It's sad to say, but summer is coming to an end. As hard as it may be to get excited to go back to school, fall brings with it an avalanche of new game releases. With the current generation finally running on all cylinders, there will be enough games to keep every gamer satisfied for the next four months. Just counting all the Nintendo games I'm going to pick up on Wii U and 3DS in the next four months is a little shocking. Good thing I have brothers that plan on picking up the multiplatform titles I'm holding out on, such as Fallout 4 and Star Wars Battlefront, so I can play them without dropping nearly 100 dollars on each one. You know, I need to save that money to buy amiibos.
Before we get started with this edition of Bit by Bit, I would like to announce that I'm going to Fan Expo again this year. I will be there Friday with a few friends from school to hang out, buy stuff, play games, and explore the show floor. Just like I did last year, there will be a full rundown of everything yours truly did at the show along with the return of the Fan Expo Gauntlet. So stay tuned for all your Fan Expo goodness from Silver Bit in the coming weeks.
Game of the Month
In recent years, I have grown fond of the Shin Megami Tensei franchise and its challenging yet engrossing take on the JRPG genre. Funny enough, the Shin Megami spin-off series Persona that's responsible for the series popularity in the West is one I barely touched. While I own both Persona 3 and 4 on PS3, I never took on the task of playing one until I got Persona 4 Golden for Vita. Now I can't stop!
RPGs are perfect for portable play. You can pick them up to finish some sidequests or grind a few levels in small bursts, or dive into the story and dungeons as a way to spend an afternoon. It may take some time to wrap your head around all of Persona 4's mechanics and everything they entail. Once you get past the learning curve, managing social links, jobs, boosting stats, and preparing for the dungeons is a blast. I have already lost many hours just delving into all the activities you can do outside of the main dungeons.
The combat is no slouch either. It has a similar turn-based structure as most JRPGs, but adds a few new systems to make the combat more engaging. Determining which elements shadows are strong/weak against is the key to success. Couple that with powerful pile-on attacks and shuffle time bonuses, and you have the ingredients for an incredible battle system that will keep you on your toes.
I am only brushing the surface of what Persona 4 Golden has to offer. I strongly urge everybody to pick up a Vita or PlayStation TV to play this phenomenal RPG, or at the very least download the PS2 original off of PSN. I may only be 25 hours into the game, but I fully understand why it's considered one of the best RPGs of the last decade. Persona 4 Golden is that damn good, period!
Most Anticipated Toy of the Month
Rumours about a Shovel Knight amiibo were floating around the interwebs for a couple weeks now, but nothing was ever confirmed. That was until a UK retailer announced its existence ahead of Nintendo and Yacht Club Games' official unveiling at Nintendo's Nindies @ Night event in Seattle.
The Shovel Knight amiibo is being produced entirely by Yacht Club Games, and it unlocks exclusive modes and features for the Wii U and 3DS versions of Shovel Knight. The amiibo's biggest addition to the game is the Wii U exclusive co-op, which allows you to play the entire game with a friend. It will also add special challenge stages, new relics and character stat customization to both versions of Shovel Knight.
As happy as I am to see Shovel Knight get the amiibo treatment, I am even more ecstatic to see what comes from the introduction of official third-party figures into the amiibo line. This partnership truly marks an exciting new direction for the amiibo brand as a whole. Expanding the brand to outside properties may be the olive branch Nintendo needs to attract third-parties back to their systems. Plus, it offers a wonderful platform for indie developers like Yacht Club Games to get exposure on a scale they could of only dreamed of.
I have my fingers crossed for Bit.Trip, Shantae and Mighty No. 9 amiibos.
Video of the Month
It won't be too much longer before Super Mario Maker will be released to the general public. For those people like myself that cannot wait any longer, IGN has put together a series of videos called the IGN Super Mario Maker Editors Challenge to show off all the wonderful levels you can make in the game. These five to ten minute videos release every Monday, Wednesday and Friday leading up to Super Mario Maker's release and they offer great inspiration for those looking forward to creating their own Mario deathtraps. Plus, it's hilarious to watch the Mario insanity people think of and the priceless reactions from those playing.
