Live Services MUST Die!

To sum up Jim's video, AAA publishers are the worst.

But seriously.  There's a term that's going around in the AAA games industry called Live Services.  Basically, it's the video game equivalent of keeping cancer-ridden grandma alive in her deathbed while you keep paying the insurance and medical companies more money.  What Jim's video is highlighting is that companies like Ubisoft are restructuring their business plans to make less games while making more money on fewer games via daily content, DLC and microstransactions.  Live Services makes this happen.

Speaking of Ubisoft, one game of theirs I just so happen to be playing is Assassin's Creed: Origins, and I can see this happening already.  Daily quests and weekly events are introduced to keep players who've already beaten the game coming back for more.  This opens up spending opportunities to buy Helix credits and season passes and whatnot.  Of course, this is nothing new, keeping a game alive by continuing to support it with new content, but does a game like Assassin's Creed: Origins really need to be supported into the next decade?  Assassin's Creed games, with the exception of Origins, are yearly events.  If we're getting an Assassin's Creed game next year, or the year after that, who will still want to play Origins?  Unless... Ubisoft thinks that enough people will.  Therefore, the drive to make the next Assassin's Creed is reduced. 

Now, I dislike the idea of Live Services for a few reasons.  My first and foremost reason is that I feel all games need to end.  I very rarely buy DLC for games because after I beat them, I move on to the next game; I'm always playing something new.  It has to be an exceptional game for me to not only want to return to it, but to also spend money on an expansion pack while I'm at it. 

Another reason is because constant injections of new content while the game is still fresh is distracting from the main game.  To use Assassin's Creed: Origins as an example, I just now started playing the game, but there are quest events that are outside of my level meaning they're going to disappear before I'm strong enough to get to play them.  I really hate seeing them on my screen, and I hate to think of people who've spent money in an attempt to speed up their levels in order to access these daily and weekly quests.

That brings me to my last reason: it's exploitative as fuck.  Now I'm sure most people don't bother dropping money on microtransactions and other nickle and diming forms of DLC, but there are enough people out there that do to keep this business practice going.  There are the whales who have more money than sense, and then there are the addictive gamers who have serious problems and shouldn't be spending that money to begin with.  The fact that you need to keep asking the gamer to pour more money into a game they already played to dripfeed content to them that they should just be earning playing the game is unethical in my opinion.  It's just not defensible.  It's lead up to debacles such as Star Wars: Battlefront II that has put video games back in the sights of lawmakers.  It continues to get worse and worse with companies like Konami charging 10 dollars for extra save slots in Metal Gear Survive, a game which has a single player campaign, but REQUIRES you to always be online.  Now we know why you have to always be online.  Konami needs to know you need a new save slot so they can charge you for it!

This generation of gaming is the most disgusting, most disappointing, most disheartening generation I've had the displeasure of experiencing.  Yet, you get the new gamers who can't seem to wrap their minds around the concept of anti-consumerism and try to defend these companies by saying that video games are so expensive to make.  They need the extra income.  Yes, games are expensive to make, but no, they don't need the extra income.  They WANT the extra income.  They are greedy.  If not greedy, then they are horrible at budgeting.  Why do we as consumers have to be nickle and dimed to help recoup the hundred million dollars that they spent marketing a game of a franchise that everyone knows will release a new installment every year?

Live Services is just a horrible idea to me.  I know this is just my opinion, but gamers don't need to keep playing the same game for years.  There's SO much else out there to play.  Tastes need to be broadened so that we can see a more diverse selection of games.  If every AAA publisher begins to embrace Lives Services, then we're going to see fewer risks being taken.  That means fewer IPs and fewer games.  Do we honestly want to see a community of gamers who play nothing but Overwatch, Destiny 2 and Battlefront 2?  Is that how we want to be seen as? Playing the same thing over and over again?  Let's stop chasing the carrot, shall we?  It's time to kill Live Services!  It's time to just let grandma die!

Chasing the Strawberry: The Forbidden Fruit of the Masochistic Platformer

Platformers.  So simple in their design.  Run, jump, maybe die?  Die.  Try again until you don't die.  These are the simple tenets of the platformer.  Yet, platformers can also be some of the most wickedly designed games out there.  You might be lulled into a false sense of security as you breeze through the first few levels but then suddenly, the level design maliciously changes on you introducing jumps you can't make the first try and hazards you never knew existed. You're starting to become familiar with that one worded question: Continue?  You can't turn down a challenge, can you?

Some platformers take challenging gameplay to a whole other level.  Games like N+ and Super Meat Boy are so crushingly difficult that there's got to be some kind of subgenre to describe them.  Whatever that may be, I'm just going to call them masochistic platformers.  These are the games that don't just challenge your skill level, they challenge your patience and mental stability.  Normal gamers give up on a game after about ten to 15 deaths in a row (ok, I pulled that statistic out of my ass), but gamers who continue to truck on after countless death are a special breed.  They're the ones who enjoy the frustration.  They enjoy the pain.  They won't stop until they beat that level that no one else in the world but them cares about beating.  Once they do, they get a special kind of elation from overcoming the challenge.  These gamers are masochists, and I'm one of them. So hence, "masochistic platformer".

Don't do it Madeline!  It's a trap!

I'm currently playing through Celeste right now.  Celeste is exactly the kind of game I'm describing when I say masochistic platformer.  It has that same "jump precisely or die" gameplay that everyone loved in Super Meat Boy, but it adds a few other gameplay elements to it, such as an eight-way directional boost and the ability to climb.  You'd think that would make the game easier than Super Meat Boy, right?

Well, I suppose if you just ignore the strawberries, then yeah, maybe it's not so bad.  But on to the topic of the blog: chasing the strawberry.  In Celeste, there are floating strawberries that are placed in precarious places that only serve one purpose: they want you to die collecting them. How it works in Celeste is that once you managed to get the strawberry, you have to return to terra firma where it's safe before it counts as you collecting.  This means you can't just run and jump to it and then die with it collected.  Nope, you have to do a full circle.  Also, some of the strawberries have wings and when you boost anywhere on the screen, they take off.  This makes the path to them even more hazardous because you can't use the boost if you hope to reach them.

See that strawberry up there?  That's just one of the easier ones.

