Fat Jesus Jumps Into Platforming

Fat Jesus Jumps Into Platforming

By: Matt "Fat Jesus" Day

Original Post: http://matthewmday.blogspot.com/2012/09/fat-jesus-jumps-into-platforming.html

Ah platforming, a video game genre in which many claim to be hell. I on the other hand, or foot if you will, embrace it for every mis-jump and defeated boss. I truly love the genre and have always played it. I'v never considered myself a good platformer. I'm quick, reckless and usually never 100% a game past the last boss. But nonetheless, I've beaten quite a few of these games over the years. And most of them are some of the hardest games I've ever played.

 If you don't know the logistics, platforming is jumping through stages in a video game to complete levels. Usually there's a set number of levels in each area of the game with a boss at the end. You can land on the ground (if there is any), enemies, suspended platforms, boxes, barrels, etc. Your goal is to finish the level, usually without getting hit more than twice, and move onto the next level that's just as hard if not harder. 

In some series like Mario, you are given a plethora of power-ups to help along the way. While in other series like Donkey Kong or Sonic, you get far less power ups and have to rely on not getting hit. Even as far as one hit deaths in the madness that is Super Meat Boy. You can also collect suspended items as well. Sonic has rings (losing all will kills you if you get hit), Mario has golden coins and Donkey Kong has bananas (both of which get you a life after collecting 100). In games like Banjo-Kazooie there's a more mission-like feel where you do tasks to gain puzzle pieces and new moves while in LittleBIGPlanet you collect as many orbs as fast as you can for bonus score multiplier.

There are many different types of platformers. Some easier than others and some just plain insanely hard. Which is partly why I'm doing this post. I've compiled a huge list of platforming games that I've played. I've beaten most all of them or at the very least played or remember playing them at some point in my life. I've also listed off a Top 10 of platformers that I truly love. I can tell you that 2D platformers from the 90s are some of my favorite games ever. From the new to the retro, from 2D to 3D, I think it's all here. So jump into bed or slide into your chair. Here what I consider to be the best of the best in platform gaming!

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I spent about thirty minutes racking my brain, looking at my collection and compiling a list of twenty-eight games that I've played over the years. This runner up list is eighteen games that are the "leftover" of what I consider great. While some may be considered critically better, or something of the sort, these games aren't the best of the best in my eyes. While I enjoyed, beat, or even just played them, there was just something missing for me or maybe a predecessor or sequel out-shined it. Also "sorry" for not including games like Super Mario Galaxy 1/2. While I want to play them (BADLY), and they look amazing, I haven't had a Wii until recently and haven't gotten them yet.

Want To Play

LittleBIGPlanet 2 (PS3)

Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)

Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)

Currently Playing

Sonic Generations (PS3)

The Basement Collection (PC)

Runners Up

Banjo-Kazooie (N64)

Banjo-Tooie (N64)

Commander Keen (DOS)

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble (SNES)

Kirby's Adventure (NES)

Kirby's Superstar (SNES)

Megaman X (SNES)

Megaman 2 (NES)

Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis)

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Genesis)

Sonic & Knuckles (Genesis)

Sonic Adventure 2 (Dreamcast)

[New] Super Mario Bros Wii (Wii)

Super Mario Bros (NES)

Super Mario 64 (N64)

Super Mario Sunshine (Gamecube)

Super Smash Bros. (N64)

Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)

10. Donkey Kong Country Returns (Wii)

Now there was a change in my mind on this list as I was playing though this game. Donkey Kong Country Returns is this first, new, platforming game in the series since Donkey Kong Country 3. And boy did they make it bigger. Tiki masks invade the island and hypnotize all the animals and they take all of DK and Diddy's bananas. DK and Diddy must brave this madness island once again to save it in this new adventure in the new millennium. This is the first challenging Wii platformer I've played, I'll get to Galaxy 1/2 soon enough, I hear two player is a lot easier as well, but I played through on one player. The platforming is hard, there is a difficult learning curve and it's a long game. There are a few drawbacks, but I won't get into those here. I had fun throughout and it definitely lives up to the Donkey Kong name. Whata fitting way to start this top ten.

9. LittleBIGPlanet (PS3)

LittleBIGPlanet is one of the newest games to grace the top of this list. You control your completely customized Sackboy in a world of dreams. Each world, if you will, has a theme, from the Mexican deserts to Japanese gardens. You jump over pits of fire that will scourge Sackboy or hang onto objects to carry you up higher into the level. All while collecting dream orbs and stickers to add to your collection and point multiplier. The draw of this game for me is the endless supply of levels. LBP was put out for the users and the users make it what it is. There are thousands of customized levels built and you can even do most, if not all, of the story mode and these levels in co-op. Some of these levels are very challenging as well. Not only platforming-wise but puzzle-wise too. This game sounds great, looks great, and plays great. I have no problem in saying this is one of the best 3D platformers.

8. Super Smash Bros. Melee (Gamecube)

This is quite literally the epitome of platforming. Since that's all you have. Fall off of it and you lose. If you're unfamiliar with Super Smash Bros. it is a game, now series, that pits famous Nintendo charters such as Mario, DK, Link and anyone else you can think of in hand to hand combat. There is the new story mode, vs mode, and anything else you can think of. Now I love the original game for the Nintendo 64, but Melee expands upon it tenfold. The graphics are updated and look way better. There a massive amount of trophies to collect. I like having things to collect, something to strive for in a game. Most of the items from the first game are still there, there are new ones added and some do an expanded amount of things. The character roster has also been expanded upon and there are even more people spanning the Nintendo franchises. Same with the levels, both new and updated, there is a ton more content in this game. If you're like me, and you like fighting, Nintendo and platforming, this game is for you.

