#i’ve never been able to do 3d stuff so i am so incredibly impressed by this

[javierduffy]

OHHHHH MY GOD. oh. oh my god.

✴︎Neighborhood #2 (Laika)✴︎

this is part 1 of a gift for @javierduffy because i said id make javier and kieran fish together and i intend to follow through !!!! ∘𓈒⚬⋆𓆣⋆⚬𓈒∘ close ups and explanations under the cut ∘𓈒⚬⋆𓆣⋆⚬𓈒∘

close up of his cute lil' face that i based on this piece of fanart bc it forever lives in my head

his pony tail felt too hard for me to make 3d and so i decided to just draw it out on a 2d plane and use that for it and i really love how it turned out !!

boot appreciation bc i spent so long modeling his jeans to hang over his boots like it felt like hell but god was it worth it in the end....

also i wasnt too sure on how to do it but i did try my best to incorperate his bowwed legs with the help of reference images online !!

also i love how his lil tie n collar turned out so close ups of those :3

thank you to javierduffy for the art that you post and anypne reading this please go check out their art its so pretty !!!!

im also very willing to answer any questions anyone has about either the model itself or my process <3

[fostersffff]

Finished Season 4 of Castlevania: the Netflix, and thus the whole series! And I’ve got a lot to say!

Here’s the biggest observation for this season: I get the impression that they didn’t originally plan for this to be the final season. It feels like, at the start of Season 3 they believed they were going to have two more seasons, and then maybe by the time they started wrapping that up they were told they’ve been cut down to just one more, so they had to speed of the pace of Season 4 dramatically to make sure they could still hit the ending. I have no actual evidence to support this- I haven’t read any interviews or official comments to that effect- just a gut feeling based on aspects of the plot:

Biggest support of this is how quickly Saint Germaine is just like “ok I’m evil now”. He immediately submits to the random woman who tells him he’s gotta be evil to find his lady love, there’s one scene of him murdering a guy, and then he’s all-in on being a villain, complete with “I AM A GOD WHO FUCKS” monologuing.

In addition to Saint Germaine’s heel turn feeling half-baked, the Dracula’s resurrection plot in general really doesn’t feel all that important until the finale. Varney is a comic relief character, which in hindsight was completely intentional, but Ratko and Draken are just huge fighter dudes who weren’t involved with Dracula’s court during Season 2, but are very into bringing him back for reasons that are never clearly explained besides the assumed “it’s Dracula so we gotta”. Additionally, the way major characters like Hector and especially Isaac treat the resurrection plot don’t help, although it makes perfect sense that they both do what they do.

The things that happen in Targoviste, and the way they happen, also contribute, especially because there’s no satisfactory resolution to it. Trevor and Sypha start to help the people organize and rebuild, and then get whisked away to the Underground Court. They barely have time to react to the fucked up shit going on down there before they teleport to the castle to kick off the finale. More time to let hostilities between them and Zamfir bubble up before the reveal of the Underground Court, along with a more satisfying build-up to Trevor collecting the components of the Super Holy Dagger would have been good.

Season 3 ends with Alucard in Hector in very bad places: Alucard has just been betrayed by the twins vampire hunters, which has brought out a misanthropic streak, including him leaving them on pikes, and Hector has once again been duped into an even deeper submission than he was in as Carmilla’s prisoner at the end of Season 2. Trevor and Sypha’s vignettes establish that roughly a month and a half have passed, which was apparently enough time for Alucard to basically get over his trust issues, enough to help the villagers, and Hector to not only cope with the reality of his situation but also finally develop into a character on par with every other major character in terms of competence.

Carmilla and Isaac’s stories didn’t feel rushed like everything else I’ve mentioned, but following the train of thought that there was originally going to be more episodes, both of them could’ve stood to have more time and events to get to their final forms.

So, Death: I don’t know how I feel about Death as portrayed in this series. On the one hand, this interpretation technically not being Dracula’s right hand as he is in the games, and instead being an independent actor that stands to benefit from Dracula’s rampage and thus serves the same capacity as a right hand, is incredible. On the other, the fact that Death’s true personality is actually just Varney fucking blows. The design for Death is also not my favorite, because it reminds me just a bit too much of Castlevania Judgment, but Malcolm McDowell being the voice actor is really cool. In conclusion, Death is a land of contrasts.

On that note, “no it’s not Death Death, it’s an entity that calls itself Death that feeds on death and is an elemental spirit- or force of nature in other words- but is distinctly different from the personification of the concept of-” just fucking say “yeah for all intents and purposes it’s the Grim Reaper”. Coming up with a semantics explanation for why vampires get fucked up by crosses to explain the cross subweapon is fun, don’t undercut your final antagonist by trying to rationalize it into something less fantastical.

I already said that I liked the motivation behind Death, but also the execution of “I’m going to bring back Dracula wrong on purpose” and the way he accomplishes that is the best it’s ever been.

I thought Varney hopping over the stream of holy water was a fun cap on the argument about whether or not vampires can cross over running water from Season 2, but was in fact clever foreshadowing, since Death isn’t a vampire. Good stuff!

I think it’s just because I’ve been focusing a lot on animation quality over the last few months, but I noticed they started using 3D models a lot more this season. I imagine it was a matter of practicality considering that there are more action setpieces in this season than the other three combined. I think this is ultimately a good thing, because they do a very good job of masking the fact that they’re using 3D most of the time because it still looks very good, unlike some of Netflix’s other 3D action projects, and if it makes life easier for the animators without sacrificing quality then that’s a win for everyone.

Didn’t think much of it at first, but I’ve really come to appreciate the term “night creatures” as a catch-all for monsters in this series. It’s generic enough to encompass everything regardless of design difference, but more unique than just ‘monsters’ or ‘demons’.

I had heard someone make a joke about a character wearing Artorias Dark Souls’s armor for a scene because fuck you, but holy shit, Striga really does just wear Artorias Dark Souls’s armor for a scene because fuck you.

