Pineview Drive : Creepy Disappointment

Well, hello one and all, as the mouth of Halloween is upon us. And everyone knows what that means: SMASH BROS. And since I did my Smash Bros 3DS early, It's time to do some special Halloween reviews on horror theme games. One of the games on the chopping block is Pineview Drive, where one "play as a troubled man is standing at its gates, looking over the property. 20 years ago he had visited this estate with his wife Linda. During their stay his beloved vanished without a trace – her mysterious disappearance unresolved." And that's about it on the story...

From the start, the game dose show some promises as the player roams from room to room as the day quickly turns into night, where the majority of the game takes place. The only way to progress is to look for keys to open the next room while looking for more plot that is scattered about while facing many scary things such as, but not limited to, killer creepy clowns, a scarecrow, and a creepy ghost lady that might be after you for revenge.

The fun part is when the player roams within the dark, looking for batteries (which comes very often) for a flashlight, matches for candles for later on in the game. As the game quickly give and take away comfort within the home, as sudden changes occur within the house with either guide or scare the player as he or she explores the mason. As soon as anyone expect, creepy things like doors disappearing and reappearing will catch one off guard with...jump-scares....

However, this is where the game falls apart, as some of the jump-scares become predictable at times and are even required to continue within the game. While they are somewhat scary, it's wears out very quickly to the point of annoyance. Another issue is that the game's map is so big that most of the days are padded. It would have helped IF they would at least either provided a map within the game itself or if the house was smaller so getting lost would not be an issue.

Also, the sanity bar should have been shoved aside, as it is a useless indicator of your character's sanity as there is no real fail state within the game. It becomes a literal walking simulator that you often see within steam. It's easy to miss a scare because you get distracted looking for keys because of how too subtle it is...

But the worst offense of the game is it's ending, as the game just ends with more questions more than the proper answers.The thing about a good horror game is that there's a method to the madness that is occurring within a good storyline. For example, Silent Hill had a mad cult who made a personal hell trying to make a god, resident evil had an evil corporation, and amnesia has a man old men hungry for power.  Here, it just gives you the item in question...and fades to black. No real answers; Just questions and theories.

While this game has a nice, admirable start, the game then trips and flops into an average horror game with no real consequence, yet no real ending.   It works for a real good scare, but afterwards, there's no real replayiblity for the game is nonexistent.  If  anyone would like to look at it, feel happy to apply, but Steam Sales are the best time for fun times.

Super Smash Bros. (3DS)

While this game hasn't hit the Americas just yet, it is currently out in Japan and everyone who has an imported Nintendo 3ds has able to play the game. So much for patience, since Nintendo like to over-hype their games sometimes. However, I personally do like smash bros. as this game help introduce people into characters that no one met before -- It what helped Fire Emblem be ported to the US. Sad that Earthbound only got a VC release.

But back on the subject. The 3DS version of the game is like Super smash bros. Melee+, or at least the fan hacks that has came over the years. At least the fans can be more creative than Sakurai sometimes since he tends to put random character like a roulette from hell. Whoever, he dose find a way for them to fit in, unlike Capcom and their fighting franchise of today. There was some issue with the roster that they should have a clone for Olimar so there would be some room for at least one new character, but I think that's where the DLC comes in. Anyone knows Mario Golf: world tour knows that Nintendo is resorted to putting character behind a pay-wall to get extra dosh.

Unlocking the characters are getting predictable as Smash Bros. has always been. to unlock hidden characters. For example, playing the game's Classic Mode as that character to fight the clone or another character that has been in the same series. Or one can play the casual way for twelve hundred times just to unlock normally like a normal caffeinated child who has trouble getting dates since he look like the local pizza boy has got pay by laid. The roster itself is a "take it or leave it" situation as some characters will be liked or hated in the end.

However, there's a new mode that was inspired by Kirby Air Ride, of all things, where one and a few other local players can play around in an open field collecting power-ups so the players can use it for the next event that is coming up just to race it up or trow it down. However, the mode itself is, as I mentioned, LOCAL MULTIPLAYER, meaning that players cannot play this mode online. Sakuri, I am very disappointed, I know the wifi-mode can be laggy sometimes that the frame-rate drops, but the fan base is one thing that shouldn't be ruffled with. I know you rather trow yourself into a buss, but life is worth living! As least the serious players can finally get separated by the silly players now...