7. Super Mario Bros 3 (NES)

For most people this would be the end all, be all of platformers. I can agree with that. Once again Bowser had kidnapped Peach and turned all of the surrounding kingdom's rulers into beasts. Mario must traverse this world, filled with new items and enemies, to save the world and Peach from the evil Bowser. For an NES game you can tell it is very updated from the first game. New enemies and the tanooki suit are introduced in what is considered one of the best Mario games ever made. The levels are challenging and only get harder as the game progresses. The design looks great and the music in the levels is almost iconic. There's really not much more I can say about this classic. If you like Mario, and/or platformers, this game is for you.

6. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Genesis)

SEEEEEEEEGA! You all know the load up screens when you turned on these Sonic games on you Genesis. And Sonic 3 is probably one of the best games on the Genesis and you guessed it, another platformer. After Sonic beats Robotnik at the end of Sonic 2, this space station crashes onto a mysterious island. It turns out it's Angel Island where the last echidna, Knuckles lives and guards the Master Emerald. Robotnik tricks Knuckles into thinking Sonic (and Tails) are the enemies. Now they must get past Knuckles and defeat Robotnik yet again to save Knuckles and Angel Island! The best Sonic platformer by far. The levels look good, they get more challenging as the game progresses, and the music in this game is phenomenal. The story is simple yet it's spurred back-story for Sonic games to this day. This is a fantastic game.

5. Super Mario World (SNES)

It could be blasphemy to list this above SMB3, but I honestly like this game more. While I had both growing up, my SNES was my favorite system and I sunk a ton of hours into this games as a kid. This game felt brighter, smoother and more engaging to me. The thing is, it still does! In Super Mario World, big shocker here, Bowser kidnaps Peach, and Mario must save her. Along the way we meet Yoshi, more new enemies, updated graphics, new power-ups, and what can be challenging as hell platforming and nostalgic as hell music. I like this game because even today I can still pick it up, play it and have fun. Never having the same run to Bowser's Castle twice. That's the mark of a good game to me. No matter how much I play it, I still have fun. And most all of these games in the top 5 fall under this category.

4. Donkey Kong Country (SNES)

This is the second Donkey Kong game on this list and Rare did the original SNES games right in my eyes. This is the first one. We start off by finding out DK and Diddy's banana stash is stolen by King R. Krool and the island is overcome with Kremlins. DK and Diddy now must traverse the island, defeat Krools minions, defeat King R. Krool himself and get their banana collection back! For the first game in a series it already feels complete whenever I run through it. The levels can be unbearable at times, but once you get used to them, they are amazingly fun. This as well a designed game as you can get. Controls are simple, level design is great, and the music (at least for me) is some of the best ever composed. This is platforming done right.

3. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (SNES)

I don't know why, but the follow up to Super Mario World, Yoshi's Island, has always granted me more fun than the original. I play this far less, but when I do I always improve, find new secrets (at least new to me) and improve my overall playing of the game. Yoshi's Island follows the story of Baby Mario and Baby Luigi. As the stork carrying them to their parents house is "hijacked" mid delivery, Baby Luigi is stolen and Baby Mario falls onto Yoshi's Island. The Yoshi's living on the island decide to help  Baby Mario reunite with his brother despite revamped enemies, a new world, egg slinging and Kamek and Baby Bowser. The game is plenty hard adding in a semi-shooter system with egg throwing to the already hard platforming. Plus grabbing Mario once he starts crying so you don't pull your ears off is another challenge in itself. New levels, enemies, and new (amazing) music make this one of my favorite platformers ever.

2. Super Meat Boy (PC/XBLA)

SUUUUUUPPPPPER MEAT BOY! This is easily one of the most challenging, if not the most challenging video game I've ever played. Fast paced and essentially endless, you can choose to die 30,000 times and you'll never lose..though you'll never win. Super Meat Boy follows the story of Meatboy. Dr. Fetus has kidnapped Meatboy's girlfriend Bandage Girl because nobody loves him and  he wants to exact revenge on the guy that has it all. Can Meatboy over come the evil fetus and save his girlfriend? Play this and you'll be able to find out! Simply put you guide Meat Boy through levels filled with needles, saws, lasers, fans, lava and at the end of each area a nefarious boss designed to put you through hell. You can collect well placed bandages throughout the levels to unlock characters and find WARP ZOOOOOONES to unlock even more levels and characters. The catch is with each level, if you die you start over. Makes for entertaining rageful moments, but if you get really good, awe inspiring runs. Edmund McMillen is one of my favorite people in the video game industry and over the past couple years this has been one of the my top games I've played. If you want a challenge this game is for you.

1. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (SNES)

This is the number one platforming game in my opinion. We're finally here, the peak of this fine blog post. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest! This is the third DKC game in my top 10 and all four of the platforming DKC games have made my top twenty-eight. I stick by the reasoning that DK64 is horse-shit. Shortly after Donkey Kong Country, Captain R. Krool kidnaps DK and Diddy Kong enlists the help of Dixie Kong to go help rescue him. Like the rest of the DKC games you're guiding Diddy (with Dixie this time) around the island filled with Kremlins to reach Captain R Krool and save DK from the clutches of evil. This game, at least for me is HARD. Jumps have to be (more) precise, you have to be quick, scrolling levels are incorporated, being able to float/fly with Dixie is introduced, new enemies are around, new music, and even more challenging levels than the first game. Hell more challenging than any other platformers. If you want a challenging game, with good music and a fun storyline, you really can't do worse than this game. It has everything a gamer, or platformer would want. To me it's as close to perfect platforming as one can get.

Limbo Review

Welcome to the gray thing that is Limbo!

