Halo Goodbye Halo Goodbye

I was away for the weekend and was curious to see the state of Halo: The Master Chief Collection upon my return.  Spoiler alert -- matchmaking is still broken.

Betrayal: Destroying a Legend

Ok, 343.  I gave you a week.  You know what?  Halo: The Master Chief Collection is still broken.  And now, so is my heart.

I remember quite vividly watching the undergrads carrying in their TVs and Xboxes to play Halo:CE while camping out for basketball tickets overnight.  Long satisfied with my PS2, I knew I needed to play Halo 2 and purchased an Xbox for that reason alone.

I waited for the midnight launch, bought the metallic box edition, and played Halo 2 for hours and hours, late into the night.  Not once did I regret a next day's sleep deprivation one bit because I loved Halo.

 

I waited for the midnight launch at my favorite independent game shop for Halo 3.  I bought the special edition with the Master Chief helmet and bought six BAWLS energy drinks for the late night sessions ahead.  I couldn't wait to "finish the fight."  I get goosebumps thinking about taking down the scarab with friends in co-op.   I remember taking a picture of the title screen on my old Motorola, the first smart phone I ever had, so I could use it for the phone's background wallpaper.

I downloaded the Halo theme DLC for Guitar Hero.  Steve Vai was my ringtone.  My Playstation Vita's lock screen is Master Chief.

I loved Halo Wars and played it even after Ensemble folded.  I smile when someone mentions "All units" and wish for a sequel despite Forge's demise.

I have Halo Action Clix and a Halo Reach stocking cap from the midnight launch.  I played through ODST and brought my nephews to GameStop for their first midnight launch for Halo 4.  They received inflatable spartan helmets for swag.  I have the Halo 4 UNSC controller with the blue-lit guide button.  I own Halo Spartan Assault for my Windows phone -- and Xbox One.

I read The Fall of Reach and the first book of the Forerunner saga.  I own Halo Legends in HD via Xbox Video and Forward Unto Dawn.  I watched the Remastering of a Legend and used the Halo Channel to watch the first two episodes of Nightfall, the Halo Wars Harvest storyline, and the Spartan Ops chapter intros.

I have a small collection of Halo series Xbox Live Avatar figures and sport my Master Chief helmeted avatar as my Twitter profile pic.  I wanted to name our new cat John-117, but my wife vetoed that option.  She did get me the Halo 4 soundtrack as a stocking stuffer for Christmas.

I purchased and pre-loaded Halo: The Master Chief Collection and as recently as this past week, pondered placing the Halo special edition wireless Astro A50 headset on my birthday wishlist.  And I waited for the patch, could barely think of anything else during the day save the chance to jump online tonight.  The result?  It's past my bedtime and the only thing that can make me feel better is to vent about my frustration, anger, and sadness.  MCC was supposed to stir the nostalgia of an unforgettable,  literally life-changing game and series.  The tantalizing glimpses of a few games together with friends and the white-knuckled, tense moments of evading the Flood in campaign serve only to emphasize even more how much this unfinished product has failed to deliver.

I will play, but at this point,  I am not even sure what or when or whether I can... at least the way I was led to believe I could.  It feels like a downright betrayal and I wish I could boot the player from my team.  I don't know that anything will restore complete faith in the franchise,  but please, please, please just fix the game already.

Wake up, Chief. I need you.

I've had Halo: The Master Chief Collection for one week now.  To describe its launch as a "debacle" is overly kind.  Maybe it's karma -- I pondered throwing support behind Sunset Overdrive as a nod of approval for bringing something new to gaming.  I withheld and went with the familiar, the comfort and nostalgia of Halo.  I cannot believe we are ten years out from Halo 2.  And yet this past week, I have been frustrated beyond belief at how disappointing the experience has been.

Waypoint tells me I have almost eight hours of playtime, 18 matchmaking games completed.  I'd be curious to know how much time I have spent in the game not playing.  I know I have waited over an hour to get in a single game of matchmaking.  I know 343 knows that is unacceptable.  And I appreciate that they are working on it.

But to put in perspective how outrageous that is, what a step back that is, I went to Bungie.net to check on my original Halo 2 stats.  I played 12 matchmade games on the first night.  TWELVE!  We are talking November 2004.  In November 2004, I was playing on Xbox -- before Kinect or RRoD or blades.  I had been using Gmail for four months.  Twitter wouldn't come around for a couple more years.  But I played with randoms for hours.  I am baffled that Halo: MCC could be released in such a state.

What now?  I do not expect free DLC or a full refund.  The apologies from 343 are nice, but ultimately, they do very little to ease the pain.  I have played the Halo 2 campaign to pass the time, and it is nice.  The game is beautiful.  The new cutscenes look stellar.  The soundtrack remains iconic and awe-inspiring.  And when I get in games (it has unfortunately been three days now of unsuccessful attempts), every moment is tense and exciting and makes me smile until it is over.  And then the wait begins anew.  So what do I want?  Just a game that works.

Oh My Darling: Returning to The Walking Dead

I loved The Walking Dead: Season One and eagerly snapped up 400 Days.  I became a fan of the comic and caught myself up to the new monthly releases.  But something happened, I realized I actually preferred the big chunks of story -- always wanting to know what happened next now.  I could barely wait to download the new comic from Comixology only to find myself wanting the next installment as soon as I completed the current one.  The impatience affected how I approached The Walking Dead: Season Two.

Of course, part of the delay was also a consequence of the Xbox 360, while still hooked up, not transfering super easily to play on my set up.  No "Xbox, Play 360 command" (yet) on the X1.  That said, I have had occasion to dust off the old console for a rare Rock Band session or some Disney Infinity when the nieces and nephews are over.  But no Season Two just yet.

I was tempted to pick the game up for the Vita and while I love the handheld, there's definitely something to be said about the atmosphere of playing The Walking Dead late at night, lights off, on the big screen.  I'd often times play late (not sure that the wife would look so happily at me playing it) and with the headphones on, me, Lee and Clementine.  And I do want to see how my story progresses.

So I managed to avoid most spoilers and am pretty much ready to queue it up and go.  I'm hoping for some more of the great "fun" of the Walking Dead world.  I'm ready to make the difficult decisions and live with the consequences.  If there in fact is a Season Three, and I hope that there is (without knowing for sure), I have my fingers crossed that there's a way to transfer the save data.

Always a Bridesmaid: Why Can't We Love Titanfall?

With Destiny a little over a month away, I suspect Titanfall's run is coming to an end.  But what kind of run was it?  Released in March, Microsoft and Xbox One owners alike hoped Titanfall would be the new console's killer app.  From the makers of COD, the game was supposed to reward us with the first great next-gen game.  Maybe it was asking too much.  Maybe it was the lack of campaign.  Titanfall just did not resonate with folks, and I am not completely sure why.

