Minecraft Adventures: Pixelmon Mod ( Poke Frontier Sever) + Mini Reveiw

So I haven't been posting much on the blog lately (don't worry content is coming) ... the reason is I was gifted a copy of Minecraft. 

This game is unreal. Most people who don't live in a cave will get what I am talking about here its like Lego, you can build anything and the only limit is you. (Also a lot less pricey and cant be used as a booby-trap, Lego + feet = pain am I right?)

So I decided to instal a mod called Pixelmon that I heard a lot about. For anyone that likes Pokemon and owns mine craft I would check it out.

Brief mini review of Pixelmon: As I tend to do reviews here I thought it apt to do a mini review of the mod itself. Anyone who likes Pokemon will most likely get a kick out of this mod. The craftables the mod adds have really sensible recipes and look very nice, the models are nice looking and still blend well into the original game. The Pokemon models are on the whole very nice and there are some really nice nodds to fan cannon in the mod (cloning Mew gets Mewtwo but fail and get a Ditto) which long time Pokemon fans will really appreciate. The mod also has a dedicated wiki which is super helpful and the mod itself is fairly easy to instal. It can be a little buggy at times but it is being constantly updated, worked on and fixed. On the whole its a very well put together mod. If you wanna play a pokemon game but always longed for an MMO experience and love mine craft then this is your dream mod. Get it and find a server.

This brings me onto the more shameless plug bit of this post. So in the time I haven't been posting its because I followed my own advice.

I found a server and became a helper. I play on a pretty good Pixelmon sever called Poke Frontier (pokefrontier.nn.pe:25565) It's a community server with people on the whole being really friendly and helpful and also coming from all over the world! We have both Kanto and Johto maps that are pretty accurate and well built and also the gym challenge for both regions. The Gyms and the Elite four are all real people which makes it a tough but enjoyable challenge, also its totally optional. There are also drop parties and quizzes and Pokemon races held from time to time too which keeps things fun and interesting. Also a big draw for the server is that you have plenty of space to build either a faction base with all your friends or just carve out a little spot all to yourself. 

So come and join it if you think its your kind of thing! 

Now I'm going to show off my base and hopefully get you fired up to join in! 

Have a look at the awesome stuff I have made and the Pokemon I have caught, come and join in. The server even has a Youtube Channel so check it out!

Review: Nemos Reef (Mobile Game)

It's been quite a while since my last review and I have been wanting to do this one for a while.

I have put it off because of the kind of game I want to review.  Hardcore gamers will probably hiss and slink back into their game caves but I am going to review a 'casual' mobile game.

For those in the dark as to what defines 'hardcore' and 'casual' games pretty much any game on a mobile can be considered casual. Hardcore games are games on PC or Consol like 'Call of Duty', 'Mario', 'World of Warcraft', 'Kingdom Hearts' They generally are things like RPG's and Shooting games and what most gamers consider 'traditional'. Casual games are things like 'Peggle', 'Plants vs Zombies' and the like, simple things like hidden object games. 

I am really not sure how most gamers feel about casual games but between my Zelda stints there are vast times where without casual games I would be left unplugged. I as a gamer I do not really like being unplugged all that often. 

So with that explanation out of the way I would like to talk about a mobile game (available on the app store and Google play store) Nemo's Reef.  A continuation on the story of Disney's movie  'Finding Nemo' where you help the little clown fish build a perfect reef. 

I am not exaggerating when I say that this game is like a digital form of crack for me. I literally have trouble putting it down. 

So what makes it so appealing you ask. Well its visuals are so bright and colourful that even though it's fairly graphically simple it still looks stunning. Yet despite all the bright and varying colours it still has a very relaxing quality.  The music is soothing and you can spend hours getting lost in the repetitive nature of completing quests and harvesting the materials needed to progress.  The game play is pretty simple (it's a kids game so no real shock there) but it's enjoyable to watch your reef expand and grow as you level, bursting with colour and fish as you discover new combos. Little fish are simple enough to get with coral combos making the reef feel alive and for any kid that gets lost watching fish tanks this game will be a winner and keep them quiet. 

