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.

It's sort of hard to explain what Nintendo's first app, Miitomo, actually is. It's kind of a game, but it's kind of not. It's kind of a social network, but not really. But all the way through it screams "Nintendo."

If you've played any Nintendo product since the Wii, you'll know what a Mii is. A Mii is Nintendo's customizable character model that you create on their systems to represent you in certain games. Miitomo is sort of Nintendo testing the waters by opening their network up to mobile. There isn't really a point to it, but it's still a fun thing to check daily. It lets you create Miis, buy clothes with Miitomo Coins, add friends from various social networks, take pictures (or Miifotos), and most importantly, answer questions.

Yes, Nintendo's first mobile app revolves around answering questions. I'm a little concerned about this being their main selling point, here. Especially considering you can't even think of the questions to ask, yourself, like Ask.fm or Tumblr. What Miitomo does is generate questions, (Think: "What is your favorite food?" or "Do you recommend any TV shows lately?") and asks you them. Your answers to these questions are then displayed for your friends to see, and they can like or comment on them. It's fun, for a bit, but kind of gets old. Something that makes Miitomo more entertaining is that there is a voice synthesizer that speaks all of the things different Miis say. The voices are customizable so each Mii sounds different. Besides this, they have a few games. They're all "Miitomo Drop" where you try to win prizes, though.

The app experience is laggy at best. When you change screens, there's always a few second loading delay before it actually switches. I don't know why this is, other than Nintendo trying to emulate the experience on its consoles. (Burn!) Besides changing screens, the 3D elements are very well done. They're smooth on my Nexus 6P and actually look very nice. I would love for them to have done more with this, other than a static room and Miis. Animal Crossing or an actual game would be amazing using these kinds of graphics on mobile.

Despite all of its flaws, Miitomo has a certain charm to it that makes me nearly forgive them. Even though the app has flaws, it does feel polished. There are a ton of outfits, positions, expressions, and possibilities. If anything, I'd download it and play with it. It's free, and it's fun. It isn't going to be a craze or something that will even be relevant a year from now, but it's still enjoyable.

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.

Studying for the ACT can be hard, not knowing exactly what to study or what will be on the exam is a problem for first time test takers. Thankfully, in the 21st century we have the option to study during free time using our smartphones. ACT Exam Prep 2016 is an app by Pocket Prep that makes studying really easy. This is the first ACT prep app I've downloaded, but I can't really picture an app doing it better.

The app uses notifications to remind you to study on a basis that you select in the settings. The app also has the option to input your ACT test date in order to keep you aware of how much time you have left to study. Along with extensive 10-question or more quizzes of all areas, there is also questions of the day which help you move along without spending the time to do a full quiz. My favorite part about the app is that when you take a quiz, it categorizes the questions and answers so you know which areas you have to work on.

When you get an answer wrong, there is always a written explanation of why the correct answer is correct.

The app also allows you to flag questions to review them later if you're having trouble, and even take whole quizzes of flagged questions. There are also other options to show the answers as you take your test, customize how many questions per test, or if it should time you. While the free version of the app only includes a small number of questions, once you get a feel for how great the app is at keeping you studying it really won't be a hard decision to shell out a few bucks for hundreds more.

When I first saw the initial leaks of the Nexus 6P, I was unimpressed and almost entirely set on getting the 5X as my next device. That was true, at least, until Google announced the prices and specs of these phones. The Nexus 6P is a much better bang for your buck, and I'd consider it the best possible smartphone on the market right now.

The fingerprint sensor, called Nexus Imprint, is insanely fast and accurate. Having it on the back may be an interesting change for people who are used to having it on the home button like Apple and Samsung, but personally, I like it on the back better. My finger naturally reaches it when I pick it out of my pocket and a lot of the time it's already unlocked when I bring it up to my face. To unlock from a tap of the fingerprint sensor, it takes just around one second. I timed it. When it is unlocked it directly goes past the lock screen, which is really handy.

