The Importance of the Solo Gaming Experience

Howdy ladies and gents and welcome to another blog post from your online friend, the Hypersonic55! Today I wish to talk about something that’s been on my mind for a few days now and that is the importance of the solo video game experience.

Now in recent times my sister has started playing Kingdom Hearts again (Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix to be exact) and it’s fun to watch her play and I would like to join in but I know I can’t because it is her game. KH is her game series and while I’ve helped on occasions, this has been HER thing and I know if I jumped in to progress the game she’d be pissed. Much like I would be if she impeded on my Zelda gaming. The thing about us is that since video games were introduced into our household my sister and I shared our games. Sure there were certain games that were exclusive to each of us, but a lot of games we shared like Streets of Rage, Super Mario Sunshine, Sonic Adventure 2: Battle and the Super Smash Bros. series among others. But what has become apparent is when I went to university, people asked me about the games I’ve played and I told which ones I’d played, but when we talked about certain games and specific things like completion, I realised that I hadn’t finished these games or experienced them for myself properly because I’d only played part of the adventure and my sister or friend had done the rest.

Now don’t misunderstand me, I LOVE playing video games with not only my sister, but my friends and people I don’t know in general. These days there’s barely any games that exist without a multiplayer component, especially when it comes to online gaming. That being said, there are those who still appreciate a solid solo gaming experience with a good main campaign, and I am one of those people.

The reason I like playing games on my own is because you get to experience the game in its fullest capacity. You get to take in the story, check out every inch of the gameplay, find out the secrets and see if what the replay value is like. With platforming games like the Sonic the Hedgehog, Super Mario or Mega Man series, it is fine to play the whole way through or just come back to in short bursts. The rules apply to racing and fighting games. But when it comes to game genres like adventure and RPG with story elements, that’s when it becomes a different kind of experience to other genres. The Legend of Zelda series is one that really requires just one gamer because most games don’t have multiplayer elements incorporated. Sharing my early years of Wind Waker with my sister was fun for sure, but these days I feel like I missed out on so much by taking it in turns to play the game. That’s why I had so much fun playing games like The Minish Cap, A Link Between Worlds and more recently Skyward Sword. RPGs especially are all about story and solo gaming and none of those games would be a complete experience if you switched between you and another player. RPGs require strategy, concentration and determination to solve puzzles, fight bosses, use items effectively and find secrets, etc. Playing games like Final Fantasy IV, Golden Sun, Fire Emblem: Awakening or the various generations of Pokemon would not be the same if I gave the games to someone else to play with me. Even some of the 3D Sonic the Hedgehog games would not have the same level of satisfaction if I had shared it with other people, playing through Sonic 4: Episode 1, Adventure 2: Battle, Colours and Generations on my own was great experiences.

When you share a solo-based game with someone else, some of the game’s experiences aren’t your own and while it may not matter to some; playing games to completion on your own is a big deal and some consider your game experiences hampered by playing it with other people. There is just something super satisfying with playing games on your own and experiencing everything that game has to offer for yourself without the aid or the distraction of others. These days I take my solo gaming quite seriously and try to take on most games when I can.

So going back to the Kingdom Hearts series, seeing my sister go through Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix has been fun, but at the same time has been very saddening as I would love to have played it all myself, but I can’t, because this is her game series, it is her experience and all I can do is occasionally level grind, and that sucks. I adore this game series, I love the gameplay, characters, replay value and story (though it is complicated and messy as hell), however, I’ve barely played any of the games myself. I’ve played good portions of KH1 & 2, but I still have tried the Birth By Sleep, Chain of Memories, Coded or Dream Drop Distance. The only game in the series I’ve played is 358/2 Days, the game that’s regarded as the worst in the series and I only got to play this because it was exclusive to the Nintendo DS. Most people despise that DS entry, but I quite liked it, 358/2 Days felt like a simplified version of the first game with a different kind of progression and levelling up system. Some of the portable games I should be able to play for myself, however I fear that when Kingdom Hearts 3 comes out I’ll probably not get to play that to the degree that I want unless I get a copy for myself or create a separate save file.

Anyway to conclude I just wanted to point out that gaming, as fun as it is to play with others, I still value the solo gaming experience and would like to make sure that I get around to playing as many solo games as possible without having to share some of these experience with my sister.

So what do you think of this post? Do you agree that solo games should just be experienced by one person or could those games be shared with other people and still be a rewarding experience? I would love to read your thoughts below. Until next time, laters! 🙂

 

Revisiting The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Good day to you ladies and gents, and welcome to this blog post. This year has been a good time for video games, I have played a fair amount including Fire Emblem: Awakening, the brilliant Super Smash Bros. 3DS, and starting over with StreamWorld Dig, Mutant Mudds and Kid Icarus: Uprising. Obviously, they are primarily 3DS games, but that’s been my main gaming console for the year and other games I’ve played have been via my friends at uni. I haven’t been able to play many new games because I’m still low on funds (as usual), so I’ve been going backwards in time for my gaming and over the last three weeks I’ve gone back to one of my favourite games from 2011; The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