 

So are there any downsides? Well yes. The game is free to play with a pay for perk currency and while it is very possible to play without spending a penny it will be very slow going and annoying as hell for anyone who is even a touch completion-ist . The rare fish are much more easily obtained with the pay for currency and there are some very good plants and nifty decorations to spend real cash on. One would think a company as big as Disney would not even need to have pay for perk system in their games but hey everyone likes a profit and the bundles they do are somewhat reasonable. On the plus side rare fish can be 'fed' to spit out a pearl (the pay for currency) around every three days for the cheapest and going down the more in game currency you sink in. The quests can be ignored completely but sometimes do demand use of the pay for currency which can get highly annoying. The game requires connection to the internet to play so if you have a Wi-Fi or cloud access you can enjoy it on the go or at home, it will eat through mobile data though so be warned of that.  Frome time to time a chest will pop up, most of them unlock with the peals (cash based) but sometimes for the in game obtainable resources , though it is worth noting that not all the ones open-able for the in game resources give better rewards than what you need to sink to open them. The flip side is that sometimes a chest will appear with no lock and will open for free, actually genuinely for free... There is a daily log in bonus, it's not the best but you get pearls starting on the third day, the bad thing about it is it resets after five days down to a really rubbish reward whereas most games keep going up or at least keep the rewards good but if you log in all five days you can net nine pearls which is better than nothing.

So on the whole would I recommend the game? Yes I would. For parents wanting a good game for their kids this will definitely keep them absorbed.  You do need to be aware that they will at some point want real money to complete things so it could be a good opportunity to teach them restraint. The way you pay for pearls is linked to your account and there is a confirmation screen but you may have to supervise the more persistent or smart child and laying down some ground rules (for any game) is never a bad idea. For adults looking for something both creative and relaxing that they can play at a whim when boredom creeps in I would say to give it a shot for gamers and non gamers alike.  It may not be the best mobile game out there but it is absorbing and utterly beautiful in terms of visuals and will suck you into hours of reef building if you let it. Also the younger of my cats seems to like playing it too! 

Media Review - Alice: Madness Returns

So it's been ages since I have written a media review... this is for two main reasons;

1) At this stage I don't think anyone actually subscribes / reads this blog

2) I currently don't have sufficient money to buy a new game to review each month.  Yes I am well aware that I don't have to review current games or even games at all but it is the most relevant topic and also the most fun to review. 

So why I am still doing reviews? Basically so that I don't go rusty. 

Alice: Madness Returns

The sequel to the original American McGee's Alice a game for PC released in 2000, it  markets itself as a 'physiological horror' however it plays more like a platform-puzzler with some very familiar elements of all the best bits of well loved retro platformers mixed with challenging yet enjoyable 3D platforming. 

I had played the original game as a teen and remember being thrilled with the darker take on Alice's Adventures.  So eventually I decided to treat myself to the sequel after seeing the screenshots and being hooked by just how lovely the graphics were... I admit that, while a game can be retro and not have amazing graphics if it has a good storyline and smooth mechanics, I am a little bit of a sucker when it comes to good graphics. Often this trait, given the state of the gaming industry currently, has lead to disappointment. 

With 'Alice: Madness Returns' however finally I have not been disappointed!  The story is intriguing and polished, the yo-yo between 'real' and wonderland is all at once jarring and smooth and wonderfully, utterly, creepy in some parts.  The game weaves bits of reality into the explanation of wonderland in a fascinating and meaningful way and you never quite know when Alice will next plunge into madness.  So the story gets my approval, what about the mechanics? 

Well this is a tough question. I do not (as much as would like) have a gaming keyboard. So playing with a keyboard I decided to start off on easy, thinking this would compensate for my keyboards age and breed... I was pleasantly surprised to find that the actual default setup was very intuitive, comfortable and flowing! In the past I have played games that actually hurt you to play because of the keys required to complete actions.  But on keyboard this game makes sense, it feels right and good! However I was still finding things hard, I presumed my lack of accuracy was because of being rusty using a keyboard to control the game... this was until a one incident where, not pressing any keys, Alice jumped herself off a cliff...  My poor 'w' key so sick of being abused decided to exert its own freewill... My non-gaming keyboard, when being asked to register more than two keys at time, was having an aneurism! This resulted in death, multiple do-over's and some very funny incidences (also the decision that when I have more cash a new keyboard may be a wise investment) but ultimately a decision to plug in the x-box controller and give my poor old keyboard a break... The game handles very well on a controller and feels more nostalgic and classically game-y that way. I did keep the keyboard nearby however as the game lets you use both, a feature that I found pleasing. As long as you have a good gaming keyboard the game is easily and comfortably playable on both keyboard or controller! A trait sadly more PC games do not share... 

