Will Legendary Pokemon Get Us Interested In Pokemon Go Again?

     Thursday we received huge news in regards to Pokemon Go. Legendary Pokemon have finally been introduced. So how do legendary pokemon events work? Well, there will be legendary eggs that will sprout in certain locations and it will be a collective teamwork to defeat a legendary pokemon in a certain time limit. If successful, you and everyone else will catch the legendary pokemon. Sounds cool and all, but will this be cool enough to get people back into playing Pokemon Go?
      Pokemon Go was the game of the summer last year. Instead of staying indoors like usual, it made us go out into the unknown and discover our neighborhoods, dead bodies, and risk getting into car accidents all to capture that Dragonite in your neighbor's backyard or visit your local church to refresh on poke lures. not to pray or some other crap like that.
     But alas, our love for Pokemon Go was brief and just like the season it came and went. We were playing it in July and by the time Sept came we deleted our apps and put the phone down. According to Forbes by mid-July, Pokemon Go lost over 79 percent of its users. Niantic, the company responsible for the app, hasn't been hurting since the momentum of the app died down. They still have millions of people using Pokemon Go. Niantic has also been doing events to keep who was left reason to play the game like having certain pokemon appear on holidays and even adding generation 2 pokemon, and Ditto, but so far none of it has been enough spark and interest to get former players to pick up their phones and start playing again. Will the long awaited inclusion of legendary pokemon finally do this?
     Compared to the other events and announcements this is huge. We've been anticipating legendary pokemon from the beginning of the game. Even so much people had try hacking them in. For me, this does enough spark interest to re-download the app and see what's the fuss about, maybe for others as well. Will it garner enough interest to bring back former app users? We'll have to see. Luckily, we will actually see as there will be an Pokemon Go Fest in Chicago will be streamed today. At this event we will see a legendary pokemon and it will be up to participants to defeat it. Depending on how everything works out we'll see the results and if people will be outside catching pokemon for the rest of the summer and later on.

Pokemon Duel: Does It Suck?

     Pokemon Go was the breakout mobile game of the summer. It got a lot of to venture outside to discover dead bodies, get hit by cars, and most importantly discover their neighborhood by discovering Pokemon. So, what happens when you make a hit game? Try to make another hit game with Pokemon Duel. the Pokemon Company did a surprise release of the new game but, is Pokemon Duel any good? Will it be as big a Pokemon Go was?
     Unlike Go, Duel focuses more of battling Pokemon instead of capturing them. This time around instead of battling with actual Pokemon you battle with Pokemon figurines. Unlike most games in the series, Duel's is more strategic.

    Most duels involve you and an opponent battling on a board and your objective is to move your Pokemon figurine to the end point of your opponent's side of the board. It's basically a game of checkers as you have to not only think of where to move your figurines, but how are you going to win either by cornering your opponent's figurines or make a route straight to the end.
      Battling has more of a rock-paper-scissors aspect as when your Pokemon figurines fight, there is a roulette wheel that will draw on you and your opponent's moves. The roulette wheel is made up of four kinds of colors: Blue, Purple, Red, and White. Blue are defense moves that beat purple and white moves, Purple are status moves which beats white moves.  White are the offensive moves which again, who has the highest number wins the match, Reds are misses and are beaten by other colors. There are no type advantages/disadvantages like the other games. Instead the the color system determines who win with Blue being the highest class, Purple, White, and then Red (Miss). You also have boosters that can be purchased by gems, which you earn in events.
     Pokemon Duel overall does seem like it is a solid game. It's not a bad concept overall and it is another unique spin on the the series just like Pokemon Rumble was. Despite that it doesn't feel like it won't be something you'll play in the long run. It doesn't have the draw that Go had and eventually you'll get bored playing it in probably less time. If there's one thing it has above Go is that its launch was smoother and less server problems. It get a three and a half out of five.

Is Pokemon Go Over?

