Star Wars - The Old Republic #FatalAlliance Book

For me, Sean Williams' 'Fatal Alliance' was a difficult book to get in to. As you can probably see from a few past blog entries, I was really enjoying reading through some of the novels from the expanded Star Wars universe for a while. Even when they were badly written or lifting bits straight out of films starring Liam Neeson *cough*RedHarvest*cough* it was still good fun to discover new characters and places, as well as revisiting familiar ones. 

The book begins with a tantalising prologue; a smuggler called Jet Nebula, and his crew discover a ship called the Cinzia, which, after a short back and forth between the Jet and a strange voice on board the Cinzia, makes the decision to self destruct rather than risk being boarded. What could've been so important it deserved total inhalation over being stolen by a band of smugglers. 

After this the book jumps between new characters from chapter to chapter, including a Jedi, Sith, Ex-Special Forces agent and a Sith informer posing as a Republic intelligence officer. I think this is the reason I found it took some time to make a lasting impression. Just reading a chapter a night I was quickly forgetting who people were and having to backtrack to remind myself who everyone was. 

More recently however, I was able to give the book much more time (thank-you half term!) and it is a very epic tale with interesting characters that you do feel for. Predictably, the Cinzia turns out to have not been as totally destroyed as we thought, and the Hutts end up getting whatever they use as hands on some of the debris from the ship. With the tantalising prospect of a previously unknown resource rich world buried within the navigational computer found amongst the debris, the Hutts intend to auction off their findings to the highest bidder. 

Of course, this doesn't go to plan and eventually all character plot lines converge in a hectic battle in the Hutt palace. When it is learnt what the item discovered actually is and where it originated, in line with the books title, an alliance has to be formed between our now familiar cast for the greater good of everyone involved. With a few surprises and excellently told planetary invasion, the climax piles on the excitement,  making it very difficult to put down. 

Upon reaching our conclusion, I felt the story had a nice 'wind down' period of a couple of chapters, making the book feel nice and resolved, yet leaving a little bit of curiosity as to the fate of the Jedi and Sith characters you have come to know quite well. 

So, a good read then, and definitely not the fault of the book that I was unable to get into it at first. If you have the time to give, then this is a well told and captivating story and an excellent arc of the Old Republic group of novels. It's not literary genius, but manages to be intriguing, exciting and varied throughout. Definitely a 'read'. 

#Pullblox

Pullblox is definitely up there with the games actually worth paying the asking price for on Nintendo's fabled eShop. £5.49, it's again a little more than I like to pay for downloadable game (I am a stickler for wanting a hard copy and hoarding them all in my 'collection'). Pullblox just feels like a quality made game, like something Nintendo themselves would create on their own machines. The sounds, graphics and gameplay are all immaculately presented in this lengthy puzzle game for your 3DS.

The aim of the game, as is a little too thoroughly explained to you by a Pullblox veteran, is to save children from the world of Pullblox who have, thanks to a mischievous scamp, gotten themselves stuck at the top of towers of blox. The towers start of flat, but by holding B your character can pull the blox outward, aiming to find a route up and rescue the child on top.

Sounds easy right? Err no.. Pullblox soon becomes devilish, and if your not awake it can really be quite hard. Even levels rated 3 stars (out of 5) can be fiendishly tricky to wrap your head around. 

As you progress more features are added such as manhole covers - working like warp points, and colour buttons which fully eject all blox of a certain colour. These features make sure the game has some added longevity, increasing the difficulty at a good rate, without changing too much too quickly.

It's an addictive concept, but also looks great with the 3D on or off. The Pullblox levels are all laid out splendidly, with some of the earlier rounds resembling different day to day objects. It's bright and colourful and is just a happy game to play. Rather than play it all straight through, it's been a game, for me at least that i've kept returning to for short bursts. 

Intelligent Systems have added even more content to the already lengthy main game by adding in a Pullblox level creator. This is a superb addition and is great fun! It's easy to use and let's you use all of the features present in the main play-through of the game. It furthermore allows you to share these levels via a QR code generator. So far, I have made a Tetris themed level, a Mario puzzle block, and my girlfriend made a Tardis level. It really is good fun and extremely creative.

