All posts by Alex McCumbers

Classic games are my inspiration. Many of those games hold design elements that are blatantly ignored in modern games. Doesn't mean I'll ignore new titles, but I will reject play requests to spend time with my SNES.

Game File, Games and Software

Alex’s Top 5 Games of 2015

December 31, 2015 Alex McCumbers

This year has brought all sorts of great design and excellent experiences through a multitude of titles. From fighting off beasts to fulfilling the childhood dream of creating levels, gaming has seen some truly awesome innovations. Reflection is an important part of advancement. Therefore, I’ve collected my favorite games released this year.

Note, the games in this list are ones that I’ve personally played and are in no particular order. I also try to include games that brought something different to the overall library of content available.

Super Mario Maker

Creating levels in a classic NES setting is something I’ve always wanted to do, but always lacked the tools, knowledge and gumption to fully realize it. Luckily, Nintendo reworked its development engine into a game with Mario Maker. The result is the most absurd game on the console, oozing with possibility and merit. Years from now, we will surely see game-design courses using this software to teach concepts. It’s sure to be a game I come back to regularly, just to see what’s been made.

The Forgotten City

The Forgotten City is a Skyrim mod, proving that amazing gaming experiences can come from anywhere. During my playthrough of this narrative-driven mod, I spent 6-8 hours straight, completely immersed. Few games have put me in that state of pure concentration. The puzzles are intriguing, the characters are endearing and the whole experience feels amazing. It’s astounding that such excellence is used to create a free product. I’ll be keeping a close eye on the developers of this one for future projects.

Monster Hunter Ultimate 4
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There has been but one game to sit for months in my 3DS and that’s the newest Monster Hunter. I wasn’t sure about portable hunting, but with the innovations adding layers of depth to an already solid combat system, I’m hooked. It’s also a game that’s a blast to play with friends over the internet or across the room. Capcom has also been abnormally considerate with its additional content, releasing tons of challenges and rewards for free. Monster Hunter Ultimate 4 is a must on the 3DS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzV1GlDDlv8

Fallout 4

Sure, the first trailer didn’t blow me away, but Bethesda’s presentation at E3 left me drained from excitement overload. It quickly became a game of pure experience, setting out with nothing but Vault 111 stitched on my clothes and a need to explore. Sure it doesn’t have the most gripping writing and action seems to be the cure-all solution to problems in Boston, but Fallout 4 consumed me and my peers in a way few games do. Scrounging for duct tape has never been so immersive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBGjx-4_R10

Bloodborne

Bloodborne, from a design perspective, has a lot in common with games like Castlevania and Megaman on the NES. Everything in this game was created with purpose. Enemies attack in particular ways, telegraphing their intentions. Weapons function in unique ways. Exploration and mastery of the combat system is required to succeed, even in early levels. Each area has its own feel. The narrative is told in hints through descriptions and subtle visuals. There is nothing like it. I’ve only scratched the surface of Bloodborne, just recently defeating Vicar Amelia, but it has impressed me since my hunter rose from that hospital bed. Just like the Eternal Night, Bloodborne will perpetually be a milestone in game design.

Each of these fantastic games offer something that stands out in a marketplace flooded with content. Of course, there are some amazing games I haven’t gotten the chance to play yet, like Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt or Undertale, but that’s why I love this medium so much. It’s an art that continues to evolve, both in technology and execution.

Who knows what journeys gaming will take us on next.

Game File, Games and Software

Paladins: First Impressions with the Beta

December 28, 2015 Alex McCumbers

It’s no mystery that I am a huge fan of Smite by HiRez Studios. Many tireless hours have been spent dropping the hammer as Thor or opening the pits of the underworld as Anubis. Even though I shy away from the usual MOBA fair, Smite does a great job of blending action, quirky characters and MOBA elements for a solid multiplayer addiction with plenty of depth.

Thus when Paladins, a first person shooter created by the same team was announced, I was giddy. I’ll admit it.

Ruckus is capable of laying down fire while others swoop in for points.

Paladins is a team-based shooter in which players will control a hero with unique skills and weaponry. One minute you can be a knight with a laser shield and a flamethrower, the next minute you can be a goblin piloting a steampunk mech suit. Characters are zany, interesting in their design and have unique play styles. They do lack the familiarity of the mythical beings found in Smite, but these new designs should continue to evolve as the game sees more development.

The core focus of the game is player vs player action. The current mode is comparable to Siege in Smite, but in Paladins there is more speed built into the game type. On average, a match takes about 10-13 minutes, but can be as short as five. On the map are areas which must be held by standing in them. If another player of the opposite team is in the same circle, no points are made (similar to Battlefield or Warframe). Once the bar is filled, a Siege weapon spawns then travels down a set path to one of the enemy’s three gates. The final goal of the match is to use the siege weapon to do massive damage, crushing each gate before blasting the final one, ending the match.

