Want some free music?

As an incentive to have consumers buy Super Smash Bros 4 on 3DS and Wii U, Nintendo put two promotions in place for anyone who registered both versions on Club Nintendo. The first one was the giveaway of the very first piece of DLC for the game: Mewtwo. The character costs $5 to buy for both versions of the game (or $4 if you only want him on one or the other), but people who cashed in on the promotion get him for free, and a couple of weeks early, to boot.

The second promotion was a special CD set that features 72 tracks from the games’ soundtracks. This is the more elusive one, as Nintendo hasn’t announced any plans to actually sell this CD set to anyone who didn’t qualify for the free giveaway.

As such, I’ve uploaded the entirety of both discs for you to download at your leisure. They’re lazily tagged, but they’re good to go. It’s really excellent stuff if you’re at all into video game music.

Super Smash Bros – RED

Super Smash Bros – BLUE

Monthend Video Game Wrap-Up – March 2015

Yeesh, it’s April already. Funny to think that as of today, I’ll have been a homeowner for exactly three years.

Fooled you! It’s actually May 1st that I took possession of my house.

That… that was terrible. Let’s just get onto the video game stuff.

~ Now Playing ~

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (3DS) – As much as I love Smash Bros, I have to say that if I were restricted to one single game for the rest of my days, it’d be a MonHun game. Preferably this one.

Majora’s Mask 3D (3DS) – If I had to choose only one Zelda to play forever? It’d be Wind Waker, but Majora is a very close second.

Continue reading Monthend Video Game Wrap-Up – March 2015

New [3DS] hotness

Were you just aching to have me type more words about the New 3DS? Then you’re in luck!

If you weren’t… Well, I’m sorry. It’s just not your day.

Firstly, I just want to say how much I love the fancy Monster Hunter 4 edition that I was able to snag. The silvery colour is perfect, and I honestly think it wouldn’t look as nice without the fur pattern. The focal point, the monster emblem, is also really cool. I think it’s a pretty nice cover design all around, since it manages to be flashy and simple at the same time.

I’ll admit, I’m a little puzzled why the emblem is of Najarala, of all monsters. But I won’t complain since it still looks neat.

To speak about the system in general, it’s got a ton of little improvements here and there, most of which I never imagined that I’d appreciate so much. The one downgrade to the system is that it only fits a MicroSD card now, so that was an extra expense for me. Also the SD slot is on the back of the system, hidden underneath the outer shell. You have to have a teeny-tiny screwdriver to access it, which is inconvenient if you’ve been using multiple SD cards for some reason. I only had to open it once, and I don’t anticipate ever having to do it again.

The button layout has changed yet again, relocating the start and select buttons to the side of the system, instead of below the touchscreen. Now it’s set up more like the DSi. This is a great change, because I always felt that it was weird to reach over to push those buttons. Also they’ve added ZL and ZR buttons, which I (and probably most people) have no use for at this point. I guess some game might eventually come along that needs four shoulder buttons, but I haven’t met one yet.

The big addition as far as control options go is the C-stick. Though it’s more like a C-nub. It’s about the size of a pencil eraser, and feels pretty similar. It’s really odd at first because it doesn’t really move at all, but it’s perfectly receptive to how you’re pushing on it. I didn’t give a flip about it at first, but I’ve really come to love it. It makes playing Monster Hunter 4 a lot more convenient, and it’s nice to have free camera control in Majora’s Mask 3D as well.

New 3DS has a few more horses under its hood than its cousins, though that added power won’t be noticeable at all until early April, when Xenoblade Chronicles 3D is released. It’s currently the only game on the horizon that requires New 3DS’ extra power, though it’s still visually inferior to the Wii version. Rumours abound that MH4 looks a little better on New 3DS, but I haven’t really dug deep enough to see if there’s any hard evidence to support that. Final verdict: at the moment, the New 3DS’ power-up is insignificant. We’ll have to see how many desirable exclusives end up existing.

