We Are Back!

The Broskington Post is making a complete and total comeback. We will have new articles soon and will be unveiling an awesome new logo done by an up and coming graphic artist named Angel Duarte. Check back in the near future for articles and ramblings on games, sports, and other things some people may or may not care about. Thanks for the continued views and hope to see ya soon!

-ahorne145

Injustice: Gods Among Mortal Kombat

A new Mortal Kombat game with DC skins?! How can you say no to that?!

Well, let me start with no.  This game is not a mere reskinning of the great MK9 of 2011 by the NetherRealm Studios.  It’s actually quite the opposite; it’s a fighting game that’s remarkably different than what you’d expect from the guys who made Mortal Kombat.  And way better than MK vs DC game from years back.

Allow me to clear some of this up.  Injustice: Gods Among Us is a fighting game based loosely around the heroes and villains of the DC universe.  It’s actually really cool; especially if you’re a super hero nerd like myself – it gives me an opportunity to show everyone that Batman WOULD kick Superman’s ass.  So besides of the pure novelty of the game; is it fun?  I’d like to think so.

The campaign plays out in a very cool, dumb, fun way.  It sets up with Joker about to set off a nuke in Metropolis (Superman’s city), and crazy time travel happens.  Select members of the Justice League are transported to a different dimension where Joker did blow up Metropolis, made Supes kill Louis Lane and their baby via Joker drugs, and Superman lost his shit.  I’m talkin ‘bout Superman KILLED the Joker, and then proceeded to rule the world!  This no longer the goody-two-shoes boyscout with superpowers that we’ve gotten to know; this is a fully-fledged supervillain.  Basically the story mode is split up into twelve chapters where you play as a character throughout the entire chapter – very similar to MK9’s story mode.  The remarkable thing about the story mode is how freaking cinematic it is.  By this I mean it feels like you’re watching a movie, and when it comes to fighting you’re in control.  There’s a seamless feel to it, and they pulled it off.  It’s really fun, and they do some really crazy things with the story that I enjoyed. As someone that actively hates Superman I displayed immense joy when I finally got to whoop on villainous Supes.

I:GAU is stocked full of content; it’s pretty overwhelming.

Along with the story mode you have this thing called S.T.A.R. Labs which contains over 200 battles/missions/minigames to do.  Most of them are repetitive after you do some of them, but they’re really silly.  Each character gets ten or so missions; there are some special ones you get for pre-ordering and I’m certain they’ll release more as DLC.  Some of my favorites are Red Sun missions which are reimagining of Superman if he landed in Russia instead of America.  It’s ridiculous; especially the Grundy missions.  You have to brainwash him to be zombie of Mother Russia.  They give you just ridiculous situations and you have to play along; it’s like when you’re a kid playing with your superhero figures.  You do crazy awesome shit with them, and that’s what this game feels like – especially in this mode. 

Just like in classic Mortal Kombat there’s an arcade-lite mode called Battles.  You face off a series of random characters with Superman at the end.  When you finish off your enemies you’re treated to a cut scene with how that character’s ending should be.  Most of them are pretty zany, and are treated as if it was like that hero/villain got the best ending ever.  It’s like in Mortal Kombat, and even if they’re a bit ridiculous it’s cool to see some of the endings.  Take Harley Quinn’s for example; she takes the Joker from our dimension and they rule the world or some shit.  They decide to get married, and at the wedding the Joker throws a chunk of the cake at Harley.  Something snaps in Harley and she slits Joker’s throat with the ceremonial cake cutting knife.  Nucking futs right?

Like any good fighting game it supports multiplayer.  There’s local and online.  My biggest beef with MK9 was the lag.  It was pretty rough most of the time and the lag made online brawls inoperable. They remedied this situation in Injustice, and added a couple of cool features.  They have this King of the Hill mode that’s pretty fun.  Basically it’s a room of players that take turns taking on the “king” who was the last victor of the match.  The cool thing about this is as a watcher you get to place on bets on the peeps playing like King is going to win or rival is going to win with 40% health.  If you get your bet right you get bonus experience.  It’s also a great way to learn some tricks by watching.  Now if I had actual friends I think this would be a treat to have; it would be really cool to smack talk your friends and then reap benefits.  There’s also standard one versus one and such.  It’s pretty solid online play. 

