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burnouts3s3 · 5 years ago

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Kill la Kill IF, a review

(Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit unprofessional blog post written by an unprofessional blog poster. All purported facts and statement are little more than the subjective, biased opinion of said blog poster. In other words, don’t take anything I say too seriously.) Just the facts 'Cause you're in a Hurry! Publisher: Arc System Works Developer: A+ Games Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP): 59.99 USD How much I paid: 49.94 USD (I got a pre-order discount) Number of Playable Characters: 8; Satsuki, Ryuko, Nui, Houka, Ira, Uzu, Nonon and Ragyo (Satsuki and Ryuko have 2 variations). Number of Stages: 6 Rated: M for Blood, Language, Partial Nudity, Suggestive Themes and Violence Nudity: Lots and lots of cleavage and side boob. Characters usually dressed down to bikinis and thongs when disrobed. No visible female nipples. Can I play offline: Yes How long I played: 4 Hours. 2 hours to complete Satsuki's perspective on Story mode and 2 to complete Ryuko's. Microtransactions: None so far. What I played on: My Nintendo Switch. Performance Issues: When the Switch is docked, the performance 'mostly' runs smoothly, albiet shows the soft textures up front. When in handheld mode, the framerate sinks like a rock and becomes stitled. One instance of the game pausing for one moment before resuming. Lenghty loading screens whether docked or on handheld mode. And of course, no anime game is complete without its most famous feature, missynced lip flaps. Dual Audio: Yes. Both English and Japanese voices are available. English Cast: Erica Mendez as Ryuuko Matoi, Carrie Keranen as Satsuki Kiryuuin, Matthew Mercer as Aikuro Mikisugi, Patrick Seitz as Ira Gamagori, Stephanie Sheh as Nui Harime, Christine Marie Cabanos as Mako Mankanshoku, Kaiji Tang as Tsumugu Kinagase, Grant George as Uzu Sanageyama, Romi Pak as Ragyo Kiryuuin, David Vincent as Senketsu, Sarah Anne Williams as Nonon Jakuzure, Steve Staley as Hoka Inumata and Todd Haberkorn as Shiro Iori My Personal Biases: I recently watched Kill la Kill and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I thought it was a good show. My Verdict: Even fans aren't going to be satisfied with this package. With an anemic roster, few stages and a battle system where you fight the camera more than you fight your opponent, Kill la Kill: IF is wasted potential. Even the amusing cutscenes can't save this piece of junk. Wait for a sale. Kill la Kill IF, a review

It's strange that after 5 years of one of the most beautifully animated action shows that we finally now get a release of Kill la Kill IF. Based on the popular anime, will the game do its original source material justice? Let's find out in this review! For those of you who aren't familiar, Honnouji Academy is a fictional high school situated in Tokyo Bay, Japan on the island of Honnō City. The school is dominated by its fearsome student council led by their president Satsuki Kiryuin. Its students wear Goku Uniforms, which give their wearers superhuman abilities because they are constructed with a special material known as Life Fibers. Vagrant transfer student Ryuko Matoi, who wields a scissor-shaped longsword that can cut Goku Uniforms, challenges the council as she searches for her father's killer. Although she is initially easily defeated by Takaharu Fukuroda, she finds a sentient sailor uniform that she names Senketsu, a Kamui which is completely made of Life Fibers and transforms her so that she can face Kiryuin and her trials and obstacles. Kill la Kill IF is a filler story set in the anime's canon storyline. Gone are the various side characters and multiple developments throughout the story and instead speeds through to the main battles and opponents. Set as an arena fighting game, players control one of the characters found in the show and use their unique abilities to whittle the enemy's lifebar to zero. Each character is given access to a melee attack, a ranged attack and a grab which breaks the opponent's guard. Overtime, a player's SP bar builds up. 2 out of the 4 bars can be used for a special attack or to unleash bloody valor, a rock paper scissors mechanic to gain boosts such as attack or health. Losing the battle results in damage while winning continuously allows you to unleash a final ultimate attack. The issues become evident right from the start. Despite Studio Trigger, the animator of the series, supervising, the game's engine just cannot live up to the 2D anime that told the original story so well. While the art direction certainly lives up to the original with its use of contrasting colors and unique aesthetic, the actual animation itself remains stilted and choppy, even on the best of machines. While the animators are able to work around this (Mako's scenes continue to be the highlight of the franchise), you can't help but feel the 3D counterpart is struggling to match up what Trigger mastered in 2D animation. You better get used to the visuals. In order to unlock any of the other modes, you'll have to play the MANDATORY story and watch the stilted cutscenes (which you can skip, Thank God). Because who wouldn't want a story mode that has cutscenes that are longer than the actual gameplay? After all, it isn't like someone won't upload those cutscenes up to Youtube and you can watch them for free... Wait... And that's not even mentioning the numerous loading screens that come between every other cutscene and before the gameplay starts. I don't know if the loading screens are shorter on more powerful consoles and PCs, but they were certainly a slog on the Nintendo Switch. So, if you're in the market for a game with little gameplay, lengthy cutscenes and lots and lots of loading screens, have I got a game for you. Most matches are set between an individual opponent and involve whittling down the foe's health bar to claim victory. However, certain modes allow multiple opponents to face off against each other, either in battle royale or with pairing into teams. Half the time, the game plays like a Musou or Open world beat em up where in the player character must defeat multiple enemies on screen. Sometimes it's rogue Covers, sentient uniforms and other times its Nui clones. With no camera control and no ability to lock on to individual opponents, you'll often miss your intended target and end up hitting a new enemy instead. Story mode, even on its easiest difficulty, opts to pad out the game by giving certain enemies so much health, it takes forever to shrink it down to zero. Forget the sword sponges throughout the game; half the time the camera can't keep up and my poor player character is out of frame because of all the enemies are upfront while said PC is all the way in the back. In addition to the story, there's also Online matchmaking, survival challenge in which you play AI opponents in a row and Covers Challenge, in which the game becomes a full Musou and you must defeat all foes in the arena. All the original voice actors from the anime's dub cast have returned. Erica Mendez as Ryuuko Matoi and Carrie Keranen as Satsuki Kiryuuin give the same respect to the source material as did the Japanese Seiyuu and it's always fun to hear Patrick Seitz, Grant George, Stephanie Sheh, Todd Haberkorn, Matt Mercer and Steve Staley again. If you dislike the voices, the game comes with Dual Audio and you can switch to the original Japanese. CAVEAT: What a waste! How did such a great property get saddled with such a lousy adaptation? Kill la Kill (the anime) still holds up as a show even 5 years after its release. It's too bad all that potential is made into a cashgrab of a game. With its limited roster, wonky camera, and lack of stages, even diehard Kill la Kill fans should wait for a sale while watching the cutscenes on Youtube. It's too bad. For just a brief moment, I did see the makings of a good game. The only reason this anime adaptation doesn't take home the award of "Most squandered potential of an anime property" is because Jump Force came out earlier this year. Verdict: Rental or wait for a sale. Or just watch the anime again.

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kyndaris · 6 years ago

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Opening Up Your World

Back when I was a penniless high school student, there were these twins I knew at Chinese school who tried to introduce me to a little known Nintendo DS game with, what they thought, had some excellent art aesthetic. Curious, I managed to find the elusive game. And for a couple of minutes, I took it out for a spin - wondering whether it would pique my interest. Though it was colourful and looked to have an intriguing story, the confusing controls and my assumption that each mission would have a real-life countdown saw me put it aside in order to finish off other quality games such as the Ace Attorney series and Pokemon Ranger.

This game was called The World Ends With You.

Fast forward a decade later and the niche cult hit was announced for the Switch. After encountering Neku and the others in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, I decided to pick the game up. Again. And after hearing many good things about the game over the years, and now with more time on my hands because I was a full-grown adult that had control of my own life, I thought it best to enjoy the things that I had to give up due to my studies.

The World Ends With You centres on Neku Sakuraba. Despite his vivid imagination, he is a solitary denizen of Shibuya. Headphones over his ears, he wants to shut the whole world out. One day, he wakes up to find that he’s trapped in a game of life and death. The only way to win is to partner with another of the ‘players’ and survive seven days.

It’s a simple premise but its simplicity belies the depth with regards to story and the game mechanics themselves. Over the course of the game, Neku is able to connect with others and broadens his view of the world. In a society where we often strive to tune out the myriad of people all around us - mostly by staring at our phones - it’s a poignant message despite the fact that The World Ends With You was released in 2007. We have become so insular and our social media feeds have become echo chambers of our own perceptions that we often forget that there are others out there. They might have different views or an understanding of how the world works. But just because it is not the same does not mean we should invalidate their opinion or their thoughts.

Only by coming together, by sharing ideas, can we truly grow and become better people. Everyone is different. And that is a good thing.

Look at how many other games that have explored the concept of a society that is uniform. In Tales of Berseria, emotions were stripped from the denizens because negativity spawned demons. But to do so also stripped people of their free will. What about Assassin’s Creed? The conflict with the Templars is all about whether order should reign or freedom. What I liked about the most recent entry: Odyssey was the fact that both were required to keep the balance.

I found it an intriging theme to explore and days afterwards began to wonder about the similarities and differences I shared with my common commuter on the train. We build all these walls around us but a potential friend could just be beside you. Yet, you might never be able to explore that opportunity when wrapped up in your own thoughts that are all focused internally.

As for the combat, the Switch version of The World Ends With You, throws aside the dual screens. Instead, players are just required to control Neku. Armed with pins, Neku uses the power of psyches to damage the Noise. These are remnants of Souls that are used by the Reapers to attack players. In the secret reports, they are often used as a tool to whittle down the prospective candidates. One pin could grant Neku the ability to summon fire. Another might allow him to throw cars at the enemy.

Each one can be activated by slashing at the screen, pressing and holding a specific button or by dragging Neku himself. I found that those that were easily implemented the best in my playthrough due to the fact that I was also battling with the motion controls on the Switch. While The Worlds Ends With You can be played undocked, the fact that I was so terrible at putting on the screen protector meant that I kept it docked and made do.

Initially, I had issues with the constant drifting. After a couple of hours, though, I managed to familiarise myself adequately enough with the controls. That and a few choice pins saw me through to the end of all three weeks, giving me a new series to fall in love with.

I also want to give a shout-out to the soundtrack. While I’m not sure if it would be as relevant in the future as it was when the game first came out, it suited the style of the world. The voice acting was also enjoyable and I loved the little mannerisms that came through of each partner’s personality during combat.

Though The World Ends With You can be a little unorthodox in its execution, the message within is just as prevalent now as it was when it was first released. Perhaps even more so as we descend into the digital age. The only puzzles that remain were: how did Shiki know so much about the rules when she first partnered with Neku? Did Hanekoma provide her some context before she headed to the statue of Hachiko about the game or were all players briefed on the rules before they woke up in Shibuya and that knowledge was also stolen from Neku as part of his price? Also...does Neku just have really good hearing or is the noise cancellation on his head phones simply terrible?

#the world ends with you #video games

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pes2019patch · 4 years ago

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First released back in 2013 on Wii U, one of the ill-fated platform's greatest games has transitioned across gracefully to Nintendo Switch. Offering a perfect mix of 2D and 3D Mario design concepts, Super Mario 3D World gets a new lease of life on the console hybrid, not least because of the inclusion of an all-new game - Bowser's Fury. Here, we see Nintendo try out some new, unexpected ideas that feel remarkably fresh - and it's impressive enough to stand alone as its own game.

I'll always have a place in my heart for Super Mario 3D World: it mixes full 3D movement and exploration with a more linear stage design. The player has limited camera control and progression is very much rooted in old school design, but it still feels like a 3D Mario game. Even the world map, clearly inspired by the style of design introduced in Super Mario Bros 3, takes on a new twist with free movement. It's a classic game, but Nintendo hasn't been afraid to makes tweaks and changes to improve the experience. Specifically, movement speed is boosted significantly, resulting in a faster playing game all around. Touchscreen mechanics are also tweaked - a core feature on Wii U simply wouldn't work outside of portable mode on Switch, so Nintendo has added cursor control using the built-in gyroscope to allow you to manipulate the environment in the relevant stages. I can say it works well enough given the constraints, but I do prefer using touch for these specific stages.

Technologically, the game is essentially identical to its Wii U outing, with identical assets, bolstered only by a mild boost to resolution. The Switch game uses dynamic resolution scaling with an apparent 720p to 1080p window, up against the straight 720p of the Wii U original. Portable mode maps to the native resolution of the screen, so it's native 720p. With that said though, I do think Nintendo has introduced some form of interlace style image reconstruction - a curious flicker presents that simply isn't there on the Wii U version. This odd flicker isn't really distracting, but it is certainly unexpected and suggests that just running the game at a higher native resolution might have been off the table. Regardless, the presentation is sharper overall. It should be noted that Nintendo deployed something similar with Super Mario Odyssey when played in portable mode - but it was vertically orientated. Performance? It's locked in both docked and portable modes at 60fps.

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oneddashone · 4 years ago

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Games of the Year 2020

Given that I don't think anyone reads this, especially since I've largely stopped using it for anything other than these lists, it feels silly to write an intro on "what a weird year 2020 was" or whatever. It is worth mentioning, however, that in a "normal" year, it's quite possible that my GotY would have been different.

I think every game on this list was played on the Nintendo Switch, which, aside from FIFA, is really the only device I play games on these days. I've waxed poetic about this in the past, so there's no reason to talk much more about this now. I'm really hoping a "Switch Pro" comes out next year—to me, that's much more interesting and desirable than either a PS5 or X-Box Series Whatever.