I've included the first video in the series below, but I highly recommend watching them all. I hope to see many great levels online when Super Mario Maker launches on 11th of September.
Showing posts with label Shin Megami Tensei. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shin Megami Tensei. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Bit by Bit: February 2015
February usually marks the beginning of the first quarter game rush. Despite not being as jam-packed with titles as past years, this February has been a good month for games. Nintendo launched the New Nintendo 3DS XL in North America with two highly anticipated portable games, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D and Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, and some big AAA titles like Evolve and The Order: 1886 dropped. It's easy to say February was quite an eventful month. As midterms and major projects will soon be a constant part of life, best to utilize the little free time I have to deliver another exciting edition of Bit by Bit.
Game of the Month
As much as I love the core Pokemon RPGs, I can honestly say Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire didn't excite me that much before their release. Nintendo and GameFreak have been releasing Pokemon RPGs every year since Pokemon Platinum released for DS in 2009 and I was starting to get sick of the yearly releases. Although I planned on buying one of the remakes no matter what (sorry, I'm a sucker for Pokemon), I seriously thought Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire were going to be as disappointing as Black and White 2. Much like past entries, differences between the two versions are relegated to minor story alterations and Pokemon exclusive to one version over the other. While I only played Omega Ruby, my opinions on the game can be applied to Alpha Sapphire as well.
It may have taken a few hours of play, but oh was I ever so wrong about these games. Applying the 3D graphics of Pokemon X and Y to the third gen Pokemon games may be the most noticeable addition to these remakes, but it isn't the biggest. First, story has become a bigger part of recent Pokemon games and Omega Ruby makes huge advances in this area. The story is far more engaging than any Pokemon game before it especially the Delta Episode. Unlocked after beating the Elite Four, the Delta Episode links capturing Rayquaza into a Hoenn-wide adventure that has major implications on the series as a whole. Instead of skipping through story moments, I felt compelled to read through all the lines of dialogue for once. The other big additions change the means of exploring the world and capturing Pokemon. The DexNav app of the PokeNav makes finding and capturing Pokemon in each route a lot more approachable as it tells what Pokemon are in the immediate vicinity and helps in finding rarer Pokemon. Also the Soar ability adds a new dimension to exploring as you get to see Hoenn from the skies. Soaring makes the act of flying far more engaging than the fast-travel of regular flying and allows trainers to go off the beaten path to find Mirage Spots, special locations that offer the chance to catch rare and legendary Pokemon. After experiencing the wonders of soaring, I hope that it replaces Fly as the prime form for aerial travel in future Pokemon games.
Despite my early skepticism, Pokemon Omega Ruby turned out to be a great game that I gladly sunk my precious time into. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the game, enough to pick it for Game of the Month over The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D and Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, I still feel I am at my wits end with these yearly releases. I love Pokemon, but Nintendo and GameFreak please give us a year off!
Most Anticipated Game of the Month
It seems Intelligent Systems is dominating my Most Anticipated Game of the Month section this year. Last month, I gushed over the announcement of a new Fire Emblem for the 3DS. This month, I am eagerly anticipating Intelligent Systems' new intellectual property, Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. First announced at last year's E3, Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. along with Splatoon represent the first new properties for the Big N since the early years of the Wii. Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.'s interesting look and the pedigree of Intelligent Systems sold me on the game initially then the demo came out and everything changed for the better.
Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. is one of those games that you can't capture the quality in screenshots or trailers—you need to get your hands on it. The demo takes players through the first few missions of the game, which slowly teach you the core mechanics of the game. Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. takes aspects from both Valkyria Chronicles and the newest X-Com and blend them into an extremely engaging turn-based strategy game with turns that play like a third-person shooter.