The gameplay is actually quite different than MK, and that’s a good thing.  First off there aren’t rounds.  You have two health bars instead, and the first to lose both health bars is the loser. There are no fatalities (unfortunately).  I’m pretty sure DC didn’t want that, so whatever.  There are things like the X-ray moves from MK9; you pull it off by building up your power meter completely and pressing both triggers.  Most of these are really cool and ultra-violent.  Some of my favorites include Bane doing the break the Bat move, Flash’s running around the world uppercut, and Aquaman making you get eaten by a Great White Shark.  It’s hands down the coolest thing ever.  The best part is you can do this regardless if you’re not in water.  So do it in the WatchTower that’s in space.  Yup.  That’s a Great White eatin’ yo ass!  So I mean this game made Aquaman fucking awesome.  That’s a feat in of itself.  You can also boost your special attacks by burning a chunk of your power meter thing which is really helpful in pulling off slick ass combos.  So the fighting of itself requires you to be more tactful, and to be good you have to be decent in juggling your opponent.  A really cool addition that’s a throwback to the old Mortal Kombat games is interactive environments.  Do you remember how in MK3 you could uppercut dudes and they’d fly off into another area?  You can do that in this game, but it is so much cooler.  Most levels have 2-3 sections to it, and like I said earlier it makes you feel immersed in the game by simulating that you’re in a large area.  I mean when I think of Superman fighting baddies he typically throws them through buildings anyways.  Arkham Asylum has the coolest level transitions; most involve the inmates – Scarecrow’s is the coolest especially for fans of Arkham Asylum series.

The question that I know that you’re burning for an answer: How’s the character roster?  It’s good, but it’s really the only fault with the game in my eyes.  The cool thing about the DC universe is there’s a massive roster of characters that have been made over the years.  Some of the choices in this game make me scratch my head and ask simply why?  The chief offender is Killer Frost.  I mean who IS this?  I’ve never heard of Killer Frost.  I wikipedia’d her, and found out she’s a foe of the superhero of Firestorm who isn’t even in this game.  Yeah, so I’m thinking they really wanted some weird, wide variety.  I don’t think anyone would’ve missed KF.  Clearly Mr. Freeze would’ve been a great replacement if you want someone with ice powers. Another problem I have is some of the ladies of Injustice.  Wonder Woman and Raven are gross.  I don’t know why, but they pretty much a man with huge boobs.  It’s pretty gross.  On top of that she’s one of the blandest and lamest characters in the game.  Raven, on the other hand, plays fine and dandy but is even grosser. She suffers from man-jaw-itus and the worst sounding voice for a woman (granted it’s demonic sounding) that I’ve ever heard.  Every time I’m forced  to fight her I’m like “Ewww! Ewww!  Let’s get this over with!”  It’s a shame because she was one of the cooler Teen Titan characters.  This leads to another issue, there’s a lot of heroes that are a part of groups like Justice League, Teen Titans, or even Legion of Doom that could’ve used a couple of additions to complete.  This is a pretty minor problem, but I mean they were one away with completing the founders of Justice League (Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Batman, Aquaman, and Green Lantern).   Why couldn’t have they added Martian Manhunter?  Ugh.  I mean they have stupid Shazam instead of MM.  That’s so dumb!

Ok I need to make this clear; I’m a huge fan of Batman and his villains not so much of the rest of DC heroes except for the likes of Green Arrow.  Justice League is cool I guess, same with Teen Titans.  So I obviously think they should’ve included more Batman villains/side characters.  Now I’m not saying Robin should be in the game or anything, but I mean they could’ve added some more.  I’m probably going to sound Batman crazy considering Batman, Nightwing, Catwoman, Joker, Harley Quinn, Bane, and Solomon Grundy (I don’t know why they put this zombie in this game) are in the game.  But I mean, Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze, Killer Croc, Scarecrow (would be really fucking cool), and Clayface would all make really cool and unique additions to the roster.

I guess I should mention that there is an IOS app for this game that you can play on your iPhone or iPad.  It's really boring; you merely tap the screen to perform attacks and on occasion swipe.  The only thing worthwhile about that is that you can unlock costumes like Batman Beyond or the Knightfall Bane for your console. 