Anyway, on to the list.

***RECOMMENDED*** What the Golf Minecraft Dungeons Bubble Bobble 4 Friends Mr Driller DrillLand Carrion Panzer Paladin A Short Hike Part Time UFO Immortals Fenyx Rising

I kept a list of all the games I played this year, and more than half didn't make the cut at all, so the games in this lowest category are all still extremely worthwhile games, in my opinion. What the Golf was originally a mobile game, but I played it on the Switch and had a blast. Very funny and inventive, and more than enough "game" there, in case you were wondering. I played through and beat Minecraft Dungeons with my daughter, which was a blast. She knew all the lore, and I knew the genre, so we were genuinely able to help each other out throughout the game. The new games in the Bubble Bobble and Mr Driller franchises were largely carried by my nostalgia for them—neither was perfect, but absolutely worth the investment if you care about the series. DrillLand in particular had some surprisingly inventive takes on the established formula.

Carrion and Panzer Paladin were nice surprises when they came out. A lot was written about the former when it debuted and I don't have much to add to that conversation, but I didn't see nearly as much love for Panzer Paladin. It's a fun little retro platformer, something like a "12 bit" art style, and you play through levels in any order you want, a la Mega Man. The most interesting part of the game to me is actually the weapon management system—you get a ton of weapons throughout the game, and the real strategy lies in choosing when to break certain ones, maintaining a steady supply of good ones, and even in using them to trigger checkpoints.

I watched my friend Ben stream A Short Hike when it first came out on PC, and I was excited to finally play it myself. It didn't disappoint, and I loved the relative short length, combined with the overall carefree and relaxed vibe. My daughter played through to the end too, which was nice. Another short-ish game this year was Part Time UFO, which, like What the Golf, was a originally a mobile game. Part Time UFO was made by HAL, and it shows throughout—most obviously in that Kirby shows up in the background from time to time, but also in the overall craft and polish.

The last game in this tier is Immortals: Fenix Rising, which nearly ended up being a tier higher, but in the end it just felt better here. This is a great take on an Ubisoft BotW clone (which I mean in the nicest way possible), and the setting is fantastic, but ultimately there are some key flaws that hold it back for me. Ubisoft's seemingly insatiable appetite to Get More Money Out of the Player, even after they've purchased the game, comes to mind immediately. Requiring a login and creation of an Ubisoft account is another. You don't really think about these things when you're playing the actual game, which is great, but it ended up being enough for me to dock it a little bit in the end.

***ESSENTIAL*** Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition One Step to Eden Streets of Rage 4 Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin

Kentucky Route Zero is another game that I feel like has already been written about and discussed a lot, and I don't know what I have to add to that. I'm so glad it ended up on consoles—it always seemed to me like the kind of game that would be trapped on PCs forever. The one moment that will always stick out for me was when I was playing it in bed one night with the kid. We found something in our inventory that had a phone number written on the back, so, in effort to kind of indulge her and be a little goofy, I decided to actually call it. I don't know what I was expecting, but it sure wasn't the fully realized "Guide to Echo River" (voiced by Will fucking Oldham!) that we got. It was an incredible experience, one of many in this extremely beautiful, thoughtful game.

One Step to Eden introduced me to a game genre I didn't know I needed—basically, "what if deck-based roguelite, but with an action-based real-time dexterity component?" It's all well and good to create a perfect deck in something like Slay the Spire, where any nerd can take as long as they need to run their perfect calculations or whatever during their turn, but it's really something else to try and do it while dodging complex enemy attack patterns at the same time. I feel like I read that this was based off a Mega Man spin-off, but to me it felt like a breath of fresh air in the increasingly oversaturated roguelike genre (oh, but more on that later).

Streets of Rage 4 is the perfection of a genre that I thought I was completely done with, and one that I think a lot of other people were done with too. Belt-scrollers made a certain amount of game design sense when they were first introduced in arcades, what with the goal being to collect as many of your quarters as possible—but the gameplay hook suffers tremendously when there's no tangible cost to failing. And yet the team behind SoR4 breathed new life into the genre, via incredible art, animations, and music. Most importantly of course is how it feels, and the deep combat system allows players of all different skill and interest levels to get exactly as much out of the game as they put into it. A friend played this in a much deeper way than I did, chaining combos across entire levels at times—whereas I just played through twice—and yet we both came away from it completely satisfied. This is a masterpiece of the genre.

Clubhouse Games is a sequel of sorts to the DS game of the same name. The first thing I think of when recalling this game is just the incredible amount of craft that clearly went into making it. From the heavy thud of the Hanafuda cards being forcefully plopped down to the sound of marbles jostling in Mancala, every little detail of this game has been thoughtfully executed. Sure, there's a few games I played once and never wanted to play again, but mostly this collection is just an outstanding bang for your buck. It also succeeds as a kind of virtual history lesson/tour of the best and most-loved tabletop games from around the world; and, especially during a pandemic, who could say no to that?

Sakuna snuck up on me towards the end of the year. Apparently it was first announced as a PS4 exclusive, but Nintendo saw it and rightfully made a big effort to get it on its platform as well. The gameplay mostly consists of an incredibly satisfying loop of starting the day by tending to your rice field, in full 3D life sim style, and then going out and exploring levels in fairly fast-paced 2D action/platforming levels. During the 2D parts, you'll find supplies that help your rice field, and by completing tasks there you'll unlock better equipment and weapons for the platforming levels. On top of all of that, there's a night/day cycle as well as a seasonal one, which vastly changes the type and amount of work you need to do in the field each day. That might sound like a lot, but it all snaps together wonderfully, leading me to quite a few "well I'll just play one more day" long nights. Oh and I haven't even mentioned the clear reverence shown towards the surprisingly complicated act of actually growing rice—every step of the way is a different kind of mini-game, essentially, and I ended up taking a lot of pride in making the best rice that I could. This is one I'll definitely still be playing into the new year.

***RUNNER UP*** Hades

Everyone's favorite horned-up mythological roguelike ensnared me pretty deeply when the full version was released on Switch this year. I had seen snippets of it on Early Access, which was enough to pique my interest, but I was still caught pretty off-guard by just how incredible this game actually turned out to be.

I haven't talked much about story in these write-ups so far, but it's clearly the first place to start with Hades. If I had to pick one thing to set it apart from similar games, it would be how perfectly the notion of dying and restarting is to the central story of Zagreus. Every time you die in an unsuccessful run, which will be a lot early on, you're encouraged by NPCs to try again—and not only that, it makes thematic sense with—and in fact is central to—the story of the game. This completely removes the sting of feeling underpowered and kind of helpless in your early runs, and to keep playing and powering through it.

The pantheon of gods in this game will show up and offer to help by way of boons. These grant you temporary new abilities, which not only vary depending on which weapon you've picked, but will also combine with and modify other boons that you pick up in the run—not unlike the weapon synergy of Binding of Isaac, for example. The gods have their own agenda, of course, but with some experience you'll start to favor certain builds over others, and to try to and build towards a fully-optimized set of skills to tackle the underworld. Then again, sometimes you'll get something you've never seen before, and change up your tactics on the fly. It's all very rewarding and incredibly replayable.

As with a lot of roguelikes, you do carry some things forward from run to run. As you unlock all of the weapons, purchase upgrades and new abilities, and naturally start to learn how the game works and improve your own strategy, you slowly begin to feel much stronger and eventually, well, god-like. The near-perfect difficulty curve gives players of all skill levels complete control over how hard or easy to make the game for themselves. This carries over perfectly into the "Pact of Punishment" system that's unlocked after your first successful run, which lets you dial up the difficulty to frankly fiendish levels in order to, first and foremost, keep skilled players engaged, but also to provide a ton of "end-game" content for those that want to keep playing.

And really, you'll want to keep playing. The first ending is just the beginning, as the story compels you to keep playing and see how everyone's stories pan out. The NPCs are incredibly well-written and the voice-acting more than lives up to the lines they're given. I was completely invested in these characters and the fates they would have to reckon with by the end.

I got my tenth clear—the first one to roll credits—fittingly enough on attempt #69 (nice). This seemed like where the game naturally "ended," and I put it down—even though there's still a ton of previously mentioned end-game stuff I could do in the game if I wanted. But the end of Zag's main story felt so pitch-perfect, and so earned by the experience with the game overall, that I decided to leave it on that perfect high note.

***GOTY*** Animal Crossing: New Horizons

This wasn't my first Animal Crossing game (it was, I think, my...fourth?), but it was the first Animal Crossing game that a lot of my friends played, and that alone made for a different experience than I've had with the series before. In the early days of quarantine, we were visiting each other's islands every day, trading items, sharing insider tips on the Stalk Market, and just generally enjoying the game in a social way that was suddenly not allowed in day to day real life.

For the most part, that lasted for about a month. Maybe two. But I kept playing, every day, for a few reasons. First was that I have a lot of time with this series, and more or less knew what to expect going in. I didn't get disappointed when Nook's Shop was mostly just stocking items I already had, for instance. But more importantly, I knew not to burn myself out on it early on. And look, I know there's no "right" or "wrong" way to play a game, but Animal Crossing (at least to me) seems unique in that the gameplay is so clearly designed to be enjoyed in 20-30 minute, daily chunks. There's just not that much to *do* after a half hour or so, but I was seeing friends' hours totals in triple digits after just a few weeks.

Two other things unique to this entry helped keep it persistent for me, I think. One, Nintendo committed to and delivered on a regular update schedule, which kept things fresh (and safe from the naughty time travelers of the world, even). Pretty much every month, something brand new happened, and it was enough to keep my interest even after I'd donated every fossil to Blathers.

The second, and much bigger thing by far, was that my daughter started playing. She named our island ("Turtlerock") and moved in on day one. We'd talk about villagers—which ones were our favorites, which ones we wouldn't mind seeing move away—and collaborated on the city-planning of our island. I played first, and was therefor the "primary resident" or whatever it's called, but I never made a big decision without checking in with her first. We're both invested in it, and it's been a fun experience to share together over the course of the year. Hell, we even counted down the last seconds of 2020 together in local co-op.

Sure, my house is paid off, I have two million bells in the bank, and my museum is roughly 95% filled out—but I still play this pretty much every day. It's become a ritual. Usually right after work, which happens to be the best light on the island; sometimes later at night, especially during a meteor shower; and on the weekends frequently in the morning—but no matter when I'm playing, the remarkable thing to me is that here we are, nine months later—still in quarantine, and still playing Animal Crossing.

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toocowboyfox-blog1 · 4 years ago

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studyaroundthetokki · 7 years ago

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Downsizing the Curated Collection of Stationary Part I... and advice for some folks about what to take & what not to take/get while teaching overseas since apparently I can’t stay on fucking topic

FFS i have way too much stationary. I’m using this as an opportunity to give away/re purpose/get rid of some of the ones I haven’t used. I figure a lot of people have trouble giving this kind of stuff up so I thought I’d post about it today while taking a break. note: this is a really long post and there’s a lot of cussing once I start talking about living in South Korea lol.

I cleaned up a moleskine that I’d used like 3 pages out of and stuck it on my brother’s desk with a nice pen & fountain pen I don’t write very well with but is really nice. I’m filling up a good A4 size zip pouch full of school supplies/journaling stuff for my niece. Anything that looks businessy is going to my mom for her office. I love stationary & pens & studying and all that but this has gone overboard for way too long. I also realized that I need to pair down to what I actually am going to take with me if I’m planning on moving overseas again for a good couple of years (which is the plan). What good do dip pen samples do me in a box? It’s now out where I will use it.

I have numerous boxes but for my birthday I finally settled on getting a few things (it’s not til April but some stuff was almost out of stock on a site that doesn’t get stuff in stock often):

1) One small sturdy travel container for my smaller stationary items (ink cartridges, washi tape, ect). I found a beautiful wood one that would be perfect. I have this weird fascination with small boxes anyway. The one I’m in love with but haven’t ordered is just slightly larger than my instax photos, which is also a reason to grab it. *cough*

2) Limiting notebooks to 1 per subject/project + planner + journal. The rest have got to go. Luckily I have a niece who’s just getting in middle school this year. I can let her mom know to come by and pick up a crapload of stuff (including my well worn Kanken mini.. hopefully she doesn’t mind pink. She’s going through a phase of saying she’s girlie but not *too* girlie with an extra emphasis on this.. though she squeals in delight over baby clothes and my pink stuff so I’m a little inclined to believe this is more to do with her friends than her own tastes).

3) If I haven’t used it in 2 years, it needs to go. With the exception of some of my ink bottles. I have some lovely shades but didn’t have an ink converter until recently again. I actually need to get a 2nd one...This includes old textbooks that are getting moved into sturdy containers instead of keeping them and any books that I don’t *really* love are eventually going to get donated/given away/given to the library (they don’t always take them).

4) Do I *really* use it? I have some pens that I don’t use often. Like my TWSBI Diamond 580AL. It’s a beautiful pen but I don’t use it a lot. However, I’m not giving it up. My Lamy has now been stuck in my younger brother’s room. I used it frequently but I’m not in love with it. I use it because I feel obligated to. I recently gave away one of my favorite fountain pens to my cousin because she has the same issues with pain while writing that I do (we have the same chronic illness). I replaced it with a pen that is on the way. I used that sucker all the time. It was a cheap fountain pen but it wrote better than my 60$ pen. :| I have empty notebooks I”ve been holding onto for years and.. while paper that has aged is really pretty.. if I can’t think of a use for it, it’s going to my niece.