To sum up then, an ingenious, colourful cute puzzle game with loads of content and superbly presented. There's really hardly anything bad really going for it, and as long as you like the cutesie style (though I can't imagine a COD themed version..) it should be something you get immediately for your 3DS library. Expensive compared to puzzle games on mobile devices, but it's just completely worth it. 

9/10

(First screenshot taken from http://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Nintendo-3DS-download-software/Pullblox--298087.html#)

#SteamWorldDig

£7.99 on the Nintendo 3DS eShop, SteamWorld Dig was another game that was just a little more expensive then I care to pay for a downloadable version of a game, and as such I ignored it for a while. 

As time went on, I kept seeing more mentions of the game around twitter and gaming sites. It was getting 90%+ reviews in a number of places and people seemed genuinely excited by this new game in the SteamWorld universe (there was just one previous, SteamWorld Tower Defense, a strategy game made for DSiWare). And after developer Image & Form bothered to reply to a tweet I made about feeling intrigued by the title, I decided to take the plunge and support a friendly developer along the way. 

I was definitely glad I did. 

Set in a Old West meets Steampunk one horse town, you take the role of Rusty, the son of a minor recently missing down the mines in Tumbleton. It starts of gently enough, with a mix of Platforming meets Metoroidvania style exploration meets Boulderdash, chipping away at the rocks to obtain gems to get cash to upgrade gear to chip harder rocks, to get gems to get cash to upgrade gear and so on... 

Very quickly, it becomes very intriguing. The map you make will be truly unique as you dig through the Earth creating your own levels, and with only a small backpack and oil lantern to begin with, as well as some water powered abilities later on, it also very much becomes about resource management and deciding when to return to the surface to sell your finds and refill your lantern. You may have just reached a really exciting looking cave, but have absolutely no room for any more loot. 

Luckily, instead of trawling back to the surface every time, Image & Form have included teleports which are sometimes found, but can be bought and placed around your mines for easy access back to the surface. 

As you dig further and further down, through the varied environments which change when you reach the next 'level', you discover more and more about your dad's disappearance, learning that he'd been tinkering with steam based machinery and inventions, all of which is, luckily, tailored to Rusty's exact fit, meaning you can equip exciting power-ups for more varied exploration and combat. Yes, there are indeed monsters down there with you, some of whom are fiendishly difficult especially when supplies are running low. There's also a big variety of the bad guys, from hard shell turtle like creatures, to suicidal zombies. 

The story and gameplay are excellent in this game. It is a little short, but seeing as the map is pretty much unique every time there's great opportunity for a replay or two down the line. It also looks fantastic - the videos on the eShop just don't seem to do it justice. The way Rusty moves and reacts to different abilities is superb, and the environments and the rest of the characters are all just as exquisitely designed and drawn. 

Another 'buy' then it would seem for the eShop, which has been a little slow of late. I look forward to more games of this caliber popping up, as well as the next entry in the SteamWorld series. 

9/10

(Pictures taken from the official SteamWorld Dig site at http://steamworldgames.com/dig/)

Conduit 2

Sadly, the best part of this game is the first level. It’s kind of down hill from there on I’m afraid, but not so much that it ruins the whole experience.

The game looks stunning (the water effects in that first level are luscious) and it really pushes the Wii to its limits. The story is lame, though kind of cheesy lame which makes it bad, but enjoyable. It see's you visiting a wide variety of both alien and terrestrial locations.

The game also arms you with a mix of alien and terrestrial weapons. It sounds cool to be using lots of funky alien weaponry to blast your way through Conduit 2's interesting environments, but in truth it's a lot more satisfying firing an semi-automatic from good old fashioned Earth.  

The missions involve you collecting alien spirits, which apparently give you extra powers to defeat the games ultimate bad guy. This would be a good Zeldaish method of progression... Except there was no noticeable evidence of these rewards aiding combat in any way. Imagine getting to the next temple in Zelda and NOT getting a shiny new item to use? Yeah...  

This makes working through the game quite repetitive, so it's a good job it's nice to look at as you'd probably give up well before the ending if it wasn't. 

And if you get to the ending, you'll see it's predictably quite tacky, the incredible looking cut scene feeling far too short with a shoehorned plot device to make way for a possible sequel. 

This review sounds much more harsh than I originally intended, as I actually had fun playing through this game despite it's pitfalls. If you’re willing to take the rough with the smooth then this will make for a fairly enjoyable play, on a format that had a tendency to be ignored. I'd also recomend a Wii classic controller for the most fun. 

