Review: Tearaway (PS Vita)

May 9, 2014 by Mike

Let’s cut to the chase here: Media Molecule’s Tearaway is one of the best reasons to own a Vita. If you’ve been on the fence about whether you should buy Sony’s latest handheld or not, games like this one should make that decision much easier.

From the moment I loaded it up, I knew this was going to be something special. Its art style is one of the most charming, convincing, and consistently good ones I’ve ever seen. The world of Tearaway is made up entirely of cut out pieces of paper that are animated in a stop-motion style, where every fold, roll, crunch, and flex act exactly like paper does in real life. It’s beautiful, and apart from Media Molecule’s own LittleBigPlanet series, is one of the most unique-looking games on Sony’s consoles and handhelds.

Tearaway‘s use of color is exemplary, and is just a wonder to look at. Its small touches are key, like how loose pieces of paper are subtly pressed down when you walk over them, or the almost imperceptible, long wisps and particles that blow through the air.

Each element breathes life into this world, all accompanied by a restrained but effective soundtrack. It has the same effect as The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, which so masterfully conveyed a spirit of adventure and the cool ocean air throughout the player’s travels.

Another area where the game excels is in its creative use of the Vita’s various hardware functions: front touch screen, rear touch pad, cameras, microphone, tilt control, and traditional controls all get a good workout. It takes some getting used to, particularly when you have to use some of them together to get through certain areas, but it makes you realize how the Vita can be used in very interesting ways. Before playing Tearaway, I never understood why Sony included the rear touch pad, but after playing this, it now makes sense, showcasing new and fun ways to include touch interaction without having to take your hands off the controls.

Customization — a Media Molecule hallmark — is an integral part of Tearaway‘s gameplay, although it’s not as robust as the world-building systems found in LittleBigPlanet. You can create your own cut-out decorations for your character and certain others throughout your adventure, or use pre-made ones that are unlocked via in-game currency, and it all works pretty well for the most part.

I found the creation tools themselves to be a bit too vague and cumbersome, but they get the job done, and the game doesn’t penalize you if you happen to create something darn-near unrecognizable. You’ll also have a number of opportunities to take pictures of yourself, the environments, and a whole slew of other subjects during your quest. You get to do so using a virtual camera inside the game, as well as with the Vita’s front and rear-facing cameras.

The in-game camera is impressively robust, with a wide range of lenses and filter effects. Taking pictures isn’t just something you can do for fun, but is used to unlock one of the game’s major collectibles: papercraft models.

After unlocking them in the game, you can go to Tearaway.me to print them out and build them. This is a really nice touch, and adds to the title’s already very creative approach. I have yet to put together any myself, but it looks like fun, and with 60 models available with varying degrees of difficulty, these will give even the most dedicated papercraft maker a good challenge!

Speaking of collectibles, Tearaway has quite a few, and they’re all interconnected. Present boxes are one, and they’re either cleverly hidden throughout each level or require certain conditions to open. They contain paper confetti — another collectible — the pieces of which are spread throughout each level, or awarded after defeating enemies. Enemies themselves count as collectibles in that you have to successfully dispatch them all in each area in order to achieve 100%. It’s a good system, and most players will go through each level two or more times to uncover everything.

Are there any problems? Unfortunately, one of the first things you’ll notice are the unusually long load times throughout. If you’re a completionist, there are several Trophies that will require you to start levels over at least a few times, and every time you do, you have to sit through the same long loading screen. They’re interactive, but are still an annoyance and not much of a consolation.

Those same Trophies also underscore one of Tearaway‘s biggest flaws: it’s not as good a platformer as it thinks it is. Whereas games like Super Mario 3D World have impeccable controls and camera angles, Tearaway suffers from slightly undercooked controls and a camera that is a hindrance more often than it should be. I fell to my death quite often simply because I was unable to judge where I was in the middle of a jump.

These negatives don’t matter all that much during regular gameplay, since checkpoints are plentiful and you have unlimited lives, but the aforementioned Trophies require you to get through extremely long levels without dying once, and that’s when it makes you feel like your various demises are the game’s fault, not your own, and that’s a no-no in Game Design 101.

On the other hand, I had fun getting the other Trophies, and relatively speaking, this game provides an easy Platinum for Trophy hunters out there.

In closing, while not without its flaws, Tearaway is a special game. It serves as a vital piece of evidence supporting the case for traditional handhelds, and why they shouldn’t become extinct. In this game’s case, it could unarguably only be done on the Vita. Highly recommended.