When Saint Germaine first shows up, his lines sound really low quality compared to Alucard and Greta, and then that issue goes away after that episode. I imagine that it was pandemic related, but clearly Bill Nighy was either able to get into a studio or eventually got a better home setup- couldn’t you just have him re-record those lines?

I’ve talked so much about how Carmilla’s design in this series is The Best™ because they masterfully adapted a single sprite with no animation from a 1987 video game into a fully realized design, and this frame in particular struck me as perfect. This is the best this character has ever looked and likely will ever look.

I love how optimistic and positive the tone of everyone’s ending is. Ranging from the unexpectedly beautiful and uplifting resolution to Isaac’s story, to the foundation of a town that fundamentally accomplishes what Lisa hoped for at the very beginning of the series, it’s all nice way to go out. Even Lenore choosing to commit suicide, while not necessarily optimistic or positive, is at least on her own terms.

Dracula and Lisa also having a happy ending is nice. It doesn’t really make any sense, and it makes me wonder what Richter’s call to action is going to be in the next series, but I think they were right to have the series end with the same two characters it opened with.

AYY SOMEONE THREW A WINE GLASS!!!

Unfortunately, I’d say Season 4 is the weakest of the series, but they did everything they could to make sure they provided an explosive finale and a solid ending. This was a damn good show and without a doubt the best thing to be associated with Castlevania in over a decade. Not that it had much competition there, but still!

As a final note on the nature of Castlevania as an adaptation: I can certainly understand why certain people don’t like this series. If you’re looking for Castlevania: The Video Game: The Animated Series, you’d walk away disappointed because of how many things were changed in adaptation, how much they were changed, and that so much is just made up from whole cloth. But an animated series isn’t a video game, and while an eight episode series where each episode is a different stage of non-stop fight scenes, complete with a big boss fight at the end sounds like it could be cool, if that’s what I really want I���d probably be better served just playing a game.

[gamebrocorey-blog]

Nintendo Direct 3.8.18 Review!

   The other day, Nintendo graced us with a new Nintendo Direct, featuring a look at some new games coming out this spring and summer. Nintendo announced this Direct two days prior to it's airing, stating that it would mainly focus on new 3DS and Switch titles, as well as a focus on Mario Tennis ACES . With this news, I think many of us thought that there wasn't going to be anything REAL BIG during the Direct, just a few remakes and release dates. But BOY OH BOY was no one ready for the surprise announcement of Smash at then end?! Not to mention Splatoon 2 getting a pretty neat new expansion, the Direct really brought that surprise factor that Nintendo is known for. Surprises aside, I feel like this wasn't the best Direct of all time, mainly because not that much was new content. Not to mention, I'm just DONE with 3DS and really don't understand why Nintendo continues to support it. I guess Nintendo still see's a business there considering the amount of systems still in flotation. Not to mention the 3DS is a cheaper console that is better suited for children, which is one of Nintendo's biggest markets. I just want the true dream of the Switch to be a thing. Nintendo's handheld and console dev teams, working together to make wonderful projects! Nintendo is still working their butts off to make some amazing projects and I for one give them my highest praises. For now, let's get into the full breakdown of the March 8th, 2018 Direct!

   The presentation started off with a small showcase of the new titles coming to the 3DS. Something interesting to point out is that the 3DS titles weren't just only for the spring/summer time. All of the 3DS titles shown arel the new titles coming out the rest of this year and into 2019. The titles didn't really impress me either. As much as I'd like to see a new WarioWare or Dillon game on the Switch, the versions being produced on the 3DS seem like low-budget games. I think it's cool Nintendo is remastering the Mario and Luigi series on the 3DS, but again, I'd much prefer one on the Switch. And COME ON WITH THAT REMASTER OF LUIGI'S MANSION! I've never played any of the Luigi's Mansion games so this one hurt me. But it does make sense, Nintendo already has all the assets of Luigi's Mansion from Dark Moon, so this shouldn’t cost that much to make either. And even though all these titles are pretty low cost form Nintendo, they do still retain the Nintendo quality and charm... for someone out there. I'm sure the Switch will eventually get these titles in all the glory they deserve, but for now I'll stay salty about the 3DS.

   Nintendo did have a good plethora of new titles coming to the Switch as well as a few updates on earlier announced titles. I mainly wanna talk about the new announcements here. I do like hearing about more updates for Kirby, but I wanna focus on all the  NEW stuff announced. Okami HD is coming to the Switch this summer. One word, YES! When Okami HD was released last year, I was so baffled at the fact that it wasn't on the Switch. The title is so old at this point that it surprised me that Capcom didn't put in the work straight from the get-go. Okami was on the Wii for crying-out-loud! Well, it's here now, and I'll finally be able to play as the dog goddess herself, fleas and all. Octopath Traveler revealed two new characters playable in the story, as well as the release date! This was great news to me, considering Octopath Traveler was absent from the Direct Mini in January. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is the only new Wii U title announced, and I’m actually excited for this. Captain Toad came at a time where I wasn’t really interested in my Wii U anymore, not to mention there will be some new Super Mario Odyssey content in the game. A lot of cool games coming to Switch that they revealed include Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, South Park: The Fractured But Whole, Little Nightmares, and Undertale! I’m glad the Switch is actually getting some more recent titles added to it’s gamelog, such as Crash and South Park. And I know for a fact Undertale will do absolutely incredible on the system! Mario Tennis ACES shown of their interesting, complex style of tennis gameplay, and I’m kind of into it! They also revealed the majority of the playable characters and I think it’s hilarious to see Chain Chomp playing Tennis! Crossing my fingers we will get Pauline added in the future. I also wanna say how happy I am to see not only a new amiibo, but an amiibo for Dark Souls! Praise the sun boys, I love Solaire and the Dark Souls series! Before we get into the big news, I just wanna briefly talk about Travis Strikes Back: No More Heroes. I am a big No More Heroes fan, and I was excited to see a new gameplay trailer and a release coming later this year. I do have one problem with the game, I didn’t want this type of game. The over-head style beat-em ups are a fine genre, but I LOVED the old style of No More Heroes. I’m sure the game will be fun, maybe it’s just me being a cranky old grandpa not wanting change. I’m still gonna enjoy the hell out of this game. The zany characters and story, Suda 51, and bashing dudes with a beam katana sold me already! I also do think it’s cool that the game has local co-op and seems to have multiple different styles of gameplay. No More Heroes games always have a certain style, like the next game I wanna talk about, Splatoon 2!

