I just wanted to say:
Portlandia
When I’m not spending my time studying, reading occult books, or playing video games I’m scouring the Internet for fun new shows.
Portlandia isn’t exactly new. However, when I mean Internet, I mean Netflix.
The name describes the show accurately, being entirely about Portland. Featuring Fred Armisen of Saturday Night Live and Carrie Brownstein formerly of Sleater-Kinney both of whom are from Portland.
I’ve never been to Portland, but this show begins off by giving you an excellent description in the first episode:
So, Portland? Who cares? Right? Trust me, give it a chance. If you like weird, if you like tongue-in-cheek things, or putting birds on things you will enjoy this show.
It’s a strange satire of their city. Plenty of interesting skits, ranging from the absurd to ones that make you ask “Is Portland really like that?”
Yes, yes it is. At least, this is what I surmise from talking to people who live there.
Once you can get over seeing Fred Armisen in roles that aren’t from Saturday Night Live, the show is gorgeous. With skits about feminist bookstores, putting birds on things, pretentious DIY-ers who can’t stop pestering about where the food is cooked, annoying cyclists, and various other insights to a city I’ve no experience with.
I don’t know what’s real, or what’s embellished. To some end, it does not matter. It’s a fun show. I think deep down, I feel like they are poking fun of hipsters, but it’s much more than that. It’s really not making fun, it’s satire.
I’m not sure how long a show can poke fun of one city. Portlandia is now in its second season, and it still really funny.
If you have IFC (Independent Film Channel) check it out.
Mario Kart 7
Mario Kart 7 is the latest in the series of Mario Kart, and provides crisp 3D graphics on the Nintendo 3DS system.
Mario Kart seems to come in threes. Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart Advance, and Mario Kart 64, all ran along the same lines. I’m not sure where to fit Mario Kart: Double Dash, but Mario Kart DS, Mario Kart Wii, and Mario Kart 7 also seem to be spiritual sequels of each other.
I feel that Mario Kart 7 is by far the best of the three in which it is found similar. Mario Kart Wii took what was good from the Mario Kart DS, and Mario Kart 7 takes the best from the Wii version.
This is also the down-side of having sequels for a ‘sports’ game. There’s not really a whole lot one can add to a kart racing game to make it vastly different. Mario Kart 7 adds hang gliders, Spot Pass functionality, and I personally feel that the vehicles handle much better.
There also seems to be much more to unlock, and it isn’t ridiculous things that I could never do in the past.
Mario Kart 7 brings back the coins from Mario Kart Advance and Super Mario Kart. Picking them up gives you a short boost, and collecting them allows you to unlock new gear for your karts.
So far, it seems to be the most well-built Mario Kart I’ve played. They’ve expounded upon features from past games, and even took the time to make the spiked blue turtle shell item pop up far less. That’s the item that damages whoever is in first place, no matter what. In previous titles, its frequency of showing up was ridiculous. Now, it’s not so bad.
If you’ve ever played Mario Kart DS or Mario Kart Wii, I highly suggest you pick this one up. You’ll be glad you did. I can’t seem to put this game down.
Super Mario 3D Land
Super Mario 3D Land is the latest Mario platformer to be released on the Nintendo 3DS handheld.
Many reviews I’ve read have complained about Super Mario 3D Land being too short, and I’m inclined to agree. However, anything can feel too short when something great is taken away from you. Like taking away an alcoholic’s beer when he says ‘just one more’.
It feels like an excellent reformatting of the classic platforming we’ve come to know and love. Instead of being on a 2D plane like most handheld Mario games, we’re finally playing like you would on a console.
Imagine Super Mario Galaxy without the space theme, or the orbiting. Replace it with small things from the NES Mario games such as tanooki suits, fire flowers, and leaf items. The level design also seems to take inspiration from the various Mario games we’ve seen across the years, except perhaps Super Mario Sunshine.
The game puts everything together so seamlessly, you stop trying to pay attention what was inspired from what and you just start playing. There are also quite a bit of new things as well.
I can empathize with reviewers on Super Mario 3D Land’s brevity, as each level is not exactly an epic tale. I’ve rarely ever dropped below 200 seconds for any level’s time limit.
Near the end, and the extra levels do provide a modicum of challenge. Unlike Super Mario Galaxy 2, this game does not seem to be built from the ground up to provide a challenge.
This game serves its purpose, and serves it well. It’s a fun game and provides a challenge for those who want it.
Today Is Mario Day on BFM!
I’ve been a huge fan of Mario ever since I was little. Growing up on the guy, he holds a special place in my heart.
I’m not claiming to be the most ardent collector of Mario, but I do my fair share of collecting to let everyone know that I’m a collector. Messenger bags, hanafuda cards, and most of the Club Nintendo platinum rewards. It still bums me out that I didn’t get the Mario hat!
I usually cast aside most cynicism when it comes to Mario games. Due to this, I can’t really say that I have a favorite.
I will admit that I really did not enjoy the Mario Strikers Charged for the Wii. The version on the GameCube is the better game. Super Mario Kart Advance is also not up my alley.
Today, I’m excited to be covering Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7. This blog needs to give more attention to Mario. I really enjoy the series, and my blog should reflect it!
Skyrim: I Hate This Game
I hate this game not because it’s a bad game, but because it offends my senses. I’m not trying to be some hipster scum who hates on something just because it’s popular. No, I’m legitimately an RPG fan, and I enjoy fantasy.
However, I do not enjoy Skyrim and I have never cared for the Elder Scroll’s particular brand of fantasy.
