Outlander - First Episode Thoughts

After years of being a fan of the 'Outlander' books, and after a full year of high anticipation of the show premiering, the first episode has come and gone. Simulcast across multiple platforms, for free, courtesy of Starz, one week ahead of time (to draw in new viewers and subscribers, I'm sure, but it was still nice of them), I can finally breathe a sigh of relief having seen the show.



But, how do I feel? What did I like? What didn't I like? How does the casting fair? Was the production value, costuming, and acting really as good as Twitter and Facebook hyped it to be?



The short answer is: yes.



But here's the long one!

 

"I'm going on an Outlander adventure!"

It is a beautiful, thoughtful adaptation. As with most TV show pilots, it was slow paced and not particularly action packed. I'm not bothered by it, and no one else should be either, because it's important to establish setting, story, and characters before you launch into the exciting madness.



What did I like?

An opening shot from S01E01 of 'Outlander'.

The cinematography was gorgeous. It is thrilling to have the show set in Scotland! Every shot is pure art. And the actors are all completely wonderful. Many of them are nothing like I pictured in my mind but that sort of thing I don't feel is worth even a passing thought. There is literally no way that they could resemble my imagination. What's important, though, is that the casting department obviously put in heavy consideration - they are near perfect emodiments of Diana Gabaldon's writing. Basically I liked practically everything.



What didn't I like?



If I had to pick something, it would be the opening credits and some of the music. I feel that the images in the opening credits are lovely, and I think the song is pretty, but their combination as the opener to 'Outlander' displeases me. I don't feel that it captures, or prepares the viewer for, the immense excitement, adventure, and visceral feel of the story. To me, the opening feels far too flowery and ethereal, like some sort of early '90s high fantasy made-for-TV movie. It's really my only complaint, and I don't plan on bringing it up ever again.







As for the music... I know that a lot of people were very excited for Bear McCreary's compositions, but I'm left feeling wishy washy. There are one or two thrilling moments in the premiere episode that required upbeat/fast paced music, and I feel that he rose to the occasion wonderfully! The bagpipes kicked in and it was awesome. But some other parts were slow, quiet, and soft, and something about his choices just rubbed me the wrong way. It's similar to how I feel about the opening credits: it didn't "fit" in my mind. Of course, I don't know what I would have done differently, and this simply my opinion. It's also not going to ruin the show for me.



Production Value

A flashback to Claire as a nurse in WWII. Note the gory, open leg wound.

As far as I can tell, they pulled out every stop possible! The sets, the costumes, the makeup, the blood! The beginning of the episode shows us Claire in bloody action during WWII, frantically working on a man with a torn up leg. It was gruesome, and horrifying, and amazingly done. In addition to being necessary for the audience to get a feel for what Claire is capable of, it was a fantastic preview of what's to come (because 'Outlander' is chock full of gory, medical goodness).



While we didn't get prolonged or well-lit views of the attire of 1743, the kilt-y bits that we saw in the darkened forest were incredibly detailed. Based on the stills that Starz has released, and the praise from the actors, I am in high anticipation of fabulous period-accurate clothing in upcoming episodes.



Final Feelings

'How you doin'.'

It is a GREAT time to be an 'Outlander' fan! With the recent release of the 8th book in the series (Written in My Own Heart's Blood), the premiere of the show, and the graciousness and interactvity of the stars and producers of the show (not to mention the author!) on Twitter, we have a lot to be pleased about and thankful for.



The premiere left me happy, satisfied, anxious for more, and highly approving of everything that was added that wasn't in the book. Ronald D. Moore was clearly the perfect choice for a TV series, and I thank him from the bottom of my fandom heart.



Now go watch the premiere! What are you waiting for?!




-MJ



*header photo source

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"The Stanley Parable" and You

This is the story of you.

Right now, you are sitting in that exact location with your eyes locked onto your screen, reading these very words. You are reading this so astutely, in fact, that your mind is jumping ahead through the text and wondering what the whole point of this introduction is.

I will answer that question by saying that now the voice in your head reading this article is now speaking with a British accent. Not a cockney British accent, but the most elegant, graceful British accent your mind can muster.

Let's read this sentence together, all with that British voice you made up in your head.

Well, did it work?

Are you thinking with a British voice, all because I gave you the suggestion to do so? If you are, then let me ask you this:

Why did you obey my suggestion?

What was the reason you decided to do exactly what I told you to do?

Was it because these words are holding your attention captive, forcing you to adhere to my every whim? Or was because you where going along with the story, giddily going along with the flow to find out where it was all going?

Well then congratulations! You've just learned a valuable lesson on the illusion of choice.

One such lesson learned from the video game called “The Stanley Parable.”

The Stanley Parable, for the curiously unfamiliar, is a first-person adventure game that deals with the subject of choice and the lack thereof. Written and developed solely by Davey Wreden, the game originally began as a mod of the Source engine and became available to Steam in 2011. But since its release, it has grown in such popularity that a high-definition remake was designed and released late of 2013. The game has been praised for its thoughtful subject matter, well-crafted design and its clear sense of originality.

But it's the story that really drives the success of the game. In the game, you play a simple office worker by the name of Stanley. Stanley's job is to press buttons all day when a prompt comes up on his computer monitor. He's so blissfully happy with this menial task that it's a shock to him, at the start of the game, when one day the computer stops telling him what to do. Upon further investigation, Stanley discovers that all of his coworkers have vanished suddenly without a word. All of this exposition, as you the play the game, is told to you by the voice of the Narrator, who walks through everything that Stanley does along the story. However, even as the Narrator vocally dictates where to go and what to do, you can opt to ignore his instructions, following the path led by your own choices. Your ending is thus altered, much to the annoyance of the Narrator who insists you stay on the original story.

Now while the plot may not sound like something truly groundbreaking, it's the real story behind the story that pulls you in. This is because, despite the notions established throughout the game, the story is really about you, the player.

