Game Review #17: Pirate Pop Plus

The average consumer has a healthy love-hate relationship with the advancement of complexity in games. On one hand, we gravitate to games that give us more options and more systems to manage. More complex games are typically more modern and show off more of what games can do. On the other hand, sometimes you just want to kick back and have some mindless fun with a game you could play with parts of your brain removed. The industry usually does well under this duality of tastes. Games like The Witcher 3 can exist alongside games like Lethal League and the game I’m talking about today: Pirate Pop Plus. 

Pirate Pop Plus is a 2D, arcade style game about a pirate dropping anchors to pop bubbles. But, he's dropping the anchors...upward. Or is he throwing them? Ya know what, I actually don't know what's going on in this game, but essentially, you stand underneath the bubble and click the button to make an anchor go upward and pop it, creating smaller bubbles until they can't get any smaller and a new bubble spawns. If a bubble hits you, you lose a heart (of which there are standardly three, but that can change in a way that I'll get to later). Popping the smallest bubbles can also cause coins and power-ups to drop. The power-ups have a variety of different effects that all change the way you go about popping bubbles, from freezing time to making you shoot laser beams instead of anchors to simply allowing you to use your anchors twice as quickly. Also, occasionally gravity will just go ahead and change and you'll be doing all the same stuff on the walls or ceiling instead. 

Graphically, the game is designed to look like a game from the original Nintendo Gameboy by not just having a monochrome pixel art style but also by having the game be bordered by the faceplate and buttons of a system similar to a Gameboy Advance. As a nice little touch, the buttons on the digital system actually respond when you press the corresponding button on whatever controlling mechanism you're using. Unfortunately, for PC players, there's no mouse interaction, so you can't use them as actual buttons to control the game, but they're still nice to look at.

The game has two main draw-ins though: High Scores and customization. Being arcade-style, the player is competing to put their name on the leaderboard which has only five spots on it and the game comes out of the box (or out of the code I guess, seeing how it's as-of-yet only available digitally) with five brutal developer high scores to keep you coming back until only one name is on that board. 

Customization, on the other hand, is far more of a completionist matter. The game lets you use coins to purchase changes to all sorts of things in the game, including the color of the faceplate and buttons, the color of the "backlight" (effectively changing the color of the game), the music (all great tunes created by different artists), and even the statistics of the character you play the game with. With so many options to customize the game, there's a look for everyone available in the game, and enough content to unlock to keep you playing for longer. 

Pirate Pop Plus is simplistic in the right way, making the game easy to understand, but hard to properly execute. It won't take long for you to figure out how everything works, but it'll take you a while to put it into practice to the point where you're putting your initials onto the leader board even once. Knowing exactly when to launch your anchor to pop a particularly elusive bubble takes a while to get a good feel for, but once you understand it well enough (and well enough is probably the best you'll ever get to), the game becomes a fast-paced balancing act of risk and reward to stay alive as long as possible and get the best score possible. It may not seem like much. It may look behind the times compared to today's standard AAA game, but it's the kind of game that'll make you laugh and cry at least until you get your name in the top spot. So, I give Pirate Pop Plus "That Moment When A Bubble Hits You And Pops In The Process"(7)/10. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to grind coins to make my fake GBA look fabulous. It's called fashion, sweetheart. Look it up.

Second Annual Multi-Platformer Awards

Last year, I had the nerve to think my opinion mattered enough that those games I considered the best should be considered "awarded". Well, now I'm back. It certainly hasn't felt like a year, but it certainly has been. In a world forever changed by my face reveal and my overbearing Pokkén Tournament review, it's time for the second annual Multies!

DISCLAIMER: Jax Silverman is a human being who has a crap ton of other things to do. Odds are he'll never even play all the video games he owns until he's 27. Because of this, he hasn't played every game this year nor is his opinion meant as an attack on the opinions of others. In laymen's terms: Leave him alone, he's just a kid who refers to himself in the third person.

