Game of The Decade! and some 2019 Gems

With 2019 drawing to a close, it presents the perfect opportunity to reflect on the last decade of gaming. When I think about game of the decade it diverges into 2 schools of thought, what is the objectively most important games (sales, etc) or what are people’s personal favorites. Quickly, I’ll say that Fortnite is the objective game of the decade as it solidified and codified the games as service model. It wasn’t the first, but it was most impactful. Fortnite also cemented streaming and influencer culture in gaming. I hate battle royale games but I see the value and influence that Fortnite has had. With that said, I will layout my personal games of the decade and why.

Surprisingly, not this…

2019 was not a banner year of gaming for me. The biggest releases were not very appealing to me. Death Stranding, Control, even Pokemon Sword/Shield just didn’t do much for me. Madden 20 turned out to be weak and I refused to touch NBA 2K20 this year. I played some great games this year but really doubled down my focus on retro gaming and returning to finishing some of my backlog. That said, Street Fighter V came back in a HUGE way this year. I grabbed the Championship Edition upgrade and it opens up the game and makes it feel complete. SFV should be lauded as having the best Arcade modes in fighting game history. The arcade modes are both fun and a nice history lesson of the Street Fighter (and even Final Fight) series. Street Fighter V has reignited my love for fighting games and has me playing online again and watching combo videos on YouTube.

My game of the year 2019- River City Girls (Switch), River City Girl is the continuation of a favorite series by a great developer. Wayforward is money. The graphics are amazing, the music is exceptional and the game has a sense of humor and character that is unmatched. The 2 protagonist in River City Girls are charming and funny and get fleshed out in some really cool ways during the game. The boss fights are a little brutal but that’s par for the genre. River City Girls met expectations which is rare for new games lately. I’ll give a quick shout out to Need For Speed: Heat. It’s an arcade racer that does everything well and has been criminally overlooked.

My game of the decade is a surprise, even to me. I wanted to pick the game that not only holds up to today’s standards but a game that I actually continue to play regularly. Once I laid out that criteria it slimmed down the list pretty drastically. Tis the season for list so this is going to be a top ten list of my favorite games this decade. This is not an objective list, this is just my favorite games. You won’t see Fortnite, Minecraft or any Assassin’s Creeds games on my list but I think any list trying to make an objective best of/most important game of the decade list should include those games. All of the games listed here were played extensively by me and for much longer than their initial release windows.

10. Marvel Puzzle Quest (PC- 2013)- I don’t remember when I fell into this hole but I wanted a Marvel game and they weren’t being made anymore. I grabbed this for free and they had an easily obtainable Juggernaut and I have been hooked since. I have probably spent 20 dollars over 6 years on this game and never felt like I was missing content. They have great single player story content. The stories vary and continue updating. The asynchronous multiplayer events were fun too. The game also is a great way to see some iconic comic book covers and the roster is always updating. For a free game, this one does it right. I’ve also switched accounts and devices multiple times and never lost any progress. It’s the best match-3 game this side of puzzles and dragons, it also might be the best Marvel game of the decade (RIP Heroes).

9. Street Fighter V (PC- 2018)– Street Fighter IV was one of my favorite games of all time and a fighting game I played in tournaments. No game has compelled me to play online or anything since…and then Street Fighter V finally became complete. When I grabbed SFV it was a husk of a game with a bad roster and a survival mode, now it’s a game with the best arcade mode in fighting game history. It also has a fun story mode and every character has a story as well. The single player content alone is worth buying the championship edition for but the multiplayer is solid too. Graphically, the game is great. It runs really well on PC, and has an excellent soundtrack. Everybody talks about the resurrection of No Man’s Sky but Street Fighter V has risen from the ashes in a big way. I also like the V trigger system now, it adds a lot of depth and some really cool animations.

8. Agents of Mayhem (PC- 2017)– This is a perfectly competent Saints Row follow up and compared to Crackdown this game is a masterpiece. I love the Saturday Morning Cartoon aesthetic and the “hero-shooter” quality. Every character has a fun backstory and unique weapons. I like the variety in enemies and the driving is fun. This game feels like the rare situation where expectations were poorly communicated and then reviewers didn’t seem to get into the flow of the game. It’s an interesting flow, you have character missions and then story missions. As you complete you learn about the characters and unlock them all while continuing to progress the A plot with unique bad guys. Like a TV show there is an A plot and B plot. You level up and unlock things as you play. Each character has it’s own leveling tree. It’s a lot of fun but it deviates from Saints Row a lot. I think the graphics are average. Those things combined led to people bouncing off pretty quickly.

7. Sonic Colors (Wii- 2011)– Sonic Colors is the perfect merging of 2D and 3D Sonic. I think it’s one of the best looking Wii games on the system. I finally played it on Dolphin on PC and seeing it in full HDish glory is amazing. I really like the level designs, the wisps were a nice gimmick, and the story was funny enough. This game is peak 3D Sonic for me. The 2D jumping controls are actually a little sluggish for my tastes but they are still very strong. Some of the levels are just breathtaking, when you’re running through space at full speed and the rainbow track is building in front of you barely beating your feet…it’s amazing. Generations takes this formula and runs with it, and Forces keeps the trend going but Colors feels unique and perfectly paced. Forces had levels that were too short, while some of the 2D levels in generations are too long (No Sonic level should be longer than 6 minutes) but Colors hits the sweet spot. The DS Colors game is also a really strong 2D Sonic entry as well. I still hope they revisit Colors proper with a sequel or do a Switch remaster.

6. Forza 4 (Xbox 360- 2011)– I don’t have a ton to day about Forza 4. It’s the perfection of a formula. This game utilized the Top Gear license the best, the graphics were incredible and the pacing of the career progression was fantastic. This game didn’t get bogged down with drivatars or anything like that. It’s a fantastic racing game with an amazing selection of cars.