Graphics: A
Audio: A-
Gameplay & Controls: B
Presentation: A
Value: A-
Overall: A

Backlog Blitz: The games of February 2014

May 8, 2014 by Mike

I’m not going to lie — February was rough. Not just for gaming, but my wife and I were in the midst of selling our house and packing up all of our things. Stress was running high, and historically, I like to buy things when I’m stressed. The higher the stress, the bigger the purchase, so I suppose the fact that I kept all of my gaming purchases to just games is impressive. I have yet to indulge in any current-generation consoles or PC upgrades, which is a small miracle for anyone who knows me.

Anyway, February’s purchases and completed games are below. Format, like last time, is Game Title (Platform, Purchase Price, Play Time).

Games purchased (-9, $198.50 spent):

Device 6 (iOS, $4.00)
Quality, premium mobile games are unfortunately becoming a rarity these days as most developers find it more sustainable to go the more casual and/or free-to-play route. So, when I hear about a game like this, that is neither of those, I take notice.
Bravely Default (3DS, $40.00)
After enjoying the demo so much in January, buying this was a no-brainer. I had originally purchased the limited edition from Amazon.com, but they sent it to me in a padded mailer, and it got destroyed in transit. They sold out, of course, so I had to replace it with the standard version.
Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon (3DS, $34.00)
I’d heard lots of great things about this game, and being a fan of the GameCube original, I finally pulled the trigger.
Animal Crossing: New Leaf (3DS, $35.00)
I’ve never played any games in this series, and am curious to see what it’s all about. I’m worried that it will turn into a major time-sink!
Danganrompa: Trigger Happy Havoc (PS Vita, $40.00)
Described as a mix between Persona, Phoenix Wright, and rhythm/music games, that was a combination that sounded too interesting to pass up.
The Last of Us: Left Behind DLC (PS3, $15.00)
I declared The Last of Us to be the best PS3 game in my last Backlog Blitz update, so picking up the single-player DLC was essential, and as you’ll see below, that was the right thing to do.
The Humble Indie Bundle 11 (PC, $4.50)
Another great bundle that includes Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams, The Swapper, Dust: An Elysian Tail, Guacamelee! Gold Edition, Antichamber, Monaco: What’s Yours Is Mine, FEZ, Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians, and Starseed Pilgrim. I have most of these already, but that’s OK. It’s a good cause.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Wii U, $23.00)
I’m a big fan of the Super Nintendo series, and absolutely loved Donkey Kong Country Returns on the Wii. I was sold on this after seeing the first trailer and learning that David Wise was returning to score the soundtrack.
The Room 2 (Android, $3.00)
The original The Room was terrific (see below), and I have to see where the story goes next!

Games finished (+9, $222.00 value):

Device 6 (iOS, $4.00, 5 hrs.)
This is an interesting game that is mostly text-based, but makes effective use of sparse imagery and atmospheric sound. Its presentation and the way it has the player interact with it is very original, and the overall production value is nice. I found some of the puzzles to be too weird and obscure, though, and it was over quickly. Still worth checking out. Overall: B
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (PS3, $60.00, 10 hrs.)
I’d originally beaten this back in 2008, but after finishing The Last of Us in January, I decided to replay this series again. I finished it on Hard, got all 61 Treasures, and came away still impressed with the game’s variety of locales, high energy, and trademark chemistry between the characters. It still looks good for its age, but the animation and texture work are dated, especially compared to Uncharted 2. Overall: A-
10000000 (Android, $1.00, 5 hrs.)
What a surprise! This game’s mixture of classic match-3-or-more gameplay with an addictive RPG-like upgrade system make this a must-play. The old-school 8-bit style graphics are fun, and the game’s pacing is spot-on. It can sometimes be a bit confusing to focus on the tile board and the obstacles/enemies you’re facing up top, but you get used to it after a while. It was also over before I knew it, but for a buck, I can’t complain too much. Overall: A-
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3, $60.00, 15 hrs.)
Next up in my Uncharted playthrough was this one, and it was just as impressive as it was the first time I played it. It’s crazy how much Naughty Dog leveled up between the first game and this one. Like the original, I finished it on Hard this time and got all 101 Treasures, which took some time. This is definitely the best in the series, with amazing set pieces, technology, and vertigo-inducing exploration. Overall: A+
The Room (Android, $1.00, 2 hrs.)
Like 10000000, this was a pleasant surprise, and it’s a game I’d consider a “show off” piece for phones and tablets. It has terrific puzzle design that feels tactile and rewarding, all wrapped up in some beautiful 3D graphics and a slightly unsettling soundtrack. Be sure to wear headphones! It’s very short, but those few hours are highly satisfying. Overall: A-
Around the World in 80 Days (Android, Free, 10 hrs.)
This is another match-3-or-more game with various goals and item drops. It’s nicely done with pleasant art and smooth gameplay, and I got pretty far into it, but unfortunately, I ran into a repeatable crash that’s making it impossible for me to get past the China stages. Too bad, because it’s a good game otherwise. It was a Free App of the Day on Amazon.com last year, so it may just be an update issue. Overall: B-
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (PS3, $60.00, 15 hrs.)
I was pretty tough on this game back in 2011, because it just didn’t feel right. I thought the spirit of the series changed, as characters became more serious, the art style was different, and it just didn’t hit the highs of Uncharted 2. Hearing later that most of the team had been moved off to work on The Last of Us explained things a bit, but that’s a tough pill to swallow when you’re talking about one of Sony’s key PS3 franchises. It’s still a good game, just not a great one. And why they decided to try making Elena sexier is beyond me. Overall: B
The Last of Us: Left Behind DLC (PS3, $15.00, 3 hrs.)
Amazing. This is how you do single-player story-based DLC. It’s a stunning and very personal chapter that fleshes out a key relationship from the main game’s narrative. It’s short, but a must-play for any fan of The Last of Us. Finished on Survivor with all Trophies. Overall: A
Tomb Raider (PC, $20.00, 25 hrs.)
I went into this not expecting much, but I walked away completely impressed. Although the game suffers from a lackluster story, some amateurish voice acting, and a comically over-the-top villain, the rest of it is top-notch. The game’s open-world nature makes it a joy to explore, upgrades keep coming at you until the very end, and Lara Croft herself is a vulnerable, three-dimensional personality that you come to care for. Graphics and environments were impressive, and the gunplay was buttery smooth. In many ways, I like this more than most of the Uncharted series. Overall: A