So how good are the graphics? Well I find it hard to tare myself away from the stunning environments and do things like drink and eat!  Some of the locations are just so breathtaking that it's almost a shame you have to leave them. Likewise some of the darker and more twisted locals are jaw-dropingly detailed, so much so that you don't know whether to flee or explore and even the 'real life' sections that are mostly in sepia hues look gorgeous. The fact that it looks so good really softened the blow for me when my decrepit keyboard had pitched a fit and walked me off a ledge for the 10th time, It may have been annoying to walk all the way back to the start of the platforms but at least the scenery was stunning. 

So to sum it up it is a very good game! It has enough combat and weapon choices to keep the fights entertaining (the weapons are brilliant by the way) and enough hidden secrets and puzzles to keep my brain engaged. It mixes some of the best elements of 2D and 3D platforming with a highly polished story and visuals.  So as a game its fun and engaging and while the horror aspect of it is a little lost on me (not that I don't love how dark and twisted it is, in fact that's maybe why) the subtle psychological nods are very satisfying. Games as good as this I feel lend weight to the 'Games are Art' argument...

Monthly Media Review Nov 2011: Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword + Wii

The Explaining: 

So I have recently brought myself the limited bundle of the Skyward Sword game. I feel that in this review I may need to explain two reasons as to why I brought this game, firstly I am an avid Zelda fan and secondly because of this video on YouTube...

I know it would be weird to have only watched a spoof trailer and then based on that decided to buy not only the game but a limited edition bundle of it and also (out of necessity) HAVE to buy the accompanying console but somehow this funny video fired up in me the desire to buy it, it reminded me how much I genuinely enjoy the Zelda games. 

I should also probably explain why I haven't until now bothered to buy the Nintendo Wii... I am very much into retro gaming (odd for someone that likes the idea of augmented reality so much I know) and in my misguided youth I was adamant that video games were to be played sitting down with a D-pad style controller! (In fact this belief was why I opted for the previous Zelda title 'Twilight Princess' on my game cube instead of getting a Wii.) So naturally it was with a considerable amount of apprehension that I brought my newest addition to my horde of consoles. 

The Wii:

So what do I actually think of the Wii? Well allow me to lay my nostalgia goggles to the side for a moment... It is fun! Plain and simple, yes it is gimmicky but so what? I enjoy the gimmick now that I have stopped griping about it long enough to do so.  One of the things that strikes me about it is just how sociable it is, lots of my friends have played it with me, including most notably my friends' children who are around 4ish. It has also on occasions resulted in us laughing together so hard that we can't breathe! Having said this I am glad that I did not buy one when they initially were launched! I remember my friends Wii as being very overrated, mainly because of the utter lack of sensitivity in the motion sensors. This problem seems have to have been solved with the new Wii-motes as mine not only actually respond (something my friends first ever Wii failed to do on a regular basis) but they respond brilliantly, Also I think a noteworthy addition to the Wii-motes are the new rubber grip sleeves; Nintendo obviously learned from the number of Wii-mote related accidents and injuries that happened on first release.   

  

So on to Zelda! 

Graphics:

As far a graphics go this one is a winner for me right from the get go. The art is a wonderful fusion of the Wind Waker's cell shading and Twilight Princess's more adult style. The blending of the two styles gives it a very rich painterly feel that is not to childish and not too serious but very visually pleasing. Also the water looks lovely! (Yes I judge games on water graphics...)

Sound:

Sound wise I have rarely ever been able to fault a Zelda game since Ocarina of Time since in terms of sound this game set a high benchmark that has always been upheld. It sounds like a Legend of Zelda game should and that is generally adventurous and altogether epic! It is beautifully scored like I expected it to be.

