Week in Review - 2/1/2013

I wasn't able to post on Tuesday due to an incredibly busy schedule. That's going to be the new normal, so I'm trying to investigate ways to re-organize my time so that a TOP Gaming post comes up every week. I don't want to break any promises, again, but there should be one going up on Tuesday of next week. In it I will explain more about the changes to my schedule and their impact on gaming and blogging.

PC

• Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Meet Toki - Skyrim's new hero!

The new "Dragonborn" DLC is going to be released next week. I'm really excited for it, but I have barely scratched the surface of the previous DLC. I decided to make a new character - the ultimate Nord champion - inspired by my first character that I lost when my old computer crashed. He's heavy armor and two-handed weapons kind of guy. He has a distrust of magic and a belief in Talos. He attacks Imperial soldiers and agents of Thalmor on sight (if he can get away with it). He hasn't even brought the Dragonstone back to Whiterun. 

• Terraria

Notice the Tombstones?
Good thing our spawns are built in!

My wife and I upgraded to Mythril Armor in order to spawn the Destroyer. He disappeared before we could defeat him and so we built a rather impressive arena in which we defeated him twice. There is a bedroom on each side of the arena to respawn, and treasure chests with potions suitable for each of us (Ranger/Mage). I've built the arena on Dart Trap foundations, and may extend them up into the sky at a later date. We then moved on to Skeletron Prime who promptly defeated us twice in a row. We since upgraded to Adamantite Armor after much laborious mining efforts done by both my wife (for the first time!) and I. 

Playstation 3

• Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

My Bighorn's name is Garuda

This is the only game I've had a chance to play since last weekend and I really haven't done that much. Over the weekend I spent a few hours tracking down the elusive Toko familiar. This also had the side-effect of over-leveling my characters and their pets. I've switched from using the starter Mite to a Bighorn that I've trained since he was a wee Little Bighorn. I haven't decided which evolution path I will take once I max out his current levels. Without too many spoilers, I'm currently trekking up Tombstone Trail with the Princes of Hamelin in tow. 

- TOP

@TOPGamingBlog

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Despite my insanely busy week, we were able to set aside a couple hours on Monday night to make some progress in our current game of choice: Wanderlust: Rebirth. 

We particularly hate bears.
They are our arch-enemies.

The last time we played this we didn't get much in the way of Character Points (CP) so I insisted this time that my wife join us with her wizard-y fireball shooting girl. I'm just a fighter. I swing a sword. I don't have much knowledge of these fancy explosions and projectiles that everyone else seems to have. Nevertheless, I held my own in battle and came up on par with my wife. Deez's score blew us away, though. As a result we raked in a lot of CP and saw significant growth in our abilities. I still need some armor upgrades, though.

-TOP

@TOPGamingBlog

The Valandria version of Shock & Awe

Since learning how to utilize the bomb techniques, my Alchemist has been growing in leaps and bounds. In a game that doesn't seem to offer an easy way to grind, it can be difficult to effectively grow your character in a consistent and strategic manner. I find myself upgrading stats based on my most recent performances, as opposed to trying to build the ideal Thief - oops, I meant to say Alchemist. 

-Deez

@Deezer509

Week in Review - 1/26/2013

I apologize for the Saturday post, but I had a busy blog schedule this week!

This is the first week where I'm trying to start taking my own screenshots. I've been doing this on Steam and other PC games all along, but it's more complicated on the Playstation 3. Some of them have turned out rather nice and others not so nice, so bear with me as I try and push through this growing phase.

PC

• Magicka

Wizarding Glory!

Last weekend, Steam hosted a free weekend of Magicka. The Steam recommendation system has been pitching this game to me for a while, but I simply couldn't tell if I'd like it by looking at pictures or videos. It really took some hands-on game time to decide if it was the type of game I'd enjoy. I logged a handful of hours on Saturday and as it turns out this is quite a fun game. It's an action-adventure game that is heavy in self-referential humor. The most fun to be had in our small taste was mixing and matching magical elements to form new (and sometimes unexpected) spells to sling at our enemies.

• Terraria

Cobalt Ninja Shailud in his base!

We defeated the Wall of Flesh and entered Hardmode. It's hard. It took us thirty minutes just to get ourselves out of our outpost on the edge of Hell and back to the surface. We were attacked en masse by countless Corruption monsters that had emerged. We spawned Cobalt, Mythril and Adamantite, but so far are only equipped in Cobalt Armor. We then built some bases around the map - mine for storage and aesthetics; my wife's castle for form and function on the edge of the ever-spreading Hallowed ground. 

