#I got a switch OLED zelda version | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

howsermax · 5 years

Text

Thoughts on Pet Sematary (2019)

So I saw Pet Sematary in theaters a few days back, and I’ve gotta say, I was deeply, deeply disappointed. While I love the 1989 film about as much as I love the book, with the screenplay for the film being one of the only good screenplays written by King himself, it was admittedly in dire need of an upgrade. From Louis Creed’s hilarious line delivery, to the obvious switching to a Chucky-style doll during certain scenes with Gage, to the cinematography, the problems with the 1989 version of the flick were only in execution. The story could have been kept entirely the same (with a more ambiguous, book accurate ending), and it could have been an amazing remake. But instead, we got a very disappointing film.

First, I’ll go over what I liked. The cinematography, while gray, was still pretty creative at times in terms of camera movement. All the actors do a pretty good job for the most part, however, Ellie only does a good job after she dies. The practical effects were all pretty amazing, even though Ellie could have used a little more rot. The score is also pretty memorable and interesting. Surprisingly, the movie makes a few changes to the source material I actually really welcome. For example, the Zelda storyline is changed up in a way where it makes more sense why Rachel’s feeling of disgust towards Zelda added to her guilt by making Zelda’s death directly involve Rachel’s reluctance to interact with her. The Zelda flashbacks also have very creative transitions. However, those are all the praises I can really sing for this movie.

The writing is the most noticeable flaw with this movie. The characters never once talk like real people, they simplify story concepts way too often (for example, Rachel’s feelings of guilt in the first place are barely explored), and the movie brings up it’s themes of coping with death and loss in the most amazingly ham-fisted and basic ways possible. After Ellie asks about what will happen when Church dies, Rachel and Louis share a conversation IN PRIVATE about whether or not they believe in the afterlife. The movie quite literally decides it’s going to directly tell the audience that the character who is a surgeon doesn’t believe in the afterlife. Keep in mind, this isn’t really written into any other aspects of his character. I really don’t think these writers passed Screenwriting 101.

But on the other hand, the movie also has a recurring tendency to forget to write about the themes of the story altogether. For example, Pascow is criminally underused in this movie. You may remember in the original movie, Pascow was extremely important, as he spent his screen time trying to stop Louis from trying to cross the barrier between life and death, so Louis can learn to accept death. However, Remake Pascow is the most vague, boring, cookie-cutter horror movie ghost you can imagine, complete with never explaining what he means, and not influencing the events around him. Pascow also doesn’t appear at all during the ending. The writers genuinely don’t understand the importance he serves to the themes of the story. But his underuse is the least of this movie’s problems.

Now, I don’t have a problem with just the concept of changing things from book/old movie to movie. It’s necessary at times, and this remake has some welcome changes up it’s sleeve. However, this movie is almost entirely full of unnecessary changes that make the movie worse in one way or another. The first one I want to talk about is the decision to have Ellie be killed on the road rather than Gage. This is something that was explicitly revealed in the trailer to anyone who remembers the original story, and what’s worse? They extensively spoke about this major plot point in the film industry press surrounding the movie before release. I get that the trailer thing is a topic for a separate nerd tirade, but I can’t describe how stupid it was of these producers to talk about such a big change pre-release. Even though it’s a remake, it’s kind of alienating to movie-goers who don’t know the classic Pet Sematary story somehow. The filmmakers extensively spoke about how they made the change so that the resurrected child could be bigger and more threatening, though I think they were too weak to give us the true depressing movie we came here to watch. Because I guess movie audiences are somehow more emotional than they were 30 years ago? Comparing this attitude to how they actually put the scene together, it looks more like they were trying to pull an ol’ switcharoo on the people who know the story. Which begs the question: WHY ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT IT IN PLACES WHERE POTENTIAL MOVIE VIEWERS CAN SEE IT??

Another huge issue I have with this movie is how fucking seriously it takes itself. The original had a very light sheen of comedy to it, think something similar to An American Werewolf in London. This is extremely prevalent in the scenes involving Pascow, where he casually stands around the afterlife, contrasting against everything and everyone as a walking corpse that nobody can see. The remake genuinely lacks all intentional comedy, which makes it really really hard to actually remember the experience, or care about it. It also ends up making certain parts of the movie unintentionally funny. For example, during the scene where Louis does his internet research on the Pet Sematary, he finds a fucking newspaper clipping about a literal fucking bison being implied to have been buried in and resurrected by the Pet Sematary. I subsequently chuckled out loud in the theater, as my mind was crossed with the mental image of a grieving child lugging an entire bison to the Pet Sematary, and struggling to find a place to bury it in the already cramped cemetery.

The editing and scene pacing is legitimately the most stereotypical modern horror film schlock ever put to screen. Firstly, jumpscares are all over this film, and it’s not a look. From the Orinco trucks, to Zelda in the dumbwaiter, to Church, everything in the film is given a loud THUD effect to accompany it, and I was supplied with many Silent Hill: Revelation 3D pop-tart jumpscare flashbacks through it’s run-time. The placement of the THUDs at times felt like watching one of my Spooky Guys episodes. Again, back to Pascow being utterly useless in the story, he instead spends this film being relegated to “look at me, I’m vague and say 3 spooky sentences I repeat over and over and I’m in a modern horror film and that’s my whole character I’m scary I say stuff about ghosts and death”.

Now here’s the big one. The ending. The ending is genuinely the worst thing about the entire film. Here’s a basic summary from what I remember. So Louis buries his dead daughter and waits for her to come back as his family tries to contact him, while Gage is troubled by visions of Pascow (who does nothing of note through the whole story). Ellie comes back and catches on to the fact that she died, but Louis denies that and gives her a bath. Jud goes over and suspects that Louis has brought Ellie back from the grave, and Ellie gets mad about it and kills Jud. Rachel and Gage arrive back at the house after Louis stops returning their calls, and Rachel is greeted by an undead Ellie. Ellie thinks that Rachel doesn’t want her around anymore, and tries to kill her, Gage, and Louis. Rachel manages to allow Gage and Louis to escape, but she’s impaled and buried by Ellie. Louis puts Gage in the car and tells him to not open the door for anyone, not even Ellie. Louis faces off with Ellie in the Pet Sematary, before being killed by the now resurrected Rachel. Rachel and Ellie resurrect Louis, and for some reason unlike Ellie, Louis and Rachel are big dumb traditional zombies. At daybreak, they approach the car with a can of gasoline, having burned down Jud’s house. However, instead, they decide to unlock the car for Gage. I have a lot to say about this.

First off, this ending is fucking weak compared to the original ending. In the original film, the process of Louis killing Gage with the lethal injection is so indescribably heart-breaking. It’s actually a high point for the actor’s performance, and he definitely sells the sheer emotion of the scene. The remake’s ending definitely suffers from how frequently it fails to actually capture the emotion of the original story and film. With that, let’s just say, this movie is the prime example of why horror movies with dead protagonists fail so often. If you aren’t both careful and skilled, killing your protagonist can result in your protagonist’s character arc not being fulfilled or completed. The original Pet Sematary story has a very strong and compelling character arc for Louis. In the final scenes of the original film, after Louis has begrudgingly put down Church and Gage, and has burned Jud’s house down, he carries Rachel’s corpse with him. Pascow tries to get him to no longer try and cross the barrier between life and death, and that he needs to let go of those he loves. He needs to learn to cope with death, and understand that dead is better. Louis, however, doesn’t listen, and finds a reason to think it’ll be different this time: because she just died. Pascow realizes that Louis has failed to learn his lesson, and shouts an admittely hilarious “NOOOOOOO” as he fades away. Louis waits in his home after burying Rachel, and as she walks in, now decayed and deformed, Louis makes out with the walking corpse, before being killed by her. What works here is Louis has completed his character arc. Granted the character arc consists of failing to learn his lesson, but it’s a powerful arc no less. It drives home how much the movie is truly about being as grateful for death as we are for life, and how a life spent yearning for those who’ve passed to return is a life spent suffering. While the more ambiguous book ending is more favorable, the 1989 film version still drives home this theme extremely well.

Overall, very bad movie. Don’t waste your money on this. Save your money for Endgame, that looks good. Or if you’re a King fan, wait for It: Part 2. Just... please no more ‘80s jokes guys, it isn’t funny anymore.

#pet sematary #pet sematary 2019 #pet sematary remake #stephen king #horror #movie review #horror movie review #critique

18 notes · View notes

eggoreviews · 5 years

Text

Top 10 New Remixes in Smash Ultimate!

Hi! I'm here to give some love to an often overlooked part of this frankly enormous game, the 30 hours of music. It made me extremely happy that it wasn't just the newer series games that were getting all the attention in terms of new remixes, that the music team were going back through Nintendo's history and giving us a great selection of remixed tracks from much older titles too. So here comes Bias McGee to give you their top 10 remixes new to Smash Ultimate!