The game expects you to die.  A lot.  So much so that it keeps track of your deaths at the end of every chapter.  In fact, during one loading screen, it even tells you to take pride in your high death count because that means you're learning.  But ... are you REALLY learning?  Anyway, when I reach the end of chapter three, I expect my death count to be in the hundreds.  It's all due to these damned strawberries!  There's really no point to them.  They don't bequeath XP; they don't give you special powers; they do absolutely nothing except give you a thousand points at the cost of a thousand deaths.  This isn't really a game I see people playing for points anyway, though.  Also, the game actually tells you in a loading screen that the strawberries do nothing but "impress your friends."

I probably could have been a lot farther along in Celeste has it not been for wasting so much time trying to collect every strawberry I saw, but they're just too tempting for some reason.  They seriously are forbidden fruit.  I'm not supposed to partake, but I will risk many lives in order to do so.  And these kinds of collectibles exist in many platformers.  They entice you above the edge of cliffs.  They beckon you between two massive saw blades.  They lure you in like sirens eagerly awaiting your battered remains to be sploshed among the jagged rocks of the cove.  And we masochistic gamers come back for more, again and again and again, because there is no sweeter fruit than the forbidden variety.

Eight Reasons to Buy a Switch (Because Mario and Zelda Aren't Enough)

"I'm not buying a Switch for just Zelda and Mario."

Sound familiar?  If you're a proud Switch owner and you've discussed the Switch with someone who doesn't have one, you've most likely heard this before.  Yes, at face value, it seems like all the Switch does have to offer is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey.  Just those two games alone, never mind them being two of the highest rated games of all time, would be a hard sell to anyone looking to buy a Switch.  Well, it's a pretty good thing that those games aren't the only two reasons to own a Switch.  So, I'm here to give you eight more.

#1

I'm willing to bet you that if The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey haven't yet sold you on a Switch, there's a good chance you never owned a Wii U.  With only about 10 million Wii Us ever sold, those chances are pretty good.  Mario Kart 8 is one of the best Mario Kart games that I've played in the series, and the Deluxe edition only improves it.  For starters, it comes packed with the DLC of the Wii U version and has a proper battle mode this time.  Mario Kart has always been a terrific party game as well, with fantastic online play.  Taking it on the go with you only makes the game that much better.  The only thing I cannot defend is the abhorrent voice chat system.  I'm just... going to move on.  

#2

Splatoon looks very "kiddie" on the surface, but don't let the aesthetics fool you.  Splatoon 2, just like its predecessor, is a very addicting shooter.  The story campaign, albeit a bit short, has a lot of fun platforming segments and boss battles, but it's the online play that keeps you coming back.  Unfortunately, I'm not much of a fan of how the online matches are structured and again, it's a pain to voice chat with anyone, but that doesn't take away from the chaotic fun of running and swimming around the battlefield trying to overtake the enemy's ink.  Plus, the game's constantly being supported with free DLC.  

#3

The chronic problem that always seems to follow Nintendo around whenever they release a new system is not enough third-party support.  Well, Ubisoft has not only come through with a third-party title for Nintendo but also did it as an exclusive title using the license of Nintendo's iconic Mario.  Ubisoft has also brought their crazy mascots, the Rabbids, for a joint effort in a game that no one ever thought would exist.  What's really most surprising about this title is not just the crazy concept of the game, but just how insanely GOOD it is.  It has the charm of Mario and Co., the humor of Rabbids games, and the gameplay of X-COM.  These three elements mesh together so unbelievably well that you'd be hard pressed to find a better Switch exclusive that Nintendo didn't hand-make themselves.  

#4

Now, I can hear you laughing at me all the way over here for this reason.  I really don't blame you, but I'm not listing this reason for you.  It's for your kid(s).  Nintendo knows full well that this isn't for the core gamer, but I'm not really going to get into that.  For more of my thoughts on Labo, click here.   So, Nintendo Labo is for your children to help spark their interest in STEAM activities.  Honestly, if you bought a Switch for your kids, there's a good enough chance they probably don't even need Labo to have fun with the Switch itself, but this is an amazing way to let them interact with the Switch on a completely different level.  If you help your kids put together, I'm sure you'll even find some fun with it yourself.  

#5 

So I know this is way off in the distance, but I highly doubt the Switch will have a price drop when the game finally comes out, not with the success it's been enjoying currently.  Now, when Metroid Prime 4 does release, it's most likely going to be the Breath of the Wild and Odyssey of the Metroid Prime franchise.  If you're any kind of fan of Nintendo, then you're a Metroid fan and I can't think of any reason why you wouldn't be excited to play a new Metroid, let alone a Metroid Prime game, on the Switch. Also, don't forget, it's portable so you don't have to worry about finding a save point if you have to leave for work.  Just take it with you!

#6

You want another hard hitting exclusive? Bayonetta 3!  I'm sure you love action games, and Platinum makes some of the best around.  One of my favorites is Bayonetta.  I never got around to playing the second, but I already know how excellent that game was from the reviews and secondhand from people who've played it.  I have no reason to doubt that the third title will not disappoint.  "But I'm not going to buy a Switch for just one game!"  So sick of hearing that... This is just like those saying they won't buy it for just two games... You'll have plenty of games to choose from when the game you really want comes out, and again, I doubt the price will drop by then so you might as well just buy a Switch now and start enjoying it.  

#7: Wii U Ports

 

 

This goes back to what I was saying with Mario Kart 8.  There's a good chance you never purchased a Wii U, so with Wii U games now coming to the Switch, you have more reasons to get a Switch.  I also included Lego City Undercover because it was at one point a Wii U exclusive but even though it was ported to other systems, they don't have the same tablet features the Wii U had, which I'm sure you'll be able to use in the Switch version.  That makes the Switch version of Lego City Undercover the definitive version to own. "But, why are they charging 60 dollars for old games?!"  Depends on the value.  People seem to think there's still value in these games, hence the prices.  Click here to read my thoughts about that. 

#8: It's the Definitive Platform for RPGs

Granted, there's going to be a few major RPGs that might never see the light of day on the Switch, but the Switch already has several great ones to choose from.  There's RPG Factory's I am Setsuna and Lost Sphear. There's NIS America's Disgaea 5 Complete.  There's Monolith's Xenoblade Chronicles 2.  There's also Square Enix's upcoming Project Octopath which I've played a demo of, and it is FANTASTIC.  Now, what makes the Switch the definitive platform for RPGs is the simple fact that it's portable.  If you've played RPGs at all, you know how frustrating it is to be waist deep in a dungeon only to have something come up, whether it's going to work or school or an emergency.  The beauty of the Switch... if I have to spell out it out again.. is that it's portable.  Sleep it, take it with you, resume when you've got a break.  I mean, come on!  Who wouldn't love to get a couple hours of dungeon grinding in while you're flying to the grandparents'?  

