Shortly before Christmas last year, I got my paws on the newest installment of the Super Smash Bros. series, Super Smash Bros. For 3DS, or as I like to call it, Smash 4.
I've been a big fan of the Super Smash Bros. series since it first came out on the Nintendo 64 so many years ago. It was a fun game to rent. Super Smash Bros. Melee was one of my favorite games for the Nintendo GameCube. I remember one night, I at down to play it, and when I stopped, I realized it was 4 AM. Yup, it was that addicting. When I got a Wii, I also got Super Smash Bros. Brawl, which I enjoyed playing a lot.
When I got a Nintendo 2DS, I knew I had to get my hands on the newest installment in the franchise, which was going to make its debut on handhelds. I loved the idea of playing Smash on the go, so I bought it.
This game is so much fun to play. One of my favorite mini-games is the Smash Run. Five minutes to power up your chosen fighter in various stats in a massive labyrinth, and then a challenge, usually a fight or a race. It's really fun to play, as you encounter enemy mooks from various games, like the Mario series, Sonic, Kirby, Metroid, and even an enemy from Dig Dug.
Another feature I think is awesome is the ability to customize fighters. Using various items, you can alter the speed, defense, and attack levels of fighters, and save them in a set of slots. It has encouraged me to use characters I normally don't like using. Normally, I like to use the all-arounder Mario or the speedier characters like Sonic and Fox. With this feature, I've tried out other characters, and now the tank Bowser is one of my favorites. I also like Lucina (unlocking her was easy, beating her to win her was a NIGHTMARE).
My only complaints are really quite minor, actually. One is the load time. It's longer than I expected, but it wasn't that big a deal. I didn't mind waiting. The other is, I wish they could've gotten back Solid Snake for this game. Hideo Kojima wanted Snake in Brawl, how hard would it have been to call him and ask him if he will let Nintendo and Namco put Snake in this new one? Ah well, Mewtwo is going to be DLC, maybe Snake will too, one day.
All in all, I highly recommend this game. If you like Smash, and want to play it on the go, get this game!
Friday, February 27, 2015
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Marvel's Epic Collection, My Thoughts.
In the last few years, Marvel Comics has been releasing a series of large trade paperbacks known as the Epic Collections. The Epic Collection line has been collecting certain parts of character histories that generally tend to get ignored in other trade collections.
Quite frankly, I love them, and I've been snapping up as many as I can find. The trades focus on a variety of characters and teams in the Marvel Universe: Captain America, Thor, Spider-Man, Daredevil, the Fantastic Four, Wolverine, Daredevil, and even the X-Men.
Each of the trades are amazing. They have several hundred pages in beautiful color, and the covers are incredible, original covers from a collected issue beautifully recolored.
My personal favorite of the collections I have read so far is one of the Spider-Man collections: Cosmic Adventures. It collects the brief era in the 80s in which Spider-Man gained cosmic-level powers for a while. Yes, that actually happened, look it up. For a brief period in the 80s comics, Spidey gained cosmic-level powers after a power source exploded, and it turned out he was chosen to obtain those powers to fight a monsterous Sentinel. Yeah. Fun stories, though.
Pick up as many of these collections as many as you can, as they cover some great and forgotten eras in Marvel Universe history. And for all you Star Wars fans, there are a couple Star Wars Epic Collections coming, including one that focuses on Darth Vader. I definitely will pick them up, because I love this line, and I am eager to support it.
Quite frankly, I love them, and I've been snapping up as many as I can find. The trades focus on a variety of characters and teams in the Marvel Universe: Captain America, Thor, Spider-Man, Daredevil, the Fantastic Four, Wolverine, Daredevil, and even the X-Men.
Each of the trades are amazing. They have several hundred pages in beautiful color, and the covers are incredible, original covers from a collected issue beautifully recolored.
My personal favorite of the collections I have read so far is one of the Spider-Man collections: Cosmic Adventures. It collects the brief era in the 80s in which Spider-Man gained cosmic-level powers for a while. Yes, that actually happened, look it up. For a brief period in the 80s comics, Spidey gained cosmic-level powers after a power source exploded, and it turned out he was chosen to obtain those powers to fight a monsterous Sentinel. Yeah. Fun stories, though.
