Bit by Bit: September 2015

September was an eventful month. I went to Fan Expo, spent three days powering through Mario Maker for a review, started classes for another year, and ended my post-secondary career in the span of 30 days. The last one might seem drastic and surprising, but it has been surprisingly refreshing. A great weight lifted off my shoulders when I handed in the withdrawal form. School took up every facet of life for the past five years, so to finally be done is surreal. Now, I got more time to play games!

Enough about me, we got games to talk about especially with the fall game rush in full effect. For the uninitiated, the fall game rush is the incredible amount of games that release from September to November each year. And I bet if you're a self-respecting gamer, you picking up at least one brand new title in the next few months. I know I'm buying quite a few.

Game of the Month
Super Mario Maker would be the easy choice for Game of the Month with its robust level editor and insane amount of user-created content, but I haven't spent as much time with the game that I originally thought I would. Mario Maker is one of the best games on the Wii U; it just hasn't grabbed me in the way I wanted it to. Outside of the first weekend owning the game, I've only picked it up a handful of times over the last few weeks. Let's just say seeing little reaction to your uploaded levels can be disheartening.

While Mario Maker didn't grab all my free time, Yacht Club Games' free expansion for Shovel Knight sure did.

In Plague of Shadows, you take control of Plague Knight as he collects the essence of his fellow knights in order to create the ultimate potion. Instead of relying on a shovel to bounce off enemies like a pogo stick, Plague Knight must use bombs, spells and his charge launch ability to reach the chambers of his former comrades. Although you play through the same levels that are in the main campaign, using Plague Knight's unique abilities makes each level play in a whole new way. Plus as an added bonus, each level has special area that only Plague Knight can get through. Plague Knight may be tricky to control at first, but you will definitely get the hang of his arsenal after the first few levels. In addition to the brand new campaign, Plague of Shadows adds a challenge mode with over 40 challenges to complete as Shovel or Plague Knight.

As an expansion, Plague of Shadows offers more content than most game expansions or DLC. Plus, it's all free for anybody who buys or already owns Shovel Knight! If the other planned expansions for the game are just as good as Plague of Shadows, Shovel Knight may be one of the top games for years to come.

Most Anticipated Games of the Month
I can't nail down my most anticipated game of September since I have three big game purchases during the first three weeks of October. Very similar to those picking up all the big AAA releases in November, October is my big rush of games. Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash drops Friday, October 9th followed by Yoshi's Wooly World a week after that and The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes just a week later. With all those games, I'm going to have quite a bit to talk about this upcoming month. No promises, but maybe I will get around to posting some reviews for them in the near future.

In all seriousness, I am really looking forward to playing all these new Nintendo games. Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash is going to be to closet thing to a new Castlevania until Bloodstained comes out in 2017, Yoshi's Wooly World might just be the best Yoshi solo outing in decades, and The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes takes the fun of multiplayer Zelda and melds it with the expert dungeon design of traditional 2D Zeldas. Also two out of the three games come with adorable amiibos, which is always a plus in my books.

Video of the Month
Words will not do this video justice. Just sit back and enjoy the spectacle that is the Japanese launch trailer for Tearaway Unfolded. I promise you, it's one hell of an acid trip.

Year in Review 2014: Game of the Year

Every year, all roads lead to one place—the Game of the Year.  The title gets thrown around a lot throughout a year as gamers and critics voice their pleasure with select games.  But what truly makes a game worthy of being called Game of the Year?  Is it the most unique experience on the market?  Is it the game with the highest aggregate rating on Metacritic?  Is it the title that sold the most units?  Or is it the most popular game released in the last 12 months?  The criteria for what determines someone's Game of the Year differs with the person.  Personally, I determine Game of the Year with a mix of my highest rated games of the year and the strong feelings I experienced while playing each game.  In a cheesy way, my Game of the Year usually elicits a sense of childlike glee from the bowels of my soul.  The one game to do just that in 2014 was Shovel Knight.

Full disclosure, I backed Shovel Knight when developer Yacht Club Games pitched the game on Kickstarter in early 2013.  At the time, it looked like a cool mash-up of classic NES games like DuckTales, Castlevania and Mega Man that I found very appealing.  Also with the game set for release on Wii U, I jumped at the chance to support a game for the then struggling console.  Shovel Knight made its goal and backers waited almost a year and a half before the game was released.  While I was very excited for this throwback to NES games of the past, nothing could have prepared me for the final product.

Despite Shovel Knight borrowing its mechanics and aesthetics from NES era games, it makes these elements feel distinctly its own through a great amount of polish and refinement.  Everything is so finely tuned that with practice and perseverance anybody can learn to play the game with any sort of mastery.  Some of the incredible feats one can perform in escaping death or reaching a hidden area will make any jaw drop.  In addition to Shovel Knight's gameplay and aesthetics, the game packs a great amount of items to collect, feats to accomplish and tons of cheats to experiment with.  For just 15 dollars, Shovel Knight gives enough content to rival games four times its price with even more on the way through free updates.

Although I find no fault with Shovel Knight, that reason alone is not why I chose it for Game of the Year.  It is hard to describe what exactly makes Shovel Knight so special because one aspect of the game doesn't make it stand out.  It is the combination of perfectly tuned mechanics, beautiful retro-inspired graphics, wonderful chiptune soundtrack and respectful reverence for a bygone era which makes Shovel Knight stand above any game released in 2014.  Don't let the cheaper price tag and downloadable distribution method fool you, sometimes the best games come in smallest packages.  In Shovel Knight's case, the Game of the Year came a small affordable package.