From my experience indie games have always had a lot of entertainment value for a small cost. Putting hundreds of hours into games that don’t even cost 10 bucks is pretty much the best way to spend your money on games these days. Limbo, however, was the exception to the rule, for me anyways.

The game starts and all you see is gray, and that’s pretty much all you will ever see throughout the game. You are a shadow looking boy with glowing white eyes in a land filled with gray and white trying to make your way to… the right.

The controls of the game are as simple as they get. You can move left and right, climb up and, jump and drag things. Using these skills, you have to solve a series of puzzles to advance in your quest… to go right. Nothing of the gameplay is explained so you pretty much have to learn the controls and mechanics of the game on your own. This is fine, as the game is really simple to play.

Running to the right, I find myself solving the little puzzles the game throws at me with ease. After the game has been going on for about an hour, I start to think if the puzzles will ever get challenging. I’m yet to face anything in the game that gives greater trouble than timing a jump right.

Jumping! It's pretty much all you do in this game.

Eventually, I find myself getting annoyed with the game, waiting for it to end. More tedious timing based jump puzzles, more anger as I end up repeating them over and over again because I’m not interested enough in the game to pay enough attention to get the jumps down right the first few tries. The most challenging thing in the game is not knowing how each of the puzzles work until you die on it for the first time.

Finally, after a little over two hours, I beat the game. It felt like nothing. The ending gave me no sensation of accomplishment. I was only glad I got through it so I could say I’ve beaten the damn game. Nothing was explained. Who the hell was the boy I was playing as? Where did he go when I beat the game? Did he get out of Limbo? Why was he there in the first place?

I had heard mixed review of the game prior to playing it. Some said it was a fun little game, others the opposite. Unfortunately, I have to lean towards the latter view. To me the game was a tedious pile of trial and error. I get that the atmosphere was supposed to be what it was, being in Limbo and all, but it was just so boring to look at the gray and listening to the sound of the boy’s footsteps. The lack of music did not help increase my interest towards the game either.

As much as I love indie games and appreciate the people who make them, Limbo was not worth buying in my opinion. Ten euros for a game of two hours of gameplay with really no replay value whatsoever makes Limbo the most disappointing indie game I have played to date. Ten bucks really isn’t that much money for a game, but for Limbo it is. To me, Limbo seems like the kind of game you find on Newgrounds and play through when you have nothing else to do.

Limbo - 5 bucks for each hour.

Shark in Tophat Helps Save Gamers Money

Hey guys! Soggy Pronoun here again with a post for CheapShark. Enjoy!

By: Soggy Pronoun

If you’re coming by here to check us out every now and then; I would think it’s fair to say you like to play games. At some point you’ve probably scoured your local game store, or the internet trying to find the best price on that new game you’ve wanted. We all want to make every dollar we spend count. Because of the desire for good games at good prices several websites have popped up over the years to cater to those savvy and concerned enough to save a couple bucks here and there.

Sites like Greenmangaming, Getgames, Gamefly, and Amazon just to name a few have done a great job of this. Over time, as new sites continue to crop up, another issue peaked it’s shiny little head out: it’s starting to become a task to check all of the available sites to make sure you’re going to get the best deal you can on the game that you want. OH MY WHATEVER SHALL YOU DO!?!?!? Fret not little one, the wonderful people (actually person last I heard) at www.cheapshark.com have you covered.


“What makes CheapShark so great?” you might ask. Well, basically everything that makes all of the other sites great, combined. CheapShark is a game deal website aggregator, meaning it does the work of finding all the prices on these great sites and puts the information in one place. All of the top sites are on the list and the top deals from each site are posted on the front page daily. The search function gives you the ability to search for that one title you have been yearning for and find the best deal. It’s so easy, it makes me all tingly inside.

The site doesn’t stop there, the browse function is even more robust. Allowing you to narrow it down to the sites you may already have an account with and don’t want to start a new account at a new place. However my favorite feature on the browse function is the recently added “Steamworks” selection. If you’re like me you want to get the best deal, but also would like to keep all of your games in one place, this is what the “Steamworks” selection box is for. It will still search every site that you want it to, but it will also narrow the results to only purchases that can be activated on Steam. YIPPIE!

As of the time I’m writing this it appears to only cater to PC gamers, as a lone developer there are currently no future plans to support consoles. Either way check them out and follow the site on twitter @CheapSharkDeals and Facebook www.facebook.com/cheapshark to stay up to date on any developments and good deals.

The Best Casters on Twitch TV

We here at Dynamic Impact Gaming love the Twitch community.  All of us have been around for quite a while, back to when everyone was on Justin.tv.  It's been kind of amazing to watch the gaming section of JTV blossom into it's very own website in Twitch.  It's a testament to all the casters who helped make it possible.  There's so many casters on Twitch, it's almost impossible to really narrow this sort of list down, but we managed to do it.  This was definitely a collaborative project, after I (BAMxMike) came up with the initial idea of creating a post dedicated to the best of the best, my fellow DIG members ran with it.  

Names were thrown out, people I hadn't even heard of.  It opened my eyes to a lot of casters that are really doing a fantastic job.  All in all, this is a post from my own personal viewpoint.  I will not call myself a Twitch junkie, it's not a website I spend all day on, but I know a good caster when I see it.  I'm not someone who is going to be impressed by someone with a ton of followers or views - that honestly doesn't mean a thing to me.  I watch a cast if I find the caster to be entertaining, first and foremost.  If you're a prick or douche, I won't watch your channel, plain and simple.  If I find I don't have respect for a caster, odds are I'll avoid his/her casts.  This is all about the people on Twitch who have found success and done it in the right way.  

If I had to summarize this list in one way, I'd say this - if you had just created a new Twitch account and were looking for people to follow, these are the 30 casters to begin with.