I will say a portion of the issue is tied to identifying with the character.  And while perhaps not character as identified all the time (i.e., Master Chief), there's something to be said about my character.  Certainly, campaign mode can create an attachment to a character, especially when that character is playable in multiple modes.  Dom, anyone?  But even the ability to individualize a character can have a profound effect on the player's relationship to the on-screen counterpart.  In Halo 2, I remember creating my insignia that would follow me through multiple games (including Mario Kart DS).  I know I completed a lot of Halo's daily challenges for credits to customize my spartan.

In Titanfall, there is minimal customization.  There are a handful of pilot types, male and female.  I find that things usually move so quickly in Titanfall, that I rarely recognize anything other than the gender of the pilot.  Titan insignia have been added but though I gladly picked an appropriate emblem for myself, I scarcely notice any on the titan, be it my own via death cam or other when attacking.

I also feel like there is a certain physicality that Titanfall is missing.  And while perhaps that I turned my controller feedback off does not help, I feel like there is a disconnect between when and where I shoot and when and where the bullet ends up.  Even on grunts, I feel like I never know when I have actually killed another player.  Similarly, there are times when I think I am in cover and yet bullets find their way to me (beyond just the smart pistol).

I think perhaps the biggest issue with Titanfall is the lack of community experience.  It is really too bad because the game itself is filled with "Xbox, record that" moments.  But unless I actually record and share them, my experiences are largely private.  Rare is the case when teammates are around to see what I've done.  Even rarer is the case when we have been able to play against each other and celebrated/moaned over our successes/defeats together.  I thought it telling the other day when a friend entered our party, and I assumed he was in the game only to find out afterwards that he was still playing Guacamelee.  I'll never know why people haven't used the Gears of War "death room."  It provided some of the best moments of console gaming I've ever had.

Don't get me wrong, Titanfall is fun.  I've played it more than anything else on my Xbox One.  Respawn has done an excellent job tooling and re-tooling the experience to make it better.  Unfortunately,  I suspect come September, it will get little time in the rotation.

To Beta or Not To Beta: Waiting to Meet My Destiny

I popped on to the Destiny Beta long enough to make sure the "B" button worked.  I'm not really sure how far I got into the Beta, just enough to see other randoms walking about.  I did a quick look to see if I could find friends, but I think Xbox Live was feeling disagreeable and I wasn't able to join a party.  Or maybe it was the ghost of Titanfall that pulled me away.  I turned it off and decided I would wait until September 9 or somewhen thereabout to see what's all the ado.  I know Destiny will make its way to my Xbox One.

Issues of the pro-Sony treatment aside, I was reluctant to jump into the Destiny Beta and I'm not completely sure why.  I remember in the day thinking that Crackdown was a just a perk of my $60 Halo 3 Beta key.  Or that I couldn't wait to jump in my titan and wreak havoc on the puny pilots beneath my feet.

What I saw in that brief period with Destiny was something that felt different.  Certainly it was a bit confusing knowing what was happening, what everything meant.  I relish those moments of playing something new, getting acquainted with a new HUD or controls.  I like the familiarity of the controls too, knowing that RT would shoot and "B" button would, well... "B" button.

I've only a vague idea about what Destiny is.  I have not MMO'ed, but I think the idea of a persistent environment is enticing.  The one thing that will make Halo 2 always hold a special place in my gaming heart was the community it created.  And while MMOs are not new to PC users, as a largely console resident, I'm champing on the bit with the thought that the games I play can have a larger context beyond that moment in time where I shoot the other team until I'm shot, respawn and repeat -- no offense, Titanfall.

In those few minutes I was in Destiny, there was something beautiful about the depth the game appeared to offer.  And for that, I guess I want to see and play and experience the whole thing as it's meant to be seen, played, and experienced.  I don't know how much I'll get to play of Destiny when it does come out.  Maybe I'll regret not having a PS4.  What I do know is that I have a hope for Destiny that it will be the first true next-generation game and that the wait will finally be over.

A Cinderella Story: Hitting the Virtual Links Again

I picked up Mario Golf: World Tour yesterday.  This morning, I was watching credits after completing the Castle Club mode of the "campaign."  It wasn't my goal to burn through it, and by all accounts, the campaign is not really where the meat of the game is to be found.  Honestly, I'm perhaps more relieved than anything because now, I can turn to checking out the online options.  Ultimately, golf games (save Tiger Woods) have changed very little from the NES days.  The three-button-push mechanic is tried and true.  But however many -13 rounds or lower I post, the game, like real golf itself, is best enjoyed with others, preferably, friends.

I went to check -- it took me a little less than two months to earn the Platinum Trophy for Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational.  And yet even after that, I played HSG a lot.  In fact, I played it daily for a good long period to play in the daily tournament challenges.  I guess it helps to not suck, but I enjoyed competing, seeing how low I could score and how that fared versus others.  For whatever reason, the HSG online component was not quite up to speed when first released -- made even more odd considering it was a step back from the PSP version.  Eventually, the developers added modes including asynchronous play.  It was enough to get some people back into the game, but the opportunity was lost.  Online play became limited by the relatively small group of people playing and it was even less inviting for novices.

I downloaded Powerstar Golf at X1 launch.  I liked it though the overall content felt more limited compared to HSG.  Fewer characters and courses, its hook was two-fold: power-up items and online tracking.  For a next gen game, the multi-player suite was severely lacking.  There was no direct competitive multi-player.  I don't know whether that's still the case, but like many of the launch lineup titles, Powerstar Golf offered a multi-player feel even though you weren't playing at the same time with someone (e.g, racing against drivatars in Forza).  What the game did was create markers of where players had been before you as well as your own records.  I could see long drives and closest to the pins and do my best to best them.  It wasn't bad, but when you don't have a lot of friends playing, the feeling of accomplishment dwindles.

I liked when we played Tiger Woods and the notion of our own country club.  I'm not sure why I played that less than I did.  I know we had some folks that played and the competition was fun.  I think ultimately, the analogue swing was a bit too touchy and unreliable for me.  If I wanted to be frustrated by slicing the ball, I'd head to the real course.  But I'll say this, the online options were something that appealed to me.

So, here I am, new golf game in hand.  Come join me on the links.  It'll be a lot more fun with others.

Legen... dary: Fun with Rayman and Friends

I was at the library the other day and what should I see near the movies?  Video games.  And not just video games, games for the Xbox One and PS4.  And not just X1 games, but Rayman Legends.  And the grin on my face was as wide as could be, just thinking about all of the fun I had with Rayman Origins.

