FUZE4 | A Unique Coding Experience For Experienced Coders

At times I've referred to coding as digital witchcraft. Media magic conjured up by deals with the Devil. I've stated that making games out of text, symbols, and numbers does not make any logical real world sense. Not even with the modern hardware to back it up. Going into FUZE4 I'd hoped I'd be wrong about this assumption. That I'd not only be able to see and understand how coding works, but also make some sense out of the seemingly illogical. Unfortunately in my time with the programming tool I still ended up completely clueless as to how any of it functions. The developer of the FUZE coding program definitely went out of their way to explain things through help menu references, and definitely offered all the necessary tools to create programs, but even with all of that available content I was at a loss. I still do not understand coding. I did not figure out how to write my own programs, and I did not understand how to use the tools at hand. Even after reading through the help menu tutorials, and looking over each of the eight menus I could not make sense of anything. It was filled with college level lingo as if it were a college lesson being taught by a professor, and not the beginner's guide I thought it would be. It reads as if it expects you to understand the basics enough to apply them to advanced coding applications. It's like it skips past the fundamentals, and the foundation rushing into what you could do if you understood coding on a slightly deeper level. I digress though ...

Pawarumi (NS)

Rock, paper, scissors, and a shmup. A shmup, and an Aztec theme. These are things we usually wouldn't think of as something that would go together so easily or smoothly. Thankfully the French studio Manufacture 43 put them together quite seamlessly, and in such a way as to create one of the genre's most unique experiences, to date, for the Nintendo Switch.

Utilizing divine creatures, and a future mythos taken lightly from Aztec mythology we find a shmup that foregoes the need for upgrades, power-ups, and the usual shoot 'em up approach. In the place of the usual staple features the developer has applied a system where shields, and supers are gained by pitting certain colored weapons of the animal variety (Red Jaguar Missiles, Blue Condor Lasers & Green Serpent Gatling) against opposing ship colors to build up respective meters, and the use of a crushing mechanic to do bonus damage in a similar fashion. The triple color scheme, and how it works is explained away in a hands-on demo style tutorial that can be intimidating at first, but more understandable as you play. A tutorial that tells you to build up a shield via a boost mechanic you have to shoot colored enemies with the same color weapon. That to build up your super via a drain mechanic you have to play a sort of rock-paper-scissors opposite game putting the weaker weapon color against the stronger enemy ship color. Needless to say earning the crushing blow is done by using a stronger weapon color to destroy ships of a weaker color. To make things easy pressing a button will show you what each shot type does in accordance to colors with a color coded meter, and crush indicator at the bottom of the screen.

Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R | Nintendo Switch Review

As fighting games continue onward their features evolve. It's a given. Such is the case of "Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R", as one might expect. Fast forward a few installments to a point just before the series' most lengthy cut off, and you will find this game being the penultimate edition of the PS2 era Guilty Gear series. An enhanced edition of an already enhanced edition. Arc System Works, along the way, had experimented with several different new features, modes, mechanics, and characters before finally settling on this culmination of the Guilty Gear fighting game experience. With the largest roster to date including some new faces such as Bridget, Robo-Ky, Order-Sol, Anji-Mito, Jam, Dizzy, A.B.A., and a few others the series returned in a much more robust form. More akin to the Guilty Gears of the modern gaming age it also included a handful of newly introduced modes including a 3v3 team elimination mode, a new iteration of M.O.M. (Medal of Millionaire), Arcade Mode, a Gallery, Survival Mode, and online PvP play. Even the mechanics included evolved in such away as to be faster, more efficiently executable, and flashier than before. Utilizing a new BURST gauge, tension gauge, and mechanics revolving around both deeply involved defenses as well as offenses along with new finishers this game set out to make it or break it for the series. It was a sight to behold back in the day, and even as a Nintendo Switch port it still, to this day, holds it's own as one of the most memorable entries in the franchise.