Shovel Knight Review

No matter the advancements in video game technology and graphics, there will always be fond memories of the games from generations past.  In the last decade, there has been a large resurgence of new titles which take heavy inspiration from the games of the 8 and 16-bit era.  Some games use this old style of graphics and gameplay in order to capitalize on its newfound popularity; others use this style to pay homage to the games of that era.  Very few games use these inspirations to set a new standard in the modern games.  Although it takes inspiration from 8-bit classics like Mega Man, Super Mario Bros., Castlevania and DuckTales, Yacht Club Games' Shovel Knight makes every mechanic its own and even surpasses those which inspired it.

Harkening back to the games of yesteryear, Shovel Knight's story is simple and to the point.  Shovel Knight and his companion Shield Knight journey across the land seeking adventure and treasure.  One fateful day, they attempt to climb the Tower of Fate only to have tragedy strike as the evil forces of the tower take out both Shovel and Shield Knight.  Upon awakening, Shovel Knight finds that Shield Knight has vanished and the Tower of Fate is sealed.  Due to the loss of Shield Knight, Shovel Knight retires his shovel and starts a life of seclusion.  During Shovel Knight's absence, the Enchantress and her Order of No Quarter ravage the land by unsealing the evil forces trapped within the Tower of Fate.  With the Tower of Fate opened, Shovel Knight takes up his shovel once again in a quest to save Shield Knight and rid the world of the Enchantress' evil.

While Shovel Knight may borrow many of its core ideas from other classics of the 8-bit era, these points of inspiration are one of its strengths.  From the pogo jumping inspired by DuckTales to an overworld similar to Super Mario Bros. 3, Shovel Knight takes each borrowed concept and makes it feel brand new and distinctly its own.  At the forefront of this adventure is the hero's signature and formidable shovel.  Digging up dirt piles, attacking enemies, uncovering hidden areas and bouncing off of enemies to reach high platforms are among the few uses for this versatile tool.  The shovel can even be upgraded with special abilities such as a charge attack or unearthing dirt piles in one swipe for greater use.  The shovel is not the only versatile tool at Shovel Knight's disposal as the relics bought throughout the game all provide different ways of tackling obstacles.  Shovel Knight's tools would be useless without Yacht Club Games' superbly designed levels.  Much like Mega Man, each level plays to the unique features of their corresponding boss through beautifully animated backgrounds, blood-pumping music and special gameplay twists.  Outside of the levels, Shovel Knight offers plenty of content for players to dive into including collectible music sheets, purchasable health, mana and armour upgrades, extra bosses, special levels and achievements.

The gruelling difficulty is a signature aspect of all 8-bit games.  In order to appeal to a modern audience, Shovel Knight is much easier than those games.  Not to say Shovel Knight is easy in any way because it is definitely not.  The difficulty in the game ramps up at a reasonable pace as players learn the ins-and-outs of the mechanics.  It helps that the penalty for death is losing three sacks of gold rather than a game over screen.  It keeps players coming back at every death and skilled players can even retrieve those lost sacks their next attempt.  You learn from each death and adapt your strategy to take into account every enemy encounter and new obstacle.  The incredible feats one can perform to escape death will make any jaw drop.  For those looking for a greater challenge, New Game + and the ability to destroy any checkpoint for gold are two ways to test your skills.

Aside from the few occurrences when the gold lost in death is impossible to reach without dying again and the lack of enemy variety in certain levels, there is nothing to fault Shovel Knight on.  Yacht Club Games made an excellent product that pays respect to the games that inspired its gameplay and design while forging a new path of its own.  In forging that new path, Shovel Knight surpasses its contemporaries in all aspects, especially fun.  Shovel Knight is a special game that blends nostalgia for a bygone era with the pixel perfect platforming of today's best 2D sidescrollers.  At 15 dollars, Shovel Knight is a game nobody should miss.  As it stands, Shovel Knight is a strong contender for any Game of the Year competition.

Top 5 Game Boy Advance Games

Handhelds have always been a generation or two behind the technology found in video game consoles.  This significant technological disadvantage has never hurt the popularity of handheld gaming.  In fact, it is a non-factor to most except those most obsessed with graphics and hardware specs.  The ability to play quality games in the palm of your hand has captured the hearts and minds of gamers around the globe.  From black-and-white pick-up and play arcade-like experiences of the Game Boy to fully featured time-consuming 3D worlds of the 3DS and Vita, the landscape of handheld gaming has drastically changed in the past two decades.  Nintendo's Game Boy family of handheld systems, which just celebrated its 25th anniversary, has played a major role instituting this change.  In particular, the final entry in Nintendo's legendary line of Game Boy systems pushed the bar the furthest before the Nintendo DS brand took over.

The Game Boy Advance put the power of the Super Nintendo, arguably one of the greatest video game consoles ever created, in the palm of your hands.  Although small in size, Game Boy Advance cartridges housed some of the best experiences from that beloved era of gaming such as A Link to the Past, Super Mario World, Donkey Kong Country and Final Fantasy VI along with brand new classics like Advance Wars, Golden Sun and Drill Dozer.  The Game Boy Advance was the one video game system that introduced this writer to likes of Castlevania, Metroid and Fire Emblem, easily some of my favourite video game franchises.  In honour of the Game Boy's silver anniversary and the launch of the Game Boy Advance Virtual Console on Wii U, I would like to share my Top 5 Game Boy Advance games.  For this Top 5, I will be excluding any Super Nintendo port because they can overshadow the original titles released for the Game Boy Advance which deserve the recognition.  Enjoy the Top 5 and hopefully Nintendo will bring some of these titles to the Virtual Console for all to enjoy.