A few hours in, I can tell the game has a ton of content.  The controls felt familiar and tight.  Platformers typically frustrate me.  But the light-hearted, bright art of Rayman and the generous checkpoint system create an inviting, one-more-try effect where success and progress never feel unattainable.

Like the previous version, a palatable learning curve for even the early available levels exemplifies gaming at its finest: the feeling of achievement because an obstacle or level has been overcome through practice and experience.  While ultimately, I think maybe it's that lucky go that succeeds, that lucky go's foundation are attempt after attempt, learning what works and what doesn't, even if execution is not always completely perfect.  I found, even in the early going, I was replaying levels.  I wanted to "gold cup" each, trying to maximize my lum collection, and to do so required some tricky, timed maneuvers that called upon some Origins skills.

The game offers multiple types of levels as far as I've seen.  The forced scrolling stages are present and the familiar, frantic sprint through a level was both tense and welcome.  Legends offers online daily challenges to see how far through a level one can go.  Further incentive to play and play a lot.

If there's one minor quibble I have, it's that there are some obvious remnants from the game's prior WiiU exclusive design.  I remember it was the game I was most excited to try at the WiiU demo stand though I feared how it would affect a favorite title.  There are portions that would take advantage of the WiiU's motion and touch controls available via WiiU control pad that have been substituted with button pushes ("B" and bumpers).  To be honest, I wasn't thrilled with the WiiU control portions but that may be stubborn, old man-itis more than anything.  The effect here?  It certainly adds a layer of complexity to sections of the game that already require a fair amount of dexterity.

Therein was my biggest fear regarding Legends.  I loved Origins so much, I was worried that the new game would be too complex or less fun.  I didn't want my failure at the new game to affect the joy found in the previous.  So far, it seems like I can rest easy... though the game is anything but.

Despicable Me: Level 15 and Climbing?

Been able to get on a bit of Hearthstone roll this week.  Having previously toiled in the Level 19/20 range, I had seriously pondered purchasing the $20.00, fifteen pack of cards just to try to improve my lot.  The fear of spending the money and not improving held me back.  Instead, I looked around to what cards could be crafted and seeing how I could improve what I had.  I sacrificed some hero types and said goodbye to my legendary Deathwing (12/12).  One of the things I had found most frustrating in game play was not being able to control the board, whether it be too many spells or high cards.  As a result, I created my Minion deck and have had some success.

The idea was to get the best neutral cards, mostly common and rare.  I wanted some cover and sought taunt, some immediate attacks with charge.  I looked for value and buffers, in particular the adding of taunt and/or plus-attack/health.  I've been using Shaman with this deck because it allows the hero power of random totems which can include taunt, restore health, and plus-spell damage (though the deck is made with few spells and this is generally a non-factor without a buff).  Shaman does not have a clear all card like Flamestrike but he does have Hex which can prove useful against heavy hitters.

Without further ado:

1-drop

Goldshire Footman (1/2 with Taunt, allows for early defense)

Leper Gnome (2/1 with Deathrattle deals 2 damage to enemy hero)

2-drop

Bluegill Warrior (2/1 with Charge)

Faerie Dragon (3/2, cannot be targeted by Spells or Hero Powers (though I find I am surprised at times)

Flametongue Totem (0/3, buffs +2 attack to adjacent minions, great boost to 0/2 random totems)

Ironbeak Owl (2/1, Battlecry of silence a minion, great defense available at low cost)

Knife Juggler (3/2, deals random 1 damage every time you summon a minion,)

2 Loot Hoarder (2/1, Deathrattle of draw a card, find people have moved from Novice Engineer)

Sunfury Protector (2/3, Battlecry of give adjacent minions taunt, poor man's Defender of Argus)

3-drop

2 Hex (transform enemy minion to Frog, 0/1 with taunt, one of two spells in the deck)

Acolyte of Pain (1/3, draw a card whenever damaged, not sure about this one, but like the extra draw)

Harvest Golem (2/3, Deathrattle summons 2/1 golem, great value of essentially 4/4 plus survives clear)

Shattered Sun Cleric (3/2, Battlecry gives friendly minion +1/+1, try to avoid early use but can't always)

Wolfrider (3/1, Charge)

4-drop

Chillwind Yeti (4/5, everyone says it's great, falls between 3/5 priest instakills, immune to silence)

Dark Iron Dwarf (4/4, Battlecry gives friendly minion +2 attack in instant turn, also not sold on but not bad)

2 Defender of Argue (2/3, Battlecry gives adjacent minions taunt and +1/+1 buff, pretty special card at 4!)

2 Sen'jin Shieldmasta (3/5, Taunt, provides cover and 5 health will usually require two attacks)

Windspeaker (3/3, Battlecry gives friendly minion Windfury, Shaman specific minion but strong bonus)

5-drop

Bloodlust (gives minions +3 attack this turn, the other spell -- a finishing move)

2 Azure Drake (4/4, Battlecry draws a card, +1 spell which goes without use, not sold on this either)

6-drop

2 Argent Commander (4/2, Charge and Divine Shield, acts as +4 attack spell but remains on board)

2 Sunwalker (4/5, Taunt and Divine Shield, not sold on but like the defense, especially late)

There you have it.  The bell (mana-number selected) breakdown:

0-0

1-2

2-8

3-6

4-7

5-3

6-4

7+-0

At the beginning, I try to have as even of a 1, 2, 3 and 4 option as possible.  It can hurt with the early high cost and/or spells but that's part of the trick of arranging your deck to be as flexible as possible.  At this point, I have some 250 in dust for crafting.  I am considering working a Blood Knight in there and will consider whether some of the "not sold on's" should be replaced.  The other thing about moving up the ranks, streaks are your friends.  Ride 'em if you can.

Temptation at $2.99: Crossing the Free-to-Play Threshold?

Or bundled conveniently at 15 packs of cards for $19.99, 40 for $49.99.  And down the rabbit hole one goes.  I have resisted for any number of reasons -- some parts, fiscal responsibility, others, insistence on the Free-to-Play concept.  But would purchasing a few cards be that wrong?

I mean, I gladly spend $60 for a retail Xbox One game without ever playing prior to purchase.  I couldn't tell you how many hours I've played Hearthstone, but that I haven't paid a cent for it -- principle almost has me thinking I should reward Blizzard for making something so great.  So fun and challenging and addictive.

I don't know if it's Pay-to-Win.  Polygon has a great article here about the dilemma.  It has reinforced my belief that I do not need to purchase cards.  Notably, Friedman points out the issues of longevity of play (i.e., the game is designed for a long run of leveling and earning/crafting is part of that) and limitations of selection (that decks are limited to two cards of any type, one legendary, and a cap of thirty overall).