6.5/10

(originally posted on Tumblr a long time ago. Edited and reposted in October 2013)

Super Nintendo Super Advantage Joystick

Here is my Asciiware Super Advantage Joystick for the Super Nintendo. Bought this for an absolute steal in great condition with the box. 

Now, anybody fancy some Street Fighter 2 Turbo? 

#GamesIPlayedThisHalfTerm #2

Again? Yeah sorry. A very quick week off full of friends, fun, fermented drink and of course, fames... Err games rather. Here's what I played and what I thought during the May 2013 half term. 

Alien: Colonial Marines

Sure, it's nothing like we were promised. And even then, it's far from perfect. But £8 preowned and a mate in your living room (or even in theirs with the withcraft that is online play) and it all comes together in a good co-operative romp through an averageish yet somehow compelling story in an Alien universe. Co-op is definitely the best bit of this game. Buy it cheap, find a mate; enjoy. 

Crimson Shroud

I dislike paying for a download, especially on Nintendo's E-Shop as they're normally far too overpriced, and I like having the physical copy. Lately though, they've nailed it a few times. Crimson Shroud was on for less than a £5a and is a brilliant traditional spin on a modern video game RPG. You can see my blog for a more detailed look, but if you like RPG's, gorgeous artwork and don't mind reading an intricately written story, go buy Crimson Shroud. Go, go!!! 

Liberation Maiden

Okay, I haven't played this much yet, but what I have has been awesome. The opening is a superb animation video where the newly elected president of New Japan suits up in a mech military weapons suit to go out and defeat the enemy. Or something like that. Controls take some getting used to and at first were uncomfortable - the circle pad moves, the L button enables strafing and the stylus is used for all aiming and firing. Link targets together for score multipliers etc. Beautifuly presented and innovative (I think I've used the stylus on like 2 games on the 3DS where it wasn't just for the menu) and very Japanese. A fun shooter I look forward to getting stuck into. 

Project X Zone (demo)

This demo has made me want to preorder this game, and if they announce a nice collectors edition I probably will. A strategy game in the same vein as Fire Emblem but with more colourful looks, including characters spanning universes from Namco Bandai, Capcom and Sega. 

The battle scenes look stunning, akin to old Street Fighter 2 graphics with crazy animations and attacks. If the story is decent, this will be one to beat this year. 

Pain 

Pain, is completely and utterly mad, looks fairly dated and it seemed everything was downloadable content when I played it with my buddy, Matt. You select a character, then, using a giant catapult, proceed to fling your character at anything and everything in the colourful, cartoony and humorous environments. This then translates into points, which go through the roof the more you destory and when you get combos. I can't imagine playing this on my own, but with multiplayer modes which feel a bit reminiscent of classic Tony Hawk games, this ludicrous game is perfect for some local Vs matches. Picked up for a £5a too. 

Mario Kart Wii

Mario Kart Wii seems to get a bad rap compared to other MK games, but I love it. It's the Nintendo secret recepie of easy to learn, hard to master, meaning anyone at your party can play. It's also something that makes all racing exciting - unpredictable. The sheer amount of back to front weapons means that even not so good players have a chance of winning surprising the veterans. You can also stick a classic controller in if you like. 

Ridge Racer 3DS

Bought towards the end of the half term break, I've only had chance to play through a couple of tournaments. I'm impressed so far though. It looks ace and plays really well, including the drift controls. I find Ridge Racer to be just the right mix of realism and arcade to make for a fun portable experience. The lack of online features is a shocking oversight, though not a deal breaker. Another one to try and pick up cheap. 

Zelda: Oracle of Seasons

Ashamed to say I've been playing not the Game Boy Color version, but the recently released E-Shop download. I've never played this game, or it's sister game Oracle Of Ages before, and as a big Zelda fan I'm looking forward to getting stuck in with this. It looks like Link's Awakening DX which I loved, so I have high hopes for this one. 

Crash Team Racing

What a game! A PS1 gem, the perfect ratio of Mario Kart to Diddy Kong Racing, but with Crash Bandicoot characters. I'm amazed to see how well visually this game holds up - even on a 42inch HD screen (via the ps3) it looks pretty damn good. Still plays incredibly well and was an absolute bargain at a car boot sale. 