Pick up as many of these collections as many as you can, as they cover some great and forgotten eras in Marvel Universe history. And for all you Star Wars fans, there are a couple Star Wars Epic Collections coming, including one that focuses on Darth Vader. I definitely will pick them up, because I love this line, and I am eager to support it.
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Adventures in Pokemon Y Part 7: Cafe Soleil and Route 5
After that visit with Professor Sycamore, I decided to go wander around the town some more. This is an opportunity to bring up one issue I've had with this game so far: the roller skates.
I love the speed that comes with the roller skates. They are a great idea to get places quickly, but my one issue is...it's hard to control the player character when they are being used. The roller skates would have been a better idea if this game was an overhead-view 2D game, but Pokémon Y (and its twin game Pokémon X), are 3D games. The Control Stick makes it difficult to go in a direction I want to go in. To me, the roller skates would've been better used if the game was like the older Pokémon games in the series, not the newer 3D ones.
I noticed Shauna in front of the building across from the Pokémon Center. I decided to go say hi to her and see what she's up to. She explains that the building is called the PR Video Studio. You can make ten-second little videos in it. Curious, I decided to check it out. It's a nice little studio, with a green room and an area you can change your outfit for the video.
I approached the guy at the desk, and agreed to make a ten-second video. It's a surprisingly robust little mini game, with a variety of backgrounds, effects, noises, and shots. I do think it could use some more custom forms, but it's pretty neat that this game allows you to essentially make a promotional video about yourself, and you can even feature one of your Pokémon. I made a video showcasing myself and Vulcan the Fennekin. It was awesome.
I decided to find Café Soleil to meet Serena. This town has several Cafés, so I'll have to start looking. I would like to look around the whole city, but the blackout has blocked out much of the city. Speaking of blocking out, I found something funny happens in this game. When in this city, you see NPCs (Non-Player Characters) running around all over the place. When you encounter a guard telling you the blackout has made this area inaccessible, the NPCs will rush past the guard and continue deeper into the city. Seriously? That is freakin' weird.
Eventually, I managed to find Serena standing in front of Café Soleil. She asked me to come inside with her, and I did so. When in the café, we saw Lysandre (aka Red-Headed Wolverine) and someone called Diantha. Serena explains that Lysandre is the head of Lysandre Labs. Lysandre Labs developed the Holo Caster, which is a video-messaging device. And Diantha is a big time movie star in the Pokémon world. We listen in on what they were conversing about.
Lysandre evidently is fond of Diantha's roles when she was younger, and asks her if she wanted to remain young and beautiful forever. Diantha said it was an odd question, as she wouldn't want to play the same roles forever, and that there is more to life than youth, and she is looking forward to the increased variety of roles she'll get as she gets older. She reminds him that things change, and she wants to change with them. Lysandre starts going on about how beauty should stay that way forever...yeah, he's definitely the villain of this game.
Anyway, he sees us, and introduces us to Diantha. Diantha notices we are both Trainers, and she reveals that she herself is a Trainer in her spare time. Gee, where would she find the time to train Pokémon with her busy life filming movies, doing talk shows, that kind of thing? It's kind of neat, getting to talk to a famous person in a video game.
Anyway, Serena says she would like to battle me again sometime. Sure. That sounds like fun. After leaving the café, I get a holo call from Tierno. He's on Route 5, where he's found quite a lot of wild Pokémon. He wants me to check it out, so I'll head there and see what he wants.
I tried to leave the town, but a man named Mr. Bonding stops me. Mr. Bonding. That is his name. Yup. He asks me if I have heard of O-Powers. Since I haven't, he explains them to me, strange abilities that grant all sorts of effects. He gives me two O-Powers: Attack Power and Defense Power.
He also tells me that the more I use those powers, the stronger they get. This is a heck of a time to tell me this!