   Splatoon 2 got a lot of love in this direct with a content update as well as a new expansion. The content update basically showcased all the new content coming FOR FREE in the upcoming months. This content includes new weapons, new maps, Callie returning to the campaign mode, and a new “Rank X” level for you pro-splatters. The other content drop is the Octo Expansion, coming later this summer and will cost you $20. This expansion will feature a brand new single player mode that let’s you play as an Octoling and explore the vivid world of Splatoon 2. This content will also include some special Octoling gear for multiplayer, as well as allowing players the option to play as an Octoling in multiplayer. The Octoling has no benefits to the Inklings, it’s simply a cosmetic change. I honestly didn’t see this content coming, but it seems pretty cool and might get me back into Splatoon 2! I actually really enjoyed the campaign mode, and would love to see more of the lore that Splatoon 2 offers. The beautiful levels and new characters reasons to go back!(deja vu right?) Whelp, that’s it guys and gals! It’s been a good Nintendo Direct! We got a few new games, some release dates, and some cool new content for Splatoon 2! Alright, see you guys at E3!

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Oh! And we have ONE more thing to show you guys! *snap*

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   SMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH BROS FOR SWITCH! OOOOOOOOH MYYYYYYY GOOOOOOOOOOOD! Who would have saw this coming, in this random March Direct?!? Nintendo, you sneaky dogs you! Needless to say, I was screaming and crying when I saw this announcement. I am happy that this is a thing, and that Smash 5 is a new game, not a port of Smash 4. I’ve talked about what I want to see from this game in another blog, so I’ll keep my thoughts short. Inklings look cool, but we know almost nothing about how they will play. A mysterious character roster is shown, from what I assume is all returning characters. Mario is there, and so is BREATH OF THE WILD LINK?!?! I hope this is a totally new character, but some speculate this might just be his design now. What a bombshell moment to end on, Nintendo just sold this Direct to me. I was honestly falling asleep throughout most of the presentation, but the Splatoon bits and the Smash reveal awoke me. Not to mention my hype for the next Smash has now awoken too! Time for me to go watch the one-minute long reveal trailer a million times to speculate everything I can from it... spoiler alert, there’s not much.

[thephoenixiaproject]

Entry 01 (04/01/2020): Beginnings!

Introduction:

Hi there!! Welcome to what is hopefully the start of something cool! It genuinely feels daunting to be taking the first steps in this project, whatever this may turn out to be. 

And it may turn out to be nothing at all! But a big part of why I’m doing this is to push out my comfort zone and try something new, and even if this doesn’t end up going anywhere, I’ll be happy that I tried, and hey, hopefully I’ll have learned some new skills and made something cool on the way! :D

There’s gonna be a lot of rambling explanation for the rest of this post so I apologise in advance, but I hope I explain who I am, and my plans for this project, as best as I can!

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Who are you, and how did you get in here!?

My name is Ben Moss (he/they), I’m a Bri’ish musician, actor and performer with an unexplainable obsession for dubstep and things that go vroom.

(Photo credit - Phyllida Joyce Hickish 2020 / @phyllidahickish on Instagram)

I’m currently studying creative music technology at university, with the aim of becoming a film/TV/game/VR composer (and maybe sound designer)! I’m also a massive fan of electronic music, audiovisual performances, virtual reality experiences, all that kind of stuff!

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Why does this project exist?

I’ve had it pretty clear in my mind at this point that I really want to do film/TV/game composition professionally: if I can help bring out a director’s message or intentions for a piece of work with the music that I make, and help create immersion into the world and characters they’ve made, then that’s what I’m here for, and I love doing it!

I so badly want to be part of a team that helps make and tell awesome stories that can educate and inspire as well as entertain, that immerse people in incredible new worlds and help people find themselves, or feel seen, or just make you feel good for a little while! Watching the behind the scenes development of films and TV shows I love just blows my mind and inspires me so much, and I’d love to be part of projects like that one day!

However, when it comes to personal music I make for myself, I’ve always felt slightly lost: I find it really hard to make my own music and see it through to the end because I don’t know why I’m making it or who/what for yet. The non-professional music I’ve made so far has been remakes of work I love, tributes to artists I love, or just playing around with different styles and improv-ing a little bit!

This has led to big problems though: making music is the only way to make better music, but being a massive perfectionist, and also massively afraid of failure and disappointing others, I’ve always stalled myself on progressing on anything that isn’t work, telling myself that I’m wasting time by not working. Combine this with the fact that I’ve always had the view that as long as people are impressed with the work I do, or as long as it fits the criteria or mark scheme, then I’m ok, regardless of whether I feel like what I made was bad or I could’ve done better.

I know I have a LOT to improve on in pretty much every area of music, but I’m not going to make progress on this skill (or ANY of the loads of skills I really want to learn how to do) by mentally blocking myself and convincing myself that making my own projects, either ones with a serious intention (hopefully like this one) or just musically goofing around for fun, aren’t worth it, because if I want to make good music/work for other people that BOTH I AND THEY feel proud of and happy with, I need to develop my skills away from assignments, or I’ll go nowhere.

I’ve only recently learned thanks to a short time of therapy that “because it makes me happy” IS a valid reason to do or make something. So I want to have some fun trying new and scary things to me - 

Trying to create a story of my own.

Possibly learning to create some visuals, either as storyboards, or perhaps going into animation, or 3D modelling and animation?? Maybe virtual reality might come into it? I have no idea!

To make music that I’m happy with!

To develop and work on my existing skillset, and have a go at some new ones.

To accept that I’m going to make stuff that won’t work, and that’s ok and a natural part of the creative process, and not something to be afraid or ashamed of. Hell, this whole project might not work, and that’s also fine!! I just hope that I (and anyone else who might work on this) have some fun and get some valuable experiences from it! :D

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What is this project?

On October 6th 2014, a scientific study titled ‘AWARE - AWAreness during REsuscitation’ was published online, documenting the mental experiences of people who had suffered cardiac arrest and were successfully resuscitated. The study examined 2060 patients from fifteen hospitals across the United States, United Kingdom and Austria across a four-year timespan, 140 of whom were able to take part in structured interviews.

“46% had memories with 7 major cognitive themes: fear; animals/plants; bright light; violence/persecution; deja-vu; family; recalling events post-CA (cardiac arrest) and 9% had NDEs (near-death experiences), while 2% described awareness with explicit recall of 'seeing' and 'hearing' actual events related to their resuscitation. One had a verifiable period of conscious awareness during which time cerebral function was not expected. CA survivors commonly experience a broad range of cognitive themes, with 2% exhibiting full awareness. 

This supports other recent studies that have indicated consciousness may be present despite clinically undetectable consciousness.” - https://www.resuscitationjournal.com/article/S0300-9572(14)00739-4/fulltext

Since then, more studies have taken place in the same field, panels have been held by some of the world’s leading scientists on the subject, and the field is still being very actively researched. The aim of these studies have been to try and draw conclusions on how resuscitation can be improved, to progress towards a higher success rate of resuscitation with little to no long-term consequences to the brain’s cognitive functions.

This project, however, intends to focus on another set of findings that this and subsequent studies revealed - there is a short period of consciousness after clinical death.

Whether the length is 20-30 seconds, as early studies suggested, or perhaps longer as is now being investigated, this seems to be something that we will all experience one day when we die. Depending on the person, these experiences may massively vary.

What might these final moments of consciousness be like?

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Current Plan (working idea):

The project will show the post-death conscious moments of around 7-8 characters, each with their own experiences. These will be presented in completely different ways format-wise depending on each character’s life, culture, interests and experiences! (Could be presented in virtual reality, a cartoon, a visual novel, a musical EP or album, an audio drama/podcast, whatever best represents each character!)

Some may have known or met each other, some may have had barely any association with the others, but though these different experiences, which may shed light on different life experiences, mentalities, cultures, and experiences of final consciousness, each story or experience is linked in some way, however small, which may tell another story of its own!

The characters who’s consciousness we are viewing/experiencing will all definitely die (i.e. we aren’t being told the story from the perspective of someone who has been resuscitated and is relaying the story to us. This doesn’t inhibit a story being told in the past tense/first person as a narrative device though!!)

This project won’t focus on the concept of an afterlife or resuscitation, this just deals with our very final conscious moments! (This does not rule out religion as something to be shown, for example, if one of the characters is of a certain faith!)

This project will NEVER become a bandwagon for trying to ‘disprove’ or bash religions and faiths of ANY kind. The day that happens is the day this project ends.

The name ‘Phoenixia’ (and its general black-and-white branding/logo/aesthetic) is very much a temporary working title - I’ve had it as a producing alias for a while, but it’s never had meaning attached to it. I have a couple of other ideas for working titles which more strongly link to the themes of the project which I’ll share in a later entry! (Because right now my research notes are a  m e s s)

There’s a LOT of different opinions on how long consciousness actually lasts after clinical death - 20-30 seconds, three minutes, a couple of hours, all these are lengths of time associated with it. Some scientists have stated that as the brain is shutting down our consciousness ‘increases’ - in terms of representation within the project and lengths of time, it may result in a longer perceived experience? For example, 20-30 seconds of consciousness may be represented as 20-30 minutes of audio/video? (”The precise point beyond which the brain is no longer "living", a threshold which remains unidentified, is perhaps less definite than has been historically assumed.” -Persinger, Michael A., et al. "When Is the Brain Dead? Living-Like Electrophysiological Responses and Photon Emissions from Applications of Neurotransmitters in Fixed Post-Mortem Human Brains." PLoS ONE, vol. 11, no. 12, 2016, p. e0167231. Gale OneFile: Health and Medicine.)

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Conclusion:

And that’s it for the first entry!! I hope that wasn’t too much rambling!

The next month or so is going to be SUPER hectic for me due to university deadlines and working on this as much as possible, but I’ll do my best to keep regular updates!

[gamerzcourt]

Playing Games On Your Phone Is Good, ActuallyPlaying Games On Your Phone Is Good, Actuallyvideo games

New Post has been published on https://www.gamerzcourt.com/playing-games-on-your-phone-is-good-actuallyplaying-games-on-your-phone-is-good-actuallyvideo-games/

Playing Games On Your Phone Is Good, ActuallyPlaying Games On Your Phone Is Good, Actuallyvideo games

I’m a handheld video game enthusiast. I’m sure of this, because people in the office make fun of how much I use and love the PlayStation Vita (hi, CNET!). The first console I owned was a Game Boy, and I’ve owned and loved every Nintendo and Sony portable released since (even the PocketStation). I have a long commute, so I always have a dedicated gaming device in my backpack. But lately, I’ve been spending an exceptional amount of time on a platform I had previously written off: an iPhone.

Now that your eyes have rolled, I want to clarify that I’m not talking about the kinds of games you might traditionally associate with being “phone games,” though I do love those–I’ve played far more than a healthy amount of Marvel Puzzle Quest, and I love playing the cool stuff that crops up in the bespoke iOS scene: Florence, Reigns, Threes, 80 Days, and anything by Zach Gage. Instead, my recent revelation involves the kinds of video games that I would have previously preferred to play on a home console or PC.