Ranked match play starts at a high level (e.g., Level 25) and the player works himself through victories to an increased rank.  The lowest of levels allow for losing without penalty.  Beginning at Level 20, the player has a star count that tracks wins.  Level 20 requires three wins to move to Level 19.  There is a bonus star received for win streaks of three.  I am sitting at Level 19, with one victory.  A loss would put me at Level 19, zero stars.  Another loss brings me down to Level 20.  I have never made it to Level 18.

The great frustration is feeling like I've played as good a game as I can.  Certainly, there's some luck of fate given to the draw of cards.  What's punishing is feeling like my cards aren't, and will never be, as good as my opponent's because his/her deck is full of extra powerful cards, rares, epics, legendaries, that I do not have.  But for $2.99, I may improve my chances.  Or $19.99 for a bulk discount...

It's not that I don't want the shiny toys to take for a spin.  Sadly, what ultimately keeps me from crossing the Free-to-Play threshold is that Pay-to-Win is no guarantee.  Is there anything worse than knowing you have an advantage and still lose?  I like being able to go to the "they paid to win" well.  Everyone loves the underdog and I do not mean "Unleash the hounds."  Because all non-hunters hate those...

Same as the First: Bravely Default's Unforgiveable Turn?

Minor spoilers here.  Worth reading if you're on the Bravely Default fence.

I have really loved Bravely Default.  Sixty-three hours in, I find the combat system to be new and engaging.  The game mechanics are highly polished.  The art is beautiful; the soundtrack is memorable.  After so much time investment, why do I find myself questioning whether this game is worth finishing?  Because I stumbled into Chapter 5 realizing that the game appears to require re-tracing the entire path leading to that point.

The picture above represents points of interest.  The yellow exclamations are plot points.  The blue exclamations represent side story elements.  So yes, I have reached the point where I need to revisit every area from Chapters 1 - 4.  But worse, after doing just that, I discovered that not only must I revisit these areas, I need to re-defeat the bosses in each location.

Really?  Really.  The thing about Bravely Default, the game offers so many options.  Upon defeating particular bosses, you unlock that job type for leveling and abilities.  There are some 24 jobs that are ultimately available though I haven't unlocked all of them.  The game has now tasked me with replaying and defeating some twenty odd bosses.

Admittedly, my party is highly skilled.  Level 64 and up.  And I know, games have re-used material before, even required a second run-through of campaign.  And yes, it appears having to re-do the tasks is accounted for in the campaign narrative.  But really?

I just don't know if I have it in me.  Maybe I'll just pick up Mario Golf instead.

Geeked: Free to Play and Loving It

You knew it was coming, right?  Yes, the Hearthstone propaganda is here.  Blizzard's free-to-play, Magic: The Gathering-styled, collectable card game became available on iOS for iPad this week, and so far, I am loving it.

I will dispense with some preliminary quibbles first.  I went in full well with the understanding that free-to-play wasn't the complete package.  While in the early going, that hasn't seemed to matter (I haven't spent a cent yet).  I am sure the more I play, the more apparent it will become and the more I'd covet that ability.  I'm the same guy that more or less refused CoD because I thought advanced weapons tilted gameplay balance.

I wish there were asynchronous gameplay.  First impression leads me to believe there is not even offline gameplay.  For me, both features are ones that just increase my opportunity to play and play with friends.  Given that must multiplayer gaming in my house is reserved for the console, Titanfall currenty, I see less opportunity to make Hearthstone appointment gaming with friends.  Then again, we did do that with Ascension.

The last is not so much a complaint as it is a matter of fact, there's a lot going on in the game and not a lot of explanation.  Gameplay is fairly intuitive and the cards themselves contain easily accessible information about their characteristics.  You have an attack number and health.  Each card requires an amount of mana to play.  Over the course of the game, mana increases round to round to a maximum of ten.  But building decks, discovering the rarity of cards, understanding how to craft cards, figuring out what the gametypes are, where you can get bonuses, where and how to buy, there's a bit of fend for yourself or find an online wiki or app here.  It speaks more to the game's depth of options and complexity than anything, but the same depth makes it a bit intimidating.

And now, the good news.  It's downright fun to play.  I was not in the beta, open or closed on the PC.  I've never played WoW.  I needed to get a Battlenet ID.  I downloaded the game for the iPad as soon as I was aware it was available, Wednesday evening I think.  Though I'm not sure of the actual number, I would say I've logged an easy six-plus hours of gametime.

Part of the early going was spent getting acclimated to how the game plays and feels.  I ran through the tutorial with some six opponents to detail the game's mechanics.  I then set about trying to unlock all nine hero types.  I think during that first evening, I made it through seven.  Playing on the Normal level, I had that feeling of learning as I played.  I could sense developing strategies that worked for me versus certain enemies and understanding the cards and their powers, what I liked and why.  I can't explain it, but the more I played, I had such a palpable feeling of improvement.

By the next night, I had unlocked all of the hero types and began trying to unlock all of the mage's basic cards.  I created my first custom deck and headed into the world of "Play" against live opponents.  There were both victories and defeats, and there was that dichotomy of "I outskilled you" and "You got lucky/cheap/OP cards" that frequently accompanied each.  All the while, I leveled up, gained access to new cards, earned gold to purchase new packs or access The Arena.  Incentives appear frequently and all without need to partake of the microtransaction process.

The short of it is the game feeds into the inner-geek.  It appears so noob-friendly but strategy and complexity lurk for those that want it.  Even in the early going, deciding strategy of attacking and defending, hero versus minion, using cards in combination, healing, hiding, forcing attacks, foregoing attacks.  It's not that the game is unique in doing so, but there's a feeling that's nice getting in on the ground floor.  Online, familiarity of the rules of course helps, but the game won't let you do something the rules don't allow.  It's like the ease of scoring Catan or Carcassone on XBL.

And yes, the animations are fun.  Picture Ron Weasley playing Wizard's Chess.  The attack animation, sparks, shakes, crumbles, +/- updated stats.  It adds that flair, especially when it's in your favor, that makes you smile.  I have always enjoyed seeing some bit of the attack animations, Advance Wars, Pokemon, Bravely Default.  There's action to the real world equivalent, "My mage will use four mana crystals to use Fireball to damage your hero six HP."  And yes, perhaps I did just that with a single flick of my finger on the iPad.  But it felt much cooler.  Especially in a win.

I'm not sure how long the fun will last in Hearthstone, but right now, there's no end in sight.  I'd be willing to pay, but at this point, there's been no need.

