Game Reivew: Pixel Slime U

Release Date: August 27, 2015
Developer/Publisher: RCMADIAX
Platforms: Wii U
MSRP: $2.99
Players: Single Player

The fourth game produced by Nintendo indie developer RCMADIAX comes in the form of Pixel Slime U – an auto-scrolling platformer that challenges the player to make it through 40 levels with as few deaths as possible.

GamePlay

The goal of the game is to get the green Slime character across small levels while avoiding spikes and pitfalls in order to reach the goal.  Pixel Slime U tries to be make things simple and addicting by having the character move on its own and reducing controls to just 1 button (starting to sound like their previous title: Don’t Crash). The command button will cause the slime to either jump to the next platform or invert to the other side depending on what the level calls for.

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Review: Mario Kart 8

Mario Kart 8 hit stores at the end of May and, as expected, contributed to a notable increase in Nintendo Wii U hardware sales. The ever popular Mario Kart franchise has seen many new additions in features and it seems that Mario Kart 8 does its best to take a little bit from each as well as add a few new elements. For insight on all of those features, see the preview that was written for it.

Game Play

Not unlike other games in the series, MK8 is a fun racer that anyone can pick up that balances skill with luck. The 30 character roster is a good number of characters allowing for varying line-ups without feeling like the developers were scraping the bottom of the barrel. The game can be played with all available controllers and the Game Pad can support off TV play or act as a secondary map screen.

One thing I noticed while playing is that everything seems streamlined. While racing, the only thing stat on the screen is the racer’s position; things like lap times and course maps have either been removed or reside solely on the gamepad. Recovery from falling out of bounds take only a couple of seconds and puts you back into the action almost instantly.

There are 32 courses to choose from – 16 new and 16 remade from previous games. The game’s biggest new feature, “Zero Gravity Racing”, makes its was into many courses but without feeling forced. The new items: The Super Horn, Boomerang Flower, Piranha Flower and the Crazy 8, all fit in nicely and item distribution has been modified to take distance from the leader as well as position in determining what kind of items a racer will get.

Mario Kart 8 builds upon the great pillars of the franchise and with small tweaks here and there nicely brings together a refreshing experience.

Multiplayer

MK8 features both local and online multiplayer. Local multiplayer allows for 2 player Grand Prix racing and up to 4 players for VS and Battle modes. Battle mode has been changed from this game and has recieved a little bit of negativity. Rather than featuring battles on specially designed courses, balloon battles take place on one of 8 regular courses where score is kept based on the amount of ballons you have ramming and the amount of your opponents that you have popped. A novel thing about MK8 is the use of vertical split-screen as opposed to the outdated horizontal split. I find that I prefer this display on wide-screen TVs.

Up to 2 players from 1 system can go online together to race against other players from around the world. Custom rules and Tournament modes allow you to create rooms that other racers can join and race under very specific conditions (Karts only, Shells only, No items, etc…).

One bummer about multiplayer is that the Wii U Game Pad will mirror what is on the TV instead of acting as a separate screen. This means that the Game Pad will show the split screen as well unlike other multiplayer games such as Sonic and All-Star Racing Transformed where each player gets the luxury of their own full screen.

Graphics/Sound

Mario Kart 8 has some of the best graphics the Wii U has to offer so far. Gameplay runs at 60 fps for 1 and 2 player races and at 30 for 3 and 4 player matches. The colors are incredibly vibrant and the environments are very smooth.

The game has small details that really make things pop. Courses look more realistic instead of cartoony and are very detailed. Tires have visible treads and leave skidmarks that stay throughout the race. Each vehicle has headlights that turn on in cave and on night courses. Kart drivers are expressively animated – characters that find themselves neck in neck will look at each other. Most notably would be the newly popularized meme “ The Luigi Death Stare”. I’ll let the images speak for themselves.

The soundtrack of the game has been well acclaimed by players. Most songs feature real instruments that were recorded in real time. Songs from classic stages have found new life with expressive remixes and modernized renditions. Each track has its own theme and no two courses have the same tune. Character voicing is very clear and polished (although I could do without Mario screaming “Mario Kart 8!” every time the game starts).

Mario Kart TV

Mario Kart TV is a feature that allows you to upload highlights from a race directly to Miiverse and Youtube. Check out my video below as it outlines some of the features I’ve outlined. Also the ending is a super close photo-finish.