10. Main Theme (Luigi's Mansion)

The music team really went ham on making a full on Scooby doo-level spooky remix of the original Luigi's Mansion theme, and it definitely ended up being one of my faves. This one is a fully orchestral, catchy accompaniment that obviously goes especially well with its home stage. For the first time since Brawl, it feels like Luigi has been given his own identity within the game again! He's not just Mario 2: Electric Boogaloo and Smash is finally giving a bit more of a nod to his own franchise.

9. Brinstar Depths (Metroid)

This one is another that sort of goes into the realm of 'spooky', but perfectly encapsulates the feel of Metroid in Smash, specifically the character of Dark Samus. This track feels a little disjointed and weird and builds an atmosphere that blends well with the genre Metroid belongs to, sci-fi with a bit of horror thrown in. I'm a big fan.

8. Termina Field (The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask)

Boy, I hope you're ready for a lot of Zelda! Because I pretty much adored every Zelda remix in this game, but one of the standouts for me was this adorable redo of the Termina Field theme from Majora's Mask. I always loved this theme anyway, with the series' main theme snuck in there, it's a suitably epic but at the same time fast paced and catchy melody to go gallavanting around Termina with, but it's been given new life in Ultimate and I'm so happy that there's new music for the older Zeldas too.

7. Delfino Plaza (Super Mario Sunshine)

Definitely my favourite Mario remix in the game and, if it wasn't for the existence of Jump Up Superstar, it'd be my favourite Mario track altogether. Another criminally catchy redo of a classic track, in this case the Delfino Plaza theme from Sunshine, is also a little underrated in my opinion. Plain and simple, this song slaps, and it's got a cheeky bit of accordion at the start so it's a big thumbs up from me.

6. Destiny (Ablaze) (Fire Emblem: Awakening)

I'm going to preface this by saying I know basically nothing about Fire Emblem apart from what's in Smash, so the actual origin of this track as well as what the original version sounds like is totally lost on me. But what I do know is this is incredibly catchy and cool and I'm a bit in love with it. Noticeably, I've got very little to say about this but oh boy does it get stuck in my head way too often.

5. Vampire Killer (Castlevania)

Again, I know very little about Castlevania. But what I do know is that this remix is awesome. Smash has gotten me interested in picking up Castlevania at some point, and it's pretty clear that the music team were pretty hot on making some cool remixes for the game. They really didn't need to go all out and give us 34 tracks, but they did and it was glorious. I nearly gave this one to Divine Bloodlines, but Vampire Killer was the track that amped me up the most to go hunt some mythical creatures and, on top of that, it was the backing track to the brilliant introduction of Simon. Doesn't get much cooler than this.

4. Main Theme (The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild)

Oh look, Zelda's back again. And here's a remix of one of my personal favourite tracks from BotW, the game's main theme. A sped up, souped up and fully orchestral war cry of a track that certainly has more of a fighting vibe do not than the original (even though I do prefer it). My almost obsession with Zelda might be what put this so high, as any Breath of the Wild content will pretty much make me cry. Not really related, but whoever's idea it was to put the Hyrule Castle theme in the game needs a raise.

3. Gang-Plank Galleon (Donkey Kong Country)

DIDLIDADIDALDAIDIDLALIDODIDOO DEEEEAAAAAAA

This needs to appear in everyone's list. It's fast, catchy, intense, involves many trumpets and has a rap section. This is a total masterpiece and I'll forever cherish it. Plus, I was really hoping for more DK content in Ultimate and boy did I get my wish.

2. Beneath the Mask (Persona 5)

As the most recent remix to appear in the game, I was very pleasantly surprised when I saw this pop in the music menu when the first fighter pass dropped. I'm a fairly intense lover of Persona 5 and it's one of my favourite games now, so this totally unexpected remix of a track you really wouldn't expect in Smash kind of blew me away. The original is one of the most chill tracks in gaming and is great to have in the background of basically anything. But this remix picks you up by the limbs and swings you around in the air and IT SLAPS.

Before I ramble aimlessly about my favourite new remix in the game, here's some that didn't quite make the list:

King Bowser (Super Mario Bros. 3)

Death Mountain (The Legend of Zelda)

Nintendo Switch Presentation 2017 Trailer BGM

Staff Credits (Kirby's Dream Land)

City Trial (Kirby Air Ride)

Battle! (Trainer) (Pokémon Sun/Pokémon Moon)

Fourside (EarthBound)

Lost In Thoughts All Alone (Fire Emblem Fates)

Main Theme (Pikmin)

Bloody Tears / Monster Dance (Castlevania II: Simon's Quest)

Divine Bloodlines (Castlevania: Rondo of Blood)

1. Kass' Theme (The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild)

And of course, I had to top it all off with a bit more Zelda. Much like Persona 5's awesome and unexpected remix, this was a track I never thought they'd put in the game. I expected the main theme, the Calamity Ganon boss theme and Hyrule Castle made a lot of sense. But this track in its home game is a chill, atmospheric piece composed completely by accordion to relate to everyone's favourite Rito bard, Kass. But the Smash team plucked this one out, sped it all the way up, gave it some percussion and now holy heck this track makes me want to go outside and accomplish things. Or, you know, at least play another round on the Breath of the Wild stage. Point is, they nailed this and I never knew how much I could loved this song until I heard this remix. A big ol' well done from me.

Thank you for reading if you got this far! Let me know down below what your fave Ultimate remixes are if you want to and I'll be back at some point with another post. Maybe about music, maybe not. Who the heck knows. Stay hydrated.

#super smash bros #smash #Smash Bros #smash bros ultimate #nintendo #botw #zelda #loz #mario #persona #persona 5 #joker #list #ranked

2 notes · View notes

livingfictionsystem · 3 years

Text

Southern Victorian Gatsby

I watched The Great Gatsby remake, the one with Leonardo DiCaprio, in theatres the spring of 2013. It had the most profound effect on me. James Gatz, never feeling like he belonged in his life, becoming Jay Gatsby, a charismatic mogul of ambition throughout the Prohibition era. He made an empire of foreign territory, all in the name of love. It’s still one of my favourite films of all time, and I rewatch it often.

I remember a line where Jay admits he might’ve been a great man if he had never fallen in love.

I can’t help but relate.

As I said, my alleged attraction to April was something that I felt I inherited and didn’t quite know what to do with. I found her interesting but irritating. Once when we were out walking, she saw graffiti that said ‘I’m punk’ and started laughing, fake and loud, like some sort of anime villain. “No true punk would actually write ‘I’m punk’! Ahahahahaha!” She punched my arm when I stared blankly, telling me that the only reason I didn’t find this funny is because of my autism.

She certainly had an interesting view of autism as a whole. Neb had quite accepted her autism. Suddenly, her automatic assignation to the classroom’s favourite target began to make sense to her.

I don’t think that *I* actually am autistic. This brain has autism. I feel that my core personality fights with it at all times. I try to hide it. I used to deny having it. It doesn’t suit me. I feel like, as an alter, I was never meant to have autism. Couple that with April’s theories to self-aggrandize, then it gets even worse.

“See, I’m a sociopath and you’re autistic. They’re actually pretty similar; neither of us have any empathy or conscience. It’s just that sociopaths are a more charismatic and charming version, and you’ve got the awkward end of the spectrum.” Yep, that’s actually what she thought. The pinnacle of charm, that was her.

Oh, and autism was also the reason I disliked her favourite game series, Legend of Zelda. It wasn’t personal preference. It was autism, obviously.

By this time, I had started going by CLockwork. (CL for short. Told you I was probably based on Black Butler.) Neb had her brief stint into Steampunk to foreshadow me, (two top hats and a tailcoat. I still wear the tailcoat) but I wanted more. Thankfully, dear ol’ Mum had a good windfall during the holidays and I was able to buy myself a couple of ruffly tops and my very first velvet frock coat.

See, Neb had hardly been able to experiment with her wardrobe. April, with her artistic experience, had pronounced herself the authority on everything colour, shape, layering, and brand. Anything Neb bought, from make-up to clothing, was run by April first and usually rejected. Neb’s hair was April’s own personal project. Deviation of this was guaranteed ridicule, as every decision made without April’s input was inherently inept. “Oh, you bought That brand? It’s only going to make your chest look even bigger, you should’ve gotten this other brand, that colour washes you out, it’s bad with the redness in your face–”

But I went out in my frock coat that I didn’t tell her about. I was shaking as I did it, nervous that I was as hopeless at aesthetic as she professed. But I wasn’t. And I looked fabulous. Almost a decade of Neb hiding herself with jeans and hoodies, and here I was, in the same body, looking bloody glamourous.

My Victorian fashion became my first rebellion as well as my first declaration of identity.

