Video Games | Gumballs Plays Games

My first few months with a Wii U: Mario Maker, Mario Kart 8 and more!

Posted on January 4, 2016 by GumballsPlaysGames

I’m sitting here enjoying the cool breeze and the soft, afternoon sun listening to the upbeat tunes of Sirius XMU and sipping a bland dining facility coffee (made tolerable by irish creme creamer). I’m waiting for Mario Kart 8’s DLC to finish downloading on my Wii U inside the tent, and I’ve decided it’s finally time to reflect on my late October 2015 purchase of the Wii U.

Super Mario Maker

As I’ve said before, Super Mario Maker was the most significant factor in my purchase of the Wii U, however I’m happy to say I’ve had many other great experiences with the system. It would be hard to justify a $300 purchase just to play one game, but it’s worth noting that Mario Maker is not just any video game. It’s one of the most innovative, yet simple and incredibly enjoyable video games ever released. If the only thing you did with the game was play people’s creations, you’d still have innumerable hours of content at your fingertips. The variety you come across in the Course World (the mode in which you can browse and play people’s levels) is astonishing. I’ve come across a new concept every single time I’ve booted up the game, which goes to show that creative people can take a finite tool set and create just about anything with it. It’s through playing the most creative of levels that you’re able to expand your understanding of what is possible, and you’ll become a better creator every day.

I haven’t made very many levels yet, as I’ve found myself addicted to trying to become the first to beat levels as they appear on the ‘new arrivals’ list. If you’re the first to clear a level you’re rewarded with a ‘first clear’ badge and you’ll also be the world record holder for fastest completion. Of course this record won’t last long, and it’s a wonderful challenge to try to master a level and maintain the fastest time.

Mario Kart 8

Some of my most memorable multiplayer gaming experiences have come from playing Mario Kart 64, and Super Mario Kart before that. Racing three other friends through a wide variety of courses was fun enough on its own, but the Mario Kart games made sure that everyone could have fun by providing random items ranging from boosts to weapons in order to give everyone an even chance (and hey, even if you didn’t win it was a blast to ruin a friend’s chances with a red shell).

Despite having so much fun with the early Mario Kart games, I never really spent much time with any of the others. Mario Kart 7 came with my 2DS, however I didn’t have much fun racing the AI, and every time I tried playing online the lack of interaction didn’t make for a very fun experience. Everything changed yesterday. I played Mario Kart 7 locally with five other players, and it was the most fun multiplayer experience I’ve had in years! We did endless 3 vs 3 battles, and the experience was as close to the couch multiplayer of the N64 as anything’s ever come. There was yelling, smack talking and hilarity every step of the way. Even the map voting process was enjoyable, as half of us constantly voted for the N64 classic, ‘Big Donut’. The battles were frenetic and they reminded me of how expertly crafted Nintendo games can be.

This experience drove me to finally pick up Mario Kart 8 for the Wii U. I had planned to wait until I return home this spring, however after having so much fun with Mario Kart 7 I decided I couldn’t wait.

Once Mario Kart 8 finished downloading, I jumped straight into the online multiplayer. The process was smooth and I was in my first race within minutes. I was immediately amazed at just how good the game looks. The vibrant colors are crisp and everything is stunningly beautiful. The racing is what you’d expect from a Mario Kart game, and I enjoyed it, even though I couldn’t finish better than 5th place.

I like how it shows the flags of the people you’re racing against, even within the race you’ll see them next to their names, which gives a more human feel to the other racers. Unfortunately, there’s still not much interaction with the other players. The most you can do is select from a few text responses between races.

After trying my hand at a few races I jumped into my favorite Mario Kart mode, Battle. It was enjoyable, especially because I won my very first match, but I can imagine the real fun will be had when there are three other players sitting on a couch next to me (which probably won’t be until after I get home).

I hadn’t even played an hour of Mario Kart 8, but I already knew I would want the DLC that’s available, and I was surprised to find just how cheap it was. It’s only $11.99 if you purchase the two packs together, which seemed too good to pass up.

I’m excited to check out the new content once it finishes downloading (it should be done by now), even though I haven’t even experienced all that is available within the base game yet. I’ve heard nothing but good things about the new characters and courses and can’t wait to take them for a spin!