My smug comment of the day is this: I’d rather just play pen and paper with some traditionalists than play Skyrim.
I keep seeing the same sorts of trends from Western role-playing games. Make it as ugly as you can, throw some fancy races in there, make a generic Medieval-era plot, and give your character some choices or missions. Call it a day.
I don’t enjoy that. I just can’t. I’m much more fond of Modern Arcana settings like in D20 tabletop roleplaying. I did enjoy older games such as Wizardry, Bard’s Tale, Might and Magic, and Ultima growing up.
I wasn’t bred to hate that brand of fantasy, but I much prefer it when developers step outside that traditional D&D campaign setting of literally dungeons and dragons.
Most of these games are like Tarantino films, but pay way too much homage to Lord of the Rings.
That’s fine, go play what you want. I’m not cynical, I just have very specified taste.
To counter, I’m also bored to tears with most Japanese RPG offerings. Nier and Resonance of Fate are recent big-name games that come to memory that aren’t bad.
If I want a good Western RPG, I’ll either have to scour Steam or XBLIG to get them. The ultimate goal is to have fun, and many of the AAA Western RPGs simply don’t impress me. The reviews I’ve read of the lesser known console-based Western RPGs always seem to be plagued with terrible game play issues or bugs.
If you have any suggestions or recommendations, feel free to leave a comment in the box below.
Sonic Generations
I’ve been a fan of Sonic since my childhood. The promises of a Sonic game that finally mixed old with the new in a successful way enthralled me.
The story is of the nonsensical variety in which some evil creature is stealing all the color from the worlds. Somehow in all of this, new and old Sonic keep overlapping. For instance, new Sonic explains that he’ll, “be right back”. Then, old Sonic comes in right after he leaves, leaving Tails doing a double-take.
Like most modern Sonic games, it is quite a throwaway concept. Unlike the old games, which did not even have a concept. I suppose one could not complain too much.
I picked up the 3DS version, much to my dismay. I forgot that I hate DIMPS. I forgot how annoying the rails, boosting, and how easy it is to fall in a pit or get hit by an enemy they made their games to be.
I just don’t sit well with DIMPS. The old Sonic levels with old style game play was not too terribly bad. However, when modern levels play just like Sonic Advance I think there’s a problem.
There was too much going on in the screen, and it just didn’t work.
I traded in the 3DS version, and picked up a copy of the game on the computer gaming platform Steam.
It was much, much, better.
The modern Sonic levels still maintained the Sonic Advance game play. I still have problems running into enemies on accident. Maybe I’m a poor game player. It’s always possible.
I need to convey the concept that you must avoid the 3DS version.
The Whiskey Hound Podcast
My friend recently introduced me to his podcast about whiskey. He sits at home and drinks as much whiskey as he can manage.
Why does he do it? So he can review it, of course!
Somebody has to try all the bad whiskey, so you don’t have to.
I’m not a whiskey drinker myself, but the podcast is informative and an absolute joy to listen to: http://thewhiskeyhoundusa.blogspot.com/
Oh! So it’s kind of like Space Invaders?
I’ve read and seen various articles and interviews covering new bullet hell games comparing them to the likes R-Type and Space Invaders.
If you liked classic arcade games like Space invaders, you’ll loooove (bullet hell game x)
Space Invaders
Is not this:
Space Inva- erm, I mean DoDonPachi Resurrection
So there is a ship shooting a laser. That’s about the only similarity. There’s confusing scoring setups, bombs, memorization, etc, etc, etc.
Telling someone a bullet hell game is ‘just like’ Space Invaders is a lot like telling a new driver that a clutch is just like an automatic because they are both driving mechanisms on a car.
It just doesn’t work that way.
Blurbs of stuff like this is why I shy away from ‘gaming journalism’ and just write my own pompous opinions on my own damn website. I write about what I like instead of being some brony who only plays Uncharted and games with manly guns trying to explain what a bullet hell game is.
I shouldn’t care about that sort of thing, but once in a while you’re sitting at your computer desk thinking to yourself about how silly something is. This is just silly. It’s also par for course on being quite ignorant like most gaming journalism, but I can’t always win.
Video Game Confessions: No More Heroes
Bad Girl from No More Heroes
I have a confession to make! As much as I’ve talked about enjoying the No More Heroes series, I had never finished the original No More Heroes on the Wii. I stopped playing after managing rank 4.
I bought the game the day it came out, but I never finished it. I kept the game in the back of my head. When No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle came out, I actually finished that one. The opening was kind of confusing to me due to my failure to finish the first, but I made it through that one in no time flat.
The second one cut down on the extra fluff the first one had. It didn’t rely on making you drive place to place in the giant uninspiring city it thrusts you in.
I bought the first game again when it came out on Playstation 3 where it is known as No More Heroes: Heroes Paradise. It comes with a whole bunch of extra goodies as DLC like cute motorbikes, meowing lightsabers, and a 3D model viewer of the characters. There’s also a score attack mode with online rankings to keep you in your best shape.
The first time I played it, I got tired of the grinding to get more money. Countless missions and mini-games to get the money required to progress the story. With the DLC to make each blow more damaging, it made the grinding less monotonous.
As much as I appreciated Suda51′s visual style and interesting writing skills, I can’t believe it took me so long to finish! Unfortunately, the ending didn’t satisfy as much as one would hope.
I’m considering playing through the second one again, but my Wii is in my living room being used primarily as a Netflix machine for my roommate.
Now that No More Heroes: Heroes Paradise is out of the way, I still need to finish Alice: Madness Returns and Catherine.