 

    Pokemon Go is the breakout game of the summer. Pokemon Go is an app developed by The Pokemon Company and Niantic where it uses your phone's GPS and allows you find and catch pokemon, find pokestop locations for items like pokeballs and lures to attract pokemon, and fight at gym locations. If you are unfamiliar with the franchise, I would like to know how was living on the moon. When the game was available for iOS and android in July, it was 90s Pokemania all over again. It has done extremely well. It caused Nintendo's stock to rise like a Ho-Oh form the flames. It had more users on it than Tinder and Twitter. Everything seems just perfect, except it's not.
     Over the past few days Pokemon go has been in a bit of controversy. The recent update was an attempt to fix some issues with the app like the 3-step glitch. The latest update removed it all together as well as the batter-saving option. Reasons for the removal were quoted

"We have removed the ‘3-step’ display in order to improve upon the underlying design," the company wrote. "The original feature, although enjoyed by many, was also confusing and did not meet our underlying product goals. We will keep you posted as we strive to improve this feature."

     This was enough to make some fans of the game outraged. The game is still facing problems with lag and crashing. It seems like everytime Niantic, the company responsible for Pokemon Go takes one step to fix an issue, they get knocked two steps back. The features are slated to be coming back. But is the damage already done? Is this and continuing problems with the app enough to give this game a short lifespan?
     First of all there seem to be a lot of issues with Niantic. We were basically handed a broken game when it had server issues in the beginning and even now. They weren't prepared. They are however acknowledging the problem and Niantic's CEO John Hanke says they are working tirelessly to making improvements. All problems can be fixed, with the right people fixing the problem.  So is the app officially dead? Not really. Luckily for them people are still using Pokemon Go. It is obvious that  there is some serious work done. Hopefully the problem is fixed soon, and especially before Gen 2 pokemon get here.

Will Pokemon GO Be The Next Miitomo?

     Ladies and gentlemen Pokemon GO is finally out. It was released over a few days ago and everyone seems to be downloading it like crazy. Pokemon GO is a new app game brought to you by Pokemon Company and Niantic. It links to your phone's GPS posts spots where you can catch AR images of pokemon outside. It is as real as real life pokemon we're going to get, sadly. Pokemon GO is just the recent release in Nintendo's plan to make games for mobile phones with more titles coming out this year and next. Whether or not Pokemon GO ends up being successful, you could draw comparison to it and the previous app game Nintendo released, Miitomo.
     For those who haven't heard of Miitomo, it marked the Nintendo's debut in the mobile gaming market. In it you designed a Mii and communicated and make friends with other people's Miis, whether by the app itself, Twitter, and/or Facebook. Think of it as Miispace. You also could collect and buy clothes for you Mii and that was just about it. Since the end of April, over 10 million people downloaded Miitomo. in the long run the Miitomo  excitement over it was short and it got boring rather quick. The question is will Pokemon have more longevity than Miitomo did?
     For one thing that sets GO apart from Miitomo is that there are a ton of things to do other than catch Pokemon in parks and on the street. Unlike Miitomo Pokemon GO does have a lot of things to do. Of course you can catch pokemon and fight other people. You can also join teams and pretty much mark your territories by claiming gyms and being gym leaders. The game also does have a huge thing with exploration that Nintendo is really about recently. It encourages you to go out and visit certain spots in your neighborhood and even landmarks to catch them all. It does seem the the Pokemon Company does have plans to keep players interested in playing. So far we have only generation one pokemon available, but they can release other generations of pokemon in the near future. They can even have legendary pokemon sightings at certain landmarks a la pokemon giveaways for the handheld games. There is a lot they can do. Whether or not this will be too much we can't tell.

What are your thoughts?

Nintendo's 2016 Plans: A 1-Up or A Game Over?

     Nintendo has had a pretty stellar couple of years. The most stellar was probably their 2015. With a constant release of awesome games, along with awesome DLC and  Amiibos being a huge thing, it would be almost crazy for Nintendo to slow things down. Luckily they aren't.