Improving Titanfall: Taking the Next Step

I have 20+ hours in Titanfall and am approaching Generation 3.  The thing is, while I really enjoy the game, I can't help but feel like the game could be so much more.  For me, console multiplayer need look no further than three mega-titles to find a recipe for long-lasting, addictive, competitive gameplay: Halo, Call of Duty, and Gears of War.  To ignore successful attributes from those series is to have the blueprint for the wheel and decide that one can improve it.

All I have to do is look at my friends list and realize a majority of those friends were people I "met" playing Halo 2.  Ten years ago!  Ten years ago, Bungie created not only one of the great multiplayer games ever, but it helped establish an onine gaming communty with bungie.net.  While the forums were good, linkable stats to re-live gaming glory were great.  Waypoint and COD pushed not only the notion of tallying kills and wins but recording them.  Sure, we can take advantage of Twitch and Game DVR, but in Titanfall, it's almost like winning and losing isn't all that important.  Scores appear for such a brief instant, it's near impossible to process, and perhaps, more importantly, to gloat.  I mean, we see who's on top and bottom, but I feel like in exchange for the lowest lows for a terribly played game, we have given up the highest highs in victory.

And that's what we got in Gears.  The other night, we were playing Titanfall and at times, other than knowing we were in a party together, it was almost hard to tell we were playing together.  I rarely see teammates on maps.  I rarely feel like I provide cover or am covered.  There's less raucous moments of defeat and glory.  It's nice to win together and we've had some close games the last few nights.  But there's not a whole lot of sharing in the glory because how often do others get to see it?  In Gears, especially with the "death room," how many laughs and cheers went up seeing someone overcome a two-on-one situation?  How many times would we helplessly urge folks to abandon the sniper?  Last night, with an ogre and shield core and some nub opponents, I went one-against-two and lived to tell about it.  But no one saw the encounter and it lives only in my memory.

I'm not saying we need online stat tracking or even a "death room" to improve Titanfall.  But little things like letting you see the last game's stat, perhaps while choosing a map (!), and playing against each other so at least maybe the victim of a glorious titan takedown coud confirm, it creates a more shared experience as opposed to players sharing a map. I understand that Titanfall is a next gen shooter and perhaps wanting to take the FPS forward.  But with a few additions of not-revolutionary features, a good game can become great.

The Easy Carrot: Talking 'bout My (Re)Generation

Well, after some twenty or so hours of gameplay, I finally hit Level 50 in Titanfall and was presented with the opportunity to regenerate.  Having not played much Call of Duty, I wasn't completely familiar with the mechanics of the "prestige" other than to know it was something all the cool kids did.  And so why wouldn't I want to be a cool kid in Titanfall and regenerate.

I guess I should have taken the multiple prompts as hints that regenerating wasn't all that smiles and benefits.  No, in fact, to get the cool designation along your gamertag in Titanfall lobbies, you had to sacrifice game progress.  Weapon upgrades, challenges, customizations... all gone.  Level 1 is Level 1 with minimal benefits from the regen.  Having unlocked Ogre and Stryder class titans, those unlocks would be available to me.  Of course, I didn't really comprehend at the time of the regen that meant I still couldn't access them because Level 1 is Level 1 and there was no customization of Titans.  Actually, if you remember Level 1, that means not even having all three pilot types available let alone customization of pilots.  Players keep burn cards and XP is earned at a faster clip because of the regen.

So after the regen, I lost all my scopes and extended magazines, any of the bonuses that give the player that slightest advantage -- gone.  And for what?  To get the notation and to begin again.  It's so weird to begin at the beginning, where challenges aren't even readily available.

I will say leveling up seems to occur fairly rapidly as a couple of days and a couple good sessions later, I find myself sitting at G2, Level 10.  I did unlock the challenges a little earlier and at Level 10, regained the ability to customize titans.  I'm glad because I think I hit a very good strategy in LTS (chaingun + extended magazine + cautious play = quickly acquired damage core).  Of course, I was looking at unlocking/upgrading everything but find myself with factory issue weapons again.  I had unlocked all of the upgrades for the R101, the EVA-8 and Smart Pistol pilot-wise and the extended magazine, accelerator for the chaingun and upgrade for the ARC cannon titan-wise.  Gone, gone and gone.

It's not terrible but I do wonder for what reason... there, of course, is a chivo associated with the regen.  And in fact, there is a chivo for reaching Generation 10.  I do like the notation of having played enough to be past Level 50.  I suppose there is some behind the scenes reason.  Cynically, the idea of the regeneration creates artificial replaybility.  There's the carrot of the max level cap and players will want it, even if it is Level 500.  I guess perhaps more importantly and ideally crucial to the balance of gameplay, regeneration can even the playing field albeit temporarily.  What happens is a G2, Level 10 does not have the firepower of a Level 25 even and though theory would say the former has more experience and arguably skill, at least at that point, in working back up the ladder, he's still unlocking upgrades.  Maybe not such a bad idea after all...

And did I mention I'm the one in the lobby with the G2 designation?  Yes... that one.

Titanfall: Fun with Friends

I have played Titanfall every day since its launch and I have enjoyed every minute of it.  Certainly, what others have said about its balanced gameplay and general fun factor, I do not disagree with.  The tease and addiction of challenges and burn cards also give incentive beyond just playing to continue playing.  Whether those will eventually wear thin or unsatisfying or get to the point where they are not earned with the frequency they are currently doled out remains to be seen.  The game is a joy to play and I look forward to playing it whenever I can.

It's been great to play with friends.  Probably for me, it hasn't been since Halo 4 when there was a game all of my friends were able to play and not only play but play together.  I smile deep inside seeing a friends list full of people all playing the same game, the game I am about to play.  But you know what's more fun than playing with friends?  Playing against them.

So there's of course talk that a future update will include the option of private matches.  And really, what better way to extend the life of a game that give us a reason to be better, to improve our weapons.  Sure, there's a leaderboard now that I can see for all of ten seconds before moving to the next stat screen.  But there's something about Halo and Gears of War and Call of Duty that Titanfall has not quite tapped into... the desire to best your friend.

I mean, what's the point of upgrading my chaingun if I can't unleash it and its extended clip on Tengaport's titan?  Why activate that rematch burn card if it's not to turn around, respawn where Reecer just took a hardpoint away, and surprise him with a comeback kill and accrue more defense time points?  While it's fun to teabag a random, it's that much more enjoyable when it's someone you know, you know?  I don't know whether the female Titan has that same capability, but don't we need to know?!

I like working together, but let's stop being nice and start "attritioning" each other.

Titanfail?: Day One with the Most Important Title in the Xbox One Lineup

Well, it wasn't quite what we were all expecting, was it?

