In this episode Matt and I once again discuss the news we cared about from the past two weeks. We then transition to talking about the Yakuza franchise as a whole for the second half!
Sunday, September 9, 2018
Saturday, August 25, 2018
Podcast Episode 34 - A brand new age
There is a new format for Game Time With Manny. My friend Landers and I decided that it would be more fun if we did a podcast together. This is the first one.
For the first half we will talk about interesting news and then for the second half we will have a specific topic. This time we chat about upcoming 2018 games we are excited about.
We're shooting for bi-weekly, which is a schedule we should be able to stick to. A solid schedule for this podcast? Who would have thought!
For the first half we will talk about interesting news and then for the second half we will have a specific topic. This time we chat about upcoming 2018 games we are excited about.
We're shooting for bi-weekly, which is a schedule we should be able to stick to. A solid schedule for this podcast? Who would have thought!
Friday, August 24, 2018
Project Top 10 - Episode 3
Episode 3 of Project Top 10 is ready for your keen listening ear. Enjoy the dulcet tones of Landers and I while we discuss his top ten favorite games of all time!
Saturday, August 18, 2018
Game Time - July 2018
Game: Octopath Traveler
Developer: Square Enix and Acquire
Platform: Switch
I am always waiting for new JRPG releases to whisk me away to an interesting world where I lose hours of my life. Much to my dismay Octopath Traveler did not do that for me. Prior to its release I had seen a whole lot of Internet chatter about how the game feels disjointed due to the eight characters each having their own stories while never truly interacting. Once I got my hands on the final release, I felt the same. In theory a game telling eight separate stories could be awesome, but because you can't play straight through a single characters story without a ton of grinding for levels it requires you to sample many different stories, so a true flow never develops.
The battle system is quite enjoyable. It's like a mix between Shin Megami Tensei and Bravely Default. Each turn your four party members will gain a bonus point. Like Bravely Default you can use these bonus points to attack up to four times, or power up a skill four times. The SMT comes in when you attack enemy weaknesses. Certain weapon types and elemental damage will break enemies after they are attacked enough times, which makes them unable to attack while decreasing their defense. It's a fun system that requires you to figure out each enemies weakness and whether or not you want to take a fight slow, or unleash attacks in rapid succession to break enemies faster.
I really want to like Octopath Traveler, but nothing about it is particularly grabbing me. It seems as if a great deal of love and care went into the game and it's sold enough copies worldwide to back up that claim. I'm going to keep chipping away at it, but I find myself not wanting to play for more than a handful of minutes at a time. Perhaps once Dragon Quest XI hits my JRPG thirst will finally be quenched.
Game: WarioWare: Gold
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Platform: 3DS
I have always loved the WarioWare franchise. In an era where Nintendo wasn't really trying to put out a bunch of new things WarioWare was a shining beacon of hope. It was supremely weird and introduced great characters like the pizza delivery girl Mona, and the haunted girl we all love, Ashley. It's the kind of unabashed strangeness that I really love from Japanese games. The concept is that Wario needs money, so he hires his "friends" to make 3- 5 second mini-games known as microgames in order to get rich quick. With little to no instruction the player goes through tons of microgames trying not to fail. It's fast paced and manic, while still managing to be fun.
The franchise hadn't seen a new entry in many years, so when I saw that a new one was coming out I was ecstatic. WarioWare: Gold acts as a greatest hits collection for the franchise. It offers tons of new microgames and even a few new characters, but it also grabs fan favorites from the original, WarioWare Touched, and WarioWare Twisted. They are separated into categories of mash, touch, and twist. At first they're kept separate, but in later challenges you're forced to switch between all three.
It took me a total of three hours to beat the "story," however I loved every minute of it. I've been going back and playing it a bunch because there is an achievement system and I feel like I need to do them all. It's cool to see Nintendo continuing to put out new games in the WarioWare franchise. Hopefully this was a test to see if they should continue producing it for the Switch.
