End Game Thoughts: Mario Party: The Top 100!

Game Title: Mario Party: The Top 100
Platform: Nintendo 3DS
Hours Played: about 3

About The Game

Mario Party: The Top 100 was released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2017 in North America. There are few different modes in this game (including a simple board map and a story mode) but the main focus of this game is just playing the minigames, which is awesome! After all, the minigames are the best part about the Mario Party games. Some of the games are locked until you come across them in Story Mode.

What I Liked

There are a lot of fun minigames in this compilation! I especially enjoyed playing some old favorites from Mario Parties 1-4, because those are the games I’m most familiar with. It was fun seeing the games with updated graphics, too!

What I Didn’t Like 

There are definitely some cheap ass, annoying minigames included in this compilation as well, which is unsurprising. I hate luck-based games! And the beach volleyball game can kiss my ass forever and ever, I hate it.

Closing Thoughts

I really enjoyed this game a lot! It’s fun to just play through the minigames without having to worry about some asshole stealing your stars, coins, or both!

End Game Thoughts: Pokémon Blue!

Game Title: Pokémon Blue
Platform: Nintendo Game Boy
Hours Played: around 75

About The Game

Pokémon Blue (and its counterpart, Pokémon Red) was released on the Nintendo Game Boy in 1998 in North America. Basically, even though you are a small child, your mother thinks it’s cool that you want to travel around stuffing all sorts of weird creatures into balls and fighting against trainers who are in some cases way older and way more experienced. Once you receive your starter Pokémon, your mom kicks you out of the house so you can start your journey to the be the Greatest Pokémon Trainer Ever, and you’re not allowed to come home until you do! I may or may not have made that last statement up…

What I Liked

My favorite part of any Pokémon game is, of course, the Pokémon! I’m most fond of this generation of Pokémon probably because of nostalgia. Anyway, this game is so much fun! The music and graphics are adorable. I love the little cries the individual Pokémon make. I also appreciated how the game was a decent challenge without ever being overly difficult- though I did get tripped up on occasion.

What I Didn’t Like

The dungeons were a bit annoying at times, just because of all the random encounters. Sometimes I couldn’t take more than two steps without having to battle! Yeah, yeah, I used Repel and it didn’t work as well as it should have, so there! The Safari Zone sucked ass- Pokémon broke out of the balls way too easily, and it just annoyed me. Also, Moltres was quite the little bitch- I know he’s a Legendary, but still.

Closing Thoughts

Though I REALLY wanted to “Catch ‘Em All”, it really does take quite a bit of time to actually catch and evolve the Pokémon. I did try to do this at first (hence the inflated play time), but ultimately ended up just trying to build a strong team and move on. I’m also proud of myself for catching all the Legendaries as well as Mewtwo 😉 All in all, this was a really fun game, and I’m glad I’ve finally beaten it!

P.S. You can only play as a boy in this game, hence my name being “Brandon” haha.

Mystery Blogger Award!

Back in April, Matt over at Nintendobound was cool enough to nominate me for the Mystery Blogger Award.  Thanks, Matt! 🙂 I appreciate it! It’s always a treat to get one of these little awards!

Matt didn’t ask any questions to go along with this award, but he had this to say before he gave his nominations: “I opted not to conclude this post by asking questions of my own. However, fully aware that I am going to end up tragically overlooking someone, I will give a nod to fellow bloggers who I admire and who create excellent content.”

I thought that was really sweet and it still amazes me that anyone wants to read my silly little ramblings. Have a great day everyone!

First Impressions: Jikkyo Powerful Pro Yakyu 4 (実況パワフルプロ野球 4)!

In an attempt to try more games that have been sitting in my backlog for way too long, I looked through my Nintendo 64 games and decided to check out 実況パワフルプロ野球 4, which translates to Jikkyo Powerful Pro Yakyu 4. It’s a baseball game I bought on accident because I thought it looked cute even though I didn’t know what the cartridge said until I looked it up when I got home. Ah well.

So, Jikkyo Powerful Pro Yakyu 4 is a surprisingly robust baseball game that I have NO CLUE how to play! Seriously, there were So. Many. Menus!

I could barely figure out how to get started!

It’s neat though, because there are a bunch of teams to choose from, and you can even choose what type of field you want to play on.

Once I finally started playing, I realized the controls were pretty tricky. No matter how many times I tried, I couldn’t hit one pitch. I couldn’t figure it out! How embarrassing.

I did slightly better when playing in the outfield, though I couldn’t figure out who I was throwing the ball to, which lead to me sucking at this game in every possible way.