5. Mega Man Zero
Over the years, Capcom has developed various different iterations of the Blue Bomber from a robot-hunting mercenary to a living computer AI.  Each iteration focuses on a different aspect of game design such as the infusion of an overarching story in the X series to the RPG elements of the Battle Network series. The best iteration of Mega Man in this writer's opinion is Mega Man Zero for the Game Boy Advance.  Introduced as a character in the X series, Zero finally got the top billing that he was originally meant to receive in Mega Man X with Mega Man Zero.  100 years after the events of Mega Man X, Zero is awakened to help the Reploid resistance in their fight against his former friend X and the Neo Arcadian army.  While the story of Mega Man Zero spans four games, it is the first game that set the gold standard for the series with excellent action-platforming, fast-paced combat, challenging yet rewarding difficulty and heart-pumping music.  For those who missed out on Mega Man Zero on Game Boy Advance, the Mega Man Zero Collection for the Nintendo DS is a perfect way to experience this series in its entirety.

4. Mario & Luigi:  Superstar Saga
No one ever though Mario and RPG mechanics would ever be a good combination.  In actuality, Nintendo's iconic plumber is more than well-suited for the RPG genre as proven by both Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario.  Inspired by Mario's previous ventures into RPGs, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga took Mario RPGs in a different direction by limiting your party to just two characters-- Mario and Luigi.  The battles were ultimately turn-based, but involve much more input than your regular RPG.  Mario and Luigi always need to be on their toes at all times as they can cause more damage or even outright avoid attacks with a perfectly timed button press.  Exploring the overworld in Superstar Saga was not limited by gravity as Mario and Luigi could platform their way through areas to further the story and find hidden items.  The Mario Bros. repertoire of special moves and items like hammers and propeller jump allowed them to solve puzzles interspersed throughout the game.  Along with the gameplay, the love for Superstar Saga comes from its signature humour which ranges from Luigi dressing up as Princess Peach to allude the main villains to all the hilarious results of missing button presses to initiate Bros. Attacks.  While the series has only got better with each entry, Superstar Saga still stands as one of the best RPGs on the Game Boy Advance.

3. Castlevania:  Aria of Sorrow
Before the Game Boy Advance, portable Castlevania games were among the worst entries in the series.  With the power of the Game Boy Advance and later the Nintendo DS, Konami reversed the stigma firmly placed on portable Castlevanias for the better.  Their quality easily outclassed every console Castlevania following Symphony of the Night.  In fact, each portable entry has added their own additions to the Metroidvania formula introduced in Symphony of the Night such as Circle of the Moon's Dual Set-up System or the two interchangeable versions of Dracula's Castle in Harmony of Dissonance.  Among the three Castlevania games on the Game Boy Advance, Aria of Sorrow is the best.  Set in 2035, you play as Soma Cruz, the reincarnation of Dracula, as he stumbles upon Dracula's Castle hidden within a solar eclipse.  Trapped in Dracula's Castle, Soma must use his abilities as Dracula's vessel to escape before transforming into the iconic vampire.  Aria of Sorrow refines the same action-platforming and RPG mechanics used in the other Castlevania games for the Game Boy Advance to perfection.  What differentiates Aria of Sorrow from other entires in the series is the Tactical Soul system.  Instead of interchanging a select number of sub-weapons, Soma is able to absorb the souls of fallen enemies to acquire new attacks, summonable familiars, stat boosts and abilities which open up new areas to explore.  Equipping different combinations of souls allows you to create your own unique Soma with the attacks and abilities you want to use.  With the poor direction Castlevania has taken in recent years, Aria of Sorrow is a shining example of how great this franchise can be.

2. Fire Emblem
Fire Emblem is a series with a long and storied history.  Sadly that long and storied history was exclusive to Japan until 2003.  The first Fire Emblem to reach North American shores is one of the best tactical strategy games on any game system.  Following the adventures of Eliwood, Hector and Lynn, three lords from the continent of Elibe, Fire Emblem tasks players with taking an army of allies to stop the evil forces of the Black Fang and their pursuit to unleash the powers of the Dragon Gate on the world.  Fire Emblem's greatest strength came from the gameplay which has one managing the strengths and weaknesses of weapons and magic, the durability of items, character stats and the range of allies and enemies to overcome insurmountable odds.  At the game's best, it feels like playing a game of chess with medieval knights and wizards as your chess pieces.  Along with introducing North American audiences to the core mechanics of the series, Fire Emblem introduced players to its most signature feature-- the permanent death of ally units.  This feature caused plenty of chapter restarts from yours truly, but it made you feel connected to your units in a way no other tactical strategy game has done before.  No longer were these units expendable pawns; they were living, breathing characters that you cared for and grew attached to over the course of the game.  Their loss packed much more weight than losing a unit in a game like Advance Wars or Starcraft.  This emotional weight along with excellent game mechanics made Fire Emblem a defining experience for the strategy genre in general.

