that as a kid I appreciated Earthbound on a base level. As an adult I appreciate Earthbound as a complete experience, as a classic of the genre, a deconstruction of the RPG and North American culture... and possibly a story about abortion.

Basically, screw you random nerd.


Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals - The first Lufia game is a classic too, but I want to group the two games together. I'm a huge Lufia "mark," to use a pro-wrestling term. Lufia 2 is a prequel, and the ending is literally spoiled within the first twenty minutes of the first game, but that didn't matter because it was one of the most heart-wrenching sacrifices in the history of gaming.

Aside from that, Lufia 2 took the elements of the first game and added things like Capsule Monsters, enemies you could see on-screen and... puzzles? Normally I don't really want puzzles in my RPG, but Lufia 2 is okay by me.


Shadowrun - Some people say that the Shadowrun on Genesis is actually better, but I never got to play it. Shadowrun kind of creeps me out to this day, and I can't really understand why. It's a dark, cyberpunk world where within the first half hour you've scared people so bad they left the room and won't open the door, talked to an ugly dude about you getting "geeked" and talked to a dog in an alley. Awesome.

We never got another Shadowrun that could match up to this one, but Shadowrun Returns came close.


Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen - Top 5 RPG of all-time for me. This, FF6, FF7, Parasite Eve and Chrono Trigger tend to be the RPGs I fall back on, which Earthbound as an honourable mention (depending on my mood, really, because you can rotate any of these and I'll be happy, with Parasite Eve being the only game that is always number one). Ogre Battle 64 was a worthy successor, but nothing has compared to the original SNES one. This amazing strategy RPG has incredible replay value because a) it's hard as hell to not be a bad guy, and b) the customization of your army encourages this kind-of thing. There are also secrets I've never even found.

This is a game that we need to see another sequel of. Right now.


Dragon View - This is probably one of the RPGs on the list that don't get nearly enough recognition. It was a sequel to Drakkhen, which itself was a decent take on the computer RPG, but didn't wow me in any significant way. The dungeons are in a side view and the game becomes an Action RPG, and I'll never forget the scene where you walk into a room and Giza beats the everliving piss out of you.


Super Ninja Boy - Super Ninja Boy is another game that doesn't get any recognition. It's not that the story is incredible, but it's actually a completely solid two-player RPG with a battle system that was rarely seen back in the day -- you could actually run around freely in the battle screen, jump, punch and throw enemies into holes that for some reason are in the ground. It doesn't seem like much now, but it was a big deal then, and when I played this game again years ago I still really dug it (outside of how many random encounters there were).


Uncharted Waters 2: New Horizons - Just today my older brother (he loves when I mention him, and I know he reads this so I will keep doing it) said, "It's the first open world game I ever remember playing." I never thought of it that way but he could be right. Uncharted Waters 2 is a game where you pick one of, I believe, four characters (though I could be wrong), and they all have their own goals to accomplish. I remember that one guy has to map the world.

From there, it's a bit of an odd mixture. It's part strategy game, part simulation, but websites seem to classify it as an RPG so I had to mention it too. It's just out of my Top 5 RPGs of all-time, but it's very close and I do adore it more than my unborn children.

You sail the world, getting in ship battles, and I was always particularly intrigued by the one-on-one sword duels you could get into. Uncharted Waters 2 is actually one of the games that most influenced what I did outside. If you don't want to hear about younger me, then skip down, but I would go outside on my deck with a friend and basically  just re-enact the game. I would pretend that the deck was my ship, I'd create a fleet and attack other fleets, while creating my own story. So thank you Uncharted Waters 2 for impacting both my indoors activities and my outdoor activities too. Damn it I'm such a nerd.


The Others

There were other solid RPGs like Illusion of Gaia, Lagoon, Brain Lord, Breath of Fire 2, 7th Saga, Inindo: Way of the Ninja, Live A Live and Equinox as well. All of those are great in their own ways, and I'm not discussing them simply because I was trying to keep it to my all-time favourite RPGs on the SNES... but then I cheated and threw out these honourable mentions because I feel like it's a disservice to gaming if I don't mention them.


But Wait, There's More

However, my journey with SNES RPGs is not over, as their are two games in particular on deck that I intend to play someday. These were originally not released in North America and I can't read Japanese (well I can, just not successfully), but due to people being awesome and the internet, I will now be able to play them.

Star Ocean - I remember reading about this in, I believe, the same magazine that I originally read about Final Fantasy 7. I always waited for it and it never came. It's since been re-released for, I believe, the PSP, and I intend to eventually get it and finally play the game. I love love love Star Ocean: The Second Story, so I can't wait to play this one.

Terranigma - This is a game I never knew about until I got the internet, and I still haven't played it because all these new games keep coming out. I hear Terranigma has an awesome story, and from what I've heard of the soundtrack, that is great too. Eventually I shall sink my teeth into this and Star Ocean.




So there you have it people. Did I miss any SNES RPGs that you absolutely adore? Let me know in the comments below or tweet me @ArtBathednCrime. I'd love to hear about your own SNES experiences, and stay tuned for next time when I give you Part 3... though I'm not sure what genres I will be tackling next.