5. Bioshock Infinite (PC- 2013)– This is the first game I ever purchased a graphics card for. My pre-built gaming PC wasn’t going to be up to spec so I decided it was time to hit that 1060Ti. That experience got me into building my own PCs. Bioshock Infinite had amazing world building and the way they touched upon racism and the ills of society were really powerful for me to see at the time. Th soundtrack was really cool too, they had old-timey covers of 80’s Pop Songs and some older Beach Boys hits. I really liked how they had an NPC with you the entire game but it didn’t feel like a giant escort mission. The ending with the light houses was great too.

4. Borderlands 2 (PC/Xbox 360- 2012)– Borderlands 1 was a lonely, tense game with a dark sense of humor and some great gunplay and looting. It all seemed to take place in bleak deserts and empty building. Borderlands 2 was a colorful looter-shooter with jokes around every corner and varied areas to explore. The visual and tonal jump from Borderlands 1 to 2 is hard to even comprehend now. That coupled with a lot of quality of life changes Borderlands 2 had and it was a recipe for a timeless game. The story in Borderlands 2 is touching when it needs to be and irreverent when it wants to be. The main antagonist is great and the side characters all feel pretty fleshed out. My only gripe with this game is the lack of Roland. I think the cast in Borderlands 1 is better than 2. My favorite character in the 2 was Mechromancer and she was DLC. Borderlands 2 was supported with DLC the entire decade. Even before 3 dropped, they added some story content to bridge the gap between the two games. Borderlands 2 also has incredible co-op gameplay but is balanced enough to feel playable alone.

3. Pokemon Black 2 (DS- 2012)– This game is peak Pokemon. They iterated on a game for the first time with a real full sequel. This isn’t just Pokemon Gold or Platinum, this is a true sequel to Black and White. I love the story in this game, it touches on the weird reality that the entire economy is based on what is effectively dog-fighting. They don’t follow through with the story in a big way but that’s to be expected. Graphically, the game looks amazing. 2D sprites is where Pokemon shine, the 3D models are dull and make a lot of the Pokemon look odd or plastic. There are so many battle animations and idle animations for the Pokemon in this game. The main story is fun but the Battle Tree at the end is amazing. The post-game in this Pokemon is incredible and keeps me coming back even today. There is a fun risk reward system as you progress floors in the tree and it’s just endless strong trainer battles. In my opinion, that’s when Pokemon is at it’s most fun. I love this game. I also got the special edition DSI system with it and the case. Because I’m lame. It was worth it.

2. World of Final Fantasy (Vita- 2016)– I have talked a lot about this game on here before so I won’t rehash it all here. This is the best Pokemon game that’s not full of Pokemon and it’s the best Final Fantasy game. Period. It’s both fan service mixed with a super compelling original story. The post game is great and the graphics are excellent. I also bought this on PC.

Honorable Mentions- NBA 2K10, Madden 10, NBA Live 19, Street Fighter X Tekken, St. Seiya Soldiers Soul, Mafia 3, Sonic Mania, Sonic Generations, Sonic All-Star Racing Transforms, Freedom Planet, Mercenary Kings, Forced Showdown, Fight N’ Rage, Hand of Fate, Kirby’s Return to Dreamland, Kingdoms of Amalur Reckoning, Gravel, Remember Me, NBA Playgrounds 2, Sega and Sonic All-Star Racing, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and Shovel Knight

The Original

1. NBA Jam On Fire Edition (Xbox 360- 2011)– It feels blasphemous to have a sports title, an arcade sports title at that as my game of the decade. This game captured me the day it came out and never let up. NBA Jam On Fire Edition had an amazing net code at the time. I played the on-line for countless hours They had a leveling system and I maxed it out. I beat all of the single player teams and the Jam-bots. The graphics were amazing. The real faces with context specific reactions coupled with the 3D bodies looked fantastic The courts were reflective and beautifully realized. The crowds were unique, each team had their actual coach and mascot on the sidelines with their cheerleaders. It was such a well done game. The ball physics and movement felt like vintage NBA Jam but the additions didn’t ruin the gameplay.

The biggest additions to On-Fire Edition were the “call for screen (push) button” and “call for alley-oop button”. These made the game have just enough depth to separate it from previous entries. By setting screens you can play with defensive match-ups. It pains me to say this but I went on some epic winning streaks with the Houston Rockets playing on-line. I used the vintage roster of Hakeem Olajuwon and Kenny Smith. Side note- every mode you played helped you earn currency to buy new rosters and players. Every team has their history well represented. Hakeem was great for defense and had a strength rating high enough that he could dunk through anybody and set great picks. Kenny wasn’t the best 3 point shooter in the game but to my eye he was the most clutch. NBA Jam has always been notorious for having hidden stats for players and I think one of the developers was a Kenny Smith fan. What was awesome about playing on-line was that so many rosters were viable. Sometimes I would pick the Sixers and use Dr. J and Darryl Dawkins and power my way to victory. Losses didn’t feel demoralizing because the games were so quick. It was such a well made game. Even today I play it. I keep a 360 hooked up basically for this game and Import Tuner Challenge.

I have NBA Playgrounds 2 in my honorable mentions because it feels great and the single player hook is solid. I love how playgrounds 2 showcases the history of league and jerseys as well. BUT where 2K falls short is the graphics (I don’t love the player models in Playgrounds) and the movement feel. NBA Jam On Fire Edition feels so fluid, and rarely do you feel like you’re fighting against animations. Playgrounds on the other hand is all about timing animations to be successful. If you do a crossover in Playgrounds, you’re locked in and same with pushes. What’s fun that this leads to is certain players have safe animations. For example, Bill Lambeer’s special jump shot animation is a set shot 3. You can’t block it and only he has it. Melo has a turnaround fade that’s unblockable. The animations add a lot of depth but at the expense of feeling stiff. NBA Jam On Fire Edition never has that issue. It feels likes a true arcade game that would have been a worthy sequel to Hangtime in the 90’s. NBA Jam On Fire Edition is my game of the decade. Amen.