The front facing speakers are another high point I thought I'd never use. I'm really used to using headphones all the time, but a few days ago I sure was glad I had these speakers when my friends asked someone to play some music and I knew my phone could produce the best and loudest sound.

The camera may not have the most megapixels, having a modest 12.3. But it does definitely get the job done by having a much larger pixel than other phones. When the pixels the camera takes are larger, this means it can let more light in. The result is better low-light pictures and all pictures are more vibrant. This is the best phone camera I've ever owned.

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The metal body feels incredibly premium. I have absolutely no complaints there. I chose to get the graphite model, and my only complaint about it is that the black sort of hides the diamond cut edges of it. In pictures, the aluminium model looks much nicer there. The reason I chose to get the graphite version instead of any other color is because I thought it would look better with a dbrand skin. I feel like a skin or case is required with this phone, because the metal is fairly thin and dents easily. That combined with the slippery surface makes for a bad combination for drops. 

The battery definitely gets the job done. Whether it's better or worse than my OnePlus One which was famous for its great battery life, I cannot say. It definitely gets me through the day with at least 4 hours of screen-on time. I've only had one issue with the battery life, and that was caused by a Google Play services bug which caused it to keep my device awake. Weird, but not unheard of. A reinstallation of Play services fixed the issue. Marshmallow's Doze and App Standby features can result in completely flat lines of battery usage over hours of non-use. 

I don't know whether it's Marshmallow, the phone, or a combination of the two, but the 6P is incredibly fast and smooth. I've never used a phone this fast before. Marshmallow's added animation refines what Lollipop set out to do and makes the experience much smoother. When I first got the phone I ran a quick AnTuTu benchmark, with the 6P earning 70924. While that isn't the best ranking around, it sure stacks up to the competition.

I'm incredibly happy with this phone, and I have to say, the fact that it's a Nexus is the best thing about it. I didn't get Nexus Protect, but the ability to have your phone protected for 2 accidental drops is incredibly comforting for those who do. One week after I purchased my 6P, the price dropped $50 on the Google Store. I wasn't worried, because I knew Google Nexus had a famous reputation for keeping their customers happy. From giving price change refunds to repairing Nexus 5 screens for free, Nexus has had a long history of great customer service. Sure enough, one five minute online chat with customer support resulted in $50 being refunded. I didn't have to do anything except message them. They even wished me a merry Christmas! If only every company could be this good to their customers.

Overall, I give the Huawei Nexus 6P a 10/10. There isn't much wrong with this phone. Newest possible clean software, well sufficient specifications, nifty features such as the fingerprint sensor, and the Nexus brand makes this a phone anyone would love to have. It's a pleasant experience for both the techie and the common buyer. If you're looking for a new phone, definitely consider the Nexus 6P, which is now $50 off on the Google Store!

Buy

That's right. Today I purchased the Huawei Nexus 6P for just over $500. (If this price seems odd to you, you should probably read my "Your 'Free' Smartphone Isn't Free, and Why You Should Buy Unlocked" post.) This is going to be replacing my OnePlus One, and seeing how competitive that phone was in the "last generation" of flagship smartphones, I'm going to be comparing it to the Nexus 6P in terms of features and specifications. The OnePlus One should serve as an example for the last generation of smartphones compared to the best of today. You should also be expecting a full review of the Nexus 6P as early as next week.

Comment from discussion [MKBHD] Pictures taken from the Nexus 6P.

First, the Nexus 6P has an amazing latest-gen Samsung Quad HD AMOLED display. If that's a lot of gibberish to you, let me explain. Samsung makes some of the best displays in the smartphone industry. Amazing colors, high DPI, the best technology. Quad HD (1440p) is 33%  higher resolution than the common 1080p found on the OnePlus One. OnePlus's 1080p display is also IPS LCD, which is generally considered worse than AMOLED. What makes AMOLED special is the fact that blacks are as pure as they can be. When a pixel is black on an AMOLED display, it is actually turned completely off. This makes for rich blacks and also saves battery.