All banners included in this post are lifted directly from the caster's Twitch sites, which I vehemently encourage you to check out if you haven't already!  The links are right below each banner.  If any casters wish for me to remove the banners, you can contact me on twitter.com/michael_ryne or on Twitch TV (bamxmike) and I will do so immediately, no questions asked.

http://www.twitch.tv/ariablarg

You are not going to find a better caster on Twitch than Aria.  As a whole, this is exactly what every Twitch caster should strive to be.  She has a community that loves her, an infectious bubbly personality that is endearing, and the skills as a gamer that makes her casts a blast to watch.  It's a chat in which it is difficult to lurk in simply because it's so much fun and entertaining, you always want to be part of the action.  She also allows friends of her's to cast on the channel as well, showing that even though she has become one of the more popular casters, she hasn't forgotten the people who have gotten her there.  Far too many bigger casters forget this.

http://www.twitch.tv/awoozl

Finland's sexiest man alive and someone I have grown very close to this past summer, Awoozl!  He's been casting quite a bit lately and if you've missed out, then I feel sorry for you.  He's currently playing through all Sam & Max episodes and they've been a treat to sit through.  The game itself is entertaining, filled with ton of hilarious and eye rolling puns and Awoozl just makes it that much better.  His random comments on the game and fantastic sense of humor makes any of his casts extremely entertaining.

http://www.twitch.tv/Bagel411

This is an example of a caster I had never heard of before a few weeks ago when we began tossing out ideas for this post.  It's exactly why such an idea resonated so well with me, I wanted to learn about the gems of Twitch I had not become aware of yet.  Bagel is a caster that plays classic games and especially Mega Man.  He actually has a graphic where he has replaced Mega Man's body with a bagel.  This amuses me to no end.  He's great with his chat and entertaining, definitely someone I am glad my fellow DIG members introduced me to.

http://www.twitch.tv/bigrichie2004

Like I said in my introduction, I'm no Twitch expert.  Big Richie was another caster brought to my attention.  I've lurked in several of his casts in the past couple weeks and the guy is absolutely hilarious.  His Grand Theft Auto casts are insanely entertaining and I highly suggest checking him out in the very near future.  He just recently surpassed 5,000 followers on Twitch, so congratulations to him.

http://www.twitch.tv/cherokia666

You know what I love in a caster?  Someone who doesn't take themselves overly seriously.  Here's a guy who has casted games in which he seemingly hates, but it's entertaining for the chat to watch him grind his teeth through it as he interacts with everybody.  When it comes down to it, casting should be fun.  Cherokia is a prime example of someone who is having fun while he casts and it leaks through to the chat.


http://www.twitch.tv/crazyday2606

Probably the most influential and well known member of our DIG group, Fat Jesus has been casting since early 2011 and his improvement has been a joy to watch.  He's gone from a guy who casted mostly Pokemon to someone who covers a wide spectrum of games.  Pokemon is still played, but expect to see some Madden, Uncharted, and maybe a children's game here and there for some laughs.  His casts really are a family affair with all the regulars knowing each other on a personal level.  He is truly a hidden gem on Twitch TV.

http://www.twitch.tv/danielleorama

She hasn't been casting for very long, but Danielle has QUICKLY established herself as one of the best on the site.  The combination of her and her husband Edmund (creator of Twitch favorite Super Meat Boy) goes beyond a simple entertaining thing to watch.  It's something that can enthrall you and take you over with laughter.  Danielle has stepped out of her husband's shadow and created a name for herself.  She creates toys for Super Meat Boy and Binding of Isaac which any fan of the games would kill to have.  Some new items have been trickling into her site's store and I hope even more continue to spawn.  I have some Christmas gifts to buy!

http://www.twitch.tv/dansgaming

Dan is a Twitch admin, but may be more well known for his spectacular casting.  The most chill stream on Twitch.TV has had a copious amount of legendary moments.  The vast gaming selection he showcases can go from Skyrim to a simple dating simulator flash game.  It really doesn't matter what he plays, it's, without a doubt, going to be highly entertaining.  He's one of the nicest guys on Twitch and one of the most popular streamers going right now.  He has giveaways for his subscribers, some of which coming very soon in September, which goes to show how much he cares about his viewers.  If someone goes so far as to pay money to a caster, when they don't even have to, it's nice to see a caster give back.  It does not go unnoticed.  By the way, if you're lucky enough to catch a drunk cast of his, then you'll learn the meaning of entertaining Twitch caster.

http://www.twitch.tv/destructoid

I'm not sure you're going to find a better community than Destructoid.  There's plenty of groups that have popped up on Twitch, but this is the one that has set the bar.  It's literally an all-star team of casters that have come together to create one of the most recognizable names in the streaming community.  Their website is extremely well run and is filled with delicious gaming content.  Niero created something huge in 2006 and now has King Foom, Ryuusei, Awdamn, Conrad Zimmerman, Jordan Devore, Katrina, Brett Zeidler, Caitlin Crooke, Philanthr0py, Jonathan Holmes, Johnny Luchador, Bill Zoeker, and Cruz pioneering one of, if not the most influential groups on Twitch.

http://www.twitch.tv/doncairo

Don Cairo is basically my wet dream come true when it comes to casting.  I am a sports fanatic and Don Cairo is as well.  You'll often see him playing a sports game on cast (very few good casters do this) and even if he isn't, it isn't unusual to have him discussing sports with his active chat.  Take a look at this guy's biography on Twitch.  It's a quote from Arrested Development.  This guy is made of awesome.  This is someone who, if you aren't already, you need to follow.  And not just follow, go check out his casts!  One of the best casters going on Twitch right now, if you ask me.