2019 was a weird year for gaming and this was a great decade for games. We made so much progress from the Wii to the Xbox One. There were tons of great new series as well some of the best entries from first party titles. From Mario Galaxy 2 to Red Dead 2, it’s been a wild decade. Handheld gaming died and came back better than ever. The consoles were supposed to die but the Series X and PS5 just got announced. Online gaming and free to play games are the biggest things in the world. It’s wild. We are in a new fighting game golden era. It’s been wild but 2019 kind of ended with a “meh”. 2018 was wild with Red Dead and Tetris Effect battling it out for Game of the Year last Year while now we people are debating between Control and…Sekiro? The passion just isn’t there from the reviewers I follow. The craziest thing about the decade for me is just how many games come out now compared to 2010. The volume of games that come out now via steam and on-line only platforms is incredible. It’s never been a better to play video games. Thanks for reading, Happy New Year! Peace.

Halloween Special!!!- SPOOKY MARIO KART TOUR (Mobile) Review

What is scarier than a MOBILE GAME!?! WITH MICRO-TRANSACTIONS NO LESS! I have spent the last 2 weeks deep into Mario Kart Tour thanks to one of my best friends asking me to add her as a friend on the game. I had been avoiding the Nintendo mobile games because the reaction has been so negative towards them in regards to micro-transactions and constant begging for money. Mario Kart Tour is notorious because of it’s subscription service needed to gain access to the 200cc races and awards. All that said, Mario Kart Tour has done the impossible. It’s made me care about Mario Kart again.

The only loading screen I’ll tolerate on my phone…

In my mind Mario Kart peaked on SNES, rebounded on game boy advanced and fell off a cliff with Double Dash on Gamecube. I hated Double Dash because it changed something so clean and perfect. I love the simplicity of every racer having a standard kart and the only difference between drivers was weight. It was simple in a time where Gran Turismo was making sim racers complex (and awesome). Double Dash adding a second racer, wider tracks and different Karts just killed the franchise for me. I would argue it kind of never recovered or felt the same (I know, it still sells). People always go back to the N64 Mario Kart and Double Dash is a cult classic at best. Mario Kart 8 takes all of the things I hated about Double Dash and multiplied it. You pick driver, kart, glider, wheels, all to get in a race and get blue shelled into oblivion if you race well. I just stopped and went to the superior Sonic All-Star series skillful driving actually won races and the visuals are far more compelling to me.

With my negative frame towards Mario Kart, I figured I would have the mobile game. Same issues where you pick driver, kart, glider, but Mario Kart Tour did something unique. It made winning and losing not matter as much as accumulating stars and getting a high score with combos. The game rewards skillful driving. Blue shells are rare. Tour made all the elements of Mario Kart come together in a beautiful symphony of score chasing and racing.

Let me attempt to explain the hook. You get into the app. Every week you have access to themed cups consisting of 3 tracks and a challenge. You earn stars by hitting a certain score on each track and accumulate enough stars to unlock the next track. Every week one track has a cumulative score board that pits your total score in the cup against the score of other real players. You get rewards based on where you place. When you pick your character, kart, and glider you see that each item has a combo multiplier on it. That combo is critical in getting high scores. Every track has certain characters that combo on that track. For example, Boo has the highest multiplier on all the ghost tracks. This combo system incentives the player to value every item and to try different combinations of karts and gliders on each track. This scoring system turns the game into an arcade game where your reaching for the high scores and it leads to some really great strategy.

Mario Kart DS was good

On the track winning still matters. First place gets you more points than 2nd and lower. The real trick is putting together a driver, kart, and glider combo that has the longest and highest multipliers. Every action on the track is scored and if you do actions in a close enough sequence they multiply. If I hit a jump pad, hit Bowser with a red shell and then drift boost that’s a 3x multiplier to the score those actions provide. Once you get good you can combo entire laps. The biggest combo breaker is getting shot by an opponent. This system incentivizes learning the best routes on the track. It rewards you for racing on 150cc or above to maximize points. It give the game replay value and because a race is only 2 laps the time commitment is minimal. The game uses coins and rubies as currency and you get coins in races. Rubies are won by completing challenges or you can buy them.

Mario Kart Tour is the best looking phone game I’ve ever played. Period. It looks amazing. The graphics and details are stunning. They animate faces and throws. This is a game I play with the volume on because the music is awesome. This game feels like a love letter to Mario in the same way Sonic All-stars racing is a love letter to Sega. The controls are fine. You have to manual drift if you want to get the points. The karts auto accelerate, you drift with your thumb sliding across and swipe up to throw items. You’ll hit walls but figure it out and once you do it feels great. The character acquisition is randomized. You pull down on a pipe to shoot something into the air and it reveals your reward. If the pipe is gold it means your getting something nice but recently I unlocked the entire Halloween set with green pipes. It’s not a perfect system but its rewarding enough. You can coins by using rubies to unlock a coin rubs race.

There are actually more mechanics present in the game as well but it all comes together to make a really compelling and complex Mario Kart that has me engaging with the series like never before. It’s sad that the game has been floundering compared to Nintendo’s financial expectations because they made a masterpiece. To the games credit, I’ve been enjoying myself and spent 0 dollars and used the free 2 week trial of the subscription. They messed up and made a fair mobile game and that makes it harder to monetize but I honestly wouldn’t feel guilty putting money into this experience. They earned it.

I also love live games and mobile games because they have the best themed events and Mario Kart was made for a good Halloween event and they didn’t disappoint. Luigi has his vacuum car to suck up ghosts from Luigi’s Mansion. Boo has multiple drivers and a dope pumpkin kart and there are lots of tracks dating back to SNES that take place at the haunted Boo mansions. It’s been awesome playing the Halloween tracks. Mario Kart Tour also has a really positive, vibrant Reddit community.