Even though February was tough, I managed to play and finish just as many games as I bought, so I was pretty happy about that. There were some real standouts, and Tomb Raider in particular set me on a course to tackle some other high-profile open-world games, which I would dive into headfirst in March.

The Apple //e, Part 2: More Influential Games

May 7, 2014 by Mike

I had a great time last week reminiscing about some of the Apple //e games that influenced me at a young age, so what the heck — here are several more that I loved from my gaming formative years.

The game that I constantly heard about back in the early ’80s was this one, Dan Gorlin’s Choplifter from Broderbund. The Apple wasn’t a fast computer, so to finally see and play an arcade-style game that was as smooth and responsive as this was really special. Like many Broderbund games back then, it was all about the details. I thought the design of the helicopter was great. It displayed convincing flight dynamics, and the way it would subtly “bounce” when you touched down created a nice visual marriage that added to the game’s realism.

Controls were easy to learn, and understanding how yaw affected your weaponry was key to success. More nice touches included the perspective/parallax effect on your home base’s barrier and the way rescued hostages would wave in thanks as you dropped them off to safety. A lesser game wouldn’t even bother with such details, but Choplifter was no ordinary game.

Several years later, I would play Choplifter again on the fledgling Sega Master System. It was a good arcade-to-home port in its own right, but I’ve always preferred the Apple original. There’s a purity to its straightforward, distilled design and fun, tight controls, and it still plays brilliantly today, 32 years after its release.

Speaking of helicopters, another game that my friends and I just loved was Sabotage. Its concept was simple: defend your single turret from bombs and falling paratroopers with a stream of artillery. What made this game memorable — for better or for worse — was the violence. Even though the paratroopers were only constructed of a handful of pixels, they would meet their doom in any number of ways, accompanied by “watery” sound effects that were strangely satisfying. My favorite was hitting a parachute with a well-placed bullet, sending the paratrooper falling to and splattering on the ground. If you were lucky, they would fall on someone who already landed, eliminating both of them.

For a game with such simple controls, it was surprisingly deep. You could also select steerable shells, giving you the power to sweep the screen with a spray of bullets. It did nothing to help your score since bullets ate away at your point total, but boy was it fun!

Games like this and the more well-known title The Bilestoad were some of the earliest examples of games where violence was a big part of their gameplay. The Bilestoad in particular was extremely violent for its time, where pools of blood and body parts would be strewn across the game’s arena, accompanied by nasty sound effects and an ominous soundtrack. Sabotage was tame by comparison. It wouldn’t be until Midway’s Mortal Kombat in the early ’90s that videogame violence would become such a controversial issue.