There are really not any huge problems with Injustice except for some characters, but I think if you’re a fan of DC characters you’ll have a lot of fun with this fighting title.  Most problems I have with buying a fighting game (specifically a new one) is that I’ll play it for a week and not really play it again unless I’m hanging out with some friends.  Injustice conquers this problem; it has a buttload of things to do, and it’ll keep you busy especially if you are a completionist.  Now go show your friends who is the best superhero!

Defiance: VOTs of fun!

Before Defiance was released, I was not quite sure how to feel about it. At first, I thought it looked dumb and would explode in a fiery crash of silly SyFy flames. The more I thought about the fun I had in Rift and the pedigree of Trion Worlds, the more hope I had. The week before release, I finally preordered and got antsy with antcipation. Now it has been out for about two weeks and I have played enough to know whether or not I like it. Let me just say... I LIKE IT!

I think it might be broken...

Defiance is a bit tricky to explain, but let me try. The game plays as a third person shooter rolled up into an MMO, with a PvP that plays much like a separate game mode. The main story is fun and moves at a solid pace. While some of the voice acting is BAD, the story as a whole never felt interrupted. I liked the feeling that I was moving through the Bay Area in order to reach what was left of San Francisco. It felt as though I was actually doing some travelling. The moment when I finally reached the Golden Gate Bridge was as exciting as I hoped and fun just to take in the virtual destruction. 

Sometimes when Nolan talked my mind instantly went to John Wayne and the first Thanksgiving.

Part of the excitement of this game is the fact that it interacts with the TV show. While, there was not much interaction between the two in the pilot, I thought the episode missions were the best part. I liked the fact that we got to see the Nolan and Irssa background story play out in the game. I hope that we see more of these missions and interactions through the rest of the season.

The PVP is quite enjoyable and feels like a totally different mode from the main game. I love the feel of it because it breaks up some of the monotony of the missions and can keep the game feeling very fresh. It comes in two styles. One is a deathmatch mode that is fun once you have some powerful weapons. I would not recommend trying PVP at first, because you will get smashed. I tried and failed miserably until I got some weapons that let me hold my own. There is also a large, Battlefield feeling mode called Shadow War. Once they have corrected some matchmaking issues, this could be a viable mode. I wish I knew more about it, but I have yet to get into a match.

Tremors: The Game

One problem that I spotted instantly was the fact that most quests revolved around pressing and holding square. I felt as though later in the game this became less of an issue because there was a lot more clear this, or hold of the enemies, but at first things were very repetitive. Most MMOs are repetitive and that is why I am not throwing a fit. I just feel like this game has a lot going for it and could be a whole lot more creative.

I have run into very few bugs and am impressed with Defiance's launch. The main bug I ran into was reeeeaaaalllyyy frustrating. I had just bought the most expensive lock box and guess what? NOTHING WAS GIVEN TO ME!! That time I spent farming key-codes was wasted. Now, I entered a ticket and I am waiting for an answer. I also noticed that the quest givers and receivers disappear at times. This is also annoying because the only way to fix it is to log off and on. The voice chat is a bit of a failure too. Surprisingly, the way to fix that once it goes out is to also log off and on. 

While small bugs and repetitive questing can get annoying, my overall feeling towards Defiance is positive. The reviews that Defiance have received seem unfair and are definitely not the thoughts of the player base (at least that I have seen).With that being said, they can really fix a few things. I hope as they open new areas, the style of the world changes and looks less repetitive. I enjoy trying and modding different weapons, cruising through the world, and helping random NPC strangers as I went I believe the PVP, story and interaction with the TV show spell out a bright future for this third person-MMO hybrid.

WiiU: The Underdog

The boys of Broskington are ready to bring y'all something big. No really, it's going to be awesome. So, in order to prepare for this awesomeness, I picked up a Wii U about three weeks ago. After some time looking at it's features and playing some games, I can honestly say that I think the system can not only survive but thrive in the next gen console war. Here is what Ninty needs to focus on going for.

1) Market how useful the 2nd screen actually is.

When Nintendo first showed the Wii U controller, they wanted us to know how innovative it was. They focused on the types of games it could be used for and less about it can actually do. I am going to explain how I use it and hopefully something relates to you, the audience. I am a gamer through and through. I want to be playing a lot more than I actually get to. Now some things cut my playtime down drastically but can not be changed (ex. work.) One thing the Wii U's controller has allowed me to work around is the issue of TV sharing. In my house it is hard to play games until late at night because I am having to share the TV in the evening. Let's face it, our girlfriends don't want to watch us continuously throw Mario off a giant mushroom. Luckily, the second screen allows the player to play and the viewer to watch so to speak. I noticed how awesome this was when I realized I had been playing Mario for an hour and no one complained I was hogging the TV. I now have more time to play and less time fighting over the remote. This feature works great in New Super Mario Brothers U and Black Ops. Both of these games are addicting time sinks and now I have even more time to sink into them. I love it!

