XNA: Intro to Xbox Indie Games

(I originally posted these on another blog back in December of 2010 and early 2011. Really though it didn't make much sense to have another blog, and was very short lived anyway. So I plan on posting the four entries about Xbox Indie Games here starting with this introduction. I also may, or may not, finish the last review of another indie game I was planning way back then, but maybe not. This might lead to more Xbox indie games getting covered, or is a cheap ploy to post more. You decide!)

Triggered: The Metroid Series

Every so often I find a podcast that I really enjoy and binge listen to it. Bonfire-side chat is a Souls-centric podcast that I discovered when they had just started diving into Dark Souls II. I wound up forgetting about them waiting for them to finish covering the game, and recently stumbled upon them again. They do appendix episodes between most regular episodes to cover listener questions and whatever else. In Appendix 55: 3D Dot Heroes one of their listener's raised a point about how they felt Metroid isn't actually a good video game series, but that it has one great game. I'm here to say, fuck that person.

Road to Justice: An Unjust Path

Simply put, I just don't give a shit anymore.

Dem Bones: Cat Tower

Cat Tower
Reverse Jenga
2-6 Players
Playtime: 15 Minutes
Designer: Aza Chen
Publisher: IDW Games
Year of Release: 2013

For a while now I've been fairly interested in board games. Sure as a kid I played plenty of the standard cavalcade of games, Monopoly, Sorry, Yahtzee, Apples to Apples, Clue, etc. And I think everyone's played Cards Against Humanity by now. But I've always been aware of this larger world of hobby board gaming. Sporadically I'd read or watch reviews and wish I had money to try some of these games out. Slowly, but surely, I've finally started amassing a collection. So let's start off with a kid's game that is essentially backwards Jenga! Meow!

Games I Beat: Dark Souls III

Dark Souls III
Action RPG Lore 'Em Up
1-3 Players via summons
System: Playstation 4
Developer: From Software
Year of Release: 2016
Beaten: April 29th, 2016

Dark Souls has quickly ascended the ranks and become one of my absolute favorite series, including precursor Demon's Souls and spin-off Bloodborne. There's just something about the world From Soft has managed to craft that speaks to me, even the least liked of the series, II, was an amazing game in my opinion that I played through several times. This is one of the few series where I say "fuck it" and purchase the outrageously expensive collector's editions (glad I skipped that "Estus" Prima guide bullshit though) because of just how much I know I'll connect to these games. Even at their absolute worst they provide an interesting world with fun, engaging combat. Dark Souls III is no different

Pit of Despair: Pokkén Tournament

Pokkén Tournament
Pokémon Fighting Game!!??!!!
1-2 Players
System: Wii U
Developer: Bandai Namco
Year of Release: 2016

Don't be fooled by the title, Pit of Despair doesn't mean these games are horrible, just that they let me down in a big way. And oh, how Pokkén Tournament let me down.

Freemium Perdition: Magic the Gathering Puzzle Quest

Magic the Gathering Puzzle Quest
Match-3 "RPG"
1 Player
System: Android
Developer: D3PA
Year of Release: 2015

I didn't think I would wind up writing another Freemium Perdition, then something comes along and proves me wrong. I think it's telling that instead of keeping me engaged for a few months, and even longer (though in shorter bursts), this one only held my interest for a few weeks. Although I think I'll continue to play sporadically. Magic the Gathering takes two franchises I'm a fairly big fan of. Magic the Gathering is a rich universe that's been around almost as long as I have, I've been playing off an on for sixteen years now (I hate already being able to feel old) and for anyone who's a fan of tabletop games it's well worth checking. I'll never advocate for organized play, but getting a decent collection and playing with customize decks against friends is ideal (for my friends and I at least). Mix that with Puzzle Quest, which made match-3 puzzle games appeal to me on a grander scale (although the series basically died for me personally after the first when none of the sequels seemed to keep up with it's lofty ideas), and you've got a great idea.

DLC I Beat: Automatron

Fallout 4: Automatron
Open World Shooty "RPG"
1 Player
 System: Playstation 4
Developer: Bethesda Softworks
Year of Release: 2016
Beaten: March 22nd, 2016

Where has the time gone? I sincerely apologize for my lack of attention to this blog, but life has gotten the better of me. Rather than lament that, let's just move ever forward shall we? Fallout 4 is a weird game for me, I remember it fondly and had quite a bit of fun with the plethora of hours I dumped into it, but it felt lacking to me overall. This feeling manages to persist in this first bit of DLC, though it honestly surprised me quite a bit.

Freemium Perdition: Pocket Mortys

Pocket Mortys
Morty Collecting RPG
1 Player
System: Android
Developer: adult swim games
Year of Release: 2016

Rick and Morty was one of the many shows I was regrettably late to the party on watching. Luckily this meant that I had two full season to indulge myself with in one massive sitting. It was lovely. Season two didn't quite live up to the first for me (why did Rick stop stuttering so much?) but I'm here to talk about Pocket Mortys, not the show at large. This is a brilliant idea for a game based on this property. Rick travels through dimensions forcing his Morty to fight other Rick's (and various other aliens) going around collecting their own Mortys to fight with. Not only is it heavily inspired by, but it basically just rips off Pokemon wholesale. And it works well.

Moving Forward 2016

I have a lot planned, which usually ends poorly for me, but I'm hoping to set myself up with a lot of opportunities so that even if I miss a few I still land a few others. Firstly, I'll be going back to college almost as soon as the New Year hits, so a lot of my time will be devoured by that. Losing weight, or at least a bigger focus on personal health is another one of my major goals, it's something I've been putting off for far too long now, and I know it'd really improve many aspects of my life. I also have many "projects" I'm working on (a campaign setting for a tabletop game, making a board game, writing a book, some blog related things, starting a youtube channel, that Pokemon rom hack, and a few other possibilities come to mind) and I've decided to make sure to complete at least one of these in 2016, or at least make damn good progress, I'm leaning towards making a board game, but I'm still not totally sure. I want to travel too, not far, just around, which will require me getting my shit together financially in order to pull that off, I'm hoping that will be feasible this year, but that's kind of a toss up. There are some other minor goals, like cook more, continue playing DnD and continue writing for this blog as much as I can of course. Speaking of this blog, here's some plans I have for It Is A Title this year.