Nightcap at The Gamers Lounge - February 6, 2015

Welcome to Nightcap at The Gamer’s Lounge.  The Nightcap is a new weekly article that I will be writing that recaps the video gaming news of the week.  Sit back, relax and enjoy!

Releases This Week

• #IDARB (XB1) - 2/1

• Apotheon (PS4) - 2/3

• Criminal Girls: Invite Only (PSVita) - 2/3

• Kick & Fennick (PSVita) - 2/3

• SpongeBob HeroPants (360, 3DS, PSVita) - 2/3

• Risk (XB1, PS4) - 2/3

• Deathtrap (PC) - 2/4

Next Week’s Releases

• Evolve (XB1, PS4, PC) - 2/10

• Unmechanical: Extended (PS4, PS3) - 2/10

• Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth2 (PSVita) - 2/11

• Decay - The Mare (PC) - 2/13

• The Escapists (XB1) - 2/13

• The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D (3DS) - 2/13

• Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (3DS) - 2/13

• New 3DS XL (Console) - 2/13

News of the Week

• A new ToeJam and Earl game is in the making.  A recent posting on the official ToeJam & Earl Facebook fan page reads “We haven't been posting as often lately because we've gotten really busy with the new TJ&E game. We will be making some announcements in a probably 3 or 4 weeks, when we have something we can show, and will be able to share lots of information with you.”

• Activision announced that Treyarch, the developer behind Call of Duty 3, World at War, Black Ops, Black Ops 2 and other Call of Duty games will be developing the 2015’s Call of Duty game.

• Sony’s San Diego Studio announced that they will be releasing a Special Edition package of MLB The Show 15, which includes a steelbook, in-game currency, item packs and dynamic themes.  The price will be $69.99

• Destiny’s House of Wolves expansion has been confirmed to arrive in the second quarter of 2015.  Bungie also announced that they are rebalancing weapons, which includes boosting pulse rifles.  This update is scheduled to drop later this month.

• 343 Industries are making some changes to Halo 5: Guardians after surveying beta testers during the recent beta testing period.  These changes include making the ability to sprint optional in custom games, faster base movement speed, lower top sprint speed, improved strafe acceleration and more.

Halo 5: Guardians Beta Infograph

• Here are the free PSN games for the month of February:

  • Apotheon (PS4)

  • Transistor (PS4)

  • Rogue Legacy (Cross compatible with PS4, PS3 and PSVita)

  • Thief (PS3)

  • Yakuza 4 (PS3)

  • Kick and Fennick (PSVita)

• February’s Game with Gold free games are:

  • #IDARB (XB1)

  • Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (360)

• A new Far Cry 4 patch has been released that adds co-op custom maps along with a collection of fixes.

• Ermac has been officially announced to be in Mortal Kombat X.  2 different Kollector’s Editions of the game have also been announced.

• OlliOlli, a skateboarding game originally released on PS Vita, will be released on Xbox One, 3DS and Wii U in mid-March.

• Multiplayer in the original Borderlands on Playstation 3 is now active again, thanks to 22nd Century Toys.

• Sony has added five new games to the Playstation Now service:

  • Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

  • God of War II HD

  • Red Faction: Armageddon

  • Galaga Legions DX

  • Arcana Heart 3

• Club Nintendo has added a ton of new rewards to their website, including a 2016 desktop calendar, Animal Crossing mini playing cards, poster sets, a Fierce Deity Link jigsaw puzzle, a messenger bag and tons of digital games.  Nintendo recently announced that Club Nintendo will be ending in June.

That is your Nightcap at The Gamer’s Lounge for this week!  I’m always open to suggestions, so feel free to leave comments and feedback.  See you next week!

Arcade Block Unboxing - January 2015

The January 2015 Arcade Block has arrived, containing a cool t-shirt, a Tetris notebook and much more!  Check out my unboxing video! 

Funk of Titans (Xbox One) Review

Funk of Titans is a fast-paced, side-scrolling platformer developed and published by the indie group A Crowd of Monsters.  In Funk of Titans, you take control of Perseus, son of Zeus, and try to protect the Funk.  You will venture through 3 different "worlds", Pop, Rap and Rock, each with its own unique level style and Titans (bosses). 

Funk of Titans is a very fun and simple game, but can be very addicting.  The concept is simple, run through the many levels, pick up as many "vinyls" as you can, try to find the hidden Pegasus and make it to the finish.  I will explain what the vinyls and the Pegasus are used for later in this review.

The controls for this game are very simple.  You do not control the direction in which Perseus runs.  He runs all on his own, so there is no going back to grab any vinyls that you might have missed or to look for the Pegasus.  The A button is used to jump and B, Y or X can be used to attack.  It doesn't matter which attack button you use as every enemy takes only one attack to defeat it.  