Conclusion

I played for about 30 minutes before calling it quits. This is not a terrible game by any stretch- I just couldn’t really figure out how to play! I don’t know much Japanese (despite playing Japanese Animal Crossing games) and I don’t know much about baseball either, so that doesn’t help. The graphics are super cute though, and for a game released in 1997, the voice acting for the announcer is pretty awesome!

Book Review: Disgraced Fae by Margo Ryerkerk and Holly Hook!

Back in April, I review Disgraced Fae by Margo Ryerkerk and Holly Hook. This is the prequel to their Fae Prison Academy series- which follows the events of the Nocturnal Academy series. Here’s the blurb (which is the blurb for the boxset it is part of, not for the book itself- I couldn’t find it for some reason!):

Welcome to the Prison of Supernatural Magic where the punishment never fits the crime.

Behind these bars lurk the most dangerous and despicable creatures, and that’s just the guards.

Be sure to keep to the right side of the magical law because this jail is not somewhere you want to end up.

Join Mages, shifters, demons, witches and spies in this fantastical collection of magical prisoner books by USA Today and Amazon best selling authors.

Grab this set before they throw away the keys.

Scroll up to plan your escape now.

And the cover (which also is just for the boxset, not the book itself):

Here’s the review I posted on Goodreads:

Note: This review is only for Disgraced Fae by Margo Ryerkerk and Holly Hook. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! 🙂

Disgraced Fae is a prequel to the Fae Prison Academy series, and it centers on Peony… a character I really detested in the Nocturnal Academy series! This was supposed to be her redemption story of sorts.

Peony is a summer fae who has powerful plant magic that impresses the vampires. This is what she wants, because she is a huge suck up who wants nothing more than to be in as high a standing as possible with the vampires. She is owned by a vampire who is the director of the Magical Museum of Plant Arts. After a project she completes goes missing, she gets into trouble and sent to a fae prison, which happens to be underneath Nocturnal Academy! Convenient, right? Because she was such a suck up at the actual school, she seems to think that she’ll get out of prison and back into her master’s good graces easily. She soon learns that this is NOT the case.

So was Peony redeemed in this story? For me, the answer is… not really. She’s still cold-hearted, selfish and manipulative, and any time she had thoughts that were less than selfish, I questioned her motives. We do get a bit of a backstory on her and learn that her mother was really hard on her, but still. The fact remains that I just do not like her character, so I wasn’t too invested on what happened to her. Luckily the Fae Prison Academy trilogy will center on Virgie, who is a much more dynamic and interesting character!

I gave Disgraced Fae 3/5 stars on Goodreads!

End Game Thoughts: Mario Tennis Aces!

Game Title: Mario Tennis Aces
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Hours Played: about 4

About The Game

Mario Tennis Aces was released for the Nintendo Switch in 2018. It has some kind of whacked out plot, but who the fuck pays attention to that? I didn’t. I have the attention span of a mosquito. Something about an evil tennis racket maybe?

What I Liked

There are so many different characters to play as! It’s neat to see all different denizens of the Mushroom Kingdom on the roster. I also liked the different environments and the fact that there are several game modes to choose from.

What I Didn’t Like

The game’s impressive roster is also kind of its downfall- because there are so many different characters, each with their own special moves, it can get a little confusing. Also, the Reflection Room in Adventure Mode can kiss my ass.

Closing Thoughts

I considered this game beaten when I beat the easiest cup in Tournament Mode. I don’t really have the skills to advance much farther- but it’s fun to dip in and play a quick match now and then!

First Impressions: Animal Crossing: New Horizons!

It’s September already! Yay, let’s get this year over with! Haha. For all my US friends, today is Labor Day, so hopefully you are enjoying an extra day off from hell work like I am! Anyway, on to the post…

No, I did not just get Animal Crossing: New Horizons- as you probably remember from a previous post, I went out and purchased this game on launch day. I also haven’t done a First Impressions post since 2018, which I did not realize until I started typing this. So you may wonder, what is the point?! Well, I always thought First Impressions posts were kind of fun, and a good way to quickly summarize my first experience with a game! Animal Crossing: New Horizons happened to be one of the first games I started this year, so I figured why not start with this one! Here’s a little summary of my first 3 days with the game, and my initial thoughts!

Day 1

I was so excited to finally start playing this game! I had been looking forward to it for a long time. I arrived on my deserted island (which I named Spartacus) with Katt the… cat and Tank the rhino. The little sequence you play before the game kicks over to real time was too cute- I won’t spoil it for anyone who hasn’t played yet! The deserted island vibe was definitely there, and it was so cool to walk around and explore. There were a few places on the island that I couldn’t even access yet, which I thought was kind of neat and mysterious! Anyway, on Day 1 I learned about Nook Miles, and I learned how to craft! I immediately crafted some flimsy tools (which definitely live up to their name and break very easily). I caught several bugs and fish, and I found a place for Blathers’ tent!