Ah Skyward Sword, we’ve had a strange history we have. It is game I love but have only played it for a short time when compared to some of my favourite games. Now I’m going to talk about my experience with this game, so consider this a semi review of sorts. 🙂

My History

Since E3 2010 I had been looking forward to playing this game, and after playing a demo at the MCM London Expo in October 2011, I was really intrigued to play more of this game with the new motion controls. So I got the game on the day of release and pretty much played it for weeks afterward. You see Skyward Sword was not only one of my most engrossing gaming experiences in a long time but it was also one of the most in-depth Zelda experiences I have had too. After 2009 my interest in gaming started to dip a fair amount, I think it may have been because I was just gaming on my Nintendo Wii or maybe it was because I started getting into watching films in the cinema, whatever it was, by the time 2010 came around I wasn’t that fussed. So in 2011 Sonic Generations was my first super happy time gaming again and then Skyward Sword just exceeded that. I fell in love with that Zelda game because for the longest time I have played many games in the series since Ocarina of Time, however Wind Waker was the first proper Zelda game I got into and played for a long time, but Skyward Sword is the first Zelda game I actually engaged with and felt like completing (besides Four Swords Adventure). I played the game almost everyday after I bought it and got around just over halfway through the game, however, after I went home for Christmas and had to leave the Wii back at home when I went to uni in 2012, I pretty much lost my groove and couldn’t get into the game again, so I left the game and never played it again, until this year.

Revisiting The Game

So after THREE YEARS, and being very curious about the game, I decided to start over from the beginning on a separate file and my god, I felt the love all over again. I started playing the game and remembered the feeling wonder, surprise and fun that comes with starting a new game, however a lot of the criticisms of game that I’ve heard from certain fans have definitely become apparent. Criticisms of the game ar as follows:

• The beginning of the game is still fun, but the amount of tutorials and talking at the start of the game was quite frustrating, tedious and unnecessary. It didn’t spoil my experience, however I’m not sure how I was so patient with it before.
• Sometimes the controls can be a bit fiddly, because the game relies heavily on motion controls. Sometimes it is hard to make precise hits or movements even with Wii Motion Plus. Also sometimes the amount of motion controls in the game feels unneeded and could have easily been done with buttons instead.
• That stamina meter, while it is great for running and climbing quicker, at the same time it can be very annoying when doing regular tasks like running, climbing, attacking, moving objects, etc. It is very tedious and can be very inconvenient when you run out of juice while in the middle of battle or moving over quicksand.

Besides the issues listed above, it is still hella fun. Jumping back into the game after so long made it feel like a new experience, however it was great to remember all of the things that I liked about the game when I first played it and that shows that the game definitely has replay value.

The Reason I Like It

While Skyward Sword has a bit of mixed reception within the Zelda community, it is definitely regarded as one of the better games in the series, and for me personally I REALLY like this game. The story is pretty interesting too, Link is a great protagonist and seeing him and Zelda in a romantic relationship is different but quite interesting, I also love Ghirahim as the antagonist, he’s such a creepy/insane badass. I also love seeing everything all the foreshadowing that will come into play with the other games in the Zelda timeline. The visuals have a nice blend of watercolour paintings mixed in with the cel-shaded style of Wind Waker and realistic style of Twilight Princess and it gives off this very bright, vivid and charismatic type of game which is charming and pleasant to look at. And then there is the soundtrack which is gorgeous! The orchestral sound is heavenly and adds a lot to the gameplay when travelling and battling, the best songs being “Ballad of the Goddess“, “Ghirahim Battle“, “The Sky” and “Separation” to name a few. In addition to that, gameplay-wise, having the ability to run fast in a Zelda game (without the use of the Pegasus Boots) is a BIG deal and I LOVE it, I just like running all over the place. In addition to that flying on the Loftwing in the sky is one of my favourite experiences in the series, and I prefer it to riding Epona and possibly a bit more than the boat in Wind Waker. I also like the combat and the way it gives you full-on control and satisfaction when you kill your enemies. Foes you meet in the main worlds are fun to take out, I love fights with the Stalfos and Ghirahim, and some of the boss battles are epic and cinematic. And finally I like the way you get to interact with NPCs, have different choices with responses and deal with side missions and gear upgrading similar to Monster Hunter.

Conclusion

In conclusion The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, I still love this game. Some aspects of the game are a bit tedious, however I still love it. The gameplay is fun and exciting, the visuals are beautiful and the music is incredible, and playing through the game the second time is super fun and I haven’t felt this kind of fun since A Link Between Worlds last year and I can’t wait to finally finish this game. If you haven’t experienced the game yet I would recommend it, it’s a good time.

So have you played The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, and if so what do you think of it? Do you love it, hate it or feel indifferent? And how do you think it compares to the other Zelda games? Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments below.

 

My Quick Impressions On The New Zelda Wii Footage!

Good day to you ladies and gents, time to talk about some very important gaming news. Imagine my surprise when I woke up today and went online to browse the internet (as usual) only to find out that the upcoming Zelda game for Wii U has had footage debuted. My reaction to this was like “What? Really? In December?” (I didn’t know at the time about it being attached the Game Awards) Then my thoughts quickly turned to “I need to see this now.” So I ventured online to YouTube and to say I was quite hyped afterwards would be the biggest understatement of the year.