1. Metroid:  Zero Mission
Out of all the experiences available on the Game Boy Advance, one stands taller than the rest.  This experience comes from gaming's favourite bounty hunter, Samus Aran.  Actually, it is the remake of her first adventure to Planet Zebes in the original Metroid.  Metroid may be an iconic achievement in video game design and development, but certain aspects of the game, namely the graphics and the unguided structure of the game, have not stood the test of time.  Zero Mission took the original Metroid and upgraded the gameplay, graphics, level design, music and story to the masterful quality of Super Metroid.  Zero Mission made Metroid better in every conceivable way and that was not the only thing it did.  Zero Mission expanded on the original story of Metroid.  No longer was defeating Mother Brain the final thing Samus did on Planet Zebes.  In trying to leave Zebes, Samus is shot down by Space Pirates and stripped down to her Zero Suit.  With no power to fight regular enemies, the game changes from your standard 2D action-platformer to a compelling 2D stealth game as Samus tracks down a brand new Power Suit in order to finally escape the clutches of Zebes.  This incredible twist gave the final act of Metroid a greater sense of danger and vulnerability than fighting off countless waves of metroids.  Hands down, Metroid: Zero Mission is the definitive version of a classic which preserves it against the negative effects of Father Time.

Hump Day Music: Flossophy Impressions

When I updated Silver Bit six times a week back in 2012, Hump Day Music was one of Silver Bit's staples much like Bit by Bit.  Every Wednesday, I would share a piece of video game music or music loosely related to video games to help readers get through the middle of the week.  As things got busier, Hump Day Music sadly became a thing of the past.  I could never update Silver Bit enough to keep Hump Day Music as a recurring article.  After picking up Brentalfloss' newest CD Flossophy a few weeks back and listening it on repeat ever since, I am glad to bring back Hump Day Music for a special review of this CD.

For the uneducated, Brentalfloss is a musician who became popular amongst gamers for his "With Lyrics" videos which add lyrics to video game music from games like Mario, Mega Man and Castlevania.  Flossophy is Brentfloss' third studio album following What If This CD... Had Lyrics? and Bits of Me.  Flossophy contains twenty tracks including album versions of songs previously released on Youtube, iTunes and Bandcamp like The Team Fortress 2 Song and Cave Story with Lyrics and brand new, never before released songs such as Earthbound with Lyrics and Metroid: Fight for Love.  The album has a great variety of tracks that range from comedic songs to serious songs and fast blood-pumping songs to slow soothing songs.  The album's variety makes each track feel special and fill a different void.  There are no songs that sound the same or produce the same feeling within the listener.  First and foremost, Flossophy is made for those who love video games and video game music.  With that audience in mind, there are a lot of great jokes and parodies found throughout the album.  From giving light to the downfalls of modern console releases to making fun of how awkward the messages transferred through StreetPass are to portraying the Link from A Link to the Past as a self-centered obnoxious hero, there are plenty of jokes and parodies to keep any gamer smiling throughout.  Aside from the variety, jokes and parodies, one's enjoyment of Flossophy will come from the songs themselves.  The selection on this album are some of Brentalfloss' best.  While every track on Flossophy is at least worth a listen, there are seventeen this writer believes are well worth listening to more than once.  Among those seventeen, the tracks that stand out above the rest are Super Mario Land with Lyrics, Ken's Theme with Lyrics, Cave Story with Lyrics, Zidane to Vivi, Ballad of the Mages and Metroid: Fight for Love.  Like with most albums, there are a few tracks that add little to one's enjoyment of Flossophy.  In particular, those tracks are Game Launch Rock!, The Game Over Tinies and The Bioshock Song.  Each track tries to be drastically unique, but the attempts do not resonate like the other tracks on the album.

Although it may be for a niche audience, Flossophy is a great album and serves as a excellent homage to the video games that inspired it.  No matter if you pick the album up digitally for ten dollars or physically for thirteen plus shipping and handling, Flossophy is well worth the asking price.  If you are interested, you can pick the album up digitally on iTunes, Bandcamp, Amazon and Google Play and physically from Level Up Studios website. Hump Day Music would not be complete if I did not leave a song for everybody to enjoy.  In particular, one of the songs featured on Flossophy--Ballad of the Mages.

Bit by Bit: February 2014

Coming off of the two biggest features I have ever done, it is hard to get back in the swing of regular writing.  I have so many ideas spinning around in my head of articles to write, but no true direction of where I want to take Silver Bit next.  It is a very peculiar position I am currently in with Silver Bit.  Personally, I think getting back into the regular of schedule of work and school after Reading Week will get the creative juices following in this writer's brain.  For this week, I like to revisit an old staple of Silver Bit, Bit by Bit.  Now let us break down yours truly's favourite games and videos of the past few weeks.

Game of the Month
Nintendo always knows how to get people playing their handhelds during February.  Last February, Nintendo released Fire Emblem Awakening, a game which engulfed an enormous amount of this writer's free time and earned Silver Bit's 2013 Game of the Year.  Early this February, Nintendo brought Square Enix's Bravely Default to North America and it has easily won over this gamer's heart.  Bravely Default harkens back to the early entries in Square's legendary RPG franchise, Final Fantasy.  The story is very familiar as the player is sent on a quest to purify four elemental crystals.  Bravely Default's job system pulls a lot from the systems implemented in Final Fantasy III and V.  While Bravely Default does share a lot with Final Fantasy, it captures a sense of fun and wonder that modern Final Fantasies completely lack.  The battle system is turn-based like many RPGs, but it offers an incredibly creative twist.  During battles, you are able to brave or default.  Default acts much like defending as it decreases damage taken, but also increases battle points (BP).  You use BP to brave, which allows a character to unleash multiple attacks in a single turn.  Braving and defaulting is a risk-reward system that adds an inventive layer of strategy to battles.  The choice of braving or defaulting can be the difference between success or failure in battle.  The battles are only just one piece of the great pie that Bravely Default offers from the incredible StreetPass features such as rebuilding the main character's hometown with those you walk past or summoning friends to help in battle to the innovative ability to change encounter rates and difficulty at anytime.  If you own a 3DS and are fond of RPGs, I highly recommend picking up Bravely Default.  It is well worth the price of admission.