Day 2

I enjoyed more of the game’s leisurely pace, but I managed to earn enough Nook Miles to pay off my debt- now I’ll have a house instead of a tent! 🙂

Day 3

My house was built- so cute! Of course, this means going into debt with Tom Nook as usual- 98,000 bells to be exact! Nook Miles were used to pay off my initial debt, but now they are used for other things! One of the first things I purchased with Nook Miles was a Tool Wheel. Super handy, though I wish this meant tools were removed from your inventory and put into the wheel instead of still taking up space in your inventory! Oh well.

Besides my tent being upgraded, Tank and Katt have houses too! Also, the museum has been built, and it is GORGEOUS! I overheard Tom Nook and Tommy talking about building a store, so Timmy asked me to gather some crafting materials for the job!

Conclusion

Obviously, I loved this game from my first moments with it! I love the chill island vibe, and I love how you slowly build your island from the ground up. It’s such a sense of accomplishment every time a new shop is built or you upgrade your house. I am obviously several months into the game now- but I am far from being finished with everything. I have been taking my time with everything, and I don’t care if it takes me years to finish it. The journey is part of what is so fun about Animal Crossing games to me!!

P.S. I don’t know WHAT THE FUCK is up with this new WordPress editor, but it is aggravating the fuck out of me, and I just want to go back to what it was before! It is NOT user friendly at all!

Gaming Firsts!

As y’all are probably aware by now, when I start following someone’s blog, I make it a point to try to read all of their posts, past and present. The problem is, I am painfully slow at doing this and constantly playing catch up. With that being said, recently I stumbled upon a post written in 2015 by Cilla vs. Games about her gaming firsts, and I thought it would be a fun post to do! She had written this post in honor of National Video Games Day, which is cool. Anyway! Here are a few of my Gaming Firsts! 😉

The First Game I Remember Owning and Playing

This honor goes to Tetris for the Nintendo Game Boy! I’ve written about this before, but the gist of it is… I saw an advertisement for the Game Boy on tv, told my mom I wanted one, and what do you know? On Christmas, I had my very own Game Boy, which came bundled with Tetris! I LOVED to play Tetris so much, and it remains one of my favorite puzzle games to this day.

The First Game I Spent More Than 100 Hours On

Well, back in my day (haha, I’m old) there wasn’t a whole plethora of games and systems to choose from like there is now! I pretty much grew up playing my Game Boy and Super Nintendo only… unless I went to a friend’s house that had a different system! Because of that, I played some of the same games over and over, and I Loved. Every. Second! With that being said, I bet you I put over 100 hours into Donkey Kong Country for the Super Nintendo. I’d beat the game, erase it, and start over constantly. I spent hours looking for every hidden bonus and memorizing every level. It was an obsession.

The First Game I Played Online

I’ve never been a big online gamer- neither solo nor multiplayer. So I’m really trying to think of a game I played online, and the best I can come up with is some website I used to get onto with my husband (then boyfriend/fiance) back in like 2003 or 2004. It was a neat website with lots of different games you could play against people, but I can’t remember the name of the website. All I know is that our user name was FishPatty. Who knows what we were smoking when we came up with that name!

The First Game I Obtained The Platinum Trophy For

LOL welll…. I don’t really go after achievements in games. Too much of a hassle in most cases, plus I’m just not that talented. Can I just answer this question with the first game I ever 100% completed?… Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars for the Super Nintendo! I had everyone in my party with max stats, I found every hidden treasure box, I did every little sidequest… it remains one of my great gaming achievements to this day 😉

The First Game That I Played With Someone Else

I played video games with my friends down the street a lot when we were growing up, but the first game I have explicit memories of playing was Kirby’s Dream Course for the Super Nintendo. My friend Jason and I would spend HOURS playing the two player courses and laughing our asses off at our misfortunes. Good times!

The First Game That I Purchased DLC For 

As a rule, I generally don’t purchase DLC because the whole concept of it annoys me to no end. With that being said, there are a few exceptions to that rule, such as if I think said DLC really adds a lot of value to the existing game and it is a decent price. I’m pretty sure the first (and one of the only) times I paid for DLC was when all the extra content was introduced for Mario Kart 8 for the Wii U. I think there were 8 new tracks, 6 new characters, a few new kart parts, and a bunch of new colors for Yoshi and Shy Guy (so each new color could almost be considered a new character). It seemed like a lot of new stuff for like $11, so I bit the bullet and paid for it.

P.S. Sorry the picture above is so shitty, I couldn’t really find a good one for some reason? Plus, I’m lazy, so if I can’t find it right away, forget it!

The First Game That I Streamed

I have never streamed a game in my life- I’m not cool enough nor good enough for any of that mess.