I don’t think this was this system’s first time switching hosts. Neb used to insist that she had someone more confident and more artistic than her, who she called ‘Star’, who ‘died’ when Shadow did. I figured the same thing had happened again, and that it was my turn. My magical inworld was very much based on souls, including soul-splitting, so this seemed like something that could just happen. I told those closest to me that I felt like a different person. Vex didn’t seem surprised. April seemed dismissive. How could Neb possibly go dormant when she had April’s sunny disposition to look forward to?

Soon, came the summer. April was preparing to go on break when I met Elisabeth at my favourite café, Gallery Espresso. Elisabeth was a tiny slip of a thing with crystal blue eyes, short brown hair, that dressed like she was also from another decade. More specifically, the 1940’s. Skirts, polkadots, pantyhose, lace blouses, all in black with dashes of sapphire blue. We chatted for hours in the café where I learned that she was in Savannah for summer break from university Nova Scotia, she was bisexual (an important fact), that her mum was homophobic, and that she loved foreign film.

It was love at first sight.

I’ll do my best to sum it up, but it was that sweet sort of puppy love. We would talk over free wine at a gallery openings and get giggly on the couch. We would chat endlessly about books, languages, and teas. It was her suggestion that I bleach my hair blonde, much like the character I was based off of. “You really are like a fictional character. I swear, sometimes it feels like I’ve made you up.” Gods, I still melt at those words.

We dated for about a month and a half when I learned that she had unfortunately passed away, due to a sort of childhood illness she never told me about. It was a short relationship, but I still ache over it to this day.

I resolved to base a character off of her in my rewrite of Zeitstuck, and I did. This, however, put me in a vulnerable position of tragically unspent romanticism.

April was already home for summer break at the time. She had gone on a couple of odd tangents, about how the young man in the fedora was flirting with her and probably wouldn’t feel that way if she were a boy. In fact, she planned to pretend she was a boy to try to trick him into losing interest. I was already exasperated by her rigid adherence to labels at that point, so I didn’t take it seriously. After all, she said it was pretend.

Then she posted a comic. It’s lost to the internet archives, and I don’t even have permission to post it. But it featured the two of us, as chibis, in a three panel comic. April’s chibi says, ‘That guy’s cute!’

And mine says, ‘I’m a lesbian.’ As if I’ll dismiss any observation of male beauty because my alleged Sapphic nature had made blind to anything masculine.

Her chibi had a speech bubble of the Mars symbol, then an arrow pointing to a flat chest. The piece, I believe, was labeled something like ‘Forever Alone.’

I found this annoying for quite a few reasons. *I* had never explicitly stated I was a lesbian. Neb had, but by this point, I had already explained to April that I felt like a different person. I was still figuring out my sexuality and still had no clue of my gender. I also hated labelism at that point– it seemed like lazy writing. Also, Neb had asked her out several times and had been turned down, even before April seemed to start questioning her gender.

I confronted her on it. Basically saying, ‘Listen, I’ve been telling you for months now, I’m not Neb. I feel like a different person.’

And her argument, summed up, was basically, ‘Just because you started dressing like you came out of a costume store doesn’t mean your personality changed. If you aren’t a lesbian, then why aren’t you dating me? I’ve been telling that guy that’s had a crush on me that I’m a boy, so I’m sure that’s why you won’t date me. If you were bi, you would’ve asked me out already.’

And I did. To prove a point and win the argument.

If that wasn’t the most fitting way for this clusterfucked nightmare of a relationship to start, I don’t know what is.

**Disclaimer**

Generally, it’s bad practice to refer to a trans person by their old pronouns when referencing past narratives. However, I was led to believe that this closeted April and the person who came about after were two separate people, much like Neb and I. I even thought that they inhabited separate bodies. It would later be revealed to be a false narrative I had been told, but the differentiation still matters. That being said, no identifying information has been used thus far in this blog, and I’ll continue to use an alias for the post-transition identity of this person, too.

#gender identity #switching hosts #did alters #did system #great gatsby #savannah georgia

1 note · View note

aion-rsa · 3 years

Text

Nintendo Switch OLED Reveal is Dividing Fans

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

While you’d think that the long-awaited debut of the new Nintendo Switch would be cause for nearly universal celebration among Nintendo fans, the Nintendo Switch OLED is already proving to be incredibly divisive.

In case you missed its surprise reveal earlier today, the Nintendo Switch OLED is an upgraded version of the “base” Nintendo Switch that’s currently scheduled to be released on October 8 for $349.99. As you probably gathered from the name, the console’s headline feature is its new OLED screen which is not only 0.8 inches larger than the base Switch screen but will offer improved picture contrast. The Switch OLED also features expanded internal storage, a new LAN port built into its dock, better speakers, and a wider (and much more versatile) stand.

While the Nintendo Switch OLED includes some of the improvements that many Nintendo fans have been asking for (most notably that improved screen), it’s also missing several of the features that fans expected to see in the next Nintendo Switch upgrade. As we mentioned elsewhere, said “missing” features include improved Joy-Con controllers, 4K output, better battery life, new internal components for improved performance, and enhanced resolution options for the built-in screen (which the new OLED screen doesn’t technically feature despite its other improvements).

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Granted, expectations for some of those features were certainly raised by a series of rumors regarding a device commonly known as the Nintendo Switch Pro (which may or may not actually exist), but in the minds of some Nintendo fans, the Switch OLED is missing many of the upgrades they have been asking for since the Switch launched. Furthermore, the Switch OLED’s price (which is only $50 less than the price of the Digital Edition of the PS5 and $50 more than the price of the Xbox Series S) would seemingly suggest that it offers something closer to “next-gen” performance.

Given the expectations for the new Nintendo Switch that so many people were working with, it’s hardly a surprise that some of the initial reactions to the Nintendo Switch OLED were…less than enthusiastic.

You already have a Nintendo Switch OLED if you plug it in an OLED HDTV. pic.twitter.com/JJrxv7NyAq

— Falco X|S ❎🅱🅾❎ (@Falco_X) July 6, 2021

Nintendo announcing the new OLED Switch pic.twitter.com/awDMP6Qjn7

— Zelda Gif World (@GifZelda) July 6, 2021

Nintendo Switch Oled pic.twitter.com/6bLiPBcufo

— bumaye (@bumaye63) July 6, 2021

As you probably gathered, the main complaint about the Nintendo Switch OLED at the moment is that it just doesn’t do enough to justify the price tag. While there seems to be some agreement that the new OLED screen is nice (even if it doesn’t offer significantly enhanced resolution), there are just some fans who aren’t willing to spend quite that much on a new screen, especially since Nintendo may still release a new Nintendo Switch down the road with an even better screen and other performance upgrades. Others are simply pointing out that the OLED’s improvements largely benefit handheld Switch players, which kind of leaves everyone else in the cold.

Mind you, not everyone is disappointed with the Nintendo Switch OLED. In fact, some fans say that the Nintendo Switch OLED offers pretty much exactly what they’re looking for at the moment.

I like my Switch Lite, but have wanted a regular Switch for vertical scrolling shoot-em-ups ever since I got it. OLED may be the push I need, come October. https://t.co/npU0Bj38ia

— Andy Boxall (@AndyBoxall) July 6, 2021

Everyone: Mad at the new Nintendo Switch Me, a person who plays his OG Switch as a handheld 95 percent of the time and wants a bigger screen and better kickstand alongside a LAN port for the other 5 percent of the time: pic.twitter.com/bslBAQUxXT

— Greg Miller (@GameOverGreggy) July 6, 2021

YAY THE RUMORS CAN END 😅 I know it’s not as big of an upgrade as we all were anticipating but I think I’m still going to get it 👀 that OLED screen alone makes it so much better for me because you can actually see it outside#NintendoSwitchOLED #NintendoSwitch https://t.co/17Syibh380

— smASH (@ASHtonHardy_) July 6, 2021

Interestingly, there are also some fans who support the Nintendo Switch OLED largely because they’re not tempted to buy it. That may sound like a joke argument, but that’s not always the case. Between those who know manufacturing and shipping new hardware is incredibly difficult at the moment, those who enjoy Nintendo’s incremental upgrade strategy (which the company has used for their handheld devices for years), and fans who don’t want to feel forced to buy a more powerful Nintendo console, there’s actually a compelling argument to be made that the OLED is the most practical hardware upgrade option Nintendo can release at this time.