Another unsung feature about the screen is it is the secret cure to split screens. Most games on the WiiU does not need split screen because if two people are playing, one is looking at the pad and the other is looking at the TV. It is a simple thing that is not thought about often but it makes a big difference.

2) Ease of Access and Backwards Compatibility

Nintendo makes their systems for everyone and while some see this as a bad thing, I think its great. I can now get folks that never play games with me to play. Sure, the Wii was set up for this as well, but the Wii U looks better, plays better, and is a shit-ton more fun. It is what the Wii needed to be. With games like Mario Kart and Mario Party, the couch co-op scene is alive, and sure is easier than ever to get someone to play with you.

The other part of that makes the system accessible is the fact that it has backwards compatibility. While other systems move away from it Nintendo stares it right in its old-ass face. I love the Backwards compatibility because it allows me to pick up the Wii games I missed and play them while I wait for The U's heavy hitters. An added bonus is that the Wii games look good. They did not take a hit from being on the newer system. We saw how ugly older gen games can look on the new gen systems with the 360.

3) Market and They Will Come

Nintendo of America needs to learn how to market their products. Stop trying to convince everyone that the Wii U GamePad is a gimmick and just show what you can actually use it for. If your everyday regular guy has the same problems I did, they would love the Wii U. Just show people what this thing can do and convince them that it will just make their gaming experience easier. Stop trying to be fancy pants about it and put your damn blue jeans on!

If Nintendo starts to sell their system, the 3rd party support will come back. Money drives the market. Duh. If it's profitable they will invest. Nintendo Fanboys need to stop blaming the developer and blame that joke of a marketing department in the Nintendo Headquarters. It's that simple.

Nintendo, I am talking to you. You can do this. You have the characters and titles to create a juggernaut, you just have to sell your systems. You created a system that everyone would like if you let them know that they would. Most people still think this is either a giant DS or another crappy gimmick. It's YOUR fault they are thinking this way. Put your big girl panties on and market the shit out of Wii U based on its usefulness and not your stupid controller fetish.

Love you,
BP

A Survivor is Born (And so is a New Series)

I want to preface this whole article by saying that I love adventure platforming games. They are just about my favorite genre of video games. I loved the original Tomb Raider games and Uncharted is just about my favorite game series. I feel like I should say that because I might be a little bias towards the new Tomb Raider. With that being said I will try and be honest with the parts I did not like, which are not many since Tomb Raider 2013 is..... AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The new Tomb Raider needs to be in serious contention for game of the year. Other than a few annoying glitches, there is next to nothing wrong with this game. Some people complained about issues in the plot, but I will debunk those shortly.

Lara Croft's new adventure starts out with a monsterous bang. Within five minutes she has been kidnapped and hung upside down awaiting her demise. Of course, Lara has other plans and escapes this early snafu on her way to becoming a bonified action hero. As Croft jumps and sneaks around the Island she will encounter some cranky wildlife, pissed off pirates, and other creatures you will have to play to see. At first, these enemies can take down Laura in a couple of hits but with the leveling system Crystal Dynamics put in, it does not take long for Lara to be a genuine bad ass. This leveling system is one of my favorite aspects of the game. Your character gets better as the games difficulty stays relatively the same. Sure, it might sound like it would get too easy, but what this really does is make your character feel like she is growing into a strong survivor and hero. It is fun to actually feel growth instead of just being told that it's there.

The story is good, not amazing, and it does not suffer from the plot holes that I have seen most reviewers complaining about. Most people have trouble believing that she could go from a regular female achaelogist to killing machine, but the reason for that change is all over the place. First, if you listen to some background dialogue, the captain of the ship says that he taught her how to shoot and survive. Also, the best and easiest reason for the change is just based on survival. If some Chilean soccer players can eat each other to survive, then Lara can cap a few asses. Seriously, if she already has the skill, and fears for her life, she will do what it takes to live. I have no problem with this section of the story or how it  played out.