Xenoblade Chronicles X

Last week I picked up Xenoblade Chronicles X after watching a few videos that intrigued me. I know absolutely nothing about Xenoblade, but it looked like it would be something fun to check out on the Wii U so I decided I should try it out.

Yes, I have LEGO sheets…I’m deployed and sleeping on a twin bed in a tent. Why not have fun?

I’ve only played about 30 minutes of Xenoblade Chronicles X, but I can already say it’s unlike anything I’ve played before. I generally don’t get into Japanese RPG’s, yet I wanted to experience a variety of content on the Wii U and figured it’d be worth trying out. I can’t say for sure whether I’m going to like the game, but I hope to spend some more time with it this evening. I’ll try to post a more detailed impression after I get a few hours in, but all I can really say right now is the game looks pleasant graphically (though the characters seem a little dated) and the combat has been smooth.

Storage issues

When I decided I wanted to check out Xenoblade Chronicles X, I went to purchase it in the eShop only to find I didn’t have enough space on my 32gb Wii U to download it. I’m not a fan of buying disc based games (I prefer all my media to be digital), but I ended up having to buy the physical copy. Since then I picked up a 64gb thumb drive which turned out to be an easy enough method to expand the Wii U’s storage (it was formatted and ready to use by the Wii U within seconds). It’s unfortunate that the Wii U has such little internal hard drive space, but external storage is cheap enough these days to remedy the problem.

What’s to come?

It’s been strongly hinted lately that the Wii U’s successor (known as the NX) will release sometime this year. Hardware manufacturer’s have revealed that the console is already being manufactured, which has lead most people to expect a release date as early as 2016’s E3. This most certainly means that there will be very few games released for the Wii U before it is made obsolete. This is a shame, because I’d certainly like to see Mario Maker make its way into the hands of more players. It seems reasonable to expect a Wii U price drop this year, which should help, but will many more people buy the system once the NX hits? It’s doubtful.

If the NX is a hybrid handheld / home console, as many suggest, I can’t say I’d be too disappointed about my Wii U purchase. I’d already be looking to upgrade to the next Nintendo handheld, so if it’s a two in one system I’d get access to the future Nintendo console releases and their handheld games with one purchase. A hybrid system would be the only way I’d consider upgrading from the Wii U so soon. A stand alone console would not make me want to purchase it, especially after seeing so few releases for the Wii U since its release.

It’ll certainly be an interesting year for Nintendo, as hype for the NX builds alongside Nintendo’s foray into the mobile gaming market with Miitomo’s release this spring. Until then I’ll be enjoying countless hours of unique content with Super Mario Maker, Mario Kart 8 and Xenoblade Chronicles (I’m saving Super Mario 3D World until I get home).

Playing Super Mario World for the first time

Posted on December 27, 2015 by GumballsPlaysGames

It may come as a shock that as someone who played his first video game on the NES I’ve never played Super Mario World. Not once. Not even on an emulator. The game that is known by many as one of the best games in the Mario series (even still today), never ended up in my hands through the early 90’s. After the NES I became a Genesis gamer, where you could play more mature games such as the unedited Mortal Kombat or Zero Tolerance.

Although I enjoyed Super Mario Bros. on the NES, I was never very good at it (I’m still not). Super Mario Bros. 2 and 3 mostly passed me by as well, but at least I can say I’ve played them. I love the music and look of the third game, however I’ve never been able to make it past the second world. I’d always get frustrated and quit for good, never to pick up the controller again.

My frustrating experiences with the Super Mario Bros. series led me to mostly ignore the series, at least up until the release of Mario 64 (which I also was, and am, terrible at). I’d often hear people express their love for the Super Nintendo’s Super Mario World, but I never really wanted to try it out as I knew I’d just get mad at it. However, I started to get a taste of Mario World via the Wii U’s Super Mario Maker. I rode Yoshi for the first time, and also experienced the game’s joyful music for the first time. My time with Mario Maker got me interested in checking out World, so tonight I bought it on the Wii U.

The $7.99 price tag on the Virtual Console seemed a little steep for a 25 year old game, especially when much newer games sell for less than $5 on Steam, but I decided experiencing it on a Nintendo console would be better than an emulated experience.

When I first booted up Super Mario World, I felt already familiar with the world, thanks to Super Mario Maker. In fact, for awhile I kept expecting to see the evil red x’s that mark a player’s death in Mario Maker to pop up on the screen each time I died an embarrassing death.