Verdict – 9.5

After playing for a few weeks now and really exploring Mario Kart 8, I’ve come to realize that this title will be in my Wii U for a long time. Overall, this game is just as enjoyable for veterans looking for something new as it is for newcomers unfamiliar with Mario Kart. While there are a few minor things that would have been desired, there were so many more things that I didn’t even know I wanted in a Mario Kart game. Well done!

Mario Kart retails for $59.99 in stores but can be found on Amazon for about $10 less.

Fish(?!) Plays Pokemon!

In the wake of my last post regarding Twitch Plays Pokemon, I'm sure many of you that have followed the phenomenon have seen some of the other "________ Plays Pokemon" or "Twitch Plays ______". Well one that I happened to recently stumble onto is "Fish Plays Pokemon". It's just as interesting as it sounds so take a look.

Surprisingly enough, there is considerable interest in it as I've seen over 20,000+ viewers the last few days. They are currently on Pokemon Red, but who know's if we'll ever leave Pallet Town.

  Watch live video from FishPlaysPokemon on www.twitch.tv

Book Review: Console Wars

**Originally Posted at The Geek Gernation.com**

I recently had the pleasure of reading the novel Console Wars by Blake J. Harris and took the time to review it. I highly recommend the novel which can be bought online here.

Blake J. Harris’ novel Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle That Defined a Generation is a fascinating read that brings the audience behind the scenes of the 90′s home gaming industry from a business point of view. The book captures the Nintendo vs. Sega battle royale from the viewpoint of Tom Kalinske – the brand new president of Sega of America and the company’s attempt to challenge Nintendo’s reign on gaming. It’s an interesting point of view as normally “History is written by the victor.” Harris also does a good job of adding a simple narrative, making this an enjoyable read.

Before you start thinking “Oh great, a history lesson,” allow me to point out that this story plays out like a movie. It’s historical fiction, meaning that the accounts are real but the dialogue is a reenactment that shows each characters’ personality and aids in the creation of an actual story. The back of the book does a great job of setting the scene:

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The Gamecube Controller Adapter for Wii U!!!!

Today, Nintendo announced information regarding the Super Smash Bros. Invitational that will be going on at E3 in June. The competitors and commentators were announced as well as characters that will be available for them to choose.

The biggest bit of news, however, was the announcement of a new Wii U accessory: The Gamecube Controller Adapter. Hardcore fans of Melee and Brawl who were very upset with the Wii U's lack of GameCube controller ports will be happy to discover this solution to their Smash Bros. concerns. It's just a teaser so far, but one can predict that the adapter will plug into a Wii U USB port and all for wired gaming (and as a result reduce any input lag).

Whether or not Nintendo will be selling any sort of official "Limited Edition" Gamecube controllers that resemble the one in the video is yet to be seen but wouldn't that be cool! The adapter, as you can see, will have 4 ports so everyone can play with the older controllers.

To see the full video, check out below:

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Console Wars told through Commercials

*Article Originally Posted at The Geek Generation.com*

The term “Console Wars” has been thrown around a lot recently since the end of the 7th generation and beginning of the 8th generation of gaming systems. Lately, it seems like the battles between fan-boys have been more vicious than they have been in years. But this is certainly not a new thing. Video game companies have been taking shots at each other, both subtle and blatant, for years.

Check out the link below to see the article full of videos and comments and be sure to leave your comments below!

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New Nintendo Direct Today

Originally announced via their Facebook page, Nintendo will be hosting a new Nintendo Direct. It's been since December since we saw one of these so expect lots of new updates and announcements for both the 3DS and Wii U.

Check back here afterwards for my recap and analysis!

Rant: Am I The Only One Who DOESN'T Want a "Super Mario Galaxy 3"?

With the Wii U out for more than a year now, the system has already seen two major Mario titles - New Super Mario Bros. U and Super Mario 3D World. Both games have been popular and have seen positive reviews. But they are also both linear platformers where the goal is simply to get from the start to the flagpole at the end of the level while following a strict path. (Note: NSMBU is strictly 2D while 3D World is set in on a 3D plane of movement.)