Speaking of enemies, there are only a couple main types of enemies.  Enemies that wear white helmets can be attacked or jumped on for a boost.  At certain parts in almost every level, jumping on one of these enemies helps you get more vinyls or access certain parts of the level you cannot reach any other way.  There are also enemies with red, spiky helmets on.  These enemies must be attacked and cannot be jumped on.  Certain doors or barricades must be attacked to open and there are also spikes, fire and other obstacles that you must jump over in order to not take damage.  

When it comes to damage, there is no life meter or anything like that.  You can only take 2 hits of damage from any enemy or obstacle before you "die" and must start the level over.  After you take one hit of damage, you will become "naked".  Perseus loses his costume and continues running through the level. If there are any more hits from enemies or obstacles, you lose.  

The vinyls you save up from each level can be used in the "Shop". The Shop contains many different weapons and consumes you can use in the game.  Since it only takes one attack to defeat any enemies in levels, the different weapons don't make any difference when it comes to attacks.  In certain levels, you are required to have certain weapons equipped in order to break down doors that have Pegasus behind them.  This is about the only use the different weapons have. When it comes to costumes, they are mostly used for looks, not much else, except when wearing a certain costume for a set number of levels in a requirement in order to level up.

During the game you level Perseus up, which unlocks more weapons and costumes that become available in the Store.  In order to level up, you will be given 3 tasks that you must complete.  These tasks range from defeating a certain number of enemies to jumping at least a certain number of times in one level.  I found that there was a good variety of requirements to level up, which kept the game interesting.  

Whenever you find a Pegasus in a level, you get to play the Pegasus Bonus Round.  This mini-game is a "Flappy Bird" type game.  You hold down the A button to make Pegasus fly higher and let go to fly lower.  It is fast-paced and you have to try to fly as long as you can while picking up vinyls.  If you die during the level that you found the Pegasus, you have to get it again in order to play the bonus game.  I found the bonus game to be pretty fun and give the game as a whole some variety.  Finding all of the Pegasus' in the levels can be tough too.  

The "Worlds" in general remind me a lot of the Mario games.  Each world has a boss in the middle of the world and a Titan boss at the end, just like the Mario games that had the castles in the middle of the world and the big castle at the end.  In Funk of Titans, the boss battle in the middle of the world happens in a boxing ring.  The battle consists of a pretty easy quick-finger mini-game.  Once the battle starts, random buttons will appear on the screen and you have to press that button faster than the computer does.  The Titan boss levels are dance-offs.  When you enter the battle, the computer will do a dance and receive a score.  After that, it is your turn.  Buttons will randomly appear on the screen and once again you must press them before it's too late.  The Titan boss levels are a little harder than the middle, but I found both to be very easy.  I had no problem getting perfect scores on either of the mini-game boss battles.  

Most of the levels are pretty short.  You can pass most levels in 1-2 minutes.  I was able to complete the game in around 4 hours, but am going back through to perfect each level.  You can get up to 3 "awards" after each level.  One for completing the level without taking any damage, one for collecting at least 100 vinyls in the level and another for finding the Pegasus.  If you don't complete all 3, it will turn green and let you move on the the next level, but if you do the level will turn yellow.  Trying to "perfect" each level will keep you coming back for more. 

If you enjoy side-scrolling platformers and are looking for something different, try out Funk of Titans.  It can get a little repetitive at times, but the variety between levels is enough to keep it interesting.  It is definitely worth the $12.49 on the Xbox Live Store.  

I give the game 3.5/5

Arcade Block Unboxing - December 2014

Welcome to the first entry in my new monthly series "Arcade Block Unboxing".  For those of you not familiar with Arcade Block, it is one of the "Blocks" offered at NerdBlock.com.  It is a monthly subscription service in which the company selects random video game themed items and puts them into a cool, NES themed box and ships it to your doorstep.  NerdBlock offers a few different themed "Blocks" to choose from, such as NerdBlock Classic, Horror Block and of course Arcade Block, each of which cost $19.99 a month.  They also offer a couple Junior themed "Blocks" for the kids at a smaller price.  There is no minimum subscription length, so you can try it out for a month and decide if it is for you or not.  I have had my Arcade Block subscription for 3 months now, and I have been pretty happy with what I have received.

The front of the Arcade Block box

Now let's get to this month's Arcade Block!  I wanted to do a video unboxing for this month, but I was unable to.  For this month I have to post pictures, but next month I will start with video unboxings.

The first item in the box is a Super Smash Bros. T-Shirt.  The only thing you are guaranteed to get every month with any of the higher priced "Blocks" is a T-shirt.  When you sign up for the subscription, you select what size shirt you would like so you will always receive the correct size.  I really like the design on this month's shirt and will definitely keep and wear it.  

