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!

End Game Thoughts: Yoshi’s Crafted World!

Whyyyy is this week over already?! My husband and I had the entire week off of work- my birthday is 7/26 and our anniversary is 7/29, so it’s something we do every year. Now, since we are still in the midst of a pandemic, we didn’t stay anywhere, but it was still nice to have a whole week off to relax and do whatever the fuck we wanted! I’m going to try not to cry yet- we still have the glorious weekend to do whatever, so I’ll try to enjoy that and not think about the misery I’m going to feel come Monday. Anyway, here’s an End Game Thoughts post!

Game Title: Yoshi’s Crafted World
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Hours Played: about 8

About The Game

This adorable little gem of a game came out in  March 2019 for the Nintendo Switch. I started playing it January 5, 2020 and beat it February 16, 2020- my first game I beat in 2020, go me!

Anyway, Yoshi’s Crafted World begins with Kamek starting shit because Baby Bowser is a whiny little shit who wants these damn Dream Gems to make his dreams come true, or something. While trying to steal them, Kamek just ends up making a mess and the Gems go flying all over the damn place. All the Yoshis figure they better go get those Dream Gems before those bastards do, so off they go!

What I Liked

This game is SO CUTE! It is an absolute joy to play. I love the graphics and how everything looks like it’s made out of paper/cardboard/crafted objects (though I do prefer Yoshi’s Woolly World in terms of style). The levels and the bosses are fun and unique to play, and there’s a lot of little extras to keep you coming back for more!

What I Didn’t Like

I really don’t have any complaints about this game! It’s fun and enjoyable to play, and the final levels of the game are decently challenging. I guess the only thing I have to say here is that the music is just okay- I didn’t mind it, but I wish there was more variety with the tunes.

Closing Thoughts

This game is wonderful and is a joy to play. I appreciate how much extra content there is besides “just” the levels- there are Poochy pups to find, souvenirs to gather, costumes to purchase, hide and seek to pay, the Hidden Hills levels to conquer… the amount of content is really nice and keeps you coming back after the credits roll!

My Gaming Month in Review: April 2020!

I didn’t get a whole lot of gaming time in the month of April, mostly because I have been too damn exhausted to do anything, even if it’s something fun! Story of my life these days for some stupid reason! Anywho, here’s what I accomplished in April 2020!

Console

Nintendo Wii

I played a little bit of Animal Crossing: City Folk. I didn’t pay off anymore of my loan, but I sold some stuff and made a little more money. Hopefully I’ll be able to make another mortgage payment soon!

Nintendo Switch

Of course I played some Animal Crossing: New Horizons! I still haven’t made a First Impressions post of this game, but I do plan on it. I did a lot in the month of April: participated in a couple events, had a few more residents move in, expanded my house, etc. If I ever get that First Impressions post done, I’ll write more details on my gameplay 😉

I did manage to finish a game this month, believe it or not! I completed my gameplay of Mario Tennis Aces. I’ll write an End Game Thoughts post about it at some point, so stay tuned for more info 😉

Handheld

Nintendo Game Boy

Still plugging away at Pokémon Blue! I explored the Safari Zone, which was a HUGE pain in the ass! Pokémon tend to break out of the Safari Balls and run WAY too easily. I’m not big on luck-based shit! I managed to nab a few new Pokémon anyway, but it wasn’t really that fun. I tweaked my team a bit, and I ended the month by gathering experience while exploring Route 16!

Mobile

iPhone

Of course I played Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp on my phone! The events in April were cute, but a little too pink for my tastes. Anyway, I ended the month at level 174 with 195/198 villagers invited to my camp! I decorated the upstairs of my cabin around Tom Nook this time, so here’s what I came up with:

It was actually harder than I thought to make a theme around him for some reason! I ended up trying to mimic his store, with completely random items up for sale. And instead of working, he’s sleeping behind the cash register. I almost fall asleep at work every day, so I totally understand. 😉

My Gaming Month in Review: March 2020!

Hmm, April is more than halfway over and I’m just now writing about March’s game play… big slacker here! What else is new! Haha anyway, let’s jump right in and see what I was up to in March!