Marvel Vs Capcom 3

Quick, colourful, and with Marvel AND Capcom characters! Genius! Plus, I got a shiny collectors tin via eBay which is beautiful. Strange tag team mechanics with outlandish attacks which plays really well. Plus you can be Hulk. Yeah!

So, even in the big bad world of work, I'm still getting my half terms to play through some awesome games. And I know some of these are not 'technically' good, but as long as they give enough fun for the outlay, then I think they've all been a success. Just 7 weeks til the next holidays now...

#CrimsonShroud 3DS

I bought the Crimson Shroud on a whim, having played some Level 5 stuff before and because it was on offer (and still is at time of writing) on the Nintendo 3DS e-shop. 

I'm a fan of the RPG genre, but have never really delved into the world of tabletop gaming before, apart from a little flurry with Munchin Quest. The Crimson Shroud is a return to the very traditional idea of turn based, dice rolling role playing games in the style of a video game. And I feel it does rather well.

The game plonks your character figurines, Giauque, Lippi and Frea in a gorgeous palace ruin. The first few battles serve as tutorials, showing the turn based basics and how actual dice rolls, which are done with the stylus, have effects throughout the battle. 

Furthermore, rather than characters levelling up, the game focusses on improving your existing gear, which you pick up from defeated enemies and then can meld together to improve further. The only downside to this I can see is that if you struggle on a particular enemy in the game, grinding doesn't guarantee you improve, as you can only meld weapons of the same type together to improve them. You could be waiting a long time to pick up an item that you need. 

That being said, this wasn't a massive issue, and I actually quite enjoyed going back to some earlier battles to collect things. 

The presentation of the game is flawless, and has been compared to playing through a graphic novel. The environments, characters and enemies are stunning to behold, and I felt it refreshing to read through the story in such a way as I imagine you would playing Dungeons and Dragons. There is little animation, apart from the odd figurine wobble upon giving and receiving attacks, but this just adds to the tabletop aesthetic.

The story is intricately crafted as well, with genuinely tense moments and a surprising and inventive conclusion. 

The play through wasn't massively long, my first play through has just clocked in at over 9 hours. For the money I think that's a good length really, though in my run I did have to backtrack for quite some time just picking up and melding gear. 

It's refreshing to play a shorter RPG, as now I'm regrettably growing up and acquiring more responsibilities, it's definitely harder to find the time to invest in most RPGs, yet I still long for the style and story work that Crimson Shroud offers by the bucket load. 

Crimson Shroud is quite a specialist game, so if you're not into RPG's and aren't averse to a bit of reading in your video games, then it's a hugely enjoyable experience that is worth the money. 

8/10

#StarWars #RedHarvest - mini review

I've never really been into the pop-horror scene and prefer my scares more psychological than gory, rather watching films like The Shining and the original Alien to that of say Saw or the Texas Chainsaw Masacre. I dislike gore for gores sake, and as such I've never really explored the horror literary scene either.

This Star Wars Novel written by Joe Schreiber is what happens when the Sci-Fi Galaxy from a long, long time ago and so very far away is introduced to Dawn of The Dead. I'm glad that despite my aversions to horror that I gave this a go and although it has quite a few shortcomings I found enjoyment reading Red Harvest.

Definitely falling into the gore side of horror, the story is a strange one. Our main Jedi is something of a botanist, and has a natural attunment to using the force to mainpulate plants. This straight away makes her an interesting and unique character within the Star Wars expanded universe, & opens exploration into Jedi institutions like the Argicultural Corps.

Unfortunately for the galaxy the Sith Lord Darth Scabrous in his completely unoriginal persuit for eternal life, discovers a possibility of using a plant to make an elixir of life. During his investigations he unwittingly restores life to a until recently dead army of Sith, and from here as you can imagine chaos ensues.

The book's not a long one, but I found it a little bit of a struggle, as it feels very rinse and repeat after a while and the long chapters don't do anything for the pace. There's also a complete paragraph lifted from the move 'Taken' which tarnished my opinion of Schreiber from there on in. It comes in as one of the lesser liked Star Wars novels, but it's definitely original and I'd still recomend to fans of Zombies, SciFi and the Star Wars universe.