Disclaimer- I would feel remiss to not speak on the predatory nature of mobile games, especially games with randomized character acquisition and consistent attempts to have money spent throughout. These issues are exacerbated in a kid friendly series like Mario Kart. I have been able to make it through this game without spending a lot of money, but there a lot of opportunities to spend money. Screens pop up to advertise new deals and clicking on characters you don’t have will send you to the store front. It is also very easy to sign up for that subscription. This is not a game to leave with a child if you have a credit card attached.

If you have any interest in Mario Kart, check out Tour. It’s a fantastic game. Happy Halloween! Peace.

NBA PLAYOFFS CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS SPECIAL!!! (AIR HORN NOISE)- NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 (Switch, PC)

Microtransactions. Grind. Kevin Durant to the Knicks on July 1st. Refs in the Rockets v. Warriors series…Lot’s of conversations are happening right now as the NBA Playoffs begins their second round.

What I want to focus on is THE GRIND and how it relates to NBA 2K Playgrounds 2. While Mortal Kombat 11 has brought this conversation back to the forefront, the idea of full price games being riddled free-to-play microtransactions and a gameplay grind that is balanced in a way to make you want to spend is far too common.

Recently, I purchased NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 for nine dollars on PC. NBA Playgrounds 1 and 2 have a terrible system of unlocking players where it’s all loot boxes. There is no way to unlock players you want without finding said players in a pack. For better or worse, the first NBA Playgrounds had 0 microtransaction, you had to earn packs through gameplay. You’d level up and get packs. I beat every tournament in that game and did most of the challenges and played a few matches on-line and never unlocked Patrick Ewing. I use him as an example, because he is who I always want in these games, but the larger issue is that there were teams that I had only 2 players for. I would earn a pack and get duplicate players! It was insane, but there was no way to pay for packs with real money and no auction house. It was noble on one hand, but also paced terribly on the other.

In NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 they have a similar grind. Players have to be found in packs, it’s random unless you win a championship with a team and then you earn a special player. BUT in the sequel you can pay 10 dollars and unlock everyone. I paid that for the PC version of the game. I have everyone. It is amazing, the roster is huge and an NBA nerd’s dream come true. Everybody from Joe Johnson to Drazen Petrovich and of course Patrick Ewing was available. Having the full roster in this game is amazing because I never came close to it on the original game. In addition to having access to a full roster, NBA Playgrounds 2 plays really well especially when compared to the first one. I would argue that the single player gameplay loop is better with the season mode and playoffs. Even with all these positives, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would have felt like to play the season + playoff loop in Playgrounds 2 to unlock players… would I make currency at a rate to buy packs quickly? Is it rewarding? Did I cheat myself out of a fun gameplay loop of unlocking players? To test this, I bought the Switch port and decided not to spend any money on cards. You can earn baller bucks or something to buy packs and every game you play adds currency. I only used in game currency to unlock players.

When you turn on Playgrounds 2 new you are able to open 3 packs that will net you 12 players in the game. Those are the only players you have. I went to start a season to play through (they have 15 game season and then a playoff to see if you can win a title and unlock a special player)and realized that I could only pick teams that I had players for. I had no Knicks players so I could not choose them. I chose the Suns because I opened a Steve Nash legendary card and a Cedric Ceballos. Nash was the best player I had at the time but this team was unbalanced to say the least. Playgrounds 2 provides a decent challenge on normal mode, but it’s hard when your players and roster aren’t very good. As the Suns, I played the Spurs in a regular season game and they had David Robinson and Manu Ginobli. That’s a hard game to win. Nash is a 6’3 PG and Ceballos is a 6’7 SF. I can’t stop The Admiral and they can block everything I put up. In my attempt to get Steve Nash to the finals, something D’antoni couldn’t do, I really struggled. I lost 2-1 in the finals to the Bucks.

I played through a few seasons and playoff runs and opened packs every 2 games. Even after opening probably 20 packs there were teams in the NBA that I had 0 players for. I still can’t pick the Knicks for season play because I don’t have any Knicks players unlocked. If you only have 1 player from a team you’re just stuck, can’t use them until you open a second. This is a sports game where people have favorite teams, not being able to pick them after hours of gameplay sucks. Not having access to Ewing is one thing, not having access to the Knicks is a much larger issue. The side effect of this that can be seen as a positive is that it forces you to use players and teams you may not have normally chosen. I used the Celtics for a season because I opened an epic Larry Bird. Bird is my best player by far so I used the Celtics. I also opened a Dennis Johnson card. There is something to be said for a game forcing you to see the roster and use different people. The game does a great job of making players feel different. My thought is the game doesn’t need these kind of hooks to add replayablilty. The game feels great and is fun, beyond that every player levels up the more you use them and beat their specific player challenges. You might unlock Patrick Ewing, but to get the best Ewing you need to play as him in lots of games. That’s a fun hook. I want the best Knicks with Ewing and Starks, I have to lead them to a title. There are 4 difficulty levels for the single player content with no shortage of reasons to play. Gating off teams from the beginning is tough. I don’t remember Playgrounds 1 having that issue but I might be wrong.

Opening packs on the switch version is a thrilling experiences because the potential is there to gain access to entire teams. It’s also cripplingly disappointing because you may not unlock anything new that you want. On the PC version where I unlocked everything, the thrill is more seeing all of these legends and teams I have access to and picking who I want to try and who I want to level up. The mystique of the card packs and gaining currency is gone. I guess at this point in my life where time is limited for gaming, I would rather have options and control my experience.

The grind notwithstanding, NBA 2K Playgrounds 2’s gameplay ascends the pantheons of arcade basketball games. The first Playgrounds was very stiff and rebounding and rim-feel was rigid and off. The newest Playgrounds game feels buttery smooth. The ability to use a player’s crossover into a jumpshot or dunk feels amazing (much better than the first game). Defense feels more natural too. You can attempt steals more and blocks feel more organic now. The first game limited steals with the turbo meter and the second allows more steal attempts. It feels like a small thing but defense in NBA Jam-like games is reduced to pushing or steals and Playgrounds penalizes pushing very harshly. Being able to attempt steals more makes defense feel much better. The player models look better in the new game and courts are awesome. Teams have home courts now and they look amazing. The fans in the stands are all well animated. The commentary is fun. They use Youtubers CashNasty and Troydan and a few others you can choose for commentary and that’s a fun touch.

PATRICK EWING!

NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 is a perfect example of microtransactions getting in the way of something special. Not being able to access teams without hours of gameplay is a pacing problem and seems like a direct way to push players towards spending money. If you have friends you want to play with, you want to have every team unlocked. NBA Jam TE expanded the roster after you beat all 27 teams. It feels great, it’s a fun reward for playing the game and it can be done in less than 5 or 6 hours. It’s not random, you do the task and everyone unlocks. The randomness of the packs is a problem. I want the Knicks. I can buy 50 packs and may never get all or any of the Knicks players. This paradigm of gaming where the initial 30 or 60 dollars isn’t enough to unlock content is problematic. If you’re going to force people to pay money, let us pay for what we want and not be forced into loot boxes and random packs all the time. That said, I really enjoy NBA Playgrounds 2. A flawed gem. Peace.

MADDEN 19- PC!, ULTIMATE TEAM, AND LONG SHOTS

These are my jumbled thoughts on this year’s Madden. Enjoy.

This year’s Madden is better than last years and probably the best Madden since 10. The animations are better, the modes more thought out, and the UI is much cleaner.

No contracts in Ultimate Team is a game changer. The worst thing in Madden Ultimate team was the scam of players having contracts that determined how many challenges they could be used in. You might need to retry a lot of challenges or are just grinding and then you run out of contracts and have to buy more with in game currency or real money. It was awful. The only good thing contracts did was it forced you to use teams of bad players so you wouldn’t waste contracts of your best players. I don’t miss that though.

Graphically, Long Shots looks amazing compared to last year. Wade is actually able to have textured hair that resembles that of a black persons in the cut scenes. There are far fewer jarring cuts and slow down moments in the cut scenes. There are a few moments of uncanny valley with the women in the game but it’s not bad.

The story in Long Shots is captivating. I have seen some negative reviews of it compared to last year and I think they created a gripping narrative that, while not perfect, conveys a really fun David vs. Goliath story and they added some good characters. They also do a great job of showing diversity on the football field, with a deaf QB and a female assistant coach. The love angle doesn’t feel forced and the losses feel impactful. Being able to say any of that in regards to a mode in a Madden game will always be a win.

Having the game on PC is everything. Graphically, my computer is much more powerful than my Xbox one. My internet connection is better, and the origin access seems better than EA access on Xbox One.

If you sign up for Origin access elite tier (15 dollar a month option) you get the HOF Edition of the game immediately and basically for free. I was already paying for EA access in Origin and by adding 5 dollars a month I got the game I was about to spend 80 dollars on anyways. It’s a fascinating model and one step closer to Madden being a free to play game or subscription service. As somebody who pretty much only plays Ultimate Team, I wish that mode was free to play. There are so many ways to spend money in that mode, paying 60 dollars to get it feels wrong. This is kind of a step in the right direction.

The distinction between Arcade mode and Competition mode are how Madden deals with difficulty again this year. I firmly believe that once the game has been played on Arcade mode, it makes Comp mode feel like such a slog. The main difference between the 2 in my experience is in Comp mode linebackers intercept everything. All the linebackers are constantly in coverage and pick off passes like crazy. It also makes running more difficult as defensive lineman shed blockers much easier. It’s not a bad mode and there is a lot of nuance to be found for people who need that in their football game BUT I love arcade mode. In arcade mode Field Goals are super blockable, the hit stick is a murder fumble maker, and deep passes are always on the table. From a pacing standpoint, I love it. In Ultimate Team, it makes All-Madden difficulty much more bearable. I appreciate that Madden has found ways to make the game accessible.

My biggest gripe with Madden this year is that they keep rubbing the Hall of Fame in my face. Isaac Bruce is criminally snubbed from the Hall. He was a finalist again this year and didn’t get in. TO won’t even attend the ceremony but a better player who was a better teammate and winner and would be an incredible Hall of Famer doesn’t get in. It kills me to see the HOF graphics and cards all over MUT this year. I know this isn’t Madden’s fault but I would love a set of Ultimate Team cards and challenges for best players that aren’t in the Hall yet so I can get an awesome Isaac Bruce card and some people seeing this injustice.

Basically, Madden is dope this year. I recommend it, especially on PC! 

Peace

The Dark Fantasy that is…Fantasy Zone (Sega- Arcade/3DS)

What if I told you that Sega made a dark series focusing on a protagonist who was forced to kill his own father to save the day and then in the sequel has to kill the greatest enemy of all, his depressed and murderous self who has been unable to deal with the death of his father….. THAT IS THE PLOT OF FANTASY ZONE AND FANTASY ZONE 2: THE TEARS OF OPA OPA.

Fantasy Zone is a game that I have heard about for years. It’s referenced and easter egged in lots of Sega properties, and the story of Sega can’t be told with out mentioning this game. For whatever reason, people talk about OutRun, Space Harrier, and the racing games all the time. Fantasy Zone, which is Sega’s flagship side scrolling shooter, doesn’t get that kind of love. That’s a shame.

I was not hip to Fantasy Zone until recently. I tried playing it growing up on various systems and it never clicked immediately so I just dropped it. I actually became really curious about this game after watching a YouTube video chronicling the history of Fantasy Zone and it’s importance to Sega. The video did a great a job of highlighting the gameplay loop and it touched on the story (comparing it to Star Wars). After seeing the video, I grabbed the 2 games on the 3DS to see what this was all about. I became hooked.

Fantasy Zone is a side scrolling shooter starring a sentient spaceship named Opa Opa. You can move all over the screen (left and right), shooting a blaster and with bombs. Your goal is to bow up all of the bases in a level, and then you face a boss. Killing enemies drops currency, and you can use that currency to buy weapon upgrades. The game is stunningly beautiful, and is just so vibrant with color. The movement has a momentum system with the ship but its predictable and works well. The biggest between the first and 2nd games are that the second game has 3 endings and you can warp from the dark zone version of a level to a light version (ala Sonic CD). It’s a really interesting effect that lends itself to replay value. The games are hard. They are clearly arcade games. The 3DS versions have lots of quality of life changes, allowing you to bank money that progresses for every playthrough. You can also add more lives, enhance the map, and use an autofire. These make the game infinitely more playable without ruining the experience.

What fascinates me about this series is that the story is not in your face, but they use text at the beginning of each level to convey what is happening and what Opa Opa’s motivations and feeling are. You are trying to save the Fantasy Zone from a warring army led by your father in the first game….and by you? in the 2nd (I only have one ending in the second game, and it was the bad ending so….not sure what the others hold). The ending of the first game has you question via text was it worth killing your father to save this Fantasy Zone, and then the second game is basically Opa Opa dealing with his depression. It’s call the Tear of Opa Opa….that’s so sad. He is just languishing in depression from killing his father and becoming a heartless killer in the processes of saving the Fantasy Zone again. Killing his father made Opa Opa callous and then he becomes the thing he had to kill…it’s so good. The dark story is in complete juxtaposition with the glorious upbeat visuals. Like with every Sega arcade game, the music is fantastic. I hum the tunes all day after a play session.

If you have a 3DS and 14 dollars, I think these games are worth checking out. The stories are really fun, the gameplay is fantastic, and the music alone is worth the price. Sega is a special company that has truly exceptional history in arcades. We live in a golden era where we can replay these games without wasting quarters or leaving the house, take advantage of it. I have been searching for a game to get lost into, as this season of my life has been really challenging and this game has been a light in a relatively dark tunnel.

Thanks for reading. Peace!

GAME OF THE YEAR- TOP 10 COUNTDOWN 2017 SPECTACULAR!

It all starts and ends with Sonic this year. This may go down as the best year for Sonic fans ever and my Game of the Year picks reflect that. I chose both Sonic Mania and Sonic Forces. As a big 3D Sonic fan, Forces is exactly what I want. It’s easy and quick to play and it’s gorgeous. I’ve already reviewed it but it’s a great game. Sonic Mania is the Sonic game everybody else wanted. It’s a return to form and actually turns out better than any other 2D Sonic game to date. Mania is a masterpiece.

GOTY-Sonic Forces/ Sonic Mania

1.Sonic Mania/Forces

2.Mutant League Football- Any non-NFL football game is worth checking out. This game is a great bit of nostalgia with a fun gameplay hook. In a world where arcade games are dying out, this is a perfect medicine for that ailment. The commentators in this game (see: NBA JAM) are hilarious. 

3.Monster Hunter Stories- This is the game I wish Pokemon was. It’s beautiful and has more depth and content than anything Pokemon has done in years. This game is criminally overlooked.

4.Fight N’ Rage- The best Streets of Rage game ever made. It’s one of the most beautiful game ever pixelated. The music is top notch. Sega genesis would have been proud of this game, and it would have crumbled under the weight of it’s excellence.

5.Tales of Bersaria- It’s dark and beautiful. It’s a return to form for the tales series and the cast is a lot of fun.

6.NBA Live 17– WNBA teams, good gameplay and it’s not 2K. The ultimate team mode needs work but this is a solid basketball game all around.

7.Mass Effect Andromeda- It’s not the best ME game (2 is) but it’s not a bad game either. People got really caught up on the main character’s face and a lot of that snowballed into a weird SJW rant about how they wanted to use a less pretty women to spite the men…the game got caught up in a lot of shit. Removed from all that, it’s a good third person action game with a compelling story and amazing graphics. I actually really like Ryder and her character. I think the models after the updates look good. The horde mode is dope. Check it out.

8.Agents of Mayhem- Not Saint’s Row but not bad either. I had fun with it and like the 80’s cartoon style. The character models and city look good. The city is a little empty feeling but the combat really is solid. This game seemed to rub people the wrong way and I never really caught on to why. It’s not a perfect game but it’s not the bad game it’s been painted as. 

9.Cosmic Star heroine- A great throwback JRPG with a fun cyberpunk future setting that keeps the game moving in a fun way. One of the better paced RPGs I have ever played.

10.Giga Wrecker- This is a thought provoking 2D platformer that is worth checking out. When GameFreak gets some time off Pokemon they can make some amazing games. 

Honorable Mention- Need For Speed payback….the loot boxes suck, the story is trash…but it’s Fast and Furious the game and the graphics are good. I enjoy the characters and haven’t spent any extra money on the game and am still progressing. It’s fun. 

I just got a Switch for the son so I will check out Mario and those games soon but it’s clear that 2017 was a great year for games! Madden was solid, and so many games came out that I read about in depth but didn’t have time to play. Assassins Creed is back to good, Prey sounds fantastic, and Splatoon 2 is a gem. PUBG and so many games are re-shaping the landscape of the industry. If you are looking to get into gaming, now is the time. 

Happy New year! Peace.

 

 

Sonic Forces Review (PC)- Oh a new Mario came out?

This is the best year of Sonic games I’ve had since colors came out for both wii and 3ds. Sonic Mania is a special game but I have little interest in always revisiting vintage Sonic. Sonic Forces is the new 3D Sonic game. As always, it is getting lambasted in reviews and polarizing the fan base.

This game is the Sonic Colors sequel I have been waiting for for years. I love Sonic. I love 3D Sonic. This game is everything I like about Colors with a character creation gimmick that works very well. It’s fascinating in a year where Mario is playing dress up, Sega figured out how to get me to change outfits on my created character between every level for fun.

STORY- Real talk, story was dark. Robotnik won. Sonic got captured. A rookie came in to help the resistance force. Robotnik has a new bad guy called infinite manipulating time and space with the wild sound effect from Sonic Mania when you teleport between zones. The resistance fights slowly taking over the world. There are a lot of cut scenes but they work. I really liked the themes of the story. Be brave, and trust your friends. It’s corny but it’s so engrained in this tale, it’s hard not to be inspired. The story works well enough, and ends how you would expect (nobody dead…).

MUSIC- This soundtrack is a call back to Sonic Adventure in the best way! It’s so good.

CONTROLS- The physics are Ok. Momentum on jumps for your avatar take some getting used to. It all works. I never felt like I died due to the controls. Classic sonic does not feel as good as Mania sonic and that’s a shame. Boost sonic, current 3d sonic still boosts and moves fast. I felt like they refined the controls where you press the bumpers to have Sonic shift left or right and it felt good. Not a ton of endless drops to punish you either. Classic Sonic feels slow. Avatar has an awesome move set with the grappling hook and they have an amazing animation where you use the hook to turn when your running fast. New Sonic feels great but he is used in 2D segments too many times for my liking. I think they learned a lot from previous games on the controls. The level design never leaves you wondering why the he’ll they had a 90degree turn when Sonic can’t make those turns boosting. The levels compliment the controls.

LEVEL DESIGN- There are lots of amazing set pieces and gorgeous backgrounds. This game does my favorite gimmick of having you run and the floor builds under you as you move. The level design has taken a lot of criticism mainly due to the length of the stages. Most stages can be cleared in a couple minutes and there are fewer alternate paths to explore. I took the time to play Sonic 1 and 2 on my phone as well as revisiting Sonic Generations on PC and Lost World on PC to compare. The best sonic levels are short. I remembered why I never play Sonic 1 anymore and it’s because of Marble Zone Act 3. It’s too fucking long and it’s needlessly hard and railroads you into a crappy boss fight. Levels like this show the faults in Sonic games immediately. Every level in Sonic Lost Worlds is too long. Play Mario Galaxy and relish in the bite sized levels for a minute then go slog through a marathon 5 minute Sonic Lost World level. Sonic Levels are a balance much like a carnival ride, a roller coaster that lasts too long is just torture and long Sonic levels in my experience leave me feeling tortured just waiting for the end. Sonic Mania hits the perfect balance and Forces leans a little too much on the short side but I think it’s for the better.

GRAPHICS- Hedgehog engine looks so good.

GAMEPLAY- The game essentially breaks down into 4 types of levels, classic sonic, avatar, 3d sonic, buddy levels (think sonic heroes). Each level is a 2-3 minute chunk, made to be repeated. There are around 30 levels in the base game, with many secret levels, shadow DLC, and daily missions and challenges. There seems to be a sense that levels are too short but honestly my biggest complaint with Mania and other games are most Sonic levels overstay their welcome. I have never liked a Sonic stage that was lunching near the 10minute limit. 3minutes gives you a chance to see the level, hit a challenge and move on. My complaint was sometimes for story purposes they tell you enter an area and a 60 second level is you running into the front door. That’s lame but rare. If you like modern Sonic, you will like this game. If you’re coming in still high off of Sonic Mania be warned that the classic Sonic stages don’t feel as good as the Sonic Generations classic stages and nowhere near as solid as Mania. 

WHERE DOES THIS RANK IN SONIC HISTORY? Better than Unleashed and 06, almost better than Colors…..The best Sonic is still Sonic the Hedgehog 2 followed closely by Sonic’s Neo Geo Pocket Color outing.

FINAL THOUGHTS – This is a solid game. The boss fights are fun and the final boss doesn’t shit the bed like in Generations. This game feels like a clear, consistent vision.

It’s amazing in 2017 a tentpole Mario and Sonic come out. Sonic Mania will probably be getting GOTY nods, Forces isn’t that refined but it’s a solid game.

HALLOWEEN SPECIAL- SPARK THE ELECTRIC JESTER

In this SPOOOOOKY time of year there is one tradition that seems to be timeless…dressing up in costumes! That is why Spark the Electric Jester is a perfect Halloween game. Spark is a mash up of Sonic and Kirby. The game is clearly a Sonic influenced piece of art, but Spark has the ability to put on different costumes for different abilities (like Kirby without the inhaling). 

This game is tragically under reviewed and under praised. I had low expectations when I bought it on steam but at 60% off the regular price, I will buy anything remotely Sonic related. 

 

I know what you’re thinking, “James, Sonic Mania is out. Who needs a Sonic clone?” and my response is we do. We all do. This game is less a sonic clone and more of a neat interpretation of what Sonic could have become. Spark has the awesome runways and multiple paths of a sonic game but there is much emphasis on bosses and combat like a Kirby game. I love Sonic Mania but it did nothing to push Sonic forward and that was not it’s purpose. Spark the Electric Jester is a look forward, and frankly it stands on it’s own as a great platformer. 

Much like Sonic, the Music is fantastic. The Visuals are great (16bit-ish and smooth) and the controls feel right.

The Costumes-

His items are dope-

Each new item and outfit makes Spark feel like a unique character and keeps the feeling fresh in a way few platformers can. I LOVE THE BOARD! It’s so fast and fun to use. It feels like what people imagine Sonic should feel like all the time, just blistering speed and no limits. Its awesome.

If you have a few bucks and are looking for a different Halloween game this might be a good fit for you. If you finished Sonic Mania and Freedom Planet, this is a great next step. Honestly, even at the full 20 dollar price tag I would not have been disappointed. This game is worth every penny. 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! BE SAFE! DON’T LEAVE YOUR DRINKS UNATTENDED!

Check out the creators Patreon- https://www.patreon.com/LakeFeperd

 

FIGHT’N RAGE – The Brawler Perfected

The best side scrolling brawler on the Xbox 360 was Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. The genre has had some flashes of greatness but has been stagnant….until FIGHT’N RAGE was released on PC last week.

To make sure I am not just falling for the newest greatest thing, I have been playing all of the Streets of Rage games with my boy. Streets of Rage represents the pinnacle of the genre for me. The music,  the characters, the style….and by the 3rd game it was basically perfect. 

One thing that this genre needs to figure out is difficulty. From unbelievable spikes in difficulty to the way difficulty is handled. These games are hard. Streets of Rage 3 is near impossible for my son and I towards the end and Fight’n Rage has not been defeated yet either. 

Both games just pour on the number of enemies, add bosses to the normal enemy fodder while not allowing your character to improve. The assumption being as your skills go up, you will eventually defeat all comers. While this is noble, the reality is these take an hour to beat with continues, and Fight’n Rage really incentivizes you to replay the game with multiple paths and endings. I’ve never seen and endings for Fight’n Rage because I don’t want to spam continues and restart the level but I also feel like I am going against insurmountable odds. 

That said Fight’n Rage gives you some amazing tools at your disposal. You have lots of attacks, a special move meter, and you can parry. The last one is huge, it gives the game depth and fairness that street of Rage never had. I know I will master this game someday because I’m good at fighting games and the moves to win are their. My getting overwhelmed by enemies is more on me. 

The gameplay in Fight’n Rage is awesome. It’s a 2D pixel art side scroller beat em up. The game really wants you to use the CRT filters but I opt not to. The graphics are gorgeous and the music is dope. The game also has tons of unlockable. Things that are normally DLC now have been put back to their natural habitat as unlocks for playing and besting a certain number of enemies or levels. It’s really great. The game has solid tutorials and a fun 1 v 1 fighting game mode. 

The characters are really great. The game gives you a large breasted ninja, a bison, and aging ninja to fight with. You are fighting mutant animals that have taken over the world. The animations, characterizations, and dialogue are awesome. I don’t want to say names or motivations because the game makes some great homages and call backs to the 90s gaming and it’s worth seeing for yourself.

This game has received 0 press but it deserves some spotlight. If you miss Scott Pilgrim vs the World, River City Ransom,  King of Fighters, Final Fight and of course Streets of Rage check this out! This game stands on it’s own. 

Grab this on Steam (PC) for $19.99. It is a great price for a great game. I am still playing it daily and discovering new paths and dialogue. Peace.  

Sonic Mania- As Spectacular as an Eclipse

Sonic the Hedgehog is my childhood. The blue hedgehog has RUN parallel to my life in so many ways. I am not one of those people who believe in the Sonic cycle, or that Sonic has sucked since Sonic 3 & Knuckles. Sonic has been kicking ass non-stop on handhelds for decades and Sonic Colors was a masterpiece. Sonic Generations was very good and Sonic Lost World was not a bad game. Let’s look at this game not as a great comeback for Sonic but as a moment that truly shows what the pinnacle of vintage 2D sonic can be.

Personally, this game is an enigma for me. Sonic 1,2, and 3 Knuckles already exist. Sonic CD happened. So with that said, why does this game exist? Who is it for? Ironically, it exists for super fans who never stopped loving Sonic and the game exist for people who thought 2D Sonic was the only Sonic we ever needed. I disagree and love 3D Sonic but 2D is a staple. I wonder how non-fans of Sonic feel about this game….Playing through this game it takes me back to my childhood in a really neat way. Sonic Mania is 2D Sonic perfected.

You can play as Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. All have their classic skills. A lot of the levels in Mania are remixed original levels with some new levels in the game as well. They all fit really well together. They took some previous Sonic levels I hate, such as Flying Battery Zone and made them awesome.

Side note, Flying Battery Zone is the worst fucking stage. It is the level that keeps me from finishing Sonic 3 & Knuckles to this day. It’s too long, the gimmick of going in and out doors sucks. It’s confusing, and there is fire everywhere.

 

 

Sonic Mania took that level and added an amazing gimmick with some better boss fights.

The boss fights…..oh the boss fights. I would argue that Sonic has never had great boss fights. Mario seemed to understand boss fights better than Sonic. I love the aesthetic of Sonic bosses but normally they are so easy the boss fight is a waste OR they are so obtuse that you can’t figure out where to hit them. Sonic Mania doubles down on Boss Fights giving you one at the end of every stage (2 stages per level). The first boss stage fight is a smaller easier fight and the second stage fight is the BIG one that makes you think. Sonic Mania bosses are easy but they are soooo much fun if you have previous Sonic games as a reference point. I don’t want to spoil anything but one fight you get to turn the tables on Robotnik and fly his ship. You get to be the boss and it’s amazing.

These nostalgia moments in Sonic Mania are the best and worse. I love them because I have the frame of reference. I lived old Sonic. My son will see these references and won’t know what the big deal is. At one point, you play mean bean machine or see a character from a handheld game and those things resonate big with me but my son won’t get that.

All that said, this game play great. It feels perfect. The music is epic and the graphics are so good. The amount of frames in the animation is staggering and the attention to detail of this game is second to none. There is a completeness and crispness to this game that few Sonic games have had for years. This game is a great platformer even if it wasn’t a Sonic game. As a Sonic game it is truly something special. Oh and the special stages are sooo doooppppeeeee!

This game is a masterpiece. $19.99. More rare than an eclipse, a game of this quality at this price. Make it happen.