Sure, the game follows the actions of Stanley, but because you're the one actually controlling the actions of Stanley, the story is actually yours, as told through the life of Stanley. Normally as a gamer, you'd brush this off and disassociate your life from that of the protagonist's.

But not in The Stanley Parable.

As the game progresses, you find out that the game acknowledges this disassociation and forces you to take reflection on what you're doing with your life, both through the game and out of it. It makes you pause at the confines of video game narrative and makes you consider one crucial question:

“Do I truly have a choice?”

Because, through the parable of Stanley, we have to wonder if the power of our choices were ever really real or if they were just designed confines, predetermined since before we were born. Most games don't really delve into such topics so as not to break your immersion of the game.

But not The Stanley Parable.

Because The Stanley Parable isn't the really the story of Stanley.

It isn't the story of his missing coworkers, or the Narrator.

It isn't even the story of whether choice is really relevant.

This is the story of you.

-Tom

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Old, New, Borrowed... Rented? The Lowdown on ALBW.

I am enjoying the hell out of The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. The first whiffs of the game seemed promising and fun, and after playing a demo at PAX Prime 2013 I was hooked and anticipatory for its release. I received it as a Christmas gift and jumped into the game shortly after the new year. As I've been playing I've been jotting down my first impressions and my overall feelings about the game. I'm happy to say that it's a handheld Zelda that I actually like. I loved Minish Cap, as well as Oracle of Ages and Seasons, and I'm still stumbling and struggling to get through the tough-as-nails Link's Awakening, but Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks were just bleah to me. There's no bleah over here though! Here are my thoughts on the newest addition to the Legend of Zelda series. This will contain some spoilers!

It's the same startup music as A Link to the Past. You can hear it, can't you?

So, A Link Between Worlds (here on out referred to as ALBW) is the story of our constant Hero of Time being called up in Hyrule's time of need. This time a strange man (at least I think it's a man) named  Yuga is turning important, and sometimes (seemingly) random, people into portraits with his magic powers. Sahasrahla begs for your help because you happen to be nearby with a sword.

What started as a bummer errand soon became the adventure of a lifetime.

Your chase leads you to Hyrule castle where you're too late! Zelda has been turned into a painting. After following Yuga through a strange, colorful crack in a wall you pop out into Lorule, the Dark World equivalent in ALBW. Yuga is harnessing Ganon's Triforce of Power to be... beautiful? It was a weird scene. This is when Hilda, ruler of Lorule, shows up and begs for your help in fixing the devastatingly horrible world that is hers to reign over. And with that, the Hero of Time sets out to recover all of the paintings that turn out to be descendants of the Seven Sages from Ocarina of Time (here on out referred to as OoT) in an effort to help Hilda and save Lorule, while also restoring those descendants to their rightful living place in Hyrule.

No matter how many times I acquire the Master Sword it doesn't get old.

It's really exciting that ALBW is set in the same universe as A Link to the Past (here on out referred to as ALttP). I knew this going in, of course, but getting to explore the same map with new goals in mind just feels... cool. Familiar but different at the same time. It instilled a sense of confidence in where to go and how to get to certain places. ALttP ties for my favorite Zelda game along with OoT, so any opportunity to explore the area is fine by me!



When meeting Zelda for the first time I got a real kick out of the fact that it's the same music that plays in OoT (when meeting Zelda for the first time). I felt a good little shiver at the bone-deep memories that it conjured. In a way it felt like I really was the Hero of Time and past lives/parallel lives were reverberating through me with hearing that music and seeing that girl. It was also pretty neat that Nintendo reused the plot device of both Link and Zelda having evil premonition dreams.

At least she's not commenting on my crazy green garb.

I stayed pretty far away from preview videos and teasers before the game was released because I like to be surprised as the story unfolds. I also hate those "First 20 minutes of gameplay!" videos. Objectively I understand their purpose and appeal, but if I watch them then the beginning of the game will be boring! With that in mind, I had no idea that ALBW would circulate around the Seven Sages! A swish and a win for more OoT references! It further instilled my Hero of Time feelings.



The first thing that I really didn't like about ALBW was the fact that you have to rent your weapons. I scoffed and pouted and wondered why on earth Nintendo would take from me the great joy of finding new weapons in each dungeon. How could they do this? Don't they understand how great an experience it is?! I have to *pay* for weapons, and if I get a Game Over then I lose the weapons and have to pay to rent them again? What's with all the rupee grubbing?

This weirdo sets up shop in your old house because you "aren't using it". So presumptuous.

If you don't like the sound of what I'm saying, keep reading! I have good news for you. It turns out that Nintendo had an excellent reason for this rental system: for the first time since the NES days players can explore the dungeons in ANY order they want! Whaaaaat?! Yeah. Big news. Of course, I'm terrible at following in-game prompts (especially the ones that are in bold letters and are highlighted in red giving clear instructions on what to do next) so I missed the repeated hint to go to the fissure behind Sahasrahla's house (which would have lent a semi-sense of order to the dungeons) and merrily wandered off to the Thieves Hideout and the Swamp Palace first.



The sense of freedom was inordinately intoxicating. I'd look at the map, review the Xs indicating dungeons, and just... decide on a whim which one I would go to! It was refreshing! I think precisely the perfect balance of old and new, familiar yet innovative. Also, eventually the rented weapons become purchasable and so you don't have to worry about re-paying for them if you fall in battle. Another thing that Nintendo finally did right was to give you an infinite (or nearly infinite) wallet from the very start. There's actually a reason to chase all of the rupees and even conquer the random treasure hunting locations that you'll find. Thanks Nintendo!



Another aspect of the game that I dislike, yet understand, are the save points. I despise when games don't have a 'save anywhere' feature. As a very busy and important adult I may have to shut my 3DS at the drop of a hat. I don't want to worry about losing my progress! This is a very minor gripe though because in reality there are a lot lot lot of save points and they also serve as a way to integrate fast travel into the game. Near the beginning you're given a bell by a young witch who is trying to be more charitable and from that point on if you ring the bell she'll swoop by on her broom and take you to any save locations that you've activated. Pretty sweet!