Best Game I haven't played: Battlefield 1

It's hard to imagine someone who hasn't played this beast of an FPS unless you're me in which case it's only a little difficult to imagine. But it's true: I haven't played Battlefield 1. I tend to exercise caution when considering new first-person shooters as I've been burned before (not naming names, but I've met some unfriendly GHOSTS). So that's why I haven't been too hasty about checking it out myself, but from what I've heard, it's hitting a lot of the right notes for some people, so it doesn't seem right not to mention it. 

And before you ask, no, I still haven't played Rocket League...

Best Game I Discovered This Year: Fire Emblem: Awakening

If I remember correctly, this time last year, I assumed that I didn't like Fire Emblem whatsoever. Now, after discovering the franchise at its peak (possibly second to Fates, but who's counting), I can honestly say I've never been more wrong. 

Best Wii U exclusive: Pokkén Tournament

Despite being a little overcomplicated compared to what we expected, Pokkén Tournament certainly fulfilled the niche it was meant for, finally allowing long-time fans to play out battles with a little more action than ever before.

Best Remake/Remaster: Doom

It's certainly not a remaster, and most wouldn't exactly consider it a remake, but Doom(2016) definitely retreads the ground of the original Doom. Returning to the fast-paced, "no room for subtlety" gameplay of an era long ago, Doom is a great way to introduce new players to old gameplay and old players to new gameplay. And the multiplayer is...there.

Presenting our next award, we go to our resident Xbox correspondent, Crate-Pusher Jim:

•Thanks Jax. If you're looking to get the Xbox One over the PlayStation 4, then you should consider buying Gears of War 4. Gears of War is probably the best exclusive out right now. It has a fun campaign, classic hoard mode and a multiplayer that is the best it has ever been. Plus, all future maps and game modes are 100% free so there is no reason not to buy it. And yes, while the microtransaction system in this game may cause concern, it is purely cosmetic items that can be obtained in loot crates.

Thanks for the insight, Jim.

Character of the Year: Spider-Man

Technically, most of this character's achievements haven't been in gaming this year, but the little bugger (pun intended) has had quite a year. With Captain America: Civil War behind us, and Spider-Man: Homecoming dead ahead, one would imagine Peter Parker wouldn't have time to be swinging onto the PlayStation 4 next year, but one would be dead wrong.

Biggest "Fuck You": Sean Murray

I guess this kind of goes to everyone at Hello Games, but if we're being honest, there isn't a single one of us who would blame the ship instead of the captain. The company is under investigation for false advertisement due to Murray's false statements; the company failed to communicate with their audience when they cried out about the game's issues; and this man did it all with that goofy smile on his face. Fuck you, Sean Murray. Fuck you.

"We Salute You" Award: Nintendo Wii U

With the Nintendo Switch prepped to cannibalize whatever market was left for the Wii U this march, it's about time to start looking back at Nintendo's quirky misstep in the modern market. Despite failing to provide the same value as today's PlayStations and Xboxes, the Wii U brought plenty of great games to the world. Even on its deathbed, it kept producing lovable games for those loyal enough to stick around. We salute you, Wii U. We salute you.

Best PS4 Exclusive: Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

Was there ever any doubt that this was the best exclusive Sony had to offer this year? This game is the quintessential Uncharted experience. Years of refining their engine and their story-telling skills has payed off in full to Naughty Dog. 

Most 2017 Hype: Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

It's been a long time. It's been a wild ride. But we're almost there. From Zelda Wii U to Zelda NX to Breath of the Wild, we've been following this game from the beginning and now, in the final stretch before our dedication pays off, it's already clear that we're going to love what we get. Unless I jinx it again. Fu-

Game of the Year: Overwatch

In essence, Overwatch is a case study in how to combine the old and the new into something that's far greater than the sum of its parts. I honestly can't believe I ever doubted Overwatch for a second. There's nothing quite like the action-heavy spectacle of running around a room full of good guys, like real super-heroes! Despite its understandable criticisms, Overwatch is the type of game everyone should play and keep playing for a long, long time. Ya know, the world could always use more games like Overwatch...