"The Switch OLED is a ripoff, for $50 more you can get a PS5 digital" …Can you really though? pic.twitter.com/ygNfjA0Vp9

— Nathan (@theamiiboking) July 6, 2021

The Nintendo Switch OLED Model is honestly not really disappointing since it’s only $50 more with a few welcomed improvements. If there was a significant upgrade in performance, Nintendo would likely do the same thing they did with the New 3DS and release exclusive games. pic.twitter.com/NNcnMWODTe

— Reecee (@Reecee_yt) July 6, 2021

Nintendo is Apple-like in its gradual iteration of products that delight and surprise its customers while also filtering out gatekeeping nonsense from industry "experts." https://t.co/69DJ7qO9ZO

— Peter Cohen (@flargh) July 6, 2021

That’s the interesting thing about the Switch OLED discourse. No, you don’t “need” to buy one to continue enjoying the Nintendo Switch, but this is seemingly the optimal version of the console that is, again, potentially being released as a kind of placeholder for a much more advanced Nintendo Switch that may be coming down the road. There certainly seems to be many gamers who are eager to upgrade their Switch, but were hoping for something more substantial than the OLED and are currently unsure whether or not this is as good as Switch upgrades are going to get for the foreseeable future.

Not everyone who is talking about the Nintendo Switch OLED at the moment is arguing about the new console, though. Actually, a surprising amount of people were quick to point out that the PlayStation Vita kind of beat the Nintendo Switch OLED to the punch in terms of offering a handheld-focused gaming device with a viable OLED screen.

Vita OLED walked so Switch OLED could run.

— Marty Sliva (@McBiggitty) July 6, 2021

Yo that's crazy, it took less than 10 seconds for this to get more retweets than the number of PS Vita owners today. pic.twitter.com/Mq70XtpDQG

— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) July 6, 2021

PS Vita > Nintendo Switch OLED model *10 years gap* 2021 2011 pic.twitter.com/D90gWVN9qn

— Tiger (@TigerCA123) July 6, 2021

While it remains to be seen whether or not Nintendo is pushing their luck with the design of the Nintendo Switch OLED and its ability to entice existing Switch owners as well as hold-outs, it’s very much worth noting that the OLED may prove to be little more than a blip on the radar. After all, the Nintendo Switch is already an incredibly successful console that may very well ultimately outsell both the Xbox Series X/S and PS5.

The post Nintendo Switch OLED Reveal is Dividing Fans appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/36jjXdU

#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

0 notes

provenescapades · 8 years

Text

Super Bomberman R sold me on the Nintendo Switch

I follow a blog that taught me a general rule: Don't buy a game console unless it has 5 games you're sure to buy and enjoy. Try them out in any way you can, but don't buy the console until you're sure of those five games you want to play on it.

I didn't have 5 games. But while following that blog there was a game that just fell onto that list today: Super Bomberman R

So my initial thought to the Bomberman Switch game was that I'd get bored of it fast. I couldn't remember liking Bomberman, and so it was one less Switch game I was willing to buy, which also made me lean more on not buying a Switch until much later.

Then I watched the Bomberman videos you linked. And it all came flooding back to me. Bomberman 64 was the second game I was ever introduced to on the N64. I didn't even own one back then, but I remembered the commercials and as they played with Saturday morning cartoons they were designed to be just as catchy and adventurous looking. Same with that Bomberman Hero game that later released.

Here's that first commercial, done to the style of the old Spider-man theme song. I didn't even know the Spider-man song back then, so Bomberman was stuck in my head for years.

When I finally did get an N64 some years later, one of the games that constantly got rented out from Blockbuster (remember those guys!) and eventually bought was Bomberman 64 2: The Second Attack. My little brother and I played that game to death. Don't get me wrong, we sucked at the game. It also was very Zelda like with lots of puzzles, secrets, RPGish ways to grind out strength, and combat at nearly every step. The bosses were hard. At least for our young middle school selves. I can't even remember if my brother and I ever beat the game.

Here's a review that touches on everything that made the game special to us.

Pros: The game had co-op. Sadly, it only had that "second player plays as an invulernable pet," but throughout the game you could make your partner stronger and stronger. The game was also very Megaman-like, in that there were eight bosses and beating each boss gave you a new weapon. Which also added a few Metroid elements, as you could go back to earlier levels and find things using the different abilities those bombs had. And the bosses you had to beat were crazy. They'd dash, they'd drop explosions in their wake, they'd kick your bombs back at you, surviving was just half the battle! We played the game to death, and eventually would be able to beat one boss and unlock more of the game to us. Figuring out how to get your pet to evolve was great; you could even get them to evolve to a dragon. It got to the point where I wanted to play 2P as much as I wanted to play Bomberman.

I don't think the game required a memory card, but because we would intermittedly rent it from Blockbuster, a year or two later we eventually bought one so we'd stop losing our progress! And progress was important because of the other major part of the game, the multiplayer! The multiplayer was much like it was in other Bomberman games, where you had the different grid reskins and different Bomberman colors you could use. But as you beat the story mode, you unlocked more types of levels, including levels that had multiple floors. You would unlock other game modes. You would even unlock the ability to use some of those cool bosses as your character, which was super cool even if mechanically you were just playing a different colored Bomberman. This game along with Smash Bros. were the primary reasons my brother and I eventually got a third and fourth controller for our N64, and would often invite our friends over to play with us. The game was so found that we eventually found another Bomberman game that was on the Playstation (the Playstation was a gift, the N64 we saved our allowances for almost a year to buy), and then that game was one of the reasons for us to get a multitap and four controllers for our Playstation!

The game was so fun that we actually looked for other Bomberman games once the N64 went out the back and was shot. The GCN had none (although it did have the Smash Bros) so we started looking at the portable games. There were a few here or there my brother tried out when we could rent them from Blockbuster, but they didn't have any easy multiplayer, so they never lasted that long for me. The DS and Wii changed this. The DS came out with a Bomerman game that allowed single-pack multiplayer, which was an instant buy. The Wii had a Bomberman game on the VC (I think it was the Turbographix version?) that allowed more than 4 players, as long as you also had GCN controllers to plug in. We scooped that up as well.

So why did I forget how much I used to enjoy Bomberman? Because, I sucked at it. One of the reasons Bomberman was extra fun was because, like Smash Bros, my brother and I could go into the multiplayer mode, play against CPUs, and play team battles. So for Bomberman, in both Story and Multiplayer we could do co-op. Every Bomberman game I played after the Second Attack would neither have a co-op story mode, nor much in the way of team battle options. Since I sucked, I didn't want to play FFA all that often, even though I could occasionally win or had the ability to practice more. For me, fun games, especially party games, are best as team games. You feel less bad when you lose with others, and you feel great when you manage to cooperate and win together. That's one of the reasons I love Overwatch.

The video that brought back all of the memories

So, let's recap on Bomberman R. It has a co-op story mode, which will do for now. It has 8-player multiplayer, super awesome. In my wildest dreams it would have single-pack play, but then again not everyone is going to have a Switch right away. Being able to play with a single Joycon, and being the right amount of complexity leads me to think I could even play this game with my girlfriend, and there's a good chance she might love it!

But even with just FFA this game looks fun

So now I want a Switch at launch. All the pre-orders have been sold out for weeks. We'll see if I can get one.

Games on my Switch to-buy list through Summer:

Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Super Bomberman R

Hasbeen Heroes

Splatoon 2 (w/ public testfire coming in March)

(maybe) Arms

(maybe) The Binding of Issac: Afterlife

(maybe) Puyo Puyo Tetris

Three maybes are good enough for right now. I'm leaning away from Mario Kart 8, but if enough friends get it I can see it ending up in my library. I know in the far future I'll be buying the No More Heroes game, spinoff or not, and Xenoblade 2 for sure. So I'm set.

There goes my wallet.

#Super Bomberman R #Bomberman #gaming #Nintendo Switch

1 note · View note

4colorrebellion · 7 years

Photo

4cr Interview - Rain Games On World To The West

With World to the West currently in development for the Wii U and the Nintendo Switch, I got in touch with Rain Games to talk a bit about the game.

4colorrebellion: Hi! Good to have you with us at 4cr. Would you mind telling our readers a bit about yourself and your work to get us started?

Sure! I'm Ole from Rain Games, I'm the general art director on our projects, but we're a pretty small team here, so we all wear many hats.

Rain Games makes cartoony games set in a shared universe. We started up with the somber magnetic adventure platformer Teslagrad, which was a fairly big hit on Wii U, and are currently putting the final touches on porting our current game, World to the West, to Nintendo platforms.

4cr: Speaking of that, we got a glimpse at World to the West for the Nintendo Switch during Nintendo's Nindies video. How would you describe this action game?

World to the West is a standalone follow-up to Teslagrad, and a lush top-down adventure that takes place across the corrupt colonies and ancient ruins of a newly discovered continent. You'll be swapping between four different characters on your adventure, gradually learning to leverage their individual strengths and weaknesses as you turn them into a dynamic team.

Teri is a scheming adventurer with the ability to mind control animals; Clonington is a self-centered aristocratic oaf who's the muscle of the group; Knaus is a resourceful but weak orphan who's good at finding alternate routes around dangers; finally, Lumina is the daughter of Teslagrad's protagonist - she can control electricity and teleport a short distance, proving herself useful in both combat and puzzle scenarios.