A little history lesson in Hyrule castle.

When a dungeon has been conquered and a Sage has been saved you're taken to the Chamber of Sages where they'll talk to you, and in this chamber you can actually walk around! I always wanted to be able to walk around in the chamber while playing OoT, so it really is the little things that make the world go 'round.



I feel it's important to note that the wall merging is pretty damn slick. I think a lot of people were afraid it was just a super gimmick, but I feel that Nintendo incorporated it very well. It's really not that different from the mirror/warp points in ALttP, except there are more of them! Plus the wall merge is used for more than just going into fissures to get from Hyrule to Lorule and back again. Many of the dungeon puzzles are based off the merging and some places on the map are only accessible via merge. The only real downside to this aspect of the game is that the "regular" view is bird's eye view. As in completely top down. I prefer to be more over the shoulder angle and so at first this really bothered me. I realize that it's because seeing more of the surroundings would make the merging puzzles useless. I got used to it after a while, so ultimately it wasn't a deal breaker.







As of this writing I'm still attempting to beat the game. I made a huge push toward completion while hanging out with my nephew during the Super Bowl. He sat with me as I worked my way through the last two dungeons as well as Lorule Castle. He whooped and hollered and said things like "I'm too nervous I can't watch!" as I attempted to defeat Yuga-Ganon thing. Unfortunately I failed spectacularly because I only had two faeries and no potions. I recently read on a walk through that 3000 rupees tossed into a special faerie pond will grant Link another bottle, so I'll be going after that before I try to beat the game again.



A Link Between Worlds has been getting rewards and outstanding reviews all over the place and is definitely worth at least one run through. When I'm finished with it I can't wait to lend it to my friends! Have you played it yet?



-MJ



*All images property of A Bit of Geek! I took them with my phone, they are masterpieces.

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Late to the Game: The Wind Waker

I haven't been spending a whole lot of cash on new video games lately. This is mostly due to few new releases that I have been itching to play. That, and the fact that I've got a pretty extensive collection of games (some of which I, admittedly, have not beaten) to comb through and conquer. Whether it's a game that I never accomplished as a youngling or something that never sparked my interest right away, I definitely have more than enough material to keep me occupied while I wait for things that I actually wantto be released. This brings us to the subject matter of a little game review segment I lovingly refer to as "Late to the Game."

The focus this time around is Nintendo's critically acclaimed addition to the Zelda franchise, "The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker."

Source

Now, I was reluctant to get into this game from the start because I was incredibly put off by the choice of cell-shading as opposed to a graphical style similar to "Ocarina of Time." I know, I know, graphics shouldn't dictate whether a game is worth playing, but I just could

not

get past how goofy The Wind Waker looks! I'll admit that the mindset was a bit shallow, but come on:

Wat. Source

Initially, my only exposure to The Wind Waker was the short demo that came with my Collector's Edition disc. It offered a couple of different gameplay scenarios, yet even with the variety I was still unimpressed. It wasn't until I decided I would force my way through The Wind Waker for the sake of literature that I saw it through to the end. My pros for this title are somewhat slim in comparison to someone who may have trulyloved the game, which may disappoint some of you, but I'm going to be as objective as I can.

The Soundtrack

Pro

: Like every other Zelda title, The Wind Waker did not disappoint in the name of musical accompaniment. The title music lends a very nautical, adventurous feeling which is indicative of the story you're about to play. My personal favorite piece is probably Outset Island which isn't surprising since the village themes are always good. Additionally, the music throughout was fitting to the cartoony feel. A particularly impressive use of music was the nearly silent hum of notes the player hears when first encountering Hyrule Castle. It lent the perfect feeling of eeriness and unknown to the situation and accomplished its goal perfectly.

Con

: Though the music was fitting with the happy-go-lucky, carefree feel of the rest of the game, it made it difficult for me to take some situations seriously: battle music wasn't very intense, few dungeon pieces offered a real sense of mystery, boss battles lent no sense of urgency... I could go on. Where the village themes were in perfect sync with the overall game feel, other pieces offered up no variety; no tension, no remorse... just a tad disappointing.

You would think that since music has such a heavy hand in this game it would have had a better presence. Source

The Gameplay

Pro

: The game plays just like any other Zelda title. Controls are smooth and easy to grasp, and situations give you enough time to learn how to effectively use new items, some of which can be very fun in battle as well as casually. Dungeons are trying at times and definitely exercise your abilities.

Con

: As with Ocarina of Time, your available item slots are limited. While it seemed that the most pain-in-the-ass thing about OoT was switching items out for the Iron Boots in the Water Temple, switching between items in The Wind Waker was downright tedious. Some items were very one-note in their functionality and could have been condensed together to cut down on how many times you have to stop playing, open the menu, swap an item out, use the item, walk forward, open the menu, swap the item again, and then continue on.

There isn't really an image that effectively convey all aspects of the gameplay, so here's Link being an asshole. Source

The Open World

Pro

: The world being entirely flooded, with the exception of a few islands, gives the player plenty of space to explore. Just about every island has an activity to accomplish in order to gain an item relevant to the story, be it the main quest or a side quest. Also, no load times, which is always nice!

Con

: THERE IS NOTHING TO DO. Sure, when you get to the island you're headed for you've got things to hack and slash at, but when you're just poking along on the water, there is nothing to keep you entertained. Mob of enemies coming your way? Sail straight, they won't even touch you. I'm serious! The only time I stopped while in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by enemies mind you, was if I needed some rupees. The mobs can literally be avoided altogether. For the most part, I could set sail in one direction, go to the kitchen for a snack, and come back to resume playing. Save for the intermittent rupee slalom, it just feels empty. That, to me, is a let down. The open world could have been made so much better if there were at least things to look at while you were blowing through the water! Stopping every few minutes to change the direction the wind blows is also an annoying hindrance.