The hour I spent with Mario World so far was filled with numerous frustrating deaths, as always seems to happen when I pick up a Mario game. I’d jump into the same enemy over and over again, or I’d fall to my death trying to avoid an incoming enemy. Once I got a handle on the controls I didn’t have much trouble completing Yoshi’s Island, however Donut Plains was another story.

Much like level 2-1 in Super Mario Bros. 3, Donut Plains 1 almost made me quit the game for good before I’d ever made much progress. I kept dying over and over again at the hands of the Super Koopas. In fact the very first one you encounter in the level killed me at least 7 times as I tried to get the cape feather. I eventually gave up on getting the cape and tried to storm through the level, only to meet my fate at the hands of Chargin’ Chuck and his obnoxious baseballs. It took a frustrating 30 minutes to finish Donut Plains 1 (and two continues), but eventually I managed it. At this point I had to turn the Wii U off before my frustration and anger at the game got any worse. I’m dreading losing all of my lives and having to play through Donut Plains 1 again at some point.

I’m looking forward to experiencing more of Super Mario World, yet at the same time I’m afraid of the challenges ahead. Hopefully I can make it through Mario World with my Wii U gamepad intact!

Just Cause 3 (Xbox One) is not playable

Posted on December 14, 2015 by GumballsPlaysGames

Last week I wrote about how against better judgement, I ended up purchasing Just Cause 3 on the Xbox One. It didn’t take long to discover that my instincts were right, and I should have delayed the purchases until the game had received a patch or two. My experience with Just Cause 3 so far has been everything but enjoyable.

The horror stories about load times are true, and I haven’t even experienced the worst of it yet. The initial load seems excessively long, but if that’s not bad enough there are constant long pauses that disrupt the gameplay and make the game almost entirely unenjoyable. For example, once you gain control of Rico you might spend two or three minutes in the game world before the game cuts to a black screen and loads into a cut scene. After the scene you’ll see another black screen before you regain control of your character. Each time this happens the load is anywhere from 15 to 30 seconds long, an absolute eternity that takes you out of the world.

It’s insane that the game has to stop and load as often as it does, especially when compared to the much smoother experience of games such as GTA V. The long loads between mission objectives and completions totally disrupt the flow of the game, and it feels like you’re playing a series of individual levels as opposed to a truly open world. If these loads weren’t bad enough, there are awkward long pauses in conversation during missions that seem as if the game is having trouble loading in the dialogue. A character will ask a question or make a statement and it can be as long as ten seconds before Rico will respond and another ten seconds before the next sentence is spoken.

Just Cause 3’s load times might be bearable if the game actually worked correctly. Unfortunately, on the Xbox One it doesn’t. Explosions cause the game to lag uncontrollably for several seconds, again taking you out of the game experience. I’m only 45 minutes or so into the game and I’ve already experienced a game breaking glitch. I started the third mission of the game, ‘Mario’s Rebel Drops’, however the game will not let me complete the mission. I get the mission complete screen, however the game acts as if I’m still in the mission. There are no objectives on the screen, nothing on the map, and yet if I press pause I have the option to ‘quit mission.’ If I die I’m greeted with a ‘mission failed’, even though I’ve already gotten the ‘mission complete’ prompt. I quit the mission and started over and yet it still does the same thing. I can’t start any challenges because the game thinks I’m still on a mission, and there are no more missions available either. I can’t progress any further in the game without starting over, and I certainly don’t want to replay the incredibly terrible opening that’s made worse by excessive loading.

Right now I’m stuck with a game I can’t play. Even if I could progress further into the story, it wouldn’t be enjoyable. I do not want to wait 30 seconds after completing a mission just to see a corny cut scene and wait another 30 seconds to get back into the world. That’s entirely unacceptable.

If you haven’t purchased Just Cause 3 yet I have to insist you do not purchase it. It is unplayable.

Taking a risk with Just Cause 3

Posted on December 7, 2015 by GumballsPlaysGames

The last two years have been rocky for blockbuster video game releases. Just about every major title released throughout the year has had a rocky start. The trend of “broken” games slipping past QA testers and onto store shelves (or digital marketplaces) seemingly started with the releases of Assassin’s Creed Unity and Halo: The Master Chief Collection in November 2014. Both games were horrendously bug ridden, and in the case of Halo, partially unplayable. The Master Chief Collection’s multiplayer portion, arguably its biggest draw, barely worked at launch. It would take anywhere from 15 minutes to over an hour for players to be matched into a game, and even then things didn’t run smoothly. To make matters worse, 343 Industries was unable to make the game run smoothly until many months after its initial release. This angered consumers, as they were sold a product that obviously wasn’t ready to be released until much later.