Florence is pretty cool. You should play Florence.

Here’s an obvious statement: There’s never been a better time to be a handheld gamer. The 3DS is filled with great, unique first-party Nintendo titles. If you like Japanese RPGs, 2D platformers, and revisiting the finest titles in the original PlayStation library, the Vita is incredibly good, I promise (that OLED screen! That d-pad!). And of course, the Nintendo Switch is a fantastic hybrid console that redefined what kinds of games I could expect from a portable system.

Now, thanks to my phone, I’m getting that same Switch-style buzz once again. I recently took a vacation, and as usual, I packed my three portable consoles to entertain me during periods of extended downtime. The thing is, you can’t always prepare for when or where extended downtime happens. For one reason or another, there were a few times where I felt like playing a video game, didn’t have a console on me, and eventually was content to see what was on my phone so I could stop looking at the ocean or whatever for 15 minutes.

Tired of what I already had installed, I browsed the App Store for anything that caught my eye, and a free demo of Sid Meier’s Civilization VI was what did it. I’d been thinking about picking it up again on Switch, and was now morbidly curious to see how it ran on an iPhone. As it turns out, pretty well. It was visually impressive enough to pop on the small screen, ran smoothly with a smartly adjusted UI, and didn’t appear to have any feature concessions compared to the PC version. It was also the perfect game to play on a portable device: slow-paced and turn-based.

Civ VI on an iPhone–it’s better than you think, but still a little pricey.

That experience was a turning point for me, and I learned a bunch of things at that moment. One: 30 bucks is too much money to pay for a second copy of Civ VI, especially when it doesn’t have the expansions. Two: Phones are capable of surprising technical performance. Three: The best console is the one you have with you. Four: The convenience of being able to download games wherever is very good. Five: I don’t have five things.

I’m very aware that all the people I see playing PUBG and Fortnite on the train, as well as the entirety of China, are eager to tell me how late to the party I am. But ever since then, I feel like I’ve reconfigured the part of my brain that decides what kind of games would be more suitable as a PC, console, or handheld experience. For certain titles, I’ve managed to overcome the mental hurdle that stops me from tackling my pile of shame with a newfound curiosity that wants to see how differently they play on a phone.

I really enjoy playing short, focused games. But I’ve missed out on a bunch because I’ve always believed that I needed to dedicate a good chunk of time in front of a monitor in order to get through one, and often by the time I get home from work, all I want to do is play more Tetris 99 or, you know, spend time with my family. But ever since I got over myself, I’ve managed to play and finish a bunch of 2018 games I’d put on hold in a week’s worth of public transit rides–games like Donut County, The Stillness of the Wind, and The Gardens Between. I recently picked up Whispers Of A Machine after resolving myself to the fact that I was never going to find the time to sit down at a PC to play it, and as it turns out, my phone is perfect for the point-and-click adventure games I love so much. These more technically conservative titles also perform virtually like-for-like with their desktop versions, which helped eliminate my fears of opting for a “lesser” experience.

Even more graphically demanding titles can impress: I already own two different versions of challenging puzzler The Witness, but never found the courage to finish it. I then bought it for my phone, and I was surprised by how decent it looked. More importantly, I found myself building a different kind of relationship with it–one that I hope will finally help me see the end. If I’m stuck on a particularly hard puzzle, I can easily put it away and mull over it while I do something else. And, because it loads right where you left off, I can take another quick stab at it while I wait for a coffee.

The Witness–I’m not going to let Jonathan Blow defeat me.

However, I’m not completely abandoning my other handhelds–Persona Q2 and Cadence of Hyrule just came out, after all. I’ll absolutely chase after any game that gets me excited, but I’m finding that the convenience of form factor also plays a big part in what I now choose to pull out. If it’s standing room only on my train, or I want to lie sideways in bed, I’m less hesitant to pull out a Switch. The Switch is great, but it’s a little too big in these instances. It really isn’t a big deal to pull out a phone. Certain games, like The Gardens Between, Elder Scrolls Blades, and various Dragon Quest ports, have the option to be played with one hand in portrait mode, which I am incredibly thankful for.

The relatively lower price points for the iOS versions of games (unless you’re 2K or Square Enix) takes the sting out of having to buy some of these titles for the second time. I’m happy to throw down a few bucks to give myself a portable version of something I know I liked, but want to find more avenues to play. The convenience of being able to download the games over a cellular network instantly helps, too. I had a sudden hankering to play a good tactical strategy game on the way to work the other day, so I redownloaded XCOM: Enemy Within on iOS. It’s not as good as XCOM 2: War Of The Chosen, but it was available and ready to be downloaded as soon as I had that impulse. I saw GameSpot’s Tamoor Hussain tweet about Pocket Cities, so I gave that a try (I liked it). While I was walking, I heard Giant Bomb talk about Brawl Stars on a podcast, so I downloaded that too (I didn’t like it). Everyone is still talking about The Outer Wilds, but it’s a game that I can’t find a spare few hours in front of my PC to download and actually play. The ability to quickly feed my whims on a phone is incredibly useful.

I came to another realization while thinking about my new habits. When the Apple Arcade game subscription was announced in March, I thought it sounded interesting, but outside of a few games that I was already planning to play on other platforms, it didn’t think it was for me. I’m not an Xbox Game Pass subscriber, nor an Origin Access person. I don’t want to pay a monthly fee for access to a bunch of games I’m not going to play. I’m a Nintendo Online subscriber, but I rarely play the included library of NES games because I forget to download them until I’m browsing the library on a bus.

Take Two CEO Strauss Zelnick recently expressed a similar skepticism over video game subscription services on an investor call, saying “people do consume video games differently than they consume linear entertainment.”

