Madden NFL 13 Review

It's early September and you know what that means.  Millions of college students across the Nation are falling behind in their studies because of one game.  Madden's popularity is immense and every year its release date becomes a pseudo holiday for sports gamers.  For the past several years, Madden has dominated the football world in terms of gaming, simply because it has no competition.  In 2004, the same year 2K Sports released the highly acclaimed ESPN NFL 2K5, EA Sports nabbed the exclusive NFL rights for video games.  Just like that, EA Sports had a monopoly for America's favorite sport.  Ask any sensible fan of video game football and they'll tell you that this event was awful for the world of gaming.  EA Sports became lazy and gave into the stereotype most sports games fall victim to.  They pumped out basically the same game year after year with updated rosters and a few new animations here and there.

While the Madden games were never truly considered to be bad games at heart, none of them made any sort of splash.  Outside of being able to grab the joysticks with your bros to prove who is the real king of simulation football with the updated rosters, it didn't provide much to the consumer.  Integrations of Madden Ultimate Team and deeper Franchise modes trickled in, but fans were still clamoring for more.  Show us something that makes us say "Wow!" make us want to go out at midnight on the release date to go and get this game.  It may have taken them a bit longer than we'd hoped, but here in 2012, Madden has finally done that with Madden NFL 13.

So, what makes Madden 13 so special?  Why all the hubbub for a game that comes out every year?  Well, the creators of Madden finally seem like they care again.  They stepped out of their comfort zone and completely revamped a series that was already pulling in huge dollars.  Make no mistake, Madden could have done nothing and they'd still be able to pump out a successful game.  I can appreciate the balls it takes and trust in their developers to come out with a game that is unlike any other before it.

Let's start with the game engine.  All other Maddens preceding 13 featured the same old animations that you saw over and over.  Trust me, if you were someone who's logged in as many Madden hours as I have since 2001, you can grow very tired of them fairly quickly.  EA Sports introduced a brand new Infinity Engine for this year's game and an audible "Hallelujah!" could be heard all around the world from the die-hard fans.  The Infinity Engine promises to the players that no two play will look the same.  In the old installments, if a ball carrier was hit while running, some sort of animation would form with the defender being sunk into him while the two of them formed an impenetrable shield.  Now, a player will absorb a hit as their two bodies sync together and bend in realistic fashion.  If an extra player joins the play then he will affect the way the contact finishes.  It sounds subtle, but in the grand scheme of things and while you watch the game in front of you, it makes a world of difference.

Another major complaint players had about the Madden series was the complete and utter lack of presentation.  There's a multitude of fresh cut scenes in between plays and different styles of replays to try and keep the game feeling dynamic.  The crowd seems to have life and intelligence for once.  If there's a big play happening on the field, you'll hear the crowd begin to erupt.  It gives that feeling of exciting realism a simulation football game strives for.  For years we heard Al Michaels and John Madden provide commentary and then we had to sit through the insufferable Cris Collinsworth.  From Madden telling me about stick-em on player's gloves to Collinsworth chastising any play that wasn't a pass - it was enough to make any fan of the franchise hit the mute button.  This year introduced the CBS themed presentation with the duo of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms and it's so refreshing.  Just like with any sports game, the commentary gets tired and some of the things said make no sense.  It's just the fact that it isn't Collinsworth, which makes such a difference and an improvement.  Hell, there are even models of both announcers that introduce you to the game.

The gameplay itself has improved dramatically, to me at least, this year.  While playing Madden 12, I often found myself cursing John Madden's fat ass for every improbable leaping interception a linebacker made in the middle of the field.  It was a pain in the ass to pass across the field because you know the suddenly high jumping extraordinaire defensive player would get his paws on the ball.  When playing quarterback, you have control now.  You can use the left analogue stick to perfectly tilt the throw in a way to keep it out of the hands of the defender.  They've really improved upon this for Madden 13 and it doesn't go unnoticed.  The running game takes a lot of control and precision due to the infinity engine.  You can't try and bounce off a defender because the game physics are going to suck you up.  You gotta make sure you cut through the hole your line provides for you at the correct time or else you're down for a short run.  Playing a receiver is a blast in this game.  Once you see that ball flying through the air, you gotta take control of the man and get him in the air for the miraculous catch.  With Calvin Johnson on the cover, it was about time they gave a little love to the receiving game.  The animations added around the out of bounds lines are a God send and makes clutch late-game drives all that much more thrilling.