Cards take the place of levels or items and have sweet art to boot!

Mechanically, the game is similar to Smite in its ability use, but feels more like Team Fortress 2. Heroes will have to be rather precise with their shots, like an Unreal Tournament contender or the origin of Deathmatch, Doom. Certain heroes are easier to use than others, with weapons that makes contact easier or an ability that hits a larger area. Experimenting with each character is recommended. Ultimate abilities are currently missing, but may not be needed in the grand scheme of things.

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Pick a card, but not just any card. Think strategically. — Pick a card, but not just any card. Think strategically for success.

What sets Paladins apart from other arena based shooters is its unique card system. Instead of building items like in Smite or picking a loadout like in Call of Duty, once a level is gained, three random cards are drawn from a random or pre-constructed deck depending on the mode being played. The player then picks which cards they want for the effect to activate, creating a controlled random element, forcing strategies and experimentation. Each character has their own special sets of cards, as well. So playing a new character will have a different experience with card builds as well as their innate abilities.

Adding to the card strategy is the ability to construct decks with earned cards. Cards can be unlocked from chests, a mechanic similar to that found in Hearthstone. Earning Epic cards is still just as rewarding, while familiarity with the cards and their effects will build with time as you play the game.

Simplicity meets function in the character designs. Cassie sports her falcon friend and her bow with flair and is one of the better damage dealers in the game.

Artistically, the game looks simple, but with enough fantasy detail to make it seem bigger than it actually is. Dwarves toting around heavy weapons meet elves with bows. Anything can happen in Paladins‘ design, an open way of leaving room for the game to evolve in any direction Hi-Rez decides.

Paladins‘ Beta tests are shaping up to be another interesting multiplayer affair. With Hi-Rez’s track record, one can also assume they will be giving Paladins the eSports treatment, meaning competition will be fierce. The game’s framework is fairly solid, but what will be built upon it is what’s exciting. Even after just a few months, several patches have been added.

I’ll be keeping a close eye on Paladins as it develops.

Movies/TV, Otaku, Pop Culture

Attack On Titan Live Action Movie – A Bleak Spin on the Series

December 14, 2015 Alex McCumbers

Attack on Titan swept across the world like the titular Titans in their assault on humanity. Soon, Mikasa, Eren and Armin became household names to anime fans everywhere. Conventions filled with Survey Corps members, all clad in tan and white, their green cloaks draped over their shoulders. It’s a phenomenon that has spurred one season of anime (season two set to be released in the second half of 2016), countless manga spin offs, a live action film series, video games and merchandise.

group-cosplays-16 — Group cosplay is especially epic with this series. Image courtesy of breakbang.com.

The first of these two films sum up about the first ten or so episodes of the anime. It tells the story of the first assault on the farming district and caps off after a fellow titan offers a bleak ray of hope for the world.

Fans of seeing anime faithfully recreated with all the details intact may not enjoy this version of Attack on Titan. The creators of the live-action film decided to give their own spin to the story and the characters, making vast changes to even the main cast. Even though these changes are painful to followers of the series or manga, they do have a uniqueness that adds to the overall impact the series has established.

Capture2 — The faces of the Titans will probably haunt my dreams for a few weeks. They hold a wrongness about them.

First of all, all of the major themes of the anime are intact. Humanity meets its demise face to face as the Colossal Titan kicks a hole in the impenetrable wall. The smaller titans swoop in, scooping up people, and crunching on their bones. Gore sprays in waves in this film, making the iconic brutality of Attack on Titan that much more intense. The titans feel less like monsters and more like Japanese horrors with uncanny faces and movements.

Eren shows his determination, feeble as it may be, to destroy the titans.

Lastly, unbridled rage remains in the character of Eren. He clashes with his fellow soldiers, wanting nothing more than to eradicate every titan for taking what he holds dear. His anger manifests in several ways throughout the film, keeping that theme firmly intact. All while being contrast with his fear of the titans, seeing their strength firsthand.

As for the differences, I’ll do my best to elaborate on some of the major ones without ruining the fun of the movie, but you may get a spoiler or two if you haven’t seen the anime.

Super uncomfortable scene, but shows the differences in this version of Mikasa.

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Where's our blonde strategist? — Where’s our blonde strategist? Let’s play “Where’s Armin?”