Upon arriving on Route 5, I got accosted by a Lucario. Luckily, its Trainer arrives. She reveals herself to be Korrina, the Gym Leader of Shalour City. Evidently, one of her Lucarios took a liking to me based on my aura (Lucario can read auras. Heck, they're called the Aura Pokémon). She's looking forward to taking me on during my quest. Can't wait to take her on!
While on Route 5, I decided to explore it a bit. I ended up attacked by a swarm of Pokémon, mainly Minun with one Plusle in the group. Since Plusle was in the group, and it's the only way to get Plusle in Y without trading, I decided to try and catch it.
To put it simply, I hate swarms. I hate swarms. Well, to be honest, in concept, I like the idea of swarms. It adds a bit of realism to the Pokémon universe, especially if the swarms are of insect-like Pokémon. However, in execution, I am not a fan. I'm an old-school Trainer. I still train in the style of earlier gens, for one-on-one battles. Swarms make it miserable for that. I've adapted to double battles, but this is crazy. My Pokémon end up taking quite a beating before beating a swarm. I hate swarms.
Anyway, I decided to check out what Tierno wanted to do on Route 5. I arrived at the meeting place, and found Tierno, the dancing fool, and Trevor with him. Trevor remarks that hordes of Pokémon are intense. Yeah, tell me about it. Tierno compares them to a dance team, which leads Trevor to remark that he has a one-track mind. I gotta go with Trevor on that one, Tierno buddy. Tierno laughs it off and challenges me to a battle, because he wants to see if my Pokémon have nay cool moves. Alright. This'll be fun.
My Pikachu, Amperage, wrecked his Corphish. To give Tierno credit, his Corphish nearly took out Amperage with one hit. I like Amperage, but I think he's best for hit-and-run. He can't take a hit very well. I'll have to train up his Defense. Luckily, the Super Training feature makes that easy!
I have to admit, Corphish are cool-looking Pokémon. Won a nice chunk of change for it, too. After the battle, Trevor gives me some honey. Honey can be used to increase the odds of encountering Pokémon hordes. He does warn me that I'd better teach my Pokémon some moves that can hit multiple targets in case of hordes. Yeah, I'll have to do some research on that. Have to get some supplies and some Poké Balls! A new route to explore!
Pokémon Obtained:
Skarmory (Obtained via Wonder Trade)
Positron (Plusle)
Negatron (Minun)
Tyrunt (Obtained via Wonder Trade)
ROSE (Roselia) (Obtained via Wonder Trade)
I love the speed that comes with the roller skates. They are a great idea to get places quickly, but my one issue is...it's hard to control the player character when they are being used. The roller skates would have been a better idea if this game was an overhead-view 2D game, but Pokémon Y (and its twin game Pokémon X), are 3D games. The Control Stick makes it difficult to go in a direction I want to go in. To me, the roller skates would've been better used if the game was like the older Pokémon games in the series, not the newer 3D ones.
I noticed Shauna in front of the building across from the Pokémon Center. I decided to go say hi to her and see what she's up to. She explains that the building is called the PR Video Studio. You can make ten-second little videos in it. Curious, I decided to check it out. It's a nice little studio, with a green room and an area you can change your outfit for the video.
I approached the guy at the desk, and agreed to make a ten-second video. It's a surprisingly robust little mini game, with a variety of backgrounds, effects, noises, and shots. I do think it could use some more custom forms, but it's pretty neat that this game allows you to essentially make a promotional video about yourself, and you can even feature one of your Pokémon. I made a video showcasing myself and Vulcan the Fennekin. It was awesome.
I decided to find Café Soleil to meet Serena. This town has several Cafés, so I'll have to start looking. I would like to look around the whole city, but the blackout has blocked out much of the city. Speaking of blocking out, I found something funny happens in this game. When in this city, you see NPCs (Non-Player Characters) running around all over the place. When you encounter a guard telling you the blackout has made this area inaccessible, the NPCs will rush past the guard and continue deeper into the city. Seriously? That is freakin' weird.
