The future, and what it means for the blog

I guess I need to do a quick update.

I've quit my nighttime job. After over three years doing it, I was finding it harder and harder to find sleep during the daytime, and getting some good sleep at night during weekends also helped less and less. I liked that job, it wasn't stress-free, and it had its flaws (the usual issues of nighttime work), but it was a pretty good place to work at. I really had to stop for my own health, mental and physical. Thankfully, I had a great boss, and I gave my notice late in August, 5 weeks before I left, thinking it would suffice for him to find replacements for me.

What this means now is that I am taking a month off as vacation. But I won't be solely resting during that month, seeing as I am now on the job market and will be seeking a new source of revenue. A new job, hopefully something involving communications. Something about video games would be awesome, obviously.

Either way, while I do have a lot more free time for the next month, I won't have only free time. I do hope to publish reviews, as usual, and I will indeed have more time to write and game, but I don't have unlimited money so I'll have some priorities.

On the side, I need to get used to Blogger's updates to the text editor. Things have changed, it's... unusual. I still want to write my reviews on Word before bringing them to Blogger, but there's a few flaws here and there that I must learn to deal with.

In order to focus on job search, I've been thinking of doing a Movie Month special. I would do multiple reviews of movies about video games. I've got a lot of movies to look at still, and I figured it might be interesting to review a few. Most games I've got to play on Steam and in my Nintendo collection require a couple hours to get through, so I could also build a buffer of games at the same time.

For a while, there was also an idea going through my head that I could spend October reviewing various movies on the side, since I have a pretty nice collection of horror films... but I decided against it. It might be tempting at some point in the future, but it won't happen this month.

Anyhow, that's all for updates today. See you next Friday for... well, part 1 of a movie review.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II

I gave a full review to the first game. I’ll give this one a full review as well. I noted in my review of Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I earlier this year that I owned it on both Steam and WiiWare – no such thing here, I own it only on Steam. Good, that means it’ll only take me half the time it took to test the two versions I had for Episode I.

Beating a giant robot? Just a Tuesday for Sonic.

So, a quick recap before we jump into Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II, released to Steam on May 15th, 2012: Sonic discovered a faraway island that Eggman was already in the process of turning into a new factory for his mean machines, he beat up Eggman in space, all’s well again. And also he may have gathered the Chaos Emeralds. That’s all fine and good, but it felt like only half a game. What to do now? Well, there’s yet another new continent to explore. 

And this time, Sonic isn’t alone – his buddy Tails, the two-tailed fox, has joined in and will gladly lend a hand whenever necessary. And, oh boy, is it going to be necessary. 

Tails is strong enough to carry Sonic, but can't
do it for very long. Understandable.

This game works quite differently from the first one, as you control both Sonic and Tails in single-player mode. This means controlling Sonic with a CPU Tails following you like in older 2D Sonic platformers. However, at the push of a button, Sonic will call his buddy and they’ll help each other out. When Tails is called while Sonic has his feet on the ground, the two will unleash a powerful form of spindash that can break stronger obstacles that Sonic cannot break on his own. If Sonic calls Tails in mid-air (after jumping, as an example), Tails will grab Sonic and can then fly the two of them to higher ledges, or carry him around when underwater. Note that Sonic cannot attack while the two are doing this, but at any moment the “Call Tails” button can be pressed again so Tails will let go of Sonic, thus allowing the hedgehog to attack again. The game attempts to guide the player in using these abilities to their fullest, but there's still a bit of trial-and-error involved, especially due to the layout of the levels.

Ninja Pizza Girl

"Gemma Delivery Service, ready for
your next command!"

In a modestly cyberpunk future, cities have become too large to be sustainable. The ground level? Forget it; it’s all buildings and traffic jams. Several people have taken to living on rooftops. There’s room to live here. Gemma is a teenage girl with an affinity for parkour, a necessity to travel around these dangerous roofs and the construction areas on them. Her dad just quit his job to pursue his dream of opening a rooftop pizzeria, which he named PizzaRiffic, putting his mad pizzaiolo skills to use. Gemma thus becomes the business's delivery girl, aided by her wheelchair-bound brother, Tristan, telling her from his station where to deliver their father's concoctions. However, competition in the pizza market is ferocious...