The PC version of this year’s Batman: Arkham Knight was so miserably broken that after a slew of negative reviews and refund requests it was removed from sale soon after its release in order to be “fixed”. How the game was approved for sale in the first place is remarkable, as it took several months after its initial release for it to be deemed worthy for sale again.

It has become the new norm for developers to release games ‘on time’ only to require gamers to download bulky patches on release day. Halo 5, which released last month, required an additional 9GB download on its release day for gamers to be able to access the multiplayer portion of the game. Patches have gone from a legitimate means to fix issues with a game to an excuse to release shoddily crafted games in exchange for $60 from consumers with the promise to finish a games development by the time the game actually reaches store shelves. There are several problems with this. As apparent with the release of The Master Chief Collection, developers can seriously underestimate how long it will take to get a working version of a game to consumers. It can take days, weeks or months before you finally get exactly what you paid for. Imagine buying a car at a dealership for full price and only receiving the frame, with a vague promise that you’ll receive the engine and tires and an undetermined future time. Who in their right mind would do this?

The requirement for a patch to complete a game especially punishes those without access to broadband internet. Many games are incredibly inferior without their day one patches. The Evil Within, for example, ran at a lower framerate and at a lower resolution without its day one patch, as Kotaku reported. Someone who bought the disc version of the game without internet access would be stuck playing a version of the game unfit for release.

This week’s release of Just Cause 3 proves that developers are not going to change their ways anytime soon. The console version of the game is apparently plagued with issues causing the game to perform worse than one would expect of a AAA title. One of the draws of Just Cause is the ability to trigger extreme explosions during chaotic firefights, yet these trademark explosions are apparently causing extreme dips in framerate on the console versions of the games (as low as 20fps on the Xbox One according to VG247). Not only that, but gamers are reporting load times anywhere from two to five minutes, which in modern gaming is an eternity. Having to wait as long as five minutes to respawn after a death is not enjoyable, and gamers are rightfully expressing their annoyances on Reddit.

The general consensus on how to express that gamers are fed up with sub-par releases is to speak with our wallets. Don’t pre-order games, and don’t buy them on day one. Gamers are often excited for new releases in their favorite franchise years prior to a game’s release, and we often can’t wait to get our hands on these games. Yet buying these unfinished products without even thinking just encourages developers to release games as soon as they can, whether it’s ready to be played or not. Their goal is to generate buzz and make as much money as quickly as possible. It isn’t until the buzz has died down that problems with the games start to become apparent, but by then the developers and publishers have made most of their money already.

With all this in mind, I should know better than to purchase Just Cause 3 the week of its release, right? In theory…and yet, I still couldn’t resist. All of the videos I’ve seen of people playing the game made it look too fun to miss out on. I’ve read about all of the issues, and I kept telling myself not to part with $60 for a product that is going to underperform until it’s fixed at some point in the future. IGN gave the PC version of Just Cause 3 a respectable 8/10, while the console versions earned a bleak 5.9/10 due to the various performance issues. Very few games earn such low scores these days, especially AAA titles. Even the recent Mad Max game, generally considered well made but rather boring, earned an 8.4.

I don’t often base purchasing decisions on review scores, but for such a highly buzzed about AAA game to be rated so poorly says that the performance issues are significant. All intuition and research were telling me not to buy Just Cause 3, not yet at least. Just Cause 2 is backward compatible on the Xbox One, I should just play that until Just Cause 3 is fixed.

In the end, I ended up purchasing Just Cause 3 last night. I’m a part of the problem. I can’t help it. I’m sorry! Maybe I’ll be able to enjoy the game, despite the performance issues. We’ll see. Worst case scenario I’ll just play more Fallout and dabble with Just Cause 2 (I never played it) until some more patches release. It’ll be fixed, I’m sure. I hope.