Last but certainly not least are the two major game modes.  One is an old favorite, Madden Ultimate Team.  The point of this mode is to acquire packs of cards in the game and create your very own fantasy team from the ground up.  Introduced in this year's game is a team captain, someone to make your squad competitive.  You have a slew of NFL stars to choose from, but make sure you pick wisely, for they will be your most important player in your first couple games.  Those first few games, provided you don't want to shell out big bucks to simply buy packs of cards with studs, are pivotal to you earning points needed to buy new players. As time goes on, your player's contracts will expire, make sure you have garnered enough contract extension cards if you wanna hold on to them.  Better yet, check out the auction area where all of those Madden fanatics around the world have posted their cards.  Some are up for auction and you can bid on them, while others are on the trading block and you can go ahead and offer a deal.  It's so in depth, you almost become obsessed with completing collections and creating the most overpowered team in the world.

Connected Careers was the big splash for Madden this year.  It replaced the Franchise mode the fans had grown to love and blew it out of the water.  Fans who complained about this year's game simply bitched about it before ever giving it a chance.  Connected Career is so insanely detailed and addictive, I find it personally difficult to stop playing.  You can choose to either start an offline or online career, the difference being in online, you can play with your friends.  More on that later.  You have to make a decision as to whether you want to play as a coach for your favorite team, where you either create your own rookie coach or take over a current/legendary one and control the entire team.  You make all the same decisions you did in the old Franchise modes, but with more goals and requirements you have to meet, which makes for a much fuller and rewarding gaming experience.  If coaching isn't your thing, you can always take control of one player, whether they be a rookie you create or even a legendary player such as Barry Sanders.  Build them up with the team, determine if they were a high draft pick, middle rounds, or undrafted and you choose your adventure as an NFL player.  You can also go to EA Sports GameFace website and upload a picture of yourself, they will then create a 3D model of your face that you can easily download into your game.  Now you're really in the game.

I mentioned online Connected Career and I saved it for last because it deserves to be the lasting impression you get from this article.  It's still a baby, this being its first year in the game, but EA already has something golden to build upon.  It's much like the My Player mode in NBA 2K, which is a very good thing.  Complete with its own fictitious (but with real sports personalities) Twitter feed (also featured in offline mode as well), the game literally creates its own little world for you and your friends.  You and up to 31 of your friends can each take control of an NFL team, either as a coach or individual player and attempt to really prove who is the best of the best.  You don't even have to brag to your friends after having a monster game, the game mode will for you.  The Twitter feed in the game will blow up with the personalities raving about your abilities and the top story will certainly talk of your potentially record breaking performances.  All of your friends in the CC with you will see it.  Once you finish your game for that week, go ahead and relax, because you could be waiting for the slower players in your league.  You cannot advance a week, unless you manually force it, until everyone in your Connected Career as finished their game for that week.  I adore this aspect, it really gives you the sense of a Franchise mode that is 100% compatible with your friends.

There's plenty of things about this game that will make you scratch your head and yell in anger, but I decided not to harp on them in this review.  They aren't critical enough to the point where it will cause you to dislike the game.  Overall, Madden NFL 13 is spectacular.  I really wasn't expecting this out of EA Sports, they seemed to be very set in their ways.  Maybe it's the danger of their exclusive rights coming to an end or they just finally got the message.  Whichever it is, I appreciate it immensely.  This is the best Madden game I have ever played and I implore you, whether you're on the fence as a former supporter of the series or someone looking to get into for the first time, go out and get this!  Ask your friends to create a Connect Career with you, message me and ask to join the one I've created with people I've grown close to on Twitch.TV.  Delve deep into this game, you won't be disappointed.

Jagged Alliance: Back In Action Review

It’s a rare occasion to see one of your favorite old gaming series get brought back to life. After many years of waiting you are bound to build a lot of hype over something you used to enjoy a lot way back when.  Jagged Alliance is one of those series for me. I still remember struggling and loving my way through the first game of the series back in the 90’s. It was one of the very first games I ever bought with my own money. I still go back and play it every now and then even now when I get the itches for some nostalgia action.

The original Jagged Alliance had a purely turn based combat system. You would hire your mercenary team, move from one sector to the other killing bad guys and getting better weapons until you made it to the big bad man and put a bullet in his hairline (without going into greater detail).

Next release of the series was Jagged Alliance:  Deadly Games which was pretty much an expansion to the original, though it was in fact a stand-alone game with a few new features and guns and bling. After Deadly Games it was time for Jagged Alliance 2 which changed the looks and gameplay a lot, adding the possibility to get on roofs and prone for example. The combat had changed to be turn based only when an enemy was visible, which was nice considering how time consuming and tedious travelling around with nothing to do can be in turn based mode.  Jagged Alliance: Back in Action is a remake of Jagged Alliance 2. Needless to say I had my hopes up way high for it.

Firing the game up you are welcomed with an intro cinematic that sadly looks like it was made about ten years ago. The feeling of lurking disappointment fills your head as you think “is this really the best they could make after over ten years”? Then again, Jagged Alliance was always more about the gameplay itself than the graphics, so we’ll let this slide. The clip shows you what kind of nasty shit is going down at Arulco as well as the moment you are recruited to solve the problem.  Main menu, New Game, LET’S GO!

You are a… I’m not really sure to be honest! I guess you could take it as an organizer of sorts. You have been hired to assemble a team of mercenaries to free the island of Arulco from the evil grasp of a mean old hag named Deidranna. You are provided a laptop with access to A.I.M. (The Association of International Mercenaries) which is your main source for hiring the right people for the job. You start up with a limited amount of money, so you’ll have to make the choice between hiring many bad and cheap mercenaries and one or two good ones. You will earn more money as the game progresses, but we’ll get to that later.

The list of mercenaries available on A.I.M. Most of which have been there since the beginning of the series.

The mercenaries have skills that vary from 0 to 100. These skills pretty much determine what the merc can and can’t do. For example to disarm and arm mines you’ll need a high explosives skill. These skills can be upgraded when your mercenaries level up. You get experience from pretty much everything you do. You are able to hire six mercs per squad and I’m not sure how many squads you can have (only had four at max during my playthrough). You are also able to view some emails and other background related info on your laptop if you so wish. If not, it’s time to shoot some nuts!

The first thing that I notice is how all the enemies are visible, all the time. In the previous games in the series you would only see an enemy if one of your mercenaries saw him. Also the combat is not turn based at all, everything happens in real time. You have the ability to enter a tactical screen where the game pauses and you can assign a chain of commands to each mercenary should you wish to do so. Pretty neat!

Tactical point of view. The place where you pimp up your movements.

You can shoot the enemy in the head, torso or the legs. The chance of the shot succeeding in shown as you aim. Depending on your distance and skill the shot will be either Unlikely to Hit, Likely to Hit, Very Likely to Hit, Certain to hit or Impossible to Hit, if the target is out of the line of sight. There are also melee weapons in the game which you can use to poke the nasty men till they die. All of the combat, moving around and stuff is controlled with the mouse. Killing enemies will alert the other enemies on the sector if they see or hear you blow their fellow badasses up.

And that’s the game! You move from one city/location of interest to another on the world map liberating each of them until you make your way to the mean bitch mentioned at the beginning of this review. Each location has a number on the map, which shows how many enemies there are in that current location and what level they are. Enemy levels vary from one to five. After liberating each location you can give the local civilians weapons and armor to make them defend that place in your absence. The militia you “hire” can also be trained up to level five. And yes, the enemy will attack the locations in order to get them back. Militia just provides a way to solve these attacks without having to travel back and forth for all eternity. Also freeing cities and especially mines will be your main source of income. The more shit you set free the more money you get. There are also quests in the game which will in most cases give you money once you complete them.

The quest list near the end of the game.

As I mentioned earlier I’m a big fan of this series. This is the reason why I will be spending the rest of the review finding new ways to enter the rectum of this game through places that are not meant for it. Out of all the new features most seem to be shitty and ruin the game mechanics that were so dear to me.

Where to even begin.. 