The stages themselves are nice as their are now different final destinations, which is great for the serious players, but that's the majority of most of the stages however. Sounds like more DLC could be placed here. That sounds like that contradicts with one of Nintendo's old statements. but the worst stage offender is Sonic's, as it is nothing but a copy-and-paste job from Brawl's data files. Not even new music has been added to the stage. I hope they at least change the stage in the Wii U port, as I have a feeling about that situation. However, the stages are still a nice known staple for Smash bros. as returning from past games. I understand that changes to those stages wouldn't be welcome. Just add at lest some new music, unlike Sonic's stage.

In the end, Super Smash Bros. 3ds is as simple and fun as it's name. While it is a good game, it's mostly there to buy time for Nintendo to develop the game for the Wii U. While there is connection abilities with the Wii U and 3DS port, we don't know if that will benefit the players as must as the figurines, which is both for kids and the creepy fat fan-base. This is WHY I dislike Skylanders, as they're just there for anyone's money dispute their boosts! Plus, what will the Wii U version hold besides different stages and modes? Only time will tell.

...Which the fan-base has none...

Games that jumped the shark

I was going to make a review on one of these games, however, I realized that there are A LOT of games that have made their characters (or series, in that matter) do certain things that they won't knowingly do and feel out-of-character. Listing them all would take too long, I will point out the most common games that jumped the shark. Please note -- not all of the games listed are garbage, its just the game could either been different or better as it's own Independent property, or IP for short...




Spyro Reboot Game

 Now before I get marked as a traitor by Sally "Kit" Ballard, Krome studios WAS once a part of EA and after they made their game Ty the Tasmanian Tiger, the guys saw how good it was and decided they should reboot the Spyro series. While it did attract some newcomers, it alienated the old fans away from the series. In fact, I think this is why they usually get crap from review sites because of their past like Double Helix, but in need of more help. They are more comfortably  doing their own thing, which is why they formed their own indie-studios. I have a feeling I'll be chewed out by both an angry nekomimi and an angry dragon man. My life in-a-nutshell...

Resident Evil 4

As I said, not all games are bad. But! Once the game sold well, this set a standard that would damage Capcom's repetition as well as they protrusive "exclusiveness" within the other counsels.  The problem comes that they decided to go more action than horror and the series suffered for it. While four was good, it had out-of-character moment in the middle of the game where Leon became yet another Sonic clone. It didn't help that they copied and pasted it for five, which was "MEH" at best if  played with a friend, but six was a complete disaster! Companies like Capcom are a shell of their former self, as they even abandoned their own mascot! Sad..

DmC

Let's face it, This game should have been a NEW IP. This property was made as a failed prototype to Resident Evil, which showed how crazy and stupid the developers are at times. The original was hard for its own reason that it had to be nerfed in the port within the United States. The reboot was ugly on purpose to fit with the common hipsters of today times which should be tossed straight into an oncoming bus. While there are fans of the new-gen Dante, it killed off any change of a sequel and proves how reboots can be a bad thing if used incorrectly. I honestly rather play Metal Gear Rising. I'm sorry...But I am not a fan of either games. While I do love fast-action games, this series is not for me.

Metroid: Fusion

While Other M should have been never M'ed, we must remember that the game series first jumped the shark when Samus show some emotions in Metroid Fusion. While it did bring new elements within the series, it did bring up Samus' past where she left her adopted planet to join the military. For one, this lead into Other M's story ark which caused the Prime Trilogy to become non-cannon. As a fan of the series, it made me distrust Nintendo with it's property. Secant, it tore the fan-base apart like the internet dose 24/7. Samus was trained to control those emotions by her adopted parents, as they where bird alien warriors  who rival the monks on earth. Plus, she meet Riley thousands of times. Why should she fear him?! Idiots...






I would list more, but this list would be endless. Metal Gear Solid 2, Bionic Comando, and the other of many games which just want to do the crazy things just to grab someone's attention but doing it at the worst way imaginable. It's like cos-playing as Hitler while at a Jewish wedding. While it dose grab someone's attention, all that ends up getting is a angry mob, angry war vets, and annoying questions only getting even more questions. We can only hope the developers get their heads out of their asses or out from each others' asses before someone make a human centipede!

...And yes, I don't know how to end my topics as well. Don't hate me Yatzee, because I'm merely using Jon Tron's method of entertainment....

[[Spoilers]] Explaning OFF; Inde RPG storyline with HORROR plot-twists [[Spoilers]]

Off topic: You, the viewers,  ave to excuse me, as I have been off for many reasons: One, my birthday is currently this mouth and I'm unprepared; two, the shenanigans caused by the gaming industry has caused me to be stressed as I already "Bashed" about how crazy the industry is; And finally, I had writer's block for the past few days on both this blog and my inde-game that I am trying to wright. I have traced some of the characters, got the idea for the story, but things have went crazy trying to get my life back together again.