5) Junk notebooks: I think it’s good to have some cheap paper just to doodle or write quick notes or practice sentences or write fuck on 5000 times on a bad day. However, I do not need more than one of these books at a time. *stares at stack of blank cheapo books* Sigh.

6) If you really love it, keep it. There’s a difference between hoarding and keeping something because you genuinely adore it. I have one notebook that is for a *very* specific project. It’s still blank... because I haven’t started the damn project. I have photobooks that I haven’t gotten to. I will probably get rid of the album and instead get a new one since it was just a cheap dollar store book and it doesn’t reflect my personality. I also want a smaller one for my instax pictures which mean a lot to me since they’re one of a kind. This kind of momento stuff is important. My one book is expensive and has beautiful paper. I plan on making it my first “real” translation project for one of my favorite stories (Kiki’s delivery service).

On Packing to Move Overseas: A few personal notes

Back to the topic of sorting with a mind of moving with only two suitcases and a backpack. This is part of why the downsizing is happening. These are more like additional notes rather than guidelines. Just as a reminder to myself in about 12-18 months. Things I need:

1. ONE small pouch of pens/ink/tape/scissors/ect.

2. One book of personal grammar notes. I don’t need the textbooks, but I do need my grammar notes.

3. Whatever textbook I’m currently working on and one notebook to go with it. No more. I do not need the old editions nor 5000 vocab cards. That’s what anki is for.

4. One set of nice stationary. I like to write home. I also like to visit stationary stores. I only need one freaking set to go with me when I move to write people. I didn’t have internet or a phone with rates that I could afford until about 3 months in last time. My mom is not so good with skype (somehow).

5. A tablet. My brand new expensive gaming laptop I got for work & play burned itself out in two months. A good tablet will be fine for just about everything until I can get a PC/phone. Having something portable but with enough functionality that you can use it as more than an mp3 player is important. Google maps saved my ass many times in South Korea, and all the city subway lines had free wifi.. so yeah it was important when I got there to have this sort of thing.

6. A sturdy case for my consoles. I mainly game on a switch and my 3DS. These things are pretty damn portable. Might have to get a new dock at some point but mostly I can just get a wall USB adapter to charge both. This is why I like these consoles, I already have a USB adapter for my 3DS, so I just need the wall plug now that I think about it lol these kinds of things are going to be on sale in most department stores maybe even Daiso I’d think.

7. Sturdy file folder that is non-descript to store copies of all important documents. Leaving this shit lying around your apartment while overseas just randomly.. which I totally did. Is dumb. Important documents includes both emergency and general contacts. Your phone might get stolen so unless you have Nana’s phone # memorized, you might want to get that shit down on paper. Same thing with next of kin, addresses, banking info.. it’s really important to have these and to store them well.

(this post is getting ridiculously long, oh well, that’s why I use “read more” instead of just posting a fucking wall of text like a lot of people do).

8. While we’re at it: clothing items. Deodorant & toothpaste/toothbrush/ect are important enough that you want a month supply but you’re going to find big brands available in large cities. Like they had secret & dove in Korea. It was no big deal (though I think the anti-antiperspirant was weaker). You can find socks. Underwear/bras in western sizes are an issue. Shipping can be a pain in the ass, though someone noted to me that wal-mart ships internationally which is good to know. The climate may sound reasonable but it’s best to prepare for the worst. I heard rainy season and assumed they just meant heavy storms. I grew up in an area with a lot of flooding but I wasn’t worried. Three days in: We took a field trip, I had no umbrella, the water was fucking ankle deep in the street. I had no way of properly drying out for hours. Jeans were not the best choice. The day had started off sunny. I just was not prepared. The humidity is comparable to Mississippi in August. You have been warned. Winter: It wasn’t cold by my normal terms. Hoever, after living there for 5 months by this point, my body was like FK UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU. Layer-able clothing is a must. Gloves. Hats. Scarves. A decent jacket. GOOD SHOES. Don’t like hose and your work calls for it? Opaque leggins and socks in the same colour will work wonders for you. Fat as my 260lb ass? Leggings, oversized shirts, a-line skirts, stretch jeans, light t-shirts, camisole tanks under garmets to catch the sweat of simply living in the humidity that you just do not understandholyfuckitslike98%humidityiguessthedevilvacationsinasiaandturnsuptheheat.

*note: if your ass is moving overseas, please make sure to look into the cultural norms for “revealing” clothing. Shout out to busty girls like me, camisol tank tops under everything help with that “i turn anything into a peep show” cleavage problem. Hike that crap up, sew up the elastic bands. they also provide extra support when you’re running up and down those stairs, and help absorb the sweat. you do not understand how bad it is. i am a cleanly person but i’d come home looking like i just got out of a sauna in full snow gear. it’s BAD. Jesus christ this post is getting ridiculous. oh well.

So yeah. Clothing. It’s important. You don’t want to bring 2 years worth of stuff, but just bring some extra variety. I made do off of just a few things. I did not *ever* wear the fancy evening dress I got “just in case” (it was cheap ok?) but I did wear the simple A-line dress I’d got to some formal diners.

GOOD SHOES.

Anyway.. uh.. back to other things besides clothes. lol

WTF # was i on? sec. scrolling up.

9. A decent camera. I’m not talking about for youtubing. The biggest complaint I got from the fam & friend fam was that I didn’t post enough pictures (I posted like 200+ in a year so pfft).. but honestly I wish instead of investing in that computer I’d gotten a better camera. I have a good one now, it’s a nice little point & shoot. I’m not saying you need something that is worth 900$ or more. Just get a legit camera. I also have a HD video camera that I never fucking use. I thought I would, I may in the future (though it’s a little outdated by now I guess? shit records in 1080p so that’s good enough for me, fuck youtube & it’s 4K shit). Anyway, it’s important to document some of it. You’ll want to.

10. A good journal. I don’t even normally keep one, but having a planner and a journal as two separate books is a good thing. Even if you just write down “today sucked Eunji is a racist asshole” (that’s a whole other story) or “broke my leg. i now have 3 months off--that’s better than nothing because having a time frame of when this shit happened is important a few years down the road when your memory starts getting shitty. You don’t have to include what color the flowers were and what type they were in the gift that you got from the guy who’s face you won’t even remember.. but writing down the name of that cafe that had the amazing cake & espresso will bring the taste back in your mouth years later b/c fuckboys be bs but food is life. Taste & Scent & sound memory are real. You won’t regret it if you record that kind of stuff.

11. Last one for now cuz I got shit to do. Invest in good luggage. One good bag that you can actually lug around because you very well may end up pulling that sucker behind you when you’ve got 22 minutes to get cross town and get on that fucking train or you’re going to miss the god damn flight and it’s non refundable. Sobbing in the middle of a train station because you missed your train and you do NOT speak the language very well is uncomfortable for you and everyone around you. Jesus that day sucked.

I strongly suggest something that doesn’t go past mid thigh. + 1 carry on that you can actually lift and a small shoulder bag that fits in the carry on until you are at the airport. If you can’t carry all of it yourself for at least a mile without dying, then you’ve over packed, it’s too big and you’re going to fuck yourself over. Leave enough room in it with the idea that you might be bringing some extra shit back actually that’s another bullet for this list

BONUS: DO NOT GET BUNCHES OF SHIT UNLESS YOUR ASS IS STAYING IN THE COUNTRY LONG TERM. I HAD TO LEAVE SO MUCH SHIT BEHIND AND ENDED UP FORGETTING THE SOUVINERES THAT I WANTED TO KEEP IN THE 24HR GET YOUR ASS OUT NOTICE I GOT FROM MY EMPLOYER WHEN MY CONTRACT WAS UP.

Granted, my dumb ass thought I’d have gotten let go sooner than 5:30 on the last day since every other fucking teacher did. Nope Eunji the Assji decided that I would work from 7-5:30 down to the last fucking minute without so much as a “do you need help getting to the station”. -_-; That was on me. I should have known and prepared better. It didn’t matter that my colleagues got released with time to leave with some dignity and not lugging a 80lb set of luggage 1/2 across Busan.

DO NOT DO THIS TO YOURSELF. Ship stuff home if you have to, even if it costs a lot. Consider how hard it will be to take this stuff to the post office. Do not lug yourself down with a bunch of trinkets. Take photos, write journal entries. Remember that the stuff is just stuff and memories are way more important than stuff. One small box you can fit in your suitcase. Don’t take more than that. Really.

#personal #advice on stationary & travel #lol i go way off topic here

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martymango0 · 5 years ago

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Rockin’ Around the Oyster Tree: Day 4

Imagine: it is now the Saturday after Thanksgiving. We have until 1pm at which time we leave to attend another feast - my stepmother’s cousin’s annual Oyster Roast (supplied, in part, from the same source as my crafting materials: the oyster floats under my parents’ dock). We are GOING to finish this project before we head out.

So. When we left off, even more shells were bleaching clean.

Dad got a head start on me to get them rinsed & then my stepmom actually stepped (heh) in & put them in the oven to dry them faster. My job at this point was to ferry the dried shells back to the garage for dad to drill. Then, while he drilled holes...

[ID: a man in a white shirt & blue jeans sits at a table using a handheld power drill]

...I shellacked. And, while they dried, made more jump rings.

So.

Many.

More.

Jump rings.

[ID: several dozen oyster shells and a small can of varnish laid out on a cardboard covered table. A hand holding a sponge brush is visible in the lower left-hand corner]

The hanging of the shells is exclusively my domain - it would honestly be more hindrance than help to have more than one person working on a single tree for this part - so at that point Dad’s job was done & he went off to do chores while I finished the tree.

And voila!

[ID: the finished oyster tree - a roughly three-foot tall, conical structure of shingled oyster shells - on a round table in a garage]

Voila again!

[ID: the lit finished oyster tree - a roughly three-foot tall, conical structure of shingled oyster shells with small multicolored lights- on a round table in a garage]

I kept a rough tally as I hung shells this time (unlike with the first tree) and the grand total is ... (drum roll, please!)

[ID: pencil tally marks on brown paper]

177! Ish. There’s a margin of error on this of, like, 5? 10 shells? Whatever, I said it was a rough tally. It’s nearly double the number I guesstimated were on the OG oyster tree, but then the original one had more larger shells & more open gaps between them so...

All in all, the new one weighs about 30 lbs (according to Dad, who carried it into the house ‘cause there was no way I was gonna be the one to do that; if he breaks it, he can’t get mad at me) compared to the probably 15 (?) of the first.

[ID: an interior shot of the two oyster trees next to one other framed in the prow-front windows of the house during the day. The new, multicolored one is on the left, the original red-lit one is on the right and has a cloth topper of a chimney with Santa legs sticking out of it on top]

They honestly look better at night, imho.

The new one seems fatter than the first one, even though they’re the same height & width and, if anything, we fit the wire tighter to the frame on this one than the last. I think it’s an effect of having more smaller shells. Dad says it “looks more like a real tree from a distance” which I’m willing to concur with.

My dad & stepmom are happy with them both - which is good, since they’re for their house - and we’ll more than likely make another one with the strong of all-green lights next year to match the all-red one.

[ID: an interior shot of the two oyster trees next to one other framed in the prow-front windows of the house at night. The new, multicolored one is on the left, the original red-lit one is on the right and has a cloth topper of a chimney with Santa legs sticking out of it on top ]

While she was out running errands on Sunday, my stepmom found a better topper for the red tree - a glittery red star - so we switched the chimney topper to the multicolor tree.

[ID: the tops of the two oyster trees side by side. The multicolored one - left - bears a cloth chimney with Santa legs sticking out of it on top while the red one - right - bears a glitter-covered 3D five-pointed star on top]

It was decided the new tree was to go back upstate with us when Dad & I drove back up for me to fly home, so it got strapped into the car

(Dad’s a wizard at securing things for travel; he’s done it enough times)

[ID: a close up shot of the top of the oyster tree strapped to the back of the drivers’ seat of a minivan with bungee cords, taken from the passenger seat]

And now it lives with my sister in the house the rest of the family actually visits, so this one will get seen a lot more than the first one.

[ID: the oyster tree lit up on a small, low, quilt-draped table in front of sliding glass doors during the day]

[ID: the oyster tree lit up on a small, low, quilt-draped table in front of sliding glass doors at night]

I’m really happy with how this whole project turned out, though I’m hoping a better, less silly topper is acquired at some point. We learned from our first attempt and made notable improvements in out process & final product! There was probably the least amount of bickering between the participants out of any Project With Dad I can remember!

If we do make another one next year I’ll probably not do the full write-up for it like I did the first two, since it’ll just be refining the process. I hope we do; having a green counterpart will definitely make the red one look more Christmas-y & I’d like to be able to apply what I learned on this one. We’ll just have to wait & see.

The whole rest of my stepfamily got to see the new tree on the solstice when they gathered for the family Secret Santa but I don’t yet know their reactions ‘cause I live 500mi away. Hopefully I’ll get a report from my sister when she comes up to visit after the holiday. I’m guessing they’ll like it; they liked the first one.

Happy holidays 2019! Have a good one, enjoy that the sun’s coming back, and let’s hope the next year is better than the last! (Now, it’s 1am on Christmas Eve & I’m gonna go use a candy cane to eat frosting off what’s left of my birthday cake. Because I’m an adult & no one can stop me!)

A masterpost for the rest of this project can be found HERE

#oyster tree #christmas tree #christmas #dad projects #Marty crafts

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nprplays · 8 years ago

Text

Nintendo Switch and Legend of Zelda Road Trip Impressions: Part 1

By Stephan Bisaha

Washington, D.C. 7:05 a.m. – Back in 2006, I was waiting in line for the Nintendo Wii. Actually, it was my third time doing so; the first two failed due to my not arriving early enough to receive any of the limited supply.