He explained: “In the case of video games, it is possible that the average user in those 45 hours might be playing one, two, maybe three titles; certainly not 70 titles. In that event, if you play one, two, or three titles and you play them for months in a row–which often happens in [the video game world]–then a subscription model may not be such a great deal for the customer.”

I’m beginning to change my mind, however. I’ve installed and played over two dozen games on my phone since my revelation, most of which I can access on different platforms–but I haven’t. It’s been a pretty positive experience that’s been assisted by the ability to easily jump between games on a whim and download them anywhere I am.

Apple Arcade is currently poised to include a bunch of games that I was already keen on–Sayonara Wild Hearts, The Pathless, Beyond A Steel Sky, Klei’s Hot Lava, and ustwo’s Repair–and if they’re all going to be readily available on my phone there’s a way better chance I’ll actually play all of them. I’ve already got early access to tactical survival game Overland on PC, but I’ll be damned if that isn’t a perfectly-suited portable game. I can totally see the reasoning behind Apple’s big push into the video game space now–they likely want to stay competitive with the likes of Microsoft and Google, of course, but they’re also capitalizing on a different kind of gaming behavior which I’m only just cottoning on to.

I can’t wait to play more Overland.

An Apple Arcade subscription will also give you access to these games on MacOS and on Apple TV, which seems handy for when I actually have a chance to sit still for a while. Additionally, Apple recently launched the ability to connect Xbox One and PS4 controllers to iOS and Apple TV, which suggests that they’re interested in keeping their platform as flexible as possible. That’s a nice touch, because if there’s one thing I still haven’t come around to, it’s playing complex action games with a touchscreen interface–I don’t know how the people who play PUBG on the train do it.

I’m surprised at how much I’ve come to genuinely appreciate my phone as a portable gaming device. The convenience of accessibility make it incredible for catering to whims, it runs a variety of the games I personally love to play (and in some instances, ones that can’t be found on any other platform), and I can use it in situations where it’d be too uncomfortable to use any other portable. I can’t believe it took me so long to take it seriously–I could’ve actually finished The Witness and become a genius by now, instead of embarrassing myself with a PS Vita for years.

(I’m sorry, PS Vita. I didn’t mean that. You’re still cool, no matter what anyone says.)

GameSpot – All News

[gastro-nomique]

MPMK Preview Gift Guides: The Hottest Toys of the Year!

It’s that last day of September, which means I am furiously working on this year’s gift guides (I’ve actually left my family and stashed myself away for the entire weekend to do so!)

There’s still plenty of work to do, but I couldn’t help but give you this sneak peek in the meantime. Enjoy…

Fingerlings – Interactive Baby Monkeys

(Ages 4 – 12) Starting at $14.99

  These adorable finger-sized animatronic monkeys are the “It Toy” of the year. In fact, it’s the end of September as I’m releasing my gift guides and they’re already completely selling out everywhere.

If you get the chance to buy one- do it!! (Even if you end up getting something else for your kids, you will be able to make bank on eBay come December.)

So what’s all the hype about?

These pets react to sound, to motion, and to touch. They love to hang onto your kids’ fingers, backpacks, other toys and pretty much everything else.

With over 40 animations, kids can rock them to sleep, blow them kisses (and have them blown back), make them sing, and much more.

Like a lot of the hot toys out this year, they’re also incredibly life-like. They blink their eyes, turn their heads, swing by their tails, fart, and more. Plus, if you can get them at retail price – they’re cheap!!

And if the Toy Gods are really smiling down on you and you can find them, I also suggest both the Fingerlings Playset…

And the Fingerlings Jungle Gym for even more extended play time fun (as well as a handy place to store the little guys so they don’t get lost).

Another way to go are these 40 Piece Money Stix sets that seem to have been quickly produced by an industrious 3rd party company.

I am really digging that with this playset version kids get to engineer their own set ups for their fingerlings, plus it’s not another bulky toy to have to store somewhere.

  LEGO Boost Creative Toolbox Building and Coding Kit 

(Ages 7 – 12) $159.99

  This is the toy that we’ve all been waiting for LEGO to make! Robotics and coding have become so incredibly huge in toys, in fact, that I’m really surprised it took this long.

I can (and will) tell you a lot more about this astounding kit but I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you watch thr short video below on this 837 piece set – you will be sold!

It demonstrates a lot of what your kids can build and do, including a super cool robot, a working LEGO 3D printer, a very cool working electric guitar and more!

  Until now, if you wanted to parlay your kids’ love of all things LEGO into an interest in programming, your only real option was the very expensive LEGO Mindstorm kits, which are also geared more towards older LEGO builders.

At a cost of $200 less than the Mindstorm kits, the new LEGO Boost kit still has everything you need to get your kids building, programming and coding and – frankly – I think the builds are more fun and approachable, especially to kids who aren’t hardcore coders.

Like all building and programming toys, this one works with a free app that you download on your tablet or phone and what I really love is that the kit builds not one, but five different models. The above video showed the robot.

Here is the working 3D printer.

And here is the guitar… This toy does SO MUCH, I predict hours and hours of educational play with this one!

KIDS IMAGINE MERMAID PILLOWS

(ages 2 – 14) $47.99

    If you’re a parent, you are likely familiar with the mermaid fabric trend. Kids absolutely cannot get enough of playing with and “drawing” on this magic fabric. (To be honest, either can I – each night when I lay with my 3-year-old, I just can’t stop myself from petting this pillow. It’s so, so relaxing.)

As such, these pillows from Mermaid Pillow Co. have become my new #1 suggestion for gifts from grandparents.

Why? Because grandparents like to buy things that have a big “Wow!” effect, they often don’t mind spending a little extra on their precious grandchildren for something that’s high quality, and if left unchecked grandparents can often misguidedly gift monsterous plastic toys that you would never normally allow into your home!

Mermaid Pillow Co. sent one of these pillows for each of my kiddos to review (I chose the “Sharks Think” for my 8-year-old son, the “Fairies Fly” for my 7-year-old daughter, and the “Dinosuars Discover” for my 3-year-old son.)

