Capcom recently surprised us all with one more beta before the game’s release. I put in some time with Nash, freak out over some tight matches and I show off a pro-tip to help you get the most out of training mode!
Stuff vs. Space
Growing up, the concept of space didn’t really factor into my way of living. With my parent’s house as a repository, I bought what I wanted and held onto things for way longer than I probably should have. For instance, I stored a collection of a few dozen basketball shoes in my closet, hundreds of video games in the basement, and virtually all of my school work dating back to grade 6 under my bed. You know, in case I needed to refer to my school work someday in the real world.
Today, I’m challenged with a very different dilemma. While I don’t collect sneakers or homework anymore, they’ve been replaced with a large stash of comic books, board games and Amiibo figures. The video games are still here, albeit split in half as part of the “Great Divorce” my brother and I had when I moved out. Finally, my parent’s house has been replaced with Steff and I’s small condo. The stuff I have versus the space I have are at odds with each other and something has to give.
Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor Review
Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor had been sitting on my shelf for almost a year before finally giving it an honest try. Despite the game’s critical acclaim, I had a hard time putting it over other games in my queue due to my disinterest in the Lord of the Rings. As it turns out, the game doesn’t require a background in J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic to be enjoyed. Also, it’s awesome.
Ways in Which Street Fighter IV Succeeded
Street Fighter IV was the biggest thing since Street Fighter II. In an era where the fighting games had laid dormant for about a decade, the success of IV rejuvenated the entire genre. It also has proven to be an amazing game that has stood as the premiere fighter for almost a decade now.
Previously, I wrote a post about this legendary game’s failings. Now it’s time to go the other way and celebrate all of the great things it did do. With the release of Street Fighter V looming, let’s look back one more time at what made Street Fighter IV so special.
Gamewright Announces Sushi Go Party!
The makers of the hit game Sushi Go! have announced the upcoming release of Sushi Go Party! This super-sized sequel mixes things up by allowing players to customize each game with a set of over 20 different types of sushi cards. Also, this new game supports 2-8 players, versus the 2-5 of the original.
I like Sushi Go!, so the name alone was enough to catch my attention. While I do have a bit of concern that choosing what sushi is in each game could take away from the original’s light and quick appeal, but support for player counts as high as eight is a huge plus. Might be wishful thinking, but I hope the game also has a better two-player solution, as two players in the original game wasn’t that great. Will certainly be keeping an eye out on this one, which should be out at some point later this year!
Early Impressions of Pandemic Legacy
Classic Pandemic is a co-operative board game where players team up in an effort to cure four deadly diseases before they wipe out the human race. No pressure, right? In the moment, it’s one of the most intense board games on the market. However, as soon as the game is over, the slate is wiped clean and you can start again as if nothing ever happened.
This is where Pandemic Legacy differs from its predecessor. Taking heavy influence from Risk Legacy, events that take place in each game leave a lasting impact on subsequent plays until you hit the final stage of the campaign. If you thought that the original game was stressful, wait until you play this version where the rules constantly change, characters can die and entire cities can be wiped off of the map forever.
Laugh’s Theory on the Three Types of Fighting Game Players
Core-A Gaming, with the help of pro fighting game player Laugh, put together a fantastic video about Laugh’s theory of the three types of fighting game players. You should watch the whole thing, but I’ll summarize the key points here before I go into my piece. The three types are:
Mind: The player whose primary strength comes from leveraging information about the game, from frame data, to option selects, to set-ups.
Heart: The player whose primary strength comes from trying to counter their opponent’s specific approach to the fight.
Body: The player whose primary strength comes from being able to perform higher damage combos and block better due to their physical dexterity.
Everybody is a mix of these three elements. Each one has its strengths, but also its weaknesses. Mind players can get flustered when forced into a situation they haven’t prepared for. Heart players can be coerced into making bad decisions. Body players can get frozen out of being able to use their physical talents.
Using this theory, where do I fit?
The Value of Consumable Board Games
The vast majority of board games have been designed with infinite replayability in mind. Once the experience is over, simply reset the components and start again. However, Risk Legacy introduced a consumable element to the game, as it followed a story with a finite end. As you played, you wrote on the board, put stickers everywhere and tore up cards until the game you’re left with is one that’s very different from the one you started with.
The concept found new life in 2015 with games like T.I.M.E Stories and Pandemic Legacy. The first game is one that is stellar, though this full-priced game is over in about six hours with no further replay value. As for the latter, it’s a wildly popular successor to an already huge game. The love for it has been so great that it dethroned the five-year champ Twilight Struggle from the #1 slot on Board Game Geek’s list of best board games.
With consumable games on the rise, there’s been a growing debate on the merits of these styles of games. Would you buy a game knowing that it won’t last forever like the other games in your collection?
T.I.M.E Stories Added to the List of Awesome Board Games You Should Play
Days removed from playing and completing T.I.M.E Stories, my mind is still buzzing from what transpired. Essentially, it’s an adventure video game that’s been expertly translated to the tabletop. As a member of what is basically the time police, you travel to a 1920s asylum to foil someone’s plot of breaking the space time continuum.
Deeply engaging and exciting from end-to-end, my experience with this game is quite possibly the best I’ve ever had with a board game. With The Marcy Case expansion already out and more on the way, T.I.M.E Stories is bound to stay top of mind for quite a while. I can’t recommend this one enough.
Check out the full list of Awesome Board Games You Should Play!
Mortal Kombat X is Getting Enhanced Online Netplay
Recently, NetherRealm Studios announced that Mortal Kombat X was getting updated with GGPO-style rollback netcode. This is a huge win for the game and its fans, as the dynamic latency model currently used leads to a less-than-ideal online combat kombat experience. As far as I know, a complete overhaul of a game’s netcode this long after launch, at least in a fighting game, is unprecedented.
In Third Person 