Indie Game: The Movie Review

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(Originally posted on splitkick.com. Thanks to the Splitkick team for the edits!)

“I will kill myself if I don’t finish this game,” proclaims Phil Fish, when asked about next steps if he fails to complete Fez, the game he’s been creating for over 4 years. People generally don’t mean it when they use that expression, but there’s an undeniable air of sincerity that accompanies Phil’s words. Why would a man be ready to kill himself over a game? Within minutes of watching Indie Game: The Movie, the answer becomes readily apparent.

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Board Game Spots in Toronto

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As someone who lives on the outskirts of the Greater Toronto Area and works in the downtown core, I can comfortably say that the board game fans in the city are spoiled relative to those everyone else outside. Board games are booming in Toronto, with stores and cafes popping up everywhere to support a rabid fan base. Meanwhile, just outside of the city limits, your options for buying games or playing games in public venues is far more sparse, albeit growing.

This is by no means a comprehensive list, but I wanted to highlight a few places that are notable to me. Here’s a few places that I think are worth talking about!

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I Won the WorldGaming Street Fighter V Regional Finals in Kingston, Ontario!

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Kingston was a long way from home, but the road trip was certainly worth it! By the end of the tournament, I was crowned the victor, earning a sweet Street Fighter V gi, a free movie pass and a spot in the Canadian finals at the end of the month!

Heading into this tournament, I was really nervous. So much so, that the waiters at the restaurant Steff and I were at just before the tournament asked me if I was okay due to how visibly shaken I was. Though I’ve never won a tournament before, I really wanted to do well at this one. We came from too far away for me to just lay an egg.

The theatre setup was awesome. Six slick gaming booths along with a commentator’s booth lined the front. It was surreal to see Street Fighter V on the big screen, though I spent most of my time playing the game on an Asus monitor below.

Despite the extended warm-up period we got, my jitters carried into my first match. It was a scatterbrained match where I couldn’t get a feel for my opponent. Luckily for me, I was able to win the set 2-0.

Didn’t really feel comfortable until the grand finals match. Facing off against a solid Vega player, I got into a comfortable zone and did what my Rashid does best. When the smoke cleared, I came away with the title!

From here, the next step is to compete with 31 other Street Fighter V competitors from across the country at the end of the month. The road hasn’t been easy and it’s only going to get tougher. For now though, I’m going to relish this first tournament victory before prepping for the biggest tourney of my life to-date!


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Board Game Night Playlist: Games For Board Game Hipsters

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So you think Catan wore out its welcome years ago. You buy games off the strength of a designer’s name alone. You’re also constantly looking for the next big game or gems that other people have overlooked. If this sounds like you, you might be a board game hipster.

And there’s nothing wrong with that! You clearly have a passion for the hobby and a strong point of view on topics relating to the scene. For your next board game night, here’s a few under the radar gems you may have missed. Or, if you’re not a board game hipster, try these awesome games out while upping your board game street cred tenfold.

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Paperback Review

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Paperback by Tim Fowler puts players in the shoes of aspiring writers. Pouring over each word, players compete to become the most famous writer of the bunch by completing work on paperback novels. No, you won’t actually have to write novels to win the game, but your vocabulary will be put to the test in a game that is equal parts Scrabble and Dominion. Are you ready to become the next J.K. Rowling, Stephen King or Nicholas Sparks?

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Thoughts Going Into the WorldGaming Street Fighter V Regional Finals in Kingston, Ontario

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In just a few days, Steff and I will be taking a weekend trip to Kingston, Ontario. Roughly a two-hour drive from Toronto, it’ll be host to one of the Street Fighter V regional finals tournaments taking place across Canada. Having earned my spot to compete at this event, I’m excited for the opportunity to throw down with the best that the city has to offer.
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Universal Fighting Game Guide: How to Improve Quickly by Training Intelligently

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Learning how to become competent at fighting games was an agonizing process that was years in the making for me. In hindsight, my progress was extremely slow at the beginning, as I simply didn’t know how to get better. The biggest mistake I made during those early days, and one that I see online players fall into all the time, is having the mindset that the more you play, the better you get. That is a fallacious mentality to have, as I simply played poorly for a long time with no visible signs of improvement.

I now know that improvement in fighting games – while still a bumpy ride – doesn’t have to take nearly as long if you understand the process for improvement. In this edition of the Universal Fighting Game Guide, we cover the concept of training intelligently in order to improve at a faster rate.

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Epic Spell Wars of the Battle Wizards: Duel at Mt. Skullzfyre Review

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From its insanely long title to its artwork that is equal parts cartoony and metal, Epic Spell Wars of the Battle Wizards: Duel at Mt. Skullzfyre needs no help in the style department. Heck, the game even comes with a cardboard standee of the mountain just for the added ambiance. But does this wizard battle royale have the substance to keep you coming back for more?

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Mark of the Ninja Review

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(Originally posted on splitkick.com. Thank you to the Splitkick team for the edits!)

Perched atop a lamppost, I spot my targets. Directly below me are three gun-toting foes who have no idea what’s coming to them. I could simply grapple to the adjacent rooftop to continue my mission, but my bloodlust is running high. I ask myself, “Do I want to cloud their vision with a smoke bomb, then stab each of them in the back? Or can I come up with something more clever?” Scanning my inventory, I find just the thing to liven up this party. In an instant, a swarm of ravenous insects showers down on one of my enemies. As the insects make quick work of his flesh, his partners freak out, and accidentally shoot each other in the commotion. Recognizing that my work was done, I slip off into the darkness to continue my quest.

Though it’s a stretch to classify Mark of the Ninja as a simulation, this 2D stealth platformer makes me feel more like a real ninja than any other video game I’ve played before. Marrying concepts from the NES Ninja Gaiden games with the Arkham series of Batman titles, it’s also one of the coolest games I’ve played in 2012.

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Bottom of the 9th Review

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The tension in the stadium is palpable. It’s the end of the game and the score is tied between the scrappy underdogs at bat and the powerhouse squad on defense. If the underdogs can’t score now, their opposition will surely beat them in extra innings. This is the scenario you and one other player will face in Bottom of the 9th. Do you have what it takes to score the winning run or record the final out?

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