After getting hands-on with Code Name: S.T.E.A.M., I have a feeling this will be one of those great titles that gets lost in the shuffle because its a new IP and doesn't have much marketing from Nintendo. I highly recommend 3DS owners download the demo and give Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. a chance. It is well worth it
Video of the Month
There are times when a trailer comes around that just sells you on a game. It may only be a few minutes long, but everything contained in that video just leaves you in awe and wonder. That happened this past month with the newest trailer for Persona 5.
In all honesty, I am still fairly new to the Shin Megami Tensei franchise as I have only played the fourth entry in the main series. Despite my current unfamiliarity with the franchise, the trailer caught my full attention with its stylish UI, jazz soundtrack and unique gameplay mechanics. Seriously, traversing through the world like an action-platformer or sneaking up on enemies using cover in a JRPG is freaking awesome!
Thanks to this trailer I want to dive headfirst into the world of Persona. Be it Persona 3, 4, Q or Arena, I am really excited to get into this series when I have the time. Also I will definitely be there day one to buy the newest entry when it releases later this year.
Game of the Month
As much as I love the core Pokemon RPGs, I can honestly say Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire didn't excite me that much before their release. Nintendo and GameFreak have been releasing Pokemon RPGs every year since Pokemon Platinum released for DS in 2009 and I was starting to get sick of the yearly releases. Although I planned on buying one of the remakes no matter what (sorry, I'm a sucker for Pokemon), I seriously thought Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire were going to be as disappointing as Black and White 2. Much like past entries, differences between the two versions are relegated to minor story alterations and Pokemon exclusive to one version over the other. While I only played Omega Ruby, my opinions on the game can be applied to Alpha Sapphire as well.
It may have taken a few hours of play, but oh was I ever so wrong about these games. Applying the 3D graphics of Pokemon X and Y to the third gen Pokemon games may be the most noticeable addition to these remakes, but it isn't the biggest. First, story has become a bigger part of recent Pokemon games and Omega Ruby makes huge advances in this area. The story is far more engaging than any Pokemon game before it especially the Delta Episode. Unlocked after beating the Elite Four, the Delta Episode links capturing Rayquaza into a Hoenn-wide adventure that has major implications on the series as a whole. Instead of skipping through story moments, I felt compelled to read through all the lines of dialogue for once. The other big additions change the means of exploring the world and capturing Pokemon. The DexNav app of the PokeNav makes finding and capturing Pokemon in each route a lot more approachable as it tells what Pokemon are in the immediate vicinity and helps in finding rarer Pokemon. Also the Soar ability adds a new dimension to exploring as you get to see Hoenn from the skies. Soaring makes the act of flying far more engaging than the fast-travel of regular flying and allows trainers to go off the beaten path to find Mirage Spots, special locations that offer the chance to catch rare and legendary Pokemon. After experiencing the wonders of soaring, I hope that it replaces Fly as the prime form for aerial travel in future Pokemon games.
Despite my early skepticism, Pokemon Omega Ruby turned out to be a great game that I gladly sunk my precious time into. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the game, enough to pick it for Game of the Month over The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D and Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, I still feel I am at my wits end with these yearly releases. I love Pokemon, but Nintendo and GameFreak please give us a year off!
Most Anticipated Game of the Month
It seems Intelligent Systems is dominating my Most Anticipated Game of the Month section this year. Last month, I gushed over the announcement of a new Fire Emblem for the 3DS. This month, I am eagerly anticipating Intelligent Systems' new intellectual property, Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. First announced at last year's E3, Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. along with Splatoon represent the first new properties for the Big N since the early years of the Wii. Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.'s interesting look and the pedigree of Intelligent Systems sold me on the game initially then the demo came out and everything changed for the better.
Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. is one of those games that you can't capture the quality in screenshots or trailers—you need to get your hands on it. The demo takes players through the first few missions of the game, which slowly teach you the core mechanics of the game. Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. takes aspects from both Valkyria Chronicles and the newest X-Com and blend them into an extremely engaging turn-based strategy game with turns that play like a third-person shooter.
After getting hands-on with Code Name: S.T.E.A.M., I have a feeling this will be one of those great titles that gets lost in the shuffle because its a new IP and doesn't have much marketing from Nintendo. I highly recommend 3DS owners download the demo and give Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. a chance. It is well worth it
Video of the Month
There are times when a trailer comes around that just sells you on a game. It may only be a few minutes long, but everything contained in that video just leaves you in awe and wonder. That happened this past month with the newest trailer for Persona 5.
In all honesty, I am still fairly new to the Shin Megami Tensei franchise as I have only played the fourth entry in the main series. Despite my current unfamiliarity with the franchise, the trailer caught my full attention with its stylish UI, jazz soundtrack and unique gameplay mechanics. Seriously, traversing through the world like an action-platformer or sneaking up on enemies using cover in a JRPG is freaking awesome!
Thanks to this trailer I want to dive headfirst into the world of Persona. Be it Persona 3, 4, Q or Arena, I am really excited to get into this series when I have the time. Also I will definitely be there day one to buy the newest entry when it releases later this year.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Year in Review 2013: The Games Part 1
The last two weeks were just appetizers as it is finally time for the main course. The previous two articles were just building to this writer's list of the best games of 2013. While there were not as many games released in 2013 as in past years, there were plenty of outstanding titles. So many noteworthy titles, in fact, that I had to make some tough decisions when creating this list. Not every game this writer enjoyed in the past year could make it. Although I spent tons of hours with games like Lego City Undercover, DuckTales Remastered and Resogun, they just fell a little short against the excellence encompassed on this list. Due to how much there is to talk about, I decided to split this section of the Year in Review 2013 into two parts. The first part will list the first five entries on this list in order of their release with the second part following with the final four entries. Also my Game of the Year for 2013 will not be part of this list as I will honour it in the final entry of Year in Review 2013. Hopefully you enjoy the first part of the best games of 2013 and if there is any game that I may have overlooked feel free to share in the comments.
Do not overlook Runner 2 for its incredibly odd title because you would miss out on one of the most enjoyable downloadable games of the year. The Bit.Trip games are retro-inspired rhythm games that made a name for themselves on Nintendo's WiiWare service. Runner 2 is the sequel to the grueling yet satisfying Bit.Trip Runner. The difficulty may be scaled back for gamers of all ages to enjoy, but that does not mean Runner 2 is a walk in the park. Runner 2 will put any gamer's hand-eye coordination to the test in trying to rack up the most points, collect all the secrets and Perfect+ every stage all while listening to the incredible ever evolving soundtrack. Odd name or not, Runner 2 is pure unadulterated fun.
It has been a long wait for Crystal Dynamics' new direction for Lara Croft to reach store shelves, but it was well worth it. Tomb Raider takes the iconic and pristine image of Lara Croft and throws it in the mud. The mature tone of this new Tomb Raider is a breath of fresh air for a game series that seemed a little dated this generation especially when competing with Sony's action-adventure giant, Uncharted. Tomb Raider does an excellent job of placing gamers in Lara's shoes, which makes her much more relatable than in past entries. Apart from the story, the gameplay is phenomenal as the interplay between the gunplay and stealth is well balanced, the puzzles are always engaging and the optional tombs and collectables offer a lot of opportunities to traverse the interconnected island of Yamatai. The multiplayer may not be the greatest, but it is still a fun diversion for those who cannot get enough of Tomb Raider's combat. Since Tomb Raider's release, the game has not gotten as much attention as it deserves. Hands down, Tomb Raider is one of the best games of 2013 and should not be overshadowed by some games that in this writer's honest opinion are extremely over hyped like BioShock Infinite and The Last of Us.