First, the ugly and uglier.  Seems like I was even more right than I knew regarding that midnight launches would never be the same.  So I did what I could to see how close I could make it to the 12 a.m. PDT online availability of the game.  I wanted the digital download and don't regret having it for a second.  At 2:00 a.m. EDT, I couldn't make it and off to bed I went.  Up at 5:30 a.m., I began the download.  And it crept along.  At 9:00, when I had to head off to work, I think it was around 45% so I left the machine on.

I know there is supposed to be background and console-off downloading, but for whatever reason, I thought if it were on, it would download it more quickly.  I had turned off my auto off function in the settings.  When I returned around 3:30 or so, it was only about 70% complete.  Still no Titanfall for me.  No training, no nothing but a slow crawl that looked like maybe, it had even stopped.  So I hard-powered down and tried again and it seemed to move along a little better.  Around 5:00, I finally had the game and ran through the demo.  I hadn't completed the entire demo in the Beta so I figured I would, for the chivo if nothing else.

Went out for a bit and turned the Xbox One and system on around 6:30.  Had it on the rest of the night for listening to music, watching TV with the wife, and Titanfall later.  I would later discover that being on maybe saved me from a long night of grief, not that I still didn't feel awful for the way the Xbox Live failure and its blemish on the Titanfall launch ruined the fun a bit.

Logged in to XBL, I popped on about 9:30 p.m. and played until a little after 2:00.  I loved just about every minute of it.  There was some getting used to the party system and invites and it didn't take us long to discover that hitting the party limit of six will happen with more frequency than I'd like.  But the game itself feels great.  Win or lose, good game or bad game, I never felt frustrated.  I never felt over-matched or that a higher ranked opponent had better weapons or loadouts.  I never saw lag, perhaps the occasional framerate stutter, but definitely no occasion to cry shenanigans or toast.  Perhaps in the restrictions and set-up, that has been taken care of.  All this and with at least one or two people broadcasting the action on Twitch as well?  The future of gaming?  It certainly can be bright albeit with bumps on the road.  That's one thing we joked about last night, this idea that the game is still in process, that a later update will add options, fix or improve resolution, add gametypes and Voltron.

Is it the greatest thing since Halo 2?  COD4:MW?  Gears of War?  I don't know.  But what I do know is that I have a lot of friends playing it and that, to me, is a system seller.  That makes it worthy of the hype.  That is why I stayed up until 2:00 a.m. playing... oh, that and wanting to unlock the Stryder chassis for my custom Titan loadout.

War is Hell

Last summer, I endured this:

And then there was the Tomb Raider Definitive Edition discussion or Framerate-Gate:

How about a March 2, 2014 editorial about how Sony is winning the console war?  At least Microsoft offered Civilization Revolution and Dungeon Defenders in their Games with Gold program.  More power, lower price... focus on the gamers...

"Your Titan is ready."

Wait.. what?

Random Musings

Just a quickie here.  I am some thirty hours in on Bravely Default and I am really loving it.  I've actually logged more time with it than Pokemon X.  And while certainly the former has the "new shiny" effect going for it, there's something in the game that has made it that much more accessible -- the encounter slider.

Not since the Forza series introduced the Rewind button has a feature so increased my enjoyment of a game.  The encounter slider can be moved up or down increasing or decreasing the chance of encountering baddies while traversing the map.  It means choosing whether I want to fight extra baddies so it's easier to grind up or avoiding them altogether so I can head to town to spend a night at the comfortable inn, replenish all of my party's HP and MP and revive any KO'd member.

How awesome is that?  If you've ever run out of repels, you'll appreciate it that much more.  The game is great for reasons beyond that, but it's something that can really ease frustration and that's fine by me.

A Whole New World: Saying Goodbye to the Midnight Launch

Titanfall drops in a mere ten days.  Since the demo ended, I've hardly been able to contain my excitement for the first big game of the next generation of consoles.  Who knows what exactly the game holds -- a new approach to multiplayer only, a new way to utilize Azure, and sadly, for me, a new way to view a midnight launch.

I can't wait to get my hands on Titanfall, but the thing is, I don't think physically, I ever will.  Digital download is going to be the route for me because yes, I feel giddy Kinecting my way to the game.  Had I realized how nice it was to switch from Forza to Ryse to Battlefield 4 without getting up and changing discs, I don't think I would have bought hard copies.  Ultimately, when I trade in BF4, maybe I'll be glad I didn't, but it's that cool of a feature.

The joy of the midnight launch has been those moments of communal anticipation, the sharing of stories or playing of games with others while patiently waiting to pay for your game, get out of the store, and fire it up.  My Xbox One launch night was like that.  But firing it up meant updating and installing and waiting.  And the waiting is the hardest part.  With the required install, what use does a hard copy serve?  None in this instance.

I'll look at my Gears of War 3 and Halo: Reach winter cap swag with nostalgia, along with my Gears of War 2 dog tag and inflatable Spartan helmet.  No more midnight launches for me.  "Xbox, go to Titanfall."

Missing Baird: When Bigger is Not Better

I suppose the appropriate thing to do is to provide a spoiler alert before divulging details of the Battlefield 4 campaign. And there it was. But really, is anyone worried that any of the game's plot will be revealed to the detriment of game players? Don't. To be honest, I've played through the campaign twice now and I'm still not really sure what happened because none of it seemed to matter.

To be fair, I will accept my share of the blame for not paying attention. But the game very much runs through the checklist of "what a gamer expects in a military shooter." There is the male camaraderie in an elite unit, frequent use of the f-bomb, a tortured interrogation, exotic locales, a couple of "shocking" decisions to be made, and huge set pieces. The last of which leads to a "thrilling" end of the mission sequence of falling... and falling... and falling.

Really? Before game's end, matters seem more silly than anything. I appreciate the effort of the moment but not the effort, or lack thereof, to create the moment. The thing is, there are only seven total campaign missions and three of them end like that?!

But there are other things, "throwaways" that reek of going through the motions. In the second clip, when the trams falls, you'll note Dima. As best I can recall or retell, Recker (the protagonist and player's character) and Irish get captured by the Chinese. There is the interrogation with first person view of electric shock and when Recker comes to, he finds himself in a cell with Dima -- a scarred fellow with accent, shank, and a plan to escape the prison in the cold mountains by crushing a hole through the decaying, concrete walls of the prison. And so Recker helps Dima, meets up with Irish, joins up with Hanna who didn't really betray you and shoots the group's way to the tram. The "helo" from hell shoots the tram down and Dima dies a free man.

The scene cuts to off-screen dialogue by the ship's commander wondering about the whereabouts of "Tombstone" squad and the next mission finds Irish, Hanna and Recker in a vehicle in a desert, two days later, without food or water in the meantime. Luckily, Hanna and Irish have a chance to talk things over where they develop an increasing amount of respect for the goals they both seek, the pasts through which both struggled, whatever they may be. Nice.