Sexy..... and I'm not just talking about Lara.

The only real glitches I experienced all happened in one place. It was late in the game, your surrounded, and in a small room. You freak out, shoot, and the background disappears... really talk about a breathtaking moment completely fubarred/ The cherry on top is the lag I experienced shortly afterword. After dying, all was corrected but it was still a bit frustrating.

The ending (no spoilers, I'm good like that) is very similar to Uncharted 1. It ends with a boss battle that is almost completely quick time events, which I liked because it made me anxious and excited. What sold me though was literally the final image. It was iconic and if you have been a Lara fan like me since the beginning you will love it and take notice.

I wrote the first part of this review some time ago and looking back on my playthrough, I feel nothing has diminished or changed. This is still easily one of my favorite games of this generation, and a great way to bring a classic character back from the conceivable dead.

Boobs simply means it's the best!

No Not Pokemon!

Do you remember JRPG’s? They are the role-playing-games of old.  They were the majority of story driven adventures featuring an unlikely hero taking on an evil megalomaniac.  When I was younger, I couldn’t get enough of JRPGs; there was something more tactile and immersive about them compared to their more action oriented brethren.  Games like Super Mario RPG, Final Fantasy, Pokémon, and Chrono Trigger are paradigms of the Japanese role playing game.  Since the launch of the Xbox 360, there has been a sharp decline in JRPG’s; I’d like to speculate that the reason behind this is that there is an ever-growing market for first person shooters and the like.  The JRPG’s younger brother, Western RPGs (Skyrim, Fallout, and the like) has all but replaced it.    I can’t remember the last JRPG on consoles that I played, and I actually wanted to complete.  I tried a few this year, Final Fantasy 13, 13-2 (DO NOT BUY), and a few others.  The problem is that they were more frustrating than fun, more simple than strategic, and more plain than intriguing.  I lost hope.  JRPGS have lost what made them memorable.  Have W-RPGS filled the void in my heart?

Lo and behold 2013 comes around; we trump the Mayan prophecy. For surviving we are bestowed upon; the treasure: Ni No Kuni the first JRPG of 2013.  Oddly enough, NNK was already released in Japan, and for whatever unlikely reason they decided to ship it over to the rest of the world. It was developed by Level-5 (known for Dark Cloud, Jeanne d’Arc, Professor Layton series, and others) and Studio Ghibili (traditionally a film studio known for their My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, and Spirited Away).  This is a Japanese dream team; I adore SG’s films, and Level-5 is pretty solid.  I haven’t heard of many animation studios working with video game developers to make a game; it makes my balls tingle with anticipation…Could Ni No Kuni be the JRPG that was prophesized by the Mayans?  The very game that will begin to bring JRPGs back on top?

Story

Ni No Kuni revolves around a thirteen year old boy named Oliver.  Oliver lives in a small town called Motorville with his mother.  As the town name suggests, cars are a pretty big deal here.  Olly’s best friend is rather handy for his age, and makes a little dragster for them to drive.  Oliver takes it for a spin, and crashes into the river.  Oliver’s mother’s mom-senses tingle and she finds her son drowning in the river.  She saves him, but she had a weak heart; the rescue takes it out of her.  Oliver’s mother dies in the aftermath, and Oliver is incredibly heartbroken.  Amidst the immense sobbing, Oliver’s tears land on his little doll and a creature comes to life.  The candle-hanging-from-nose small yellow creature’s name is Drippy, and he informs Olly that he’s from a whole different, parallel world called Ni No Kuni. As expected, Drippy enlightens us that Ni No Kuni is in dire straits, and Olly can help. A sinister being named Shadar keeps the people brokenhearted; the world is in turmoil. We also learn that in this parallel world there is a wizard that is Olly’s mother’s parallel world copy person (It’s like there’s two of one person that inhabit each world), and that maybe she can help Olly get his mom back.  Olly sets out into this whole new world to get his mom back, stop the shady Shadar, and make people happy.