So there you have it! A few of my gaming firsts. It was fun answering these questions!

Book Review: A Rebel Witch by Ashley McCleo!

Back in March, I reviewed the second book in the Spellcasters Spy Academy Series, called A Rebel Witch, by Ashley McCleo. Let’s get right to it!

Here’s the blurb:

The evil queen of demons is after me.

But as long as she remains in Hell, I’m safe.

I hope . . .

Now that I’m participating in the Spy Games—a dangerous competition between magical spy academies—I’ve increased the risk of the queen’s minions finding and dragging me to the depths of the underworld.

In fact, with each passing Spy Game event, it becomes more obvious exactly why the queen wants me.

Most of the time my studies, relationships, and the tournament keep the looming threat of abduction out my mind.

But when someone I love is taken by the demons, I must act.

And face the powerful queen of Hell head-on.

A Rebel Witch is a fantasy academy book that features a tournament of supernatural spies, heartwarming friendships, enduring love, and magic-fueled action.

The cover:

And my review:

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review 🙂

A Rebel Witch is the second book in the Spellcasters Spy Academy series. In the Academy, year 2 is also known as Grind year- and the name fits, because students are often pushed to the limits physically, mentally, academically, etc.!

When Odie and her friends arrive back at the school at the start of the new term, they discover that security has been enhanced because both Odie and Eva (her best friend) have been demon touched… not to mention that the royals of Hell are after Odie and Alex (her boyfriend)!

Despite this, the night of the welcome back feast, the students learn that the first inaugural Spy Games will be held between the four spy schools in the USA! Two students from each of the upper classes will be selected to compete in the games, which are considered quite dangerous. Of course Odie wants to participate, because she still feels like she needs to prove herself.

Each round of the games is held at a different school, which makes things really interesting and exciting! Spellcasters is a school for witches, but the other schools are host to vampires, fae, and shifters- it’s really neat to see all the magical races come together to compete!

No spoilers here, but this book is SO exciting! There are many different things going on, but the story remains fast-paced and entertaining the entire time. I loved how all the different magical races interacted and cooperated with each other. I cannot wait to read about year 3 at Spellcasters!

I gave A Rebel Witch 5/5 stars on Goodreads!

Book Review: Savage Monarchs by Margo Ryerkerk and Holly Hook!

Savage Monarchs is the final book in the Nocturnal Academy series by Margo Ryerkerk and Holly Hook (though the story does not end here- the next series they wrote is a direct continuation of what happens after this book!). As always, I received an ARC of this book and am re-posting my review here as a courtesy to the authors! I originally reviewed this book back in February on Goodreads.

Here’s the blurb:

Escaping the academy was just the beginning.

I’ve made it out of Nocturnal Academy.

No longer do I exist to please the vamps. Now, as a member of the Winter Court, my job is to execute them. But maybe my new standing is no better than being a courtesan. Now I am to become an assassin for the King of the Winter Court. The rules of the game might’ve changed, but I’m still a pawn.

If the King of the Winter Court thinks that I’m going to turn into a mindless soldier after everything I’ve been through, he’s in for a rude awakening. I’m going to do this on my terms while keeping a wall around my heart at all times.

I will not be vulnerable again.

Life, however, has other ideas. Like throwing in a friend from my past and worse, Thorsten, a handsome jerk of a vampire who has messed with my mind and feelings one too many times.

I might’ve left Nocturnal Academy, but I’m far from safe.

Enter a magical world where a half-fae will fight for her voice to be heard!

And the cover:

And my review!

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review 🙂

Savage Monarchs wastes no time jumping right back into the action of the previous books! It begins with the vampire Thorsten witnessing everyone freaking out over Onyx escaping the Academy. He doesn’t quite know where she went, but he is happy she escaped- and he hopes to see her again.

Meanwhile, we find out that Onyx has actually been spirited away by her father, who is King of the Winter Court. This confirms what Onyx suspected all along- she inherited ice magic from her father. She is pretty wary of her father, because she thinks he saved her so her could mold her powers to use for his own devices. Despite this, she wants to train and become a warrior princess for the Winter Court. Her goal throughout this novel is to find a way to kill Volthus, the vampire that “bought” her at the end of the last book.

I enjoyed this book, and I thought the ending was kind of sweet. I have to wonder, though, how this girl so quickly became a warrior. One minute, she’s at the Academy barely able to conjure any sort of magic; the next minute, she can fight and outsmart vampires (and fae) that are way older and more experienced? Anyway, this is still a pretty good story! Supposedly the next few books in the series will focus on other characters (neither of whom I’m very fond of), but hopefully we’ll see more of Onyx someday!

I gave Savage Monarch 4/5 stars on Goodreads!