Over a decade later, I was waiting in line again for a Nintendo console. But instead of arriving hours before the store opened with more than a dozen people in front of me, there was only one other person an hour before the Walmart opened.

(Okay, I did wake up a 3:30 a.m., went outside, saw no one was waiting yet and then went back in. The perks of living above a Walmart.)

When the doors did open at 6 a.m., the six of us that were waiting went inside to purchase our Nintendo Switch’s with little fanfare. There were about ten left and I didn’t see anyone coming in on my way out.

This isn’t all that shocking. The Wii was a phenomenon that had my father – whose previous interest in games extended to how beautiful he thought the beaches of Super Mario Sunshine looked – flailing his arms to roll a virtual bowling ball. The Switch was never going to be that, at least not at launch. The system is essentially releasing in beta, lacking basic functionality like an internet browser or even a Netflix app.

But, just like in 2006, the main reason I woke up early to pick up a Nintendo console was for a new Zelda game, this one titled The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Of course, just as Zelda has grown up – and not in the moody, bleak Twilight Princess version of the term – over the past decade, so have I. In a couple of hours I was going to drive from D.C. to Birmingham, Alabama to report with WBHM for three months as part of my fellowship with NPR.

And while I may not have the same number of hours to toss at a new Nintendo console, the Switch has come at a perfect time. Nintendo touts the Switch as a portable console. It’s a tablet with two controllers stuck to its side and a dock to play on a TV screen. A two-day road trip to Alabama gives me an excellent opportunity to see how well the Switch functions on the go.

The plan is, after a few more hours of sleep, I’m going to start the drive down with my packed car. Every few hours, I’m going to find some place to rest, either to eat or as a simple break from the road, and start playing with the Switch.

How well does Nintendo’s new baby function away from its dock? Is Zelda really as good as the reviews are saying? Will I actually make it to Alabama on time or get stuck in Tennessee, unable to drag myself away from a new Zelda adventure? Let’s find out.

Troutville, Virginia 2:45 p.m. – The original plan was to stop and earlier in my travels to get some play time and rest in, but the wide-open blue sky and green hills covered in silhouetted cows motivated me to put in some extra hours before stopping at a rest area on 81 South. It’s certainly been a much nicer drive than I’m used to from my New Jersey upbringing.

After parking and stretching my legs, I slid beneath a tree and started to play, at least until I remembered it is still winter and the cold drove me back to my car and I continued there.

I did start up the Switch before I left D.C., which worked out as it allowed me to download two quick updates for the system and for Breath of the Wild. Everything was packed up already so I didn’t have a TV to dock the Switch to so I’ve only used it in handheld mode so far. The main menu really is bare bones, but it does have a simple elegancy to it. The menus are intuitive and easy to navigate and there’s little clutter.

When I returned to the Switch at the rest stop, I found it had already built up a fair amount of dust. While there were some small snow flurries at the beginning of my trip, the bright Virginia sun was causing significant glare. It sapped a lot of the weight out of BOTW’s ominous and mysterious opening. I twisted in my car to avoid direct sunlight on the screen.

To add to my awkward positioning, I’m having trouble getting comfortable holding the system. It’s light enough that my hands aren’t getting tired, but the Joy-Cons strapped to the device’s sides are taking some getting used to. The analog sticks feel a lot better than the 3DS’s circle pad, but a step below what we’re used to from modern consoles.

After playing BOTW for about 45 minutes, I’m ready to get back to the road. It’s been an enjoyable opening and it really does away with Nintendo’s handholding habit. I’ve died twice already, which is probably more than my last play through of Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker. I think I can drive for a few more hours before the next stop.

Christiansburg, Virginia 3:50 p.m. – Never mind. The next rest stop I saw I took, about 50 miles down the road. My first few bad guy encounters in Zelda had me itching for more combat.

When discussing handheld games, it’s often brought up that they should be structured for quick play sessions. Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon on the 3DS did this by, much to my dismay, breaking gameplay into individual missions. The idea is a gamer is more likely to have shorter burst of play than a when playing on a console.

The problem with that approach is missions are often set lengths – often getting longer as the game progresses – and it’s rare for a gamer’s limited handheld time to lineup perfectly with a mission.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild solves this by providing an open world full of quick challenges. Only have five minutes? That’s just enough time to take down this enemy camp. Have some more time? Here’s a small set of mysterious ruins to explore.

I was able to stop for about twenty minutes and have a satisfying time, as well as granted in game rewards for those tasks so I left with at least a small sense of accomplishment.

Atkins, Virginia 5:25 p.m. – I’ve stopped at a rest area just shy of Tennessee. The goal at this point is to make it to Knoxville and find a hotel there.

Now that the sun has dipped further down and not directly hitting my screen, the glare is no longer an issue. And wow, this is a gorgeous game on a gorgeous screen. Switching from watching a YouTube video on a smartphone to a game on the 3DS was always jarring because of how much worse the handheld’s screen is. But the Switch’s screen, while not 1080p, feels like a huge step up.

I’m getting more comfortable with the controller, but I am getting some pain in my right thumb when using the analog stick. Supporting the system while my thumb stretches down over a decent amount of time is difficult.

Oh, and as for the battery, I’ve been cheating and using a USB-C car charger so there’s been no real risk there.

Back to Zelda, I’m surprised how much I’m enjoying exploring this world. I had no interest in playing Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim because of how much Fallout 3 failed to grasp my attention.

I tend to prefer more linear games. But I think the major difference for Zelda is the level of care and density. When I played Grand Theft Auto IV, I remember wondering what it would be like for every building to have an interior to explore. So much of the city was just skyscraper-shaped boxes with no way inside.

Zelda has the advantage of not needing to replicate New York City, but I’m never walking for more than a few seconds in any direction without stumbling upon a new danger or discovery. Despite the size of the opening area, every square foot feels like it was given careful consideration. I’ve logged about two hours of game time and I just stopped playing having finally bothered to address the game’s first objective.

But that will have to wait until Tennessee. I don’t want to miss the sunset my westbound trip is preparing for me.

Wooddale, Tennessee 10:15 p.m. – I’ve decided to stop just outside of Knoxville. The jump between staring at a screen and the road – even if both have been beautiful in their own distinct ways – has my eyes weary. I pull into a Holiday Inn Express and drag my bags to my room. After a quick food trip, I connect the Switch’s dock to my hotel’s TV and set the tablet inside.

I thought Zelda looked amazing before – playing it on a TV makes the graphics really sing. It’s hard to take in all the detail on Switch’s native screen, which is to be expected given its size. But seeing it expanded on the screen provides a much better opportunity to soak in the graphics.

I connected the Joy-Cons to the grip that came with the system. A normal console controller is still preferable, but this is more comfortable than having the Joy-Cons attached to the system. I’ll try playing with the Joy-Cons unattached from the grips tomorrow to see how that compares.

I have another day of traveling tomorrow, but so far I’ve been impressed with the Switch. As unnecessary as a portable console may sound, it motivated me to get to each new rest area and to get back to the game. And to have that seamlessly transfer to a TV is an experience still unique, and greatly appreciated, in gaming today.

#Nintendo #nintendo switch #gaming #video games

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aurimeanswind · 8 years ago

Text

Quick Thoughts: Switch & Breath of the Wild

Editor’s Note: the first half of this was written early in the evening with just hands on time setting up and playing around with the Switch. The second half was written later after time with Zelda.

So I got my Switch a day early today. The graceful lords over at Amazon Were kind enough to bestow it upon me just a full day ahead of schedule. I got to get some hands on with it, just pretty much set it up before work but of course I had to run off to work and will be seeing Logan, so by the time this posts I will probably have already done a stream and played around with it. I thought it'd be fun to just give my first raw impressions of it, and then add on a bit after I've played some stuff on it.

First thoughts: wow, this is some good hardware. It was like the first time I felt the Dualshock 4 or had the PS4 added to my set up. Right out of the gate, it just felt like some excellently made first generation hardware. The only thing that surprised me or threw me off were how small the analogous sticks were on the Joycon. Aside from that, it was all excellent.

One of the first things I needed to know for myself was: how is the Joycon Grip. I am not lucky enough to have gotten a pro controller, so I needed to know if my primary means of play was going to be good enough. It was actually a lot better than I thought. I have medium-to-large sized hands, so it was a comfortable middle ground for me. Not too narrow. Not too odd either. I haven't played any games with it yet, but I'm excited to, which is more than I could have said before.

I also love the interface. As a console, navigation is slick and easy to understand, with really great visuals to go with it. I wasn't surprised; this stuff has been online for weeks, but the tactile response of it all was just great. It's the first time I think I have ever felt “great” about a Nintendo interface.

Some time later...

Okay, so I’ve spent a little under four hours playing on my Switch, primarily in TV mode, with The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild. When I was playing I thought of essentially the perfect way I would want to start my eventual review of Breath of the Wild, talking about all the importance of the series, the fanboyism, etc, etc. I don’t want to give that away here, since I think it’s pretty good, but I’ll just establish this out of the gate: I am a massive fan of Zelda. A Link to the Past and A Link Between Worlds are some of my favorites, with Majora’s Mask representing probably my favorite 3D Zelda game. It’s the Dark Horse answer, I know, but it was the first 3D Zelda, having gone back and played through all of them again recently, that really broke the format. (note: to be fair, it was the second 3D Zelda just in general)

Suffice to say, Breath of the Wild has completely changed everything.

There are the two halves of me; the one that loves Zelda and the kinds of innovations it brings to video games, and has brought to games in the past, mixing with the critic in me that doesn’t want to get too carried away too quickly. There isn’t a Zelda game that I dislike, even Zelda II, but I try and approach everything from a critical standpoint. I am going to discuss Zelda in some pretty blanket terms, as I’ve read quite a few reviews from some of my favored writers, and I want to actually talk about the game. I will keep this as spoiler free as I can, of course, but bear in mind everything I have seen has been from absolutely only the first area, and I know a great many things about the format beyond that that I won’t even discuss here.

So I just wrapped on The Great Plateau, which for those who don’t know is the starting area. Link awakens from some resurrection chamber, is sprung into the world, and that’s it. You meet a mysterious old man who starts giving you tips, and complete a few things on the plateau, and then it’s off to the open world.

Some things about this that I didn’t expect: it can really be as guided or not as you want. I spent a lot of time talking to the Old Man, and he serves as a sort of optional tutorial, but not on trivial things like how to Z-Target, shit we’ve known for almost two decades of video games thanks to Zelda, but system stuff, like lighting fires, cutting down trees to make bridges or gather materials (things that have never been in Zelda games before) and most importantly, COOKING. I could imagine totally missing this, but I poked around in the Old Man’s house, which didn’t occur, mind you, until I had been running around the Plateau for over an hour fucking up Bokoblin camps, and discovered his diary. In his diary he wrote about cooking up some meal that made him warmer, so he wouldn’t need some old clothing he used to have that kept him warm in the colder areas of the plateau. He ends up forgetting the last ingredient, only remembering two of the three parts to it, and upon inspection, the Old Man can give you a full cooking instruction. But only because I probed around a bit!

Past this, you can find the Old Man getting up to a ton of shenanigans through the world. He was hunting boar, cutting down trees, gazing from a mountain top, and by talking to him in these instances, he’d give me different contextual hints. I knew going into this cooking and heat-control were important mechanics, so I spent the next hour or so trying to find this damn missing ingredient. Mind you, it was very obvious, I just forgot one important clue, but upon experimenting and recreating his recipe, I was joyous! I did it! And I got the warm doublet as a reward, meaning I could venture into the cold peak of the plateau without the need for warming food. Awesome!

This wasn’t some formal sidequest added to a questlog (though there is a quest log for the first time[?] in a Zelda game), it was just something I decided to make my goal. And I dicked around a ton in this one area alone. Fighting monsters. Dying a handful of times. Just experimenting, finding treasure. It was genuinely adventurous and fun. It may be preemptive to say, but it’s the most wonderous feeling a game has gotten out of me in a while.

Horizon, the other game I’ve been primarily playing this week, is very different. I’ve been enjoying the combat in that game the most. Fighting stuff and learning their weaknesses has been massively rewarding. This? This feels like an adventure. It feels lighthearted but challenging in a way that that game doesn’t bring out of me. Two different things that I am enjoying a great deal, but this just immediately has me much more. Part of that may be the Zelda name, but really it’s the quiet, wide wonderment. I don’t want to make some uncouth comparison of the two too early, since they are soooo different, but I’m already thinking in my head what one is doing and the other isn’t. But enough about that.

The goal of this starting area that the Old Man gives you is to find the treasure in the four shrines on the plateau. Each has an item that it gives you, totally to four, which represents, from what I understand, your complete arsenal for the whole game. That’s kind of nuts. They’re cool tools though, kind of a reimagining of items from past Zelda games (both 2D and 3D) with wholly new concepts thrown on top.

Now I decided to pop this bad boy out of the dock and play one of the shrines in handheld mode and whooooooa boy. That was magical. I legit, out loud, to no one said, ‘holy shit this is amazing,’ just at the marvel of holding this massive game I had on my TV in my hand. I have toted that I will probably not play the Switch very much in handheld mode, and this is true, I have a lot of trouble getting comfortable playing handheld games. It’s just my whole life. I love my Vita to death, and I play it way more on planes than my 3DS, even if it is half-broken, but I just get super uncomfortable with it. This feels sturdy and hefty in a way that I want to lug it into my bed and curl up with it like I did with my Vita and the very first Danganronpa. The mere idea of Breath of the Wild anywhere I go, and past that other major Nintendo games (Mario Odyssey, Fire Emblem in a glorious console form) has me stoked. Again, I probably won’t use it that much, but the magic of taking it out and putting it right back on my TV again was genuinely impressive.