Another major change to characters is that of Sasha, the spunky, energetic member of Eren’s squad. She’s portrayed in a way that exaggerates her infamous “Potato Girl” scene to the point of it being obnoxious. Sasha of the film is more of a nuisance than comedic relief, as she disgustingly gobbles up any food she can get her mitts on. She does seem to have a better connection to Armin though, which is quite cute. However, it’s hard to tell the difference between Armin and Eren due to Armin’s recent choice in hair dye.

Capture — Hiana, a character new for the film, leads Eren deeper into the abandoned cities. What they find is a bit bigger than they hoped. . .

The style of this live action adaptation—adaptation being a crucial keyword here—while different from the source material, is still rather enjoyable. I found myself cringing much more through this bloody adventure, but there are many epic moments with the flair I’ve come to love from the series. One scene in particular shows Eren and Hiana searching for a baby’s cry, turning the movie into a dark, scary experience as they hold interestingly designed lanterns aloft. Combining moments of horror like this one with the visual style put into the titans themselves makes for a scarier story.

The film’s final act fits one of the high points of the anime quite well. Eren’s rage for the titans brings him to make a sacrifice, only to have his anger live on in a devastating way. This scene is still as adrenaline filled as the first time I saw it in animated form. Each piece of action hits hard, fast, unexpected to make for a great climax.

The visuals sometimes feel like late Godzilla or Gamera films.

Of course, this movie is broken into two parts, with a sneak peak at the end of this one. It’ll be interesting to see how the second part plays with the second season of the anime. I’ll definitely have to check it out soon.

Step into the Attack on Titan Live-Action movie with an open mind. This is a different version of the Attack on Titan story, themes, and style, not a mirror image of the anime with actors.

The film is available in English subtitles through importation on sites like Amazon, while an English dub is surely to show up in the future.

Games and Software, Indie Pennant, Movies/TV

Nintendo Quest Charts One Man’s Journey for NES Glory

December 4, 2015 Alex McCumbers

Jay Bartlett grew up like a lot of kids who lived in the late 80s and into the 90s. During that time, Nintendo became a household name in a matter of weeks, decimating sales across the country and establishing flagship characters as popular, or more so by now, than Disney’s cartoons. Ask most people of this age what their favorite Christmas memory or gaming memory is and they’ll probably mention playing the NES with someone.

After years of being a super fan, Jay is one day challenged by a dear friend, Rob McCallum, who is also the producer of the project, to the ultimate challenge. The goal is to collect all 678 retail released NES games in thirty days, a seemingly impossible task. With the wide spread use of the internet, it would be easy to throw money at Ebay and sites like 99Gamers, but no, Jay has to collect all of these games in person.

What’s more ridiculous is Jay has never seen physical copies of some of the games he has to find. There are twenty ultra-rare games set aside that pose the ultimate challenge, featuring the top one, Stadium Events, a game that can fetch thousands at auction in almost any condition.

Will Jay be able to make this long-time dream a reality? Well, the folks behind the documentary helped him travel the US and Canada, capturing every purchase and dive. What entails becomes not just a journey about collecting old video games, but also a personal journey of growth for Jay.

Thus begins the Nintendo Quest!

The film encapsulates what it means to be a Nintendo fan. Throughout their quest, Jay and his pals come across tons of people who make collecting a community. From shop owners, to YouTubers, to world record holders, to gaming box artists, there’s such a large pool of passionate people represented. In one scene, Jay gets to go on a game hunt with record holder Todd Rogers. It’s apparent that finding games is less important than hearing the stories behind them. While Todd picks out games he has records on, he shares his stories with the team.

Jay holding two of the rarest titles in the NES library.

While Jay does find tons of games with notable game stores, the true joy is getting the chance to meet other die-hard collectors. These are the titans of the Retro Gaming Community, the legends who have it all and more. Each game has its own story and each collector has theirs. These moments show the time and care collectors put into these often forgotten games, relics of changing times. Organization and presentation are key as shelves are kept tidy, while priceless games like Little Samson or Panic Restaurant are behind glass, often in rated boxes. These super rare titles, while seen few and far between, usually have interesting history and owning a piece of that is amazing.

It’s also important to note the graphics being used throughout the film. There’s a handy counter in the bottom left, keeping track of how many games Jay has acquired. Plus each transition pays homage to the NES, including some famous quotes that set the mood for each segment. The presentation is top notch and as much care went into the editing as it has in the journey.

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While Nintendo Quest has a focus on the challenge, the true heart of it lies in Jay: his story and his experience with the quest and gaming with the NES. Before the start of the quest, Rob takes Jay to their old tree house, where their love for the NES inspired a club. As they sit in that confined space, the memories flooding in looks powerful. Things get even more emotional half way through, as Jay mentions the relationship he had with his father, which was rocky to say the least.