#9: It's the Definitive Platform for Indies

Ok, so I lied.  I have one more reason for you, and it's just too good not to list.  Ever since the Switch launched, it's being receiving a torrential downpour of support by indie game developers.  You have to take the good with the bad, though, because just like every platform that indie games release on, there's a lot of stinkers but a lot of certified gems as well.  This is certainly the case with the Switch.  I'm currently playing Celeste, and it's simply incredible. It brings all the fun and challenge of Super Meat Boy and mixes it with a thoughtful story and unique charm.  If that wasn't enough, I've been hearing nothing but excellent things about A Night in the Woods.  I'd love to get it right now, but there's just too much on my plate!  And again, just like what I said about the RPGs, the Switch is the definitive platform for indies because of its portability.  I don't have to wait until I get home to play Celeste.  I can simply play it on breaks at work.  I cannot emphasize enough how that convenient feature alone makes it worth the 300 dollars.  

You know what?  I just realized that I could continue to list reasons.  No, seriously, I could go on and on, but I already said I was going to list eight and went one over, so I'll just wrap it up with one other mention.  As of the time of this writing, there are 431 listings on Nintendo's eShop.  The system hasn't even been out for a full year yet, and it's closing on 500 games.  Even if you only have 1 percent interest in the Switch's library, that's about five games that you'll want to buy a switch for.  That's three games more than just the two you say isn't reason enough for, and that's on a VERY low estimate of what you'll be interested in playing on the Switch.  

It certainly does seem like Zelda and Mario are the only reasons to buy a Switch, but that's because those games are of such high quality, the radiance they emit from their respective pedestals makes it hard to notice other games.  Trust me, they're out there.  And there's more coming.  There's always things down in the pipeline and if you aren't interested in the Switch at this point especially if you never had a Wii U, then what exactly do you want from Nintendo?  Do you want Battlefront 2 or Destiny 2 on the Switch?  Why?  You most likely have it on the PS4 or Xbox One.  If you're waiting for those games to come on a Nintendo system, then clearly you're not a Nintendo fan because you'd have a Switch by now playing those Nintendo games.   If that's the case, then I'm afraid there's nothing I can do to change your mind, so I'm sorry for your wasting your time in reading this.  

Mario Kart is Coming to Mobile, and I Don't Care

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-mario-kart-game-announced-for-mobile/1100-6456486/

As big of a Nintendo fan that I am and as huge of a fan as I am of Mario Kart, you'd think I'd be excited about this, but I'm not.  Maybe if they made this announcement before I started to grow deathly tired of Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, I'd have had some excitement for it.  The truth is, Nintendo's past mobile efforts are... just not great. 

It all started in 2016 with a mobile "game" called Miitomo.  Miitomo was more of a random question answering app than it was a game, but it had its unique charm letting you create Miis and doll them up.  There were cute little pachinko-esque games you play that earned you costume pieces.  I had fun with it provided I played with friends who were active and even though they added new features such as sidekicks and fashion shows, it never really evolved.  I ultimately grew bored of it and it ended up just being an app I was occasionally reminded of that was still on my phone thanks to push notifications. 

Well, Miitomo is ending.  It hasn't even been a full two years yet, and they're killing it.  Honestly, I wish they'd kill the rest of their games and just get out of the mobile industry altogether. This might be weird to say considering the rampant success of Pokemon Go, which I do admit deserves to continue to exist because of how well it's being supported but it's the other games, Fire Emblem, Super Mario Run and most recently Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp that I wish a quick and painless death.  Why?  Because they're not very reflective of what Nintendo games actually are.  They're nothing different than any run of the mill mobile freemium game, and it's an insult to Nintendo's quality. 

Now, I will admit, Fire Emblem Heroes is actually the most deep of the bunch, but I have a major grievance with it.  It's a gacha game, and I actually got suckered to drop a few bucks on it because I wanted some characters everyone else was getting.  This really sullies the integrity of the franchise turning it into whale bait (for those who don't know, whales are people with more money than sense who drop tons of dough on loot box microtransactions).  I also take serious exception with the fact that there was all this loot box controversy over Star Wars Battlefront II and not one single knock against Fire Emblem Heroes or any other gacha type game.  They're just as bad. 

Super Mario Run honestly didn't hold my attention enough for me to keep playing.  I tried the free trial when it first released, and I didn't find it compelling enough to pay the at the time 10 dollar asking price.  When it went on sale for five, I bought it, played a level and completely forgot about it again.  I guess I don't like the design of the gameplay.  Push stages were never my favorite in Mario games and so when you have a game where Mario runs automatically and you can't turn him around, that makes it even less fun for me.  Plus, the game's just too bite sized.  I don't want to play Mario games a few minutes at a time.  I want to sit there and play for at least a couple of hours. 

Then we have Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp.  I played this game far longer than I should have only because I'm a four time addict when it comes to Animal Crossing games.  Every sensible fiber in my being told me to stop playing this incessantly monotonous game and do something else, but every three hours I found myself playing again to fulfill these stupid god damned camper requests.  You want a seashell?!  THERE'S FIVE MOTHER FUCKING SEASHELLS AROUND YOU, FUCKER!  FUCKING PICK ONE UP!  AND WHY DOES EVERY ANIMAL SAY THE SAME FUCKING THINGS?!  WHERE'S YOUR SENSE OF IDENTITY?! ... Sorry, turning into a real rant here. 

So next year, we'll get to experience another flagship franchise of Nintendo's being reduced to nothing more than a freemium... OH EXCUSE ME... FREE TO START .. mobile game with either wait-to-play or gacha mechanics in it that will be fun for a few weeks and then obnoxiously mundane after that.  "But they just announced it!  Shouldn't you wait for more info?"  That's a valid point, but look at what they've put out so far.  I have no reason at all to believe that Mario Kart Tour will be any different from their past ventures.  I cannot see this being a mobile Mario Kart 8.  Of course, Nintendo could surprise me and if Tour turns out to be a full fledged Mario Kart, then I'd be REALLY surprised.  But it won't be.  It'll either be wait-to-play or a gacha game. 

I get it, though.  These mobile games aren't meant to be fleshed out Nintendo games.  They're meant to be promotional apps to get people interested in Nintendo products.  I just find it weird, though, that it takes a mobile app to get people interested in Nintendo games.  I mean, everyone knows Nintendo, so no interest until they put out an app? I just honestly see it in reverse; people are playing these Nintendo mobile games because they're already fans of the franchise. 