Anyways, This is a game about Off, an inde-game inspired by many things which is not limited but also includes The RPG system of Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy, the design from the Dream sequence of magacent from Mother 1 and 2, as well as the old world news papers of the past, and a story plot as the demented Suda51 would wright before his own inner perversions consumed him from the insides --oh, no offense.

The story starts innocently enough --The player starts the game in control of The Batter, as he was called upon the character and cat named The Judge to help tame the random specters that has appeared within the lands. Talk about an Alice in Wonderland tall tale as everyone goes down the rabbit hole, as the game constantly breaks the forth wall, mentioning The player as he continues the path. As the player continues within the story, The batter convinces him OR her to defeat the guardians as he suspects the specters where summoned because of them...

However, along the journey, the player involved would question The Batter, as the player notices odd events and particular things about The Batter. For one, the land that the batter "purifies" become deprived of it colors and stronger creatures roams the lands when the spectures  have been removed from the lands. The other, the Batter himself would been seen as a unwanted but not in the normal protagonist way. NPCs would notice that he wouldn't make any noise was he walks, that his behavior patterns are beyond  that of the normal characters.

In the end, the player's right for having such speculations. In the end, the Batter went after the Queen who runs the entire world. The quest wasn't easy, as the game ITSELF broke apart because of the Batter's quest for purification. Apparently, purification took a different meaning within the game. It wasn't about saving the land, but rather to clear the land of all it's residents. The motive remained unclear until later.  After defeating the Queen, it is revealed that she is his wife. And then the baby that the player sees when they defeat a guardian.

This is where the true evil reveals himself: The batter himself! After he defeats the Queen, the cold-hearted being forces the player to fight the baby, who is both harmless and defenseless character in the game. This game wants the player to feel as they have blood in their hands, as they relies that everything that they know, or knew, was wrong. Just before The Batter flips the switch, The judge runs in stop the batter, becoming the real protagonist in the end.

This is where the final decision of the player will make within the game: either the Batter's ending, which is the official ending of the game, or the judge's ending, with is considered the special ending of the game.  When you select The Judge's ending, you see him as he truely is - A specture that would even harm and kill his kind just to finish his task. And before anyone says, I'm aware of the "true ending" of the game. HOWEVER, that was a joke ending referencing the UFO endings in Silent Hill. Therefore,  that ending is non-cannon...that, or the apes are evil! Yea another anime reference !?

However, this is where the metaphores comes in, as the true meaning of the game comes in place. While the place is one of sprites, it's not really the afterlife as people may suspect, as the world is literally a world of industry! Where the world of graphic design, technology, and the whole place resembles the working world...It's because it is.

 This game is actually based on  "the world is a smart-phone" Theory, which is listed below. The judge represent the good, as a smart-phone can be used for cat photos to bring happiness, the LOL-ness of the internet,  fun apps and games that represent the good parts of the world. However, There are always the ups and downs, as the Batter represents the evils in  world, as corporations run a muck just to earn a buck, the murder and brutalities that happens with and without reasons, and the all-around badness that happens.

However, There's an issue with this theory. For one, the world is truly a cell-phone, then it would quickly be out-dated as much as the south. As mush as smart as it is, it sounds just as flat as the Roman theory that the world is flat.  The thing is as much as Humanity sketch plans are usually in 2D. The world and the rest of their ideas are in the third dimensions. While there is power, realistically, everyone is human as everyone make errors. There's a reason it's considered a theory because France is sometimes scared to think outside the box. After all, while things can be called evil, the world will always be in grey. It's up for both white and black to clear up the evil that is stupidity...

Back to the game, it IS still an experience. Whenever it's a good or bad is based on the player himself and whenever he chose to do the right thing or just give up on making the right move because the move is considered non-cannon. That, and see how that he or she sees that they cannot truly control the game as they where hoping to. However, if they did like the official ending, I would personally  like to question them...IN COURT!


Oh here's the short version of the theory:

Good Reasons:
1. Internet and World Wide Web
2. Individual Based Content
3. Search sites
4. Innovation
5. Cell Phones

Bad Reasons:
1. Corporations
2. Inequity
3. World Hunger
4. Inequality in the Workplace
5. Honor Killings


Heh, I didn't say it was a GOOD theory, but oh well....

Learn From Nintendo, People.

Now before the anti-hype train comes crashing down on this blog, I am aware of some of the issues from this years E3. There where some games that suffered from frame-rate issues, some games that we where hoping to be playable weren't,  EA just posting the same game again and again, into our faces, and Sonic is just as mediocre as ever, now just as bad as Nickelodeon shovel-wear! However, there was some actually good. Games had more fun and humor in their trailers, Xbone finally had some games, Sony is Sony, and Nintendo streamed their games and got secant part support for their games.