Having a blast in Fallout 4

Posted on November 16, 2015 by GumballsPlaysGames

The long awaited Fallout 4 (Bethesda’s third Fallout title, coming five years after New Vegas) released last week to the excitement of millions of gamers around the world. The release was so significant, that Pornhub reported a ten percent drop in traffic the day of the game’s release, as reported by VentureBeat. In fact, Fallout 4 shipped over 12 million copies on the day of its release, raking in $750 million in a single day. In contrast, Bethesda’s first Fallout game, Fallout 3, sold just 4.7 million copies in its first year and Skyrim shipped seven million units in its first week. Fallout 4 has already proven to be an extraordinary success.

My first Bethesda experience was with The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind on the Xbox in 2001. On Christmas morning I set up my new Xbox and stuck in the disc that would soon spend hundreds of hours inside my Xbox’s disc drive. I was immediately blown away by the amount of freedom to explore and do anything I wanted. If I wanted I could take out a sword, slaughter a store owner and steal all of their supplies. I could try to convince another character to help me, or I could strike them down and be done with them. I could travel anywhere in the world at any time, with hardly any restriction. It was truly mind blowing to experience such an open game.

My first experience with Fallout 3 was just as incredible. The detailed opening sequence inside the vault was unlike anything I had previously experienced. The freedom to complete objectives via multiple means (violence, persuasion, etc.) and the multiple outcomes of various quests was revolutionary. I was instantly in love and utterly addicted.

Fallout 4 has so far lived up to much of the hype. The pre bomb drop opening sequence was interesting (though rather uneventful) but the real fun begins once you’re let loose into the wasteland. Emerging from the vault for the first time and setting sight on the vast wasteland is both daunting and exhilarating. There’s so much to explore and experience, it’s hard to decide where to start. Part of me wanted to just head as far as I could in a random direction just to see what I came across, yet I found myself following a somewhat linear path into the wasteland.

By linear, I mean I feel like the path I ventured down so far has been crafted by Bethesda if that makes sense. Most of what I’ve experienced so far has been the same as others I’ve talked to. What seem like random encounters (a mole rat with a bomb strapped to its back) turn out to be quite scripted, at least in the sense that everyone else seems to have experienced the same encounter at around the same play time. This isn’t a bad thing, I just think it’s a consequence of how most people play games. We’re afraid to miss anything, so rather than venture to the very end of the map, we explore away from the vault in a careful, calculated manner.

Despite feeling like I’ve been led along a crafted path, I’ve enjoyed Fallout 4 immensely during my seven hours spent playing so far. The shooting is much improved over the previous Fallout games which makes the V.A.T.S. system much less necessary to succeed. V.A.T.S. is still useful, as it slows down time and can help you target a hard to hit enemy at a critical moment during a firefight, but it’s much easier and less frustrating to down enemies aiming on your own than it used to be. I’m not necessarily a fan of the new critical hit system, in which you have to trigger a critical hit once the meter is full. It was always a pleasant surprise to score a critical hit at random; triggering a critical hit with a button press is much less satisfying.

Another significant change in Fallout 4 is the abandonment of the text boxes of Fallout 3 and New Vegas in favor of fully voiced dialogue. In theory this is a good move, but so far I’ve found a lot of the voice acting to be flat, spoken with the enthusiasm of Peter Dinklage’s Ghost from Destiny. The main character and Preston Garvey’s lines are particularly dull and dreadful so far. I’d almost prefer text, as I’ve found the dialogue to detract from the otherwise wonderful experience. I can only hope it gets better as I explore more of the game.

The inputs for responses also leaves much to be desired. It’s not always clear what your character will say before choosing a selection, and I miss the dialogue trees of the past which provided more detail. There was also much more charm and wit within the dialogue options that doesn’t seem to exist in Fallout 4. Several times there have been responses simply labeled as ‘sarcastic’. I’d rather see all of the options, rather than blindly picking a response based on vague descriptions.

Despite these minor complaints, I’ve been having a wonderful time exploring the world of Fallout 4. I didn’t expect to spend very much utilizing the settlement building features, yet they’ve proven relatively easy to use, although they can be a little rough around the edges (it can be difficult to get objects to conform to the ground, often resulting in partially floating objects). I haven’t yet experienced any benefits of building up settlements, but hopefully it’ll prove a worthwhile task in the long run.