http://www.twitch.tv/eddieruckus

Say hello to the caster I believe has the highest potential to REALLY make a name for himself.  Don't get it twisted, Eddie is already a big name in the Twitch community, but he can only go up from here.  It is so difficult to break through the glass ceiling of Twitch TV.  Majority of casters reach their peak and stay there. Don't tell that to Eddie who has skyrocketed over the past year and a half into one of the more recognizable and well liked casters going.  He's one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet and has the skills in gaming and immense knowledge to really become one of the biggest casters on Twitch.


http://www.twitch.tv/Gaming_4_a_cure

Every single time G4AC begins an event of casting, it's one of the most talked about streams on Twitch.  The stream, which was created by KitsuneKyon in early 2011, has risen in popularity in a very short time.  I don't think there's a more influential and respected charity stream going on Twitch.  Ariablarg has really helped make this channel grow since its legendary beginnings.  The staying power is there and it's always done with an amazing cause.  It's a chance to enjoy the streams and give back a little bit to those who need it.  I've donated multiple times to their causes and they really make you feel great about what you're doing.


http://www.twitch.tv/thegreatgq

TheGreatGQ was one of the first streams I checked out when I broadened my Twitch (at the time it was JTV) horizons.  He's another example of someone who has always had a great stream and garnered a following for it.  GQ loves his viewers and does an amazing job of not only making things entertaining for them, but often including as well.  He has Mario Kart Thursday where he plays online with his viewers.  Far too often big casters lose touch with what made them big, without the viewers, none of these casters would be anything.  Major kudos go out to casters like GQ who has set a spectacular example for all aspiring casters.


http://www.twitch.tv/heyot6

HeyOT is someone I feel is on the verge of really making it big.  I often times find myself comparing him to Eddie Ruckus and then eventually, Ariablarg.  He's someone who has made a name for himself by doing it the right way and is constantly on the way up.  He has a following that he loves and loves him, very much like Aria, in a sense.  If there is someone on Twitch I think you should keep an eye on, it is this guy.  You give me a choice to watch any caster, he'd be up there as one of my top guys.  I'm a sports nut and in sports, you'll have a prospect.  Someone who experts predict will be the next great player in their league.  HeyOT is one of those top can't miss prospects who is going to become great, sooner rather than later.

http://www.twitch.tv/hotbloodedgaming
http://www.hotbloodedgaming.com/

If there's a gaming site/community that can be on par with Desctructoid, it's Hot Blooded Gaming.  It's a stream that is less active, but the website is booming.  It's one of the first sites I go to if I'm looking for gaming news because it's done professionally and without gloves on.  You'll get a wide variety of news from a slew of writers who know what they're talking about.  Headed by one of the hardest working people on twitch, Craig, HBG was one of the first partnered channels on Twitch and it all started with a charity stream.  It comes from great roots and its history is unmatched on the site.


http://www.twitch.tv/Kenshinesca

I am literally watching Kenshinesca cast right now as I write this.  He's a guy that knows his games well, clearly someone who has quite a bit of experience under his belt.  There's plenty of casters out there who are goofy and happy-go-lucky while they play, while there are some who you watch, you think to yourself "This guy would wreck me if we played together."  I get this feeling while watching Kenshinesca.  He's definitely a caster on the rise and his popularity should only grow from here.


http://www.twitch.tv/lethalfrag

If you're looking for inspiration or someone to copy in your casting career, then Lethal Frag is your guy.  He has become huge in Twitch over the past year and it's because of his innovation and dedication.  Currently in the middle of his 2 year live stream goal, Lethal Frag has casted every day for the past 244 days and plans to continue up until day 731.  He's almost halfway to his goal and his star is rising for sure.  He's at the top of my list as the best caster on Twitch, as well as many others.  If you haven't seen a cast of his yet (where have you been?) do yourself a favor and check one out.  It's not like you'd have to wait long, he casts every day.


http://www.twitch.tv/liteyear

Liteyear is one of those casters that has you in awe.  He's a speed run caster who is so good at the games he plays, it's damned impressive to watch him dominate a game.  He's definitely someone you'd like to model your gaming habits after and a person you can't help but watch, simply because you know he's going to do something iconic.  He tops his ridiculous speed runs constantly and the way he can breeze through Super Meat Boy is jaw dropping.  He always has a chill cast and the chat is never unruly.  A bad chat can lead to a bad cast, but you definitely don't have to worry about that with Liteyear.  It really doesn't matter what game he's beasting through, you know you're going to have a great time.


http://www.twitch.tv/meat_jesus

I have been watching Meat Jesus since I first came to Twitch at the beginning of 2011 and he remains as one of my favorite casters.  His Grand Theft Auto casts remain as one of my favorites ever and he has remained consistent as one of the better people on Twitch.  He's hilarious and his quips/yelling at the game he's playing make for a fantastic cast.  He has had a very loyal group of viewers that return for every cast, which I maintain is how you should judge a caster.  If people keep coming back, you must be doing something right. Meat Jesus absolutely is.


http://www.twitch.tv/medlow

Medlow is someone I think has a very high upside.  He's garnering more and more recognition as of late and it's warranted.  He's slowly progressed throughout the summer and continues to become more popular.  He's been casting on Ariablarg's channel and getting his name out there.  He's a funny guy, always has a memorable cast who could become a very big caster if he continues doing what he's doing.  It's fun to watch someone grow and show that they can get big on Twitch if they remain persistent.  Far too often you have casters who don't seem to want to cast, but feel obligated.  You don't get that feeling with Medlow and it means a lot in the long run.


http://www.twitch.tv/minoko_

You know what one of my favorite things is when it comes to casters?  Someone who is genuinely nice and personable.  Minoko is one of the best overall PEOPLE on Twitch that I have come across and she's beyond hilarious.  You're never going to leave feeling upset or disappointed because she's going to make sure you feel welcomed.  The entertainment is there, she has the skills at gaming to make her a good caster, but she also has the personality to transform her into a great caster.