Console

Nintendo Wii

I played a bit of Animal Crossing: City Folk this month- still trying to pay off my final mortgage in this game! The grass wear is starting to get to me… uggh! Anyway, I set the time back a bit so that I could participate in Festivale! During Festivale, you play games with your villagers to win candy, which you then trade in to Pavé for some sweet furniture. Even though I really suck at luck-based games, I still managed to win enough to get three pieces of furniture!

Viva Festivale!

I also did a lot of fishing and was able to make a mortgage payment. Only 380,000 bells to go!

Nintendo Switch

So I’m sure a lot of you know that Animal Crossing: New Horizons was released on March 20th! OF COURSE I had to get it on release day (which is something I rarely do for games) and I’ve been playing it ever since! I’m going to do a First Impressions post of this game (with my slow ass track record, expect this post sometime in July or August) so I won’t bog down this post too much. Let’s just say that I made some decent progress 🙂 Oh, and my island name is Spartacus- that’s a nod to my late grandfather, who probably would get a laugh out of the name!

I played a little bit of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild this month as well. Instead of just randomly fucking around, I decided to work on the Locked Mementos quest so I could get my Sheikah Slate repaired! I went to the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab to speak to the Director. She wanted me to light her furnace before she could work on it… um, okay? Anywho, I did that weird task for her, then she repaired the Slate- now I can take pictures and complete the Hyrule Compendium! I also activated several side quests, though I didn’t try to complete any of them yet.

For my Switch Sunday playthrough, I continued on with Mario Tennis Aces! I played Adventure Mode a bit more, and I finally beat The Reflection Room, which was a HUGE pain in the ass! I lost so many times, the game took pity on me and gave me unlimited power- only then was I able to beat it. It was stupid and annoying and I never want to play it again!

The next level was called Detour, and this was where I called it quits on Adventure Mode. I attempted to rally with Boo 300 times and for the life of me, I couldn’t do it. Boo is a cheating asshole!

Since I’d seen enough of Adventure Mode, I tried out Tournament Mode. I beat the Mushroom Cup. Hey, that’s progress!

Handheld

Nintendo Game Boy 

I made a bit of progress in Pokémon Blue, go me! I explored Routes 14 and 15 and gained some experience, then entered Fuschia City. I’m playing this game on my Super Game Boy and the color palette makes my eyes bleed! Anyway, I took on the Gym Leader (Koga) and earned my 6th badge!

Mobile

iPhone

I continued to play Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp! Something I decided to do is dedicate the top floor of my cabin to a different NPC each month. Hey, I spent Leaf Tickets on them, they should be shown off! I’m just doing it in the order I purchased them, because I’m neurotic. Anyway, this month I set up a little concert setting for K.K. Slider!

At the end of March… I don’t remember what my level was, because I’m a dummy and forgot to make note of it. Ugh! I was probably at like Level 168 with 187/191 animals invited to my campsite… something like that!

So that’s it for my March gaming adventures! See ya! 🙂

My Gaming Month In Review: February 2020!

Wow, two months in a row with this type of post… I’m on a roll! Ha. Anyway, let’s get right down to it… here’s the progress I made with my games in the month of February!

Console

Nintendo Wii

I didn’t make too much progress in Animal Crossing: City Folk this time around. I did play on Groundhog Day and got my Resetti model. I also played on Valentine’s Day and got a letter and some chocolates from Harry, how sweet! Festivale was on the 24th, but I didn’t play… so I might need to rewind time so I can check it out 😉

Nintendo Switch

I’m still having an absolute blast playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild! I ended up wandering into Hateno Village, where I found and completed the Myahm Agana Shrine which… was a challenge. It was some weird tilty piece of shit labyrinth puzzle that wasn’t a lot of fun! Anyway, after some exploration, I decided to finally pay attention to the main quest and “Seek Out Impa.” Cool! Now I have two more main quests: Free the Divine Beasts (that will take me literally forever) and Locked Mementos (that’ll probably take forever too). I also completed the Ta’loh Naeg Shrine, which was a training exercise- the first one I’ve encountered. Because I’m an idiot, I broke a few of my weapons trying to chop the Guardian into pieces before I realized you have to follow the onscreen instructions. Uggh.