Game: Dead Cells
Developer: Motion Twin
Platform: PC (Also on Xbox One, PS4, and Switch)
Buzz about Dead Cells started when it first entered early access last year. I personally try to steer clear of early access games that seem interesting, because I usually tend to play them a ton and then get bored before all the content is added. I didn't do this with Dead Cells. I bought it pretty much right away and thought it was awesome. Then, news of the full release in early August happened and I started playing it all over again! Dead Cells rules and if you'tr not playing it then you're a criminal!
I feel like the phrase "smooth controls" is overused in the video games industry, but with Dead Cells it truly applies. Moving around the character is effortless and feels amazing. You play as a weird guy who seems to be dead, but also can't really die. It's a roguelike, so you run through some randomly generated stages, but when you die you have to start back at the beginning. Like many others of its ilk you collect a permanent currency (cells), which you use to purchase upgrades to make each subsequent run easier. I've been playing it a ton and I don't see myself slowing down any time soon. There are so many intersting places to explore and secrets to uncover. Like, why are there so many doors all over each level that you can knock on? They have to be for something!
I don't really know what to say other than you should totally play Dead Cells. It's on PC, Xbox One, PS4, and Switch. The Switch version seems to be having some issues later in the game, but they seem to be working to fix that. It seems like it's doing very well, which is cool because I can't wait to see this developer make another game. Dead Cells is the best roguelike in ages, which is saying a lot, because we're basically drowning in them at this point.
Wednesday, August 15, 2018
Project Top 10 - Episode 2
The second episode of Project Top 10 has arrived. This time I talk with my close friend Andrew Noukeo about his top ten favorite games of all time!
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Project Top 10 - Episode 1
My new podcast idea has finally come to fruition and it's called Project Top 10. In this hot new podcast I sit down with a different person each episode and discuss their top ten favorite video games of all time! Since I use Soundcloud for my podcast RSS feed it will live alongside my regular podcast in the feed.
In this inaugural episode I sit down with my brother William. I had a pretty good idea of his favorites going in, but he definitely threw me some curve balls.
In this inaugural episode I sit down with my brother William. I had a pretty good idea of his favorites going in, but he definitely threw me some curve balls.
Monday, July 9, 2018
Game Time - June 2018
Game: Yoku's Island Express
Developer: Villa Gorilla
Platform: Switch (Also out on Xbox, PS4, and PC)
Around the time Yoku's Island Express was released I began to hear a bunch of positive buzz. It was being described as a Metroid style exploration game, but with the odd addition of pinball. At first I didn't really understand how that could actually work, but after the first few minutes of play it becomes very apparent. It not only works, but works well in order to add a fresh gameplay style to a well tread type of game.
You start off as the dung beetle Yoku. He answered a call to replace a mysterious island's mail man. Naturally the old mail man was a pterodactyl, and he's fed up with his post (pun fully intended). You bump into him as you arrive on the island and are give the post master bag and told to be on your way to HQ where you can learn more about the job. At first it feels weird, because you can only move left or right while rolling a ball of dung. The pinball comes in by way of orange and blue flippers throughout the world. Pushing L will operate one color, while R does the other. You essentially just roll around until you see flippers, or fall into oddly contained pinball tables.
I'm nearing the end of the game, but it's not particularly long. It's not particularly challenging either. That's okay because it definitely requires some precision pinball shots and I am unbelievably bad at pinball even when it's virtual. Yoku's Island is an interesting mashup of gameplay styles, that is well complimented by its charming characters, world, and music. It's a really unique little product, and I'm glad stuff like this is coming out.
Game: Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition
Developer: Omega Force
Platform: Switch
There was a period of time where I tried to play it off like I ironically liked Dynasty Warriors games. I am willing to admit to you here, today, that I actually love Dynasty Warriors games with all my heart. I'm not ashamed anymore! Sometimes I just want to mash a button and cut down thousands of enemies with little to no effort as I zone out. There are the times where I want it to be Zelda themed. Initially I tried to hold off because I had already bought Hyrule Warriors on the Wii-U, but Fire Emblem Warriors was so disappointing that I just had to get something else to sate my desire for mindless action.