Gameplay

NNK’s gameplay is very unique. It is also very familiar. The gameplay is one of the many things that make it fun and involving.  It borrows from many different titles to create a wholly different JRPG experience.  At its core, Ni No Kuni plays like a real-time Pokémon game. You get in battles when you run into an enemy on the world map – no random battles.  In battles, it feels somewhat like the gameplay of Tales series; you are in an arena-like stage with free movement and you can attack willy-nilly.  At the beginning of a battle, you control Oliver, and then you can pick between three of your familiars (monsters) to fight with.  It is totally possible/win-able to play as your character for the battle (I did this often towards the end-game). You have a wait-gauge (think Final Fantasy’s ATB gauge) to use your attacks.  NNK borrows from Final Fantasy’s new battle system; when you use your default attack you just watch ya Pokémon familiars wail on baddies for a few seconds.  I don’t hate this, but it’s definitely different.  When you hit the attack button your lil’ dude will do a flurry of attacks leaving you a moment to plot your next move.  The cool thing about this is you can implement defend/evade while you’re attacking, so when a baddie does a super move you can avoid massive damage.  It’s strategic albeit a tad simple.  It makes you feel more involved than mindlessly tapping the X button till your familiar kills the bad guy.  Another benefit of paying attention to cues to block is that you’re granted to golden glim that allows you use to super move – which are invaluable. These super moves can turn the tides against a difficult boss. 

Back to the Pokémon comparison; you capture little monsters on your journey (no you don’t put them in balls).  Familiars come in all different shapes and sizes.  Similar to Pokémon, familiars have different elemental affinities: fire, wind, water, and so on.  Unlike Pokémon, familiars also have celestial affinities; it plays like rock, paper, and scissors; there’s sun, moon, star, and planet.  All have strengths and weaknesses to each other except planet that are just lame-ass neutral.  There are nearly 300 different familiars in NNK.  As you battle with your familiars they grow stronger (so do your characters!), and learn skills and can even evolve to stronger creatures.   The thing that is different is when you evolve a familiar the new form goes all the way back to level one, so there’s a risk/reward when considering evolving.  Every familiar has three stages of evolution, and in the third evolution it gives you the option to pick between two very different ones.  All of this allows for you to keep a varied team, and experimentation what works and stuff.

You keep your critters in a bestiary where you can feed them little treats like ice cream, meat, and even scones!  This sounds a little Tamagotchi-ish, but feeding your monsters these little treats boosts their stats – it’s actually worthwhile to feed ‘em.  You can also equip them with armor and weapons to further boost their stats.  It’s cute to see a little monster don the classic shield and sword! 

Oliver and the rest of your crew do gain levels, but unfortunately they do not evolve like their familiars.  Oliver and co learn more skills and spells to help in battle.  The characters are generally weaker than your familiars, so you don’t want to spend a lot of time playing as them amidst a battle.  This changes when you reach near the end of the game when Oliver learns a lot of incredibly powerful spells.  I didn’t really like that so much; it made me feel like all the time spent fighting as my familiars felt wasted.

In terms of quests there’s not a whole lot of revolutionary stuff going on here.  You always have a story quest to do, and you can go about that whenever you want.  In the world map you can go just about anywhere you want, and when you reach certain areas it takes you into a town or a dungeon.  A town allows you to buy new gear, items, talk to peeps, and do quest-y things.  Dungeons are very linear, but there are occasional puzzles to spice it up.  You have SO MANY SIDEQUESTS.  But it’s actually a good thing.  NNK implements a merit stamp system.  When you complete side quests you earn stamps, earning stamps fills up your stamp card, and filling up your stamp card grants you prizes! I LOVE PRIZES.  The prizes are really lame at first, but the end-game you need the prizes.  The prizes are all passive benefits for your character; you earn the ability to jump to even reduce the cost of using abilities.  Sidequests come in one of three completely different delicious flavors. 

My favorite is bounty hunts; you go and kill a big bad monster.  IT’S LIKE MONSTERHUNTER!!! TROLOLOLOL.  Uh.  Moving on…you can cure denizens of their broken heartedness.  This means you have to find what their problem is; are they lacking motivation, shamelessly eating cake endlessly, or are they just really grumpy?  You come across really happy people and ask them if you can borrow a piece of heart.  This is where the game takes a dark turn.  Our lovable, gentle Oliver pulls a Dexter; sedates his happy prey and take their heart out. TROLOLOLOLOLOL. I kid.  You actually cast a cool little spell that allows you to take some of the happy person’s overflowing and save it in a container for later!  You use the extra stuff (confidence, joy, or whatever) on the depressed person.  The last type of side quest is just fucking odd jobs.  These are like things a normal pre-teen would be out doing for weirdos in their neighborhood from getting all the different ingredients for some chef’s curry to killing monsters to make a bikini for a girl (THAT’S ACTUALLY A THING.). So they’re tedious, but worthwhile.  I think it’s totally possible to complete Ni No Kuni without doing these side quests.  But if you do ‘em you’re mo’ better.