Most Anticipated Game of the Month
Usually around this time of the year, I put up my Most Anticipated Games of the Year article.  2014 has been different.  When I write those articles, I personally enjoy writing about a variety of games made by different developers, usually for various devices.  Sadly, there is not much of anything that has gotten me truly excited outside of Nintendo's offerings this year.  With the new consoles, it is going to be a waiting game until E3.  A few announcements may trickle out before then, but nothing too substantial in my opinion.  In the midst of all my pessimism, there is one downloadable game I am really psyched for.  Take some old-school Castlevania gameplay, add in Scrooge McDuck's pogo jump from DuckTales and meld in the themed bosses from Mega Man.  From this crazy concoction, the game you get is Yacht Club Games' Shovel Knight.  Taking inspiration from classics of the 8-bit era, Shovel Knight looks to modernize these amazing elements while keeping the look and feel of these classics.  The more I see of Shovel Knight, the more excited I get.  If you are looking to get in on the excitement, I will share the trailer for Shovel Knight below.  March 31st cannot come soon enough.


Video of the Month
Whoever the person at Nintendo that creates the trailers for Super Smash Bros. deserves a raise.  These trailers are among the best I have ever seen.  Each new character reveal feels like an event and rightly so.  This time around Nintendo pulled the curtain back on one of the most requested Smash Bros. character, Little Mac.  This veteran of the boxing ring will make his first appearance on the battlefields of Smash Bros. in the Wii U and 3DS entries of the series.  Even though it is his first time, Little Mac looks up to the challenge with his all fisticuffs move set and Doc Lewis at the the pink sweatsuit-wearing pugilist's side.

Year in Review 2013: Games I Missed

Hundreds of games release in a year both physically and digitally.  It is impossible for one person to play every game that releases in a year.  You have to pick and choose which games to spend your valuable free time playing.  With this mindset, you will miss experiencing some great games.  As game releases slow after Christmas, it is an opportune time to pick and play those missed games.  While I did not get much or any time with the games on this list back in 2013, I hope get plenty of time with them in 2014.

Guacamelee!
Luchadors, wrestling moves and Metroidvania-style platforming.  Guacamelee is made for me.  Sadly, its early Sony exclusivity kept this writer from picking Guacamelee up until its eventual release on Steam.  Playing as an average Mexican farmer turned super powered luchador, the player is tasked with saving El Presidente's daughter from an evil skeleton.  Crazy story aside, Gucamelee looks to be a great extension of the classic Metroidvania formula.  Switching the classic weapon upgrades out for wrestling moves, adding a dimension-changing mechanic and focusing on melee combat are the ways that Guacamelee differentiates itself from other action-platformers in the Metroidvania vein.  I love this style of platformers and have put countless hours into many games in this sub-genre from Super Metroid to Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow.  Once I get the chance to install Gucamelee on my computer, I predict much of the same with this game.

Ni No Kuni:  Wrath of the White Witch
This joint venture from the minds of legendary animation house Studio Ghibli and esteemed video game developer Level-5 originally released for the Nintendo DS in Japan.  A decent number of gamers heard about this unique collaboration through the media, but nobody thought Ni No Kuni would make it to our shores.  Thanks to Namco Bandai, the PS3 remake, Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, came to North America last January.  Just as unique as the collaboration between Studio Ghibli and Level-5 is Ni No Kuni's gameplay.  A mix between the combat of Namco's Tales series and the monster collection of Nintendo's Pokemon franchise, Ni No Kuni has the player switching between human characters such as Oliver and his party members and monster-like creatures known as Familiars during enemy encounters.  This unique battle system along with the excellent 2D and 3D animation and art provided by Studio Ghibli make Ni No Kuni stand out as a quality JRPG in a generation that has seen more lackluster entries in this genre than standouts.

Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney:  Dual Destinies
My love for the Ace Attorney series has been well documented in the annals of Silver Bit.  Apart from Capcom's controversial decision to keep Dual Destinies as a digital-only release, the latest entry in the Ace Attorney series was easily among my most anticipated games of 2013.  Following the events of Apollo Justice, Phoenix Wright has returned to the courtroom to help the wrongly accused from awkward teenagers to killer whales from facing prosecution.  Even though Dual Destinies Mature rating, the game still looks to have all the comedic hijinks that fans have come to know and love.  Dual Destinies adds the Mood Matrix to Phoenix's arsenal, which replaces the psych locks and perceive system from previous installments.  The Mood Matrix allows Phoenix to gauge the emotions of a witness during cross-examinations in order to pick out contradictions.  While this writer is still holding out for a physical release of Dual Destinies, I will definitely pick up the newest Ace Attorney within the next year.

Puppeteer
Sony may have been hitting it out of the park on the hardware side of things in 2013, but their software has not gotten this writer as excited.  Sony's major releases consisted of unnecessary sequels such as God of War: Ascension and Gran Turismo 6 and over hyped new IPs such as The Last of Us.  The one game from Sony that got this writer excited was the one that got the least hype from the electronics giant--Puppeteer.  Puppeteer is an interesting platformer from Sony's Japan studio with a striking presentation as the entire game plays out as an actual puppet show.  Apart from the unique aesthetic, Puppeteer features a couple cool mechanics such as the ability for Kutaro, the player character, to switch heads for different abilities and Kutaro's pair of magical scissors which can be used to interact with the environment, fight enemies and traverse trails of string and paper.  From what I have seen and read about Puppeteer, I am excited to eventually spend some time with the PS3's most interesting exclusive of 2013.