I’m happy to say that I beat Yoshi’s Crafted World this month! Yay! I’ll do a more in-depth End Game Thoughts post a little later. Anyway, the final levels of the game were decently challenging. One level in particular, Be Afraid of the Dark (in Shadowville) featured a creepy clown looking character that chased you with an axe! Definitely did not see that coming! Anyway, I defeated Baby Bowser, recovered the final Dream Gem, and that was that! Such a fun game!

After beating Yoshi, I decided to play Mario Tennis Aces as my next “Switch Sunday” game. There are a few different game play modes, which is interesting. I first played through all the tutorials and played a few of the characters in Free Play mode just to get a feel for the game. I then played a little bit of Adventure Mode. I beat Bask Ruins, so now I’m getting ready to play Piranha Plant Forest!

Handheld

Nintendo Game Boy

I continued playing Pokémon Blue a bit. I explored Route 13, battling trainers and gaining experience. I think I’m starting to form a team that I’m going to keep until the end, but we shall see. I was also SO EXCITED to nab a Ditto!! He was kind of a bitch, but I got him in the end.

Mobile

Kindle Fire

I’ve been playing a bit of Wordscapes here and there on my tablet when I have some downtime, and it’s a lot of fun- and a challenge too! I’m on Level 90, which isn’t too shabby… until I think of my aunt, who has completed over 20,000 (yes, I typed that correctly!) levels. I have a lot of catching up to do!

iPhone

Of course, I’m still playing Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. I’m now at Level 165 and have 180/183 animals invited to my camp. So close! I just can’t seem to get that last map from Gulliver. Anywho, I played through the events for this month, though I didn’t get the final prize because I didn’t craft everything from the scavenger hunt in time. That’s okay! As sad as I was to see the snow melt, I’m ready for springtime!

That’s about it for February 2020. Thanks for reading!

My Gaming Month in Review: January 2020!

Hey everyone! Hope the new year has been treating you right so far! I’ve been a bit lame on the posting front lately, which isn’t how I planned for things to be. I’ve been struggling for awhile with chronic migraines (I’ve had them for years) and for some reason over the past few months, the intensity has really kicked up a notch, which makes it hard for me to do… well, anything really. I’ve fallen behind on blog postings, video game progress, housework, etc. Some days I can’t even look at the computer and something as simple as scrolling through a post will make me so dizzy I want to puke. I’m hoping my brain will stabilize itself soon because I’m fucking sick of it! 😉

Anyway! In the meantime, I’ll just do what I can do and that’s that! I decided to bring back an ongoing series I used to write awhile back (I tried to look for the last time I posted one, but the aforementioned dizziness reared its ugly head as I scrolled through my blog, so oh well)- My Gaming Month in Review! I love writing posts like this, but my problem was I would spend so much time trying to take screenshots and remember what I did in the game, I wouldn’t enjoy the actual game I was playing as much. Yikes!

So, this is going to be a similar post to my old ones, but I am just going to give a briefer summary, and I probably won’t include my own screenshots. Enjoy!

Console

Nintendo Wii

I’m still working my way through Animal Crossing: City Folk, just trying to get my loan paid off. I try to play though any events during the month, so on New Year’s Day I played and got my fancy new 2020 shirt! It’s got a rat on it since this is the Year of the Rat, so I thought that was pretty cute! I also participated in the Dab Fishing Tourney that was being held, and surprisingly, I won! I still owe 484,000 Bells on my loan, but at least this is my final loan and I’ll be done!

Nintendo Switch

I’ve been playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild here and there over the last couple months, and I LOVE IT! I’m not nearly as far as most people. As a matter of fact, I’m not far in the game at all, because I am having a blast just exploring everything. My main goals right now are to complete as many shrines as I can so I can upgrade my health and stamina, and activate as many towers as I can so my map is complete. During my last session, I searched FOREVER trying to find the Dow Na’eh Shrine (it was behind a waterfall, ugh) and I managed to activate Hateno Tower. My main objective is Seek Out Impa, which is like… the first thing you’re supposed to do after getting off the Great Plateau. Oh well, I play how I want!