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go think of more ways to make Crate-Pusher Jim do stuff. He's an intern, so I can do that. And his name isn't really Jim. And come to think of it, I don't even know if he's ever actually pushed any crates. I wonder if I can make interns push crates...

Game Review #16: Pokémon Sun and Moon

Some sad news for Pokémon fans this morning, as Zygarde's hopes and dreams of getting his own game were found dead this morning in their home on the internet. While the cause of death appears to be natural causes, authorities are investigating foul play on the part Pokémon Sun and Moon developer Game Freak. Outlived by his misleading anime series, Pokémon X, Y, and Z, and several YouTube channels that jumped the gun and began speculation for Pokémon Z, Zygarde's hopes and dreams will be remembered for their unbending will and their way of making people believe in them. In other news, Pokémon Sun and Moon are great.

It would've been odd just 6 months ago to think the Pokémon franchise needed rebooting. Just last year, I renewed my faith in the formula by listing Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver as one of my favorite games of all time. However, I think it’s pretty clear nowadays that Pokémon has been rebooting since just a few years after those games. Pokémon Black and White were clear departures from the usual style, having a far more in-depth story, and clearer differences between versions; Pokémon X and Y changed the whole vibe of the franchise; and now Sun and Moon has come along, scrapping 80% of what’s been considered Pokémon for decades and leaving you familiar with only the basics: Catch Pokémon and try to look cool doing it.

Pokémon Sun and Moon are the newest twin installments in the indomitable Pokémon franchise. The story starts off simple: you’re new in town; you meet a professor who thinks you go on an adventure with Pokémon; you get a Pokémon and meet your rival; and then…well, then it steps into the unfamiliar. In lieu of the 8-gyms-then-Elite-Four-then-Champion structure of the previous 15 games, Sun and Moon features a slightly different system where you must travel across the four islands of the Alola Region to seek out "trial captains" who will have you complete some simple mini-game (find some hidden items; what's different about these pictures; etc.) and then fight a "Totem Pokémon", which is a wild Pokémon with a large boost to defense making defeating it take longer than normal. While a Totem Pokémon may seem like a more challenging fight than a normal Gym Leader, as the game goes on, the idea loses its appeal as one slightly enhanced Pokémon is put in the place of a gym leader with 5. And even with the defense boost, I defeated more than one Totem Pokémon in one-hit using nothing but simple understanding of type-effectiveness. Overall, I think this is representative of the game's difficulty: it's pretty easy, assuming you're not an idiot. The difficulty curve is more gentle than ever, and the new EXP Share system from Pokémon X and Y is back and more "easy mode" than ever. For the first time, I actually felt the need to turn it off because I found myself consistently becoming frustrated whenever one of my stronger Pokémon gained a level, making it more difficult to keep my whole party at the same level. Turning it off felt more challenging at first, but that ended up as more of a slight shock as the game made the mini difficulty leap before returning to its kiddy-coaster pace. In the end, I was able to beat the game's final challenge (which I won't spoil the nature of) completely under-leveled by 2-6 levels on the first attempt.

The story is a boatload of fun. Despite tonal incongruence on a nearly Suicide Squad level, the story holds your attention and has enough "Oh shit" moments to satisfy the little M. Night Shyamalan in all of us. But between the parts that shock you are long swaths of pure, adventurous fun. And that's really what Pokémon is about: An adventure you go on with your Pokémon where you begin to see them as your friends. However, this tone isn't absolute, and the game switches, seemingly at random, between it and a crazy parallel dimension conspiracy that essentially fractures the game between the old style of storytelling in Pokémon (Red And Blue, Gold and Silver, etc) and the new style (Black and White, X and Y). This mix of old and new gets disorienting when a new segment of the conspiracy comes out of nowhere and shoves its way right into the middle of your carefree adventure. 