On the Download: Oracle of Ages and Seasons

Some games hold a special place in ones’ heart.  For yours truly, The Legend of Zelda:  Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons are two of those games.  In my younger years, all I played were handheld games.  I did not own a console until the Gamecube, outside of the Sega Genesis I got for my birthday when I was four.  Without a console, I was not exposed to such excellent franchises like Castlevania, Final Fantasy and Metroid until I was much older.  A lot of my exposure to these franchises came from my subscription to gaming magazines like Nintendo Power and later portable entries in these franchises.  Before Oracle of Ages and Seasons, I had never played a game in the Legend of Zelda series.  In the rearview mirror, it was one of the best decisions of my life.  Oracle of Ages and Seasons gave birth to my love of Nintendo and the Legend of Zelda series.  Why am I spending all this time talking about my past experience with these games as they are over a decade old?  Well, last Thursday marked the release of The Legend of Zelda:  Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons on the 3DS Virtual Console.  Releases that this writer has been looking forward to for a while now considering I no longer have the means to play the originals.

The Oracle of Ages and Seasons are parallel stories in the Legend of Zelda universe.  Upon checking on the Triforce, Link is transported to either the world of Labrynna in Ages or Holodrum in Seasons.  Soon after Link's arrival, he meets up with the titular oracles, the Oracle of Ages Nayru and the Oracle of Seasons Din.  Everything may seem peaceful at first, but sadly that peace does not last long as the forces of evil kidnap  the oracles and plunge their respective worlds into chaos.  Armed with his trusty sword and shield, it is up to Link to rescue the oracles and put a stop to the chaos brought about by the forces of evil, Oynx and Veran.  Oracle of Ages and Seasons play like your typical top-down Legend of Zelda as Link completes dungeons to gain valuable items that open more of the world to traverse and allow the hero to solve many skill testing puzzles.  Aside from the different stories, there is one other major difference between the Oracle games.  This difference being that Oracle of Ages focuses more on puzzle-solving while Oracle of Seasons focuses more on action.

For those interested, The Legend of Zelda:  Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons are available on the Nintendo eShop.  For a limited time, you can pick up Ages and Seasons for 5 dollars each.  Once this promotion is over, the games will be available for 6 dollars each.  No matter the price, these games are definite downloads for any 3DS owner.

Off the Newsstand: Game Informer Issue 232

Just two months removed from the events of E3 2012, magazines are still covering all the big news from the huge conference.  While the July issues of each magazine covered most of the games showed off to the press before E3, the August issues are usually when each magazine breaks down everything at E3.  Giving their grades for each of the Big Three, ranking the games at this year's event and giving away their Best of E3 awards.  For those of us that cannot see every single thing at E3 due to publishers and developers keeping certain games and demos behind closed doors, these issues of each video game magazine serves as our one stop shop for everything that we may have missed at E3.

Being the annual E3 issue, every article excluding the reviews and Game Over sections are all about E3 2012.  From Game Informer's annual breakdown of the Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo's showings at E3 to the humongous cover story, which includes previews of Game Informer's Top 50 Games at E3 2012, you are in for some of the most comprehensive coverage of E3 found in any magazine.  For collector's Issue 232 of Game Informer has six different covers.  Each cover showcases a game highlighted in the E3 Hot 50 cover story.  They are all pretty cool, but my personal favourites are the Castlevania, Resident Evil 6 and Splinter Cell Blacklist covers.  The bulk of the issue is dedicated to the cover story which is more or less an expanded previews section and that is not a bad thing.  I am baffled at how Game Informer picked some of the games on this Top 50 Games of E3 list such as Gears of War: Judgment and Star Wars 1313 when they had little to nothing to show at E3 this year, but everybody is entitled to their opinion.  Honestly I do not really see the purpose of even making this a Top 50 when each writer is essentially writing a preview and not selling why a certain game is at a certain spot on the list.  For the sheer amount and quality of the content in this cover story, it is a must-read for any gamer.  Just forget about the numbering because it does not mean much of anything.  This issue of Game Informer also includes interviews with some big names in the industry, an in-depth analysis of Square Enix's Agni's Philosophy tech demo, a rundown of the most interesting downloadable games and Action MMOs of E3 2012, an in-depth interview with Jason Rubin on his new role at THQ and his plans for the future of the struggling company, reviews and a retrospective look at the first game Rod Fergusson, the director of production at Epic Games, ever worked on.

If you have been living under a rock for the past two months and completely missed out E3 2012, Issue 232 of Game Informer is your one stop shop on all the big announcements and up-to-date game previews.  The sheer amount of content crammed into these 116 pages is incredible.  Definitely an issue of Game Informer that any gamer should go out of their way to read.

Hump Day Music: Bits of Me Impressions

While it was announced way back in April, I finally got my copy of Brentalfloss' new CD Bits of Me in the mail last week.  Originally when I came on here and talked about Bits Of Me, I was on the fence about buying this album.  After some debating, I gave in and put down my 15 dollars to pre-order Bits of Me and show my support for Brentalfloss and his work.  Even though it took about two months after it's initial release to finally reach me, my patience was well worth it.  I received an autographed physical copy of Bits of Me, a free digital copy, three little Brentalfloss pins and one Brentalfloss sticker all for 15 dollars.  I made such a good choice pre-ordering this CD.

