So today I decided that I would try out something different. Usually the most extent I talk about games on here is when I'm talking about Nintendo, but I also play a large amount of PC games. Yesterday I bought Rocket League on Steam since it was on sale for 40% off. I've been hearing a lot of hype about this game for a long time and I was really excited to try it. It has definitely lived up to the fun I've heard that it is.

Rocket League is a simple, yet fun concept. In one sentence, it's soccer but with rocket cars. But it's so much more fun than that. You hit the giant ball by controlling a car. Typical forward/reverse, steering controls. It takes a lot of skill (or luck) to be able to coordinate with your team members to score a goal. Different from soccer, however, is the giant explosion when you get a goal, or ramming into someone so hard with your rocket boosters that they explode. The game's hilarious almost toy-like physics make the game that much more fun. Combined with gorgeous graphics that allow you to see individual blades of grass moving in the wind and amazing sun flairs, it's fun to even just watch.

You win by getting the most points in a five minute round. If there is a tie when the timer runs out, there is overtime where the next team to score a point wins. When the round is over, you'll get experience points depending on how well you and your team did that round. You also have a chance to get a new item to customize your vehicle with. These items are almost entirely cosmetic, since the hitboxes, speed, etc. of all of the cars, hats, and flags are almost identical. But it's still awesome to get a new boost trail, or pirate hat.

The game isn't terribly competitive, which strikes me as odd. You would think with a game that is so focused around one of the most competitive sports of all time, it would have that. There is a competitive mode, but it still doesn't carry the same weight. I think it would be more interesting if the items you got each had balanced ups and downs, such as increased speed with decreased control. Things like that would make customizing your vehicle much more fun, much like Splatoon's gear system.

Overall, I can tell this will be a game I will become addicted to over the next few weeks. I can't say whether it will have a lasting effect on me, but I can definitely tell it's worth the $12 I spent on it.

When I think of mobile games, I think big companies spending a lot of money to get people like Arnold Schwarzenegger to narrate over CGI explosions. Maybe the occasional arcade game fad like Flappy Bird or Angry Birds. What I usually don't think of is quality gameplay and mechanics, but there are games who break the mold and achieve this regardless.

First, I'll have to talk about Monument Valley. What Makes Monument Valley different is its game-changing puzzle mechanics. The app is paid with paid DLCs, but that's a small price to pay for an app that is this amazing. You can also get it for free on Amazon's Underground app store. The game combines a beautiful geometric aesthetic with physics-defying gameplay. The goal is simply to get from the beginning to the end while moving the environment. Seems simple enough, but simple is what makes a good mobile game. Each level is well thought out and just the right amount of challenging. It's great to play when you have down-time, or just binge it all in one go.

You know when I gave Angry Birds as an example of a fad in the first paragraph of this post? Well, the studio that made Angry Birds, Rovio, made a game that doesn't rely on Angry Birds branding to succeed for once. The game is called Retry, and I think it is a great example of how to make a game that strikes the perfect balance between user experience and profit. The game is fairly simple, you pilot a plane through various levels, collecting coins and other things along the way. I think the best part of this game is how it is monetized. Lots of mobile games basically rely on micro-transactions to win. Pay-to-win is common among mobile games. While Retry has micro-transactions to get more coins and gears, you don't need them to succeed. Coins are used to unlock checkpoints, but even if you don't have any coins to unlock a checkpoint, you can watch a simple 30-second ad or grab some coins from another level. I think this is a very non-obtrusive way for a game to make money.

How can I make a post on games without talking about Neko Atsume? Neko Atsume: Kitty Collector is a game that's gained widespread popularity, and the weirdest part? Nobody knows why. I don't even know why I keep coming back to it. The game is simple, you put items down in your yard for cats to come and play with, and they leave you fish to buy more things. The game is laid-back, which I think is important in a mobile game. Sometimes it's nice to just check and see how your cats are doing. Maybe snap a picture of a cute cat. The game is slow, but rewarding. Games like this where you have to wait and do little things throughout the day are another great way to utilize the mobile platform.