Check out the awesome video below:

So what do I think of this gameplay? I think next year needs to hurry the hell up as I am frigging over the moon about this footage.

I remember seeing the first trailer revealed at E3 this year and being completely blown away by the in-game HD graphics, art design and sense of scope when it came to the landscape. Now with this trailer it allows us to see just a little more of this new world, how Link will traverse it and a bit of the combat works.

What do I think of this overall? I love it, I’m totally in love. Straight from the time video begins you are treated to an incredibly beautiful sight; an open field with lush greenery with a sunset in the background, it is gorgeous. I hate to go on about the visuals so much but they are truly incredible, they are rich in colour, incredibly detailed (especially with the environments), and the animation looks so smooth and charismatic. Also there is a nice blend of the detailed side of Zelda games and the cel-shaded side of things, plus some new levels of realism that I think could only be done with the Wii U’s hardware. The verticality of the land is very impressive and the distance you can see into the background is insane. It has been said before, but it is impossible to not make comparisons to Skyrim, this really is the Zelda equivalent of Skyrim, from the size of the map to the different ways you can move across the land to sheer sense of vastness and mystery. As for the gameplay it looks very cool, to see the Sailcloth return from Skyward Sword makes me happy and seems like it will make traversing the land a lot easier, in addition to that the return of horse riding via Epona is back with all the things you could do before except now the horse seems to move automatically and will also avoid bumping into trees too. And when it comes to combat you can swing your sword while on horseback and you can shoot arrows too or for extra badassery you can jump off of your horse, aim and shoot your enemies in slow motion (just like in the E3 trailer).

In conclusion I was hyped for this game before and now I’m just in pain just waiting for this next Zelda game. It looks pretty and I can only imagine how good the gameplay will be. Give me 2015 now yo! 😀

 

Symphonic Legends London Featuring music from The Legend of Zelda™ series Review

Good day to you ladies and gentlemen, time for a review I wanted to get up yesterday but didn’t have the time to sort out. After attending the London Film and Comic Con on Sunday I went to another event at the Barbican, a concert entitled Symphonic Legends London Featuring music from The Legend of Zelda™ series. After experiencing the epicness that was the Symphony of the Goddesses last May, I went to this concert super excited to hear some orchestrated Zelda music again. So how was this concert? Well read on and find out.

So for those not in the know, this was basically a concert in which the London Symphony Orchestra performed orchestrated versions of music of The Legend of Zelda series. After the beginning introduction, the concert was broken into a three main acts; one segment for Skyward Sword, Wind Waker and a Zelda Symphonic Poem. All in it was an incredible, nostalgic and different kind of experience.

The concert was full-on classical music and it was a very different take on the Zelda music when you compare it to what was done with the Symphony of the Goddesses concert. SotG was more of an orchestrated version of the game music that sounded just like the songs you knew but in a classical music kind of way, but in this concert the musical arrangements and choice of instruments pretty much changed the style of songs completely. The first main act with the music from Skyward Sword was amazing and incredibly bold, powerful and adventurous. The version of the “Ballad of the Goddesses” was SO good, “Skyfield” was GORGEOUS and the “Girahnim’s Theme” and “Girahnim’s First Battle” was INCREDIBLE, it was so sinister, creepy and dangerous. The Skyward Sword part of the concert was lovely and to hear these new arrangements of the songs from the game was such a heartwarming experience. Next up was the Wind Waker segment and that had an additional set of musicians playing some of the music with violins and pianos used in ways I never would have expected. What we then got was “Title Theme“, “Outset Island” and some other specific songs here and there that sounded so pretty. That being said I was gutted that some of my favourite music was omitted like “Dragon Roost Island” or “Windfall Island” among many others.

After that the final major act had music that felt many improvised with a few Zelda songs thrown in from Ocarina of Time and A Link To The Past (well at least those were the ones that I picked up). The hearing the music “Fairy Flying“, “Gerudo Valley” and “Kokiri Forest” brought back some crazy nostalgia and was instantly recognizable, but I think the best part of this act was the orchestrated version of “Dark World“, that was SO good. It was incredible how beastly, badass and film-like the song sounded. It was moments like that along with the choir and choice of instruments that made the music sound like it belonged in a film and at points it sounded like something that John Williams would have come up with. Yeah, this music sounded THAT good.

The different take on the Zelda music was interesting and in some cases changed the perspective on those songs completely thanks to the arrangements done by the orchestra. Some it was really impressive and really cool, but at some points the songs were completely unrecognizable and I felt like unless you had a very good ear, some of these songs you wouldn’t know about. I also felt like a lot of the songs were improvised and I’m all for change and reinterpretation, but some of the songs were bit too long and strayed a little too far from what I know from the video games.

In conclusion Symphonic Legends London Featuring music from The Legend of Zelda™ series concert was an awesome experience. The Zelda series has a great library of songs and soundtracks and the orchestrated arrangements of these classic pieces of music was totally mind-blowing, emotional and cinematic too. While I do not believe this concert to be as amazing as the Symphony of the Goddesses concert, it’s different take on the Zelda music was really incredible and makes me believe that everything sounds better orchestrated.