The Wii U has yet to see any sort of news regarding a completely 3D Mario Platformer - the would-be successor of Super Mario 64, Sunshine, and Galaxy (1&2). With 2014 jam-packed with many new releases for 1st-party titles, and 2 major Mario games already on the market, it makes sense that Nintendo hasn't commented about another Mario game. This has allowed for lots speculation by fans about what the next 3D Mario game would be. and many fans are calling for a third Super Mario Galaxy.

Why I'm Not In Favor

Gameplay-wise

Although Super Mario Galaxy is a 3D platformer, it is not a much of a "Free-Roam" game as were its predecessors - Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. Even though Mario is once again collecting Power Stars, the levels are still quite linear. Its level design and mechanics are closer to what was seen recently Super Mario 3D Land/World. In fact, you could even say that the SM3D games are successors to the Galaxy series with a hint of Super Mario Bros. mixed in.

Personally, I would love to see Mario on a 3D adventure closer to home featuring an open world and large, open, not-so-linear levels.

Story-wise

Don't get me wrong, Super Mario Galaxy and its sequel Super Mario Galaxy 2 were both games that I enjoyed (as did the fan base). But the SMG series doesn't really need a 3rd entry. Super Mario Galaxy took Mario to the 'final frontier' bringing him where no plumber had gone before. It had tons of new ideas and offered great gameplay. The story however was a bit lacking: How would Bowser have created such a threat as to take over planets and galaxies when he can't even keep the Mushroom Kingdom under his thumb?

But let's humor it and let it happen. Super Mario Galaxy 2 had almost no story at all. In fact, the game itself was created simply because there were so many ideas that the development team had when making the first game, they created the second one to implement the left-overs. And unlike sequels SMG2 was also a huge hit and added so many new things that it is also a very great game (Personally, I prefer it to the first one).

So does that leave for Super Mario Galaxy 3? Not much at all. If you say that Boswer has yet again gathered the resources to go back into space, that's just a bunch of non-sense. I would rather see Mario take on a challenge that takes place right at home exploring more of his own world rather than the universe. All I can say is that a 3rd Super Mario Galaxy in the near future would be milking the franchise instead of creating another new masterpiece.

A Fan Made Galaxy 3 Logo

Nominations for "The Geeky Awards"

Hey there Nintendo fans! The Geek Generation is once again hosting their annual awards show called "The Geeky Awards". They're currently taking nominations for different categories such as: Video Game of the Year, Best Movie Moment, Best TV series, etc... So why not show Nintendo some love? And well, you know, your favorite TV shows and movies of 2013?

Nominations are being accepted until January 11th, and you don't need to fill out every category if you want to. So just nominate what you want and check back later to vote on them! SO VOTE TODAY!

Voting will being shortly after nominations close and the awards show will be featured on The Geek Generation Podcast.

Nintendo Direct - December 18, 2013

Just in case you missed last month's Nintendo Direct broadcast, it was filled with tons of news and updates regarding game titles for both the Wii U and the 3DS, including a lot of cross-over madness.

Recap

Hyrule Warriors (Wii U, 2014)

Right off the bat, Nintendo teased a trailer for Hyrule Warriors(Working Title). It appears that Link will be making some sort of playable appearance in the next edition of Tecmo Koei’s Dynasty Warriors. Satori Iwata made it clear that this isn’t the next game in the Zelda series that will come out on Wii U later on.

This is not the first time that Dynasty Warriors has taken on another franchise. 

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Preview - Sonic Lost World

Originally announced on Nintendo Direct in May, Sonic Lost World is being developed, though a partnership with Nintendo, by Sega and the Sonic Team exclusively for the Nintendo Wii U and 3DS. A release date has been set for holiday 2013.

Plot

"In his latest plot to defeat Sonic and rule the world, Dr. Eggman has harnessed the power of six menacing creatures known as the Deadly Six. However, when the Deadly Six rise up against their new master, Sonic must unite with his arch nemesis Eggman and explore the mystical Lost Hex in order to take them on head-to-head. Use Sonic's amazing new moves and incredible Color Powers to speed across a variety of unique terrains, racing inside, outside and upside down in every level." - Summary from Sega

Pokémon X and Y - Mega Pokémon reveal trailer

For the longest time, the image of a slightly altered Mewtwo had fans baffled as to what it was about. Was it an evolution? A form change? A completely different Pokémon entirely? Well the answers have finally arrived. First seen in Coro Coro Magazine, Game Freak has finally come public with a video trailer explaining it all: Mega Pokémon Evolution. And this is a huge new mechanic for the Pokémon world.