The first Luigi's Mansion was a launch title for the Nintendo Gamecube. Being a huge Nintendo fan, yours truly was very eager to play Luigi's first big adventure. After breezing through Luigi's Mansion in a week, this writer was very disappointed with the end result. While length does not determine the quality of the game, Luigi's Mansion felt a more like a tech demo than a full-fledged game. The mechanics were never fleshed out enough to feel rewarding in the mid to late hours of the game and there was not much to do in the mansion after capturing all the ghosts other than collect more money. After revisiting Luigi's Mansion about a year ago, I enjoy the game a little more than my initial reaction, but it still was not a home run. Well Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon is that home run. It improves on everything the first game lacked. The bite-sized mission structure sets an excellent pace for the game, the multiple mansions offer more places to explore, the length of Dark Moon is two to three times the length of the original and the Poltergust 5000 is so fun to use with the upgradable suction, stunning white light and secret-finding dark light. Also there are tons of secrets to find, Boos to capture and a full-on multiplayer mode to boot. This writer can go on and on about everything great about Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, but this article will run far too long. In summation, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon is one of the premier experiences on the 3DS and definitely worth owning a 3DS just to play. Do not miss out on the greatest ghost-busting game on the market.
Before Shin Megami Tensei IV, I had never played a RPG from Atlus. I heard about previous entries and spin-offs of the Shin Megami franchise such as Persona, Devil Survivor and Nocturne from reading gaming magazines and watching videos, but was too afraid to give these games a chance. Due to Nintendo's efforts of pushing the game during the summer months and the free upgrade to the collector's edition for pre-orders, I gave Shin Megami Tensei IV a try. Long story short, I fell in love with the newest entry in the Shin Megami series. The great combat system that has the player balancing different elemental strengths and weaknesses to earn extra turns, increase the chance of criticals and cause more damage to enemies along with the excellent demon recruiting and fusing mechanics and tons of story and side missions easily kept me playing for hours on end. While Shin Megami Tensei IV offers an "easy" mode, the game is not for the faint of heart. Shin Megami Tensei IV is a very challenging RPG that will test your proficiency of all the game's mechanics. The only drawbacks I personally had with the game were the abrupt ending and the unclear objectives which caused hours of inane wandering around Tokyo and the Kingdom of Mikado in order to trigger the correct cutscene to advance the story. Inconveniences aside, Shin Megami Tensei IV is easily the best third-party exclusive for the 3DS and can stand among all the great titles released during the handheld's strongest year yet.
The Mario & Luigi series has been around since the Game Boy Advance, but no entry in this series has captivated this writer much like its latest, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team. After all of their adventures thwarting Bowser, Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach decide it is time for a vacation. Upon reaching their destination, Pi'illo Island, the Mario Bros. vacation is short-lived as an evil bat-king Antasma locks Princess Peach in the darkest corners of the Dream World. What ensues is the crazy hijinks and hilarious dialogue that the Mario & Luigi series is known for, but those elements are not what makes Dream Team stand out from previous entries in the series. The greatness of Dream Team comes from all the deviations introduced through Mario & Luigi's adventures in the Dream World. As you access the Dream World through Luigi's dreams, it allows Luigi to transform into different forms, which are used to solve puzzles and interact with the environment. Luigi's new powers changes the typical battle system as it takes full advantage of the 3DS' features and allows you to easily handle tens of enemies at a time. The best part of Dream Team is fighting bosses in Dream World. During these fights, the player controls a giant version of Luigi. The player uses the stylus and accelerometer to perform moves from simple jumps and hammer swings to special attacks and guiding a star shuriken to finish the boss in style. Each boss fight adds their own unique take on the battle such as a tug-of-war like battle or a multi-stage battle. While these battles are Dream Team's greatest asset, the action-packed combat system, hilarious dialogue, Bros. powers and overworld puzzles are all amazing parts of this game as well. Mario & Luigi: Dream Team is such a great game that can easily get lost in the shuffle of all the excellent 3DS titles released in 2013. Do not make the mistake of missing out on this stunning portable RPG.
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