Okay, this is longer than I’d hoped it would be, but the only other thing I wanted to mention is minorly story related. I won’t spoil it, but I understand if you want to avert your eyes. After finishing the Plateau, a task that could easily take an hour and a half, which I turned into almost four (thanks to dicking around), you’re treated with the first fully-voiced cutscene of the game, which was great, but like... They laid out a whole lot more right away than I was expecting. You need the paraglider you get after the scene to get off the plateau, so it is a mandatory scene, unlike just about everything else in the game, but I was taken aback by how the world, who you were, and what happened was generally explained. I mean, there are still a ton of lingering questions in my head, don’t get me wrong, but now I’m filled with all of this story info that I HAD NO IDEA ABOUT just a few short hours into the game. You know a pretty good deal right off the bat, so I’m impressed this stuff hasn’t crept out there. It was more of a what happened, but not a how it happened, if that makes sense? I’m very curious to see the arc of this game.

Well anyway, I have today (Friday) off, so I’m just gonna forgo sleep and lose myself to Hyrule. I am really, really enjoying my time with this game. Playing it in TV mode, I will say there have been a great deal of framerate drops. Nothing major, no full stops, but it happens. It’s noticeable. Doesn’t really bother me, because it hasn’t ruined anything for me, but I wanted to throw that out there too. Anyway, back to Hyrule I go.

#nintendo switch #nintendo #zelda #the legend of zelda #breath of the wild

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savetopnow · 7 years ago

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2018-03-14 15 APPLE now

APPLE

9 to 5 Mac

Overcast podcast app adds new ‘Smart Resume’ feature & more

Calendar 2 made $2K in 3 days mining cryptocurrency, but Apple says it violated Mac App Store guidelines

What are you most excited to see at WWDC 2018? [Poll]

Tim Cook mingles with lawmakers on Capitol Hill during visit to Washington D.C.

How to track back-to-back workouts with Apple Watch

Apple Insider

Broadcom to formally abandon Qualcomm bid, report says

'Calendar 2' returns to Mac App Store after Apple takedown, developer to put cryptocurrency mining proceeds toward improved features

Apple debuts new iTunes promotional graphics with iOS-style star icon

Apple hires events director from Golden State Warriors

Apple CEO Tim Cook visits Washington, D.C., meets with Sen. Mark Warner

Cult of Mac

AltConf 2018 offers a free alternative to WWDC

ecobee Switch+ with HomeKit also an Alexa smart speaker

Nixing the Home button could bring 11-inch iPad

New Fitbit Versa takes aim at Apple Watch

This mic boom doesn’t care if you shake the room

Daring Fireball

Keir Dullea and Douglas Trumbull on the Making of ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’

WWDC 2018 Announced

‘The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling’

Doxie

The Talk Show: ‘Podcast Amnesia’

Life in LoFi

iOS 11 Update Day: iOS 11 will break some apps

Scan and straighten photos with Dropbox

Latest Snapseed Update Adds New Curves Tool

The iPhone Turns 10 Today

How to move your photos from Google Photos to Apple Photos

Mac Rumors

Apple Did Pull Calendar App That Mined Cryptocurrency From Mac App Store, Citing Excessive Use of Device Resources

Quick Takes: Tim Cook at Capitol Hill, Apple Hires Events Director From Golden State Warriors, and More

Amazon Recalling 260,000 'AmazonBasics' Power Banks Due to Overheating Risk

Samsung's AR Emoji on Galaxy S9 vs. Apple's Animoji on iPhone X

Apple Announces WWDC 2018 Kicks Off on June 4 in San Jose, Registration Now Open for Developers

MacPrices

These are the cheapest 15″ MacBook Pros available at Apple. Save up to $690 with these clearance 2015 and 2016 models

New 2017 13″ MacBook Airs on sale for $100 off MSRP, starting at $899

Here’s how to use your Apple Education discount to take up to $400 off the price of a new Mac

13″ 1.8GHz MacBook Air on sale for $134 off MSRP, $184 off with Gift Card

Save $100 on the base 21″ 2.3GHz iMac, only $999 [u]

OSX Daily

WWDC 2018 Starts June 4, iOS 12 & MacOS 10.14 Likely to Debut

How to Delete Apps from iPhone X and 3D Touch iPhone Models

Beta 5 of iOS 11.3 & macOS 10.13.4 Available for Testing

How to Make a Copy of Files or Folders on Mac with Duplicate

How to Use Stopwatch on iPhone

Power Page

Apple expands MFi licensing program, releases specs to allow for USB-C port, Lightning to 3.5mm adapters

Rumor: Apple to release more affordable 13-inch Retina Display MacBook Pro in June

Apple patent explodes ideas as to how to prevent keyboard crud accumulation in future notebooks

AliveCor concludes studies with May clinic, finds KardiaBand device could be paired with Apple Watch to help detect high potassium levels

Rumor: Apple may release lower-priced HomePod in second half of 2018

Reddit Apple

One of Steve Job’s great influences has died yesterday. RIP to both our legends, Steve and Stephen

Every Apple TV Show in Development

Today in Apple history: CNN predicts doom for Apple | Cult of Mac

Live photos was a cool idea but now when someone texts me a live photo its just the camera shaking a bunch and then settling on the subject.

WWDC 2018 Wallpaper Download HD - Full Resolution

Reddit Mac

Anyone else's dock not automatically hiding?

iMac 5k - Video Editing from a drive

MacBook Air got wet and now it won’t charge

Two questions about buying new Mac?

Problem with Mac Finder!!! Please help

Reddit iPhone

How can I make Bedtime consistently clock in my sleep/wake time. Sometimes it tracks it and sometimes it doesn't?

Got my iPhone 8 Plus today!

My phone keeps changing the font on the word “now” but only when used in very, very specific sentences. Why?

Oh no, I should probably log in huh.......

I made an iOS app for you to discover music through #tags and be able to easily share it with friends

Six Colors

WWDC 2018 dates announced ↦

Why Broadcom's Qualcomm acquisition could be a national security issue ↦

(Podcast) Upgrade #184: The Claim Chowder Secret Society

Apple acquiring magazine subscription service Texture ↦

The Talk Show #216: "Podcast Amnesia" ↦

Unlock Boot

How to Turn Any Mac into a WIFI Hotspot

Top 20 iPhone Apps Gone Free Today – March 13 2018

Guide to Uninstall OneDrive from Windows 10 and 8.1

Best Keyloggers for iPhone To Track Your Device

How to Reset and Get a New Apple Recovery Key

iPhone Hacks

Mac App Offering Option To Unlock Full Version By Mining Cryptocurrency Taken Down by Apple

iOS 12 Concept Reimagines Music App With Landscape Support, Coverflow, Smarter Volume Controls and Dark Mode

WWDC 2018 Starts on June 4 at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California

Boost Your MacBook’s Capabilities with These 10 Apps For Just $19.99

Apple’s AirPower Charging Mat Once Again Rumored for March Debut

iPhone Life

Best To-Do List & Note-Taking Apps for iPad & iPhone

Moshi's IonSlim 10K Portable Battery Offers Big Power in a Tiny Package

Smart Speaker Review: Affordable, Portable Alexa-Enabled Wireless Bluetooth Speaker

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How to Restart & Force Restart Your Apple Watch

iPhone Photography Blog

9 iPhone Camera Effects: How To Use Them For More Creative Photos

SANDMARC Lenses For iPhone X: Wide, Fisheye, Macro & 3x Telephoto

iPhone Art Academy: Create Stunning Works Of Art With Just Your iPhone

Olloclip Lenses For iPhone 8 & 8 Plus: Pick The Best Lenses For You

Camera+ App Tutorial: How To Create Stunning iPhone Photos

#apple

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chipznstix · 7 years ago

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A few days and a few games worth of experience on the Switch

Chipz is back at it with another post! But this time it’s about my experiences so far with owning the Nintendo Switch. Super Mario Odyssey just came out last weekend on October 27th, 2017. Boy was there A lot of hype behind that game, and to be honest I expected it to do well. However, with the release of Super Mario came a bundle deal. In this bundle you get a digital code of the game to download along with a Nintendo Switch with Joy-Cons that have the iconic red color, the same as Mario’s colors. In the bundle you also get a carrying case for your Switch console with a new character named Cappy on the front which is also in red.

Super Mario Nintendo Switch bundle with Cappy on the front of the carrying case

Now this isn’t my first time owning a system from Nintendo, as I’ve had the NES, N64, a few of the Game Boys, and the Nintendo 3ds. *I just recently purchased the Super NES classic. I’m going to state some of the things that I like about the Switch and then say what I don’t like, and give you some insight as to what I’m used to from being with Sony for so long.

PROS:

Hybrid between portable and console system

Having this advantage, you can take your games with you anywhere you go. Literally. As I’m writing this, my Nintendo Switch is in my book bag, in the carrying case(you gotta protect your stuff man).

HD compatible

Pretty much all of the games depending on the developer will be in full HD. When docked they will run at 1080p and when in hand-held mode they automatically go down to 720p. Honestly though, what console ISN’T in HD? It’s 2017 people, they better be!

Full motion controls

Now I feel this particular PRO is on a case-by-case basis. I’ve only had the system for a few days now but I haven’t had any problems with it, I think you can even turn off motion controls with most games if you don’t like it. So far it’s a plus for me. I need to exercise my arms anyway!

Expandable memory

The good thing with the switch is that it takes micro SD cards for additional memory. You can expand the memory of up to 2TB of data…of course when these actually come out. Nonetheless, the Switch supports it. Below are the types of micro SD cards that are compatible:

microSD (up to 2 GB)

microSDHC (4 GB – 32 GB)

microSDXC (64 GB and above)* This requires a system update*

With that said, here’s what can be saved to the memory cards:

Downloadable software

Software update data

Downloadable content (DLC)

Screenshots & video captures(part of the latest 4.0 update)

CONS:

Battery life

The battery life in hand-held mode can be very short. This depends on a few things like what games you play and the settings on your system. It was reported back in March when playing Zelda: Breath of The Wild the maximum amount of time you can get out of your system would be approximately 3 hours. Granted at the time that was one of the main games that came out, but you pretty much get the idea. Some games drain more battery life and some don’t. Speaking from personal experience, I played Super Mario for about an hour and a half and I ended up with roughly 30% battery life. Either way don’t expect a long gaming session if you’re in hand-held mode.

On-board memory

The Switch comes with 32gb of on-board memory. That’s horrible. No debating this point, so don’t try. While game saves don’t take up much memory, game data does. Perfect example: Super Mario takes up 5.3 gigabytes(gb) and an indie title named Stardew Valley only takes up 909 megabytes(mb). If I wanted to install Zelda: BoTW I’d be losing 13.4 gb of space. You also have to take into account the Switch’s OS, game title and software updates. Some people and myself included, feel 32gb shouldn’t have been the starting point for memory. Cell phones don’t even come with 32gb anymore!

No cloud storage

Staying on the topic of memory here, there’s no cloud based storage for the Switch. You’d think Nintendo would want to come out swinging and going for the knock out but they didn’t. There are gamers out there in the world that download their games and buy physical copies. Some stick to digital downloads only, and some stick to the physical copies only. Either way you’re losing out on space. It might be really slow or it might be really fast. The end result is this: you’re being forced to opt for a micro SD card which can cost you upwards to over $100.

Transferable data

As of right now the only data that you can transfer from the console are screen shots, video captures, and game data. Not game saves! This is also a bad move since game saves were transferable from the Wii-U and Nintendo 3DS to a USB device. Nintendo has confirmed that game saves aren’t transferable, or at least they don’t want them to be right now. A Reddit user posted that he had to send his console in for repair and Nintendo gave him a brand new one. After doing a thorough check he noticed his game saves were on the new system that was sent to him. So this begs the question- will Nintendo eventually enable Switch users to transfer game saves in the future? If so, why not give us that option from the beginning?

Nintendo Smart App/Network

The Smart App was designed to be used as a chat system while you’re playing the game with other people. However that didn’t work out so well in the beginning. A good friend of mine named Avidan Smith spoke about this more in-depth. * Click here to get the full breakdown of what’s wrong with it. A lot of these issues are things that never happened on the other consoles. Another issue is that you can’t purchase any kind of content from the app itself. You can make purchases from the website but as of right now I’m not sure how that works. If it’s the same way as the PSN store, then you can purchase content and it’ll be linked to your account to download later.

Nintendo Smart App

But here’s the thing with that too: on the PSN you can have your content automatically download to your console once the purchase is made. I routinely do this from the PSN app whenever I want to buy content to enjoy later on. I follow through with the transaction process and have it download to my PS4 and by the time I get home it’s ready to go once I turn it on. I feel like this is something that should’ve launched with the switch, and if not shortly afterwards. However, we’ll have to wait until 2018 to see if there are any real improvements that are going to be made.

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Playstation Network App

PSN App second sceen

I’m not going to count the fact that the Switch is lacking something called share play. Share play is a feature available on Playstation 4 where you can watch a friend’s screen for a certain amount of time via internet connection. You can watch a buddy play a game, or even take control and play a game that they have to get the feel of it or just to have a little bit of fun. I use this often with my friends to see if I want to play a game that they have and I don’t. This really gives you some purchasing power and makes up for the fact that there isn’t an abundance of demos and timed trials available on the PSN. The reason I’m not counting it as a CON is because Nintendo seems to give you demos of new games that are coming out, but it would be a nice feature to have when the console is docked.