Eventually, I managed to find Serena standing in front of Café Soleil. She asked me to come inside with her, and I did so. When in the café, we saw Lysandre (aka Red-Headed Wolverine) and someone called Diantha. Serena explains that Lysandre is the head of Lysandre Labs. Lysandre Labs developed the Holo Caster, which is a video-messaging device. And Diantha is a big time movie star in the Pokémon world. We listen in on what they were conversing about.
Lysandre evidently is fond of Diantha's roles when she was younger, and asks her if she wanted to remain young and beautiful forever. Diantha said it was an odd question, as she wouldn't want to play the same roles forever, and that there is more to life than youth, and she is looking forward to the increased variety of roles she'll get as she gets older. She reminds him that things change, and she wants to change with them. Lysandre starts going on about how beauty should stay that way forever...yeah, he's definitely the villain of this game.
Anyway, he sees us, and introduces us to Diantha. Diantha notices we are both Trainers, and she reveals that she herself is a Trainer in her spare time. Gee, where would she find the time to train Pokémon with her busy life filming movies, doing talk shows, that kind of thing? It's kind of neat, getting to talk to a famous person in a video game.
Anyway, Serena says she would like to battle me again sometime. Sure. That sounds like fun. After leaving the café, I get a holo call from Tierno. He's on Route 5, where he's found quite a lot of wild Pokémon. He wants me to check it out, so I'll head there and see what he wants.
I tried to leave the town, but a man named Mr. Bonding stops me. Mr. Bonding. That is his name. Yup. He asks me if I have heard of O-Powers. Since I haven't, he explains them to me, strange abilities that grant all sorts of effects. He gives me two O-Powers: Attack Power and Defense Power.
He also tells me that the more I use those powers, the stronger they get. This is a heck of a time to tell me this!
Upon arriving on Route 5, I got accosted by a Lucario. Luckily, its Trainer arrives. She reveals herself to be Korrina, the Gym Leader of Shalour City. Evidently, one of her Lucarios took a liking to me based on my aura (Lucario can read auras. Heck, they're called the Aura Pokémon). She's looking forward to taking me on during my quest. Can't wait to take her on!
While on Route 5, I decided to explore it a bit. I ended up attacked by a swarm of Pokémon, mainly Minun with one Plusle in the group. Since Plusle was in the group, and it's the only way to get Plusle in Y without trading, I decided to try and catch it.
To put it simply, I hate swarms. I hate swarms. Well, to be honest, in concept, I like the idea of swarms. It adds a bit of realism to the Pokémon universe, especially if the swarms are of insect-like Pokémon. However, in execution, I am not a fan. I'm an old-school Trainer. I still train in the style of earlier gens, for one-on-one battles. Swarms make it miserable for that. I've adapted to double battles, but this is crazy. My Pokémon end up taking quite a beating before beating a swarm. I hate swarms.
Anyway, I decided to check out what Tierno wanted to do on Route 5. I arrived at the meeting place, and found Tierno, the dancing fool, and Trevor with him. Trevor remarks that hordes of Pokémon are intense. Yeah, tell me about it. Tierno compares them to a dance team, which leads Trevor to remark that he has a one-track mind. I gotta go with Trevor on that one, Tierno buddy. Tierno laughs it off and challenges me to a battle, because he wants to see if my Pokémon have nay cool moves. Alright. This'll be fun.
My Pikachu, Amperage, wrecked his Corphish. To give Tierno credit, his Corphish nearly took out Amperage with one hit. I like Amperage, but I think he's best for hit-and-run. He can't take a hit very well. I'll have to train up his Defense. Luckily, the Super Training feature makes that easy!
I have to admit, Corphish are cool-looking Pokémon. Won a nice chunk of change for it, too. After the battle, Trevor gives me some honey. Honey can be used to increase the odds of encountering Pokémon hordes. He does warn me that I'd better teach my Pokémon some moves that can hit multiple targets in case of hordes. Yeah, I'll have to do some research on that. Have to get some supplies and some Poké Balls! A new route to explore!
Pokémon Obtained:
Skarmory (Obtained via Wonder Trade)
Positron (Plusle)
Negatron (Minun)
Tyrunt (Obtained via Wonder Trade)
ROSE (Roselia) (Obtained via Wonder Trade)
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