So what is it that makes a good mobile game? Simplicity, elegance, mobility, and originality. There are too many games that are all the same lately. Luckily, we have games like the ones I've listed above trying to break the mold. I don't need a 50th Candy Crush or Angry Birds. I don't want a war game that exploits women. I'll stick with my beautiful art styles, airplanes, and cats.

I've used Skype for many years in order to communicate with friends. Text chat mostly, with some voice on occasion. I started to hate the direction Microsoft was taking Skype, with ads everywhere and a gross interface. Eventually I decided I'd had enough, and looked elsewhere. What I found isn't just a Skype alternative, it's much better. Let's make one thing clear, however. Discord is not the same as Skype. There is no video chat and it isn't aimed at just anyone. Discord advertises itself as a chat client for gamers.

If you're familiar with TeamSpeak, Discord is much like if TeamSpeak and Skype had a baby. Users don't have to pay for their own servers, yet there's powerful options for channels, roles, moderation, and aesthetics. Links can be embedded into the chat, so you can see a little preview of whatever the link has. If you send an image or gif, it is embedded into the chat as well. With the latest update, this is even true for YouTube and Vimeo videos. Some other nifty features include the ability to search for gifs on giphy and post them directly inside the client, custom role colors, Twitch integration, and more. Discord has been very punctual in responding to user requests and giving constant updates for the better.

Discord is also smooth and fast. Voice chat is high quality with automatic noise reduction and a whole slew of other improvements to voice quality. When updates are released, there is a non-obtrusive update icon at the top and clicking it simply relaunches with a new update. There are clients for Windows, OSX, iOS, Android, and even a web interface. 

The only reason I would even consider using Skype now is for video chat, but then again there is Google Hangouts for that. Discord makes it easy and enjoyable to talk to friends online. Discord is powerful, yet easy to use and get the hang of. If you're using Skype or any other service to communicate with your friends, especially if you're a gamer, consider switching to this amazing startup service that listens to its users.

Source: Discord

Nintendo led the revolution in video games with the release of the NES in 1983. Since then, there's been many ups and downs for the company. Lately, however, Nintendo has been falling behind the competition. Xbox and Playstation lead in terms of users and developers. Today Nintendo announced details, albeit very few details, about its upcoming smartphone game. Is this a last resort on Nintendo's part to gain more revenue? Or is it a natural progression? Is it even a bad thing?


I'll start off by saying Nintendo isn't in danger of going out of business any time soon. From years of success the company has built up $10.5 billion in savings. They could take a $257 million loss every year and still be in business until 2075 through selling its intellectual property. But while Nintendo isn't in danger of going out of business, I can't help but want them to succeed.

Now, that isn't to say Nintendo doesn't deserve what it's getting at least a little bit. The Wii U isn't the best for third party developers. Naming it "Wii U" even though it's hardly related to the Wii at all makes it seem like outdated hardware instead of a new console. A lack of users created a lack of developers and ended up making an endless cycle that makes it really hard to want a Wii U. Thankfully, Nintendo does make some awesome games. Splatoon is a title I've been putting tons of hours into since this summer, all because Nintendo continued to update it at a steady rate. One game does not make up for the lack of third party developers, however. Nintendo has also been remaking its old titles lately instead of making new ones, with releases including Wind Waker HD, Ocarina of Time 3D, and Majora's Mask 3D. These kind of releases would be great if they were accompanied by new titles, but they're not. Consistently, at least.

Nintendo's announcement of a smartphone game today is only a natural step now that people aren't buying their consoles. Nintendo makes good games, but releasing them exclusively for their own consoles really limits their market. It may have worked before, but after Xbox and Playstation took over the market, there's no way Nintendo can keep up without major changes. They'll have to really grab developers attention with their next console, but in the meantime, a few apps for platforms people already have will get them some more revenue.

Sources: Wii U Daily, Engadget, Nintendo