The best part of Pokémon Sun and Moon is, unsurprisingly, the design choices. None of the new Pokémon are weak in design. In my opinion, there's something to love in all of them. I personally love Mudbray; I had one on my party named "Derphorse" throughout the majority of the game, and I fell in love with the little guy. Also, there's tons of crazy new concepts: Z-Moves, crazy powerful attacks that a Pokémon can use if it hold the right item; Alolan forms, redesigned versions of older Pokémon; Ultra Beasts, which are...kinda like...weird aliens? I actually don't really know what Ultra Beasts are. Well, whatever's going on there, I happen to like it. And that's not all. Sun and Moon also does away with HMs which used to be necessary for progressing through games but were not particularly viable for actual battling. They've been replaced with the new Ride System, where you can ride on a Pokémon and use its specific capabilities to get through obstacles. This provides a far more elegant solution to the age old problem of how to block you from progressing past where you're supposed to be. And besides these technical design choices, the game's aesthetic is one of the most fun I've seen in a while. Being based in a cheery adaption of Hawaii, it's hard not to goofily smile along with the lovable inhabitants of the Alola region.

In the end, Pokémon Sun and Moon provides an experience that feels more like Pokémon than anything before it, while somehow also feeling as though there's nothing on earth like it. In some unimaginable twist, Pokémon Sun and Moon both perfects the formula and turns it on its head, refining all the things we loved about the old games and adding in things I never even knew I wanted. Long before we knew much of anything about Pokémon Sun and Moon, I heard rumors that the next games after them would reboot the franchise. I'd just like to say that these rumors are completely untrue; Pokémon Sun and Moon is very much a reboot of the Pokémon franchise, and I am totally ok with that, because Pokémon Sun and Moon get "Artistic Mastery to a Tear Jerking Extent"(9)/10. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go catch most of them. I would catch ‘em all, but I also have school and the internet and, ya know, other video games, and there’s, like, 800 of those little buggers now. No thanks.

Game Review #15: Overwatch

When I first learned about the upcoming feud between Battleborn and Overwatch, the pioneers of the Hero Shooter genre, I won't hide anything from you, I didn't exactly give them a fair trial. At first, I more or less dismissed them both as I hadn't really had time to take a look at either of them. Then, I saw one trailer for Battleborn and fell for its Borderlands-like charm and interesting blend of MOBA and FPS. I defended it against Overwatch fans whenever I saw a thread comparing the two. But soon I came to realization that no one was really on my side. So I played both betas. And then I made my final decision. This article is not a comparison. This is an argument for Overwatch as Game of the Year and a couple of sentences of involving Battleborn. Let's begin.

Overwatch is an online hero-based first-person shooter from our good old friends at Blizzard. In it, you choose from 21 unique characters(and counting) to complete objectives in a team of six facing off against an opposing team of six. Each of the characters are fully fleshed out in unbelievably original ways, bringing the game's world to life. The entire roster has a complex, fully-realized back story that truly makes good on Blizzard's promise to make "characters, not classes". However, it's a shame that to even scratch the surface of these characters' histories, you need to rely on sources external to the game. While the trailers for the game are fantastic, they almost make it more painful that there's no story mode or any considerable single player. However, between character voice lines and minor pre-game interactions, you get a good sense of their personalities, and, as I've said time and time again, a little personality goes a long way. 

Meanwhile, in terms of gameplay, the characters' diversity shines through and through. Every single character has completely different abilities that are always more or less exclusively their own. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that the characters are so different from one another, they could each exist in their own individual games and no one would notice. One character builds turrets that target enemy players. One character has a bow that behaves like an actual bow. One character is more or less just Call of Duty(but I still love him because we're basically the same person give or take a few years...ok, a lot of years). They all function differently, so if you get bored, you're not "bored of playing Overwatch", you're "bored of playing this character", meaning you can just switch and essentially play a completely different game. However, this doesn't hold true for the game's modes. While the game makes a point of preferring objective-based matches over kill-based matches, much like my beloved Splatoon, Overwatch doesn't bring anything new to the party, instead opting for the more travelled path of "capture/defend the point(s)", "escort the payload", or "both". Though this isn't all bad, seeing how there is such thing as "too much innovation", this cycle of objectives can get tedious to the point where you can still get bored  after some time, even with 21 different play styles to choose from on those modes. 