Such is the (at first glance) silly concept behind Ninja Pizza Girl, a creation of the Australian family studio Disparity Games, released to Steam on September 30th, 2015. This product is the result of a successful Kickstarter campaign that gathered 38,694 AUS$ on a goal of 35,000AUS$. The game was later released on other gaming consoles: PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Wii U.

It's still safer than the streets of a megapolis.

Please wear pants... please wear pants...
please wear paOH DAMMIT

As expected of a platforming protagonist, Gemma can run, jump, wall-jump and crouch (which can also allow her to slide beneath obstacles if she was running prior to crouching). She can use that slide to kick, an attack that she can also pull while in midair to break obstacles or hit enemies. Most levels involve Gemma delivering pizzas, so there’s a timer and you must attempt to navigate the almost-labyrinthine levels in the given time, to arrive at the goal, represented by the door to a home. I say the levels are labyrinthine, yes, but they’re designed in such a way that you’ll reach your destination regardless of the path you take, if you go the right way.

The game is split in levels, which are divided into “story arcs” of sorts. Things begin on the comedic side in the “Home Neighborhood” arc, in which Gemma makes her first steps as a pizza delivery teen in the flashy and bright world of the megalopolis rooftops. However, she’s growing irritated at the number of customers who open the door without the basest decency. We’re even treated to…

Quick Review: VVVVVV

…Oh! Those look like spikes pointing down! I get it now.

The first spikes of several thousands.

A creation of Terry Cavanagh and released on September 7th, 2010, VVVVVV is about a spaceship's crew that suddenly gets lost in a mazelike dimension following a teleporter mishap. Captain Viridian is left alone to retrieve the five other members of the crew and, hopefully, escape this dimension. What might make this a little difficult is that Viridian cannot jump. What the Captain can do, however, is reverse their own gravity, therefore allowing them to walk on ceilings. And that’s how they get around this warped world.

Their main task is to explore the fairly large map, which wraps around itself horizontally and vertically, and find the five missing crew members. Those can often be found near portals. A rough location for all teleporters is indicated on the in-game map after completing the “Tutorial” of sorts, so you will have some idea of where to search. Viridian can also stumble upon shiny trinkets, 20 of them, scattered around (and necessary in order to get the best ending the game can give the player).

And now, the first of several trinkets. Expect
those to make you say all the swear words
you've ever learned.

These wires instantly change Viridian's gravity.
And those squares have spikes, of course.

Don’t expect this world to make things easy, though – it’s yet another meat grinder type of adventure game in which you don’t have a lives counter, because the world is dead-set (no pun intended) on killing you hundreds of times. Most screens aren’t too tough, but once in a while you’ll stumble on a challenge that will require several attempts. Some of the trinkets are placed in devilish locations, too – there’s at least two of those that I don’t plan on ever getting because they're too damn tough.

The game uses basic 8bit graphics and has a retro feel to it, but the world design is marvelous. The gameplay is smooth, and you can explore almost freely across the dimension. It only makes the genuine challenges more notable. Also important is how the game plays with its core concept and mechanics in each area where a crew member can be rescued. From wires that instantly swap Viridian’s gravity, even in midair, to screens that wrap around themselves, and even autoscrolling screens. 

I must have spent 20 minutes trying to get
through this screen alone. Mind you, Viridian
also needs to help their crewmember go through.

On top of it all, the game features a lot of challenges, which a daring player may attempt. Time trials, a Gravitron... The toughest one? Finish the game with a single life and no checkpoints. Yeah… I ain’t doing that one. There’s also a level design mode as well as a handful of examples of well-crafted fan levels.