The game takes a lot of inspiration from classics of the action RPG genre, such as the 2D The Legend of Zelda releases, but I've played a lot of these types of games over the years, so ours owes just as much to stuff like Brave Fencer Musashi,Secret of Mana, Sylvan Tale, Marvellous:Another Treasure Island, Gunple: Gunman's Proof, Soleil and more recent games like Gurumin 3D.

It's it's own beast though, and despite being built on a classic Action Rpg framework, we've had a lot of fun subverting the genre here and there. One of our main goals was building fun gameplay mechanics that felt unique in the setting, and I think the different abilities of each character brings to the table adds a lot to the game-they all play quite differently.

When we saw the launch trailer for Super Mario Odyssey we were very surprised to see that Mario could possess enemies, similar to what Teri does in World to the West, but you know, if Nintendo hits on some of the same ideas as you, that probably just means that you're on the right track.

4cr: How goes the Wii U version of the game? Is there any potential ETA for when we can expect to be playing it on Nintendo's previous home console?

While porting to Switch has been a very smooth and pleasant process so far, Wii U is harder to optimize for, mostly due to the way the hardware is setup, and how the Wii U version is baed on an older version of the engine to ensure full system compatibility.

But we knew this going in, so we made sure that the game could stand up on its own without changing the main gameplay experience. We're dedicated to making it play well on every platform! As far as an ETA is concerned, we're hoping to get it out as soon as we can, but we don't have a way to lock down a date yet, so I can't get more specific than that.

4cr: And now that the cat is out of the bag, what can you tell us about the Nintendo Switch version of World to the West? Are there any differences between the PS4, Wii U and Nintendo Switch version? Will it make full use of HD Rumble? Are you considering using an in-game achivements/challenges list?

Keep in mind that we're not done porting quite yet, but at the moment the Switch and PS4 versions run very similarly to each other, with the same quality effects and post processing. World to the West has a slightly retro art style, so it isn't the most graphically intensive game but, overall, our experience with porting to Switch so far has been overwhelmingly positive and a very smooth process!

We're taking advantage of the greater nuance of the Nintendo Switch's HD Rumble by recalibrating effects across the game to take advantage of the expanded range of vibration types, but haven't added any new gameplay mechanics centered around it.

World to the West already has sort of an organic in-game achievement system since there are a number of collectible tablets that tell the backstory of the land. You'll still get the same challenges to complete as the versions for other systems that have universal achievement systems in place.

4cr: And that's all the time we have for today. Would you like to add anything else before we go?

Thanks for your time, it's been a pleasure! Hopefully this interview will make a few new Nintendo fans who weren't aware of World To The West stoked to play it in the near future.

We're on twitter as well as Rain Games, and you can also follow me personally.

You can also check out our Facebook page for updates on the game's development

#world to the west #rain games #interview #nintendo wii u #nintendo switch

0 notes

entergamingxp · 4 years

Text

DualShockers’ Favorite Comforting and Relaxing Games

March 27, 2020 4:00 PM EST

From Borderlands to JRPGS to Animal Crossing, here are the relaxing games that DualShockers turns to for comfort and stress relief.

With the growing concerns over the coronavirus outbreak across the world, things are certainly stressful and uncertain right now for everyone around the world. Thankfully, video games have been able to help take us out of dark times before, and with so many countries turning to shelter in place orders and more drastic measures, gaming is certainly a welcome distraction and source of escape right now.

In light of these heavy times, the DualShockers staff gathered to share some of our favorite games that we turn to when we need them most. Consider these our “comfort food games” – the games that we like to use as outlets for relaxation, stress relief, and a bit of warmth when they’re needed.

Kris Cornelisse, Staff Writer

As odd as it sounds, my relaxation games of choice are usually some flavour of strategy title. Stellaris or Civilization 6 might have a lot going on, but once you sink the time, in they become fairly rote.

At that point, I’m just juggling resources and expanding my influence across the map. Amass my technology, build my armies, paint the planet(s) the colour of my empire…the whole thing becomes fairly cathartic. Throw in a podcast to listen to, and you have my wind down method of choice.

For something a little more short duration than those, I’ll play a round of Frostpunk or Northgard, but the same principle applies regardless.

Ricky Frech, Senior Staff Writer

When I think about my video game comfort food, there are a few nostalgia-filled games that come to mind. I could easily make this entry about something like World of Warcraft, Diablo II, NCAA Football 2014, or literally any Yakuza game. However, when I look at my YouTube history since my personal quarantine began, the answer is clear. The number of hours I’ve already spent watching The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past randomizers is kind of shocking, but it makes sense.

A Link to the Past is my favorite game of all-time. Rarely would I call a game perfect, but if any game is, it’s this one. And when the team behind the randomizer put out their first release, an incredible thing was born. I’ve played through the original ALTTP more times than I can count. It’s been in my regular rotation since my parents got me a SNES in 1994. I know that map about as well as I know the back of my hand. So, to get something that completely switches all of that up and surprises you at every turn is an absolute joy. No two runs are exactly the same and your game knowledge is often tested in ways you never expected.

Obviously, I wouldn’t recommend you play the randomizer first. If you haven’t played ALTTP‘s original version, please, do yourself a favor and do so now (and easily accessible through Nintendo Switch Online). Like, right now. But once you’ve played through the game a time or twenty, give the randomizer a try. It will not disappoint.

Cameron Hawkins, Staff Writer

While it’s not normally a game people play for relaxation, my go-to title whenever I sit down to unwind is Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. I like playing competitive games, so whenever I know that I don’t have much time to play, don’t want to start a new game, or trying not to be super active in what I’m doing, I play Super Smash Bros. To me, Smash is just that type of comfort food gaming where I know I can always go to it and turn my brain off for a little. There are times where I play in a more serious fashion to try and better my skills, but normally, I like to kick back, go through a few rounds on auto-pilot, and call it a day.

All I’m waiting for now is for Sakurai to announce Sora in the new Fighters Pass. That’s all I want Sakurai. Please.

Allisa James, Senior Staff Writer

Normally some grinding sessions or mini-games in my favorite RPGs is more than enough to soothe this soul. But desperate times call for even stronger coping mechanisms, and so I turn to two games that exclude relaxation.

The first is Flower, which is a title developed by and released by Thatgamecompany in 2009 for the PS3. The player controls the wind as it blows a flower petal through the air. As you fly close to other flowers, you bloom them and attract more petals. There’s no enemies, no time limits, and the sounds and music are borderline ASMR in how peaceful and tranquil they are. Flower, with its stunning and colorful visuals that convey a subtle message of environmental conservation, is the perfect game to wind down to when the world is too much to handle (especially right now).

The second title is a game that I’ve raved about before: VA-11 HALL-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action. The aesthetic here is much different, as it takes place in a dark and grim cyberpunk future. But instead of focusing on an epic tale on class warfare, you play as an ordinary bartender that serves her eclectic customers as they pour their hearts out. The graphics are straight from a PC-98 Japanese visual novel, and it features an incredible retro soundtrack that you can fully customize. Getting to know each customers’ story while making them drinks in a fun mini-game that lets you endlessly restart bad drink mixing is a great way to wind down, and reminds you to see the everyday humanity in even the worst of situations.

Otto Kratky, Associate Staff Writer

Alright, let’s be frank. The world’s on fire right now – people are getting sick, international markets are crashing worse than Sonic ’06, and most of us have been told to stay indoors. In short, everything sucks right now, which means it’s a great time for some escapism. While most people are ditching the real world for their Animal Crossing paradises, me and my friends have opted for something a little more active, and therefore more distracting.

I’m talking about Stardew Valley, Concerned Ape’s farming simulator. Sure it’s not the most relaxing game, but it’s one that you can get into the rhythm of and suddenly hours have passed. See, in Animal Crossing, there’s hardly ever any direction: you just have your chores for the day and then you can go fishing or catch bugs – it’s pretty loose in structure like that. But in Stardew Valley you’ve got to take care of your plants and your animals, then you have to go to the mine to get iron for sprinklers, and it goes on. It’s much more active and absorbing, not to mention that with friends, you get a wonderful social experience that a bunch of us may be missing right now.

Is Stardew Valley really comfort gaming? Kind of. It’s not high-stress, and it doesn’t raise my BPM like DOOM Eternal does. But it takes me away from it all and gives me something else to focus on without stress or worry. I think that’s something all of us could use a bit of right now.

Ryan Meitzler, Features Editor

While gaming in general tends to be one of my favorite sources of relaxation when I get home, there are only a few types of games that I generally turn to time and again for stress relief or comfort. Generally, the two that I tend to come back to the most for good ol’ comfort food gaming are Super Smash Bros. Ultimate or Destiny 2. They’re super easy for me to jump into for either short play sessions or longer periods of time, and I can pretty much always find time to play them with friends to hangout and chat with them in Discord.