So there you have it folks, some pros and some cons. Nintendo actually had a pretty good start seeing as how they were so far behind with the Wii-U. If they can fix these issues I feel it can REALLY be a contender. On top of that they’re starting to get quite a bit of third party support. The momentum is strong with this one. I’m a PlayStation fan-boy(yes..I’ll admit it) but I can see when something’s good and/or bad and call a spade a spade. The PS4 is my preferred system of choice, it’s one thing I’ll always go back to. Coming from a Sony fan, I can say this is definitely worth buying so go pick one up. I’m honestly looking forward to playing as many games that will come out for the Switch cough cough Fire Emblem, Pokemon, Yoshi and Donkey Kong cough cough. Overall I do enjoy having the Switch and I’m having a good time with it where ever I go. Who says you can’t enjoy the best of both worlds?

*A review of the Super NES will be coming shortly on youtube so stay tuned!

*POST EDIT: Reggie Fil-Aimes, President of Nintendo North America has stated that Nintendo is aware of the issue with game saves. He sat down with Mashable earlier today and stated the following:

You’re talking to someone who has completed 120 Shrines, and I think I’m at 400 Korok seeds and growing [in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild]. So I understand what it’s like putting a lot of time into content, and the thought of that content not being there.

We’re aware of the concern. Certainly, Nintendo is a consumer-oriented company [and] we want to make our consumers happy. We’re aware of the concern and it’s an area we’re going to continue working on to make sure that we can alleviate some of those consumer fears of having a content-based issue.

Because of the type of platform we have — it’s something that is on the go as well as connected in the home environment — there are some added complications. It’s not as simple as a piece of hardware that never moves and is always connected in an online environment.

Of course you know I have to call Bull—-! Throwing little jabs like these at Sony and Microsoft isn’t winning Nintendo any brownie points or favoritism from the gaming community. Simply because Sony and Microsoft figured out a way to back up game saves for their systems. Sony especially did this with the PSP/VITA with cross-platform play. Anyway, with this recent statement from Reggie coming out just earlier today everyone can predict we’ll be getting cloud storage within the next year. I’m going to go as far to say it’s coming but it’ll be included with the paid online subscription from Nintendo.

Should you buy a #switch ? #nintendo #console #gaming #sony #playstation #ps4 #videogames A few days and a few games worth of experience on the Switch Chipz is back at it with another post!

#console #expandable memory #nintendo #nintendo smart app #nintendo switch #playstation #playstation network app #portable #sony fanboy #super mario

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mateenaltaf · 5 years ago

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Top 5 Android Launchers (Best & Fastest)

Want to make your Android phone more beautiful? If yes, then you have landed on the correct page as we are here today with some of the best and fastest Android Launcher that will make your simple smart phone look more stylish and customizable. Well, Android launchers are basically all about making your Android phone look more customized and user friendly. They allow you to enjoy the excess of impressive themes and icons that you will get after installing a launcher. You can then have a complete control on your mobile device and its performance. So in case you are looking for installing an Android Launcher I am sure you want it to be quick loading, fast and with awesome UI. Geeks, be with me, I will be telling you some of the coolest and fastest Android Launchers 2017.

So let’s check out fastest lightweight android launchers.

Action Launcher - Oreo + Pixel on your phone

Action Launcher brings all the features of Pixel Launcher and Android Oreo to your device, then adds a wealth of color, customizations and unique features so you can quickly and easily make your home screen shine! Standout features include:

All Pixel Launcher features: swipe up from your dock to reveal the new full screen All Apps mode, tint the dock, use the new circular folder style, place the Google Pill and Date widgets and more. Enabled by default, and available for free!

App Shortcuts: Use Android 8's App Shortcuts, on devices running Android 5.1 or later!

Adaptive Icon support: Devices running Oreo can use native Adaptive Icon support. Devices not yet on Oreo can also use Adaptive Icons by installing Action Launcher's official companion app, Adaptive Pack!

An inbuilt weather widget!

Google Now integration for all!

Full Notification Dots support.

Quick theme: marvel as your home screen is customized with the colors from your wallpaper.

Shutters: swipe a shortcut to reveal an app's widget. Useful for previewing your inbox or Facebook feed without opening the app.

Quick bar: customize the Google search bar with shortcuts and apps of your choosing.

Quick edit: have alternative icon suggestions instantly presented to you, without having to dig through icon packs.

Smart size icons (Beta): icons are automatically resized to match Material Design's recommended icon size.

Covers: an innovative take on traditional folders. Tapping a Cover loads an app, swiping a Cover opens a hidden folder which you have customized.

Use icon packs, scale icons, hide and rename apps and much more.

Full phone, phablet and tablet support.

Action Launcher allows you to import from your existing layout from other launchers such as Apex, Nova, Google Now Launcher, HTC Sense, Samsung/Galaxy TouchWiz and the stock Android launcher, so you'll instantly feel right at home.

2- Apex Launcher – Most Iconic launcher

Well, second in the list comes another innovative launcher called as Apex launcher that has remained favorite of many for very long time. Almost similar to Android in looks but some extra ordinary features makes it iconic. You can get it for free unlike Action Launcher though its Pro Version is also available. You can use plenty of icons on home screen with smooth scrolling,making it work fast and can even use transition animations making it stylish. It comes with many icon packs and themes to select from.

its pros and cons include-

Arrange home screen according to grid size which is easily customizable. You can hide your apps with its Drawer option in the setting Scroll docks smoothly with transition effects and even works with tabets. Easily back up with its Launcher settings to restore your previous options Map actions like Show Notifications, go to default screen with easy swiping to top and bottom If you do not upgrade to its Pro Version, certain features might not be available for you, like unlimited drawer tabs and Apex Notifier extension and to buy it from in app purchase you need to pay $4.49 to access its other features.

Apex Launcher Pro (Paid Version) Features:

• Powerful drawer customizations (sort apps in drawer, folders in drawer)

• Unread count notifications (provided by the free Apex Notifier extension)

• Convenient icon gestures 🙌 (swipe up and down actions)

• More gesture options (two-finger gestures)

• Additional transition effects (accordion, cross, etc.)

• Enhanced folder support (bulk add, merge folders)

• Advanced widget options (widgets in dock, overlapping widgets)

• More features on the way!

3-CM Launcher 3D Theme, wallpaper, Secure, Efficient

More Personalized——10,000+ free 3D themes, 2D icon packs, live wallpapers, lock screen themes and contacts themes to personalize your phone interface. 3D transition effects to redefine your stylish launcher. ★ More Secure——Lock screen, applock, hide apps & snap intruder all-round protect your privacy security. Anti-theft & Anti-virus secure your phone.★ More Efficient——Instant reply, smart card, quick search, intelligent apps sorting and phone & Wi-Fi booster makes your life more efficient.

This launcher is new in the market and can be considered as a launcher that you must try to customize your Android device. Its best part is that it will go very well with the storage capacity of your phone making it a light weight launcher but with great features of interest. Its highlighting specs is its anti virus protection that is built in it, that secures your device making it fast and safe.

its pros & cons includes:

Gets downloaded within 2 MB of storage hence is light, fast as well as stable.Its most important feature is its Direct Integration with CM Security against threats. Easy to use as it comes with basic designs and themes. Has smart folders to maintain your apps at one place with innovative icons. Though it is used by large number of users, it lacks in its battery saving mode as using this launcher, the battery of our device drains misleadingly.

4- Smart Launcher 3

Simple, Light, Fast is the slogan of Smart Launcher, the innovative custom launcher that has been selected by Google as one of the best app on Play Store during January 2016. Smart Launcher automatically organizes your apps in different categories allowing you to intuitively find any app in few taps. Smart Launcher upgrades the interface of your device providing it a clean home screen powered by an efficient and styleable app launch center. Customization is a very important part of SL, any part of the app is personalizable and tons of free themes are available for free, providing icon pack, widgets and launcher skins. Almost any icon pack supported by Nova Launcher, Apex Launcher or Adw Launcher is supported in Smart Launcher too.

Some of the most notable features in SL are:

Exclusive app launch center layouts: try out the flower and the honeycomb layouts;

global, AI powered search bar: search in apps, contacts and web.

smart turn off: your screen automatically turns off when lay down your phone;

Many customization options and hundreds of free themes

on screen notifications: see which app needs attention (requires plugin);

knock off: turn off the screen with a double tap (requires plugin);

gestures support: up to 10 different gestures!

hide apps: remove any app from your app grid (works also with system apps)

security: select the apps you want to hide and protect them with a PIN.

popup widgets: double tap on an icon to show the widget you chose;

low resources usage: Smart Launcher is optimized to work greatly even on older devices and to use as less memory and battery as possible in any situation.

great wallpaper selection: new wallpaper proposed every day.

custom lock screens: personalize and add features to your lock screen;

interface optimized both for portrait and landscape mode

This Smart Launcher for Android users is the simplest styling launcher that is easy and fast in its use. It is commonly known for its Spin Style recent app menu, the feature that makes it rising in the list of launchers. If you have a small screen size then this launcher is at its best as this contains single home screen with certain short cuts arranged in stylish flower pattern. This arrangement allows you to swipe your different icons quickly.

5- Nova Launcher

The highly customizable, performance driven, home screen . Accept no substitutes! Nova Launcher is the top launcher for modern Android, embracing full Material Design throughout. Nova Launcher replaces your home screen with one you control and can customize. Change icons, layouts, animations and more. For my money, Nova Launcher is the best of the AOSP-style launchers available in Android. --Android Police

It doesn’t get too much better than Nova Launcher. Like Apex Launcher, Nova has been around since the good old days. It remains not only relevant, but one of the best Android launcher app options available. It has a laundry list of customization features that include gesture support, the ability to customize the look and feel of the app, icon pack support, themes, and much, much more. The app also gets updated at a breakneck pace which means bugs generally get squished quickly and new features are added consistently. It also comes with the ability to backup and restore your home screen layouts for when you eventually switch to a new phone. It's the one we'd recommend you try first. Nova Launcher has some very capable hands behind it --Phandroid

Our favorite is Nova Launcher, which strikes a great perfect balance between incredible performance and high customizability without getting too gimmicky and difficult to use --Lifehacker

Chock full of features you won't find in the stock launcher, and comes highly recommended --Android Central

Icon Themes - Find thousands of icon themes for Nova Launcher on the Play Store

Subgrid positioning - Much greater control than standard launchers, Nova Launcher allows you to snap icons or widgets half way through the desktop grid cells

Color controls - for labels, folders, unread badges, drawer tabs and backgrounds

Customize App Drawer - Custom tabs, Vertical or Horizontal scrolling, Custom effects

Improved Widget Drawer - Widgets grouped by app makes it much faster to use

Infinite scroll - Never far from your favorite page, loop through the desktop or drawer continuously

Backup/Restore - Sophisticated backup/restore system allowing you to backup your desktop layout and launcher settings

Scrollable Dock - Create multiple docks and scroll between them

Widgets in dock - Place any widget in your dock, such as a 4x1 music player widget

Import Layout - No need to rebuild your desktop from scratch, Nova Launcher can import from most popular launchers. Including the one that came with your phone.

Fast - Nova Launcher is highly optimized to do it's work quickly and quietly, keeping the animations smooth and letting you use your phone as fast as you can move your fingers.

Nova Launcher Prime

Unlock the following extras by purchasing Nova Launcher Prime

Gestures - Swipe, pinch, double tap and more on the home screen to open your favorite apps. Unread Counts - Never miss a message. Unread count badges for Hangouts, SMS, Gmail and more using the TeslaUnread plugin

Custom Drawer Groups - Create new tabs or folders in the app drawer

Hide Apps - Keep a clean app drawer by hiding never used apps

Icon Swipes - Set custom actions for swiping on app shortcuts or folders More scroll effects - Such as Wipe, Accordion, and Throw

#andriod #smartphone #mobile #tablet #apex #cm #smart #nova #action #launcher #google #education #knowledge #tree #purpose

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lancecarr · 6 years ago

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First Look: Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16

I first saw the Wacom MobileStudio Pro at NAB last year and finally got my hands on one to test this winter. For an amazing Cintiq-style creative pen tablet that is also a touchscreen mobile computer, camera, 3D object scanner and more, I wanted to stretch the limits of its capabilities beyond the average sketch-pad and drawing demos you typically see with Wacom products. Here’s the first look at this interesting hardware/peripheral configuration:

Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16 shown with optional wireless keyboard

Here’s the first look at this interesting hardware/peripheral configuration:

Wacom MobileStudio Pro 13 & 16

Wacom MobileStudio Pro 13 (MSRP $1699-2199) is designed specifically to meet the demands of creative professionals who want the freedom to create anywhere. It’s a full-featured, Intel®-powered computer with the muscle you need to run professional creative applications. Choose up to 16GB of RAM, an Intel® Core™ i7 processor and Intel® Iris™ 550 graphics – with up to 512GB of fast storage.

With a resolution of 2560×1440 and color accuracy of 80% Adobe RGB coverage (CIE1931), Wacom MobileStudio Pro 13’s screen is dazzling. Not only will your work look amazing, it will feel amazing too. The new etched glass surface makes it feel like you’re working with pen and paper by providing a balanced amount of resistance to the Pro Pen 2’s tip. Plus, multi-touch gestures make zooming and rotating your creations as simple as pinching and swiping on your smartphone.

Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16 (MSRP $1999-2699) is a full-featured, Intel®-powered computer with the power you need to run professional creative 2D, 3D and CAD applications. Building a prototype of a new gearbox in SolidWorks®? An hour of HDR edits that need rendering in Adobe® Premiere® Pro? MobileStudio Pro is more than up to the task. Choose up to 16GB of RAM, an Intel® Core™ i7 processor and 512GB of fast storage. Plus, both Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16 models come with NVIDIA® Quadro® graphics and on-board memory to make heavy files fly around your screen.

The 4K resolution (3840×2160) of Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16’s screen renders each fine brush stroke accurately and provides plenty of space in which to work. Color accuracy of 94% of Adobe® RGB means you can accurately reproduce even the most subtle shades. Your work will look amazing – and it will feel amazing too. The new etched glass surface provides the familiar sensation of working with pen on paper. Plus, multi-touch gestures make zooming and rotating your creations as simple as pinching and swiping on your smartphone.

While the MobileStudio Pro 13 & 16 are not just tablets, they also aren’t laptops. At first glance, the ports available on the sides of the device include a MicroSD (SDXC) card slot and 3 *USB-C slots.

*NOTE: If you’re a Mac or PC user that’s upgraded all of your Thunderbolt 2 drives and peripherals to Thunderbolt 3, you’re still going to be out of luck unless one of your devices also has the USB 3 connector and you have a converter cable or breakout dock. I’ve not found any TB2/3 to USB-C docks or converters that will communicate properly, so only the USB 3 to USB-C has seemed to work.

Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16 with optional wireless keyboard and a USB 3 SSD with a USB-C converter.

Specs from Wacom’s Website (MobileStudio Pro 16):

Display Size: 15.6 inch (39.6 cm) Resolution: UHD (3840 x 2160) Advanced Control: 8192 levels pen pressure, tilt and multi-touch Productivity Boosters: ExpressKeys™, on-screen controls, time-savings settings Ergonomics: Right or left-handed use, adjustable optional stand Compatibility: Windows 10 – Stand-alone Mac, Windows – with Wacom Link Processor: 6th generation Intel® Core™ processors Graphics Card: NVIDIA® Quadro® M600M 2GB GDDR5 to NVIDIA® Quadro® M1000M 4GB GDDR5 Storage: 256GB – 512GB Solid state drive (SSD) Product Type: Creative Pen Computer Micro SD Slot: SDXC card (uhs-ii) RAM: 8 GB to 16 GB DDR3 Expandable Memory: No Expandable Storage: Memory card or external HDD, purchased separately Security: Kensington® security slot for Kensington MiniSaver™ Mobile Lock. Fingerprint Sensor on select models. TPM 2.0. Multi-Touch: Yes PenWacom Pro Pen 2 Pressure Levels: 8192, both pen tip and eraser Tilt Range: 60 degrees Tilt Recognition: ±60 levels Type: Pressure-sensitive, cordless, battery-free Switches: 2 side switches Extra Nibs: 3 extra nibs (2 standard, 1 felt) Pen Carrying Case: Yes Pen Stand: No Pen Holder: Yes Grip: Latex-free silicone rubber Technology: Patented electromagnetic resonance method Weight: 2200 g / 4.85 lbs Size: 418 x 262 x 19 mm (16.5 x 10.3 x 0.75 inch) Displayable Colors (maximum): 16.7 million Screen Size: 15.6 inch (39.6 cm) Technology: LED Viewing Angle: 178° (89°/89°) H, (89°/89°) V Aspect Ratio: 16:9 Contrast Ratio: 1000:1 Brightness: 314.78cd/m2 Active Area: 346 x 194 mm (13.6 x 7.6 in) Graphics Input: USB-C (for optimum performance) or Mini DisplayPort using optional Wacom Link Color Gamut: Adobe RGB at CIE1931 Coverage Ratio: 85% Area Ratio: 94% Adobe RGB at CIE1976 Coverage Ratio: 90% Area Ratio: 94% Response: 25 ms Industry Standard Pre-sets: Adobe RGB, 6500 deg. K white point default: DCI, REC 709, SRGB Operating System: Windows 10 Pro ExpressKeys™: 8 customizable, application-specific Touch Ring: Yes on Rocker Ring Touch Strips: No On-Screen Controls: Yes Rocker Ring And Home Button: 4 position customizable with default TouchRing function and home button Radial Menu: Yes Precision ModeYes Display Toggle: Yes Dedicated Pan, Scroll, Zoom, Brush Size: Yes Orientation: Right or left-handed use (Portrait/Landscape modes – auto sense rotation) Cable Included: AC adaptor and power cable Display: N/A PC And Mac: Optional Wacom Link with USB-C, Mini DisplayPort and USB cables. Optimum performance using certified USB-C cable to USB-C port Video Out: USB type C Peripherals: 3 USB type C (*NOT Thunderbolt compatible) Network: Bluetooth® 4.1 technology Wireless: 802.11 ac Cameras: Front: 5 MP HD Back: 8 MP HD Back: Intel RealSense™ R200 (3D scanning camera) on 512GB model Speaker2 x 2.0W Sensors: GPS, electronic compass, accelerometer, ambient light, gyro Power Supply Input: 100 to 240 VAC, 50/60 Hz Power Supply Output: 5V/3A (15W), 20V/5A (100W) Battery: 7.6 V, Li-polymer, 70 Wh Power Consumption: Max: 96W, 0.9 W when asleep, 0.6 W or less when off Battery Life: Battery life will vary. It depends on how the products are used and which device settings are selected. Battery Charging Time: Up to 2 hours Audio: Audio headset jack included. System Requirements: With optional Wacom Link: Windows® 7 or later, Mac OS X® 10.10 or later, USB-C port (or Mini DisplayPort and standard USB port) Limited Warranty: 1 year in USA, Canada, and Latin America 2 years in Europe 1 year in Japan & Asia Pacific What’s IncludedWacom MobileStudio Pro 16 Wacom Pro Pen 2 Pen case with 3 replacement nibs, color rings and nib removal tool, Pen holder AC Power Adapter + power cable Quick Start Guide Cleaning cloth Certifications: VCCI Class B, FCC Part 15, Subpart B (class B) and C, CE, KC, BSMI, C-tick, CB, CCC, EAC, China RoHS, Korean RoHS, EU RoHS, SII, NOM, CEL, IC, Energy Star, CEC-BCS, Energy Label Law Previous generation pens: Airbrush, Art Pen, Classic Pen, Grip Pen, Pro Pen Model Numbers: DTH-W1620M, DTH-W1620H Microsoft Specialized PC Certification: None

Pro Pen 2

One of the important factors of the performance in action is the Wacom Pro Pen 2, which delivers incredible speed, sensitivity and accuracy – in addition to the flexibility in varying natural pen grip that people differ individually.

This is the first on-screen pen device that I’ve used that has no strange parallax or strange offset due to tilt angle or pen grip position.

Hands-on with the Mobile Studio Pro 16

The obvious first option was to open up Adobe Photoshop CC and give the drawing/sketching capabilities a quick run to get the feel of the pen-to-surface response and sensitivity. Having used several variations of the Wacom Cintiq tablets in the past, I really wanted to experience this new screen and pen technology, that Wacom engineers have claimed is a thinner glass with a tougher scratch-resistant surface and that the lag time is also undetectable.

The pen tip action is so smooth it does require you to adapt a different touch than you might be used to with your old tablet or Cintiq. I had to adjust my pen tool prefs settings to require a harder pressure than I have in the past until I can develop a lighter feel in my drawing approach.

If you’re an existing Wacom user, this experience is noticably different – in a very good way!

I also spend time re-programming the click buttons on the pen to simulate Right-click and Alt/Option buttons for ease of bringing up contextual menus, brush and selection tools.

If you are a keyboard shortcut junkie like I am, there are definitely some things you use frequently that can be programmed into the ExpressKeys and the TouchRing that will really speed up productivity (I’ll get into those more in my next article in this series for various apps/functions). Not to mention the many, many other keystroke combinations you may use in any one application.

However, I found that relying solely on the touch-screen/pop-up keyboard for simple Windows OS tasks such as Logging in with your password and accessing apps or the Start menu from the task bar (if it’s hidden) is nearly impossible at times, so I opted for the wireless keyboard to keep handy. It’s also much more intuitive to enter text for design and layout work as well as extracting text from a doc that you use in your layout/design or on-screen text for your video productions.

Also – the touch screen is as sensitive as you’d hope it might be. Very similar to using a large iPad and familiar gestures (you can choose between Windows 10 standards or Wacom standards in your setup prefs). I would highly suggest setting up one of your ExpressKeys on the tablet to toggle the touch screen on/off or you’ll be cursing at it while you work and it’s trying to guess between your pen tip and your hand for input instructions.

One thing I’ve been using is a Compression Glove that not only helps isolate my skin away from the screen’s surface while working, but also supports my hand/joints while working for hours gripping the pen. It keeps the screen clean from skin oil residue and doesn’t triger the touch screen surface unless you want to intentionally. Also, I’ve discovered a “hot spot” on the screen that gets really, really warm on the lower-center which I assume is where the processor or video card is located and it actually feels hot to the touch. The glove helps to isolate your hand so the intensity of the heat is much less when you glide over it or rest your hand on the screen at that location.

Also, the built-in 8MP camera will allow you to capture images on the spot directly to your device so you can start working on design comps, sketches and storyboarding right away. This is perfect for location scouting and storyboard development!

Using the MobileStudio Pro 16 with Adobe After Effects

I know you’re asking yourself “Why would I even think about trying to run After Effects on a pen-computer?” – and in most cases, you probably won’t very often. But if you have to do a lot of roto or paint work on hundreds/thousands of subsequent frames, then I can’t imagine NOT using either a Cintiq or the MobileStudio Pro for these tasks.

I tried it out with the memory-intensive Roto Brush Tool and working with media it was reading off the USB 3 SSD drive and it performed surprisingly well. Would I do a full feature production with this alone – no way, but if I needed to take care of a couple shots on the road or on a client site, then having the MobileStudio Pro with me is a self-contained way of accomplishing what would otherwise need for me to wait until I returned to my studio – or carry a lot more gear with me.

I will be covering more about the Roto Brush tool, paint tools and other editing workflows with the MobileStudio Pro 16 in my next article int he series, so stay-tuned.

3D Scanning with the Intel RealSense Cameras and Sensors

Something that nobody would expect with a pen computer is a built-in 3D scanner. It’s a smaller version of the Intel RealSense that promises to deliver a reasonably good scanned model.

The camera array on the back of the MobileStudio Pro contains Wacom’s native 8MP RGB camera (far left, not used for 3D scanning), followed by the R200’s first IR camera, its RGB camera, the IR laser projector and at the far right the second IR camera. The mount underneath is for the optional stand.

I tried a couple half-assed attempts to scan something but realized I wasn’t really following the instructions properly (who reads the instructions right out of the box?)

So we’ll be looking forward to doing some proper scans and modeling with the Artec Studio and MobileStudio Pro in an upcoming article in this series. I can only imagine how useful this modeling capability could be when combined with 3D texture painting on the scanned models.

Here’s the general introduction to using the scanner with the included Artec Studio Ultimate software (first year only is free with the device):

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In my research for examples of scanning with the MobileStudio Pro, I ran across this very interesting (albeit quite lengthy) YouTube video from Laurence Mann’s channel – but he visits Ten24 studios and lets a real pro use it and show us how to set it up and scan properly with it. An extra treat if you watch through the whole video to see what a high-end 3D scanning studio produces – but I digress… check it out:

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Again – that’s a drastic comparison but also a great example of how to get a good scan and just how impressive a model you can get with a portable device!

My First Look take-away…

So my thoughts and observations in general after testing the MobileStudio Pro 16 for a bit are positive and also mixed. The design in general may be confusing to some. Is it a pen-tablet? Is it a baseless laptop? Is it a 3D scanner? What problems does it solve for me?

It might be the first rendition of what computing in the future may look/feel like. Maybe we’ll see something similar in the not-too-distant future that is more modular and customizable?

Does it replace my laptop? Of course not. But it does allow me spontaneous creativity in a single tool that can do so much. What I know is that Wacom is trying hard to capture a different market here and I think they’re on to something.

PROS:

Portability and flexibility. The MobileStudio Pro 16 fits in my laptop backpack and weight a lot less. I’ve used it (with the keyboard) as my sole workstation a couple days just to see if it could be done, and while I had to keep it plugged into AC power for most of the time, it functioned surprisingly well!

The Pen functions beautifully with the screen glass. The right amount of drag on the surface keeps it from feeling like glass – more like a Rapidograph on vellum. No noticeable lag time with normal motions and works great with all the Adobe CC apps that I tested it on.

Plus it’s just cool. Way beyond just a tablet – it’s a real computer with real software. Not cheesy mobile apps or dumbed-down versions. I can use my actual production files off my hard drive and work directly with them.

CONS:

The only negatives for me from the original OOBE (Out Of Box Experience) was the lack of accessories that I find too important to exclude to make the MobileStudio Pro a truly self-contained pen computing experience for the working professional. Like the wireless keyboard ($50), Wacom Link ($70 – to use with your Mac/PC like a regular Cintiq) and a stand ($100). I mean, C’mon – at least throw in the friggin’ plastic stand folks! Very few people are going to be ONLY holding the device in their laps or in the air with their hands. I had to prop it up constantly to get at a usable viewing/drawing angle.