Rainbite's Playstation Indie "Reverie" Blends Two Nintendo Favorites While Doing It's Own Thing

As the PR description so boldly stated Rainbite's "Reverie" is inspired by games like "The Legend of Zelda", and "Earthbound". It features the retro dungeon exploring, and village antics that such games harbor. While there is definitely some inspirational elements at play from said games Reverie does good to create it's own unique lore via a story unfolding within a story. What I mean by that is that the game at hand begins by telling a tale akin to a Hawaiian fable regarding brothers who set out to sea to catch some fish. One of which fished up an island leaving the other brothers to be envious. In their jealousy the unlucky brothers drowned the brother who had found the island, and in that moment became bound by a curse on the very island that was discovered. Once this tale is established via story panels, and told through a textual conversation between two off screen characters we find out that the protagonist is a young boy named Tai who is aboard a ship bound for that very fabled locale. He is there to visit his Grandfather, and it is through that meeting of different generations that what once was considered legend comes to life in the form of an epic adventure. Tai ultimately sets out to calm the cursed brothers, and bring stability to the island community after an unusual earthquake shakes the land around them. He faces many worldly, and otherworldly threats along the way as he collects the relics needed to put all of the brothers to rest.

Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest - Impressions

In the past couple of years I have been told by several friends that the "Fire Emblem" games were good, and that I should pick them up for my 3DS. While I usually take such advice to heart I kind of felt that paying retail price for a used version of the older Fire Emblem games was ridiculous, so I chose to wait for the release of ''Conquest', and 'Birthright' to make my entry into the series. After looking at both games, and observing their character inclusive cover art I decided to go with "Conquest" as it appealed more to my artistic interests. The whole "villains look cooler" ideology kind of stuck in my head from my toy collecting days. I think the purple theme may have also drawn me in a bit too. Once I got into the game, days after having purchased it, I found myself impressed by the anime cutscenes, the in-game character design, and the story being told. It's something I've not seen yet with a 3DS game, and in that sense I think the developer worked wonders with the software/hardware they created the game upon. At the same time, I noticed some things that weren't exactly appealing to my RPG judgment standards. For one thing the game was heavy on plot presentation, and didn't really make the battles seem all that important outside of the perma-death setting, battle assessments, and the positioning strategies. The battles felt too cinematic, and out of the hands of gamers for me to enjoy. That, and a few other things have made me wonder if this is all that there is to the game.

Samurai Warriors Chronicles 3 (3DS)

The Nintendo 3DS, and Tecmo Koei's "Samurai Warriors Chronicles 3". That's a mash-up I never thought would happen. After having played it for a while, and having sampled the way it's deeply involved features were applied on the 3DS I can kind of understand why I felt that way in the first place. Certain aspects of this game port did a huge disservice to the gamer, and functionally made things more difficult than they should have been. Without disclosing all of that intended point in one paragraph, and spoiling the purpose of this review early on I will say that sometimes one screen is better than two ...

For those of you unfamiliar with the "Samurai Warriors", or "Dynasty Warriors" franchise you'll find that each game in the allotted series is an objective based action RPG experience with a historical timeline of events geared towards driving the exclusively included story forward. Most, if not all games in said franchises feature epic campaigns with various warring Asian empires/dynasties involved who are each trying to overpower one another for some reason. The games are always rich with content including a variety of different combat-centric modes of play, historical references, and a story mode that centers around a base conflict. In the midst of it all you get to play as a created character, or a character from a selection of available or unlockable protagonists. These characters of choice help to win the wars, or engagements for the generals, and warlords they choose to align with, or whom they are assigned to. When it comes to the "Samurai Warriors" games your duty as a samurai warrior will of course be combat related, and objective oriented throughout all modes of play. In the way of objectives there are always targets laid out for you in the form of characters of interest whom you must defeat with your weapons/abilities as well as lesser soldiers who attack in army sized hordes that must be defeated as well. Objectives do vary as you progress in said games, but you'll find that the provided challenges always come with a time oriented nature.

What Nintendo's Next Console Needs

After watching ReviewTechUSA's take on the reasons behind the WiiU's failure I felt inspired to discuss what I think the next Nintendo console needs in order to triumph, and regain a viable place amongst new-gen offerings. This will be an opinion piece, but a well thought out opinion piece nonetheless. Feel free to agree, or disagree if you like. That is your right ... First, and foremost I want to stress the fact that graphics matter. They've always mattered, and have been a relevant part to the progression of the at home, or on-the-go gaming experience. Gaming is about innovation, and as such you have to adapt, and evolve to the current industry offerings while moving forward with what your development team has to offer. This includes everything from the before mentioned graphics to the game library, and even the console hardware. I think in these past two generations Nintendo has stumbled quite a bit in those departments ...