That about sums it up. Source

The Story

This is where the waters get the murkiest and I don't truly feel like I can discern proper pros and cons. The story was good, I liked it for the most part, but the execution was just terrible. It's like every good nugget I come up with has an equally horrible (or worse) counterpart. This is the first title in which Link isn't called to duty as "the hero," he is simply out to save his little sister. It isn't until near the end of the game that you discover he is actually a descendant of the heroic line. That aspect is pretty neat.

Humble beginnings. Source

Discovering Hyrule underwater was a very cool and grand reveal, but you

couldn't

explore any of it! The castle was one big open room and once you were able to move outside of it your only available route was straight to the next dungeon. I do, of course, understand data limitations on the Gamecube discs, it was just saddening that you couldn't roam around some dry land without having to get into your boat at some point.
The most brutal injustice done to gamers in this story is the incredible downplay of Ganondorf and the depth his character had to offer to The Wind Waker. All you really know about him is that he is kidnapping girls with long ears (in an attempt to find Zelda/the Triforce of Wisdom) and that is essentially all you get for almost the full length of the game. It isn't until near the end that Ganondorf drops

BOMBSHELLS

of golden plot devices that are never fleshed out or explored in any way. His character has so much tragedy, anger, and malice, and it never goes beyond him being "the bad guy" and I was

shocked

by the wasted potential. Wind Waker's incarnation of Ganondorf was easily the most relatable and human (for lack of a better term) that we'd ever seen, and it was a travesty to not have that expanded upon.

This is probably the first and only time I would employ the phrase "So deep" without an ounce of sarcasm. Source

All in all, I am glad that I have finally beaten The Wind Waker. As one of my favorite franchises, I feel it is a duty to see each story through to the end, regardless of how painful it might be. I appreciate the experience, though I don't really feel the need to play through the game another time. Maybe one day for nostalgia's sake, but nothing in the foreseeable future.
I'm sure plenty of you out there have your own opinions on The Wind Waker, so share them with me! What here did you identify with? What makes you want to slap me across the face in disagreement? Let me know!

-Zach

Spoiler alert: The game ends. Source

*Header image courtesy of FanPop

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HM: A New Beginning is a Breath of Fresh Farm

I am a huge fan of the Harvest Moon series, and have been for years. My first foray into the series was a Rom of the SNES verision when I was in junior high and really, I was hooked from that moment on. I wrote up a huge piece on the series a while ago, if you'd like to give it a read, but today's post is going to be all about A New Beginningfor the 3DS, the most recent offering in this long-standing and well loved franchise! As a quick rundown (for those not in the know), Harvest Moon is a farm and life simulator that has been going strong since in the US since 1997. It features planting and harvesting crops, raising livestock, and finding a husband/wife all while revitalizing a rundown homestead and town. I promise it is more fun than it sounds.

 

Chickens, cows, sheep, and more animals await you in A New Beginning.

The US version came out around Holiday last year, but I only recently got my hands on a copy. Two things to note right away: it was worth the wait, but also I shouldn't have waited at all because it is awesome. There are so many new features that I've been wishing for, hoping for!, in previous versions. I have also been repeatedly and sorely disappointed with the portable versions of Harvest Moon, so I can hardly even begin to explain my relief and all-encompassing delight at how much I love A New Beginning!

Natsume has stuck with the ability to choose to play as a boy or a girl to start, which I love, and A New Beginning introduces character customization! That's right: hair, eyes, skin tone, and outfit! Outfits and hair styles can even be changed later in the game once the tailor and salon move in! If you're a fan of the series, you'll have noted that I said "once they move in". So yes, the game doesn't start with every shop and/or villager available. And really, I like it this way! It's quite reminiscient of Magical Melody for GameCube (also available on the Wii as a port), which is my favorite version aside from Back to Nature for PSone. Players are tasked with revitalizing not just the derelict farm, but the town, too! Your hard work and commitment to socialization will bring in new characters, including an architect! Once the architect is obtained, you can then buy blueprints and build new structures. The first one that becomes available is a Newspaper shop, which when built brings a journalist to your town. Makes sense!

 

Customize your character for the first time!

Unlike Magical Melody, however, players can choose the exact layout of the town, down to the pathways and decorations. This kind of customized freedom is completely unheard of for the Harvest Moon series! When I first started up my file I was a bit let down with how few people were in the town, but as I've made progress I've realized that there is SO much to do that it's really a good thing that the game is slow at first. This allows time for the player to get into the groove of the town and their own farm. As more people move in, more tasks are given to the player. If all of that were available from the start I really think the experience would be too overwhelming and complicated.

 

Armed with super human strength, players can carry houses around town until they find the perfect spot.

One of my favorite aspects of A New Beginning is how easy and fun it is to forage in the forest and mountain areas. In previous versions it has been difficult to save or earn money, putting a damper on making fast progress. This game has areas FILLED with bugs and fish to catch, flowers to pick, and wild growth to harvest and sell. The best part is that every day there are new things! Magical Melody, for instance, would take a few days for items to respawn up in the mountains and the woods. This frequency of foragable items makes it easy to make fast money, gives the player more to do, and provides ways to refresh the energy meter without having to prepare food in the kitchen.

Speaking of the kitchen, you start out with one! Most versions of Harvest Moon have the player in an extremely bare house with no amenities, and they must work toward paying for expansions. As fun and fulfilling as that was (no sarcasm), I enjoy having storage and a kitchen right away! I'm glad to see that recipes are a consistent theme through the life of the series, and A New Beginning kicks it up a notch by making recipes obtainable through friendships! Just give players an item that they like or love each day (such as fish or flowers) and occasionally they'll give you something in return, such as a blueprint, tools, or recipes.