What makes the New 3DS truly amazing is the super-stable 3D technology. On the old 3DS, I almost never played with the 3D effect turned on, because it had a very narrow viewing angle, and shifting even a bit would break the illusion. It just didn’t look very good, so I didn’t make use of it. New 3DS has some sort of spooky face-tracking camera (it’s watching you) built in that keeps track of where your eyes are in relation to the screen and adjusts the 3D accordingly, keeping the effect solid even if you’re moving around a bit.

Super-stable 3D works really well. I spend about half of my time with Monster Hunter 4 in 3D, and to this point, I haven’t played Majora’s Mask in 2D at all. Since it’s built into the hardware, it works just fine with older games too, so games like Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse and Kirby Triple Deluxe can be played in their full 3D glory without having to worry about the effect constantly mucking up.

Keep in mind of course, it’s built for normal usage. If you’re wobbling around like a madman and/or trying to break the illusion, it’s still going to break. It’s not perfect, but it’s more than good enough to make playing with 3D on a real joy.

I guess there are maybe some other things about the New 3DS to mention. The stylus is different. Fatter and shorter. People seem to hate it, but I don’t much care. I don’t like that it’s tucked into the bottom edge of the system. It’s much harder to slide out from there than it was when it was on the side or top. Also, in North America, the New 3DS only comes in the XL variety. Again, I don’t care. I was rocking a 3DS XL anyway, so it’s NBD to me.

In conclusion, I’d have to say that while the New 3DS is a worthy upgrade, it’s not a totally necessary one. But then again, when has an incremental hardware revision ever been necessary? Never, that’s when. But New 3DS has been great for me, and if you’re in the market for a 3DS, there’s really no reason not to go with the fancy New one. If you already own a 3DS and don’t care about the 3D effect or Xenoblade, I can’t really recommend it. Still, it’s a nice machine, and it’s only further solidifying the 3DS as my preferred gaming system.

It’s new, alright

Hey so it’s been weeks now but check it out, I bought myself a New Nintendo 3DS. Note that it’s New and not just new. I mean, yes, it’s both, but it’s the New that matters. The New is what makes it different than simply being new.

This thing has a terrible name.

mh3ds

Anyway, I’d like to recount the story of how I came into possession of this little gadget first, if that’s alright. I mean, we all know that I’m very likely going to buy new Nintendo hardware. It’s part of what makes me the person that I am; mindless consumerism.

When the New 3DS was first announced for Japan, I didn’t give a spit. Oh okay, sure there’s more stable 3D visuals and a weird little C-nub and it’s got a few more horses under the hood. But really, it didn’t seem like it was important for anything but playing a portable version of Xenoblade Chronicles. Which is a decent reason to own the thing, mind you, but it still didn’t “Wow!” me.

And yet despite this, I started putting a little money away here and there because I knew that I was going to end up buying one anyway.

Months later, it’s officially announced to be releasing in North America, and there was a sweet, sweet Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate-themed version, exclusive to EB Games/GameStop. I figured that special edition 3DSes have always been pretty plentiful, and almost nobody in North America gives a toot about Monster Hunter, so I’ll skip the pre-ordering and just pick one up on release day. WHOOPS. Pre-orders were sold out by the end of the same day, and local EB Games staff were fairly certain that they weren’t going to get any extra units for walk-in customers.

So I booked release day off and got to the mall with the littlest bro before the EB opened. We sat down near the store, not anticipating a crowd. But then a couple other young people stared sitting at adjacent tables and a young woman planted right in front of the door. Another fellow got up and stood behind her, and we quickly followed suit. Not a minute later, a rather large line had queued up behind us.

A single employee opened the store, and we shuffled in to be helped one-by-one. The lady got her stuff, and the guy in front of me (let’s call him Paul) went up to bat. I didn’t pay a lot of attention to what was happening, but Paul had a bunch of stuff pre-ordered, though he decided against actually purchasing all of it.

I got up and asked if the store had gotten any extra Monster Hunter 3DSes. The guy said they didn’t get any, but that he had one since one of the items that Paul had left behind was a Monster Hunter 3DS, and that it was mine if I wanted it. I heard a cry of sorrow from behind me. The guy behind me had come looking for the exact same thing, and I had been lucky enough to scoop up the one stray unit.

Think about it: If I had gotten in line mere seconds earlier or later, I would have gone home a disappointed little boy. But the entire friggin’ cosmos aligned that day, and the universe did me a solid. It’s not often that I catch a lucky break like that. A new toy isn’t exactly the solution to the crap I’ve been going through lately, but it certainly takes the edge off.

And look at that. I’ve put down too many words about simply obtaining this thing. Maybe I’ll talk about the actual machine another day. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe I’ll forget or just not bother. Who knows? Think of it as a fun surprise from me to you.

Monthend Video Game Wrap-Up – February 2015

February, February… I don’t really have any preamble for February. It certainly was a month.

I bought a New 3DS. That’s a thing that happened.

~ Now Playing ~

Super Smash Bros 4 (3DS/WiiU) – Duh. For the first time, I think I’ve actually spent more time this month playing the Wii U version. Sounds wacky, but Smash is really great on 3DS.

Hyrule Warriors (WiiU) – Thanks to the new DLC pack, this is back in the regular rotation.

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (3DS) – The cycle begins anew, and I couldn’t be happier.

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite (PSP) – My brother had to re-purchase this for his Vita, and started from the beginning. Helping him work back up to a decent rank was a nice warm-up for MH4.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D (3DS) – One of my favourite Zeldas, but with better graphics and a few of the wrinkles ironed out. Terrific.

Lufia: the Legend Returns (GBC) – I didn’t like it at first, then it got better, and now it’s just feeling like a slog. Starting to remember why I don’t play many RPGs any more.

Senran Kagura Burst (3DS) – The shallowest, most action-heavy title on my 3DS. Great for when you just want to kick a bunch of butt without any thought or effort. Also I’m not terribly opposed to all the jiggly bits. The exploding clothes are a bit much, though.

Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii: Osu! Tatake! Ouendan 2 (DS) – Music is what brought me out of my post-separation slump. This is what put the wheels in motion. Mostly I just played “Bambina” and “Countdown” over and over.

Rock Band 2 (360) – Rocked out a little bit. Why did I bother adding this?

Pokémon Shuffle (3DS) – Freemium match-em-up. Now with Squirtles and Kangaskhans!

~ Game Over ~

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (3DS) – Like the movie it’s based on, it’s surprisingly not a massive pile of garbage. Not great, but enjoyable. Much better than Magic Pockets’ last TMNT game, anyway.

Elite Beat Agents (DS) – Eventually I was Ouendan’d out, and moved into something a little more North American. Played obsessively for a week until I was able to be “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” on Sweatin’ difficulty. These games are so fun, I would really love to see another sequel…

Resident Evil HD Remaster (360) – Still a good one. Just a few tweaks away from being my ideal RE experience. Like, get rid of the crimson heads and busywork “puzzles” and it’s golden.

And so our story ends

It’s been a month now since my wife moved out.

Everyone who knows me already knows that I put my heart and soul into my marriage. To the exclusion of a lot of other things, even. Having it crumble to pieces broke me pretty hard, and for a while I’d lost the will to do anything at all.

This is why I hadn’t drawn and posted a comic in January, despite having the intent to draw at least one a month for 2015. But that’s besides the point.

I wrote a very long essay about what went down and how it has affected me, but it’s rather personal and I’d prefer to keep it to myself, if that’s alright. Here are the main beats of the story: 1. She left. 2. I was depressed and spent two weeks on my parents’ couch feeling bad for myself. 3. I’m not doing that any more.

To suggest that I’m “over it” would be a bald-faced lie, but I’m sick of feeling like crap because I couldn’t save a relationship that was, though I denied it until the very end, doomed from the start. I’m putting it behind me and getting on with my life. Yes, I am still emotionally tender, and I’m not excited about getting all the legal stuff hammered out, but I’m moving forward.