Undead Nightmare Storm (3DS)

If you like your zombie horror survival game with a serving of gritty hard rock music, and a side order of shmup style combat then G-Style's "Undead Nightmare Storm" might just be the indie for you. It's game design, which is simple yet complex in it's own right harkens back to a retro era of gaming goodness similar to that of the original Playstation days. You'll find it's many objectives, boss fights, and escape from the undead to be a formidable challenge for any shmup enthusiast out there, even when packing enough heat to take down an army. For those of looking for value in your purchase this time around you'll be pleasantly surprised that the game has in place a full-blown single player campaign as well as a local co-op multi-player experience that will keep you, and up to two other friends busy for quite some time. Which ever way you choose to play it you will definitely have to invest a good amount of time into your playthrough in order to fully complete it as there are a lot of things to unlock.

2015 Is Just Around The Corner ...

It has definitely been a disappointing year for gaming in many ways. The year 2014 has brought with it MANY gaming problems including half-assed products, money mooching to the extreme, and even the latest hacking fiasco. Some gaming studios along with gamers have felt the hurt of poorly made decisions all across the board. In fact some gaming studios are on the brink of self-destruction as we speak due to such poor choices. With the way things are going it's hard to tell if gaming will survive the hard hits it's been dealt, and continues to be dealt. I personally hope gaming companies, and certain gamers get their shit together in 2015. The trolling, modding, cheating, and hacking seriously needs to stop. The younger generation of gamers in particular needs to lay off the stupid sauce, and get educated on how to act in a social environment. While hopes, and dreams for a better year of gaming may seem foolish, and far fetched I'm gonna hang onto the hope that things will improve.

Top 10 Video Games of 2014

Before I get into the thick of this article I'd like you to brace yourselves, and remain open minded. I'm almost certain some of my picks for this year will be met with criticism, but keep in mind my list is my own. This means that it is an opinion piece meant solely for like-minded individuals who appreciate my critiques, and feel the same way I do about video games. Always remember that opinions are like arseholes, and that everybody's got one. If you disagree with my opinions then your welcome to do your own list on your own blog, and claim that it lists the "Top 10 Video Games of 2014". With all that out of the way I hope you enjoy reading my thoughts on each of my picks. Keep in mind it was a hard choice this time around as I played so many impressive, and wonderful games this year. Props to the devs whose games made my list, and a humble bow to all the runner ups who did good in their own way.

Game Developers, Half-Assed Releases & What To Do About the Issue

Okay. So, this is going to be a slight rant. It's directed solely at game developers, and content creators ...

We all know as gamers that everything from video games to patches/updates have been being botched, and released regardless of their unsatisfactory condition. This has got to stop. What it all boils down to is pure laziness, a lack of commitment to the product, and a lack of willingness to supply the funds needed to make things right. If you are going to make a game set in an online environment, or even an offline game it is imperative that you get things right from the start, and that you work out all the kinks before it hits shelves. There's no if's, and's, or butt's (I typed it that way on purpose) about it. If you are not willing to fund a team who can get such a job done then you do not need to be releasing the game, or patch in the first place. While I could point fingers, and call names all day I'm going to go a different route, and offer up a viable suggestion that will help get the development process back on the right track, and no it does not require more money to do ...

Smash Bros. (3DS) - "Impressions"

I know I've already gone over this on twitter, but I figure why not make it concrete, and set it in stone ... It has been a couple of weeks, or more since I first nabbed my copy of "Smash Bros." for the 3DS from the local Gamestop. I had actually pre-ordered the game to assure I'd have a copy waiting for me when the launch date came around. Seeing as it was selling like hotcakes in Japan I figured the same would happen here in the US, so it was better to be safe than sorry. After getting my copy of the game, plugging it into my standard issue 3DS, and playing it the first day I was honestly a bit appalled at how dumbed down the game seemed in comparison to the former Wii, and Gamecube Smash Bros. titles. Having played both previous Smash Bros. games the 3DS version honestly looked "Plain Jane". The initial roster was super small, and the offered modes seemed too simple to be of any significance. Thankfully though the more I played, and tried out the various modes contained within the more I found out otherwise, and realized that the game was so much more.