I didn't buy any of the DLC for the original release of the game, and then I refused to when they released a 3DS version with exclusive characters and content. Normally I wouldn't care that much except for the fact that the 3DS version ran like absolute garbage and I wasn't paying $40 for an inferior product. So now I'm over here with the Switch version and it has more content than I can possibly handle. The character roster has been increased exponentially and almost every character feels unique. The issue I had with Fire Emblem Warriors was that every character felt exactly the same. It was a man or woman with a sword, they just didn't do it for me. In this I can be all sorts of weird people. Tingle whacks people with a big bag of rupees and then smashes you with his butt. Skull kid poorly blows into the ocarina and flies around like a weirdo. They're all so unique, and I love it!
I'm going to be honest with you here though, there's never a whole lot to say. It's a Warriors game. You pick a character go into a battle, take over outposts, and collect loot. Most of this is done by mashing the light attack button while randomly throwing in strong attacks and supers. Hyrule Warriors doesn't really bring a whole lot of new gameplay to the table, it just has a ton of unique characters and an obscene amount of costumes, characters, and weapons to unlock. I would gladly recommend this to anyone with the caveat that it's just more Dynasty Warriors with a cool skin.
Game: Mario Tennis Aces
Developer: Camelot
Platform: Switch
I'm not the biggest sports fan, but something has always drawn me to the Mario sports games. I don't really consider go-karting to be a sport, so Mario Tennis on the N64 was the first one I remember playing. I never bought it, but I rented it a ton. It was simple enough to play, but difficult to master the elite level strategies. With each iteration they added more mechanics, and I ended up liking it less each time. So it's odd now that it's at it's most complex I'm more on board than I've ever been.
Aces adds a whole layer of complexity to Mario Tennis that I didn't even know I wanted. It's not just about returning the ball anymore. Now you have to worry about what type of shot you're using and what you're returning each shot with. There's actually a weapon triangle-like mechanic at play where certain shots beat certain shots and allow you to gain more meter. Yes, you heard correctly! This Mario Tennis game has meter just like a fighting game. With each hit you gain a bit of meter, and can use it to slow down time, hit powerful jump shots, or even use a super move. Slowing down time helps with returning difficult to reach shots, but also help you properly time the return of jump shots and super moves. Aces has added the possibility to win by KO. Shots that take meter to perform can cause damage to your racket, which will eventually make it shatter if you don't return them at the right time. When you run out of racket's it's game over for you!
Sounds like a lot to take in right? Well wait, there's more! The final addition that I cannot stand are trick shots. These are special long reach shots that you can perform by flicking the right stick in a direction towards a far away ball. If timed right your character will fly across the court and return almost anything. It makes volleys take forever. The issue I have is that there seems to be absolutely no risk to spamming trick shots like an idiot. You barely lose anything if you miss, and actually GAIN meter if you hit. Regardless, all of these mechanics have made it almost like a fighting game in terms of strategy. It's pretty cool, and I've been having a ton of fun playing with my friends. I have not really been having a ton of fun online though, because everyone trounces me. It's a bit of a bummer because once the short story mode is over the only thing you can really do is play people online. With that said though, I think that Aces is an excellent package that Nintendo seems like they will be supporting in a similar fashion as Splatoon 2. It's a ton of fun!
Developer: Villa Gorilla
Platform: Switch (Also out on Xbox, PS4, and PC)
Around the time Yoku's Island Express was released I began to hear a bunch of positive buzz. It was being described as a Metroid style exploration game, but with the odd addition of pinball. At first I didn't really understand how that could actually work, but after the first few minutes of play it becomes very apparent. It not only works, but works well in order to add a fresh gameplay style to a well tread type of game.
You start off as the dung beetle Yoku. He answered a call to replace a mysterious island's mail man. Naturally the old mail man was a pterodactyl, and he's fed up with his post (pun fully intended). You bump into him as you arrive on the island and are give the post master bag and told to be on your way to HQ where you can learn more about the job. At first it feels weird, because you can only move left or right while rolling a ball of dung. The pinball comes in by way of orange and blue flippers throughout the world. Pushing L will operate one color, while R does the other. You essentially just roll around until you see flippers, or fall into oddly contained pinball tables.