So if you attended the Symphonic Legends London Featuring music from The Legend of Zelda™ series what did you think of it? Also if you haven’t attended an event like this would you consider it in the future? Whatever your thoughts are be sure to leave them below yo and I’ll see ya on the next review. 😀

 

E3 2014 Is Over… Boo! Here’s My Overall Highlights

Good day to you ladies and gentlemen and welcome to another blog post from me, Hypersonic55. Ah, woe is me. E3 2014 has been over for two days now and there is an emptiness in my soul that seriously can’t be filled right now. It sounds sad, but honestly when you spend the best part of four days sitting around with you best friend checking out all the awesome game announcements and then it all comes to an end, it really does feel like the end of a crazy roller coaster ride that you never wanted to end. After all the major games happenings had taken place on Thursday this week, me and my housemate really felt like there was nothing left for us to do except wait for E3 to happen again next year. Yeah THAT good of an event, well at least for games it is.

So with all this in mind, this is my overview of my favourite parts of E3 this year.

The Press Conferences

When it comes to the press conferences I think all of the major companies did very well, there was a lot to take in and appreciate and while it wasn’t all perfect and some companies did better than others, I can safely say that all of them gave gamers stuff to be excited about. As for who I thought won, well that’s a bit of a controversial one. While I liked the stuff that came from EA, Microsoft and especially Ubisoft because of their delightful, funny and beautiful presenter, Aisha Tyler, none of them held a candle to what Sony and Nintendo busted out.

Out of the press conferences I believe that Sony killed it. Sure they got bogged down with all the talk of this development for TV shows and boring stuff like that, but for me they had some of the best reveals of E3 even if not all of the games were their exclusives. But for most people, Nintendo were the clear winner and it is hard to argue with that. Their online presentation was one of precision, information and all round entertainment. Teaming up with Robot Chicken was incredible because it allowed Nintendo to have fun, joke around with their own shortcomings and provide something that was unlike what we have seen from them before. While I don’t believe that their digital event was enough to knock the wind out of me, I did love what they released to the public. But I think the reason they should be allowed to win is because of the Reggie vs. Iwata fight for the Smash Bros. Mii reveal, that alone is one of the best things ever in life. FACT.

Absolutely badman.

Favourite Games of E3

Now I’m going to talk about the games that stood out for me the most in order of interest.

Mortal Kombat X

I think it is safe to say that this was my favourite game from E3. I’ve played Mortal Kombat 9 and ever though I can’t play it very well, I loved it. But this new game looks SO good that it is impossible to ignore. The visual quality of this game is on a level so much higher than before. The character models and environments have received insane new levels of detail and intricate levels of animation. But it is the gameplay that really gets me super hyped, the faster combat, new moves, brutal new X-ray moves and the filthy new fatalities are on a level so much more hardcore than before. I need this game in my life now, end of.

No Man’s Sky

The core concept of this game looks like there is an endless amount of possibilities available for exploration and general fun if the execution is done well. When this game was revealed at E3 I literally freaked out at the beautiful worlds on the planet surfaces, but then was shocked at how seamless it was to jump in a ship fly out into space and then go off to another planet… With No Loading. Give me this game. I want it now.

The Legend of Zelda

This new Zelda game just has me in a bit of frenzy right now. The first time I saw the in-game graphics for the game I blew up! The game looks GORGEOUS! It’s like Hyrule Field from Ocarina of Time except on a Skyrim kind of level of size and scale, realised in HD and it looks bloody awesome. All the talk about taking the game back to the first Zelda game and making it all about exploration with no hand-holding just gets me giddy. It really seems like this could be the finest Zelda game ever if Nintendo are willing to break conventions and try something new and fresh while retaining the core elements that make a Zelda game good, just follow the path of A Link Between Worlds and I’ll be all over this game.

Super Smash Bros.

To be honest I wasn’t expecting to be too much more information to be released for this game beyond a release date and some playable demos. Oh how foolish I was. Not only did I get that, but there was the Smash Bros. tournament, a list of modes shown of, the new Amiibo figures that would be compatible with this game, but there was the announcement for 3 new characters which included the Mii fighters and Palutena from Kid Icarus, but the biggest news to happen related to Smash Bros was the announcement of Pac-Man. I think my world pretty much blew up after that news went viral. After I saw that trailer I knew that Nintendo had me, now and forever, they’re the company that keep giving. I love you Masahiro Sakurai! Give me the game now! 😀

Batman Arkham Knight

I don’t know how Rocksteady do it, but they continue to outdo themselves with each entry in this Batman series of games. This game looks beautiful, the visual style is dark and shiny, with amazing levels of detail in the art and animation. But the main thing is the gameplay and man it looks better than ever, Batman still moves the same as ever with his gliding, stealth movement and combat. But the addition of the Batmobile makes things so much cooler with the driving and weapons too. I can’t wait for this game.