The graphics are great. They aren't realistic by any means, but the art style is exactly what it intends to be: A flashy mix of anime and Pixar movie that really is a lot of fun to look at. It perfectly fits the level of action the game creates and is easy on the eyes, even for hours-long play sessions deep into the night.

In total, Overwatch is a prime example of how much imagination can be applied to the decades-old FPS genre to make something fresh and new. It stands on it's own as the forerunner of a new, exciting genre, a pioneer of what could end up as an industry staple. Meanwhile, from what I've played, Battleborn is...Smite...in first-person. And while Battleborn's characters have little more depth to them than the assumption that you find them to be (and I quote) "Badass", Overwatch makes no such assumptions and, because of this, ends up making you feel, not just "like a badass", but like a Superhero, a character with unique, extraordinary abilities and a real purpose. Because of this, I believe the Overwatch is the best game I've played so far this year, and, with the year half over already, the board looks set for it to stay that way. So, I give Overwatch "Blizzard's Game of the Year Acceptance Speech"(10)/10. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to delete all these "Dad bod 76" photos from my phone before letting my friend borrow it. It's a bit of a bad habit...https://youtu.be/Nmv2g9M08Gk

Game Review #14: Never Alone

It's been quite a while since I've played a game that I've genuinely heard nothing about. The Internet has more or less abolished mystery leaving an over-informed society with that expects nothing less than the ability to know everything about the game before they touch it.  But for smaller games, while one still can gain this knowledge, it's a bit harder to come by, being less well-known and thus less searched for. So when I got Never Alone, I knew I could find out what it was, but I decided that I didn't want to find out. I went in not knowing a thing about it. I didn't even know what genre it was until I started it up. I don't know how this affected my experience; maybe I had no expectations of it, so I didn't hold it to any standards; maybe not having heard anyone else's opinion made it easier to form my own; whatever it was, I definitely think this is going to be one of my more objective reviews...or less objective depending on how you look at it. Though I suppose this should also serve as a little reminder, to myself and my audience, that there is no such thing as an objective review, and I'd like to thank everyone who's read my reviews for respecting that fact and respecting my opinion. Now on to the review:

Never Alone, also known as "Kisima Inŋitchuŋa" (however the hell one might pronounce that), is a 2.5D puzzle-platformer in the vein of "Limbo". The twist is that you need to guide both Nuna, the little girl, and The Fox, the fox, across each level. The fox and the girl have very different capabilities, meaning you need to master both of them and know when to switch between them in order to complete your objectives. While this probably seems like an interesting mechanic, the novelty gives in quickly to frustration as the game's problems set in. The game's physics re actually quite uncomfortable. You expect them to either be a little floaty or a completely realistic, but it really isn't very much like either, instead being some odd weighty-ness that's just as hard to work with as it is to read about. This leaves you guessing where your jumps will land you up to the very end. While I was playing, I felt that I was dying more often to my inability to understand where my jump will take me more than anything else. Another annoying thing is that halfway through the sub-4 hour game, the game throws a complete curve-ball by completely changing the way one of the two characters functions (in a way that I won't spoil), forcing you to basically learn a whole new game right in the middle of one you were enjoying. And the worst part is the character's new abilities are some the most annoying in the game. I'm trying not to spoil it because the game's story is actually quite good, but just know that the new game you'll be learning won't be quite as fun as the one that was cut short.

On another note, the game's puzzles are actually quite enjoyable. After you get past the game's odd mechanics, putting them together to progress is actually quite cathartic. And that's a catharsis you'll need after banging your head against a wall for so long (as in your head will literally collide with a wall after your jump didn't quite make it over that hole). A big part of the game is using both character's abilities to move platforms around so that you can get from point A to point B. Figuring out the right way to make this happen in each level is just the right balance of challenge and reward to make you feel like you're really getting work done.