There are a couple of things I love about these particular pillows. First, the affirming messages are really cool – just the kind of encouraging note we try to hit in our parenting – and it was nice that there were so many to chose from! I was able to find one that perfectly suited each of my kids’ personalities and interests.

(I also love the message of this one.)

Second, I was very pleasantly suprised with how soft the front of the pillows were. You can never really tell when ordering from a website, but these are extremly well made and super soft. They came beautifully packaged and seemed like something I would have bought from a boutique.

Last, but not least, is the mermaid fabric! Every bit as addictive as you might think, this stuff can be played with for hours. It’s fun to draw designs in, to write on with your finger, and also acts as a really nice tool for relaxing at bedtime or calming down from a tantrum. I highly recommend!

   Cozmo by Anki

(ages 3 – adult) $179.99

  There are all the other robots on the market… and then there is Cozmo.

I have never seen anything like him and, trust me, you haven’t either. He’s basically a real-life Wall-E that you can bring home to the kids.

He has the things you want in this kind of toy; i.e. a very cool and continually growing programming platform and a free app that’s iOS and Android device compatible so kids can learn to code. But he also has SO MUCH more.

    Thanks to artificial intelligence, Cozmo can express hundreds of emotions (his face is just like Eva’s from the movie Wall-E). From curious to clever, persistent to playful, he has personality x 10.

He also has facial recognition that allows him to get to know your name, face, and quirks. And best of all, he continues to evolve the more you hang out with him.

    He’s not just a novelty toy though (I already mentioned he can help your kids learn to code and program) he’ll also play games with you.

In fact, Cozmo is a game-playing machine. Literally. Whether lifting his Power Cubes or challenging you to games like Quick Tap and Keepaway, he’s always up for action. And in Explorer Mode, Cozmo lets you guide him through his environment to see what he sees — day or night. Cozmo’s skills and games are constantly updating, so the fun never runs out.

If you’re even thinking about a robot for the kids this Christmas, this is the one to get- you won’t be sorry!

  L.O.L Suprise Dolls

(Ages 5 – 12) Starting at $15.99

  If there is one thing that elementary aged kids just can’t get enough of, it’s collectibles. From Shopkins and Funko to Pokeman cards, small things that they can hoard like crazy are like catnip to kids this age.

And since toy manufacturers aren’t dopes, there are a few brand new collectibles that are sure to fly off the shelves this year (seriously- buy one or two for each of the special kids in your life now while you can still get them and they’re not stupid expensive).

All the rage this year are the already uber-popular L.O.L. dolls. Let me just start by saying that every year when I start researching for the gift guides I tell myself I cannot start buying for my own kids until at least October… and every year I fail because I see something that I know they will love and I know will be hard to get later.

This year, this was the thing I couldn’t resist buying in September for my daughter.

  Note: Because these things are so popular this year, there are a lot of imitations. When you buy, be sure the company is “L.O.L. Suprise” and that it is shipped and fulfilled by Amazon.

  These little balls of joy have all the miniature cuteness that’s required in a collectible for girls this age, plus a couple of really cool features.

The wrapping is part of the toy itself. It’s got 7 layers that need to be peeled off and each layer contains a new surprise. (I’m seriously considering stocking up on these just to keep around for future plane rides – talk about a glorious time killer!) The 7 layers of surprises include: (1) Secret Message Sticker, (2) Collectible Sticker Sheet, (3) Water Bottle Charm, (4) Shoes, (5) Outfit, (6) Accessory, (7) L.O.L. Surprise tots doll 

The ball itself acts as a playhouse and storage case for the doll (Yay! for having somewhere to store the tiny pieces!!)

The doll itself is also a surprise in how it reacts to water. The many change color, drink, spit, tinkle, or cry.

  Peppa Pig Lights and Sounds Family Home Playset

(ages 2 – 6) $59.99

  Ah, Peppa Pig- how I love thee. So bright and cheerful and inviting, so gender neutral and appealing to all kids, so fun and happy! And this new lights and sounds family home playset is no exception.

First and foremost, your kids are gonna be impressed by the size- it’s big!

Which means your older kids will love it because it will be large enough to play with their friends during play dates (always a must) and your toddlers will be able to get their hands easily into all of the play spaces.

That makes this a really great toy for multiple siblings to share, which is something I’m always on the lookout for. It’s so much easier on my budget to buy one big toy for everyone and also less clutter in my house!

Plus it encourages coooperative play, a skill we’re always working on around here.

The last thing I really, really like about this stellar doll house is that it has some fun effects like lights and sounds, but they’re not overwhelming. It’s just one button to turn them all on or off and, while engaging, they don’t seem to be the main event of this toy (that would be imaginative play all the way).

With it’s vivid colors and bigger proportions, this house looks like it came straight from the pages of a gorgeous picture book. Plus the 7 rooms each have plenty of fun accessories to keep your kids engaged in tons of dramatic play.

    Crayola Rock Painting Set

(ages 3 – 14) $19.99

At first glance this rock painting kit may not look like much, but don’t let the unassuming presentation fool you. This toy is gonna be a BIG WINNER in your house. Here’s why…

First, with clubs like “Seattle Rocks” or “Richmond Rocks” (insert your town’s name) popping up all over the country, rock painting is all the rage with the kindergarten and elementary school set these days. (And, of course, preschoolers will love it too with a little help from mom or dad.)

These fun clubs encourage families to decorate their own rocks at home, hide them somewhere in town and then join a facebook group to leave hints about where you left your rock and also to get hints on where to find other rocks around town.

This is a family activity that has so many beneficial elements for your kids. They get to flex their investigative skills in your community while being creative, social, giving and adventurous. Plus, they spend time with the family (and maybe even learn a little about using the internet safely with you).