Assassin’s Creed Unity

Ubisoft are crazy, they just up the ante in their games and know how to do it properly. Each new entry in the Assassin’s Creed series just gets more and more interesting with new types of gameplay and game mechanics that just make the previous entry look like yesterday’s news. The new graphics are super cool and the amount of things that the developers can make happen on-screen at one time is nothing short of amazing. But it is that gameplay that really gets me excited, to see the attacks and parkour on display is cool and to know that you can do co-op in story mode just makes me so happy.

Rise of the Tomb Raider

I know that this game only has a trailer out at the moment and there is no gameplay to show off at the moment, but the trailer alone gets me hyped for the next entry in this new set of Tomb Raider games. The trailer set a very specific tone for this new game where it feels darker, twisted and more melancholy than before with a dramatic and emotional center. I want to know what’s happened to Lara Croft since the last game, I can’t wait.

Far Cry 4

I have never played a Far Cry game before and have only paid attention to series from a distance, but this game looks cool and I want to play it. The graphics are insane and the gameplay looks very interesting and to hear there’s co-op play added just gives me and my mates an excuse to play this together at some point in the future.

Little Big Planet 3

I never played the first Little Big Planet but I enjoyed the hell out of the second game in the series. The best part was all the user generates levels as you could spend hours messing around on them and trying out all of their themes and puzzles. This new game looks graphically insane and the inclusion of new characters seems to be great from what I’ve seen so far, I just can’t wait to use my new favourite Toggle. He’s a don! 😀

Star Wars Battlefront

While I’ve never played been a massive fan of the Battlefront series, I remember playing Battlefront 2 and liked what I played and I was curious to see what a new game would look like on today’s technology. And even though we only got to see the game in the early stages of development, it looks INSANELY GOOD! I am just excited for how they will take the ideas and gameplay from the past and improve upon it with all of the cool multiplayer options and room for cool solo and co-op campaigns too.

Mirror’s Edge 2

I’m liking the way this game is looking. Like the upcoming Battlefront game it is still in the early stages of development, however if this is any indication as to what will happen in the final version oft he game then things will be very interesting for Faith in this sequel. The conceptual footage looks so fluid in its animation for the parkour movements and hand-to-hand combat segments too, I cannot wait to see how this game turns out.

Hyrule Warriors

This game does look a lot better than it did last year and so far is surpassing any expectations I’ve had of the game before seeing it at E3. The new characters announced like Zelda and Midna have me all giddy and the attacks that they have are totally crazy and very versatile. What I truly love is the amount of fan service there is for fans of the Zelda series as it is littered with references all over the place. The only thing that worries me is the fact that this is style a Dynasty Warriors style of game and I don’t want to play it for a short time and get bored like the DW games I’ve played in the past. But I guess we’ll see when the game drops in September.

Sunset Overdrive

This was a game that genuinely surprised me, it just looks like a lot of fun and the kinetic flow of movement mixed in the with the crazy choice of weaponry and choices of enemies makes this game very intriguing to me. The style and presentation are great and humorous but also has gameplay interesting and cool enough to match too and that doesn’t happen too often.

So what did you think of E3 this year and what games are you most looking forward to in the future? Be sure to comment below and let me know! 😀

 

E3 2014: Nintendo Digital Event – My Highlights

Good day to you ladies and gentlemen and welcome to the first instalment of my coverage on E3 2014. This event has a lot of stuff going but I will try to cover as much as possible so be sure to come back as soon as possible yo. I’ve already talked about Microsoft, EA, Ubisoft and Sony‘s press conferences and now I’m ready to move on to the next big event.

So now we have Nintendo, the main company I’ve been looking forward to. For me this is my jam and I needed Nintendo to do the deed and give us fans what we want. The last few press conferences have been really good, none of which have been completely perfect, but with the performance of Sony yesterday, Nintendo have a lot to prove not only to the companies that have come before them, but for themselves too. So how they fared? Well yes and no. To be fair Nintendo stepped up and gave us fun, games and news stuff and showed off some new games that DESPERATELY needed to be shown, but at the same time overall there I wasn’t completely left breathless. I loved Nintendo’s collaboration with Robot Chicken, it shows that they are really in-tune with their audience and they can have fun and entertain people. Seeing Reggie, Mario, Link and Toon Link and all those chaotic characters in action, that was some crazy and hilarious stuff. But then even more amazing was the inclusion of Satoru Iwata and Reggie fighting each other in a DBZ/Matrix style was AMAZING and really funny, it was so serious dramatic and badass, I want this type of Nintendo to existence forever.