 

Can't forget the Harvest Sprites! They make a return, as does the Harvest Goddess!

Players will enjoy a save anywhere feature, too. That has really been lacking for a long time. One of the greatest features of the DS/3DS is the ability to close the lid and go about other business if life calls while gaming. Throwing in the ability to save wherever you are makes the game that much more accomodating to a variety of life styles.There are honestly too many new and interesting features for me to possibly cover them all here, although I wish I could. I haven't even made it through year one of my game yet though, so there are new and exciting things that I don't even know about!

My only complaint about A New Beginning is the same complaint I've had about playing as a girl in the Harvest Moon series: the bachelors suck. No, seriously. The first bachelor is Neil, and he has the worst attitude I've ever seen. He is a standoffish jerk who will literally tell you to go away because you're bothering him. Meanwhile there are three bachelorettes in my town who are nice, fun, and social, so if I were playing as a guy I'd have it made. Why does Natsume continue to make total buttheads as potential husbands? Should I even delve into this subject?

 

I haven't met this bachelor yet, but I guess he seems nicer than Neil.

If you're curious about the Harvest Moon series, or perhaps you're a longtime fan who hasn't played A New Beginning yet, then I highly, highly recommend it! I truly believe that it is the best addition to the series to date, and that includes about five other versions for the DS. The graphics look nice, even though I generally don't like 3D sprites on the DS, I'm enjoying the music, and there's so much to do everyday yet the days are still long enough to get everything done. Natsume has really struck a perfect pitch with this one! It's about $30 if you can find a copy at GameStop, and around $40 online (for some weird reason).

Which version of Harvest Moon is your favorite, and why?

-MJ

*header images from here and here

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Animal Crossing: New Leaf First Week Impressions

 

I'm not wearing shoes!

Animal Crossing: New Leaf is the fourth installment in Nintendo's wildly popular life/world/happiness simulator. This version rolled out onto the 3DS on Sunday, June 9th, and I have been working tirelessly to bring you first hand information! What do I like, what don't I like? What's new? What's familiar? What's missing that I wish remained? As a veteran and fan of the series since its start on the Gamecube in 2001, I feel qualified to share this information!

What's new?

So many things. Shoes and socks are now purchasable, as well as pants, skirts, tank tops, dresses, and t-shirts. The customization options are huge! More bugs, more fish, and aquatic life such as urchins, sand dollars, and anemones! NEW FRUIT! Players earn badges from Phineas as they meet milestones in-game, there's an island awaiting your presence with tropical fish year round, and SWIMMING! Players can purchase a wetsuit (or rent one while on the island) to swim for fun and also to dive for hidden treasures and creatures. When you move into town you get to choose where your house goes! Players become mayor of their town, then choose projects to build (such as bridges, benches, and street lights) in order to liven up the area and make citizens happier. Oh, and you even get to choose where those items go! Ordinances can also be placed into effect, changing how the your town functions. Some choices include Early Bird, Beautify, and Big Bells. They make the town livelier in the mornings, make flowers grow more frequently and never wilt, and make it so shops pay more for your items, respectively. There are many ordinances to choose from in order to suit each individual player's needs! And believe it or not, there's even more beyond my ramblings!

 

Once a day for 2 play coins, you can buy a fortune cookie. Exchange the fortune for a rare prize!

What stood out right away?

NEW FLOWERS AND FRUIT! This was seriously a long time coming. I love being able to change individual aspects of my outfit, and I love that there are so many more shops to pop into. Nook now runs the Home Improvement store, which he shares with Lyle. Nook still sells home upgrades, but now he also sells customization of doors, roofs, fences, mailboxes, and more. Lyle will give you your up-to-date Happy House Academy score, as well as pointers for improvement. Pelly still works at the Post Office, and Mabel and Sable are once again in their clothing shop, but they are now joined by Label! Label runs the accessory shop attached to Mabel and Sabel's. Eventually Leif the Sloth will build a gardening store, and Nook's nephews run Nooklington Junction selling furniture, tools, and the ever exciting new product: fortune cookies. Re-Tail in town is run by an adorable llama named Reese. She will buy your wares for a good price, and players can also set up items to sell to other players as well as citizens. When her husband wakes up he will build custom furniture, too!

 

New Leaf sees the return of many old favorites, including the Bug Off! You get prizes for beating the current high score holder, too.

Do I ever play with the 3D on?

I really don't like the 3D. I can only turn it on a tiny bit or else I get a headache, and even then I have to sit just so in order for it to look right. I sometimes forget the thing even has a 3D feature. Let me know in the comments whether or not you use your 3D, or if it gives you similar issues!

 

Completion of Public Works Projects includes lots of pomp and circumstance, and I like it!

How are the graphics?

Usually I don't care much about graphics, but I'm pleased to say that Animal Crossing: New Leaf looks great! Super crisp, sharp, and colorful. The sprites move smoothly and there's great detail to be seen on the fish, bugs, and miscellaneous other things. I disliked Wild World for the DS because I didn't like how the graphics looks when players walked around (quite the hinderance, you know).

 

Kapp'n returns with sea shanties and weird compliments! If you go to the island a lot, and you're like me, you'll get sick of them.

Does progress move quickly?

The diligent player will have no issues making rapid progress. As soon as access to the island opens up it becomes easy peasy to make tons of bells in short order. A trip to the island at night will net between at least 100,000 because of all of the rare tropical tree beetles. The game has been out just over a week now, and as of this writing I have my first upstairs expansion on my home (which means three home upgrades already!), a second bridge, and a fountain. By the time this article posts I plan on having a campsite built, too!

 

Me in my wet suit getting ready to deep sea dive and avoid some very rude jellyfish.

Are there any Cons?

I can't stop playing.

My buddy and me exploring the multiplayer features. We happen to be matching, and I blinked!

Is there anything that I feel is missing?