Playstation 3

• Dark Souls

My Pyromancer, Nara

I decided my first character was dying too much, so I decided to start a new one and follow the suggestion of online veterans a bit closer. My new Pyromancer does much better for herself. She made short work of the Bell Gargoyles (killing 1 before the 2nd even showed up!) which gave me quite a headache in my original run. She's fought her way past everything I had done before and is now headed into Blighttown which I know next to nothing about. Her death count is so much lower, but as a result of switching characters I abandoned my running death log (which was well over 100 deaths). 

• Mega Man 9

Sit in your tower laughing for now!
Your day will come!

I'm stumped again in this game. Two weeks ago I blasted through my nemesis Jewel Man and subsequent Robot Masters until I came up against Splash Woman's stage. I didn't play last week, but I threw myself against her stage again and again this week to see if I could finally finish off this game and move on to Mega Man 10 once and for all. It was all in vain. I can get to the part with the moving platforms, but then it's one swan dive on to spiked floors after another. It's extremely frustrating. Splash Woman is sitting in her room laughing at me. I know it. 

• Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

Meet Oliver and Mr. Drippy

This game is already a gem in my collection. I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. I love Level-5 as a developer and I love Studio Ghibli as an animation studio. It was a guarantee that I'd want this game. I was pleasantly surprised to find the gameplay a clever blend of Dragon Quest VIII and Pokémon while watching a beautiful children's movie like Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away with an adorable cast of characters. The score is composed by Joe Hisaishi and recorded by the Japan Philharmonic. 

- TOP 

@TOPGamingBlog

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It was a busy week so the Bunker Hill Bros. did not get a chance to play a game together. I've chosen a game from the many we've played in the past for us to blog about briefly. Fitting with the week's theme, I've chosen Pokémon Battle Revolution.

Master Splinter with dreadlocks.

Taking our WiFi battles to the big screen, with bright and flashy Wii graphics was extremely welcomed, and the best aspect of the entire game. I spent weeks and weeks building up a team based around the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The only member of the team who was bread for his Individual Values was Splinter (Lucario) and the rest were taken as is. I had Leonardo (Blastoise), Donatello (Torterra), Michelangelo (Shuckle) and Raphael (Torkoal) backing him up. They were all EV trained and able to take down everything my brother threw at them.

-TOP

@TOPGamingBlog

Pokémon Training is bleak against EV-trained rivals.

I received a very generous care package from my brother in the Spring of 2007. Among other things, it included a Nintendo DS and Pokémon Diamond. I had sworn to never betray my loyalty to Gameboy for a DS, but, boy, was I wrong! The DS quickly grew on me, thanks to Diamond and access to WiFi. TOP recommended I research EV training to keep up with him, but it sounded like such a waste of time to me. I was wrong again! A couple years later we would face off on Pokémon Battle Revolution. His little team of misfits consistently dismembered all my Legendaries. It still stings to think about his utter dominance when our rivalry had previously been quite balanced.

-Deez
@Deezer509

Week in Review - 1/18/2013

PC

• Crusader Kings II

Holy Land holdings not shown!

I got bit by a bug to conquer Europe this week. After much debate I decided to start as Count of Desmond, Ireland again. His dynasty is doing so much better than last time. I unified Ireland. I married into the Kingdom of Scotland and Wales. I'm one step away from proclaiming myself Emperor of Britannia and as a bonus, one of my heirs returned from the Crusades the conquering King of Jerusalem. Hail the Irish Empire.

• Terraria

Shailud & Minna at Candy Village!

My wife and I got our revenge on Skeletron with upgraded weapons and potions. We explored a huge chunk of the Dungeon he guards and brought back much loot to the Candy Village! I've upgraded my Ranger Shailud with Necro Armor and Mage Minna with Jungle Armor. We've built an outpost on the edge of the Underworld (Hades, if you will) and I've begun Hellstone mining operations while we scour the map for Health upgrades. Wall of Flesh, we will be gunning for you shortly then we enter the dreaded Hardmode. It will be a first for both of us and we are anxious about it. 

Playstation 3

• Dark Souls

I don't look this heroic.

I finally beat Demon's Souls which granted me in-real-life justification to move on to its successor. I have to admit, I'm loving it. I haven't poured a lot of time into it, but what I have done has been extremely fun. I started a running "death log" of how many times I throw myself at a situation before I get through it, and I hope to post it in the future. Right now, I'm throwing myself at the Bell Gargoyles in the Undead Parish. They seem to get the best of me every time the second one shows up and starts belching fire all over my hard work.