When I’m looking for something more single-player focused or when I’m not in a competitive mood, my comfort go-to games are either open-world games or RPGs. It’s always soothing to me to get lost in a gigantic world or to grind and level up my characters in the JRPG that I’m playing at the moment on my Switch while listening to some music or a podcast. Open-world games especially tend to just click with a certain part of my brain that loves activities and checklists, which is part of the reason why I put over 90 hours into Assassin’s Creed Origins.

In the current pandemic environment, right now I’ve been delving into Tokyo Mirage Sessions on Switch among other games, though I think I’m finally going to take the opportunity to jump into Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Persona 5 soon enough.

Laddie Simco, Associate Staff Writer

Like many others, I’ve recently found myself temporarily out of work and quarantined due to the coronavirus. In this troubling time, I’ve sought comfort through video games. Through online games like Destiny 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, I’m able to mingle with friends and still practice social distancing. Animal Crossing, the game everyone seems to be playing right now, has provided me with an opportunity to leave my state of isolation and visit a bright island that allows me to virtually go about life without the fear of a virus.

With all of this extra time, I’ve also been revisiting various games and one that has been very soothing these days is Concrete Genie. It ended up being one of my favorite games of 2019 and I’ve been meaning to wrap up the few remaining trophies I need to turn the concrete into a Platinum. This mostly entails finding certain collectibles that I missed.

Traversing Denska without a care in the world (now that I have completed the story) is often a zen-like experience. I can stop and fill an empty wall with my fantastic murals that seemingly come to life. The adorable Genies are there to lend a hand or play hide and seek or even basketball with. There’s also the VR mode that offers a free paint mode where you can add your personal touch to some of the memorable places from the game’s campaign and then feel as if you have stepped inside of your painting.

For me, Concrete Genie has been the perfect calming game to counter the craziness that is our life right now, as well as the stress of missing a jump in DOOM Eternal.

Josh Starr, Associate Staff Writer

I certainly wouldn’t describe these two games as relaxing, but they are my gaming comfort food. These games are second nature to me and provide exciting moments, while being the perfect time to chat with my friends.

The first of these is Smite. I’ve been playing Smite since its first season, and even had a brief stint in the professional scene. I’ve tried every MOBA available, but this is the one for me. Its behind-the-back, third-person camera angle is one way it drastically differentiates itself from other MOBAs, while its mythological theme gives it a more widespread appeal. Its heavy emphasis on skillshots also makes it one of the most difficult games to master in the genre.

Ultimately, Smite can be as casual or competitive as you like. There is the hardcore Conquest mode which can take tons of practice to master, while other modes like Arena are easy to approach and enjoy. It’s an awesome game to play with friends, and there will undoubtedly be playable characters you recognize. Now is a great time to give Smite a shot, as it’s free to play on PC, Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and has crossplay enabled between platforms.

My second comfort game is Borderlands; right now, that means Borderlands 3. Now Borderlands 3 received some criticism for its lackluster writing, which is completely warranted. However, Borderlands has never truly been about the story for me. It’s a wonderful zany looter-shooter that gives you the option to completely ignore the story while you run around with buddies searching for the next mind-shattering weapon.

Honestly, aside from the story, Borderlands 3 is the series’ best game in every possible way. Combat is greatly improved with thousands of new weapon options, improved special abilities, and increased movement options. Even the car combat, which was abysmal in previous titles, has been greatly improved here. Borderlands 3 promotes replayability as each subsequent playthrough increases your likelihood of finding ultra-rare weapons.

Borderlands 3 just released on Steam, and with another DLC pack being released this week, it’s the perfect time to grab some pals and drop onto Pandora’s surface. I’d go as far as saying that Borderlands 3 is the best group multiplayer shooter in recent years, even if sometimes you feel like turning down the game volume and blasting Spotify instead.

Nick Tricome, Staff Writer

I love hockey.

I watch it, play it, and depending on the need, even coach it.

I can’t do any of that right now, and probably won’t be able to for quite a while. The current circumstances; they suck. Not having that major outlet to escape them for at least a little bit makes it all feel so much worse.

Video games have had to fill that escapist void now more than they ever have, both for myself and I’m sure millions of others. And while there have been plenty of great new releases to turn to (Hey, Animal Crossing), I’ve found a lot of comfort in spending hours upon hours on NHL 20’s virtual rinks.

Now look, I buy NHL every year and would’ve spent hundreds of hours playing this season’s edition regardless. But the coronavirus pandemic has derailed nearly everything, the NHL season included, turning EA’s annual hockey franchise from a constant in my life to suddenly one of the few constants that remain.

It’s no replacement for the actual sport, it never could be. But in the meantime, taking my Be A Pro into the World of Chel’s pond hockey rinks just to mess around in Ones or drop-in Threes for a bit, or trying to create my best lineup possible through Hockey Ultimate Team, will get the job done. It kind of has to right now.

Please come back soon, Flyers

Scott White, Associate Staff Writer

For me, there is a special kind of comfort I find in the grind of RPGs. It’s calming and relaxing to me when I can just set about fighting monster after monster, working towards a goal like learning a special skill or trying to get a rare drop. The repetitive nature of grinding in an RPG lets me go on autopilot, freeing up my mind to take a load off, work through a problem, or just disconnect if I so choose.

The RPG grind is nice because even though you are tuned out and relaxed, there is still a benefit to what you are doing. Your characters are still getting stronger, you’re still getting money, learning skills, etc. A lot of games that will help automate this process somewhat. Bravely Default, the Tales series and Final Fantasy XII for example will allow you to focus on just running around if you want, leaving most of the grunt work to the computer controlled characters.

Another nice thing about RPGs is that if you get sick of grinding for levels, more often than not there is some sort of mini-game that you can grind thrugh instead. I have spent far too much time with the likes of Triple Triad in Final Fantasy VIII or that plushie creation mini-game in Bravely Second than I care to admit. And you know what; that’s ok. I’m thrilled that there are a few big RPGs right around the corner to help me relax this next month or two!

Now that you’ve heard from us about the DualShockers staff’s favorite games for comfort and relaxation, what are yours? Let us know in the comments below!

March 27, 2020 4:00 PM EST

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/03/dualshockers-favorite-comforting-and-relaxing-games/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dualshockers-favorite-comforting-and-relaxing-games