I’m not entirely sure how to sum up how I’m feeling about this whole situation, but even though this has been the most difficult thing I’ve ever gone through, I’m beginning to see how much of a good thing it’s going to be for me. I still love my wife, but I’ve also accepted that she was so, so bad for me, and that I need her out of my life. It still makes me feel horrible to say that, but I’m free of that darkness now.

It’s only been a month, and that’s not really long enough to gauge my mental and emotional recovery, but there are more good days than bad right now, so I’m taking that for what it’s worth. I don’t have a very clear picture of what the future has in store for me, but I’m hoping that I’ve got some good karma flowing my way.

Monthend Video Game Wrap-Up – January 2015

January is a time for playing a ton of cheap digital games that I bought with my Xmas Fun Bucks. So hold onto your butts, this is going to be another long one.

~ Now Playing ~

Saints Row IV (PC) – This is my new favourite open-world game. It’s like Volition looked at Crackdown and said “You know what we should do? That. But let’s turn it up to eleven.” Well played, Volition. I’m currently sitting at 79% completion.

Woah Dave! (3DS) – Hearkening back to the arcade days, Woah Dave! is a simple game where you bounce around, chucking stuff at aliens. Also, you collect pennies. How quaint. Unusually addictive.

1001 Spikes (3DS) – Absolutely brutal “torture platformer” that’s still a lot of fun. I’m not really into games that make you play a level 50 times until you get it perfectly, but this one is scratching an itch that I didn’t know I had. I’ve cleared the first three “worlds” so far.

Dragon Quest II (iOS) – Finished the first one last month, so I plonked down a couple bucks for number two. Got up to recruiting the Price of Cannock.

Alphadia Genesis (WiiU) – Retro JRPG by Natsume. Bought this entirely on whim and a craving for, well, a retro JRPG. So far, it’s pretty shabby and not at all noteworthy.

Citizens of Earth (3DS) – It looked too much like Earthbound to pass up. It’s pretty good, but not anywhere near as endearing as Earthbound. I’ll never reminisce about playing this.

Pokémon Alpha Sapphire (3DS) – Started playing some of the post-game content, but I’m feeling pretty apathetic about it. I think maybe I’m over Pokémon?

Lufia: The Legend Returns (GBC) – Apparently RPGs are a thing for me this month. It’s called Lufia, but it’s not like the Lufias that came before it. It’s got random dungeons and a weird but enjoyable 9-character battle system. I like it, but it’s a little grindy. Not even halfway through.

Super Smash Bros for 3DS/Wii U (3DS/WiiU) – I just keep on keepin’ on.

Rusty’s Real Deal Baseball (3DS) – Freemium Nintendo game where you can haggle over the price of the in-game purchases. I only bought the first mini-game, but it’s been pretty fun and sort of addictive. I don’t know if I’ll keep putting money into it though.

Assassin’s Creed II (360) – Plugged a couple of hours into this while waiting for something better to download. Probably won’t go back. It’s not bad, but I really don’t understand how it go so popular.

After Burner II (Arcade) – People seem to go ga-ga about these Sega 3D Classics, and this one looked really cool. I played it once until I died and didn’t think about it again until I wrote this blurb.

~ Game Over ~

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (WiiU) – The super-secret final bonus level… she’s too hard! But I beat every other stage and got all the stamps, so let’s say I won.

Donkey Kong Country Returns (Wii) – It was really hard, but also a whole lot of fun. And it’s got a really great super-secret final bonus level. Also really tough, but beatable! I scored 101%, but didn’t bother getting all the puzzle pieces or trying to complete the time trials or Mirror Mode.

Fairune (3DS) – Do you like old-school action RPGs? Do you like getting no direction on what to do, and having to push every rock and burn every tree on the map? Well then, Fairune might just be the game for you. I liked it well enough.

Ikachan (3DS) – A very short game about a little squid who has to save his urchin friends from the inevitable collapse of their cove. Took about an hour to beat, but was thoroughly enjoyable because it’s more or less the proof-of-concept for Cave Story.