I first listened to Bits of Me when I received the free digital copy over a month, I was not impressed.  I do not know exactly why.  I might have just been in a bad mood when I listened to it.  When I popped the CD into my Mac to listen to it last week, I had a completely different reaction to the CD.  I loved it. There is only one song on the entire 18 track CD that I did not entirely enjoy.  The rest of the CD is absolutely incredible.  I have listened to it many times in the one week I have owned the physical CD.  While I do love every track on this CD other than Meet Me in the Dungeon, Dear, my personal favourites are Contra with Lyrics, Castlevania II with Lyrics, Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!! with Lyrics and Zelda II with Lyrics.  All-in-all, any video game fan will find something to love about Bits of Me.  If you are interested in picking up Bits of Me, you can buy the physical CD from Level Up Studios for 13 dollars or download it from iTunes, Amazon MP3 and Bandcamp for about 9 to 10 dollars.  Bits of Me is well worth any price you pay.  And for your viewing pleasure is one of the songs featured on Bits of Me, Castlevania II with Lyrics.

On the Download: July 8-14

There are sales galore this weekend.  Thousands of games are being discounted on Steam while you can grab Mighty Switch Force for the discounted of price of 3 dollars this weekend on the Nintendo eShop.  Along with the sales, a couple of big downloadable games are coming to different platforms.  The every popular Tiny Wings is getting an HD port for the iPad, which you can find on sale for 3 dollars on the App Store and Airtight Game's first big downloadable project has been released for XBLA and PSN this week for 1200 Microsoft Points or 15 dollars respectively.  Re-releases were not the only thing this week as we got a few notable games to download.

While Nintendo's 8-Bit Summer continued with the release of Kirby's Pinball Land and Sword of Hope II for the 3DS Virtual Console, there is a 3DS download that should get a little more attention than it already has.  The game is called Johnny Kung Fu and comes to us by the talented people at UFO Interactive Games.  The local crime gang run by the notorious Mr. Wang has kidnapped Johnny's girlfriend.  Knowing what needs to be done, Johnny dons his Kung Fu grab in order to save his girlfriend, who is being held at the top of Mr. Wang's tower.  Johnny Kung Fu is a unique 3DS download that mixes old and new.  The game jumps between side-scrolling brawling segments to Donkey Kong-esqe platforming levels reminiscent of the games found on Nintendo's old Game and Watch handhelds.  Things start to ramp up as Johnny only has a hour or two to save his girlfriend.  If you like to pick up a game that bridges the old and new in the way Johnny Kung Fu does, you can pick this game up for 6 dollars on the Nintendo eShop.

Made by small indie developer SideQuest Studios, Rainbow Moon is a strategy RPG exclusive to the PS3 which has a strong emphasis on exploration, character development and turn-based combat.  In Rainbow Moon, you start out playing as Baldren, who has been warped to the world of Rainbow Moon by his arch-rival.  Trapped in this unknown realm, Baldren has accidentally opened up a dimensional gate which has freed a full army of monsters.  These monsters overwhelm Rainbow Moon thus turning the once peaceful realm into a living hell.  Now it is up to Baldren to seal the dimensional gate and find a way back to his home world.  Rainbow Moon is packed to the brim with content.  There are six playable characters including Baldren that can be customized with upgradable weapons, armour and other accessories.  There are over 100 special skills that you can teach one of the six playable characters, more than 20 dungeons to explore and a compelling story that will last you over 40 hours.  If you are interested, you can download Rainbow Moon off of the PSN Store for 15 dollars.

Konami has tried many times to bring Frogger into the modern age of gaming, but every time they failed.  Taking a page from what Namco did with Pac Man, Konami has released the classic Frogger gamers know and love with modern graphics and new game modes with Frogger: Hyper Arcade Edition, available on XBLA, PSN and WiiWare.  Along with the classic Frogger game mode, there are a brand new game modes such as Tile Capture, Battle Royal and Freak Out for gamers to play through.      In the Hyper Arcade Edition of Frogger, you can customize the graphics through different skins.  Some of the skins you can use are the modern neon skin of Hyper Arcade or classic 8-bit skins and sprites from Frogger, Castlevania and Contra.  Frogger: Hyper Arcade Edition also includes 4 player competitive multi-player so friends can compete to see who is the best at Frogger.  Looking to relive the glory days of Frogger, Frogger: Hyper Arcade Edition is available for 10 dollars on PSN, 800 Microsoft Points on XBLA and 700 Wii Points on the Wii Shop Channel.

Off the Newsstand: Nintendo Power Issue 279

Have faced a little drought of magazines this last little while.  It has taken a few weeks to get ahold of my newest issue of EGM and I am still waiting for the newest Game Informer, which I can buy in store yet I have not received my copy the issue as a subscriber.  Finished my latest issue of Nintendo Power, just before the craziness of E3 so I did not get a chance to publish my thoughts on their pre-E3 issue.

As the pre-E3 issue Nintendo Power had one big surprise with the cover story.  There will be a new Castlevania exclusive to the 3DS coming this Fall.  Called Castlevania: Lords of Shadow- Mirror of Fate (was that ever a mouthful?), this new entry in the Lords of Shadow lore follows four different characters as they venture through Dracula's castle during different time periods.  Nintendo Power's cover story revealed that you will get to play as Trevor and Simon Belmont.  Mirror of Fate looks to merge the great combat of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow with the structure of past handheld iterations in the Castlevania series such as Dawn of Sorrow and Portrait of Ruin.  This cover story is the main reason why I am so excited for this 3DS game as it looks great.  The cover story was followed by a list of the greatest and worst moments in the Castlevania series to celebrate the franchises' 25th anniversary.    Other noteworthy articles found in this issue of Nintendo Power were the Essential Games for the Wii article that listed the games that Wii owners should have in their collection, a fascinating look into how the team at Mistwalker created the cast for The Last Story, interviews with Masahiro Sakurai and Jools Watsham and a review of Pokemon Conquest.