Game play:

Game play wise they have mixed things up a fair amount. Starting with six hearts instead of the normal three made me instantly worried that they had made the game far too easy, however to my complete relief this was not the case and the extra hearts came in handy as I clumsily hacked at Moblins. The controls were new to me and although strange were instantly smooth and terribly satisfying for something I had always held to be gimmicky. Cutting down enemies is so much more satisfying when you are physically swinging for them and the 'flailing' proved to be very intuitive and actually fairly true to life. The new level of skill this requires personally only heightens the level of enjoyment for me. I haven't got very far in the game if I am honest because I can't play it as much as I want too... but I have been pleasantly surprised so far with the array of items they have included with some brilliant new ones alongside classic favorites such as the slingshot. The story so far has also been very engaging and has included (in a good way) a lot of fan service although the main character reveal was done very quickly making me thing that there will be some dramatic plot twist somewhere. The world environment of Links home Skyloft is stunning and swan diving off of it into the clouds is incredible fun. The puzzle element plays like any other Zelda title apart from the Wii-mote waggling dependent puzzles (putting a key in a door has so far been THE HARDEST thing in the game I have ever done!) There are a few familiar faces in the people that inhabit the game world (good gods Nintendo why inflict Beedle on us AGAIN!? ;p) but mainly the people are original to this title which is nice.         

So overall this game is a fantastic game if you're a fan of Zelda, if you're not objectively I would say it's a very nice game to start with. (Nostalgia goggles in place I would demand you start with Ocarina of Time) It is a good solid Zelda title that proves to be enjoyable and involving.

About the Special Addition Extras:

Included in the bundle was the Golden Wii-mote and the 25th Anniversary Special Orchestra CD. The CD is awesome and not what I expected at all. It has a mix of tracks that covers most of the titles where I was thinking it would just be orchestral versions of the Ocarina songs. The mix is good enough to appeal any Zelda fan and maybe even some classical music fans to. I am not sure whether others would like it but I love it! As for the limited edition Wii-mote (or the Golden Wii-mote of Doom as it has become known) I am not sure what to say... I am not a fan of the colour Gold overly and consider it tacky in consoles yet I love my golden Wii-mote of Doom... maybe it's because its limited I am not sure or maybe just because it appeals to the fan side of me... the point is it works and it is very nice looking despite my hatred for gold controllers.

Am I happy I got the limited edition? HELL YES (but I'd have liked a few stickers or artwork in there too)   

   

Monthly Media Review: The Endless Forest

This is my first of (I hope) many 'monthly media reviews' I have started this practice because it's relevant to my Degree. I am open to suggestions of what to review so please feel free to email me. This month I have decided to review a free to play, Arts Project / MMO / Game that I randomly found a while ago called The Endless Forest.

The Endless Forest feels more like being lost in a painting than playing an MMO but this is part of what makes it so appealing . The game itself is an art project from an independent games studio aptly named Tale of Tales located in Ghent, Belgium.

In The Endless Forest you play as a dear with a human type face that reminds me a little of Ooccoo (Picture left) from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. At first it was a bit odd to look at however it soon becomes very natural and the painterly quality of the forest is very absorbing. When you start off you are a faun for around a month in which time you can get a few different horns for a little while. When you have been a user for over a month you then mature into a stag with the potential to have lots of different horns, fur colours and masks. These are given player to player at random and the way to activate them is by eating special fruit.

One of the most impressive and quirky things is the way you interact with other dear of the forest, there is a set number of animations in a very easy to use interface that let you do things like; cry out, dance, bow, shake or nod your head, paw at the ground and so on. The lack of a text box is actually very refreshing and also means there are no such things as language barriers or spam. It is incredibly freeing!

You 'name' your dear with a little glyph that appears as a if a halo between your antlers this way you can be identified and when you 'call' for others or 'listen' their glyphs will also appear. This again is very freeing as there isn't a need to worry about a name yet it is also creative and expressive.

One of its main differences to a regular MMO is that it is completely free of the goal or quest driven monotony that has come to be staple and while I am not saying that the quest driven systems are bad it is refreshing to play a game where you do just that... play... no need to level grind or train skills, it is simply and wondrously just a place to play and explore.

Talking of exploring the forest has quite a few zones to wander around in and all of them are visually lush. It genuinely feels like walking around in a painting and in fact some paintings have been inspirational to some of the places you can explore.

The sound used in game further builds on the natural depth and beauty of the environments created, sticking with very natural or ethereal noises things that you would hear in a forest or expect to hear near a Fae circle! The sounds blend well together and offer a peaceful atmosphere, a sort of quietude that is still vibrant and alive with nature.

To summarise The Endless Forest is a very relaxing and innovative arts game, quite possibly the most interesting screen saver I have seen and something that is very much worth downloading. it's something I would consider more of an experience than a game since it's very possible to get lost in the immersive and changeable scenery. 

Here is me in game: