hippochippies – Page 30

Game of the Year 2014: #7 – Super Smash Bros. 4 (3DS/Wii U)

Still the best party game around, the fourth Smash Bros. game doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel. I’ve been enjoying Smash Bros. since 1999, and the core of the series hasn’t changed much since then. You get your friends together, pick some colorful Nintendo characters, and beat each other senseless until somebody flies off of the stage.

Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U are just bigger, better versions of that original good idea. There are nearly 50 fighters now, each packing a unique set of moves. Learning characters and finding which ones fit me has always been my favorite part of the series. With so many options now, I’m still finding new combos and techniques for new characters, and mastering my strategies for old favorites.

The online functionality is near perfect for the first time in Smash history, and has changed the way I experience the game. Instead of having a couple of times a month for friends to come play, I can play with anyone at any time. When friends aren’t available, it’s easy to load up the online mode and have an intense match with a stranger. Playing 1v1 in online matchmaking is my favorite new feature, because it allows me to train against and learn from players at a much higher skill level.

While it’s the best Smash we’ve seen, it’s still the same Smash Bros. we’ve loved for decades, which keeps it from ranking higher on this list. I’ve had just as much fun with Smash Bros. than I have with anything else this year, but the lack of truly fresh ideas makes it “merely” great instead of revolutionary. I miss the epic single player mode of the Subspace Emissary in Smash Bros. Brawl, and Smash Run just doesn’t compel me to come back more than once. Even with its flaws, the new Smash is one of the many reasons to own a Wii U now, which is quickly becoming my favorite console. The 3DS version works just as well though, aside from a few missing features and less stunning colors.

While it’s a retread of what’s come before, what came before was still really, really good. Smash Bros. is my favorite fighting game series, and I’ll be playing this one for the next half-decade until we see its return.

January 8, 2015
Terry Cavanagh and Stephen Lavelle can tell Moving Stories

In Moving Stories, our heroine is tasked with fitting her life into a tiny suitcase, and leaving everything else behind. You’ll play the time-honored game of Inventory-Tetris to decide what goes in the trash, and what few possessions get to move along with her. Like all possessions, each of them tell a story. Especially that jar of urine.

Your first run through the game will tell you a lot about yourself. I, for example, snap picked the family photo and the old travel ticket because I’m a sucker for nostalgia. Someone else may have chosen to bring their cat, or an extra change of clothes. Through the item’s descriptions, I learned about the main character’s relationships, and how excited she was to finally move in with her boyfriend. I trashed the rest of the items, and found out why she had decided to leave certain things behind. Later, her mom showed up and complained about having to take care of the cat I chose to abandon. Then it was time to leave.

After being satisfied with the story that had been told, I was greeted with a message that a new item had appeared in the girl’s bedroom. Soon after, I had new options to pack a handgun and a jar of urine in my suitcase. There’s more to Moving Stories than you think.

Once you’ve “finished” the original story, new items appear with each subsequent playthrough. The original items change their place in the story, gaining different attributes. “Jack’s scarf” may become “Brad’s scarf”, which totally changes the character’s reaction to seeing it. The game is filled with little references and jokes depending on what combinations of items you take together, and what you decide to leave in the dumpster. New characters make appearances after your first cab ride, so poking at what changes the game is just as fun as the original, memorable story. Naturally, all I took on my second playthrough was a handgun and a passport, which led the main character to a shooting range to meet a new guy after exposing her bitter feelings towards an ex.

Moving Stories is all about the little tales each of our belongings possess, and how it feels to choose what means the most to you. The game relishes in our closest memories, and how a tiny object can tell a big story. Terry Cavanagh and Stephen Lavell’s collaboration brings both artists into new territory, and I’ve love to see similar team-ups in the future.

Check out Moving Stories for free here. See the rest of Terry’s work at distractionware.com, and Stephen’s work at increpare.com.

January 5, 2015
Game of the Year 2014: Best Song

It feels like we’ve been able to say this a lot lately, but this was a great year for game music. Since Hotline Miami 2 didn’t make it’s way out the door, everyone else had to step up their game and make up for it. My favorite game music tends to be upbeat and catchy, so when you’re favorite orchestral scores aren’t mentioned here, you’ll know why.

#3 – Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc – “DANGANRONPA”

The first track you’re introduced to in Danganronpa sets the tone for what’s to come. Vying for Soundtrack of the Forever, Danganronpa uses music like a central character in its stories. The intro song, appropriately titled “DANGANRONPA” hooks you in with a catchy beat, and fades in and out of wistful vocals before the tune ends. That intro beat, wind up, and release in the first 20 seconds strikes all the right musical places, and lands the track a solid spot among the year’s finest. It’s tough to pick just one song from the series though, so go listen to this, this, and this before moving on, your ears are worth it.

#2 – Bayonetta 2: “Moon River”

While the main theme “Tomorrow is Mine” isn’t as catchy or memorably as the original game’s “Fly Me To The Moon”, the re-imagining of “Moon River” brings back that personality in style. Poppy renditions of 1960’s classics seem to find a good home in the chaotic world of Bayonetta, and “Moon River” sits easily as favorite track from either game. Singer Keely Bumford‘s vocals overflow with Bayonetta‘s pep and sass, and the beat provides the rhythm of the chaos unfolding onscreen. If Bayonetta 3 ever gets made, I hope they can find a way to outdo themselves once again.

#1 – Shovel Knight: “High Above the Land (The Flying Machine)”

Propeller Man’s stage is the best level in Shovel Knight, largely because of this song. The entire Shovel Knight soundtrack is among the best video games have seen in years, but this one song along with the stage it’s on made me respect Shovel Knight even more than I already did. After bouncing through the sky on a ship flying past the setting sun, all while listening to this song, I knew Shovel Knight was a classic. The song hits every note of the upbeat Mega Man music formula, but goes beyond simple rocking beats while communicating a range of emotions in a span of less than two minutes. Shovel Knight‘s composer, Jake Kaufman, is a musical genius, deserving the top spot in 2014’s year of great tunes.

Honorable Mentions:

Hearthstone: “Two Rogues One Mark”

An impressive song in another of the year’s great soundtracks. I’ve probably heard it a few hundred times in the past year, and still enjoy it every time. Other than the title theme, this is the song I think of when remembering Hearthstone.

Dark Souls 2: “Majula”

Returning to Majula is the beginning and end of every new adventure in Dark Souls 2. Majula is your home. You’ll come back here again and again, and you’ll miss it when you’re gone. It’s the one place where you’re almost entirely safe from harm, and this track lulls you into bliss before your next inevitable, dark journey. The simple chimes are some of the only welcoming sounds you’ll hear in this overwhelmingly unwelcoming world.

January 5, 2015
Here’s every game I played in 2014

Throughout each year, you’ll find a tab on the home page called “Games of 20xx.” This page houses every game I’ve played that’s been released during the current year, and by year’s end it’s a gigantic cluster of everything I found time to try. If you ever feel like you want to see a large-scope picture of what gaming looked like in a year, browse through one of these lists. As of the time of this post, the 2014 list has just over 240 games on it, down about 200 from last year. This isn’t because fewer games were released, but because I didn’t have quite as much time to blow through a dozen every week. Still, that’s a massive number, ranging from the smallest indie games to the largest AAA titles through the entire year. Some have argued that 2014 “had no games” but a quick look at this list should tell a different story. (more…)

January 2, 2015
Game of the Year 2014: #8 – The Wolf Among Us

Telltale’s The Wolf Among Us tackles a different setting than their previous smash hit, The Walking Dead, but it’s still centered around what made that game so great: people. Their mastery of writing interesting characters in an interesting world is only showing off more as they grow into one of gaming’s most prominent studios. (more…)

December 30, 2014
Game of the Year 2014: #9 – 2

Hubol Gordon makes some weird games. If you browse this page, you’ll find some really interesting, but usually small, things that Hubol has made over the years. 2, however, is a huge game that took him two years to make. It’s wonderful, and largely expands upon what Hubol seems to enjoy from making games: how much creativity can exist in a medium without boundaries (more…)

December 28, 2014