So with that in mind here’s my highlights of the presence conference:

Super Smash Bros

So Smash Bros., I need this game. Just when people thought that there was no more info to gain on this game, Masahiro Sakurai along with Nintendo blow our minds AGAIN! So what do have that’s new? Well Mii characters have joined the roster in three different forms; fighters, sword-welders and shooters and even Palutena from Kid Icarus: Uprising has joined the roster too. In addition to that we got a montage of the different modes in the game like the already announced Smash Run and Online modes, but we also see the return of Home Run and possibly a variation on that with a bomb, there’s also trophy viewing modes and list of other things shown in a montage of scenes. This video also showed off Amiibo, Nintendo’s answer to Skylanders figure collecting thing. Basically now you will be able to have these individual figures that you’ll be able to use them in-game and they’ll be able to collect data and have your own unique style mapped to them. And lastly we got a release date for the 3DS version, October 3rd, while the Wii U version will be out in the holiday section of 2014. So sure the 3DS version has been delayed, but I don’t care, as long as the game is good I’ll wait as long as it takes. I NEED my Smash Bros. fix yo! XD

Yoshi’s Wooly World

So Yoshi returns in a platforming game developed by the same team that made Kirby’s Epic Yarn. I like how we get to see the game but also get information from the developers about the way it plays, game mechanics and how they want their game to be better than the Kirby one before. The game looks very pretty, soft and colourful.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

I love Toad, he’s such a don. He’s always been one of my favourite characters since te days of Mario Kart 64, but I don’t think it was until he was made into a main-ish kind of character as Captain Toad of the Toad Brigade in Super Mario Galaxy when I really started to like him. And now seeing him with his own sort of Super Mario 3D World type of game, now I don’t know if this is its own separate game or DLC, but I would hope that it is DLC because I doubt there would be enough Toad-based activities to fill out one physical game release.

The Legend of Zelda (Wii U)

I love Eiji Aonuma, he is one of the main people working in the video game industry who understands how to innovate and change games for the better and clearly he and the people at Nintendo know what fans want and it looks like from what he’s said about the NES classic and Wind Waker, that he’s gonna continue the freedom and game-changing mechanics that were implemented in A Link Between Worlds and gives us freedom. And I want it now.

The new Zelda game is looking hot! I knew that the game would look good, but MY GOD I did not expect it to be on this kind of level. Just from the footage we saw the game looks GORGEOUS! The open field is just full of life, with Link and Epona chilling, a beautiful sky, mountains in the background and the grass, the FRIGGING GRASS! My god it was so detailed and well-animated in a way that has never been seen before. Visually it looks like the world of Skyrim rendered in a vibrant and colourful way with an art style that looks like it references Wind Waker and Skyward Sword, but has a unique style of its own. Then there’s the moment where everything becomes disrupted and Link rides away on Epona as some crazy robot, crab-like thing chases after them shooting lasers and burning everything, it then destroys the bridge where Link’s heading, but then Link decides to bust out a kick ass new bow and start shooting this monster in style. I seriously can’t wait for 2015 now.

Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire

So here we are, another year, another Pokemon game… And I want it. I loved the new additions that game with X&Y, but seeing this generation rendered brought back with this new technology makes me so happy. The trailer for this Pokemon remake was brief, though it did feature a montage of all these classic moments, redone in 3D and brought back so much nostalgia for me. I can’t wait.

Bayonetta 2

So yeah just like E3 last year and Nintendo Directs in the past, this game shows up, has a trailer which is a combination of cutscenes and gameplay which is fast and crazy and then ends as quickly as it began. Don’t get me wrong, Bayonetta 2 looks great and I’m probably gonna get it, but there’s not much to these trailers that really makes me gush like other Nintendo titles. But hey at least we finally has a release window, October 2014. I’m down with that.

Hyrule Warriors

Now we have a game that pretty much had people in two minds and whether the video shown during the event has changed some people’s opinions remains to be scene, but I like how Hyrule Warriors is turning out. I am really liking the attention paid to this game and how this collaboration between Tecmo Koei and Nintendo is being treated carefully and seriously. What I really liked was the improved visuals, but also the inclusion of characters Zelda and Midna, those were totally unexpected and I loved their move sets. So in addition to Link and Impa, you have two more characters to use and luckily their attacks look very diverse and reminiscent of the games from the past. We have November release date

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse

When I saw this game I couldn’t believe it was back again. It has been about 6 years I think since I played Canvas Curse on the DS and I thought that game was very well done and enjoyable, though I honestly prefer conventional Kirby platforming games. That being said I am interested to see this style of Kirby gameplay return and with the additional power-ups and it definitely looks prettier than ever on Wii U too.

Xenoblade Chronicles X

Another game coming out in 2015 that many Nintendo fans are looking forward to is Xenoblade Chronicles X, the game formally known as ‘X’ has finally gotten a name. What we got was a very anime-like trailer with crazy space battles, mech suits and characters talking and shouting in a very emotional and shouting kind of way. The level of detail and scope in the graphics is really impressive, though I feel like the character models could look better. I know loads of people are excited for this game but since I never played the original I’m not as hyped for it as other games announced.

So what highlights stuck out for you? Be sure to comment below and let me know.

 

Can’t Wait For E3 2014

Howdy ladies and gentlemen, today I’m doing a little post relating to video games and the biggest event that houses them each year; the Electronic Entertainment Expo or E3 for short. For those not in the know, E3 is like biggest event for video games where gaming companies come together to show off the future software and hardware and get gamers all crazy about what stuff they’ll be playing. This event goes down every summer at the  Los Angeles Convention center in America and for those who don’t get to go to the event, most of the event is streamed online.