Game feel

Ni No Kuni is the most polished semi-traditional JRPG I’ve played since the games of SNES. Everything feels good from exploring on the world map to jumping into a battle. NNK implements cel shaded graphics, and BOY do they look purdy.  When you enter the first town, Ding Dong Dell, you get all sorts of feels.  The music, the look, and the theme of the town are great. OH! And you are treated to Studio Ghibili cut scenes.  They really add to the game despite using a cartoon instead of in-game graphics.  The music is sooooo good.  It is completely orchestrated, and they have a great battle theme.  They do a great job of changing the tune when things happen adding to the experience. 

Once you’ve done a few hundred battles you get a good feel for what you have to do, and I gotta admit it’s pretty easy.  The only time when NNK is challenging is when the game expects you to be a certain level.  This means the monsters will bend you over and fuck you.  It sucks!  The end-game wanted me to be around level 70, but I was only around 50.  I didn’t want to grind.  The game for the most part doesn’t make you grind to get through the main story quests, and it was weird when it suddenly forced you to.

The story doesn’t really mature much as you continue playing the game.  If you’ve played Kingdom Hearts you’ll have an understanding as to what I’m talking about.  The game is very feel-good, and the bad guys are forced to seem sympathetic (because they are brokenhearted so hard) after you kill them and stuff.  So at the end, I felt like this game was catered for babies who are really into in-depth RPG’s. I don’t even…

I really liked what Ghibili and Level-5 created here, yet there’s nothing incredibly revolutionary here – especially for those who used to be a big fan of JRPGs.  Now if you compare this game to JRPGs of this generation this is really the crème of the crop.  Ni No Kuni has ridiculous production values, and it is really immersive.  I’d also like to think of NNK as the game that’s like what if Pokémon was a real-time game.  Ni No Kuni delivers hope for JRPG’s for the future, and Japanese developers should take note.  This is a good game.

End of the line: if you like Pokémon, JRPGs, or have a PS3 it’s a must-have; otherwise, don’t worry about it.

My Best Picture Reviews (Of What I Have Seen So Far)

DISCLAIMER: I have yet to see Les Miserables and Life of Pi therefore I will not comment on them in this article. It's not that there bad movies, in fact they may be good but one is a musical and the other is about a boy, a tiger and a boat. They were not at the top of my priority list.

Well, after sitting through just about every Best Picture Nominee 2013 has to offer, I have to tell you: This year is strong. I laughed, cried, squirmed, felt anxious and loved almost every minute I spent watching these flicks. In fact, I loved them so much I am going to mini-review and rank each one. I decided to not only numerically rank them, but also put them in three catagories: No Way Bro, I Can Respect That, and Hot Damn That Was Awesome!!! Each catagory tells how I felt about the movies in particular. Without further ado, let's get going.

No Way Bro

7. Amour: Amour is not a bad movie, it was just not my cup of tea. In a year filled with military dramas and dark comedies about crazy peeps this French flick just does not stand out. Amour is mainly about Georges, an eighty year old man who must take care of his ailing wife Anne. The movie plays out painfully slow as the couple realize the meaning of love and how it changes over time. The relationship between Georges and Anne plays out well and the depressing message in the film is both intelligent and poignant, which is why I think this movie deserves the chance to be viewed if you have some free time. However, this is not a contender like some of the others I have seen and for that there is no way this will be the Best Picture at the end of the month... Bro.

6. Lincoln: Ok so this pains me to say but Lincoln was not that bueno. I am a history buff, hell, I'm a history teacher but dang this movie was boring. When I think of Lincoln, I think of a book like "Killing Lincoln" by Bill O'Reilly. Sure, he is not anyone's favorite author but his book is action packed and catches the emotion of Abe's final days. Did I like Daniel Day-Lewis's portrayal: YES! Did I like seeing the return of Tommy Lee Jones to the big screen (which if you have not seen "In the Valley of Elah" yet I highly recommend it): YES! But, on a whole was this movie entertaining and interest holding... NO! Thanks Spielberg for trying to capture a moment, but like last year's J. Edgar, you failed. Sorry.