But if you want to sell me on mobile games, Nintendo, you need to sell me actual games.  That's why I paid five dollars for Super Mario Run, but I'd have paid a lot more for it if it was an actual Mario game.  Same with Fire Emblem (well, I kinda did when I bought those fucking orbs) and Animal Crossing.  As it stands, though, I just feel these mobile games are far beneath what Nintendo is actually capable of and what they should be providing us.  Yes, they're promos to get people interested, but you know what really gets people interested in your games?  ACTUAL. GAMES.

With Mario Kart Tour, I really sincerely hope that I'm wrong.  Please prove me wrong, Nintendo.  Please.

Walking Among the 16 Shadows: A Return to the Forbidden Land

On February 6th, this will arrive on my doorstep.

I don't usually spring for special editions, but when a game is as important to me as Shadow of the Colossus, I make an exception.  Coincidentally, I also sprung for the collector's edition of The Last Guardian because well... it had a statue.  Surprisingly, the special edition of SotC does not have a single statute.  16 colossi in the game, and not a single statue.  Ah well...

So, in preparation of February 6th, I've returned to this:

I'm actually a little bit sad that they're not giving ICO the same remake treatment as Shadow of the Colossus, because I feel it's just about as important an example of games as art as SotC is.  Since they aren't doing it with ICO, I just skipped it and went straight to SotC. Part of me wanted to play the PS2 version again, so I could really appreciate just how much more Bluepoint (the studio responsible for the remake) has improved the game, but that would require pulling out my old PS2, which I can't find.  Plus, it would look far worse on my HDTV, and the remaster of SotC wasn't really that incredible in my opinion.  It would still look dated enough for me to appreciate the changes in the remake.

What I'll be doing in this blog is talking about experiences with the sixteen colossi as I remember them from the first time as well as revisiting them.  When I started last night, before I even began the game, I already had goosebumps crawling up my skin just listening to the music.  The opening cutscene, as dated as the visuals are, still inspire such a sense of wonder in me.  This is going to be one of the first things I'll appreciate with the remake.  I did see a video of it online, but those small little videos don't really amount to much in comparison to seeing it on your own TV.  I remember feeling the sadness of Wander, the hero, as he placed his departed upon the altar.  And then the Dormin spoke.  I still get a chill whenever I hear that voice.  My quest to slay the sixteen colossi, of which I have repeated several times, begins again. 

#1: Valus

When I first played the game, Valus was the doorman that welcomed you to the Forbidden Land.  He was the measurement of scale that proved to you just how insignificant you were.  Even wielding a club, he wasn't as aggressive as you'd expect, further cementing your status as nothing more than a mere annoyance.  Valus was imposing, and he wasn't even one of the bigger ones.  

The first time I fought Valus, I remember having to learn the intricacies of the game's ... unique control scheme.  I had to adapt to the controls quickly, and then I had to figure how to take him down.  First, I had to figure out how to even get on top of him.  I noticed hair on his body, and I knew this is what I would use to climb him, but I still didn't know how to reach it. So I observed him.  I ran around him until I saw a bit on his calf that I could jump on, and that's when I noticed something glowing under the fur.  Clinging to the hair around the emitting light, I raised my sword and plunged it where I was met with a gut-wrenching scream and the beast fell on one knee.  

That's when I saw a ledge on his armor that I could grab onto and then as the mammoth rose, so did I climbing him further to get to his head.  I stabbed him and he responded with violently shaking his head trying to fling me off like the flea I was.  Not quite used to the stamina mechanic, I fell off him.  A lot.  But with every towering beast you fall off of, you get up and get on it again.  After I stabbed his head enough times, I noticed the glowing rune was no longer there.  I couldn't deliver any more damage to him, so I had to find another weak spot, and I found it on his back. I continued to grab his fur stabbing him whenever I could between his jarring convulsions.  After I delivered the final blow, he crumbled like an ancient tower suffering one too many eroded bricks.  

Instead of victory over Valus like I'd expect to feel for toppling something that massive, I instead felt a sense of sorrow wash over me.  This was a giant, as menacing as it was, but I had the feeling that it was a peaceful giant that only clubbed with his massive cudgel when provoked.  I indeed provoked him.  I stepped foot into a land that I was not privileged to enter and accepted a murderous quest to restore the soul of my beloved to her body that had no right returning, and I slayed him.  Indeed, I felt sad.  Victorious, but altogether sad.  That's when I saw tendrils of shadow splay out towards me and impale me like serpents causing the light to fade from me.  I awoke at the temple again, witnessing the first of the 16 statues explode into rubble.  The Dormin spoke to me again, giving me a hint of the next foe that I would face.

#2 Quadratus

I remember the first time I faced this quadrupedal behemoth.  I was stumped for a good while trying to figure out how to get the monster to let me get on him.  He had to rear up on his hind legs where his weak points underneath his hooves were exposed.  You shoot one of them and then he falls over allowing you to get a foothold and begin climbing him.  Then it's just a matter climbing him and stabbing him in his weak points.  

When I faced him this time, it seemed to be a bit different for some reason.  I couldn't get him to rear up, so instead I had to watch his hooves as he walked and then real quickly shoot the underside of his hoof as it was just a couple feet above ground.  When I was trying to stab his head, he was also bucking very hard, harder than I remember.  In fact, that seems to be a prevalent theme during my revisit.  

#3 Gaius

Easily the tallest colossus outside of the last battle, Gaius awaited you on a tilted platform above a lake.  The ground was mostly soft except for a hard circle in the center of the platform.  This colossus was another tricky one that took me a good while to figure out.  I ran all around him trying to look for places to climb him, but no such luck.  One tip that I found out with these colossi is that when you tend to get stuck, it's best to just stand back and observe them and see what they do.  That's when I saw Gaius lift his massive stone club in the air and bring it down right on top of my head. 

After I got up, I tried dodging this time.  His club pounded into the dirt kicking up chunks from the ground from the impact.  I knew this would be the key to boarding him but by the time I got to his club, he pulled it away.  I had to be quicker.  I moved at the very last second, then double backed the moment the club came down and ran up the weapon only to be blocked at his arm.  There was no way around.  Then, I remembered the hard circle in the center.  I jumped off, baited him there and when he struck it, the vibration shattered some of his armor, revealing fur that I could climb. 

Once I got on, I climbed and stabbed his stomach, then climbed up and stabbed his head.  This was another colossi that violently shook more than I remembered.  The first time I slayed him, I remember being in awe while at the same time being grief stricken that I took down such a magnificent towering being.  The way he just folded like a card table made it that much more pitiful. 

#4 Phaedra

For some reason, I had the hardest damn time finding this particular one when I first played.  I think I must have took a wrong turn at Albuquerque.  I just remember getting turned out in a secluded forest over and over again until finally, I just stumbled along the correct path and found the open area with four entrances to an underground tunnel.  When I revisited this one, thankfully I did not have that problem.  Found him right away.  

I also remember this one stumping me pretty hard my first time.  After running around him trying to find a place to leap onto, I found a dangling piece of armor on his tail, but no matter how many times I tried to leap from one of the hilly tunnel entrances, I just couldn't reach it.  I ran around the tunnels to see if there was anything that would help me and when I emerged from one, that's when I saw Phaedra doubled over the entrance I had just used.  That piece of tail armor was just within my reach!  I ran for it, leapt, climbed, stabbed, slayed, wept.  Another one down, and also another that shook me a lot more than I remembered.

#5 Avion

This majestic winged creature is probably my second favorite colossus in the game.  I just remember being so impressed with the way he was animated.  His wingspan invoked - more like commanded - a sense of awe.  After its cinematic introduction, he took his perch on an unclimbable pillar and waited stoically waited for you.  This one stumped me as well, but I did enjoy trying to figure how to get on him.  I swam around looking for a way to climb that pillar, because his tail was dangling down just begging for me to grab it, but no such luck. 

That's when I noticed the three platforms in the middle of the water. I swam to one of them and then gazed at Avion wondering what I should do.  I remembered my bow and arrow, nocked an arrow and let it fly where it struck him in the breast.  This got his attention.  He unfolded his massive wings and descended from his perch swooping towards me when I noticed it: the fur on his wing.  I jumped up and grabbed just as his dive bomb meant to clear me from the platform. 

This colossus was different from the previous four in that he's a flying creature.  This meant that the riding experience was on a a completely different level.  You always had that sense of dread when falling off a colossus, especially from Gaius but with Avion, there's the element of speed added; the rushing of the wind; the fear of falling into the lake.  For the most part, even though Avion's wings were always flapping, you could run along him to find and attack his weak points.  It was only when he was banking that you had to hold on for dear life.  During his turns, he listed a full 180 degrees.  It was quite a rush holding on to him during those moments.  After I slayed him, I want to say that I felt the most sorrow out of all 16 colossus just because he was so amazing.

#6 Barba

Barba's another bipedal colossus, this one being hidden underground in a ruin.  You had to descend a wall and at the bottom of that wall, it sank into the ground revealing Barba.  Thanks in part to Gaius, no bipedal colossus from this point onward (except the final colossus, but he doesn't walk) ever really seems as imposing as they should.  Still, he's not someone that you'd want to stand underneath and let walk on you.

The game did a steady job of keeping me stumped my first play through.  There was literally no way to climb him from the bottom.  The puzzle was the environment itself.  There were several walls leading to the back of the cave that had an alcove carved into it.  I had to lead Barba to these walls so that he'd kick a giant hole in them allowing me to progress.  Once I reached the alcove, I tried to figure out what to do and as I said before, if you get stumped, just observe them and watch what they do.  Barba crouched down to find me, his bushy beard now brushing the ground, and that's when I made my move.  I sprang out from hiding, grabbed the beard, climbed him, stabbed and slayed him.  He was yet another one that shook a lot more than I remembered.  

#7 Hydrus

Another stumper.  This electric eel took residence in one of the many lakes of the Forbidden Land and circled underneath you like an inverted aquatic vulture.  He had three prongs along his body that emitted electricity, but they posed little threat to you while he was completely submerged.  I had no idea how to even begin to climb this one.  Again... when stumped, do nothing and the solution presents itself.  

If you just tread water, you'd see him get into position to attack.  He swims so slowly, however, so the song and dance was a bit difficult to choreograph.  The trick was to position yourself at just the right spot while Hydrus started to surface so that you weren't shocked by the prong as he rose and didn't miss his body to grabbing his body as a portion of it emerged.  It took me several attempts when I first tried him, but it was second nature when I revisited him.

Once you got a hold of him, it was pretty much easy going at this point.  You had to run along his body when he surfaced, and then hold on for deal life when he submerged.  The prongs weren't dangerous if you didn't get too close to them, but they barred your progress along his body to the weak point atop his head.  Before each prong was a weak point that you had to strike to disable the electricity in order to pass.  Once you got to the head, he was good as dead.  Then, it was just waiting for those shadowy tentacles to grab you and return you to the shrine.

#8 Kuromori

I would have to say Kuromori was the first colossus that I actually hated.  Seriously, the first time fighting him was a trial in frustration.  The battle took place in a ruined coliseum with several walls crumbled exposing the arena to the center.  Kuromori waited at the bottom with no visible weak point.  I kind of expected it wasn't going to be as simple as go down and climb him.  

The first thing I had to do was get his attention.  I shot him with an arrow and watched to see what happened.  Then I realized the unique feature of this colossus.  He can climb.  He scaled the walls to greet me and did something that proved to make this fight one of the most annoying in the game.  He spat at me.  Not just any spit, but a spit that bloomed into an orange mist that carried a deadly static charge that sapped your health very quickly if you didn't get out of it.   For the first time in the game, I died repeatedly trying to figure this one out.

I started to approach the battle from a different angle, literally.  I shot him to get his attention, and then I ran around the arena's floors to the other side where I got a vantage point from one of the crumpled walls.  That's when I noticed his legs were glowing and if you played video games for any period of time, you know that glowing appendages are usually weak points.  I shot a couple of them all the while avoiding that ghastly mist and then witnessed Kuromori fall from the walls and land on his back like an overturned turtle.  That's when I saw the weak point on his belly.  I had to act quick because I saw him struggling to right himself.  I struck at the weak point but only got about half his health down before he got back up and the dance continued.  The second time finished him off, and I remember being completely exhausted.  It wasn't so bad at all when I revisited him because thankfully, I knew exactly what to do. 

#9 Basaran

Just when I thought there couldn't be anything more annoying than Kuromori, I met Basaran, a gigantic tortoise that spits electric missiles at you.  This was also the first battle that you had to have your horse Argo to help you with.  Basaran fires those charged projectiles at you pretty quickly and they're hard to avoid when on foot, but Argo makes it a little easier.  You can still get caught by them and knocked off him if you aren't careful, though.