So I’ve started this thing I call “Switch Sunday” which is exactly what it sounds like… on Sunday, I try to play a Switch game! Yes, I’m already working my way though Zelda, but I wanted to choose another game to play as well, because I’m a glutton for punishment. Anyway, I decided to start playing Yoshi’s Crafted World, and that was an excellent choice! The game is so cute and relaxing, and puts me in a great mood when I play it. I also like how it’s not completely linear- after the first few levels, several branched pathways appear to let you choose which way you want to go. I think that’s pretty neat! I left on on Acorn Forest- Jumping to Victory, and I’ve recovered 3 Dream Gems so far (which means I’m more than halfway through the game at this point).

Handheld

Nintendo Game Boy

Yes, I’m STILL playing Pokémon Blue. Things take me forever, remember?! I’m more than halfway though the game at this point though, so I have definitely made progress! In January, I beat the Saffron City Gym and got my 5th Gym Badge. While wandering Route 12 afterwards, I finally got a better fishing rod and caught Tentacruel (or was it Tentacool? Shit, I don’t remember), Goldeen and Krabby. Now I’m exploring what Route 13 has to offer!

I also want to add that I’m still playing Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp on my phone. I can’t help it, it’s part of my routine nearly every morning! Right now I’m at Level 162, and I’ve invited 177/183 animals to my campsite. I can’t get the last island containing those animals to pop up as part of Gulliver’s islands, dammit! I keep refreshing but no luck yet. I enjoy participating in the events, and I feel no pressure to complete them.

That’s it for gaming in January! Hopefully February will see me completing a couple of these games, but we’ll see how it goes. See ya!

End Game Thoughts: Puyo Puyo Tetris!

Game Title: Puyo Puyo Tetris
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Hours Played: around 2

About The Game

Puyo Puyo Tetris is a game that came out for the Nintendo Switch in 2017. It was also released on several other platforms, but I played it on the Switch, so there ya go. This game combines two puzzle types- Puyo and Tetris. I’m a huge fan of Tetris, and I’ve played a Puyo-type game before (Kirby’s Avalanche) and had fun with it, so I thought why not? Plus, the game came with a couple cute keychains, and I’m a sucker for freebies!

What I Liked

The main thing I liked about this game was the sheer number of modes that are available for you to play! Whether you prefer Puyo, Tetris, or strange combinations of both, there is something most everyone will enjoy. There’s even a story mode that’s totally whack and makes no sense, but who really buys a puzzle game for the story anyway?

What I Didn’t Like

Playing Puyo Puyo is just okay- it’s not really my favorite thing to do. I much prefer Tetris, and fusing the two together is a bit awkward sometimes. I found myself gravitating toward one mode or the other instead of modes that combined the two play styles together. That’s not much of a gripe, just my personal preference.

However, one thing that really got on my nerves during this game- the characters’ annoying ass voices! Oh my lord. Every single one of them grated my eardrums, and there was no way to silence them. I often played with the volume turned way down because it annoyed me so much.

Closing Thoughts

This game is fun, and it’s got so many different modes to try out. I tried all of them, and while some are better than others, there is definitely a good selection there. My favorite mode was one where the game would randomly switch back and forth between Tetris and Puyo. This is a good game to pick up and play for a few minutes at a time- or until your eardrums explode from the awful voices.

End Game Thoughts: Kirby Star Allies!

Game Title: Kirby Star Allies
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Hours Played: approximately 12

About The Game

Kirby Star Allies was released in 2018 for the Nintendo Switch. As you all probably know by now, I love Kirby, so of course I couldn’t wait to play this game!

Some weird shit is going down up in space, and Kirby needs some friends to help him set things right! (A+ for that amazing description of the story line!). In addition to inhaling everything in his path and stealing copying his enemy’s abilities, Kirby can also have up to 3 friends with him that can help defeat enemies, solve puzzles, etc.