Fallout 4 may lack some of the wit via dialogue options that feature in the previous games, but it’s not entirely without its trademark humor. I started seeing the achievement ‘Touchdown’ pop up in my Xbox feed and was wondering exactly what it meant. And then I earned the achievement, entirely by mistake, and it brought a smile to my face. Clever one Bethesda!

I have so much more to experience within Fallout 4, and I can’t wait to venture further into the wasteland. I hope to log a few more hours later today before another lengthy workweek begins. Who knows what I’ll run into next.

How Super Mario Maker got me to purchase a Wii U

Posted on November 9, 2015 by GumballsPlaysGames

Just over a week ago I did something I thought I never would. I bought a Wii U. Ever since the Wii U’s launch in the Fall of 2012 I had thought of the system as little more than a bad joke. The gamepad looked goofy, the system was woefully underpowered, and it had a terrible name. If that weren’t enough, the system’s game library was lacking at launch and the Wii U’s catalog has been sparse ever since.

It didn’t take long for most people to refer to the Wii U as a failure. Sure, it had some great games, but that was never enough to make me want to purchase one. I haven’t really been into Nintendo since the N64, and even then I played more third party games on the system than core Nintendo games. I bought a Wii second hand, long after the system’s prime, mostly to play around with Wii Sports and to check out the Zelda games (which I couldn’t get into). I’ve probably logged less than ten hours of game time on my Wii. Last Christmas I got a 2DS, my first handheld system since the original Game Boy, and finally started getting interested in the world of Nintendo again.

Like many gamers in their late twenties and early thirties, Mario on the NES first introduced me to video games. There was nothing more fun than passing around a controller, attempting to see who could get furthest into Super Mario Bros. When I first learned of the warp pipes (through a friend, there was no Google) it blew my mind. There was something incredibly special about Super Mario Bros. and I couldn’t get enough of it. I remember watching my cousins play Super Mario Bros. 2 and 3, however for whatever reason I never played those games myself. It would be several years until I would dive into the world of Mario again (outside of Super Mario Kart).

1996’s Super Mario 64 became one of the most influential video games of all time, and I remember it fondly. I found it astonishing that you could run around the castle just goofing off instead of diving into the game’s levels. Eventually one of my cousin’s showed me how you could grab Mario’s face on the title screen, and again a Mario game blew my mind. Things like the warp pipes and the silly title screen illustrated the incredible charm and dedication Nintendo’s developers are known for today. When playing a Nintendo game you know you’re getting something more than a product. You’re getting an experience delicately crafted, down to every last detail.

When I first heard about the concept of Super Mario Maker I was intrigued, but as exciting as it sounded I still had no intention to purchase a Wii U. It wasn’t until I actually watched someone playing it that I knew I needed to experience it for myself. Not only would it be a blast to create my own personal Mario levels, but the game has an irresistible charm. I was going to buy a Wii U.

Just over a week ago I bought a Super Mario 3D World Wii U bundle. I had heard horror stories about the initial console update process, but to my relief there was a note inside the box advising me to insert the 3D World disc to install the update before connecting the console to the internet.

The initial setup process was rather painless, though more cumbersome than other modern consoles. Before too long the Wii U was up and running and I was ready to ‘make some Mario’. I was immediately surprised at just how easy it was to begin creating. The gamepad and stylus make for intuitive click and drag process that you can master in seconds. It took only a few minutes to make a simple level with the basic set of items available at the start of the game.

After making and uploading my first level I jumped into the 10 Mario Challenge mode, and made my way through ten levels of varying difficulty. It was exciting to see a variety of concepts between the different levels, and it was exhilarating to complete each one. From there I jumped into the wild west that is the Course World mode. I encountered some unimaginably creative levels alongside some especially difficult levels. Despite dying over and over again, I couldn’t help but continue on trying to get inside the head of the levels’ creators, attempting to figure out the ‘trick’ to complete difficult segments. In the long run I learned that a large number of Mario creators are simply sadistic, and don’t want you to be able to complete their levels at all. Although frustrating, I could never stop having fun.

I’ve loved owning a Wii U so far, even though I’ve only played one game. I’m saving Super Mario 3D World for when I get back home so that I can play with Vanessa. I’ve been tempted to download Mario Kart, but I feel like that will also be a title best experienced alongside her. I’m not sure what Wii U game I should play next. I’ve pondered purchasing New Super Mario Bros. U, however I have New Super Mario Bros. 2 on the 2DS and haven’t spent a lot of time with it.