The story seriously continues like this right up to the very end... and end.. and end. Yes, the game has three endings and there are chivos associated with each. Again, Recker, Irish and Hanna find themselves in quite the predicament. Sent out to destroy the enemy warship, Recker, Irish and Hanna must choose how to sink the boat when the explosives malfunction -- the rub being that each choice requires a sacrifice. Both Irish and Hanna want to sacrifice themselves for their own reasons, reasons of which I'm not completely sure. I understand Irish thinks it important for Hanna to help her people through whatever future awaits. Take too long to choose, and the Valkyrie, the ship you went through all the trouble of saving, sinks with Tombstone member Pac aboard.

How it plays out is an option is chosen, a brief voice over recalls happier times, or sadder, and the credits roll. Then, the mission is restarted and the next option is chosen, the chivo earned, and the credits roll. And then the third option is chosen, etc. It does not have to played like that, but why play through the whole thing again? The final campaign mission is fairly short so getting to that fateful moment requires the blasting of a few dozen non-descript enemies.

"Trust is earned." Don't trust Battlefield 4 campaign for anything more than a by-the-book, over-the-top, trite run through the motions that means little but a chance to earn chivos and find collectibles. I guess for me, that's enough.

Posted with Blogsy

Bravely Default: What's In a Name

Next week, Square Enix and Silicon Studio is releasing Bravely Default in the U.S. for the 3DS.  And though my experience with JRPGs is very limited, I must say, I'm pretty excited about the prospect of this title.  So much so that it may be a Day One purchase for me... despite what seems to be a wholly uninviting game title.

I have never played a Final Fantasy.  There.  I said it.  And so who knows what I'm getting myself into.  The Demo, however, provided an enticing enough peek to have piqued my interest and the largest portion of that comes down to the "Bravely Default."

I generally think of RPGs as basic turn-based affairs.  Picture Pokemon and choosing an action and watching it play out as my action and then my opponent's, in whatever order determined by the vast amount of statistical advantages and disadvantages.  When there is something added to that basic formula, I find myself intrigued.  In Jeanne d'Arc, there was an element that would allow you to continue turns based on finishing off a character -- think whittling away enemies HP and allowing a super-character to come through and clear a map on a single turn.  In Eternal Sonata, there was a timer and action limiter coupled with a light/dark dynamic that made the battle system new and original.

In the Bravely Default demo, the player chooses from a number of options for his four-member party.  The choices include standard attack and abilities/magic as well as "Brave" and "Default."  The twist in gameplay involves choosing to pass essentially under the "Default" option.  The party member assumes a defensive posture and does no action for that round.  "Brave" allows the opposite.  In other words, instead of passing on a turn, selecting "Brave" allows an additional action.  Whereas a turn usually allows only one move, "Brave" will let a character stack moves.  The flexibility is found within each party member, can allow for use of items in addition to attacks/abilities, choosing different targets to attack.  A cool consequence is that "Brave" can be used before saving attacks under "Default" with the penalty of foregoing future turns.  Of course, if those turns are not needed, no harm done.

The way that plays out is say I encounter a monster and want to dispatch it quickly.  I can "Brave" it with each character, four turns for four characters - 16 actions in one round.  Pwned.  Where this battle system becomes even more interesting is in boss battles.  There becomes a give and take with how to approach a multi-round affair.  Even in the demo, I discovered that the baddies get to use Brave/Default system as well which can turn out really well or poorly for my party.  And thus the name Bravely Default.

I am excited about the game and whether I get it Day One or down the road, it is definitely on my radar and may mean even more playtime for the 2DS.

Schadenfreude: What Is It Good For?

No one wants to be on the losing side.  I cling to my HD-DVD player, not that it's hooked up or anything, but because I have some forty-odd discs, fallen soldiers in the post-DVD format war.  While I certainly purchased movies for content, there was a part of me that wanted to support the format, the Xbox tie-in.  And then Disney chose Blu-ray and the rest is history.

In the last couple of weeks, I've seen the stories: PS4 has won the next gen, Microsoft pays video bloggers to endorse Xbox One, Vita is on a slow death march, Iwata must go.  I understand anyone can post an article these days and I understand that certain topics equals clicks to websites.  In fact, I understand the desire to follow the links, to read about how your purchase was the right one, to see your "enemy" sometimes trip over its own feet.

But what does victory mean?  Do we really want the other to fail?  What does that mean for gaming as a whole when there are less options?  What benefit do we get if there is one console?

Fool Me Once
I downloaded the Battlefield 4 update this week.  I am happy to report that it seems the multiplayer has settled down a bit.  Though it's not always the easiest to find games to get into (and don't ask me to explain how to balance teams), it seems like we were able to get into the games we wanted.  Searching the Conquest servers got us into a Conquest game.  Actually, I do like how Xbox One sends notice when a party member enters a game.  The games themselves also seemed to run smoothly.  While I have heard pre-teen complaints about lag over games of Domination, I did not notice any shenanigans to report.  My k/D remains woefully short of 1.0 but I am pleased to say my win/loss ratio seems to be trending upwards.

But with progress comes pain of growth?  It doesn't seem like it should have to be that way but that way it is.  When I turned to Campaign, I realized my progress on the hardest difficulty was lost.  I'm not sure how much I completed, but I thought I finished at least six missions.  Talk about deflating one's morale.  While completion of the levels didn't feel impossible, it was a long time investment that I am not sure I want to make again.  The other day, I ran through a couple of missions on the normal difficulty, and while considerably easier, I don't know that I find the story so compelling as to make me feel like I need to do this.  Especially with so much else to play.

I'm hoping some of these issues are ones of up-porting Battlefield 4 from last gen to next gen.  It does make me cautious of what we get when Titanfall is released.

I Know Kung Fu?

I understand the complaints with Ryse. While pretty, the gameplay could be seen as repetitive. The story is every gladiator movie after... well... Gladiator. The microtransactions for co-op armor suits and purchase of "gold currency" to upgrade executions is a woeful reminder of where games are heading. It is not a system seller nor kid friendly. It is good fun.


In fact, it has been my go-to game on the Xbox One. I have logged lots of miles in Forza, especially with the challenges, and Battlefield 4 should provide a multiplayer outlet until Titanfall if not Plants v. Zombies. Ryse has been the most entertaining and satisfying experience from the launch lineup.