The 3DS has a microphone built in, so I feel that Nintendo seriously dropped the ball on not incorporating voice chat into the multiplayer features. Communication with friends in-game is still as arduous as ever: hunting and pecking on the keyboard with the stylus, and a very limited number of characters at a time. I find it easier to keep a text or IM conversation going on my phone or computer. Using the touch screen keyboard just takes too long.

 

The huge array of new sea creatures to discover via diving makes me so excited that I want to scream.

Also, the astronomy tower is gone! That gives me the sads, because that was an awesome feature of City Folk.

Is this a title that would benefit from being a Digital Download?

I kind of wish I had gone digital for this one. As Iwata said, Animal Crossing is a game that can be played year round with new content nearly every day. There's little to no reason to ever take it out of your system! But, I am a collector, and a visual one at that. I love seeing my games and systems lined up on my shelves. It brings me joy! I have three games on my 3DS from the eShop, and even though they're convenient I still miss having their boxes on my shelf. So, if you aren't a visual collector and you haven't yet bought Animal Crossing because you just can't decide if you should go physical or eShop, my recommendation is eShop!

 

I was confused when I saw Phineas, but now I can't wait for him to show up again and give me more badges!

Additional thoughts:

I love that we can take in-game screenshots by holding R and L down at the same time! That is truly badass! The mini games on the island are incredibly fun and challenging, offering even more gameplay to participate in. I'm anxious to use the QR code feature for clothing and wall patterns, and I love that I can add people to a Best Friend list and be able to send them messages even if we aren't in one another's towns. Nintendo really outdid themselves this time.

There is so much more to be said about New Leaf, but I don't want to overwhelm readers. Just know that this article is but a sampling of the wonders awaiting you!

 

Thanks to the fortune cookies, my room is becoming a Nintendo haven (and I couldn't be happier).

Tips!

If you haven't started a file yet (and you care what your character looks like), then be sure to reference this Face Guide to have some control over your visual outcome! Also, know that Rover gives you a few different town layouts to choose from at the start of the game. How awesome is that?!

So WHO ELSE is playing Animal Crossing: New Leaf? I don't delve into multiplayer games nearly as often as I'd like, and I want this experience to be different! Here's my Friend Code:

0087-2393-3677

, please send me yours! I want to play!

-MJ

*header and preview images from Nintendo. All screenshots are from my personal collection!

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Review Time! Paper Mario: Sticker Star.

In light of the fourth quarter release lineup, the 3DS is rapidly becoming my favorite gaming system. All of the demos at PAX were extremely promising, and the games are finally rolling out to anxious hands all over the globe.

I've had the great pleasure of playing Paper Mario: Sticker Star, and now that I'm on the final (and incredibly difficult) Bowser battle I'm ready to talk about the game in all of its papery glory.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star. Source.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star bursts onto the 3DS with crisp, bright graphics, witty dialogue, new twists on old enemies, lots of tricky puzzles, and a brand new sticker mechanic. At first the stickers seemed like a simple gimmick, but after familiarizing myself with the gameplay I was able to see their full and fun potential. Battles require more tactics and preparation, and the game creators obviously had a great time coming up with the "thing" stickers that Mario finds around the world.

"Thing" stickers range from teapots, to goats, to scissors, to shaved ice, and pretty much everything else in between. These stickers can be used in battle for greater damage or effects such as doubling attack power. The stickers also interact with the environment via the "stickerize" screen. Mario can, for instance, use a refrigerator to freeze flowing lava, or a fire flower to melt some snow.

Mario placing a sticker in the "stickerize" screen. Source.

Fans of the series will really appreciate this first-time portable offering. It brings back the turn-based RPG battle style of the first two Paper Mario titles, but sadly does away with in-game partners. I prefer the turn-based style, and I sorely missed it from Super Paper Mario for the Wii.

While the lack of partners is pretty noticeable and makes the game a little lonely, Kersti (your sticker helper) is an amiable and entertaining companion. She cushions the blow of having only one attack per turn by giving Mario the opportunity to use up to three stickers per turn via the coin roller. Timed taps to the A button might yield two or three of a kind (much like a slot machine), thus providing more chances to deal greater damage to the enemies at hand. The player could also use the opportunity to apply a healing mushroom to Mario.

Three separate attack stickers can be used, as indicated by the three dotted squares. Source.

The game is covered with battle stickers, so players won't have to worry about scrounging up coins to buy them at the shops (shopping is an option too, of course). There are six worlds in all, and each one introduces even more stickers to use. When you start the game your Sticker Album will only have a few pages which serve as inventory space, but as you gather Sticker Comet stickers your album will increase its pages, allowing you to carry more with you at a time.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star includes a museum where you can showcase the stickers you've found. Source.

At any moment the game has given Mario everything he will need to progress, but the puzzle solutions won't always be simple. I've gotten stuck more times than I can recall at this point, and often times the answers found online resulted in me thinking, "Who would have thought to do that?!"

Sticker Star has been an absolute treat to play, and it is fair in length. Including all of the times I've achieved a Game Over screen, I'm sitting at about thirty hours of gameplay. I wish the game were longer, but that's really because I can't get enough of Paper Mario. I highly recommend picking up this title! It's a great addition to anyone's gaming library. I hope that the people over at Intelligent Systems will be teaming up with Nintendo again in the future to bring the fans even more amazing Paper Mario gameplay!

Did you pick up Paper Mario: Sticker Star? Do you plan on it? If you have a copy then what do you think so far?

-MJ

p.s. If you don't have a copy yet, then be sure to enter my giveaway contest to try and win a free copy!

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Get Your Disney Digital Fix with Wreck-It Ralph

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It's safe to say that the population at large is excited about Wreck-It Ralph, the newest animated feature from Disney. Most people won't need long reviews and critical opinions to decide whether or not they want to flock to the movies to see it. This won't be a long and critical review, I just want a chance to talk about what a gem of a film it ended up being!