And the lack of Thunderbolt 3 connectivity. USB 3 is slow and outdated and hard to find compatible peripherals for. I’m really hoping they update the ports in their future designs.

Also – the battery life kinda sucks. We’re talking like iPad 2 battery life. And I haven’t found a portable charging brick yet that will support the MobileStudio Pro, so you’d better hope you’re going to be near an AC power outlet and DON’T FORGET YOUR AC ADAPTER! 😉

But alas – I see the future, and so will you when I bring you my next articles in the series covering ExpressKeys programming, video/roto workflows and real-world 3D Scanning with the MobileStudio Pro 16.

Stay tuned…

The post First Look: Wacom MobileStudio Pro 16 appeared first on ProVideo Coalition.

https://www.provideocoalition.com/first-look-wacom-mobilestudio-pro-16/

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barbosaasouza · 6 years ago

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Best Games of the Midyear 2018

We are already half of the way through 2018, and there have been some amazing games already released. The Shacknews staff has joined forces to put together a list of the best games to be released so far in 2018. This list is not presented in any particular order, but these are games that Shackers should pay attention to going into our Shacknews Game of the Year deliberations at the end of 2018. Please take a look at the best games of the midyear 2018.

God of War

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There was something cynical about the idea of "Let's take Kratos and give him a kid." It's something that easily could have been a shallow gimmick.

Instead, God of War ushering Kratos into single fatherhood allowed Sony Santa Monica to completely reinvent the character without forsaking his past. If anything, Kratos owned up to his past and confronted some of his most problematic elements. He never ran away from what he did, but he imparted the lesson to his son that everyone should strive to be better people. "Don't be sorry, be better."

This is all in addition to one of the most satisfying open worlds of 2018 and amazingly crisp 3D combat. And while the violence wasn't quite as visceral and gory as past God of War games, it's still as impactful as its ever been. God of War is a triumph in every way. -Ozzie Mejia

Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire

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Obsidian upped the ante with the sequel to their epic fantasy RPG Pillars of Eternity with its sequel, Deadfire, and I can’t get enough of it. The base experience has been improved on various levels, one example being the more streamlined party. The expansion into a new space also opened the game up to sea combat that reflects the games pen-and-paper RPG roots. Just like the first game, you’ll often find yourself knee deep in interesting side quests and task, some arguably more interesting than the main quest. Nevertheless, you’ll constantly be inspired to see what's around the next corner. -Charles Singletary

Dragon Ball FighterZ

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I feel like everyone knew Dragon Ball FighterZ was going to be good, but it must’ve been hiding its true power level for when it launched. DBFZ is one of the most approachable fighting games to be made in years. Yet, underneath that inviting surface is an intricate and nuanced combat system that has enchanted the hardcore fighting scene as well. It doesn’t hurt that Dragon Ball is such a recognizable franchise with a cast of characters perfect for a brawler like this. Arc System Works did a fantastic job of making all of the game’s art and animated sequences look as good as the current Dragon Ball Super anime. Dragon Ball FighterZ is definitely the birth of a brand-new fighting game dynasty and I doubt we’ll see its final form any time soon. -Blake Morse

Runner3

The latest rhythmic platformer from Choice Provisions hits a lot of high points: it's lightweight and lighthearted enough to provide a potent distraction from more heavy-handed titles, and yet it presents delightfully addictive action that's perfectly suited to both short and marathon gaming sessions. Runner3 is the ultimate evolution of one of the most absurd rhythm games on the market, topping off its tight gameplay and outrageous humor with loads of unlockables, special features, hidden characters, and more. -Kevin Tucker

Conan Exiles

Thank you so very much @shacknews for 9/10 "A battle to the death with 6 naked cannibals and a giant tiger is hands down the best gaming experience I’ve had in 2018. This game is the current high water mark in open-world survival and the biggest surprise of 2018 for me so far. "

— CONAN EXILES (@ConanExiles) June 7, 2018

While it is rough around the edges and prone to the bugs and frustrations common to the survival genre, Conan Exiles manages to stand above the pack with its satisfying combat, an expansive crafting recipe progression, and lively open-world. For people who liked Minecraft, but found the adventuring aspect to be woefully under cooked, Conan Exiles provides a land full of cannibals, crocodiles, spider caves, ice temples, and creepy dungeons that offer excitement beyond building out your base. Group play and a willingness to go along with silly business is strongly encouraged. Additionally, if game quality was judged by the amount of reproductive organs on display, Conan Exiles would have a Metacritic score of two billion. -Chris Jarrard

Hunt: Showdown

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Hunt: Showdown is still in early access, but the development team will likely have a full release done by the end of the year. If things continue to improve on the current pace, gamers could end up with one of the best blends of various genres to date. Hunt mixes PvE and PvP into one experience, taking elements from horror, battle royale, and survival and layering wonderful art design on top. It’s a very challenging game and the developers need to find a way to strike the perfect balance for player progression. If they do, watch this one climb the popularity charts swiftly. -Charles Singletary

Monster Hunter: World

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It is a rare creature indeed that gets me to come back to it again and again in the wild world of gaming. But, I just can’t quit Monster Hunter World. I’ve put close to 200 hours into the game and I’m showing no signs of stopping. It takes everything that has always been intriguing about the Monster Hunter series and gives it all a tune-up for current-gen gamers. There’s so many nuances to the world that’s been built and I find myself discovering new details about its biology and the way the creatures interact with it. The fact that Monster Hunter World is consistently putting out new and completely free content for its millions of players doesn’t hurt either. -Blake Morse

Pit People

The Behemoth continues to show just how versatile it can be by leaping into the real-time strategy genre. Pit People is an exquisite strategy game that pushes the genre, while also retaining The Behemoth's unique humor. Outside of the core cast, it's a test of putting together the best roster of wacky characters with their own unique functions on the battlefield. While the gameplay is solid on its own, it's the writing that makes Pit People a real treat, making it one of the funniest games of the year, as well as one of the best strategy games of 2018 so far. -Ozzie Mejia

Mario Tennis Aces

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I've been waiting quite a while for a new entry in the Mario Tennis series, so a new adventure on Nintendo Switch with a story mode tickled me pink. I was thrilled to find that it took everything I love about playing tennis with Mario and his friends and expanded on it even further with new special moves, strategic plays, and an exciting roster of characters to choose from. It's some of the most fun I've had on my Switch, and even when it frustrates me, I still find myself going back to it every time I pick the system up off of its dock. This is tennis done right, and a sincere love letter from Nintendo to fans of its arcade sports titles. I'm actually thinking about playing a few matches now, after having written this. -Brittany Vincent

Subnautica

Subnautica is game about exploring uncharted waters, both literally and metaphorically. Coming to understand the events of the game, from the player's catastrophic arrival at Planet 4546B to the mysteries behind the the Alterra Corporation's exploration efforts, primarily involves surviving in increasingly dangerous scenarios. It's a fantastic experience that manages to be both entrancing and terrifying: the notion of being underwater and having a limited supply of oxygen stays at the front of the player's mind, and diving deeper involves making special considerations with regard to food, water, power, and even personal defense. In return for their efforts, the player will be able to slowly piece together the events of the Aurora's crash and learn the surprising history behind the planet's previous outposts. -Kevin Tucker

Kingdom Come: Deliverance

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Warhorse Studios focused on historical accuracy and minute detail in its pursuit of creating a medieval sim with Kingdom Come: Deliverance. A second hand tug-of-war between a historian and one of the game’s developers poked holes in that accuracy, but the gameplay experience is undeniable. Kingdom Come, like a few others that will be a part of the GOTY discussion, had some significant technical issues at launch. When it worked, though, it delivered big. I’ve rarely been as immersed in an RPG’s world as I was with KCD and I’m excited to explore it more.

P.S. I do not count the save system as technical issue. It was a design choice that just didn’t go over well. -Charles Singletary

Sushi Stirker: The Way of Sushido

Finally, a game that combines my passion for combat puzzlers with my obsession with raw fish. If I had one major gripe with Nintendo’s Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido it would be that it makes me hunger for the delectable, yet costly, dish. Beyond that though, Sushi Striker really impressed me with its clever twist on Pokemon collecting and puzzle fighting. Throw in some quality anime sequences and you’ve got a tasty combination. It may have ended up being more of a sleeper hit, but it’s still a hit nonetheless and definitely worth checking out if you missed out on it during its initial launch, which was somewhat lost in the E3 mire. -Blake Morse

Detroit: Become Human

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Quantic Dream's best and most riveting adventure hooked me with its brief demo ahead of its official release, and I haven't been able to get enough of it since. Connor, Kara, and Markus switch off throughout a sprawling narrative that explores various themes, and by the end I couldn't choose a favorite, as each character had grown so significantly throughout the course of the story. I laughed, I cried, and I longed for more time with the entire case (especially Connor) when the end credits rolled. Despite watching alternate paths play out on YouTube, I've gone back to see what my decisions could have wrought if I had chosen differently from time to time. It's an excellent and unique tale, with nothing else out there like it on PlayStation 4, and well worth playing, even if you're one of those sad individuals who still thinks it's "cool" to talk about David Cage's "bad writing." -Britany Vincent

Laser League

Some of the best games are the ones that don't opt for any crazy gimmickry and focus more on basic ideas. Laser League is such a simple idea on paper. It's two teams in an arena battling it out by avoiding killer lasers. It's a simplistic premise, but one that's wildly fun and builds on top of its foundation with individual classes and power-ups. Its futuristic aesthetic is the icing on the cake. -Ozzie Mejia

Sea of Thieves

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Rare’s brand new IP, Sea of Thieves, has deeply divided the gaming world with one side being unenthused by the content on offer and the other falling deeply in love with the experience – and we here at Shacknews are of the latter group. There’s something so pure about the world of Sea of Thieves, from the aesthetic and color palette to the way it feels sailing across the waters, all of it evokes a sense of journey and adventure.

Outside of the launch window, Rare has continued to support the game through regular, weekly patches, bi-weekly events, and free major content drops for all players. After speaking with the developers at E3 and after seeing how they continue to interact with the playerbase, there’s a real sense of dedication to the community. If you’re yet to dive into this world, now might be the best time, especially as we approach the release of Cursed Sails and Forsaken Shores, the next two major content updates for Sea of Thieves coming in July and September. -Sam Chandler

Vampyr

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“Vampyr only got a 7 out of 10. How is it in the conversation for GOTY?” I see the gears turning, reader. I wrote the review myself and even suggested in the conclusion that it would be in the conversation despite the score, so let’s get right to it. Despite its technical shortcomings, Vampyr is a very entertaining game. The combat, ambiance, music, community management, and more all lend to a vampiric power-fantasy that has been sorely missing in gaming for a while. The duality of the main character is a well crafted platform for the experience too, giving players power as healer and killer while tying that into the development of the game’s playable areas. It likely won’t win the big award, but Vampyr is a very solid game that you don’t want to miss. -Charles Singletary

Fortnite

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Epic Games has struck video game gold with this game. Fortnite may be the greatest pivot in the history of video games as the Early Access Save the World mode didn' take the world by storm. After clearly taking inspiration from the wildly successful PUBG, Epic brought the Battle Royale mode to their game and gave it the old Unreal polish. The game is available on pretty much every platform and is making truck tons of money for Epic Games in the process. Fortnite's developers have done a great job of keeping the game fresh with new emotes, limited-time-modes, and special events like meteors and rocket launches. Fortnite is here to stay and it certainly deserves recognition as one of the best games of the midyear. -Asif Khan

Celeste

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Celeste feels like a journey of growth in more ways than one. It's about persistance, progression, and the pursuit of one's goals, even in the face of their own demons. It's a punishing platformer and one that revels in players' death counts, which skyrocket into the hundreds and thousands, but it's one that encourages players to keep trying, both with its narrative and its forgiving checkpoint system. Speaking of its narrative, it's one that's impactful to anyone who's ever doubted themselves or found themselves dealing with bouts of depression or panic attacks. It's a very human story, set atop a mountain that dabbles in the supernatural.

And beyond Madeline's quest to personal fulfillment, players can also see the progression of creator Matt Thorson's own journey, as he starts to hit his own peak of level designing potential. He's come a long way from TowerFall and it's a satisfying journey to witness. -Ozzie Mejia

Overload

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From the creators of the classic PC game Descent, comes a worthy spiritual successor to the space shooter. Overload gives players six degrees of freedom along with great level design and a fine polish that this genre has been missing for decades. I loved Descent back in the day, and Overload has recaptured the excitement from the new series. Improvements to level and weapon design is immediately noticeable and the game is so dang pretty, there are times when I get killed just looking around. Overload is one of the biggest surprise games of 2018 so far and anyone on the fence about this game should give it a try. -Asif Khan

The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit

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The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit, though only a short prequel and introduction to what we'll eventually see in Life is Strange 2, is an exemplary piece of storytelling. The tale of young Chris, who's fully into pretending he's a superhero, is as heartwarming as it is deeply emotional. The seemingly lighthearted story peppers in a cautionary tale of child abuse as well as the struggles people face after losing their partners and jobs one right after another. It's a fantastic foundation to build Life is Strange 2 on, and it kept me glued to my seat the entire time I explored Chris's home and got to know him as well as my own little brother. I wanted to protect him from all harm and give him something to look forward to, so I hope he plays a massive role in the next game from Dontnod Entertainment, as he's too precious of a character to give up on. -Brittany Vincent

There you have it, folks. Our list of the best games to be released in the first half of 2018. What games did you think should be on our list? Let us know in the comments section.

Best Games of the Midyear 2018 published first on https://superworldrom.tumblr.com/

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