What makes this fight so infuriating is due to Basaran's A.I.  The only way to climb him is to first get him to lose his balance by positioning him above one of the many geysers populating the battlefield.  This means you need to get him to follow you while avoiding his shots, and trying to line him up perfectly on a geyser is an exercise in patience.  I cannot remember how long it took me to finally get him up on a geyser my first time, but I did experience some troubles trying to do it again during the revisit.  Once you got him on two legs from the geyser, you shot the tends on his supporting feet and he tumbled over on his back.  Climb. Stab. Slay. Fuck. Off. 

#10 Dirge

I've always been of the opinion that if you want to highlight a game's mechanical faults, present the player with a boss fight.  Dirge is that fight.  Dirge is the colossus that shatters the immersion of the this fantastic game and reminds that you it is indeed a game.  Dirge is a sandworm living in a cave and Argo plays a very important role in this battle.  Dirge will easily kill you if you're on foot, so you need to be riding Argo at all times.  What makes this battle irritating is that it shows off just how obnoxious the camera is.

You need to get Dirge to chase you meaning that you're going to have to watch him from the back of your horse.  Because you can't steer the horse while also keeping the camera on Dirge,  you have to place your faith in Argo's A.I. that he keeps running parallel to the cave's walls and doesn't run headfirst into a rock or something.  So with your eyes on Dirge, you're looking for his eyes.  Once you see them exposed from the sand, you only have a few seconds to shoot them before Dirge speeds up and makes a ramming attack that will most likely connect sending both you and Argo to the ground.  Aiming the bow has never been very smooth in my opinion and trying to control both Argo and the camera makes these very short seconds quite nerve wracking.  

If you're successful in shooting both eyes, Dirge goes blind and tries to find you based on vibrations (think Tremors).  You stay next to the wall and wait for him to charge, and then move out of the way where he rams the wall and stuns himself.  His writhing body then becomes fully emerged from the sand allowing you to climby climby stabby stabby.  After you take out the first weak point, he shakes you off, submerges into the sand and the cat and mouse begins again.  After going through the process again, I didn't feel any sorrow for destroying this beast because just as with the previous two colossi, I felt a sense of relief for just getting it done.  During the revisit, even knowing what I had to do, it still was a lot more annoying than it should have been.

#11 Celosia

Found in a ruins carved in a rock wall, Celosia is the smallest of the 16 colossi, but his temperament is perhaps the greatest.  This armored bull is tenacious and if you let him catch you with a gore, there's a good chance he won't be letting you get back up.  For some reason, I had an excruciating time during my revisit because of this.  I really don't remember it being this bad when I first played.  All I remember about my first experience was trying to figure out what to do, and when I did, that was it.

The fight starts out on a platform with four pillars that have lit braziers on them. Celosia jumps onto the platform and then begins to charge at you.  He moves so quick and actually tracks your dodging as he gores you with his horns.  It took me a good long time to figure out what to do here, but once you did, it was pretty easy.  The trick was climbing atop one of the pillars baiting Celosia to charge at you.  He'd ram that pillar and the force would jettison one of the torches out of the brazier onto the ground.  You then had to quickly jump back down, grab the now extinguished torch, climb back onto the pillar and swing the torch through the brazier to relight it.

With the torch lit once again, you hopped down and then Celosia would become afraid of you.  The Dormin said this beast was the keeper of the fire, but you wouldn't guess it by how he cowers from it.  What you had to do at this point was nudge Celosia to the edge of the platform that opens back to the canyon where he'd fall over backwards and shatter the armor on his back exposing the weak point.  Then, it was simply jump atop him and stab him to death.  Well, that's how I remembered it.

The revisit proved to be much different.  When I got atop of him, he was bucking me so much, I couldn't stab him once.  Not once.  I couldn't even get a single mini poke in.  I've talked about how some of the previous colossi shook a lot more, but never did they leave me without a single opportunity to attack before I lost my grip.  I went through a full stamina meter with Celosia and didn't do a single bit of damage.  Once I got thrown off, it got even worse.  He gored me and while I waited excruciatingly to get back up, he gored me again.  Again, and again.  I died, completely unable to defend myself.  I got so frustrated that I started yelling and swearing and when I finally was able to kill the beast, I actually threw my controller out of exasperation.  It forced me to take a break that night.  I have no idea why that fight was so different this time around.

#12 Pelagia

Pelagia was one of the more memorable experiences.  He was another electric projectile spitting turtle like Basaran but unlike Basaran, he swims in a lake.  This is also one of the longer battles as well, and I remember spending close to an hour my first time trying to figure out what to do.  His back can be accessed by just swimming around him as he turns very slowly, and you can climb up to his head, but there are no visible weak points.  The weak point is actually on his chest, which is submerged.  So, the puzzle becomes trying to get him to expose it.

In the lake are three small islands with gazebo-like structures.  I remember wasting a lot of time trying to figure out how to climb them.  I went back to climbing Pelagia and I paid closer attention to the stones on top of his head.  Out of curiosity, I struck one of them with my sword where I was met with a clang and then a jerk of his head as as he moved in that direction.  That's when it struck me. I could control Pelagia by hitting the stones in the direction I wanted him to go in.

I now had a way to reach the top of those structures.  I also remember the jumps were a bit tricky and I failed a couple of times.  Once I got on top of the structures, there was still the matter of trying to get him to expose his weak point.  Once again, merely waiting it out presented the solution.  Staying hidden behind a circular piece of stonework made Pelagia have to rise up of the water to try to find me.  Once he did, I was able to jump on his chest and start stabbing him.  A third of the way through his health, he sunk back into the water washing me off, and then proceeded to destroy the island I was just on.  I had to do this process two more times until he was dead.

#13 Phalanx

Now we're on to my favorite of the 16.  The reason why it's my favorite is because he's the most magnificently designed colossus, beautiful to behold as he flies in the sky and a thrill to try to climb and ride.  It's also one of the longest battles outside of the final colossus. Not only is Phalanx another flying colossus, he can also become subterranean after you attack him causing you to go looking for him.  Unlike the other 15, he's also the only colossus that's completely docile.  He has no methods of attack and is not aggressive in any form.  He just flies around the sky waiting for you to kill him.  Because of this, the most sorrow I ever felt after slaying a colossus was directed towards Phalanx.  Even during a revisit, I regretted killing him. 