-TOP
@TOPGaming

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This is a new addition to my Friday column. My brother and I have reinstated a weekly gaming night, something we've done in the past with limited success. Since we have lived thousands of miles apart for over a decade, it gives us a chance to get together and hang out in the realms of video games. We grew up playing the NES/SNES era of Nintendo and a bit of Nintendo 64 before I headed off to college. It was one of the earliest things we had in common and a main source of our sibling bonding even to this day. So we've happily been able to continue this tradition with the rise of online gaming.

I've invited him to contribute to this column by giving his input on what we've been doing with our game nights. He does most of the logos, banners, icons and artwork for this blog and I have yet to give him due credit for his help getting TOP Gaming off the ground. He also does a lot of peer editing and helps brain storm new ideas. He's the hidden half of TOP Gaming.

We are the Prescott brothers from Pepperell, Massachusetts, so when making online game matches and such we've taken to calling ourselves the Bunker Hill Bros. We're wicked proud of our heritage. If you're (United States of) American and you don't know about Bunker Hill, educate yourself with the links provided below.

This week we've been playing Wanderlust: Rebirth!

This would be us
but only if all the players were dead.

After telling Deez about Terraria a while back, we've gotten real excited for the upcoming Starbound title. The guys at Starbound, in turn, worked out a deal with their affiliates at Chucklefish to get some of the proceeds from Wanderlust: Rebirth and put it toward the development of Starbound. I bought four copies of the game and Deez, my wife and I have been messing around in it since then. It's fun, but awkward. The awkwardness leads to unnecessary difficulty. We die a lot.

- TOP
@TOPGamingBlog

I like to hide under giant words!

We took up Wanderlust: Rebirth again this week, but I found it much more enjoyable this time. I'm finally taking advantage of the Alchemist class's full range of abilities. He drops AOE bombs on his enemies and then dashes to safety while they are dazed. I prove to myself once again that my favorite role in gaming is the cowardly ninja. HAHA! Our romps would be a lot better if we could figure out a way to gain more than 25 CP (Character Points) per level. Until then we have to deal with the shame of our OHKOs and default victories. HAHA!

- Deez
@Deezer509


Related Links

• Battle of Bunker Hill
• William Prescott

Week in Review - 1/11/2013

PC

• Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012

Direct Damage!

I played through the normal campaign and unlocked every card in the "Wielding Steel" deck, which is a White deck that makes use of Soldiers and Equipment cards. I've always been partial to Green and White. I think they represent my ideals, especially if I were a wizard. Incidentally, I've moved on to the Red deck called "Unquenchable Fire" which is mostly a direct damage deck. I'm having a much easier time with it. I've beaten a lot of computer opponents, but can't seem to connect with many people for online matches. 

• Terraria

Shailud at Lumber Mill / Tree Farm

My wife and I accomplished so much this week. I built a tree farm while she worked on a lumber mill. I harvested seeds while she put together a garden. We defeated the Eye of Cthulu a few times to build our Demonite weapons, then we took them over to the Corruption where we beat the Eater of Worlds a few times. My character focuses on Ranged weapons while hers now focuses on Magic. I currently have a suit of Shadow armor while she's running around in Meteor armor. We were defeated by Skeletron, however. We await our revenge.

Playstation 3

• Demon's Souls

You're a worthy foe, sir.
I salute you.

I finally beat this game! I've tried at least three separate occasions that I can recall to work my way through this treacherous game. I even got stuck for three hours in the exact spot I got stuck the last time. I finally fought my way past the Reapers in the Shrine of Storms and pushed on to victory! It wasn't until the Black Phantom of Selen Vinland that I was at controller-throwing levels of rage, but even she fell once I changed my tactics. The False King was my final demon and he gave me a run for my money. Excellent game. 

• Mega Man 9 

I'd never seen this before!

I was frustrated with Demon's Souls, so oddly enough I turned to another game that I simply cannot beat no matter how many of Mega Man's lives I throw at it. Perseverance has proven effective, though. I've passed my nemesis (the vile Jewel Man) whose stage is the stuff of nightmares to me. All I have left is Splash Woman and Concrete Man, before heading to Wily's Fortress. I probably would have gotten farther, but I became obsessed with Demon's Souls and it readily consumed the last 48 hours of my life.

-TOP 

@TOPGamingBlog

Week in Review - 1/4/2013

PC

• Anno 2070

Eco City!

I picked up this game for Christmas. I had my eye on it since it launched on Steam Nov, 2011, but I wasn’t sure if I’d like it despite heavy research. It really took a hands-on experience to realize how much I do like the game. The game is a mix of Command & Conquer, Sim City and a dash of Civilization. Earth is largely underwater in the year 2070 and you vie for control of islands across the map. There is heavy emphasis on infrastructure in order to prevail.