One of my favorite genres is the run & jump platformer, like Super Mario Bros., Sonic the Hedgehog, Super Meat Boy, and Rayman. While I credit early arcade games like the perennial classic Donkey Kong for sparking my love for them, I spent way more time at home with Datasoft’s Conan and Bruce Lee. Both games consisted of challenging screens to conquer, with good controls, nice graphics, and swift gameplay. Bruce Lee was particularly fast, which made it a thrill to play. Having a ninja and sumo wrestler constantly chasing you around added to the tension and pacing, and remains one of my all-time favorite games. It was also unique for boasting a nice 16-color title screen in double high-resolution, a rarity back in 1984. Two-voice music also helped set it apart from the single, linear sounds so common at the time.

Finally, for this installment, one more from Broderbund: Aik Beng’s Drol. Like many kids, I loved cartoons, so games that had cartoon-like graphics really appealed to me. Drol was one of those, possessing superb visuals and nice animation. When we would later get a composite color monitor around 1986, it was one of the first games I played on it, just to see what it looked like in something other than green. Another game had a similar style — Tony & Benny Ngo’s Bandits (Sirius Software) — and looking back, these two games had a notable influence on my art style over the next few years, especially when it came to fonts. They both still look super-clean to me, fueling my belief that good art, no matter what the medium, never gets old.

That’s it for now. Thanks for putting up with the green screenshots, by the way. Although I would soon go on to play all of these games in color, my fondest memories of them are from that old, 12″ monochrome monitor.

Tearaway (PS Vita): Realizing a system’s potential

May 6, 2014 by Mike

From the moment I first saw Tearaway, I knew I had to play it. From the makers of the LittleBigPlanet series, it looks like one of those Sherwin-Williams commercials, which are among the most creative and beautiful ads on TV:

I just started it this week, and at about 25%, I’m loving it so far. It’s a really neat game that playfully breaks down the “fourth wall” between player and game. It takes advantage of the Vita’s unique features, most notably the rear touch pad, and within minutes makes you wonder how you went so long without that functionality. Unlike Uncharted: Golden Abyss, the implementation feels 100% natural instead of coming across as a tacked-on gimmick.

The game itself is a joy to behold. Media Molecule has created a convincing world made up entirely of construction paper, with those satisfyingly familiar colors, textures, and sounds that will immediately take you back to elementary school. The only thing missing is some Elmer’s glue. I find that I’m stopping pretty often throughout each level to look around in first-person camera mode, appreciating the environments and animation.

Customization plays a significant part in Tearaway, not just in the way things look, but how they are used to solve puzzles as well. The main collectible and form of currency in the game is paper confetti, which can be used to buy all sorts of different Decorations. It’s fun, and there are a ton of them. You can also create your own items, which can be as detailed or as crude as you want them to be. Real papercraft models found in-game can be printed out and put together in real life, further blurring the line between pixels and reality.

Anyway, I’m really digging this game, and I can’t wait to get further into it. It keeps throwing new things at you, and it has this wonderful balance of exploration and item collecting. Its cheeky sense of humor is great, and perhaps most importantly for the Vita itself, Tearaway is a very high-quality exclusive that can’t be played anywhere else.

Final Thoughts & Review: Persona 4 Golden (PS Vita)

May 5, 2014 by Mike

It’s been a long road, or rather, a long school year. I began my journey in P4G back in December of 2013. Over 4 months later, I’ve finally completed it, achieving its true, best ending.

I’ve written quite a bit about this game already (those entries can be found here), so my apologies in advance for this not being a traditional review. As I played through the game’s final months, I started to think more and more about some of P4G‘s characters and situations, and my reactions to them.

First, your classmate Hanako. From the moment you’re introduced to her, she’s simply a collection of ugly stereotypes. The way she’s drawn is unattractive and in stark contrast to the other students, her voice is slurred and exaggerated, and one of the first things you see her do is sit on a scooter and crush it under her weight. Really? Yes, we’ve seen these gags in movies like Austin Powers and Shallow Hal, but do they belong in this game?

I was expecting there to be a Social Link for Hanako, but instead, the game makes fun of her eating habits and weight every chance it gets. It’s extremely off-putting, and feels like a missed opportunity for you and your friends to develop a real friendship with her. Too bad, because I think this could have been a memorable and touching one.

Second, Kashiwagi-sensei, one of the teachers at Yasogami High, makes constant sexual advances towards the students, which is unnecessary, and adds nothing to the story. Kimura-sensei from the series Azumanga Daioh is another example of an adult character who shows overt interest in young students, and I can’t tell if these are aberrations or an accepted trope of the genre/culture. Either way, it’s disturbing.

Morooka-sensei is another bad example, who regularly curses out his students. This actually caught me off-guard when I first started playing, and figured there was a reason for his behavior, but from what I gathered, he has no real redeeming qualities. Why is he even yelling? Again, it would have been great to build Social Links with these characters, but their absence leaves them being little more than one-dimensional caricatures.

Another part of P4G that I found troublesome was this scene, where the girls are basically checking out Naoto’s breasts. Although this has been done countless times in other manga and anime, what made this weird was the prominent inclusion of Nanako — a 6-year-old child — in the scene. Why is she there?

With so much of the current industry dialogue centered around the negative portrayal of women in games, seeing things like this in a modern, high-profile title is disappointing. I don’t remember anything like this in Persona 3 Portable, but I will have to do a New Game+ playthrough — specifically as the female protagonist — to compare them.

Anyway, with all of that being said, I still think the rest of the game is very good. For a PS2-based title that’s nearly 6 years old, it looks great on the Vita’s screen, especially the 2D character portraits and highly stylized interface. The 3D art holds up pretty well, although some very low-resolution textures rear their ugly head from time to time. The animation is slightly dated, but they are smooth and expressive. The anime cutscenes are OK, but smack of a low-budget look compared to the quality of the rest of the game. They are a nice break from the many in-game dialogue scenes, though.

I loved P3P‘s soundtrack, so I had very high hopes for P4G‘s. For the most part, it is as good as its predecessor’s, but I have to give P3P the edge here, just because it had so many standout tracks, atmosphere, and different styles. It’s almost unfair to have to compare anything to “Memories of You”, one of the best vocal tracks of any game I’ve ever played.

Some of my favorite tunes from P4G include: “Your Affection”, “Heartbeat, Heartbreak”, “SMILE”, “Reach Out To The Truth”, “Reverie”, and “Alone”. I have to sometimes take a step back and realize how amazing a time we live in where videogames have music of this high quality, with great instrumentation and stirring melodies. The English vocals can be indecipherable at times, but for some reason, I think that adds to the soundtrack’s charm and appeal.

This game, much like P3P, was a bit too long for me. I’m used to RPGs taking 60-80 hours, and this took me approximately 60. By comparison, P3P took me 75, and some of my friends said that was relatively quick. However, this was on Very Easy using Rush to get through most battles. Also, since I started over, I skipped through almost all the cutscenes in its first half, and it still took me that long!

It was surprising (in a good way) how much endgame material is included, which alone took me a couple nights of play to complete. However, the game is designed in such a way that it is impossible to do everything in a single playthrough, so you have to dedicate 100+ hours easily to get everything out of this title. It’s a tremendous value, but one serious time commitment as well.

In the end, I enjoyed most of the time I spent in Inaba. It takes the successful formula of Persona 3 and polishes everything to a brilliant shine. It has a strong cast, tons of quests, a seemingly endless amount of Personas to discover/fuse, great art, and a terrific soundtrack. Despite the issues I had with it, P4G is still one of the better games available on the Vita.

Graphics: B+
Audio: A-
Gameplay & Controls: B+
Presentation: B
Value: A
Overall: B+

The Apple //e, Part 1: Monochrome Memories

May 2, 2014 by Mike

I touched on the Apple //e’s influence on me a bit in last week’s Industry Memoirs post, but when I thought about it afterwards, I realized just how big of an impact it had on me. More so than our Atari 2600, Apple’s popular home computer — and more specifically its games — would chart a course that led me to my first job in the videogame industry. This installment focuses on the very first year the //e entered our home.

My father purchased the computer when we were living in Spring, Texas in 1984. I remember going with him to ComputerCraft to pick it up, and all told, it cost him about $1,400, including a new desk. The store itself was very big and had a couple different floors. I still distinctly remember the smell of electronics and the glow of the monitors, something I still gravitate towards when I go to department stores today.

Even back then, Apple knew that presentation and brand loyalty was important. The boxes were attractive and sturdy. Everything came with high-quality spiral-bound manuals. Their 5.25″ floppy disks were adorned with full-color labels and sleeves. Even their included software, like the classic Apple Presents… Apple, possessed a level of polish and fun that anyone in the family could enjoy and learn from. I “played” it endlessly, learning about the computer, its capabilities, but most importantly getting to the open apple/closed apple sorting minigame!

The hardware itself was also slick, with an attractively molded case that felt premium to the touch, with easy access to the internal expansion slots. The keyboard was comfortable and fully integrated. The Disk ][ drive’s door had a satisfying tactile feel and sound when you opened and closed it. The green monochrome monitor had “show-off” features like a tilting screen and a design that made it sit beautifully flush atop the computer.

It didn’t look like a boring business machine at all, and instead felt like something that accentuated the room it was in. Even though it wasn’t something I bought (I was only 10), I treated it with care, keeping the screen clean and the entire system covered when not in use.

Those early years with the //e were pretty magical. One of the first games I ever played was the classic Karateka. Released that same year, it was the game that first made me realize that videogames could be cinematic. Characters had personalities, emotion, and possessed great detail in their design and animation. The short, effective musical pieces exemplified early leitmotif that sounded terrific through the computer’s internal speaker. The small touches, like how you can respectfully bow to certain opponents or the various ways that the player can die, added to its uniqueness. A great intro, multiple endings, and its attention to the smallest detail totally blew me away.

Another lesser-known game that I played to death early on was Microwave, similar in style to many maze games of that era. I loved this one, though, because it was the first computer game I’d ever heard with background music during gameplay. Not just any soundtrack either, as I distinctly remember one of the tunes being a direct lift of the well-known Creature Cantina song from Star Wars. Game soundtracks would become a very important focus for me during the 8-bit console era and beyond, much to the credit of this little gem.

Pulling off a good 3D game on the //e was pretty tough, but that didn’t stop companies from trying. One of my favorites was the Battlezone-inspired Stellar 7. The warp/launch sequence that would play after successfully completing a level was so good, pushed over the edge by the great sound effects. I also really liked the wireframe models and being able to move around them in 3D space. Very impressive, and even though the objects were simple, they were highly stylized with very memorable designs.

Dynamix remade Stellar 7 years later in 1990, which I bought without hesitation. It’s a great 256-color VGA game that is an excellent remake of the original, with clean graphics and sound card support.

Ahh, Lode Runner, one of the all-time best build-it-yourself games. Broderbund was a company that could do no wrong in the //e era, and were also responsible for the aforementioned Karateka, as well as other essentials like Choplifter and the wildly popular Print Shop.

Lode Runner is a fun game in its own right, but where I spent most of my time was in its level editor. Not only was it intuitive, but it breathed endless life into an already great title. I credit this game for getting me interested in game design. It taught me a lot about good level flow, level-breaking item and enemy placement, and being disciplined about balancing function with form. It’s a beautiful game that plays as good today as it did in the ’80s.

Another realization I had while writing this was that there are so many other games I want to talk about. For every one I brought up, there were ten others that came to mind! As I said, it was a magical time, and one that I’ll be revisiting again soon in a future GHG entry.

Have a great weekend!

A light Thursday update

May 1, 2014 by Mike

I haven’t been sleeping well this week, and I feel like I’ve been sapped of all my energy today… did a Shadow from Persona 4 cast Enervation on me or something?

Anyway, speaking of “light”, the PC/Uplay version of Child of Light is currently on sale at Green Man Gaming for $12 using promo code FUSWJT-B1DU64-JBV8UY. The code is good until 8AM on May 2nd (tomorrow). The code works for other titles as well, but as someone who grew up with and still loves beautiful and lovingly crafted 2D games, I wanted to call out Child of Light specifically. It looks amazing, and I can’t wait to play it!

I also gave in and picked up Tales of Symphonia Chronicles for the PS3, which is currently 50% off for PlayStation Plus subscribers, making it only $10. I haven’t played through a game in this series since the first Tales of Destiny on the original PlayStation. I really enjoyed that one, despite its insanely high encounter rate, so I’m sure it will be an eye-opener to see how the series has changed over the years. The Japanese version had one of my favorite intros of that generation.

Finally, I’m in mid-January in Persona 4 Golden. I was hoping to finish it today or tomorrow, but with how I’m feeling, I don’t know if that’ll happen. The bed is calling my name, as if I just came back from the TV World. My next update on this game, however, should be the review.

Progress Report: Persona 4 Golden and Social Links

April 30, 2014 by Mike

Ever since starting over on Very Easy, I’ve been flying through this game. I’m about 45 hours in, and it feels like I’m already heading into its final act. The funny thing is, I really do prefer playing it this way, even though it doesn’t provide much of a challenge. You get more money than you can spend, and most of your characters will be hitting level 99 by November. Additionally, if your party gets wiped out in battle, you can just continue from where you left off with full health and magic, making almost all recovery skills and items unnecessary.

So, why do I think this is fun? It’s because P4G is at its best when you’re not in dungeons. I mean, the dungeons here are good, and they’re more varied than Tartarus in Persona 3, but I still find them repetitive, especially if you go back for the harder bosses and the numerous fetch quests.

