Super Smash Bros. 3DS Demo Impressions

 Just a few quick thoughts about the demo.

Only five characters to play around with? Nintendo is a master seductress. I really do wish they had at least included solo training mode. Did anybody else have some serious trouble adapting to playing Smash on a 3DS? The Gamecube controller just seems so natural after a decade. Even if it is a little shaky control wise, being able to take Smash with me is going to be a delight. Playing on my original model 3DS is way too small though. When the camera zooms out in chaotic four person action, it becomes even more difficult to control. I guess I'll just have to buy a larger 3DS one of these days...

The two new characters included (Mega Man and Villager) really surprised me with the depth of their playstyles. I was favoring Villager - attempting to collect, keep track of, and then use multiple items is frustrating and immensely satisfying at the same time. His Down B tree move is also deviously powerful, but this is mitigated somewhat by his Up B recovery move doing no damage.

Mega Man seems to be more of a "traditional" Smash character. As a old Mega Man fan his arm cannon attack (with original sounds) was a real giggle.

More to update as I play further. Also, full review when it comes out Oct. 3, of course.

Five Nights at Freddy's Review

 (AUTHORS NOTE: This game has serious screamers and is quite scary. This is your warning.)

What's more fun then a trip to Freddy's?

  Five Nights at Freddy's came and went like an obnoxious screamer. One second it was the darling of gamers everywhere and then it was forgotten come September. One might think it was another flavor of the month that got drowned about by bigger happenings - but FN@F grabbed our attention and moistened our pants. It was just it's brief length that had us quickly turn elsewhere.

Five Nights at Freddy is a hard game to define in terms of genre. Horror obviously, but it is not the survival horror run-and-gun most typical of horror games in recent years. FN@F is more of a resource management game with a heaping helping of pure terror mixed in. You play as Mike who has just gotten a job as a night shift security guard at "Freddy Fazbear's" - basically a Chuckie Cheese. You spend the game in a small office, alternating between watching the security cameras and looking out the doors of the office for "intruders", all while carefully conserving your small allotment of power. And all the while, the animatronics from the stage show are out to get your ass.

Your eternal foes

The great success of Five Nights at Freddy's is that solitary developer Scott Cawthon deftly understands what fear is. Fear is a response to the unknown - as in, not knowing where that damn bear is and whether he's about to get you (or whether you are already dead or not). FN@F may not be technically stunning, but Cawthon more then compensates with his attention to detail and atmosphere. Even sitting alone in the office, thinking you're in no danger, is still a frightening experience. The mysterious and misleading phone calls only heighten your isolation. And when you reach the end of a "night" at 6 AM the feeling of relief is palpable. 

Your prison cell

Similar to many under the radar indie titles, the greatest flaw of FN@F is the very brief length. Someone with nerves of steel could probably knock this one out in 5 or 6 hours. At only $5 on Steam, however, the length is hard to judge too harshly. Another disappointing aspect was the story. The story of Freddy Fazbear's is brilliantly told through tidbits found during gameplay, but I just wished for more. When individuals started beating the outrageously difficult "4-20" mode it seemed certain that the community had only just scratched the surface of the games lore - sadly, that was the end. Hopefully Mr. Cawthon expands the story (and everything else) when he makes FN@F2.

Simple fact of the matter is, if you like horror games (or screamers, for some reason) Five Nights at Freddy's is worth your time and money. If you are looking for a good Halloween title come next month, your five dollars is absolutely well spent here. Just be sure you know what you're getting into.

A quick and simple statement on ethics

The video game industry has been embroiled in controversy these past few weeks. Beginning with the firestorm started by the infamous "Zoe Post" over on Tumblr, which led to pithy attempts at mass censorship on multiple gaming sites including Reddit and 4chan, which in turn led to the creation of the #GamerGate hashtag on Twitter. All of this has inspired many to take up video game reporting on their own, because the conventional video game journalism industry is clearly not up to the task. To that end, I am laying out simple guidelines for this page;

• No "incentives" or "gifts" from any developer or publisher, including press codes for copies of the game. I feel paying full retail price for a game is a part of the experience and deciding whether a game is worth the money or not is a part of the review process.
• In fact, no relationship with developers/publishers at all. I should just be another Joe Schmo buying their games. I'm not their stooge or their mouthpiece.
• Politics and "Social Justice" have no place in video game criticism. Video games are art, but not all art contains social or political points or statements. One of the greatest problems facing the entire game industry is people trying to force their political beliefs into gaming. This has led to divisions amongst gamers and overall stagnation of the industry.

That is all I can think of off the top of my head, but by no means everything. This document will continue to get updated.

Also, I review 3DS, PS3, PC, and in the future, Wii U games. First big review coming up; Super Smash Bros. 3DS. I can't believe the games journalism industry has reached a point where I need a large ethics statement before I even mention consoles or games.

Here's to fixing the industry that we all love so much.

Edit: I should qualify all of this by saying my video game criticism is just a hobby and will probably live in obscurity forever. I seriously doubt I'll ever be important enough that any issues will occur.