The first step in boarding Phalanx is attacking the three bulbous sacks of air on his underside.  One they've deflated, he loses altitude and then drops his wings where they skim the dunes as he just barely glides over them.  This is another fight where riding Argo is integral to success because in order to climb Phalanx, you need to ride alongside those wings leaping from Argo onto them.  Once you've grabbed one of them, Phalanx regains altitude, straightens his wings and then you have to jump from them to his body. 

There are three weak points along his body with scales that have opened to expose them for whatever reason.  Once you strike each weak point, the scales close and Phalanx dives into the sand reemerging from some other dune with those air bags fully inflated.  Once you get the last weak point destroyed, then the mighty Phalanx tumbles back to earth, this time for the last time.  Congrats. You just slayed the most majestic creature of the land. 

#14  Cenobia

Cenobia is probably my least favorite from a creature design perspective only because he's almost a carbon copy of Celosia.  Before this point in the game, each colossus impressed more than the previous, but this encounter felt too familiar.  The grand stage of this fight is what caused the battle to be distinct enough from Celosia's to be memorable in its own right.  Whereas Celosia used only a fraction of his surrounding environment for its battle, Cenobia uses almost each inch of his environment.  

Because you know how Cenobia will act thanks to his similarities to Celosia, you know you shouldn't be on the ground or in front of him.  Thankfully, he's not nearly as tenacious as Celosia when it knocks you down, because you do have a fighting chance to get back up.  There are pillars strewn about the area that you can climb and the goal is to get atop them and get Cenobia's attention to ram them and knock them down.  As each pillar falls, you jump to the next one and eventually, you can reach structures that you follow back to the area you first emerged from.  When Cenobia knocks the final pillar down, it crashes into the wall taking it down and allowing Cenobia to follow you into that area. 

The next part involves climbing up and standing on the ceiling supported precariously by a column.  Cenobia then attacks the column out of rage and causes the ceiling to collapse on him destroying the armor on his back exposing his weak point.  Thanks to Celosia, I dreaded trying to ride this beast while attacking him, because I knew it would be a frustrating experience, but I gritted my teeth and jumped on him.  Thank god it wasn't as bad as Celosia.  Although he still bucked me for all he was worth, I was able to stab him repeatably before I got thrown off.  I only had to get on top of him one more time to finish the job. 

#15 Argus

The one thing I remember about Argus when I first played was getting lost as hell trying to find him.  He's the only colossus that will cause you to get lost along the way if you merely follow the guiding light of your sword.  This is because the path that the sword points you to actually takes you back to Pelagia.  If that happens, you have to do a bit of backtracking and then ago against the guiding light to circle around that path until you're finally back on track to Argus. 

Argus is one of the larger bipedal colossi and has the second largest stone weapon, taking a far backseat to Gaius's club.  The battle takes place in a massive hall with two identical faces on each wall.  There's also two bridges connecting both walls.  The first time I played, it took forever for me to figure how to get up to the bridges.  I knew I couldn't climb Argus from the bottom, so I had to figure out how to get into the walls to make my way up to the bridges.

Running along these walls, I noticed there was a low point where I could almost reach.  While I was trying to figure out how to get up there, Argus stomped his way over, got into position and then stomped on me.  As I got knocked to the ground, I realized the stone I was on was raised up because of Argus stepping on it.  When I got up, he removed his foot from the stone and it came back down,  I had to bait him again and this time I dodged out of the way as he brought his foot back down.  I ran up the makeshift ramp, jumped onto the wall and then proceeded to make my way up to the bridges. 

Of course, being the second to the last battle, it can't just be that simple.  There was another roadblock. I had no access to the next level.  I saw a way to climb up to it, but the handhold was just out of reach.  That's when I noticed Argus pacing back and forth, wondering how to get at me.  I was wondering how to get at him.  It was then that I felt a connection with him that I didn't really feel with the others.  We were both predator and prey to each other, two hunters trying to kill each other.  This should have been a common theme for just about every encounter, but it was in that moment, both of us staring at each other, that it felt stronger.  I decided to make the first move and shot him with my arrow to see what would happen.

Oh, he didn't like that. He raised his cleaver to the side and swung it at me, but me being inside the wall, it only clanged off it loosening blocks down from the ceiling to the ground.  Thanks to these blocks, I could now reach one of the handholds and climb to the next level.  Once there, I was able to run up and access the bridge where I planned on jumping from the moment Argus was within reach.  Except, Argus had one more trick planned for me.  He cocked back his stone cleaver and before I realized what was happening, he swung it overhead and obliterated the bridge I was on causing me to crash back down to the ground.  Ugh... I had to go through this all over again.

Thankfully, I remembered that when I revisited the fight.  Before the cleaver came down on the bridge, I rolled out of the way. After the dust settled, I ran back to what was left of the bridge and let Argus get underneath me.  I then jumped onto him and started stabbing him in the head.  Like just about every colossus before him, he shook a hell of a lot more than I remembered.  Unfortunately, I fell off a couple of times because it's really had to let your stamina regenerate as he not only shakes his head, but his shoulders and back as well.

After I destroyed the weak point in his head, that left him with just a little bit of health left.  Problem was, I couldn't spot any other weak points.  I pulled out my sword and let the light guide me to the next weak point and that's when it pointed to his hand.  Only problem was, it was the hand that held the cleaver.  Tricky bastard.  Once I got back on Argus, I started climbing down his shoulder of the cleaver holding arm where I saw a weak point that I could strike, so I did.  The pain caused Argus to drop his cleaver, thus exposing the final weak point on his hand.  Yet another problem... I couldn't reach it because of a band he had around the wrist.

My only recourse at this point was to hop off him and then employ a tactic I've used on countless colossi: put distance between me and him and see what happens.  Argus, with shot tendons leaving him unable to pick up his cleaver, raised his maimed arm and brought his hand down on me, where I very narrowly managed to dodge.  That's when I was able to reach his hairy palm (grow up).  As he rose his hand up trying to shake me off, I stabbed at his hand until finally, the battle was over.  Now only one left. 

#16 Malus

There's something truly spectacular about Malus, and it's not just his size.  Well, his size along is enough to distinguish himself from the previous 15, but it's everything about his size that makes him spectacular.  He's so large, he can't move.  His armor is a level unto itself.  He demands the largest battlefield of them all, so large in fact that the first quarter of the battle is just trying to get to him.  He encompasses everything there is to be known as a final boss. 