It’s a pretty good game! The story is more of an afterthought, as the focus is on giving a full world to explore with a unique mechanic that the player must learn to use. There have been reports of over seven thousand spikes scattered around the game, so yep – the spike theming of VVVVVV is justified. And you’re probably going to get familiar with a handful of those spikes, too, considering how easy it is to hit one. Thankfully, checkpoints are frequent, and while the game is overall pretty tough, it’s nonetheless crafted in a way that feels very fair. You can get lost in an area, but there’s very little here that will feel insurmountable. (That said, anyone who sees this game and the words “Veni, Vidi, Vici” associated to it will feel a chill down their spine.) The end product is charming yet challenging, and even if you do beat the story, there’s more to do with side-quests and fanmade levels. The music is also great across the board, a collection of very enjoyable chiptunes.

So many Teleporters and Shiny trinkets!

I recommend this one. VVVVVV is available for 4.99$.

It’s a nice way to end this series of quick reviews. Now, there are two games that were planned in this series that I’ve skipped because I intend to give them a full review instead of a quick one. These will be published soon. I also have a full plate lately, a lot of stuff happening from a personal standpoint, so excuse me if delays happen again.

Quick Review: Tadpole Treble

(I was supposed to post this one last Friday... Oops.)

An adventure always has to start somewhere.
At the parents' place, as an example.

Early in the life of this blog, I talked about the webcomic Brawl in the Family. After that webcomic ended, its creator, Matthew Taranto, went into game design. He provided art for some indie games such as Nefarious… and also made his own game, full of the wholesomeness, adorableness, comedy, wit, and most importantly, music we’ve come to love from his work.

Developed by BitFinity, published by it and Sunken Treasure Games, and released on September 2nd, 2016, Tadpole Treble is the story of Baton, a tadpole that literally just hatched from her egg. Just as she was making her first wiggles in this watery world, she’s gobbled up by a large bird. She fights to free herself and is dropped at the top of the island’s mountain. This poor baby must find her way home!

These trouts are so big compared
to the poor little Baton!

A level paying tribute to the 8bit days?
Okay, I love this game already.

The gameplay is very musical – Baton moves on the water stream like the lines of a musical staff. Notes come in from the right as black, spiky things that the tadpole must avoid by moving up and down. She has a base attack, used by hitting the Right key or the Space bar. And as Baton progresses through the level without getting hurt, a meter raises, and when it’s full, you can hold down the attack button to turn Baton invincible for a moment, which also allows her to destroy black notes. Now, make it to the end of each level without losing all of our tadpole protagonist’s HP.

This island is HUGE! But so gorgeous!

Taranto included a handful of songs where he
sings. They're very much welcome.

The secondary goal is to collect the 100 Bubbles in every level, some of which require utmost timing and precision. Along the way, several actions Baton can do will give her points, and your score at the end of a level grants you a letter grade, all the way up to S. She can use her attack on bamboo poles, on cymbals that appear, and also use it on a few other instances. Last but not least, each level has a Challenge Fly that can be gathered by accomplishing something in that level – what must be done? The goal differs in each level. The game gives some clues. The fan-made guides will help more.

Singing along may be tempting, but focus
on guiding Baton through.

The main game only has 12 levels, but every single one of them is memorable. In design, in music, in challenge as well. My favorite level is Thunder Creek – awesome song, awesome concept for the level, awesome design all around. This is the type of game that isn’t that difficult to beat – getting to the end is doable in two hours at most. But completing it? Gathering all 1200 Bubbles, finding all the flies, completing every bonus mode? Git gud. Upon completion of the Story Mode, an extra mode opens, titled Concerto, in which you must try to finish all the levels in a single run, with only one life bar.

The game also includes: A Composition mode allowing you to create your own songs, your own levels, with a few fanmade examples available in the game’s Steam Workshop; multiple extras that can be unlocked by reaching a certain threshold of Bubbles brought to Etude, the giant bullfrog requesting them; and plenty of secrets, Easter Eggs, and references to famous video games. All of which is to be expected from this game’s creator, really.

If a battle was to happen between Etude the giant bullfrog
and a bear, I would have to think long before placing a bet.

I'd better brush up on my vomposition skills.