I’m definitely more in my element with the Social Link system, which fleshes out the stories between the main protagonist, his friends, and his family. I remember falling in love with this aspect of Japanese simulation games on the Sega Saturn when I played Sakura Taisen back in 1996. Its grid-based strategy parts were fun, but the interactions with the other characters was what made it a classic for me. And what an intro, right?

The Social Links in Persona 3 were excellent, and they’re great here as well. I sometimes feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of characters that you can build Social Links with, and even at this late point in the game, I’m gaining and working on new ones. This keeps things pretty fresh and your options open, especially if you’re like me and clear out dungeons right away, giving yourself weeks of free time in the game.

The scenario writers have done a really nice job not only making the main character story arcs interesting and meaningful, but giving the supporting cast three dimensions as well. There are times where I will find myself skipping over opportunities to advance my party member links in order to see where the story will go for people out on the fringes. Their struggles and personalities are warm, honest, and emotionally rewarding.

As I head towards P4G‘s finale, I’m already thinking about the links I will not have maxed out, the quests left undone, and trophies uncollected. Yes, there’s always New Game+, but a part of me wishes I could see everything in one shot.

Backlog Blitz: The games of January 2014

April 29, 2014 by Mike

Earlier this month, I shared the Backlog Blitz process that I’ve been using to track what games I’m buying and playing. While it gave a very basic overview of what it is and why I do it, I thought it’d be more interesting to dive into what actually makes up those numbers, my brief thoughts on each game, and some other statistics. I plan on doing this for each month of the year, so I should hopefully be caught up by the time mid or late May comes around.

Anyway, here we go with January. Format is Game Title (Platform, Purchase Price, Play Time).

Games purchased (-1):

The Humble Indie Bundle X (PC, $6)
I love Humble Bundles for their value and high quality. There are lots of indie bundle sites out there, but none of them come close to the ones offered here. This one included BIT.TRIP Presents… Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien, HOARD, Joe Danger 2: The Movie, Papa & Yo, Rues, Strike Suit Zero, Surgeon Simulator 2013, To the Moon, and Toki Tori 2+.

Games finished (+13):