      The current president of the company, Tatsumi Kimishima, is promising that 2016 will be a big year for Nintendo. He is making some pretty huge promises five to be exact that will help improve the companies sales and content. Right off the bat, he is promising to be very big on smartphone gaming as well as branching into other media like TV and anime. The president is also promising to try new concepts and new ideas instead of sticking to old ones. Nintendo is really thinking outside of the box, the console box.
     Nintendo's theme for 2016 seems to new, which is great. For a company to survive and stay as productive and relevant over the years it is important to always try to come up with new ideas. It keep s things fresh and it keeps people interested. In Nintendo's case, it was needed. Again, most of 2013 through 2015 was them trying to help improve Wii U and 3DS sales. The low sales of the Wii U and the 3DS were a product of using old outdated methods of marketing. Luckily Nintendo understood that and have made improvements and sale improvements were shown.
     There are a couple of things I'm excited for with seeing Nintendo's mission plan for 2016. One is the expansion of games in smartphones. Mobile gaming has not only become a huge trend but it has made itself known to  be a new form of gaming that is here to stay. We've seen this, sadly, with Kim Kardashian Hollywood and the over 200 million dollars it made. It's is a smart move for Nintendo to utilize this. Kimishima has promised that we will see Nintendo characters in mobile games. We sorta was introduced to this with Pokemon Go which is coming out this year, hopefully.
      Another is information about the next console Nintendo is working on, the NX. It is suppose to be the hub of what Nintendo is striving for this year as it is rumored to be connected to the internet, handheld, PCs, and smartphone. We are suppose to get information around E3, but since they seem to be planning on releasing it this year as well we need the information on it now.
      Bottom line it is refreshing and interesting to hear that Nintendo is going to do some big and innovative things that are new and very different. Will it work? There is a huge chance that it will as well as a huge chance that it won't. The good thing however is that Nintendo is gambling big. The 2016 plan is suppose to give them if it is pulled off an extra 100 billion yen. Let's see if that will happen in the end.

How do you think Nintendo's plan will work out in 2016?

Pulling the Plug on the PlayStation Vita's Successor Part 2: Should Sony Quit Handheld?

     If you haven't read my post last week, number one, shame on you here's a link and number two I'll give you a brief explanation if you're too lazy to click, again shame on you! It was recently announced that Sony will not be making a successor to the PlayStation Vita. In the last post I gave reasons why the decision was obvious. To keep it short, it all came down to sales, lack of quality games and exclusives, and basically Sony sweeping it under the rug. Yes, Sony is done with making handheld console and games, but should they?  Welcome to part 2.
     Again, the Vita turned out to be a huge bust, but if they wanted, Sony could've tried again with the next system. If you want to look at Sony not giving up and do a successor to the Vita, you can look at it from Sony's rival Nintendo. Nintendo has had its list of failures as well as successes. You can't forget the Virtual Boy which was the company's biggest failure to date. The Wii U and 3DS even started out badly. Both suffered lack of sales compared to their predecessors and a good line of games to play at the start. It wasn't until Nintendo decided to launch a series of campaigns to help turn things around and boost sales did just that. There have been a increase of sales of sales for the Wii U and 3DS in the past year.

     But let's look at things from a realistic view. Sadly there is no place for Sony in the handheld market anymore. Nintendo still dominates the handheld market. Mobile gaming is on the rise. Sony, sadly has become a relic. From a techonlogical stance, there isn't anything Sony can do to keep up. They did try to do something with touch screen technology but it ended up looking and feeling awkward. It is obvious that Sony has decided to focus on other things as well. Again like Nintendo, they could;ve turned things around of they wanted to, but the truth was and is that they didn't and they saw it as pointless to do so and move on.

What are your thoughts on the subject. Should Sony make another handheld system?

Nintendo and DeNA: A Smart Move?

     Earlier this week we learned that Nintendo is making a partnership with DeNA in order to make games for smartphones. That's right! Nintendo is starting to make games for your smartphone. Director and president of Nintendo, Satoru Iwata stated:
     "One of my goals here is, now that we are challenging ourselves with this endeavor by making use of Nintendo IP, to produce multiple hit titles at an early stage after we start releasing our software on smart devices. Also, until now, when we said, “platform,” it meant a specific video game platform. Now that we are going to release games on smart devices and make use of globally widespread PCs and smart devices for our new membership service, we would like to offer more consumers with software that is suited to their tastes. In other words, we are challenging ourselves to redefine what “Nintendo platforms” mean."
     This means that soon you will be able to play Zelda or Super Mario on your iPhone. Aside from just releasing games on smartphones, Nintendo will be using its partnership with DeNA to create a membership service that will connect all devices, smart devices and game consoles. Meaning that you could have ccontent that could connect your 3DS, Wii U, or even the new Nintendo NX they announced as well this week with your iPhone or iPad. There have been some indications in the past that Nintendo will be doing this or that they were testing the waters. Not too long ago, we had Nintendo announcing they would be releasing a Mario Kart 8 app on smartphones weeks before the game came out. We also have a crossover with Mario and the popular Puzzle and Dragon series in Japan which will be coming here to the US in the near future.
      Whether or not you feel that this will help Nintendo, this was a decision that they desperately needed to make. It was no secret that Nintendo was facing some problems over the past years. The company has reported financial loss for the past three consecutive year due to the Wii U and the 3DS underperforming.Super Smash Bros, the Majora's Mask remake, and Mario Kart 8 Nintendo did well. They brought up sales Wii U and Nintendo 3DS sales as well as help sell the New Nintendo 3DS, but it is still not enough. Nintendo needs to do more to get them back to the top again.
There's a great chance that this could work for Nintendo. Here in the states, with games like Flappy birds and even the game from her whom we shall not speak of, mobile gaming is becoming a new medium to play games almost like handheld was years ago. This is more evident in Japan with the success of mobile games like Puzzle Dragon. We've come a long way from Minesweeper on you old Nokia phone. Nintendo sees this is becoming a big thing and know that this is where they need to go. It will be interesting to see that they are thinking forward on doing something like this. They are excited to go further with DeNA, hoping that there will be a mobile game at the end of the year. Whether or not it will work, we will have to see.