The wonderful thing about Super Mario Maker is that with the never ending variety of levels, the game should never feel old. Would I recommend buying a Wii U solely for Super Mario Maker? Absolutely, however I’d recommend waiting until Black Friday as it’ll probably be the best time yet to pick up a Wii U.

Halo 5 so far

Posted on November 2, 2015 by GumballsPlaysGames

Halo 5 finally arrived this past week, and after spending three days downloading it I finally got to spend some time with it during my day off.

I jumped into a few Arena matches and got my butt handed to me again and again. I think I probably have three kills total in the Arena so far. The Halo 5 multiplayer experience feels very chaotic compared to the games I spent the most time with (CE through Reach). All of the player chatter and weapon spawns make the game feel very busy, maybe too much so. I have to admit, I didn’t really play Halo 4, so maybe this is what Halo feels like now. I’m sure I can get used to it.

The Breakout mode was my favorite from the beta, and I think it’ll be one of my favorite game types in Halo 5. Breakout is a series of rapid rounds in which each member of your team only has one life and you win the round by either capturing a flag or by eliminating the enemy team. The mode is an absolute blast and almost every match I’ve played has felt close.

Warzone is a massive 24 player mode that also features AI combatants and bosses. It feels like it borrows a bit from Titanfall, while also from games like League of Legends. You gain points for holding territory and killing enemy Spartans, but you also gain points for taking out AI combatants and bosses that spawn into the map. Warzone also allows players to use requisitions, which are similar to Titanfall’s burn cards. You can get special weapons or bonuses by using requisitions, and you unlock additional requisition packs as you play multiplayer or via in game purchases.

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I only played one Warzone match and it seemed quite complicated and even more busy than the Arena multiplayer. I enjoyed it, but I felt entirely overwhelmed and mostly just ran around getting myself killed.

I played through the first five story missions today, and it’s been an incredible ride so far. I’m a little out of the loop having not gotten very deep into Halo 4, but I’ve felt invested in the story and its characters from the opening moments. The story itself has been incredibly action packed, and the ending of mission five is the stand out moment of the game so far.

Halo 5’s soundtrack is as epic as ever, quite the relief after 343’s split with Halo composer Marty O’Donnell. I’ve felt chills during intense moments in the game so far, mainly because of the powerful music that accompanies the on screen action. On a similar note, the sound effects in the game are incredible. Every gun is as much a joy to listen to as they are to shoot.

Everything about Halo 5 feels masterfully crafted, however as a Destiny fan I’ve felt myself comparing the gunplay between the two games. Halo 5’s guns certainly sound better than the guns of Destiny, but the act of shooting and downing enemies is still much more satisfying in Bungie’s Destiny over 343’s Halo. It may not be a fair comparison, but I can’t help but pit 343 and Bungie against each other. Despite not living up to Destiny’s quality, Halo 5’s shooting mechanics are by no means bad. Halo is certainly a very capable shooter, part of me just wishes it felt a bit more satisfying.

Bungie may have the edge when it comes to gunplay, but 343 wins hands down when it comes to storytelling. Halo 5’s cutscenes are sure to have your pulse pounding, and some of Master Chief’s lines will probably have a die hard Halo fan grinning from ear to ear. It’s not all about Master Chief, however, as a second fireteam led by Spartan Locke are equally as important. The new characters are well voiced and are incredibly charismatic and interesting. I’ve found myself just as excited to be playing as Locke as I was to step back into the Master Chief’s boots.

Halo 5’s use of two man fireteams is certainly interesting, however there are some issues if you’re playing with AI teammates. I’ve found the AI to be pretty terrible, especially when it comes to reviving downed teammates. The AI will drop everything to revive you if you call for help once downed, however this means they’ll just stand there allowing enemies to fill them with bullets in the process. As convenient as it is to have the chance to revive when downed instead of restarting at a checkpoint, it’s almost as frustrating to watch all three AI teammates die on top of you body during an intense gunfight.

I’m sure Halo 5’s four man teams shine when all three members are human players, however I haven’t had the chance to group up with anyone yet. I was disappointed to find that there is no matchmaking for co-op play, meaning you’ll have to coordinate with three other friends if you want to jump into co-op play. It would be nice if Halo 5 treated its co-op mode like Borderlands 2 or Diablo III where people could be matched into your game based on story progression at any given point.