For me E3 has been one of the biggest events in my life that I always get excited for in the summer because of all the cool announcements, trailers, images, interviews and hands-on videos and articles with some of these new games. Since 2006, E3 has become something that has become a mandatory thing for me to check out and while not every year is a good session, sometimes there can be one announcement that changes the lives of all gamers forever. Last year’s E3 was pretty awesome for announcements with my two highlights being the trailers for Kingdom Hearts 3 and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS. Now I’m primarily a Nintendo gamer so I’m more interested in their announcements more so than anyone else, but they’re REALLY gonna have to bring the fire if they want to succeed at this year’s event. Outside of Nintendo I’m always curious to know what Ubisoft are gonna announce because they’re crazy good at announcing things and delivering on the ‘wow’ factor. I also want to see Square Enix get their acts together and deliver us something that will be coming out sooner rather than later. As for Microsoft and Sony, I never really watch their conferences, but I always pay attention to any noteworthy facts that come out, but mainly Sony ones because I have a PS3 haha.

Anyways now I’m going to give a list of the games I’m hoping to hear about at this year’s E3:

Super Smash Bros.

Of course I want more info about the next Smash Bros. game, I mean after the last Nintendo Direct I was quite content with information, but now I have that secret craving again. Just some info on release dates, characters, stages and playable demo videos would be enough for me. Come on, give me Nintendo! XD

The Legend of Zelda (Wii U)

The Zelda series is one that constantly demands new content and after the awesomeness that was A Link Between Worlds last year ( a game that I and many others loved), people are looking at Nintendo to deliver a similar kind of experience with a new Wii U game. Now obviously the Wii U had that Zelda tech demo back in 2011 which basically looked like a HD version of Twilight Princess and it was gorgeous! But since then there’s not been anything else shown for it and people from Nintendo have stated that the demo may not even be a true representation of the next game in the series (which sucks). All I want at this year’s E3 is just a look at the next Zelda game, and speaking of Zelda games…

Hyrule Warriors

This game could go one of two ways, it could either be an unexpectedly awesome game or a disaster. Ever since the news about this game came out along with the trailer, people have been divided about it. I think it could be interesting, while I’ve never cared much for the Dynasty Warriors series, with it crossing over into the Zelda series there is room for experimentation and cool new elements to be added to this gaming experience. I have hope for the game, I just want more information.

Sonic Boom

Ah Sonic, your games have fallen on hard times again. Sonic Generations pretty much gave us fans the most solid gaming experience gameplay-wise, but then Sonic Lost World came along and tried to give us something new but failed to deliver the kind of game experience that fans are used to. Sonic Boom is a chance at redemption, we have a developer who aren’t Sonic Team working on the game, the gameplay looks new and interesting like a cross between Sonic and Ratchet and Clank. This game could also be a train wreck but I can only hope that it’ll be fine.

X (Monolith Project)

It has been ages since Nintendo announced this game, sure we’ve had bits of info since the first time it was shown off, but bloody hell this game feels like its been hidden away in the dark. Hopefully at E3 we can get a name, gameplay and more details about what the overall game is about.

Final Fantasy XV

Square Enix, I love you, but you’re terrible when it comes to giving fans what they want and leaving games in development for ages. Now I am glad that Final Fantasy Versus XIII got rebranded as XV because that means that at least one of their games from the past will be released eventually. But it also seemed like a bit of lazy thing to do. That being said the FF series has evolved from turn-based combat to real-time combat especially with the changes in the FFXIII games. XV looks like it has more in line with Kingdom Hearts and I’m down with that, but a bit of info at E3 wouldn’t go a miss.

Kingdom Hearts 3

Something that I care about more than FFXV is Kingdom Hearts 3. It feels like an eternity since KH2 and when the announcement trailer came out of this I blew up and the D23 trailer only got me more hyped. Now since Tetsuya Nomura is director of both this game and FFXV one has to wonder which will come first? Though I heard that FFXV would come out first because it has priority over the KH series. That being said I feel like it would be a darn shame for Square Enix not to have some form of announcement or trailer about this game because the fans will eat them alive.

Batman Arkham Knight

When it comes to Batman, I love Batman, sad thing is I’ve yet to play a game in the Arkham series, besides playing the demo for the gauntlet challenge mode. But I have followed this series a lot since Arkham City, this new game looks awesome and all the info about sounds kick ass. So I am curious to see how Rocksteady Studios do with this next entry in the series.

Assassin’s Creed Comet & Unity

The Assassin’s Creed series is one I have a lot respect for, however it is again one of the franchises I have yet to play. Anyway I have been paying attention to this series since Assassin’s Creed 3 and the series has been getting more and more ambitious and interesting in the gameplay department and I can only assume that this will be the case with the new games. Hopefully Ubisoft gives us something new at E3.

Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain

Even though I’ve never really played any of the games in the MGS series besides the demo for MGS3, I do have a respect for the series and always like to pay attention to where the series is heading next. The Phantom Pain looks like its changing a lot of things about the core elements of gameplay and this new open world looks really intriguing. I’m super curious to see what info will come out for this game at E3, I need to know.