My First Pokemon Experience EVAR!!!

Believe it, or not members of the gaming community, but I have personally never played a Pokemon game until just recently. Years have passed me by, and I have watched the internet go ablaze with the rumors, and release dates of new Pokemon games, new Pokemon cards, and new Pokemon cartoons. Absolutely none of it interested me whatsoever though. Even the glimpse I got of one of the cartoon episodes during my niece, and nephew's visitation did not impress me. I felt that Pokemon was like "Call of Duty". It was a mindless trap for youngsters, and grown @$$ idiots to throw away their hard earned money on. Those were my initial thoughts. After getting a 3DS recently, and not having a decent game to play on it though I chose to get one of the latest Pokemon games regardless of my lack of interest in the series. The game I ended up choosing was "Pokemon Y". Probably because it was red in color, and dealt with an epic fire Pokemon. Gotta love the hellish things in life. Am I Right?

Original Nintendo Game Idea

I know gaming giants, and game developers usually will not take game ideas due to legal issues, but I'm gonna throw this idea out there for the sake of Nintendo. They can do whatever they like with it as it involves their classic Nintendo games. Just know I was the first to suggest it ...

An Open Letter To Nintendo ...

There's no doubt that Nintendo is facing some hard times. There's also no doubt that most of the blame behind these financial declines lies solely with their poor decisions. Even in the face of this looming disaster I can still see hope for the Nintendo brand of gaming though, if only they were to listen to the sound advice being shared. It's due time that Nintendo swallows their pride, and chooses to listen to their diehard fans. There's plenty of well spoken advice going around the internet as well as ideas that could dig Nintendo out of their abysmal hole, but they continue to ignore these words of wisdom, and reasoning. I'm going to share with my readers, and Nintendo some advice that I think could get them back on track with their fan base. It is after all the consumer who made them what they are, and not the developers who created the hardware, or the software. Listen to reason, and you (Nintendo) may once again reign supreme.

Lets' Talk - "Youtube's Copyright Apocalypse"

This morning while doing my usual Youtube browsing I happened upon one of the most unnerving videos ever related to the gaming/entertainment industry. Boogie2988, the great Youtuber that he is decided to give us fair warning about Youtube's copyright policy change, and did so in a well spoken and professional manner. He was to the point with his argument, and everything he said was relevant. For that I'm truly thankful. I myself have been hit in the past by copyright claims, an would hate to have to pony up a serious amount of dough for legal purposes for my continued inactions. Being hit by a copyright notice earlier in the week was enough I to make me take the hint, and clean out my own Youtube channel this morning. I think deep down I knew this day was coming, especially seeing as the gaming industry as a whole has become one large greedy cesspool. There's no doubt in my mind that game developers, console makers, and entertainment providers alike are going to see this thing through to it's bitter end. All they are concerned about is getting rich, and they don't care how they go about it. You better believe that these creators of the gaming/entertainment industry could care less about the consumer, and more about themselves.

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"Gamestop's Cheap !@#$ Rewards"

As a gamer with few local gaming places to shop I usually choose to visit the Gamestop located in town to buy the games, and accessories that I want. It's actually not far from where I live (maybe 20 mins. at the most) which is a huge convenience. In all honesty though I'm not a huge fan of Gamestop's product pushing, or trade-in practices. I find being pressured into pre-ordering games during my in-store browsing to be an absolute annoyance, and as such I usually give the employee the cold shoulder. I also find the trade-in system to be a huge rip-off. You'd be better off selling your games on Craigslist than you would be trading them in for credit at the store. Added to these list of issues I have come to realize that the "Gamestop Rewards" program is not all that great. Sure there are some worthy high end rewards that take a sh*t ton of points to obtain, but the lower end items that look cool are usually franchise knock-offs that are made in China. This in itself rubs me the wrong way, and for many reasons.