The controls of the game are pretty bad. You have to twist and turn the camera angle a lot just to be able to see where can and can’t go. Moving inside buildings is a pain in the ass as there is no logic to when the roof will or won’t disappear to let you see to each room. Worst case scenario you’ll have to twist the camera angle to see slightly inside a room from its doorway and move the merc to the doorway which will finally reveal the contents of the room for you. Doesn’t sound like too big a deal but the mercenaries movement is already very clumsy to begin with and shit like this just makes the rage pop up nothing else. Doing anything sudden and precise is up to a stroke of luck each time you try it.

One does not simply walk to the corner. This is the straightest route available.

There is no quick save or restore in the game which is really frustrating considering all the broken shit in the game that makes you want to reload. A LOT. There are also hot keys in the game which are assigned to the weirdest places. And naturally there is no way to reassign them. Who would want to customize hot keys anyways!

The line of sight and aiming is ridiculous as well. Probably due to bugs the enemy can every now and then see you through walls or behind corners as well as shoot at you. Funny enough you won’t even see the enemy in these situations. Even out in the wild the enemy might be able to see and shoot you through a rock or a tree while your guy just complains about not being able to return fire.

There is no logic to how likely you are to hit the enemy. I’ve even had “Certain to hit” shots miss…ten times in a row. Then again unlikely to hit shot to the head will probably hit in a few tries. Aiming through windows and doorways is messed up. You will most likely miss every time unless you are angled and positioned perfectly, even if your probability to hit says otherwise.

The enemy can and will see you from the most ridiculous places no matter how dark it is or how covered you are.  Even if you have a guy hiding in some bushes at the complete opposite direction from the enemy from where you shoot at them, they will immediately spot the hiding silent guy on contact. Also sneaking up on enemies is again just a matter of luck. Usually as you’re about to get close for a quick stab kill the enemy, who has been stationary for the past hour, suddenly decides to turn around and go for a walk. He will see you, kill you, alert everyone else and kill the rest of your gang. Such a silly coincidence. Every. Single. Time.

You can’t shoot through bushes, throw granades to roofs or change the angle of the throw in general or shoot anyone from hand to hand distance. REALLY! If a guy runs to you with a knife before you are able to make a shot at him your merc will stand up, put his gun away and pull out some stick to fend the nasty man off with. By this time you are already dead, simply because shooting from point blank range is a no go.

The bush is mightier than the bullet.

They also removed many of the tactical mechanics from the game in comparison to Jagged Alliance 2. You can only blow up walls at given points, you can’t cut through wire fences and you can’t even hop over a fucking bag of sand. The movement around each location is so limited it’s not even funny. Where in JA2 you could sneak your way in to a heavily guarded Sam site, in this one you’ll just have to go through the front gate. It took about half an hour on each city to find a way to start shooting down enemies without alerting every single asshole in the location.

The enemy sends out forces to take back the places you have freed far too frequently. There is not enough militia and equipment in most locations to keep them at bay. Unless you buy rifles to all the militia at any given location and train them up to the maximum level, they will be wiped out in a few raids. You just don’t get enough money to do that to each city you free. So running around recapturing the cities becomes an annoying necessity.

You could stay at a location and wait for the enemy to invade. However you can’t position your guys if you do so. Time only passes on the world map and when you enter the world map all of your guys will be grouped up in a single lump whenever you re-enter the location. So taking defensive positions will be reset no matter what you do.

There are many more minor things to complain about but review is getting long enough already as is. Oddly enough I still like this game even with all the annoying flaws it has. Why? Probably cause of the weird nostalgia value it has for me. Even though the game wasn’t doing what I wanted it to do 90% of the time, those other 10% still felt very satisfying. I’m really disappointed that they got rid of the turn based combat. It seems moving to real time has made the game prefer a more reckless approach to everything instead of rewarding the nice little strategies you might come up with.

Would I recommend you get this game? Fuck no! Unless you are a fan of the series like I am you will probably regret getting this game. You’d be better off playing Jagged Alliance 2, which is a game I CAN recommend for everyone to get. This remake does it no justice. Taking your own new approach to a game is not always the best thing to do. Why try to improve something that was already working so well at the expense of destroying the whole core of the mechanics that made the game so good in the first place. I am disappoint.

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.