I loved, loved playing this one. I had some idea of what to expect – it’s a tadpole moving on a staff, avoiding obstacles to the music. But beyond expectations, playing it is a whole other thing. It’s definitely a game to try out. You’ll be wowed, you’ll be surprised, and you’ll most likely find yourself looking up the songs online to hear them again. It’s cheerful, it’s gorgeous, and it’s a treat to play, get it, get it now, and play it. If you like music and rhythm games, you’re going to love it.

Tadpole Treble is available for 4.99$.

Quick Review: The Stanley Parable

I’ve already sung the praises of postmodernist game developer Davey Wreden on this blog, I’ll gladly do it again – this time, with the first game that made him famous.

(Guess I need to do this again; what follows contains spoilers. You have been warned. But the game’s pretty famous; chances are, you already know many of the details.)

Nicolas realized that it would be tricky to
show anything from this game without
spoiling any of it.

The Stanley Parable was published by Galactic Cafe and released on October 17th, 2013. Stanley is an office worker who is at work one day only to find the place suddenly empty. Stanley can choose to investigate, or he can do whatever the Hell he feels like doing, and there’s nothing the narrator can do to stop him!

At that moment, Nicolas realized that it was
difficult to convey a game about narration
with still images.

About as meta as a game can get, The Stanley Parable starts from a simple base story that branches out into multiple possible paths. It’s like a book where you are the hero. Or a guy trying to tell a tale, only to be interrupted at every turn by someone taking the plot where it wasn’t supposed to go. The narrator tries to point you, the first-person protagonist of this environmental narrative, into the right direction, but you can choose to ignore him. This may lead to twists you hadn’t seen before. Or it may lead to the narrator getting increasingly snippy and sarcastic at you.

Nicolas could have turned on the game's
subtitles to at least highlight the narration,
but the thought never crossed his mind.

The game strongly encourages multiple replays; going through a path may take 10-15 minutes at best, and then restart the game and try something different. The narrator may comment on your haste if you attempt to speedrun a section; he may mock the choices you make; he may grow desperate as you stick in one place instead of moving forward; he may even change the game sometimes to cut down on annoying segments. I won’t spoil how it happens, but I’ve had one of my biggest laughs in recent memory thanks to this game, in a sequence involving the broom closet.

Although there was no reason to do so,
the reviewer read through the entire
presentation in the Meeting Room, perhaps
hoping for something special. All he got
was confusion and nonsense.

What else is made fun of in this game? Uh… Damn near every single video game convention imaginable. The game pokes fun at the concept of achievements, at the elements of an environmental narrative, at most details of game design you can think of. Whereas The Beginner’s Guide, Davey Wreden’s project that followed The Stanley Parable, is a lot more sober and serious in tone, this one is balls-to-the-wall crazy and hilarious. Two extremely different takes on, yes, that word again, postmodernism in video games. It’s all about calling attention to the medium used to present the oeuvre. It’s the gaming equivalent of Magritte’s “Ceci n’est pas une pipe”. Although perhaps beyond that, both of Wreden’s games focus on the way a story is told through the medium of video games, in a manner that would be impossible in almost any other form of artistic medium. Both games use the concept of a narrator in new and creative ways, as well. On that, I can't forget to mention the very great performance of Kevan Brighting as said narrator.

Wanting to keep his article spoiler-free, Nicolas
only selected screenshots that revealed as
little as - Narrator? What the fuck are you
doing here? Go back into The Stanley Parable!

For the record, I played this game for a few hours, and I am fairly certain I haven't seen nor heard everything. There are so many secrets and endings that, as long as you can think of new ways the plot can unravel, you'll keep finding new content. From what I've heard, the demo is also worth trying.

If you like this type of meta-commentary, you’ll love this game. Hell, even if you’re not looking specifically for that in a game, you’ll likely enjoy this one regardless, as it has enough hilarious moments to get someone laughing. To be fair, this one is pretty famous; it’s possible that you already knew most of what I said here, by this title’s reputation alone. It’s worth trying, definitely. The Stanley Parable is available for 14.99$.