http://www.twitch.tv/Naotoronin

Whenever I go into a channel, especially if it's a new one to me, I check out the biography/rules section.  One of the first things you'll see there in Naotoronin's channels is him letting you know he's a relaxed caster.  Not someone who takes everything that happens as life or death.  Someone who can sit back and relax, not someone who is going to be on edge the whole time, can make for a very fun cast.  It's a trait in a caster that can bring back viewers for more because they know exactly what they're going to get.  Naotoronin is someone I root for, a caster I would like to see become one of the most well-known casters on Twitch.


http://www.twitch.tv/nokanoka

Maybe you don't want to watch someone speed through Super Meat Boy in 5 minutes or watch someone strategically blast someone's head off from across the landscape.  Perhaps, maybe, you just want to have a relaxed cast of someone interacting with their chat and show off their rad drawing skills.  You'll get the gaming with noka, but also some unique casts as well.  It makes sense, she's a very unique and engaging person.  Her personality is infectious and it's literally impossible to be in a bad mood while watching her casts.


http://www.twitch.tv/projectleet

If you want someone who casts on a consistent basis, look no further than Projectleet.  I still get e-mail notifications when the people I follow go live and all too often I look at my phone and see that Projectleet has gone live.  It's that consistency and dedication to casting that us fans strive for.  We don't like having to wait for another cast, we want to watch our favorite people play their games and it's very much appreciated when a caster dedicates themselves.  The top rule in Projectleet's cast is "Don't talk about fight club."  That right there shows you how awesome he is.


http://www.twitch.tv/razgaming

Quite possibly my favorite banner in all of Twitch right here.  His casts are fun, he's good at what he does and the graphics/design of the channel are superb.  While it isn't the be all and end all for a channel, having a slick design and presentation can really enhance a very good channel into becoming a great one.  It shows the caster cares and motivates me as a viewer to return.  I like showing support for casters who really show they care and Raz is absolutely one of them.


http://www.twitch.tv/soggy_pronoun

I love Soggy Pronoun.  I won't hide it, I don't care if my parents don't approve, he has my heart.  That being said, his casts are also pretty damn good too.  He billdozered through Darksiders II with minimal sarcastic rage and kicked that game's ass.  His drunk casts for 7th Guest are a thing of gold.  They're truly legendary.  You don't want to miss one, if they happen.  He also has some days where he'll bring his son, Soggy Noun, on cast with him to play and in the midst of all the dirty jokes and rage of Twitch TV, you have a cast that just makes you smile.  You can't help but enjoy yourself in his channel and he makes sure everyone is welcome.  I have never heard Soggy rage at a person in his chat and he's someone I will always support, no matter what.


http://www.twitch.tv/spamfish

Spamfish likes sports, so I like Spamfish.  IT'S SIMPLE AS THAT, FOLKS!  Actually, he's one of the more respected casters and people on Twitch and he's quickly establishing himself as one of the best.  I've been sitting in on some of his Madden NFL 13 casts lately and they've been a joy to watch.  Even if you don't even like the sports, you'll enjoy the hell out of Spamfish's casts.  When you have a caster who plays a niche game or one with a central audience, but they still make it entertaining for everyone, then you know you've got something golden.  Spamfish does just that.


http://www.twitch.tv/thorin181

I lobbied pretty hard, personally, for Thorin to be included on this post.  He's someone I have watched cast pretty extensively over the past few months and I really enjoy myself in there.  He's been establishing himself as good caster ever since his inclusion to We Play Games and is managing to let his name become more well known.  He's a genuine person, someone who you'd trust to help you out and is just nice.  Simply put, he's someone you root for to get popular and have no issues supporting along their way.


http://www.twitch.tv/trihex

I know his banner is just one he's using to promote his upcoming event, but I laughed really hard at "Yo! I'm gonna be gettin' maad charitable."  Also, don't remotely mind advertising his events, especially one for such a good cause, here.  So make sure you check out his channel for more details.  Like Liteyear, Trihex is someone you just watch in awe while he casts.  He speeds through games like it's nothing and you often find yourself wondering just how someone can become so great at video games.  It's astounding, impressive, and just good enough to make you jealous.  It's a competitive community, with the speed runners, and Trihex is one of the best.


http://www.twitch.tv/x4ryuusei

If I was someone who had a group on Twitch, ryu would be one of the first casters I turned to.  I'd want to recruit this person to my group because it's obvious he has the ability to make a name for himself, with or without a group to help out.  There's a reason big name groups like Destructoid and Game On have latched on to his growing popularity and why ryu has quickly established himself as one of the most respected people going on Twitch today.

Darksiders II Review

Soggy Pronoun went ahead and wrote this piece and I'm posting it for him. Hope you enjoy!

By: Soggy Pronoun

Darksiders II the direct successor to the Vigil Games sneak up smash hit of 2010, but it doesn’t merely ride on the coattails of it’s older brother, it makes a damn good effort to outdo him; in some ways it does, while in others it falls a little short.

Darksiders II follows the story of the next member of “The Four Horsemen”, Death shortly after his brother (War) mistakenly starts the apocalypse and eradicates the Human race, leaving the world in the hands of the ever warring Angels, Demons, and atrocious abominations which now run rampant across the world. Unlike War, Death is not out for answers and vengeance; he seeks redemption, in more ways than one.