Jay as he shares the story of his father.

Taking this journey changed Jay and the people he and the team met along the way. It’s humbling to see him struggle to find all the games, all while battling having a job, tough deals and high prices.

These games are more than entertainment, making the need to preserve and share these experiences a necessity. Just like how college students tote around heavy tomes of Shakespeare, those same students should also be carrying the games of Miyamoto and Kojima. Gaming is a medium worth caring about.

Personally, I’ve been collecting ever since I was a kid. My obsession started early, with my earliest memories involving playing Wizards and Warriors with my mom and Super Mario Bros 3 with my cousin. Sharing secrets with friends and swapping games filled my summers with joy. Even to this day, I schedule game chases with my wife and friends, hitting up yard sales and Goodwills. I’ve met so many awesome people through the years, many of which have become life long friends, all because of our love for games. It has helped develop my mind and pushed me to pursue a career in the industry.

Nintendo Quest is an awesome presentation of what makes gaming special. Jay and his friends had a journey that can’t be explained in words. To them it was more than collecting every NES game—although I’m sure that was fun too—it was about getting together with people who share a common interest and being a part of that community.

I can’t recommend Nintendo Quest enough. Congratulations to Jay, Rob, the production team and all the folks involved. This is a film that will be quintessential for gamers everywhere.

Nintendo Quest can be found on Vimeo, other major digital platforms and DVD.

Games and Software

Fallout 4: Settle or Wander?

November 30, 2015 Alex McCumbers

Oh, I’m the type the guy who’ll never settle down. I’m never in one place. I roam from town to town.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3IlHBBGCIw

Every time this commercial comes on, I find myself whistling the song from that point on. This advertisement has become iconic with the game, for good reason. It sets the mood with it’s older sense of style, contrasted with the bleakness of the Commonwealth.

What’s interesting though is that Fallout 4, more than any other entry in the series, gives an equal option to settle as well as wander.

Sure, every denizen of the Wasteland must scavenge to survive, picking up cans for their all too precious aluminum or lighters for the oil. However, the addition of the rather deep building mechanics gives players the option to make a home out of nothing. Whole towns can be constructed in many locations, complete with the ability to make truly unique light shows and defenses to keep invaders at bay.

With enough spit and grit, even the most run down areas can be called home.

Not only that, but the mobile game Fallout Shelter actually gives players a hint at the community building gameplay featured in Fallout 4, complete with similar assets. Settlers can move into a claimed area, needing resources to survive and weapons to defend themselves. It’s intriguing to see groups of people create a meager existence and manning their posts. Nothing gets me motivated like one of my settlements coming under attack. Sure, few of them have names or stories, but these are people who have trusted me as their leader, and I can’t let them down. The only complaint of this system is that it can be rough to manage several settlements at once.

Many of the players I know have spent many of their hours simply perfecting their home base. As soon as the mechanics are understood, it becomes an addiction similar to that found in Minecraft or Rust. Some players have even exploited the system to create stunning works, including a recent building of a Rubik’s Cube replica. Practical? Not really. Style? Absolutely. Super Mutants can surely see it from miles away.

For added style, this thing actually works! Image originally posted on VG247.com

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Making a home is a central theme to Fallout 4‘s design; its all about being taken out of one’s comfort zone. Everything these characters have known has been blasted by the nuclear weapons and further stripped away by the dangers of living in the Commonwealth. Any way to keep one’s mind off of the Deathclaws and Raiders is a powerful thing. Preston (one of the many companions), after getting close to the player, will reveal that finding such good company changes his outlook on his entire existence. It’s a truly humbling conversation that is comparable to many other characters and stories. Its easy to get attached to them.

It’s these moments of peace and revelation that makes Fallout 4 so powerful.

I’ve spent whole evenings just discussing the layers of meaning after being blown away by a quest or dialogue. Fallout as a series has always made players think well after the controller has been put down or the program is shut down. The latest installment does this in almost every moment, especially when confronted with the ideals of the Institute or the Brotherhood of Steel.

There’s so much more to Fallout 4 than I can relay with a single article. Imagining the things yet to be discovered and the extra content surely to come is mind blowing. And the mods! Surely, the homes players carve out of the dust will continue to become more elaborate when new pieces are inevitably added by Bethesda or the modding community.

I will be in the depths of this city for quite some time.

Whether one’s settling down or wandering around, the wasteland is a challenging place, filled with possibilities. Fallout 4 is truly what you make of it, and it’s tools for doing just that are awesome.

Look forward to more Fallout content in the future, as its sure to be fired up on our consoles and PCs for quite some time.