• Mabinogi

My Humble Beginnings!

I was looking for a free MMO to play when I found Mabinogi. I was skeptical at first, but it was free so I downloaded it. I’m really enamoured with this game despite its simple graphics. I like the anime style, but its the character development that truly shines. Your character is made up of skills rather than levels. If you want to be a warrior, you train the skills associated with warrior. You could also choose to be a farmer, or a carpenter. This game is a mix of what Final Fantasy XIV should have been (with much worse graphics) and Harest Moon. It’s very enjoyable and free!

• Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012

I am partial to White & Green.

I played the original Duels of the Planeswalkers on XBox 360 a few years ago. I really enjoyed it, even though the deck building was extremely limited. The pre-made decks were decent and unlocking all the additional cards was addicting. No less so in the sequel, or 2012 version. The decks are all new and it has some additional features. If you like Magic: The Gathering or enjoyed the original game then this is a fun addition to the classic gameplay.

• Terraria

Shailud oversees Hulud Forge!

My addiction to Minecraft has dwindled (somewhat) but my thirst for sandbox adventure burns strong. I’m dying to get my hands on Starbound, but in the meantime I picked up a copy of Terraria for my wife. She was skeptical at first, but now we’re happily building a new life together on a randomly generated Terraria world. She has built a candy-cane village while I worked on a forge and a deep mine. Our current plans include a lumber mill and tree farm.

• Terraria - "The Legend of Red Cloud"

Red prepares for the battles ahead.

I thought this deserved its own entry. “The Legend of Red Cloud” is a fan made adventure map for Terraria. There is no building, so it plays more like Metroid or Castlevania. You create and play the character “Red Cloud” as he sets off on an adventure to avenge his family. The attention to detail is unbelievable. I highly recommend anyone who loves side-scrolling action adventure games and owns a legitimate copy of Terraria download this adventure map and play it.

Playstation 3

• Demon's Souls

Take an arrow to the knee, Demon!

This will be my third attempt to conquer this game. If you’ve heard anything about this game, you’ve probably heard that it is extremely difficult. The crafting system in “Legend of Red Cloud” is based on Dark Souls (successor to Demon’s Souls) and so it got me thinking about this game again and how I’ve left it unfinished twice before. I’ve heard New Game + is even more challenging, but I have to beat it once to gain access to that challenge. I’ll let you know how this current attempt goes.

-TOP

@TOPGamingBlog

Related Links

• "Legend of Red Cloud" Adventure Map

Week in Review - 5/25/2012

PC

• Civilization V

Score Victory in Multiplayer!

My brother was in town for the weekend. We decided to get a few games of Civ V under our belt since our internet connections won’t allow us a game longer than 10 turns. I found new inspiration to knock out a few games after he left as well. Particularly fond of my first victory on Prince difficulty (I know, I’m lame) with Songhai. I drove for a Cultural Victory, but was ahead in Technology as well. I also had the second strongest military which led to some interesting stand offs against rivals. Victory could not be duplicated again with Russia. 

• Diablo III

Shai (Monk) at start of Nightmare

This week marked my adventuring party’s triumph over Normal difficulty in Diablo III. I’m really excited to take my Monk into Nightmare difficulty, but I haven’t had the opportunity yet. I’m learning to use the Auction House feature to my advantage, but I am also constantly vexed that it is unavailable due to maintenance. I’m still debating the possibility of a documented adventure in Hardcore, but I continue to put it off to play with friends in Softcore and fight the good fight on new characters. I am leveling all but Demon Hunter on Softcore at the moment. 

• Terraria

Dalziel at New Terra

My brother was interested in checking out Terraria so I loaded it up and showed him around. He made his own character and messed around in the early stages of the game, building a shelter. We didn’t play too much, unfortunately. If we had two copies of the game I could see us really tearing it up, but as it stands my Terraria adventure is on indefinite hold and I am awaiting Starbound. Diablo III is simply too distracting.  

  

Playstation 3

• Shadow of the Colossus

I spent 6 hours over the weekend tearing through Shadow of the Colossus. I didn’t spend my usual obsessive amounts of time hunting down lizard tails, so other than a scattered sighting here and there, I managed to play through the game rather quickly. It was my intent to highlight the battles which each of the 16 colossi for a small audience. I love that game and I’m glad it’s back in my possession. It feels good to take down a colossus every now and then. It’s a little bit symbolic of the real world in that way.   

-TOP
@TOPGamingBlog