0 notes

ratevrs-com · 5 years

Text

Oculus Quest review: VR freedom comes at a cost

if the oculus Go was an appetizer for truly wireless VR which is entirely self-contained and doesn't rely on PC the quest is closer to main course it's not as immersive as desktop virtual reality but it's currently the easiest way to show off the potential for this new medium you don't have to setup any sensors just throw on the headset pick up the motion controllers and you can jump into a complex virtual world anywhere you can think of the 399 oculus quest is a massively upgrade version of the go it's powered by 4 gigabytes of RAM and the snapdragon 835 a two-year-old processor that's far beefier than the meager 821 the NGO used it's OLED lenses each have a 1440 by 1600 resolution sharper than the ghost fast switching LCD most importantly it supports oculus insight system which relies on 4 sensors on the headset to keep track of the room and controllers that's even better than the oculus rift which requires setting up external sensors for room scale tracking unlike the go you're not stuck with a single remote the quest comes with oculus is revamped motion controllers which have triggers grip buttons analog sticks and two face buttons they'll let you play the same sorts of games that desktop VR headsets like the rift can in fact the new rift s comes with the same controllers they're a bit smaller than the original versions which I genuinely loved and they have tracking rings above your fingers instead of below oculus tells us this helps a quest keep a better eye on the controller's the headset resembles the rift except there aren't any distracting wires hanging around there are four tracking sensors up front along the USBC charging port and power button along the sides a redesigned adjustable head strap dominates the rear it's more flexible than the rifts but more rigid than the ghost stretchy straps while the quest has built-in speakers you can plug in headphones either 3.5 millimeter port along the sides of the headset and if you're wondering why it has two that's because oculus has custom ear buds that lorelei on both ports so you won't have to worry about maneuvering cables around your head the quest easily fit over my glasses and they only took around 5 seconds to get the head strap in the right spot it felt secure but I noticed very quickly that the headset is a bit front-loaded at 1.2 pounds its own point two pounds heavier than the go in the rift but I easily felt that added weight along my face especially around my eyes and nose it's not a deal breaker but I definitely had to rest more often than I did with other oculus headsets when I put the quest on I saw a ref black-and-white view of my surroundings from there I had to set up the Guardian system to avoid bumping into anything obviously you'll want to use the headset in a clutter-free area I marked the floor level by placing a controller down then I use it to map a boundary around my play space if you're just sitting or standing one spot you can skip that step afterwards I saw blue walls as I edged closer to the boundaries that's similar to the rift but the quest goes a step further when I peek through the boundary I got a monochrome view of the real world again with other headsets I've had to remove them entirely to safely navigate my office well the Guardian system works well overall I often had to remap my play space whenever I put the headset down for a few minutes which got to be pretty annoying hopefully oculus will figure out a way to better remember those boundaries based on its specs alone I expected the quest to deliver far more satisfying VR experiences in the go and it didn't disappoint superhot looked sharper than I did on the rift thanks to those additional pixels and it played just as smoothly it wasn't long before I was grabbing pistols in midair dodging bullets and knocking out bad guys with the motion controllers and speaking of which the new controllers feel great even though I prefer the slightly larger grips of the earlier models another plus they only need a single double-a battery instead of two thumper which was a huge hit in the PlayStation VR a few years ago is spectacularly immersive it's a fast-paced rhythm action game that has you've racing down psychedelic roadways fighting giant creatures and simply a blast on the quest the graphical fidelity is a noticeable step down from what the PlayStation 4 and my PC put out there are fewer particle effects and visual flourishes but it's still impressive for souped-up mobile VR most importantly thumper always felt as fast as it did on those platforms beat Sabre another VR mainstay works flawlessly in the quest it's also a great way to test motion tracking since the game is all about hitting directional blocks quickly the headset had no trouble keeping up with my wild swings even when I tried to trick it by turning my head away I only wish the game had a bigger selection of songs to play but if you're looking for a good VR demo for newcomers this is it I was surprised that the quest built-in speakers delivered clear and thumping sound with all these rhythm games I never felt the need to plug in headphones just be aware the speakers are open so other people will definitely hear you're embarrassing beat saber tracks for some slightly slower paced gameplay I try that journey of the gods a new Zelda style adventure game I enjoy swinging the sword around and taking down monsters with the crossbow but I was more hooked on the sense of immersion I've yet to find the perfect VR RPG but this comes close I enjoyed simply wandering around the serene world and exploring every nook and cranny watching 360 degree content on the oculus video app worked well but that's relatively simple stuff that even the go can do without a struggle the quest sharper resolution helped somewhat but that weight issue made it uncomfortable for longer viewing sessions other apps like Netflix weren't available to test unfortunately to help think we are more of a communal experience oculus also added chromecast streaming to the quest for the chromecast Ultra third generation devices in the Nvidia shield it works surprisingly well in my testing though the video quality can be hit or miss still it's nice to have a way to share your virtual adventures on the big screen oculus claims the quest gets around two to three hours of battery life and that fits with my experience after some heavy gaming for an hour it typically got down to around 50% it'll also charge over USB see in around 2 hours if you really want to spend the chunk of time in VR you can also use it well to being charged but that sort of defeats the purpose of having a truly wireless headset the quest starts at 399 with 64 gigabytes of storage and you can also bump up to 128 gigabytes for 499 games typically clock in under 500 Meg's though a few massive titles like face your fears too can surpass 2 gigabytes at this point though I think you'll have a hard time filling up 128 gigabyte headset the quests biggest competition at the moment are oculus as other headsets the $200 goes still a great option if you want a more inexpensive taste of mobile VR and the 399 rift s will get you better quality VR if you have a powerful computer and unlike a few years ago there are plenty of your already laptops around today Lenovo's mirage daydream which is $400 is technically a competitor since it's an all-in-one headset but we didn't like it too much in our review as for the PlayStation VR which you can find for around $230 now it's a solid platform for ps4 owners with tons of games but it's cumbersome setup might be a turn-off the oculus quest is so close to being my ideal Wireless VR headset it's more powerful in the go has some great motion controllers and there aren't any sensors to set up I just wish it were more comfortable and at 400 dollars it's not something average consumers will jump on immediately especially when the 200 go is still around but if you're looking for a great way to play some trendy VR games easily without the hassles of PC or console it's your best bet that's pretty much it for the oculus quest but if you're looking for more VR headset reviews subscribe to us on YouTube and check out our website and gadget

https://youtu.be/iqxGnMzQZUI

#rate vr #review

0 notes

minhthangcoi9993-blog · 6 years

Text

Review Game Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Smash Bros. has always been a showcase for Nintendo’s other work. Since introducing the 12 core stars of the N64 original - each representing Nintendo’s biggest franchises and most beloved cult hits - the series has consistently ballooned to include characters old, new, forgotten and tangential. Items, Assist Trophies, stages and soundtracks have become part of the firmament, with almost every one a reference to something someone out there will remember; an unnatural history museum, if you will.

But Super Smash Bros. Ultimate feels different. Suddenly this feels more like a museum built to celebrate Smash Bros. itself.That’s most obvious in its key hook - the game comprises every character the series has ever included in its playable roster, plus a couple more for good measure. That’s 65 all told, not including the newly-coined “Echo” characters like Dark Pit, Lucina and new addition Daisy, each too complex to be a palette swap, but too similar to be counted as a whole new roster pick.

It’s an almost absurd number of characters for a fighting game - Nintendo Treehouse’s Nate Bihldorff jokingly says balancing that many characters is exactly the kind of task that puts him off becoming a developer - but it’s necessary to get the point across. For the first time, Smash Bros. isn’t trying to impress by including the characters you know from other Nintendo games - it’s impressing by including characters you know from Smash Bros.

By this point, I’d wager most people know the Ice Climbers better as Smash characters than NES platforming heroes - the fact they’re back feels strangely special. The series’ fixation on Link comes to a head by including three entirely separate versions of the character in a single game for the first time - Toon Link, Ocarina’s Young Link, and regular ol’ Link (available in Green Tunic and Champion Tunic guise). Somehow, series mastermind Masahiro Sakurai even convinced Konami to let him re-include Solid Snake, complete with a performance from original voice actor David Hayter (although Nintendo won’t tell us if it comes from existing recordings or a new session).

Hell, even one of Ultimate’s brand new roster picks, Metroid’s Ridley, is a Smash Bros. in-joke - fans have been clamouring for him to be playable for over a decade by this point. It was all worth it for the hilariously strange sight of him clapping for the victor with his horrible pterosaur hands when he loses a match.

Amazingly, after going hands-on with the game I can say that nostalgia for the series itself actually benefits the gameplay. I laughed out loud when I realised that I remembered how to play Ice Climbers because my Melee muscle memory had kicked in. That’s not to say these are just uprezzed models from the old games - I equally know I’m going to have to relearn my beloved Little Mac, who feels a little less clumsy, but loses the sheer, brutal efficacy of the Giga-Mac transformation Final Smash I had access to in Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS. Like returning to a childhood home years later, everything feels the same, but different.

See more Diggy 2

Play now 60 Second Burger Run

Ultimate doesn’t quite repeat its roster trick with the rest of Smash Bros.’ key components. The game definitely won’t include every previous stage, and it’s still not clear - even to Nintendo Treehouse - if every past item and Assist Trophy will make it in. That’s not to say there isn’t a pleasure to getting to play overhauled versions of previously 3DS-only stages like Tortimer Island, and there will absolutely be returning arenas from the older entries, rejigged with modern looks and in-play tweaks. Again, it’s about making the series’ hallmarks feel new again.

It’s not all backward-looking, however. There are brand new treats in store for Nintendo obsessives. Sakurai and co. have continued their amazingly nerdy work by reflecting the old and the new of the Kyoto gaming institution.

Take Sukapon, the Rayman-like robot from Japan-only Famicom fighter, Joy Mecha Fight. Before now, its only appearance in a modern Nintendo game was in, well, Super Smash Bros. Brawl (as a humble sticker). Now, it’s an Assist Trophy, using its floating limbs to pummel fighters across multiple levels of a single stage.

On the more modern side, Inklings are studiously implemented to feel familiar to players of Splatoon, even while in a completely different genre of game. Coating other players or the stage itself in ink offers an advantage, and their range of borrowed weaponry makes them feel versatile at range or up close. It’s not a slavish implementation, though - you don’t have to have painted the floor to drop down and refill your ink in squid form, for instance.

That careful implementation comes straight from the top of development: “It's because Mr. Sakurai loves video games,” says Bihldorff. “Obviously, he's a great appreciator of Nintendo and our franchises, but he just loves video games in general. I guarantee you [the new Bomberman Assist Trophy] is treated the same way as any normal fighter in terms of accuracy, making sure all his moves are true, and all his design is the way it's supposed to be. He really values that.”

That extends to the game’s stages too, and I played two new additions in the form of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s Great Plateau Tower and the Splatoon-inspired Moray Towers. The former is pretty simple, a Battlefield-like condensed bottom level with an upper platform revealed by dealing damage to the tower’s spire itself. I did find myself a little distracted (in the best way) by the game’s Old Man character repeatedly landing on and jumping off the tower with his own glider.