Ok, so clearly I’m into the rock clubs- but even if you’re not, your kids will still love painting rocks for their own homes or just for sharing with friends. And if they’re gonna do it, THIS is the kit to get.

    The biggest thing about this kit is that it comes with a tub to keep everything in!!! This is major! The one thing I do not dig about rock painting is the potential for half-painted rocks, paint and brushes scattered all over the house. This will keep it all contained!

It also comes with a lot of things other kits don’t, like 8 very cool shimmering metallic markers, a paint mixing tray, and finishing glaze. Of course, it also comes with acrylic paints in white, black, brown and the primary colors.

At first, I thought that didn’t seem like enough colors but then I watched the video above and realized the idea is to use the primary colors to mix your own secondary colors. Another learning element great for preschoolers and kindergartners!

  Fort Boards

(ages 4 – 10) starting at $61.99

Kids LOVE making forts and, I gotta say, I’m a big fan of anything that will buy me a solid hour or two of busy time.

What I’m not the biggest fan of? The beating my couch cushions take when my kids get into fort-building mode.

That’s reason enough alone to love the Fortboard kits but there are quite a few other reasons too.

First is all the super cool kinds of forts you can build. After Fortboard sent us two boxes to review, my kids started with the instructions for making a house on their website company’s website. Next up was the submarine.

After a little trial and error, they pretty quickly got the hang of it and, let me tell you, they were pleased as punch about their new fort- which they insisted stay up for a week. That was fine by me as it resulted in TONS of cooperative dramatic play.

Next up was the submarine and the castle, both of which were equally successful. By then, even my 3-year-old was able to build stuff with these on his own. His current favorite is to make cubes, which he calls “bombs” and use them to knock down stacks of even more cubes Angry Birds style.

Fast forward a few months and they’re now building their own master creations like that 6-wheeler semi-truck pictured up top. It’s become a thrilling game to challenge each other to see what they can build next.

The second thing to really love is the ingenious ways these boards can connect in different ways to create all sorts of angles, and even curves.

The secret is the connector arm that can be moved to join the boards in different ways (and teach your kids about angles in the process).

It’s so innovative, in fact, that it’s won multiple awards and even a Microsoft Small Business Contest.

The final thing I love about Fortboards is how compact they are when it’s time to put them away. Unlike with their competitors’ sets, there are no awkward polls to store (and no polls for kids to hit their siblings with). Everything tucks into a box and neatly stores under a bed or in a closet when playtime is done.

    Like other fort sets, this one is spendy but if your kid is a builder it’s worth the investment, especially if you’re looking for something great for play dates or for siblings to play with together.

  Teddy Ruxpin – Storytime and Magical Bear

(Ages 3 – 6) $94.00

He’s back! That’s right guys, the evil toy geniuses totally have our number and know that we will pony up the cash for anything that brings back nostalgic memories of our own childhood. And in the case of Teddy, I’m 100% here for it.

I mean how can you pass up a chance to share that with your kid?! And, of course, they made him way cooler than the first time around.

Most notable are his crazy-emotive LCD eyes with over 40 animations- SO MUCH better than the creepy blinking of the original version. The cassette player in his back is gone too because Teddy now reads books on the free app- but don’t worry, you don’t have to have the app to use him. He can also tell his stories and sing without it.

He truly is a nice toy for encouraging reading in pre-readers and emerging-readers. By being able to pause the reading just by tapping his paw, they can ensure that Teddy goes at their pace and he is sure to have them asking him to read to them again and again.

  Hatchimals Suprise

(Ages 5-9) $69.99

Hatchimals CollEGGtibles

$9.39

Hatchimals Glittering Garden

$54.88

These interactive, magical creatures that come (and eventually hatch out of) their own egg were the hottest toy of the year last year. Every elementary-aged girl I knew, including my kindergartener daughter, had one at the very top of her list and they quickly sold out everywhere.

Naturally, they’re back this year with the originals being as popular as ever and, count them, three new iterations for your kids to covet. First, though, a refresher on what we’re dealing with here…

    The magic in this toy is how kids are encouraged to nurture it both to come out of it’s egg  and once it’s in the world. 

    The magic in this toy is how kids are encouraged to nurture it both to come out of it’s egg  and once it’s in the world. 

To get the egg to hatch, kids have to pay attention to the color of the eyes inside the egg as well as the sound the hatchimal is making and respond to it appropriately. My biggest question was how long the hatching would take and it turned out to be about an hour. Check out the whole process in the video above.

Once it hatches, it’s time to give your Hatchimal a name and raise it through 3 stages: from baby, to toddler, to kid.

And here’ where I eat my words- Last year I wrote that ,”My suspicion is that this toy isn’t quite as cool once it hatches, but it does do a lot (walk, talk, dance, play games, and more) and though you can’t put it back in the egg, you can start it over as a baby whenever you want.”

Turns out my daughter’s enthusiasm didn’t lessen any once the thing hatched and a year out it’s still one of her top toys… So what’s new this year?

First up are  CollEGGtibles.

Seizing on that love of all things mini that I wrote about above, the Hatchimal people made a whole variety of mini eggs.

  Open these guys by rubbing the hearts until they change color and they crack. Works a little differently but the excitement is the same and the lower price point sure is nice! These will make great stocking stuffers and kids will love this nursery playset once they collect several collEGGtibles.

  Next Hatchimal Surprise.

Along with going smaller is also the option of going bigger… and that’s all I can tell you right now because what’s inside is a mystery until October 6th. This one is pretty much guaranteed to sell out way before Christmas.

    Lastly is the Hatchimals Glitter Garden.

This guy works exactly the same as last year’s hatchimal but with a little more sparkle!

            So those are my top picks for the hottest new toys but there will be a lot more to come in the next couple of months leading up as I finish up the 2018 MPMK Toy Gift Guides so stay tuned!

In the meantime, don’t forget to check out all of our picks from last year’s…

  MPMK Toy Gift Guides: The Complete Collection

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