So far I’ve enjoyed Halo 5 quite a bit. I can’t wait to get deeper into the story and also play some more multiplayer matches. I’m hoping to at least finish the story before Fallout 4 releases, however working 12 hours a day, six days a week leaves very little time for gaming. At the very least I should be able to finish the story during my next day off (Monday), before losing every bit of free time I have to Fallout 4!

Minecraft: Story Mode Episode One

Posted on October 19, 2015 by GumballsPlaysGames

I just finished episode one of Telltale’s newest adventure game, Minecraft: Story Mode. I was curious to see just how Telltale would go about telling a story in the Minecraft universe, considering Minecraft is essentially a wide open sandbox with no objectives or story of any sort.

Minecraft: Story Mode plays the same as the other Telltale games, with the player controlling a character while periodically choosing dialogue options or making split second decisions via QTE’s.

The game will surely appease fans of the Minecraft universe, as it wastes no time featuring just about every creature and object in the game. It’s characters will also occasionally reference crafting recipes for objects in the game, and several of the game’s puzzles center around crafting tables.

The story was interesting from the opening moments, and I quickly became attached to the characters. They are well voiced and they each have unique and interesting personalities. The game is lighthearted and comedic and will likely appeal to gamers young and old. Minecraft: Story Mode has an excellent soundtrack that I can’t wait to hear more of once Episode Two arrives.

Minecraft: Story Mode Episode One is out now on consoles, PC/Mac, iOS and Android. I definitely recommend checking it out whether you’re a Minecraft fan, a Telltale fan or both. You’ll surely be amused!

Week One

Posted on October 12, 2015 by GumballsPlaysGames

So I made it to my first day off of the deployment. Exciting! I don’t have anything video game related to write about, but I just wanted to check in so that this blog doesn’t just fade away into nothingness. How would I describe the first week? It’s been hot, exhausting and chaotic. That said, it hasn’t been as bad as it could be. I’m very fortunate to have so many luxuries in this environment that many people years ago didn’t (and even those today in worse environments don’t have). I have a great connection to the WiFi in my tent and the air conditioning works so well that at night I’ve almost been too cold to sleep (had to buy three blankets and sleep in a hoodie and sweatpants).

My awesome LEGO Movie sheets

I haven’t done much, as working twelve hours a day, six days a week doesn’t leave you with much free time. I’ve started watching Sons of Anarchy on Netflix after work and have been fascinated by it. I just started the second season and it’s been a wild ride.

I’ve only really fired up my Xbox once since I’ve been here, but I hope to get some Forza 6 in today, and possibly some more Metal Gear. The GAEMS G155 15.5″ gaming case has worked out pretty well so far. It got my Xbox One here in one piece and is great for storing it when I’m not using it. All I have to do is throw it up on my bed, crack it open and plug in the Xbox and monitor and I’m ready to game. I’m certainly glad I decided to buy it before heading over here, even if I won’t be playing as much Xbox as I had hoped. The 15.5″ screen is the perfect size, and I’m actually glad I didn’t go with the 19″ version like I originally planned.

There are many weeks to go, and I hope to be able to post at least weekly. I’m looking forward to playing Fallout 4 when it releases (I’m sure I’ll sacrifice too much sleep when the time comes), and I’ll probably end up buying a Wii U while I’m here to play Mario Maker. For now, I’m going to spend the rest of my day off relaxing before I start another work week.

Missing Vanessa 😉

Things may slow down a bit as I deploy

Posted on October 3, 2015 by GumballsPlaysGames

I just wanted to post and let anyone reading know that things here at AVideoGameLife will be a bit slow as I’m about to deploy for six months. I’ll still have internet access, but it remains to be seen how reliable it will be. I’m bringing my Xbox One and one of those portable gaming cases with a monitor in it, so I’ll be sure to review that when I get the chance. I’m also bringing my 2DS and Vita, but depending on the quality of the internet I’m not sure how easy it will be to obtain new games.

I’m definitely hoping to play Fallout and Halo, which hopefully I can either download or order on Amazon while I’m there, but if the internet isn’t speedy enough I’m hoping at least the discs come with a functional game on them (unlike Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 which needed to download a patch larger than the game on the disc just to function beyond the tutorial).

Thanks for reading, and I hope to continue writing as often as I can once I’m over there.