Yes, the dialgoue can be trite and overwrought, but who doesn't like that? I loved 300 and was pleasantly surprised at the Starz Spartacus series. In embracing the over-the-top spectacle of Rome and its bloodthirsty masses, if I view the material seriously, then perhaps that's the wrong starting point. If I find myself asking others whether they're not entertained.. ARE THEY NOT ENTERTAINED?!?! <<spit and throw sword disgustedly toward the blood-soaked earth>>, then I'm in a much happier place.


Yes, the executions are quick time events. Yes, they do not overly penalize you for missing the event. Yes, that's perfect. So I was most skeptical with Ryse when first debuted at E3 (I think) and the executions were repeated QTEs with a big blue "X" on the screen, followed by an equally big yellow "Y," leaving one to ask the same. Thankfully, that system was replaced. Executions go into "bullet time" and instead of the button prompts on-screen, the outline of the soon-to-be-departed/dismembered/disemboweled flashes blue or yellow. The executions, when known, use the same sequential pattern depending on position and numbers of hits.


So the consequence of missing the QTE is the lack of a bonus. Bonuses range from health regeneration, XP increase, focus increase, and damage increase (?). I found on a second playthrough, that the bonuses can actually mean a lot, especially the health regeneration. The execution is still performed when I miss and after repeated cut-scenes of Unchartered for missed QTEs, I'm fine with that. Especially given the number of exeuctions actually performed in the game. Make no mistake, there's a lot killing going on.


As to the gameplay itself, working through campaign is largely a combination of X and Y to attack enemies. Rinse and repeat until the baddies' health is low enough for the execution QTE. There is a block, dodge and heavy attack also in the arsenal and at times, with as many enemies as one can face, there's a fair bit of challenge.


The criticism leveled against the campaign rests largely with the "monotony" of similar enemies, wave after wave. Same appearances, same attacks. Fair I suppose. What it makes me think of though is a next gen Kung Fu. While we should expect some advancement from some thirty years ago, to recreate that feeling of fun, I suggest is more important. Though gruesome, there is some enjoyment when you get to the bullet time executions. At times, it serves as relief from the onslaught of rushing attackers. At others, it serves the "I need this bonus." Despite knowing what the combinations often are, the timing and tension of perfectly executing does excite and most importantly entertains.


I enjoyed Ryse and continue to play it. I look forward even more to a sequel. Perhaps it's not a reason to get an Xbox One, but if you have an Xbox One, you should play Ryse with no hesitation.

Posted with Blogsy

One Is the Loneliest Number

Admittedly, I don't need a next generation console, but it's pretty nice having one.  I have enjoyed my time with the Xbox One and I will say it has firmly entrenched itself as the center of my entertainment system.  And while not completely perfect nor always the most efficient, I enjoy moving from app to app, game to Netflix, music to TV, with relative ease.  With Titanfall coming sooner than one might think, the number one priority for Microsoft at this point should be re-establishing what made Xbox Live such an advantage in the first place, creating and connecting with my community.

Remember when the Xbox 360 came out and the tag line was to "Jump In"?  Remember when cross-game/app party chat was readily used, notifications would pop up when a friend wanted to play with you?  Of course, if you're still on your 360, remembering is but a power on away.

This morning, I started up the Xbox One, headed into Netflix and went about my business with no idea that Ivan was on playing Battlefield 4.  Sure, from Netflix, I could discover that he was online and playing with a mere three steps: 1) "Xbox Go Home"/guide button push; 2) "Xbox Go to 'Friends'"/left window; and (after a brief loading of the app and info) 3) select "Friends" option to wait and see who's online.  I guess alternatively, I could use my Xbox One app on my phone or tablets.

It really does not make a whole lot of sense.  While I appreciate some fantastic, "next gen" features like the cloud -- the ability to race against friends' drivatars instead of AI in Forza is as big a game changer as I've seen -- losing ease and accessibility has meant not racing against friends who were actually online at the same time.  Funny, because that's one of the things I thought the Vita did really well, created a multiplayer feeling even if you weren't playing with or against anyone else at that time.  In Powerstar Golf, it is the very embodiment of the issue itself: there is no simultaneous multiplayer but the player gets a ton of information in comparison to friends and others on each shot if desired.  It's almost a hyper-level of information, but it almost emphasizes the isolation of single player.

I'm not sure if it's because I haven't utilized the "favorites" option for friends, but I'm not particularly looking forward to going through and changing folks status either.  I think Pez had mentioned that maybe the lack of notifications as become a necessary by-product of the increased friends list.  Of course, there's the follower distinction too but you know, I don't really want to be bothered with that.  I want to play games with my friends, is that too much to ask?

I Don't Need No Stinkin' Next Gen

2014 may be the year the next gen really takes off, but if there's one thing I learned since November 22, 2013, it's that great games are great games, regardless of hardware.  That's not to say I haven't enjoyed the Xbox One.  It has certainly taken up residence at the center of my entertainment console.  I did eventually reconnect the Xbox 360 to play Disney Infinity and Mass Effect 3, but neither have received much play time.

Gearing up for the midnight launch, I packed up my Vita and DS to assist with the long wait in line.  Cold as it was, I started getting ghosting on the Vita touchscreen so I went ahead and went old school, super old school in fact.  I fired up some Tetris DS and followed it up with some Japanese import wackiness in Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! (the precursor to Elite Beat Agents).

The thing was, it didn't matter that the games were as old as they were, they just played well.  Familiar but challenging, combining fast reflexes and catchy tunes, the games brought a smile to my face which, in part, was nostalgic, but equally, or more so, engrossing.

After a fun trip through Ryse and miles driven in Forza 5, I received a 2DS for my birthday along with Pokemon X.  Pokemon, though the newest version, remains fairly true to its original gameplay.  There are new Pokemon and types and graphics, but the game still pits your Pokemon with others, and before I knew it, the hours are starting to pile up as I work to catch them all.  The game brings back some favorites and again, I find myself smiling as I head into battle with Pikachu and Charizard.  I feel my body tense after using the pokeball and seeing it shudder once... twice... three times.  I think my Pokedex is in the eighties. I have two gym badges.  More hours to come.

Finally upgrading to current gen Nintendo handheld, I got a chance to check out the Virtual Console and downloaded a couple of NES classics.  Punch-out! (featuring Mr. Dream) and Mega Man 2.  The NES was MY first console.  I got one for Christmas in 1985 and the rest was, as they say, history.  But as much as I have enjoyed fighting my way to Dr. Wily or guiding Little Mac to the heavyweight crown (still having trouble with the Bald Bull "bull charge," third bounce I thought), when we celebrated our family Christmas, my nephews, possessors of 3DSs, 360, and now PS4, were equally attracted by the challenge of the old games.

I am looking forward to the new generation of games as much as the next guy.  But great games are great games.  I even downloaded Candy Crush Saga for my new tablet.