I'm nearing the end of the game, but it's not particularly long. It's not particularly challenging either. That's okay because it definitely requires some precision pinball shots and I am unbelievably bad at pinball even when it's virtual. Yoku's Island is an interesting mashup of gameplay styles, that is well complimented by its charming characters, world, and music. It's a really unique little product, and I'm glad stuff like this is coming out.
Game: Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition
Developer: Omega Force
Platform: Switch
There was a period of time where I tried to play it off like I ironically liked Dynasty Warriors games. I am willing to admit to you here, today, that I actually love Dynasty Warriors games with all my heart. I'm not ashamed anymore! Sometimes I just want to mash a button and cut down thousands of enemies with little to no effort as I zone out. There are the times where I want it to be Zelda themed. Initially I tried to hold off because I had already bought Hyrule Warriors on the Wii-U, but Fire Emblem Warriors was so disappointing that I just had to get something else to sate my desire for mindless action.
I didn't buy any of the DLC for the original release of the game, and then I refused to when they released a 3DS version with exclusive characters and content. Normally I wouldn't care that much except for the fact that the 3DS version ran like absolute garbage and I wasn't paying $40 for an inferior product. So now I'm over here with the Switch version and it has more content than I can possibly handle. The character roster has been increased exponentially and almost every character feels unique. The issue I had with Fire Emblem Warriors was that every character felt exactly the same. It was a man or woman with a sword, they just didn't do it for me. In this I can be all sorts of weird people. Tingle whacks people with a big bag of rupees and then smashes you with his butt. Skull kid poorly blows into the ocarina and flies around like a weirdo. They're all so unique, and I love it!
I'm going to be honest with you here though, there's never a whole lot to say. It's a Warriors game. You pick a character go into a battle, take over outposts, and collect loot. Most of this is done by mashing the light attack button while randomly throwing in strong attacks and supers. Hyrule Warriors doesn't really bring a whole lot of new gameplay to the table, it just has a ton of unique characters and an obscene amount of costumes, characters, and weapons to unlock. I would gladly recommend this to anyone with the caveat that it's just more Dynasty Warriors with a cool skin.
Game: Mario Tennis Aces
Developer: Camelot
Platform: Switch
I'm not the biggest sports fan, but something has always drawn me to the Mario sports games. I don't really consider go-karting to be a sport, so Mario Tennis on the N64 was the first one I remember playing. I never bought it, but I rented it a ton. It was simple enough to play, but difficult to master the elite level strategies. With each iteration they added more mechanics, and I ended up liking it less each time. So it's odd now that it's at it's most complex I'm more on board than I've ever been.
Aces adds a whole layer of complexity to Mario Tennis that I didn't even know I wanted. It's not just about returning the ball anymore. Now you have to worry about what type of shot you're using and what you're returning each shot with. There's actually a weapon triangle-like mechanic at play where certain shots beat certain shots and allow you to gain more meter. Yes, you heard correctly! This Mario Tennis game has meter just like a fighting game. With each hit you gain a bit of meter, and can use it to slow down time, hit powerful jump shots, or even use a super move. Slowing down time helps with returning difficult to reach shots, but also help you properly time the return of jump shots and super moves. Aces has added the possibility to win by KO. Shots that take meter to perform can cause damage to your racket, which will eventually make it shatter if you don't return them at the right time. When you run out of racket's it's game over for you!
Sounds like a lot to take in right? Well wait, there's more! The final addition that I cannot stand are trick shots. These are special long reach shots that you can perform by flicking the right stick in a direction towards a far away ball. If timed right your character will fly across the court and return almost anything. It makes volleys take forever. The issue I have is that there seems to be absolutely no risk to spamming trick shots like an idiot. You barely lose anything if you miss, and actually GAIN meter if you hit. Regardless, all of these mechanics have made it almost like a fighting game in terms of strategy. It's pretty cool, and I've been having a ton of fun playing with my friends. I have not really been having a ton of fun online though, because everyone trounces me. It's a bit of a bummer because once the short story mode is over the only thing you can really do is play people online. With that said though, I think that Aces is an excellent package that Nintendo seems like they will be supporting in a similar fashion as Splatoon 2. It's a ton of fun!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)