The next item in the box is a package of Sonic the Hedgehog fridge magnets.  There are quite a few magnets in the package and I'm sure my kids will have fun creating different "levels" on the fridge.

Next, we have a "Touch Control Joystick for Touch Screens" by Asobu.  The package says it works with all touchscreen devices, including tablets and smartphones.  I have not had the chance to test it out yet, but based on what the package shows, it appears the joystick attaches to touchscreens with a sort of suction-cup type bottom.  You can attach it anywhere that a game or application uses a virtual d-pad or stick and it will input just as if you were using your fingers.  I am looking forward to testing this out and may post a review of it once I get some time with it. 

The next item is a Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass collectible figurine.  I have seen these egg shaped mystery containers at places like GameStop and Walmart before.  My container had Goronbeck and Son.  Since Legend of Zelda is one of my favorite series of all time, this will go pretty nicely with the rest of my collection.  

Next, we have a Halo lanyard with an ID badge holder and charm.  Not really sure what I will use this for, but I'm sure I will find something for it someday.  

And last, but not least, we have a Portal 2 themed scarf with "Aperture Laboratories" on it.  One side is white with black text, the other side is reversed, black with white text.  It is a pretty nice scarf.  I don't wear scarves, but this would even look nice hung up like a banner or something in my game room.  I'm sure I will find some use for this as well.

Well, that is a quick "unboxing" and review of the January 2015 Arcade Block.  As said before, next month I will be changing this series to a video instead of writing and pictures.  

Have any thoughts, suggestions, questions?  Feel free to comment!

The Witcher: Adventure Game (PC) Review

The Witcher Adventure Game for PC is a digital adaptation of the tabletop board game of the same name.  In this game, the main objective is to complete the set number (one, three or five) of main quests, which is determined before the game starts.  Players select their first main quest from 2 randomly selected quest cards to begin.  Players then travel around the game board attempting to gain red, blue and purple points which are needed in order to complete side and main quests.  Points are gained by investigating or developing, which may require drawing cards or rolling dice in order to complete a task and gain the points.

Having never played The Witcher Adventure Game on either tabletop or in PC form, I was a little overwhelmed at first, but there are plenty of helpful tutorial videos to help you learn the basics of the game.  Once I watched a few of these videos, and started playing around with the game, I found it pretty easy to catch on.  

After playing through a few games, I found the game to be very repetitive.  When it comes to battles and other things that require dice rolls, you simply click on the game area and your dice roll onto the board.  You then select what dice to use in order to pass or fail your battle.  I think having some battle animations of some sort would make the game more interesting for players like me that are not board game purists.

One aspect of the game that kept me playing was online multiplayer.  I was able to play with some players that helped me learn some new strategies and overall made the game experience much more fun than single player.  Most players I have played with have been very helpful and great to chat with.  The only problem I had with multiplayer was that it sometimes takes awhile (5+ minutes) to find up to 4 players to play with.  

Overall, the game plays very smoothly and is exactly what it is intended to be, a digital adaptation of the tabletop board game.  It is nothing real flashy or graphical, but it gets the job done.  Fans of the tabletop version, board game purists, and anyone looking for a new board game will enjoy this game.  The online multiplayer is great for making new friends and learning new strategies or playing with friends and family.  

I highly recommend this game and look forward to playing more and learning new strategies.  It is a great way to pass some time while waiting for The Witcher 3 to release!

I give this game 3/5.

Playstation Experience - Keynote Highlights

Over last weekend, Sony held their first annual Playstation Experience event in Las Vegas, Nevada.  The event kicked off with a keynote conference.  Many people had high expectations and many rumors spread around before the event. I was able to watch the conference online on Playstation's Twitch channel and I think the conference was a great success.  The conference lasted about two and a half hours and they shared many announcements about upcoming games, including gameplay footage of many of the top upcoming games.

The first game shown at the conference was Uncharted 4: A Thief's End.  This was a great choice as first game to show because it seemed to get everyone pumped up and excited about what the rest of the show could bring.  The gameplay for Uncharted 4 looked amazing.  The graphics looked great and I can't wait to see what improvements will be made before the game releases next year.  Here is a video of gameplay shown at the conference:

Next, Sony Santa Monica was up to present.  They showed a trailer for MLB The Show 2015 and it looked pretty impressive.  What was most impressive to me was the announcement that you will be able to take your Road to the Show players from MLB The Show 14 and continue your career on MLB The Show 2015.  As a sports game player, this is something I have been waiting on for quite some time.  I hope EA Sports follows suit and makes this happen in the Madden series.