In fact, Nintendo, like it or not, is actually the most humane of the companies at E3. While even I must admit that their steams where a bit annoying since the hands-on people where more for Public Relations (PR)  than actual game-play, they where light-hearted and understood most of their issues and even made fun of themselves with silliness like Adult-Swim's toy-mations from Robot chicken. It's good that companies listen to their fan-base.

However, not all companies learn from the experiences that companies like Nintendo. While they do play Nintendo games just to figure out how to make their own games like Sega, they don't learn the ethics that Nintendo fallows. For example, Nintendo dose have issues like their automated copyright strikes, but these aren't exactly for money, more of deference of their licences. Sega, On the other hand, did strikes on Shining Force, causing damages upon many Youtube channels. They did apologize and reopen some channels, but many other channels had to start all over again because of these copyright attacks. This is why many companies end up being boycotted by channels like Polaris...

In fact, Sega has been really messing up to the point they are looking twords Nintendo again to save them like in the Gamecube era. From the cartoon shovel-wear tie-in Sonic Boom and the awesome Bayonetta 2, package with the first game with extra content. It's nice that they help Sega live-On somewhat, but even they have Tea-time with the company about their issues. While there are people that will defend Sonic Boom, their first-look at E3 did now revive hope as many critics point out. While the new Aliens horror game is an awesome way to bring horror back to the main-stream, they still need help work-wise.

Nintendo has always been the seen as the good-old grandpa within the gaming industry which saved the game industry multiple times, especially from the game crash in the 1980's because of crappy shovel-wear within the industry. While they have done bad in the past as well, they at least made a gaming counsel instead of a PC-like social-bait system like Xbox-One or the Playstation 4. Companies had to sell their IPs, like the recent Capcom, because they have no clue what to do with them besides making DLCs which is costing them a fortune. Creators to even developers like Mega-man's founder, the creator of Metroidvania, or a Sonic Adventure left the company because they feel that they couldn't do anything about, nor for, their companies and either retire or make new companies.

Have any of their companies learned from their mistakes within the gaming industry? The answer to that question would be both yes AND no. Yes, because companies like Nintendo and somewhat of Sega has started to port games to other counties, removing DRM to a majority of their games like Gears of Gaming opposing on Steam, the annoying part, trying to be like steam and allow sales on their servers, which anyone's smart better off on Amazon.com. No because the Bold-face lies companies give to both gamers and employees, DRM still existing on some games, shovel-wear copy-cats of popular games done poorly, Reagan-locks and uninspired 4chan'd ports of game which remove past game references with bad dubbing and censors, and the fat-cat greed of the company just wanting to just make profit instead of making everyone happy.

All and all, E3 did shine on a new source of hope, which could be either true or false within the end of the development hell of the game's life-time. Life is about learning from both mistakes and failures and this applies to EVERYTHING. Now excuse me as I draw on passed-out critics and business people's faces and run laughing down the hallway. Tee hee...

Tomogachi Life: Nintendo's Fanfic Game

There is a major withdraw within the Simulation genre, as game series like Animal Crossing and The Sims have became more about how one slaves the player into their own personal debts. While they are often used to answer the question "How is it like on the other side?"  or "How dose being a god is like?" Sadly, they tend to be a quick cash grab so they could start their company like the creators of Goat Simulator, or to remind you that THE SIMS still exist under a company that is a shell of their former self.

Then there is Tomogachi life: a game that is not about the player, but about the Miis that live upon an island.  This game helps brings one thing that the Miis lacked after all these years - Their own personality and their own will. One can import any Mii from the Mii maker onto the island as they do their own thing.  The game is more of a small game experience instead of an over-whelming slave simulator.

 The selling points for Tomogachi life is that ANYONE can be in the game from celebrities to even your friends, neighbors, and even the creepy-looking people that you run into within street-pass, if granted. The thing is that the player can only INFLUENCE the characters but cannot control the character hands-on. The experience is more kin to keeping an eye on the Miis, feeding them food, giving clothes, and watching all the randomness occur. Thankfully, the game is NOT as demanding as most sim games, meaning you can leave the game alone for a long time and not be punish by the angry neighbors or town people.

But the problem with the game is that Tomogachi Life feels like an expensive application with little content as this game is a full priced tittle.  This may not seem to be an issue, however, it depends if people will buy it or not. This game is a "miles-will-vary" type of  Free-flowing simulation app, meaning there is only a few things to do and so little control. While the game can have it's own random shenanigans, the key word is random as in random numbers, as some events tend to repeat itself more than once.  The game can be boring at time, even if it is easy to pick up and put down. Bringing new Miis could help bring new life to the island, however, the results still remains the same.