Master Reboot (WiiU) – While it is plagued by shoddy craftsmanship from beginning to end, I think that it was interesting and engaging enough to be considered good. The final stage was a bit irritating, but otherwise, I’m glad that I played it.

Shovel Knight (3DS) – My favourite game of 2014. So much did I like it, that I bought a second, more portable copy. Yes, yes, I’m bad at money. W/E.

Crystal Monsters (DSi) – Cheap DSiWare Pokémon ripoff. It’s pretty bland, but I can take a picture with the camera and paste it on my monsters’ faces. So there’s that.

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (GB) – Every time I replay this, I forget that Wario’s castle is harder than every other level combined.

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate demo (3DS) – Normally I don’t do write-ups for demos because that’s stupid, but I spent a stupid amount of time playing this. It’s Monster Hunter. What can I say?

Kirby Triple Deluxe (3DS) – Replayed this because I needed something cheerful.

Gunman Clive 2 (3DS) – Short but oh-so-sweet. Surpasses the original in every way, and has one of my favourite final bosses in recent memory.

Impending Fame

Do you remember how I mentioned a few months ago that I was listening to the No More Whoppers podcast? Well, I started from the very beginning, and I’m very proud to announce that I’ve finally made it to the episode wherein my name is mentioned during Fanf.

So please go ahead and listen to Episode 110 – Gilded as Charged so that you can hear my name mentioned on a podcast for the first time ever! Probably also for the last time.

The Full List

You didn’t ask for it, but I know you’re curious. So here’s the complete list of video games I own that I’ve never played. This is not including re-releases that I haven’t played, but have played the original release (because there are lots of those too). Nor does it include games that I have played for at least one minute.

Prepare yourself, you are about to stare directly into the depths of my sickness.

Continue reading The Full List

New Year’s Resomolutions

It’s 2015. Last year was a big ol’ pile of crap for me, hopefully this one turns out better. But hey, let’s not dwell on past miseries. Rather, let us look into the future with optimistic eyes.

Last year was the Year of Nintendo 64 here on TE. It was an… experience. Sometimes things turned out well, other times my hopes were dashed quite thoroughly. One time I actually got so frustrated that I pulled a cartridge (that shall not be named) out of the console and chucked it across the room. Ahh… good times.

So with that in mind, here’s this years theme: The Year of Overdue Attention. It’s the year of buying fewer new games, and playing the ones that I already own but haven’t touched at all. This year isn’t about nostalgia, it’s about clearing up a little bit of my hideous backlog.

There are hundreds of games in my Steam library. Many of them unwanted hangers-on that came to be there through Humble Bundles that I bought for other, more attractive games. These are not the games I mean. I’m talking about the ones that have literally done nothing but sit on the shelf and collect dust since I bought them. Cases that have never been cracked open. Discs that have never been spun. ROM that hasn’t been read. Let’s have a look at the short list.

Wii U

  • Assassin’s Creed III
  • Batman: Arkham Origins
  • The Wonderful 101

DS / 3DS

  • Final Fantasy III

Xbox 360

  • The Incredible Hulk
  • Mass Effect III
  • Tomb Raider (2014)

PS3

  • Drakengard 3
  • Ico

PS2

  • Castlevania: Lament of Innocence
  • Siren

PSP

  • Dead Head Fred

This is not the complete list, but rather the ones that I want to focus on. Now, most of these are big, meaty games. Considerably larger and longer than the average N64 game. I do not expect to finish them all. I chose twelve, but I am not holding myself to doing one a month. It’s simply me trying to justify all the money that I sunk into these games, only to end up ignoring them.

Please note that I do have a second resolution: And that is to write and draw at least one comic strip a month. I went over this intent briefly before, and I really can’t flesh it out any more than I already have. Like, this paragraph is already longer than it needs to be. The games are just for me, but the comics are something that I get to share with the whole internet, so I hope that you’re looking forward to them!

And that’s my long-range plan for 2015. Here’s hoping it’s a pretty dry year for video games, because I clearly have way more than I need already.