What I Liked

There is so much to love about this game! First of all, it’s ADORABLE! I love the character designs and the level designs. The music is pretty good too, though at this point and time I can’t tell you any tunes that are really standing out to me. Maybe I shouldn’t be writing this when I have a headache and I’m super tired… anyway!

I love how besides all the helpers/copy abilities, there are also Dream Friends in this game. You can play alongside King Dedede, Meta Knight, Rick/Kine/Coo, and a bunch of other bad asses from past games. My favorite is… um, Gooey.

I give the developers credit for putting so much content into this game as well! Aside from the main story mode, there are 2 sub-games to play (Chop Champs and Star Slam Heroes) which provide a fun, if brief distraction from the main game. There’s also The Ultimate Choice, which is basically like a boss rush mode. There’s Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go! mode, which I love! You basically play through an abbreviated version of the Story Mode, but you can play as any of the helpers or Dream Friends instead of Kirby, which gives you a lot of replay value!

The last mode was actually released as FREE (yes, free) DLC, and it’s called Heroes in Another Dimension. This is the only mode I haven’t fully played through, but it’s pretty enjoyable.

Seriously, there is a lot to do in this game. I think my file is sitting at 87% complete right now, and I love the fact that I’ve played through most of the modes several times and still have plenty left to do!

What I Didn’t Like

The fact that the final boss in the story mode had like 5 different phases and wouldn’t fucking die already! He was cool though, so I can’t complain much. All kidding aside, I don’t really have any complaints about this game.

Closing Thoughts

This game brought me a lot of happiness during my play through! It was like the best elements of all the past Kirby games were thrown into this one. I also really want to mention that it seems like a lot of love was put into Kirby Star Allies. From the characters to the music to the menu design to the varied levels, it’s apparent that the developers put a lot of care and effort into what they were doing. That’s something I really appreciate!

 

End Game Thoughts: Super Mario Odyssey!

Game Title: Super Mario Odyssey
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Hours Played: approximately 10-12

About the Game

Super Mario Odyssey was released for the Nintendo Switch in 2017. In this game, like most Mario games, Princess Peach gets her dumb ass kidnapped by Bowser, and Mario has to go save her! This time, Bowser has the help of some annoying rabbit things called Broodals, and he plans to force Peach to marry him. Along the way, you meet a spirit trapped in a damn hat named Cappy. Cappy becomes your BFF and as an added bonus, you can use Cappy to possess shit! Wahoo! Anyway, you travel through many different kingdoms to try to stop the wedding; it turns out to be quite the adventure!

What I Liked

Hmm, where do I begin?? First of all, the graphics in Super Mario Odyssey are AMAZING! Each time I traveled to a new Kingdom, I was in awe. I think my favorite kingdom is the Ruined Kingdom, because it is dark, gloomy, and has an amazing dragon battle! I also loved the bright, colorful Luncheon Kingdom- only in looks though, playing through it was quite annoying!

I also enjoyed how the different Kingdoms have different objectives and are all so different from each other. Plus, there are so many Power Moons to collect- this gave me motivation to explore!

I thought Cappy was a very creative character. At first, I wasn’t too sure about him, but the little guy grew on me. I tried to possess everything I could, and I had a lot of fun doing it! I especially liked taking control of the Cheep Cheeps in areas where I needed to swim around a lot. Oh, and possessing a piece of meat was definitely my most WTF moment in the game!

There are many other things I loved about the game: the characters, the music, etc. I could probably go on forever!

What I Didn’t Like

Well, there isn’t much that I didn’t like about Super Mario Odyssey! There are things that annoyed me here and there (like the Luncheon Kingdom…. uggh) but that’s just me being nitpicky. There was nothing that really pissed me off or made me want to quit playing!

Closing Thoughts

I loved this game! I thought it was so much fun, and there were so many times while playing that I had a smile on my face. Certain parts of it are more challenging than others, but Super Mario Odyssey has something for players of all skill levels to enjoy. Now I just need to go back and collect the hundreds of Power Moons I am still missing…