I Can Respect That

This is the moment when opinions change drastically. Those first two movies were my least favorites in the catagory, no doubt. The rest of the movies I saw that are in this catagory are much harder to choose from. I did not mean to group the following two movies together, but it is how I felt about them and they just happen to be similar.

5. Zero Dark Thirty: First off, Jessica Chastain you are awesome. With that said, I found Zero Dark Thirty to be highly entertaining and also a little long winded. I felt that this movie told the story of the hunt for Osama well, but lacked the emotion I felt in my lifetime while this took place. When they finally got Osama, I wanted to feel pumped and excited. Instead, I felt meh. Just meh. I was disappointed with that feeling and blame that on the fact that this movie took too long to develop. at 160 minutes it was too damn long. With that being said, Chastain was the bees freaking knees, and it was nice to see Andy (or Chris Pratt) finally be the bad ass he deserves to be.. BURT MACKLIN FTW!!!

4. Argo: Now this is what I am talking about. Argo had emotion behind it, great actors, and made me just the right amount of feel-good and pissed. For those of you who let this fall between the cracks. it tells the story of a CIA operation that led to the rescue of 6 embassy workers in Iran when the embassy was taken over in 1980. Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) of the CIA decided to create a fake movie staff with the help two producers (John Goodman and Alan Arkin) in order to get into Iran unnoticed. The plot is absolutely nuts and the best part is it is true. It moves a little quick but I liked that about it. I felt anxious during the last 45 minutes and rightfully so. Affleck does a great job here and really makes me feel like he is Mendez, the guy that did all the work and recieved no credit. This is the first movie on the list that I think could win best picture, it could even be the favorite after it's SAG win, but I doubt it will. Argo is a great flick but lacks the creativity and emotion that the top 3 do. Prepare for what some might consider an upset choice...

Hot Damn That Was Awesome!!!

3. Django Unchained: I freaking love Django. I was so pumped during this movie. Every time that someone deserving was killed, I was pumped. This film captures justice in a jar. Jamie Foxx once again brings it home as the protaganist, Christoph Waltz is as cool as ever, and Leonardo DiCaprio is as epic as ever. The tale of a slave turned bounty hunter killing the evil in the world is great. When he finally goes after DiCaprio in order to save his wife (Kerry Washington), it moves into the realm of amazing. Django tip-toes around a three hour runtime, but never feels like it. I never found myself to be bored because the gun fighting scenes were awesome. The script was on par with what we expect from Tarantino, but the show stealer was Samuel L. Jackson.He is superb in yet another Tarantino film and his character is absolutely cringeworthy, in the best way.

2. Silver Linings Playbook. SLP is one of my favorite movies of all time. Right now I think about it and feel anxious, but I want to laugh as well. This is the result of the amazing chemistry the actors have in this movie. Bradely Cooper as Pat is one of my favorite characters in any movie... ever. He is so damn neurotic yet heart felt, funny, and heart-breaking at the same time. Do I want him to win best actor? YES! His character just screams real world along with the rest of this movie. There is only one movie that got me more emotionally invested this year and it is the one that tops this. Before I get to that, I have to share a story about the film I am discussing. I first saw this with fellow blogger bobwinkle12, and our feeling about this film was mutual: Pure Unadulterated Happiness. We laughed so hard I could barely drive and it gave us such a rush of Euphoria. If you missed this film, unfortunately you have missed a lot. 

1. Beasts of the Southern Wild: For our blog audience this might come as a surprise, but my favorite Best Picture nominee was Beasts of the Southern Wild. Rarely, do I emotionally connect with a movie in the first ten minutes but here I did. I don't know if it is because of my surroundings, job,  or what but I felt instantly connected to this film. Beasts is a fantasy tale about a six year old girl named Hushpuppy, her abusive and unhealthy father, and her Louisiana home "the bathtub". Huhpuppy must be both a little girl, and hero to her friends and neighbors. Her adventure unfolds quickly and creates large amounts of anxiety through out. Her resilience is also a sign to anyone in a tough spot, that it can get better if you try hard an never give up.  Quvenzhane Wallis and the rest of the no-name cast are amazing and very believable. Their performances will make you both laugh and get teary eyed. To understand exactly what the cast and crew went through to film this you need to look up the whole story. You will be surprised and astonished at the work put in.