The gameplay doesn’t veer too far from the stylings of the original. Once again if you are a fan of other popular game series such as: The Legend of Zelda, God of War, and Prince of Persia, you’re going to get another gameplay casserole with these as your main ingredients. That’s not a bad thing though, if it worked for you the first time around, it continues to work this time. They did at least change the colors of the Voidwalker weapon this time so it doesn’t taste so much like “Portal”. They do also expand the game with another well loved gameplay element from a top tier game. Instead of having trinkets spread across the desecrated world, that increase the badassery of your armor; this time they went with the Diablo style loot grind. As you hack, slash, and bash at adversaries, Gilt (gold) and loot spring from the fresh kills sporting different colors; the most valuable of these being orange and more so when they are orange “Possessed Weapons”.

Possessed Weapons don’t always seem to be the greatest weapons at first, but they take advantage of the bountiful loot you find, and would otherwise sell to a vendor for meager earnings, by allowing you to feed them to your possessed weapon. The quality of the items you allow a Possessed Weapon to gorge itself on increases the amount of experience the weapon receives as it progresses through it’s five possible upgraded levels. The real treat to it is: as you shove whites, greens, blues, and purples down its gullet and it finally reaches the next level you are given a choice of what additional stat you would like to add to your weapon depending upon the stat bonuses of the weapons you fed to it throughout that level. It makes for interesting customization options to support your gameplay style and it’s a nice way to make you feel like you’re not always carrying around junk. With the variety of weapon items in the game I found it entertaining to hunt down new tools to support my fighting style.


There are two primary attacks, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are your light and heavy attacks. In the first slot Death always wields dual scythes either in his hands or on his sides, they are quick and ruthless, and all the different model variations look menacing. The second weapon slot is where you are once again given the ability to customize to your play style, and can get some really interesting weapons. In a range from quick “slice and dice” hand blades and claws, to slow bludgeoning maces and hammers you are given the choice of having two quick weapons or one fast and one slow. In addition to your physical weapons, with each level you are given points to spend on additional magic skills across two tiers, Harbinger and Necromancer, which can be generalized as close combat or ranged, respectively. No matter what configuration you choose, you get to mash down your enemies with the devastating power expected of a Horseman.

And mash you will, the fighting system in the game is unashamed in it’s button mashing.There are hundreds of thousands worth of Gilt to be spent on different attack combos, and even though I bought every one; I’ll be honest in saying that I didn’t really pay any attention to them and just wildly mashed my way through the game. While not necessarily game breaking, I do wish at some point the game had required me to at least pay a little attention to the combinations. The boss fights are interesting, require some focus before resuming the mashing. Each fight is not overly challenging but the bosses themselves vary greatly, which adds some good variety. Darksiders II hurts itself when it decides that it wants to be a third person shooter for a painfully long section. Fortunately there is only one of these sections as opposed to the several in the first game, but this is still where Death falls short. Maybe it was just the length of it, but it was far more annoying than when War did it. Fortunately, like his brother, Death still pulls off telling a good story.


Death rides for redemption on his mighty steed Strife, and with his faithful companion crow Dust. Dust is a useful tool meant to be a guide when you aren’t sure where exactly you should go next and does a pretty good job...most of the time. Unfortunately he is no wise owl, and at some of the more complicated parts he seemed just as confused as I was. There were times when he would fly back and forth from one side of a room to another with what seems like an aggressive form of Avian A.D.D. and on several occasions I caught him frantically spinning in a circle on one wing tip rising into the heavens. I found myself cursing my fowl tormentor, flagrantly break-dancing his way into the sky, as he seemingly mocked my inability to navigate. When I did finally find my way through the mazes and puzzle of the game I was met with interesting cutscenes. Even though Death’s face was completely covered by a mask, they were able to effectively portray his emotions; which were only bangs and eyeliner away from being full Emo at times. The characters I encountered on Death’s quest for redemption varied widely, ranging from an old scarecrow like man, to demigods and a seductive demon, just to highlight a few. They all interacted with Death well and did a great job at really establishing who he is as a character.The story was driven by fetch quest after fetch quest, but I never felt too bothered them since the puzzles to the items were interesting enough and the puzzles involved actually gave me several real “Aha!” moments. The ending brought me back to the story of the original in a great way, while leaving me excited for the next installment. Don’t forget to stick around until after the credits, there’s an intriguing little cutscene to watch. Even still that doesn’t have to be the end of your story as Death.


Chock full of side mission, collections, and a wave based “Crucible” fighting arena, which is no walk in the park, optional content should keep a completionist busy for some time; in addition to what has become an almost obligatory “New Game+” mode.

At the end of the line I logged in just over twenty-one hours of game play, with only having done a handful of the side missions. While Darksiders II does have it’s fair share of flaws, it was time well-spent and the continuation of what is already a fun and exciting Apocalypse story that still has two Horsemen to go.

Diablo III - Review

Diablo is one of those iconic PC game series that everyone has heard of. Whether you’re a fan or not, there is no way a PC gamer could have ignored the impact and popularity  of either the first two in the series. Diablo II was probably the most successful PC game of its time, a game that the most hardcore of fans still play today. It’s no wonder that the sequel to it was one of the most anticipated game release for the PC ever. Finally, 12 years later, Blizzard gives the fans what they have been waiting for. The question is, was the game worth the wait?

Before I go any further into my review, I should mention that I have never touched Diablo II. I used to play a ton of Diablo, back in the day, but the second game in the series never made it to my collection. I have seen it played by others and I know how the story went. So, I’m not jumping into this game completely oblivious to the events predating the game. Also, I got a late start on the game, so the server issues of the first few weeks of the game were of no concern to me.

LET’S FIRE THIS THING UP! The starting cinematic scene is just gorgeous. A very anticipatory and hideous looking smile creeps on my face as I tell myself “This is exactly what I’ve been waiting for.” Blizzard can sure make some kick-ass cut scenes.