Although not much has yet been said about the inclusion of Mega Evolution in the game, there have been 6 confirmed Pokémon to have the ability to Mega Evolve. It appears that this is a battle only transformation where a Pokémon holding a Mega Stone will temporally transform into their mega form. The confirmed Pokémon are Mewtwo, Lucario, Blazekin, Mawile, Ampharos, and Absol. Kangaskhan has also been confirmed.

Mega Forms From Left to right: Lucario, Mewtwo, Blazekin

Mega Forms From Left to Right: Mawile, Absol, Ampharos

Nintendo Direct – August 7, 2013

Iwata hosted another Nintendo Direct – the first full Nintendo Direct since E3 back in June. Although there weren’t many new titles revealed, Nintendo chose to go into more detail regarding previously released upcoming games for the Wii U and 3DS.

Recap

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News: Nintendo Direct August 7th!

Just a heads up that Nintendo will be broadcasting a full Nintendo Direct tomorrow. It will be the first full one since E3. They said they'll be mostly covering more details on upcoming games that have already been announced. I'll be covering a recap and analysis of it afterwards here and at The Geek Generation.

Don't forget to follow OWNAGE:

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Wii U Tour 2013

Nintendo has announced via Facebook that they are sending the Wii U around the United States to six vacation spots during the summer for about a month at a time spanning from late May to early September. Vacationers will have the chance to play some games on site. It is unclear if any of the games expected to release this summer will be available or if any demos of future games will be available. Details can be found on the site.

"The tour will give Nintendo fans a chance to test-drive the new console and show them the many great reasons it’s time to graduate to Wii U. At the same time, existing Wii U owners can play some games to see which will become their next favorite."

Venues will include Disney World and Disney Land, Hollywood, Boston, and a couple other areas. Although it hasn't been stated, it would be safe to assume that there could be some sort of merchandise for distribution or purchase at the venues. In addition to the E3 demos available at select Best Buy stores during the week of E3, it seems like Nintendo is finally stepping up the plate and advertising the Wii U in a very marketable way. Hopefully this will once and for all end the confusion that the Wii U is a completely separate system.

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Commercial

In case you haven't seen it yet on TV, Nintendo has put together a live action commercial for Mario & Luigi: Dream Team. Sure it's a little cheesy, but it's been a while since we've seen a commercial like this by a major gaming title. Enjoy!

Dodge Game and Go Sweepstakes

In case you haven't heard, Nintendo has teamed up with Dodge for one heck of a sweepstakes. It's been running since the end of June and will run until the beginning of August. Enter Here for your chance to win!

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Review: Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is a racing game in the Sega Superstars series that brings together major characters from different Sega franchises and was developed by Sumo Digital. The game was released for PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii U on November 18, 2012 and later on Windows, Nintendo 3DS and soon to be on the iOS. The game features multiplayer as well as a Career mode with over 20 tracks and 25 playable characters to unlock.

The game is an upgraded sequel to the original Sonic & All-Stars Racing, released in 2010. Like its predecessor, the game features characters in racing vehicles (yes, even Sonic the Hedgehog has a car) that race around tracks while drifting and using weaponry to pass opponents. Aside from the many Sonic characters, veterans like Amigo from Samba de Amigo and B.D. Joe from the Crazy Taxi series, as well as many newcomers, are playable. At first glance, this game sounds like a strange Mario Kart knock off and I had my doubts on a Sega racing spin-off. Boy was I mistaken.

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Check out E3 stuff at The Geek Generation

Most of my articles for the next few days are going to be featured at The Geek Generation.com! Check it out there for tons of E3 Nintendo (and general video game) goodness! Those include trailers and news for Super Mario 3D World, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, Mario Kart 8, and of course, the NEW SUPER SMASH BROS.!

http://www.thegeekgeneration.com/e32013

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds – E3 2013 trailer

Alright, that's enough Mario stuff right now. How about a Zelda announcement? Yeah, let's go with that.

"Announced earlier this year, Nintendo has released a new trailer for the highly anticipated direct sequel to The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Set in the same world, Link will again defend Hyrule in his journeys while passing through various dungeons and puzzles. The game’s official title is The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds..."

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