Moray Towers is more interesting, reflecting a portion of the brilliant Splatoon 2 map with a series of switchback ramps, potentially splitting players across multiple levels but always enticing them into ridiculously tight brawls on a single section of the map. In a gorgeous little touch, the whole stage is splattered with paint just before you begin - more proof of Sakurai’s own Nintendo fandom.

Since Melee, it’s been clear that the backward-looking “museum” element is only a part of Sakurai’s ambition, however. The Nintendo Direct made a few high-level tweaks very clear - perfect shields, a formalised ‘short hop’ ability (achieved by just pressing jump and attack together) and the return of directional air dodges - but, on a wider scale, Ultimate is undoubtedly aiming to be a more robust competitive experience.

“There is a very, very strong and healthy competitive scene,” says Nintendo’s Bill Trinen. “[The developers are] definitely looking at the way that those [professional] players play and, just like the way they look at the way casual players play, they take an amalgam of information and blend that together to make the uniqueness that is Smash Bros.”

Even after 20 minutes with the game, it’s obviously a faster, more technical game than before. Characters buzz around stages, both moving and reacting faster, and a four-player match becomes a hive of activity - it will take some getting used to for less skilled players (and, to be totally clear, I mean me here). In a neat touch, 1v1 matches will now see fighters do more damage to each other, to keep up a more frantic pace of K.O.s, even across larger stages. Nintendo won’t say it outwardly, but it feels extremely clear that the dominance of Melee on the competitive scene is something it wants to end after December.

Incidentally, Nintendo also won’t say a word about a single player mode right now - we only got to play a cut-down version of local multiplayer (and, guess what, Nintendo won’t talk about online yet, besides saying it’ll be included).

What they will tell us, repeatedly, is that Ultimate is a brand new game, created specifically for Switch, but there’s no denying its similarity to the series’ last incarnation. From menus to visuals, this is an iteration on the Wii U version in particular. It’s not a huge problem - as ever, Switch’s versatility adds value by itself - but those looking for something truly different won’t find it here.

But that’s probably not the point. Since Melee, Masahiro Sakurai has said that the next Smash Bros. game will probably be his last. Each entry has been the biggest, arguably the best and, probably, the most exhausting to make. Each one has felt like a rundown of Nintendo’s history, a successful advance on the series’ weirdo mix of fighting and pinball and, yes, a slap in the face for those who want a playable Waluigi. All of that remains true.

But ‘Ultimate’ is a subtitle that definitely suggests we’re reaching an endpoint - if that’s any indication, then the next Smash Bros. will be a museum not only to celebrate Nintendo, or Smash Bros., but Sakurai himself. It’s already beginning to feel like a fitting tribute.

0 notes

ob1danobi · 7 years

Text

My Favorite Things From 2017

In order to try and end the year on a high note, I thought i’d be cool to look back on some of the favorite stuff I’ve purchased or received throughout 2017. I made an actual top 5 list out of mine (because i’m bored and because I can). Starting at the bottom and working my way up to the top:

5. NES Classic Mini

As anyone who’s known me for more than a few minutes will tell you, growing up I was a huge Nintendo fanboy. I remember my dad getting the original console (with R.O.B and the Zapper) for either his birthday or Christmas of 1986. I had a subscription to Nintendo Power, and i’d carry the latest issue with me pretty much everywhere I went (one of my friends in grade school had to refer to me as “the Nintendo Power kid” to another friend so he knew who I was). I had so many happy memories with that console (not my first game console, I believe that honor goes to an Atari 800XL), not only playing games on my own, but playing with my dad, or watching him play. So needless to say I have a lot of happy memories associated with that small gray box. It was THE thing that brought a bunch of kids together back in the 80s.

So naturally when the NES Classic Mini was announced, I knew I had to get my hands on one. Unfortunately, with Nintendo being oblivious as always, they had no idea how much demand there was for this little thing, and didn’t make enough to cover the fervor of everyone clamoring for one, and I was unable to get one for the longest time. The only reason I have one now is because some store was selling it in a bundle with a bunch of other useless stuff, but I just had to have it, so I didn’t care. I immediately hacked it to add a bunch of games that weren’t included, and had a blast re-discovering a bunch of games I loved back then, and learning about new favorites as well.

4. Nintendo Switch

So, with the history stuff out of the way, it should come as no surprise to anyone that another favorite thing this year was the Nintendo Switch. After feeling burnt out on the Wii U (probably the Nintendo console I played the least), I was hesitant to get a Switch, but with just about everything else video game related, the hype got to me and I ended up getting one. The only reason I bothered is because Fry’s was using a ticket system that they’d give out about 6 hours before they were allowed to sell it. That, and the line waiting outside was about 5 people deep by the time I checked it out. Had those two things not worked that way, I probably wouldn’t have one as early as I did.

As the picture shows, I had to get a bunch of stuff with it (because i’m weak), and not only was Zelda one of the best games of the year, Nintendo managed to make two game of the year candidates in one year, the second being Super Mario Odyssey. The Switch came in handy on my trip to New York earlier in the year as well, made that flight go by much faster.

3. LG 4K OLED TV

I had just purchased a TV less than a year before I bought this one, but it was too gorgeous not to. Web had a similar TV (his wasn’t curved), and I pretty much fell in love with it once I saw he had it. I had been thinking about buying it for a few months, but always said no because the cost was too high. After work one day, I went to Fry’s to look at TVs (once again, Fry’s comes to the rescue), and they had the curved model on sale. I forget the exact amount, but it was either $400 or $500 off, but either way it was nearly two thirds of the price it normally was, which was just too good of a deal to pass up. I ended up buying a 4K blu-ray player (because again, i’m weak) to go along with it and I haven’t regretted it for a moment. It’s a TV that has to be seen to be believed, pictures don’t do honest to god 4K justice.

2. 2017 Honda Civic

How could my car not go on this list? For the longest time, i’ve owned either an SUV or a truck, so at some point I wanted to know what it was like to own/drive a car on the regular. The first car I leased was a Ford Fusion, and while it was a nice car, it wasn’t what I was looking for. I wanted something that felt sporty, and that Ford definitely didn’t fit the bill. So when that lease was up, I looked into Hondas, and I leased a 2014 Civic. Now that was more along the lines of what I was hoping for in a car. My only real complaint (and this is a silly one in the grand scheme of things) was that it didn’t really feel very modern, despite being that year’s model. So when the lease came up for that one, I looked into getting a 2017 Civic, which fit the bill in a much better way. I even moved up a few steps and got a non-baseline model, wich has just that extra bit of speed to it. I haven’t really opened it up yet and seen just how much fun it can be to drive fast, but with this being a financed car instead of a lease, I have a long time to try that out, for sure.

1. Nintendo Famicom

Out of all the things i’ve bought this year, there is no way the number one thing could’ve been anything but this. Going back to my love for the original NES, for about 10 years now i’ve really wanted to get my hands on an original Japanese Famicom (the Japanese version of the NES, for anyone who might not know), but really didn’t want to go through the potential bullshit of buying off of eBay (I don’t really trust a lot of the stuff people sell on that site, especially when it comes to something I really want, the risk is too high). I figured the only way i’d ever get my hands on one would be to actually travel to Japan and buy one there.

Earlier this year (as mentioned in my section about the Switch), I made a trip to New York to visit a grade school friend who moved out there, and I hadn’t seen in a long while. Not only was seeing my friend again a great time, but walking around New York and seeing as much as we could reasonably reach on foot was a highlight of the year, let alone my life, and one I’ll never forget. One day on our travels, we were walking to (I believe) the famous Katz Deli, when we passed by an unassuming video game store.

I had been tired from walking all day, but my friend suggested we stop in and check it out. Being the nerd I am, I couldn’t turn that down. So after searching through the store for a bit, we walked around to the back (which isn’t easy, as this store is cramped, and that’s putting it lightly) and looked at some more stuff, when lo and behold, there it was. The Nintendo Famicom. My eyes locked in on that little yellow system and I couldn’t look away. There it was, a few inches away. (Bit of a sidetrack here, but earlier in that same day, we had made our way to the official Nintendo store in New York, where they had every console they ever made on display, which is where I saw a Famicom in person for the very first time. Little did I know i’d be holding one in my hands mere hours later.) We hung out in the store a little bit longer while I decided if I should take the plunge or not (I say plunge, but it was only $100), and eventually the urge was too strong. It was my birthday present to myself, and I don’t regret buying it for a second. The smile on my face is one of real joy.

Needless to say, I just couldn’t resist picking up the disk system add on as well (the red box next to the yellow Famicom), but that unfortunately had to be bought from eBay, as the model they had in that video game store that day was not for sale.

#2017 favoritethings things

0 notes