Super Mario 3D World (Wii U, $60, 30 hrs.)
This game was just pure joy to play through. I’d say it’s the equal to the Super Mario Galaxy games on the Wii. It’s wonderfully varied, stars/stamps are fun to collect, and it runs smoothly at 60fps in 720p. It’s also full of inspired level design and perfectly responsive controls. It’s definitely my favorite game on the system, and is as good as platforming gets. Overall: A+
Drill Dozer (GBA, $30, 20 hrs.)
A 2006 side-scrolling platformer by Game Freak, makers of all things Pokemon. After playing the fun but uneven HarmoKnight last year (also from Game Freak), I decided to play this, and I’m glad I did! It’s extremely deep, and the treasure hunting in it was very addictive. Flying and swimming controls tarnish it a bit, but otherwise, it’s easy to recommend this. Overall: A-
You Must Escape (Android, Free, 1 hr.)
This is a pretty standard “escape the room” puzzle game. It contains a good number of rooms to solve, and most of the puzzles are intuitive. Some are a bit obscure, and the game itself isn’t anything special, but it’s still OK and worth checking out for free, especially if you enjoy the genre. Overall: C-
The Last of Us (PS3, $60, 55 hrs.)
My favorite PS3 game to date. It truly grabbed me and didn’t let go. It’s one of the rare times I’ve ever felt compelled to go through a game for every trophy, and although I skipped the multiplayer ones, I successfully collected the rest. It’s the most powerful gaming experience in recent memory, with solid gameplay that, while not extremely deep or revolutionary, supports the narrative perfectly. The world Naughty Dog has crafted here is just amazing to look at and explore, the soundtrack is haunting, and the acting is superbly top-shelf. Not to be missed. Overall: A+
Forza Motorsport 4 (360, $37, 20 hrs.)
This is my current favorite racing game series. It provides a good balance between arcade and simulation style racing, gives rewards to the player often, is graphically polished, and has powerful audio. The Top Gear contributions are fun, and the car selection is very good. Photo mode isn’t as good as Gran Turismo‘s, and I hate that it requires you to have Xbox Live Gold just to upload and save your own pictures. Still, it’s an excellent game with an abundance of content. Overall: A
Crashmo (3DS, $9, 10 hrs.)
The follow-up to Intelligent Systems’ Pushmo, this takes the familiar formula of that game and changes things up significantly by allowing you to now slide blocks sideways. It doesn’t sound major, but even early puzzles were giving me trouble due to preconditioning! Things really clicked later, and while I haven’t finished them all (I’m about 67% through it), I’m considering this one done. I’ll surely go back to it for months — if not years — into the future. Overall: A-
The Beatles Rock Band (360, $60, 5 hrs.)
My wife and I played this quite a bit back in 2009 (her on vocals and me on drums), but I decided to play Story Mode to see what it was like. I was pleasantly surprised by its quality, with great bits of Beatles history and trivia tucked away inside an excellently produced campaign. Very nice for a music game, and you can tell that the team that worked on this truly cared about the subject matter and source material. Overall: A
Quell Memento (Android, Free, 5 hrs.)
I made it about 70% into it, but I lost my progress as a result of my phone having to be replaced, so I stopped. It’s a well-produced puzzle game with good graphics and smooth, familiar gameplay. Hidden items and puzzles add an exploratory element to it. Perhaps after the sting of losing all my progress fades, I’ll give it another go. Overall: B
Ridiculous Fishing (Android, $1, 5 hrs.)
This is a fun game that puts tablet and phone tilt controls to great use. It’s pretty simple (and as the title suggests, ridiculous) in concept as you not just fish, but fling said fish up into the air to be shot out of the sky! I didn’t expect much from it, but it’s surprisingly deep with lots of upgrades, responsive controls, a funny story, and beautifully stylized graphics. Overall: B+
Pet Rescue Saga (Android, Free, 2 hrs.)
These types of puzzle games are usually OK, but this one doesn’t do anything particularly interesting, and lacks the smooth feel of Bejeweled Blitz or King’s own Candy Crush Saga. The animal designs are also not very good, and thus, I lost interest before too long. Overall: C-
Bravely Default Demo (3DS, Free, 20 hrs.)
It’s been called a better Final Fantasy than Final Fantasy, and after playing through this, I have to agree. It has a great combat system, lots of jobs to master, adjustable encounter and difficulty settings, a nice aesthetic, and an excellent soundtrack. It rewards players who put more into it with extremely powerful skill combinations that make the game almost too easy. It’s so fun though, so I figure most players will end up doing that. Overall: A
Candy Crush Saga (Android, Free, 15 hrs.)
King put some time into making this nice to look at, and its popularity isn’t a mistake. I stopped after 50 stages, since I’m not a fan of games that make you wait up to a full 24 hours before you can keep playing. You can pay to get through these, but I would rather these companies simply offer premium versions that do away with these annoying roadblocks. Overall: C+
NES Remix (Wii U, $15, 5 hrs.)
This has some good ideas, and there are challenges here that really do make you approach these old Nintendo titles differently, but the game selection itself is what hurts it. The developer Indieszero has put together a nice title that is smooth and polished, but there are better games out there to revisit. I had to support this, though, since they also made the excellent Retro Game Challenge for the Nintendo DS. Seek that out if you don’t have it yet. Overall: B-

In summary, January was a productive month, with some truly standout games on a wide range of systems. I barely spent anything, which is always a good thing when you’re trying to stay focused on games you already own. February ended up being a rougher month on the wallet, but it definitely didn’t skimp on overall quality.

To be continued!

Testing the Vita Portable Charger

April 27, 2014 by Mike

I’ll be out of town tomorrow with a lot of time to kill, so it will be a great opportunity to test out the Vita Portable Charger while I continue playing through Persona 4 Golden. It claims to provide 4-7 additional hours of gaming time, so in theory, it should be more than enough to get me through my adventures in Inaba and the TV World.

My first impression is that it’s a very nice, compact, and well-built device. The multicolored power indicator tells you everything you need to know about its charge level, although it does require the AC charger and USB cable included with the Vita. It doesn’t come with anything else besides the charger itself and instructions, so picking up an additional Vita USB cable for this is recommended.

Hope everyone had a great weekend, and I’ll report back later on how this performs.

4/28/14 Update: The Vita lasted all day! I played for about 4 or 5 hours throughout the day, and it still has about a quarter battery left, so I didn’t need the charger after all. I’m not going to charge the system tonight, and will see how it fares running on the portable charger tomorrow.

4/29/14 Update: I used the charger last night while I was playing P4G, and by the time I was done, the battery was fully charged and the charger light was red. I’m going to get the Vita’s battery down to about the same 25% level as it was yesterday, and see how much juice is left in the charger. So far, I’m pretty impressed with how quickly this charged the system, even while playing.

4/30/14 Update: Another day, another fully charged battery. I haven’t had to plug the portable charger or the Vita into an AC outlet for 2+ days now, and that’s with a good amount of play time throughout the day. Even though the indicator light was red yesterday, it still fully charged my Vita from 50%. This is turning out to be a very handy and surprisingly powerful little device.

Gray-Haired Gamer

Gaming in my forties

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