What are your thoughts on Nintendo and DeNA's partnership. Will it work for Nintendo?

Does It Suck? - Smosh Food Battle: The Game

 

     For those who don't know who Smosh are, they are a comedic YouTube duo comprised of one Ian Hecox and one Anthony Padilla. They upload videos of them in querky nerd skits referencing movies, video games, and current pop culture on YouTube that millions of people, mostly kids, watch. Since the creation of their channel in 2005, they have garnered more than 14,000,000 subscribers and billions of views. They have their own gaming channel as well, Smosh Games, which millions are subscribed to as well.

     So what do you do when you are one of the top elite of nerdy gamers on the internet and made a business out of it? You further expand your business and make a video game of course. That's exactly what they did. Smosh Food Battle: The Game has been out for a while, and honestly I've been curious about how the game would turn out when I heard about it along with some of their fans. The question is: Does It Suck?

The Rundown

Smosh Food Battle: The Game is an action adventure game. You control Anthony as he goes on a quest to rescue  people from his town from monstrous donuts. You start on a world map as you make progress not only by beating levels, but collecting stars. You will eventually need stars to go on until the ending. You get them by exploring the levels solving puzzles and beating enemies, getting three per level. The game is basically Metroidvania as you will need to acquire and upgrade weapons in order to beat the game. You need weapons to further explore levels and you will need to upgrade them to beat harder enemies. The way you do this is by collecting food.

The upgrade system involves you forging food items and combining them into items like food or clothing. With this being a free and pay app on your phone, unless you can buy your items, unlike me, you will be replaying levels, a lot.

The Controls

The controls of the game are simple. You tap on everything with the touch screen of your phone. When you play as Anthony, you drag your finger on the screen to steer him in whichever direction you want him to go. When fighting enemies, depending on the weapon you have, you tap on the enemy to hit them. I had a bit of a problem with the controls in the first time playing. They seem to be all over the place. I would try to attack an enemy and would often bed up running into them leaving me wide open to get hit. It does take awhile to get use to and work around this. Luckily the enemy AI is simple and you can pick up their attack patters.

Music
Honestly, I'm not really a fan of the music. It's somber and doesn't match the feel of the game. It's almost like you're playing the musical score of Desperate Housewives while fighting giant donuts.

Visuals
For an app game on your phone or iPad, the visuals are nice. Ian and Anthony are drawn is a cartoonish style that is reminiscent of a cell-shaded Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. This matches the over the top style off the game. Playing the game with killer donuts and edible food weaponry is like something out of Looney Tunes. I mean your fighting donuts, would everything be drawn epically like Gears of Wars or something?

Final Verdict
So, does it suck? Not at all. Smosh Food Battle: The Game is pretty decent. I wasn't expecting it to be this good. I'm impressed with how the final product turned out. Even if you are unwilling to fork over some cash for crystals or whatever, replaying the levels doesn't seem like a chore as you can always find something new to explore or find new and interesting ways to destroy donut monsters. The ONLY drawback is how everything works with the touch screen. It's not bad, it just can get get a tad bit annoying sometimes. It can leave you to be resourceful and work around it. Maybe that was Ian and Anthony's plan? What the hell it's free, play it. Smosh Food Battle: The Game gets 3.5 Killer Bearclaws out of 5.