The game's story is equal parts fun, emotional, and (God, I never thought I'd write this but) educational, and it keeps you engaged by use of all three. The main game's narrative tells the story of a native Alaskan girl meeting a fox and befriending it. They then decide to go off on a journey to find out where all the snow is coming from. If this seems like a familiar narrative style to you, that's probably because the story all the various mini-stories you go through in the game are based on tribal myths from Alaskan culture. Punctuating this story-telling technique, the entire game is narrated beautifully in said culture's native language giving off the vibe that you are being told this generations-old legend by a real tribal story-teller. And if you see all this culture and still want to know more, the game includes "Cultural Insights", unlockable clips of what, all strung together, could be considered an in-depth documentary on native Alaskan culture. These clips are completely optional but definitely  help to give context to your actions in the game so I recommend watching them. Even without this context, the game tells a compelling story about how bonds between friends can conquer all evils. Ok, yeah, I totally just made that phrase up but I'm sure any who's played the game would agree that it sums up the story pretty well. 

The game's art design is odd and often ugly, but this design is apparently intentional, giving off the feel of traditional "scrimshaw" art. Many of the game's cutscenes are displayed as moving 2D images on a flat plane that makes this design choice even more apparent. So even though at first glance the graphics can look a bit muddy or last gen, over time it becomes easier to see that the game looks exactly like it wants to look and that's actually quite beautiful. The music is a bit more contemporary most of the time but sets the tone quite nicely, so a little nod to that. 

In total, while Never Alone doesn't quite succeed as a platformer, it does succeed as a puzzle game and as an atmospheric look into native Alaskan culture through accurate recreations of it embedded into the game's structure. So, I give Never Alone/Kisima Inŋitchuŋa "The Icy Winds of the Artic Juxtaposed with the Warmth of Friendship"(8) out of 10. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to throw snow at an animal to see if it'll be friends with me. That's how it works, right?

Game Review #NotGonnaJinxIt Looty Dungeon

After the absolute madness that was reviewing Pokkén Tournament, I think I've more or less drained myself of the ability to explain game features. Ya know, I think I could use a refresher: Something that I can explain in two sentences and then just yell about it for a couple minutes... Oh yeah, mobile phones...

Looty Dungeon is a tap-based, Rouge-like dungeon-crawler for iOS in which you take one of the multiple heroes, most of which you unlock with in-game currency, through a randomly generated dungeon avoiding damage-inflicting obstacles, killing monsters, and gathering sweet, sweet loot or rather sweet, sweet the same coin over and over again. You can then use these coins to buy new heroes to repeat the process. The number of coins you need isn't terribly high, but the hero you get is completely random so the most reliable way to get the hero you want *cough*pirate*coughcough* is to buy it with real money. This isn't that evil of a way to slip in micro-transactions, especially due to the game's fully single-player nature, so I'll let it slide. In fact, I don't have too much of a problem with micro-transactions normally, so I let a lot slide but this one in particular I wouldn't suggest directing your rage at. Oh, by the way, if you hadn't put the pieces together, the game is on the style of Crossy Road. Kinda forgot that.

So I think that's about it. Wow, it really is pretty basic. But that's ok, ya know? Looty Dungeons is an incredibly fun and lovable game that will have you yelling when you mistime a trap, grabbing every coin you can get your hands on, and eyeing the huge library of heroes, vowing to catch 'em a– or rather to collect each of them. The simplistic controls are easy to pick up but can take time to master once you find yourself trying to slip through particularly tricky traps. All the pieces fit well to create a great time waster game and an excellent obsession game. So, Looty Dungeon gets "Mankind's Self-Destructive Desire For Loot"/10. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go light more torches. Pro tip: that actually does something if you do it enough times.

UPDATE April 2016: Face Reveal and PAX East.

Music Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF5bqgqteKQ