However, the most frustrating part of the game is trying to help Miis married. Dear lord, the mini-game for that event is too luck based. I know luck can play a key part in a relationship, but NOT to this extreme! You have to tap his or her toughs are on the person's mind, but the mind is so jumpy, it's like trying to get you attention of a child who's diet is coffee and sweet treats! I know ones mind could be racing and spinning on some key moments of a person's life, but setting it up like a classic Mario Party mini-game is just unforgiving. The system is there just for the Miis can own their own home and can generate new Mii children. It can be offensive to some people, so I can understand the frustration.

If anyone had an issue with Animal Crossing but want a game that is easy to get into or get out of, this is a game for them.  However, it depends if a thirty five dollar application will hold anyone off. While it did hold me over personally for a time, the flaws of this game can be seen by almost anyone.  While some people can value of this game, it can wear-out very quickly. I recommend having a friend give you the trail version before picking up the game... Or just barrow it....Or just keep away... yes...

Battle Block Theater: Good use of recycled assets from Newgrounds

For those who where unlucky or lucky to watch my friend's Let's play of Castle Crashers as past-me with a bad PC Microphone, I do have to apologist as my past-me who is a troll-full idiot. I cannot harm him but yet he can harm me as he leave me mental scars as well as the physical scars on my body. The game suffered lags, disconnects, color contrast issues which makes players confused on who they are, and all around better on the xbox since most of the Steam port was Copy-&-Paste laziness. I just couldn't recommend the game on PC for anyone.

Now onward twords their new game Battle Block Theater. I am reviewing the steam version since it's the easiest version to get your hands one since the Xbox is dead and has a Steam-Workshop Community. The game has more replay-ability as you can make your own head decal or even make your own Level-sets  and share them within the steam network.  I originally got it to help with my friend's let's play, but since he prefers to have a younger cat to help him, I can't help but to feel like to bring out my old friendly machete out for a walk.

Where was I? Oh yes, the story. You where out with Mr. Hatty having a party when he and his friends on is ship which then became shipwrecked on an isle of cats. Hatty was then catnapped and was forced to wear an evil top-hat, which forced him to enslave the players as they are forced to entertain cats by running though platform-based levels. While playing, the player(s) get to over-hear the witty narrator, who's remained unnamed though-out the wacky adventure,  as he babbles as one progress though the game.

The biggest issue with the game is that it runs ENTIRELY in flash, an out-dated service that even Adobe has abandoned for the past few years. The reason for this is cost efficiency since Newground's creators have been working with this for years. The problem is Flash is uncompressed, meaning even with good specs, it can have performance issues and sometimes lags. Also, if anyone with a low connection tends to lag behind. I only had that issue once since I recently moved, but once the modem was changed, no problems.

As I mentioned in the tittle, the game straight out reuse assets from their older flash cartoons and games, which isn't too bad in some way, but it makes the game feel cheap in the audio areas of the game, as the music gets repetitive to make you chew your own friend's ears off just to save them from the pain. If you played Castle Crashers, you also get free cameo gears from the game. This is good, but it's also a cheap way to advertise Castle Crashers, as they give you Hatty  if you own both games. Even if I warn players not to get it, they tend to be lead like fatty wales to the slaughter.

However, this is a better game than Castle Crashers. The servers are better optimized, meaning if everyone's connections is fine, then the game should run well if Flash doesn't have it's random moments. Co-op is Co-optional, as you can even finish the game Solo and jump in or out at any time within a game.  While some community levels are better with a buddy, most can be completed by single player. Weapons can be utilized to help or hurt your co-op players, help "tame" the feral cats, and even reach areas that cannot be normally obtained.

IS it worth completing 100%? Only for achievements, maybe. Weapons have to be bought with yarn collected from levels, but after you get the last weapons, there's not real need to collect the last bits of yarn. They are needed to get A++, but they do collect up after awhile. The Gems, on the other hands, are used to buy new character designs and there are a lot of them. While they are nice to collect, they come randomly, so once you fine the one liked prisoner character, it feels like a completionist nightmare. Now you know how the Sonic fan base feels.

Still, Battle block Theater is a good game. Is it worth murdering your ex-friends? Maybe not, but it's something to talk about within the nut-house since it's one of those water cooler games. Different experiences, different ways to solve a problem, and many other hints on how to kill your friends, intentional or not. Now excuse me, my ride is here...