Alien: Isolation

While I hate anything related to horror, I fo love anything to do with the Alien franchise. The demo for the game shown on IGN in the past made me think that this new game could be good, so here’s hoping we get more content about it at E3.

So yeah that’s my hopes for E3 2014, hopefully it delivers the goods. So what games are you looking forward to at E3 this year? Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments below. I’ll try and blog about anything and everything I can that’s relevant to be from the 10th of June onwards, until then see ya later! 😀

 

The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses Review

Okay so this is my first concert review, I could have done two before when I went to see Red Hot Chili Peppers or Alexisonfire, but I never got around to it, so today I’ll be trying to describe my experience of The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses concert. Even though it all happened last night, I still haven’t recovered and I really just wanted to relive it again. Anyways let’s try and talk about what happened and the concert itself haha.

So I arrived outside Hammersmith Apollo and there I saw hundreds of Zelda nerds in full effect. Some where is cosplay, others where in hats and almost all of them had a Nintendo 3DS. It was insane to see so many fans in one place, it was like walking into a mini EXPO just for Zelda fans. I felt great but at the same time incredibly intimidated because I was on me own.

That was the view from outside before I went in, the hype was unbelievable.

Then I got inside and after chilling for a bit the doors opened, I headed up the stairs into the main hall, and holy crap it was huge! I sat down and just took in how many people were there and how much Street Pass was invading my 3DS every second, it was mental. After everyone took their seat (which was surprisingly nearly a full house) the lights went down, the orchestra and choir came out and then conductor Eímear Noone came out, bowed and then the magic began…

This was the view from inside before the concert took place.

The event is described as such:

“The acclaimed concert experience, which has already captured the hearts of thousands of Zelda fans and music enthusiasts in North America, will make its highly anticipated European debut at the Hammersmith Apollo on May 23. Performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir, fans will journey back to Hyrule and enjoy the music and magic from Nintendo’s beloved The Legend of Zelda franchise like never before.”

It first started with the Overture and OH MY GOD it was beyond epic! The Overture was basically a collection of songs from several of the main games in the series like A Link To The Past, Wind Waker, Ocarina of Time and Skyward Sword just to name a few. It was thunderous, loud, intense and I felt it rattle my soul!

From there we went into Act 1 which was the interludes which were:

• Dungeons of Hyrule
• Kakariko Village ~ Hope and Calm
• Songs of the Hero

My favourite of the three was definitely the Dungeons of Hyrule which were a collection of dungeons themes from the 2D Zelda games, the recreations of Zelda II and A Link To The Past were SO good! It was unreal and powerful!

Then there was THE SYMPHONY itself which consisted of:

• Prelude ~ The Creation of Hyrule
• Movement I ~ Ocarina of Time
• Movement II ~ The Wind Waker

The Creation of Hyrule was very harrowing and built up over time, then there was Ocarina of Time which was so good, it had a full collection of songs over the course of the game. But my absolute favourite out these three had to be The Wind Waker. It was truly magical and emotional for me as it was the first Zelda game I proper got into when I was a teenager, it featured so many of the great songs from different points in the game and I was having a serious nostalgia trip. I was tearing up so badly, but I held the tears back because I didn’t want to look too soppy haha.

Then there was an intermission and after that we entered Act 2! This part featured some of the darker pieces and really got to some of the best parts of the game’s music. In Act 2 there was:

• Intermezzo ~ Great Fairy’s Fountain
• Movement III ~ Twilight Princess
• Movement IV ~ A Link To The Past

The Great Fairy’s Mountain had a beautiful arrangement which was slow at first and then built up and became this powerful piece of music. Then there was Twilight Princess, good god that was some hot stuff! That game has some of my favourite songs in the whole series and hearing them in such a thunderous and cool manner was a great time. And lastly there was A Link To The Past, a game that I’ve had brief encounters with but one I can really appreciate from a musical perspective. The arrangements made for that part was truly moving.

And then finally there was the Finale which was just a great send off for the entire show and really put things in perspective. The crowd went mental and gave a standing ovation, to which we got another song from Link’s Awakening. After another standing ovation we were treated to Gerudo Valley, one of my all-time favourite Zelda songs (and one I prayed would actually make it into the show). And then after the third standing ovation we got a real crowd-pleaser finish in the form of Majora’s Mask, that was some incredibly dark, creepy and dramatic material. And finally the concert came to an end and my god I felt like I’d been taken to the moon and back. The concert had truly left me in a state of awe when it eventually ended.

Having the conductor, the orchestra and choir together was a beautiful combination, then add to that that there was visuals taken from the actual games on-screen and it was like living through nostalgia through the power of music.

In conclusion The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses is a love letter of a concert to fans of the series and was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. Honestly the concert was a beautiful, powerful and emotional experience that moved me beyond words. Listening to these orchestrated recreations of the classic music within The Legend of Zelda universe was so nostalgic and magical. In the end it was the best thing ever and if the concert is in your area I highly recommend it, it’s some incredible stuff!

Rating: 10/10 (Of course!)

So are there any Zelda fans out there that’s experienced this concert before and if so how was your experience? Leave them below in the comments section and I’ll catch ya on the next review yo.