Overall, Issue 279 of Nintendo Power was another great issue.  It had one great cover story, a reveal that no other magazine or gaming site that was exclusive just to Nintendo Power, some excellent articles and a solid selection of previews and reviews.  Also as a pre-E3 issue, it did not take away any thunder from the big show unlike another magazine by the name of Game Informer.  While I have not received my issue yet, I have looked through the newest issue at my local video game store.  Enough of my little tangent.  Issue 279 of Nintendo Power is a great read for any gamer and a must-read for Nintendo fans.

E3 2012: Most Anticipated Games

E3 is home to the big reveals, huge surprises and incredible showcases of the biggest games of the 2012, 2013 and possibly 2014 and farther in the future.  Going into the big show, there is a good number of games and products that we know will be showcased.  This list of games contains the ones I am most looking forward to seeing in all the E3 coverage around the net and on TV.  A few are carryovers from my Most Anticipated Games of 2012 list from the beginning of the year along with some newly announced games that I am most looking forward to seeing more about.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow- Mirror of Fate
Just revealed in the newest edition of Nintendo Power, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow- Mirror of Fate is the first Castlevania game for the 3DS and serves as the bridge between Lords of Shadow and Lords of Shadow 2.  Mirror of Fate is a 2.5D sidescrolling adventure that is very similar to the other Metroidvania style handheld offerings like Dawn of Sorrow and Portrait of Ruin.  You begin the game as Trevor Belmont and in later stages of the game will be able to play as up to three other descendants of the Belmont clan including the iconic Simon Belmont.  From the screenshots I have seen and the cover story I read, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow- Mirror of Fate has quickly jumped up my list of anticipated games.  Really looking forward to see the game in motion at E3 next week.

Fire Emblem: Awakening
Another 3DS game highly anticipated by yours truly.  The newest Fire Emblem has been doing well in Japan since its release earlier in the year yet nothing has been said about a North American release.  E3 seems like a perfect time for Nintendo to announce the newest installment in this incredible strategy game series is coming to our shores complete with accompanying DLC.

Resident Evil 6
Ever since Capcom announced Resident Evil 6 way back in January, I have been hanging on every little thing Capcom drops on the game.  Apart from the trailers and screenshots, nothing else has been showed on the next game in this classic survival horror franchise.  Resident Evil 6 looks to blend the tension-filled atmosphere of the original Resident Evil games with the high-octane action of later installments in the series.  Being Capcom's biggest game of 2012, there should be no doubt that we should see at least one or two demos of the game being showed off next week along with another excellent trailer to boot.

Tomb Raider
Tomb Raider was easily one of my most anticipated games of 2012 until it got delayed until March 2013.  Even though I am a little sad, it means more time for the Crystal Dynamics to make the best Tomb Raider game of all-time.  More visceral, more gritty and more mature than all the other installments in the Tomb Raider franchise, Tomb Raider serves as Lara Croft's origin story.  The E3 2012 trailer was released earlier today and it is just incredible.  If this trailer is a sign of the things to come this year at E3, Tomb Raider should definitely impress.

Wii U
I have stated this fact many times before and I will state it once again.  I am a huge Nintendo fan and the one thing I have been patiently waiting to hear and see more of is the Wii U.  First shown of last year at E3 to some confusion, this year is the full unveiling of Nintendo's next generation console.  The uses of the controller, the final specs of the console, the first-party games, the third-party support and the plan for online are among few of the topics that will definitely be addressed this coming Tuesday.  My anticipation for Wii U has been building for a year now as I have patiently waited for this year's Nintendo Press Conference.  Tuesday honestly could not come any sooner.  It should be incredible.

Hump Day Music: Dance of the Holy Man

The Castlevania series is no stranger to Hump Day Music.  Konami's venerable vampire whipping platforming franchise has an incredible amount of amazing and iconic pieces of video game music.  From Bloody Tears, which I highlighted earlier in the year, all the way to Vampire Killer, great music and Castlevania go hand-in-hand.  Today, I would like to highlight a track that first debuted in Super Castlevania IV and serves as the theme to the most recognizable character in the Castlevania series, Simon Belmont.  In honour of Simon appearing in the recently announced Castlevania: Lords of Shadow- Mirror of Fate for the 3DS, today I highlight Dance of the Holy Man.

Dance of the Holy Man is easily recognizable by many as Simon's theme.  Once you hear it, you immediately think of the first Belmont to take up arms against the evil of Dracula.  Dance of the Holy Man is very infectious.  After listening it only once, it gets stuck in your head and you will even start humming it from time to time as I do on a semi-regular basis.  My favourite version of Dance of the Holy Man is the incredible orchestrated version from Castlevania Chronicles for the PS1, but I do enjoy all the other versions of the song that have popped up from time to time in other Castlevania games.  Personally there is a special place in my heart for the original piece from Super Castlevania IV.  Instead of showcasing just one version of the song, I will share the each one in this video I found on Youtube that collects each version of Dance of the Holy Man in one 9 minute video.  Enjoy.