Wreck-It Ralph has a great message of reaching for the stars, trying new things, and also of finding satisfaction with the lives that we have. It almost seems contradictory, but in the case of Ralph he comes to love his life after some soul searching and star reaching.

Along the way he meets an amazing cast of characters, many of which pay fan service to an older generation of gamers. The careful and diligent viewer will notice hundreds of tiny, wonderful things strewn throughout the movie. Personally I wish I had had multiple sets of eyes just so I could take in everything. That's a first for me.

'Game Central Station' is impressive and overflowing with well-loved characters. Source.

Once the exciting gaming settings of the first half an hour passed and we really settled into the story, I was amazed by the number of twists and surprises. The story was eloquently wound and complex, also extremely funny. I did find myself thinking it was a bit sophisticated for children, and even a little inappropriate at times. Perhaps though, as an adult, I simply caught all of the jokes and little kids won't. Either way certain scenes felt a little more PG but not quite PG-13. It's a fine line, but they were at least always clever!

It's no surprise, but is still worth mentioning, that the whole movie is visually stunning. Every game world is so full, colorful and fun. Again I found myself needing more sets of eyes! It's astounding to think of the development process for the game Sugar Rush; they made it an absolute delight to look at.

A stunning, inventive, and bright landscape of candy! Source.

Wreck-It Ralph is a great film, and makes a fun theatre visit for families and grown-ups alike. Be sure to catch it while it's still showing! Since it's a Disney film you'll have at least a month.

Has anyone else seen it? What are your thoughts?

-MJ

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The Writings of a Noob "Explaining" Netrunner.

On Friday night I had a board game marathon. I know how to party hard. We kicked things off with a few cans of soda and a riveting game of Carcassonne. After trying it at PAX for the first time it has become an instant favorite. Good thing one of my housemates owns a copy! After winning the game by two little points (which was marvelous because originally we thought that he had won by one point, but it turned out that one of my farmers round-about-ly connected to three completed cities, booyah) we moved onto a surprisingly confusing session of Toboggans of Doom. I've had that for a while, a PAX of yore purchase. It's fun for the most part, but needed more play testing before it emerged into the heaving world of sleek gameplay instructions and cards that are fully colored in.

The shiny new box! Netrunner came out a little over a week ago.

Against my better judgement, it being past midnight and myself being exhausted, I agreed to play Netrunner, the newly released (re-released?) card game from Fantasy Flight. In the 90s, Netrunner was a collectible card game (CCG) that was, apparently, loved greatly by my housemate and his twin brother. Considering the way the game is played, though, the collection aspect was a challenge and ultimately the game failed.

Bear with me as I attempt to explain my experience playing Netrunner. It's not untrue to say that I was extremely confused for the majority of the game. It was tons of fun though! The story here is that one player is a hacker of sorts, and the other is an evil corporation. The hacker must steal Agendas from the corporation, and the corporation sets up Programs to keep the hacker out. This is the sort of game that would benefit greatly from a playing mat, at least to start out. It was difficult for me to keep track of which cards were supposed to go where.

You can't tell from this photo, but there was high action going on.

Eventually I figured out the turns: hackers get four actions, and corporations get three. I played the hacker, so I made sure to lay down a variety of Icebreakers, cards that would allow me to break through the protective Programs that the corporation player laid down. My objective was to collect seven points worth of Agenda cards, and I came so very close. As the game progressed, I had three Icebreakers, a Hardware card that allowed me extra RAM (very helpful), and a lot of additional Link points to prevent Tagging from the corporation. As I write this I feel that I'm making little to no sense. Forgive me, maybe?

KNOW THIS! Netrunner is a lot of fun, but, as with all complex board and card games, make sure you have a solid understanding of the rules before playing. Also, go in with a lot of patience. Since my housemate was such a fan of the original CCG, and loves reading game manuals, he knew a lot about the gameplay process and he helped me along. There was a lot of me showing him my cards going, "Will this be useful?"

A close up of the "Action" card and my character card, complete with money tokens.

Ultimately he won because he set me a mega trap. As the hacker hacks into the Programs set by the corporation, the hacker doesn't know what he or she will find. The corporation can be protecting valuable Assets and Agendas, or it can be creating a trap. As I executed a Run, what ended up being my last Run, I uncovered a deathly trap, one that caused six net damage and destroyed me. If only I had picked a different Program to Run through.

The card on the left brought certain death. The right brought winning.

Unknowingly, I chose certain death.

Thanks for sticking around, I know that this probably made no sense whatsoever. In order to get better at writing about board, card, and tabletop games I guess I'll have to play them more. What a drag!

-MJ

*all pictures are property of abitofgeek/MJ. Netrunner is property of Fantasy Flight!

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Collect ALL the Coins! New Super Mario Bros. 2 Review.

New Super Mario Bros. 2 for the Nintendo 3DS.

For the past two weeks news has been floating around that New Super Mario Bros. 2 for the 3DS is more of the same old Mario, but that it’s not a bad thing. A lot of people are wondering if the series needs a break, but Nintendo has announced that they’re planning one new Mario game per platform. Personally I believe that the Mario series is one that can be revisited with great frequency because Nintendo is always looking for ways to improve and innovate. There are always new things to add to classic gameplay, and I’m glad that they continue to reimagine our little Mario.

If anyone out there has played New Super Mario Bros. for the DS, or New Super Mario Bros. Wii, then New Super Mario Bros. 2 for the 3DS will feel right at home in your hands. The graphics and physics are the same, along with a familiar World layout, and there are a lot of hidden levels and stops along the way to the castle for the curious and determined. While on the World view, the bottom screen shows spots of where hidden levels exist. This is great for players such as myself, because I frequently don’t discover the secrets of levels. These spots serve as pointers to at least know which levels merit further exploration!

Tiny dots of great potential in NSMB2.

The additional levels also add a great amount of replayability, as does the ‘collect as many gold coins as possible’ angle. Some reviewers believe that the ‘coin collecting’ aspect of NSMB2 is pure gimmick. I feel that it creates a more driven gameplay system, one where I explore carefully and aim to bring each level as close to completion as possible. The lure of getting all the coins has integrated some very fun new mechanics, such as the Coin Block Head power up, and the Gold Coin suit. It’s also incredibly satisfying to hit a new tier of coins. Your first congratulations will show up at 500 coins, then again at the 1,000 mark. After that you’ll get satisfying notifications every time you gain another thousand coins.

The white leaf (super leaf) power-up in NSMB2. 

Along with new coin-centric power ups, old favorites such as the raccoon suit make plentiful appearances. Having never played Super Mario 3D Land, I had yet to experience the powerful white racoon suit. World 3-3 gave me my first introduction. NSMB2 incorporates yet another feature that has been sorely missing from newer Mario games: the reserve item! The lower touch screen now plays host to a back up item that will fall from the sky at the player’s command. It’s a sigh of relief, especially during the tricky castle fights. Those Koopalings are getting quite inventive.

New Super Mario Bros. 2 for the 3DS brings back the reserve item.

I ended up purchasing NSMB2 through the Nintendo eShop, and it was a hassle-free and easy experience. This is good, since Nintendo's "how to purchase and download games through the Nintendo eshop" tutorial is lacking some important information. Players can add funds to their 3DS through Nintendo point cards (available at retailers) or via credit card. Set amounts of points can be added to the 3DS ahead of time with a credit card, or the player can choose to simply pay the exact amount of the game at the time of purchase and download. There is also an option to store credit card information (with a PIN for verification purposes) to facilitate quicker purchases in the future.

As of now I haven’t had a chance to experience the multiplayer aspect. I’m not near anyone else that owns a 3DS, and even if I were they’d have to have a copy of the game as well! I wish Nintendo had offered the multiplayer through single cart play, but with all of the simultaneous gameplay going on I can see that being a bit much for download and play. I haven’t missed out on all the extra content though, because NSMB2 offers coin collecting speed runs! Once completing a world, the player has access to three random levels to get through within a set time limit, all the while collecting as many coins as possible. It’s a total hectic blast!

All of the Hidden Coins from World 1-5 in NSMB2 for the 3DS.

Overall I give New Super Mario Bros. 2 for the 3DS eight out of ten golden apples. The gameplay isn’t totally original, but it’s still very solid. I wish the multiplayer were accessible through the single cart experience, too. It’s worth picking up, especially if you have a friend to play with! Did anyone out there pick it up already? If so, did you do in-store or download? If you did download, did you experience any problems? Personally I was very pleased with how easy it was. It took maybe ten minutes! Go Nintendo!

-MJ

P.S. There is even MORE additional content than what I've mentioned here! This is how you can play as Luigi, and This is how you can unlock a very special Rainbow level!

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Review: The Amazing Spider-man

This is a great summer for movies: The Dark Knight Rises, The Avengers, Prometheus, Moonrise Kingdom, Men in Black III, Brave, Total Recall, Magic Mike, but forget all of those, go see The Amazing Spider-man.

Andrew Garfield as The Amazing Spider-man. Source.

I was excited to see Andrew Garfield in action as the guilt-ridden, smart mouthed, nerdy Peter Parker. It turns out that the webs of fate were swinging my direction, because a friend that works for Sony offered A Bit of Geek the chance for an early screening of the film!

Let’s jump right in and say that I laughed, I cried, I loved it. The whole film was gorgeous, well-written, and exciting. Garfield plays a perfect Peter Parker (sorry Tobey, you can’t even hold a candle) and he also has great chemistry with Emma Stone, our on-screen Gwen Stacy. 

Garfield and Stone as Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy in The Amazing Spider-man.

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Amazing Spider-man kicks things off with a storyline not often touched, the mystery of the missing parents. At a young age Peter’s aunt and uncle take him in when his parents abruptly leave town. Early in the film Peter’s curiosity is ignited when he finds an old possession of his father’s. Between the unraveling of his parents mysterious history and his gradual evolution into Spider-man, Peter devolves socially and emotionally into a rebellious and temperamental teen.

Uncle Ben (portrayed spectacularly by Martin Sheen), is hardworking, honest, and devoted to his family. When Ben comes down hard on Peter for his selfish antics and recklessness, the importance of the relationship between Peter and Uncle Ben solidifies, emphasizing their father-son bond.

**Herein lies spoilers. Highlight to read!**

The director plays off Sheen’s heavy-handed Ben quite well when it comes to his death: the heat of his words are still ringing around Peter’s angsty head when Uncle Ben is shot. It was beautifully orchestrated, and very believable. This event combined with Peter’s search to know more about his father creates a multi-dimensional springboard for the development of Spider-man’s character.

**End spoilers**

The visual effects throughout the whole film are beautiful, especially when Doctor Connors’ (played by Rhys Ifans) skin changes to lizard scales. Ifans is transformed into a very realistic The Lizard. However, I had two issues with the visuals: The Lizard’s eyes didn’t feel real, and in one scene the interaction between Spider-man and The Lizard’s CG reptilian claws is lackluster. Aside from that, all of the fights were amazingly choreographed and looked simply stunning.

The Lizard and The Amazing Spider-man in one of many violent confrontations. Source.

The Amazing Spider-man contained more surprises than I expected and plenty of epic scenes. The script was near perfection, including many appropriately sarcastic lines for Spider-man himself. There are morals to be learned, and they’re told eloquently as well as subtly; the audience learns with Peter about how power relates to responsibility, and their roles in his new life. The film easily lends itself to a sequel, and I expect to see Garfield and Stone in more action as well as awkward, yet realistic, teenage embraces. I say nine out of ten golden apples, but only because of those few visual slip-ups.

The Amazing Spider-man opens in theatres nationwide tomorrow, July 3rd. Be sure to check it out!

-MJ

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