We also got another look at Bloodborne.  They showed some multiplayer gameplay, as well as the trailer that was also shown at the Video Game Awards show the previous night. Bloodborne looks to be a very bloody and gory game, but looks like it will be fun.

Capcom announced that Ultra Street Fighter IV and Street Fighter V are going to be released as PS4 exclusives.  Sony is helping develop Street Fighter V which will also be cross format with the PC version.  I think this is a very interesting feature and am excited to see how it works out.  Hopefully, more developers will make this a feature in more games in the future.  

One thing Sony made clear was that they totally support indie game developers.  They showed trailers for many indie games that will be releasing in the next year.  Many of them looked very impressive and intriguing, such as Severed and Skytorn.

One indie game that stood out to me was The Forest.  I have played The Forest on PC as an early access game and I really enjoy it.  Being an early access game that is not 100% complete, but still very good, has me excited to see how much is improved before completion.  I can't wait to see how the PS4 version turns out, as well. 

It was also announced that Persona 5 and Yakuza 5 are coming to PS4.

Another thing Sony made clear was that the PS Vita is not dead and will continue to have great games released, including Suikoden 1 & 2, Towerfall Acension, Octodad and Banner Saga. It is a good time to be a Vita owner!

A new Tearaway game is coming to PS4 called Tearaway: Unfolded.  The footage of this game looked very good and is a game I am looking forward to.

Square-Enix announced that Final Fantasy VII will be released exclusively on PS4 next spring. It will not be an HD remaster as many people wanted, but will still be a great game to have.

More footage of No Man's Sky was shown.  This is a highly anticipated title that continues to look better and better each time new footage is revealed.  I have to admit, I am not too hyped about this game yet, but maybe in time I will come to realize what all the hype is about and jump on the train.

To wrap up the conference, a new game called Drawn to Death was shown.  This game looks as though it could be a very good game.  It is a 3rd person action/shooter in which the whole setting of the game looks like it was drawn or sketched on paper.  It looks like a crazy game with off-the-wall weapons and characters.  It is definitely something fresh and new, which is always nice.  I think this game will do very well when it is released.  I am excited to see future gameplay and features as the game is developed.

           My winner of the conference!

I think the biggest winner from the conference would have to be Until Dawn.  They showed a gameplay demo of this exclusive survival horror game and it looks amazing!  The graphics look unreal and the gameplay looked great as well.  Until Dawn is not your typical FPS or run-around-and-kill-zombies game.  It seems more like an interactive movie and reminds me of Heavy Rain on the PS3.  I can't wait for this game to be released and I hope it turns out as good as it has looked so far!  From the gameplay demo, it looked like the controls could use some fine tuning, but I'm sure that is something that will be worked out along with any other kinks before release.

Sony's first annual Playstation Experience Keynote Conference was a big hit if you ask me.  I wish I could have been there to see it in person and attend the rest of the conference.  Maybe next year! 

Who else watched the Keynote Conference?  What are your thoughts and impressions?

Glitches, Misprints and Scams (Oh My!)

Over the past couple of weeks, major retailers have had glitches, misprints and scams on each of the major video game consoles.  Best Buy had a misprint in their 11/9-11/16 ad which advertised an Xbox One with Kinect Assassin’s Creed Unity Bundle for $349 instead of $449.  Shortly after the misprint was noticed, many people reported that their local Best Buy posted flyers in their store correcting the misprint and no longer accepted the ad price.  However, many people reported that they were able to price match at other stores, such as Walmart and Target without any problems.  

Sears also recently had a glitch in their online pricing.  For a short time, they had 3DS XL systems and Wii U systems both listed for $59.  This error was noticed fairly quickly and was corrected, but if you were lucky enough to come across this error before they corrected it, Sears honored the price. Some people also reported successfully getting other stores, including Kmart and Walmart, to price match Sears before they changed the price.

Most recently, people have been using Walmart’s price matching policy against them to scam them into selling PS4s for $49.  Walmart had a very broad price matching policy that included price matching Amazon. Someone created a fake Amazon listing for PS4s for $49.99 and people then printed off that listing and took it in to Walmart to price match.  A lot of people reported getting Walmart to price match this “sale”.  Shortly after this scam was reported, Walmart changed their price matching policy to no longer match ads from third party sellers, auction sites and marketplace vendors.  

If I would have come across the Sears deal in time, I probably would have picked up a Wii U for $60.  I’m not sure my conscience would have allowed me to take part in the Walmart PS4 scam, but it would have been tempting for sure.  Did anyone get in on any of these “deals”?  There are even more legitimate deals coming up with Black Friday right around the corner.  Make sure you check out our Black Friday preview article for more details on the best Black Friday deals coming up!