The Nexus 6P's camera has been, surprisingly, heavily acclaimed by pretty much everyone. This is a huge change from the previous camera-related infamy of the Nexus brand. In fact, the camera is so good, it has climbed to the #3 ranked smartphone camera on dxomark.com. While it only has 12.3 megapixels, those pixels are considerably larger than most smartphone cameras.

The larger the pixels are, the more light is collected. This allows for better pictures all around. The 6P has been praised for its amazing low light performance, likely thanks to those large pixels. So while the 6P may not have the most megapixels, it sure takes some amazing pictures. It also has laser autofocus, which makes for quick and accurate focusing on objects. The OnePlus One, on the other hand, lacks this. It also has much worse low light performance.

The OnePlus One's build quality was praised for feeling good in the hand at a low price. Unfortunately, this just doesn't match up to the all metal build of the Nexus 6P. The OnePlus One had a new material called sandstone black, which had a unique texture to it. Problem was, it wore off fast and attracted lots of dirt. Not only that, but the "metal" edges around the One aren't even real metal. They're painted plastic. Talk about a let down. I've chipped mine from dropping it in one corner, revealing the very un-premium material underneath. The Nexus 6P has an all metal unibody, making it feel much more premium than anything else.

Source

Time to move on to things the 6P has that the One simply lacks. A fingerprint sensor, for one, is a major selling point to me. We unlock our phones dozens if not hundreds of times per day, I think it is a good investment to save that portion of your time from entering in passcodes. Not only does it have one, it's apparently ridiculously fast. (I'll confirm this when I test it.) The 6P also comes equipped with a USB-C port, which is considered to be the new standard in ports. It's also fast charging compatible, meaning you can get it from 0 to 100% in a flash.

Last but certainly not least, is the simple fact that this is a Nexus. You already know my disdain for OnePlus if you've read my first post, but if you don't want to read it, let me summarize it for you: It's just a bad company. They've been making terrible decisions since their inception. Nexus is a trusted brand owned by Google that delivers software updates as soon as they're available. OnePlus is a brand with infamous customer service and extremely slow and fragmented software updates. The choice here is simple. The Nexus 6P will be an amazing upgrade for me, and I can't wait to get my hands on it and review it here.

Unsourced images are from Google's official press event or the Nexus website.

YouTube Music marks YouTube's breakout into getting serious about music. It includes many useful features that make it a serious free music competitor to services like Spotify, especially when a YouTube Red subscription also includes a Google Play Music subscription.

YouTube is already pretty great at creating custom stations based on my listening habits because I've used YouTube for listening to music videos for as long as YouTube was a thing, and who doesn't? YouTube is the place to look up music videos. These custom stations are sorted by genre and listening habits, and I have to say, they work pretty well. I'm not used to all the sides of the music spectrum I listen to being blended together in one radio station. Electronic, pop, and J-pop are all blended together into some awesome stations. You can even customize the variety of genres included in each station, from less, to balanced, to more. To top it all off, you can even thumbs up or down songs that come up in these stations in order to get YouTube Music to know more about what you like and what you don't like. Also, because of YouTube's huge audience, they're is able to give some pretty awesome trending songs so you always stay up to date with trending artists.

One of the best features included in YouTube Music is the ability to not only watch videos, you can toggle a switch in the top-right to swap over to music mode. This saves data and works very well when you don't plan to watch the video and just want to listen to some music. This feature is made much better when you're a YouTube Red subscriber and have the ability to listen to music in the background while using other apps, as well as the ability to listen with your phone locked.

The interface is gorgeous. It's well designed following Google's material principal, and as far as I can see the interface changes depending on the dominant color in the thumbnail. It's easy to navigate using gestures to minimize the music video page and open the side menu.

YouTube Music is currently available for download on Android, iOS, and on browsers everywhere.

Image source: Tech Crunch