You are immediately teased by the image of the being you know you are going to end up killing. Soon after, you’re treated by the legendary voice of Deckard Cain, which is bound to make you giggle - had you ever played the original. The giggle will soon turn into a frown as Cain gets butt-fucked by a meteor straight through the floor. The game is on!

Epic music hits your ears as the login menu loads up. The keenest of ears can hear variations from the Tristram town theme on the mighty soundtrack that is playing. Eerie night scenery in the background with the crow that was also seen on the opening scene of the original Diablo makes your hands so shaky with excitement, it’s hard to even log on to your battle.net account.

There are five classes to choose from: Barbarian, Demon Hunter, Monk, Witch Doctor and Wizard. The only customizing options you get are the sex of the character and the name you want to give him/her. This is totally fine by me. I hate being stuck on character creation for hours just to be disappointed with what I came up with after. Checking out the classes, I end up picking a monk as my first character, as it seems to have most of the qualities that I’m looking for in a character. Religiousness was not one of those qualities.

After my Romanian monk has finished explaining the situation and how he’s involved, the actual game starts. Controls are pretty simple: you just click. Each character starts up with one basic attack assigned to the left mouse button. As you level up, you will unlock a skill for the right mouse button, as well as keys 1-4. So, that’s six active skills at a time. Each skill has tome options which add a little twist to the skill, like increased area of effect or damage. You will also unlock passive skills which you can eventually use three of at the same time (for the monk anyways).

Killing your first monster triggers a log entry…voice…thing? Cain will explain what the hell it was that you just killed and every time you kill a new monster, Cain’s voice will be there to explain the origin and qualities of it - or something like that. You won’t really pay that much attention.

As you enter New Tristram, you’ll meet the first key character of the game, Leah. She will explain the situation regarding the meteor up Cain’s butthole and send you on your way to the quest which will eventually lead to killing Diablo.

That’s enough of the first impressions. As well as the game sold itself from the first moments, I’m afraid the game as a whole is not so much to be excited about.

The progression of the game is somewhat annoying. You have four difficulty levels, each of which unlock after you have beaten the previous one…with each character. This means you basically play through the same game three times with every character before you unlock the final difficulty and max out your character’s levels. Seriously, same everything, three times in a row with EVERY single character you play. It gets repetitive as hell, even with the first one.

I won’t go into much detail regarding the story of the game as I don’t want to spoil it for people who may not have played it before reading this. The short version would go something like: you go find Cain and get the meteor outta his butt, kill some monsters, kill some meaner monsters, save some other people, watch someone important ones die, go kill some more monsters and even meaner bosses, get betrayed, go after Diablo, kill Diablo, the end. Honestly, the story sucks. The characters jump into ridiculous conclusions just to make the story progress somewhat logically. Some of the plot twists seem like they were written by children, it gets that bad. Eye rolling and face palming cannot be avoided.

The little things in the game will start to annoy you. Remember Cain and how awesome it was to hear him again after so many years? That joy, unfortunately, doesn’t last too long. At first, Cain sounds awesome! Then, the more you hear him, the more you find his way of talking hilarious and eventually annoying. The game introduces way too much talk concerning things you really don’t give two fucks about. For every. Single. Character.

The difference between difficulty levels is also something that has left a lot of people, including me, annoyed.  The starting difficulty is “Normal.” You can, pretty much, mess around all the way through the playthrough and still get it done. Way too easy for some. Then comes Nightmare, which is, pretty much, as easy as Normal, provided you have a good build and decent gear. Next up is “Hell,” same story all over again. But THEN you hit the ball-ache called “Inferno.” Suddenly, you can’t kill anything! And as a nice annoying touch, anything can kill you. The jump on the difficulty level is just ridiculous and leaves you wondering what the hell you have been doing wrong for the first three playthroughs of the game.

I’m also, VERY convinced that soloing Inferno difficulty with melee is about a million monkeys more difficult than it would be with a ranged one. Kiting becomes crucial for surviving the crazy packs of special enemies and the best thing you can do with a melee character is increase your attack distance with about a pixel. Well, the actual added distance is a little more than a mere pixel, but considering the speed of some enemies, it might as well be a pixel.

I remember seeing a Blizzard press conference from before the release of the game with their employees explaining the game mechanics regarding single and multiplayer games throughout the game. They said something along the lines of: “The game is meant to be a single player game and is made so that any individual can beat the game single handedly.” Sure, the first three difficulty levels are beatable. Inferno is not even close to that. Even co-oping the first Act of the game was a pain in the ass for me and my co-worker, who at the time had been grinding at max level for about a month to get proper gear. The only way to make progress is to have good friends or patience to grind hours for gold so you can afford anything decent from the Auction House - or use a credit card.

Blizzard also mentioned that there are no superior builds in the game, only viable ones. This is also pure bullshit. After normal difficulty, I was only able to make two builds strong enough for me to survive even the most basic monsters at some situations. Considering how they promoted the game as a single player game with only “viable” builds and multiplayer as a little fun addition makes me wonder if they ever even played the game and tried this shit out before saying all of that.

When I bought this game, I knew it would be a grindfest. It was exactly what I wanted it to be: a game you could just log on to and smack some asses around in whenever you were bored. However, they took it too far. The WoW kind of gear based grinding for such a linear game as this just does not work well. Especially if the game’s length is about a 4^th of what it should be to make the end game seem like end game. While writing this review, I uninstalled the game and probably will not be installing it again for a very long time, if ever.

Unless you are a hardcore fan of either Diablo, grinding or spending your own money in an auction house for virtual helmets, this game is not for you. Even if Blizzard is aware of the lack of end game content for Diablo III and is planning on doing something about it, I advise against buying this game. Why couldn’t you make the game right before releasing it? You only had, like, 10 years.