Even though Malus can't move, he's extremely deadly from a distance.  He shoots round after round of explosive fire that shakes the ground and everything with it.  It is impossible to run up to him and live, so instead you have to take a more cautious route.  Reaching him involves a series of barricades and tunnels to keep you out of Malus' line of fire.  Eventually, you end up emerging from one of the tunnels directly beneath Malus.  You're able to climb up the inside of his apron and then you can start climbing him from the outside.

Thanks to a combination of excellent camera work (for once), dark atmospheric conditions, a moody soundtrack, and just a giant beast to climb, the battle with Malus truly feels like the game's climatic final battle.  Once you get about halfway up Malus, you run out of armor to climb, so that's when you have to start thinking about what to do next.  If you run around to his back, you see fur that you climb, but it doesn't go up.  If you strike it, this causes Malus pain and he reaches behind him to try to get you.  His hand is covered in fur as well, so you can leap to it and cling to his hand.  Malus then brings his hand up and turns it over to look at you and if you stab his hand, the pain paralyzes him for just a few moments.  At this point, if you notice his other shoulder, you'll see a weak point you can shoot with an arrow.  Once you shoot it, the pain will cause Malus to bring his hand, the one you're clinging to, over to hold his shoulder.  This is when you can leap to Malus himself and begin climbing to the top of his head... where your patience will be put to the test.

Even from the first time I played, I always had a major problem trying to stab Malus in his head.  Every time I would get ready to strike, he's shake causing me to reaffirm my grip.  Up and down... up and down... up and down.  My stamina would be worn so quickly, I'd have to try to let go and stand on his back to let the stamina regenerate before I could try again.  Being so close to the end of the game only caused the frustration to increase.  It also seems there's a very miniscule area on his head where if you hold on, you won't actually be shaken like a rag doll and can charge your strikes even with Malus' head bobbing up and down.  Even to this day, it seems random so you either have a good grip on him or your don't.  Thankfully, if you're careful, you can never get shaken off him causing you to go through the whole process of climbing him again.  It's just a matter of waiting him out at this point.  Once you've succeeded in killing Malus, then it's back to the temple for the final time where the ending starts to play out but not before providing the player with an unexpected twist....

Wrapping Up

I really wish I could figure out why my most recent play through felt so different. It wasn't like it was when I first played it on the PS2.  Even when I played the remaster for the first time on the PS3, I don't remember it being that frustrating.  My theory is that since I've played it so many times, the magic of the game has worn thin and it wasn't as potent enough to cause me to forgive the game's technical flaws, of which there is many.  I really don't want to say this because of how much I love the game, but Shadow of the Colossus is a technical mess.  Controls, camera, even places where you want him to grip.  They're all unrefined.

This has me hoping that Bluepoint will do more than just remake the graphics.  Maybe they'll have the camera behave a little better.  Maybe they'll improve the controls and up the frame rate so that animations look better and contact feels more real.  The age of the game has caused certain nuances to feel jerky and I'm hoping the remake will have all these kinks ironed out.  

Even being frustrated many times during my revisit, it's still hard for me to hold that against the game.  The game is so epic and so awe inspiring, I think I could play it 20 years from now and still feel at least some percentage of wonder that I had when first played it in 2005.  I'm glad I gave it another spin just a couple of weeks before the PS4 remake, because this way, I'll be able to further appreciate all the changes and improvements the remake will have.  Maybe I'll get to experience that sense of wonder I had the first time I played all over again. 

To all who've read through this in its entirety, I realize it's been a lot.  I haven't written such a long blog post in very long time, so if you made it all the way through, I truly appreciate it.  Thank you for reading!

I'll Buy That for a Dollar!: Determining the Value of Games

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately on the pricing of games.  One of the ongoing criticisms of Nintendo and its Switch is how ports of old games are being sold for 60 dollars as if they're brand new games.  People just don't like the thought of old games being sold for that much.  After all, we see new games come out for 60 dollars, then as the months pass by, those prices drop whether it's through retail or publisher.  So, if a game has been out for so long that its value depreciates, why then do we see the same game being rereleased on a different system for the same starting price?

The answer is value. Value is a product's perceived worth.  If a publisher feels there's enough interest in said product and enough people will pay that price, then the value is established.  This is why we're seeing old games being rereleased on the Switch.  Publishers feel there's enough interest in them that people will pay new prices all over again.  With the rampant success of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Nintendo has proved they can make what's old new again, and people can't depart with their cash fast enough.  This is largely in part due to the immensely underperforming Wii U.  With a little over 10 million units sold world wide during its life span, not that many Wii U games had a shot at selling well.  So, it's no surprise that publishers wanted to take a second chance with their games for the far better selling Switch platform.

The recent Nintendo Direct has unveiled a few more ports, such as Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Hyrule Warriors and The World Ends With You.  Every one of these older games are going to be 60 dollars.  For people who already bought those games on the Wii U, having to pay full price again on the Switch stings but for people who never played them before, I honestly feel that 60 dollars is an honest price.  Take Skyrim for example.  Everyone and their mother's mother has played this game in some form or another... except me and maybe a few other people.  For such an old game being resold for full price, it's no wonder the internet balked at it.  Me, though, it was a fresh new game that I'm still playing since I got it in November.  The 60 dollar price tag has granted a ton of mileage for me.

The World Ends With You, however, is a real tough pill to swallow.  Not only is this near eleven year old game full price at 60, it was only 40 when it originally released on the Nintendo DS.  What justifies the extra 20 dollars?  Is it only 60 because it has to follow the status quo with other Switch releases?  Well, there have been many Switch games that were ports of older games that came in well below the 60 dollar mark.  The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth + is one such example.  What makes this even worse is that you buy the game on your phone for only 18 dollars!  So how in the "World" does Square find enough value in the game to think they can get off trying to charge 60 dollars for it on the Switch?  I don't know...

As I said before, if there's enough interest in the game that people will pay 60 for it, then that's the value.  If it doesn't sell at 60, the price will come down.  But man... I just DON'T see this one selling at 60.  Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze?  Most likely.  Hyrule Warriors?  Maybe.  The World Ends With You?  Probably not.  But you know what's probably going to happen?  Square being Square is going to start complaining about the game's poor sales blaming it on a lack of interest for third-party titles.  No, there's interest there.  You just need to price it better.

Honestly, all these third party publishers need to price their games better.  Even though I just said that I am getting so much bang for the buck from Skyrim, that may not be the case for all people.  It won't be the case for people who buy the other currently available ports such as Doom (although it's really not that old) and L.A. Noire.  I bought them for the novelty, but there's something that I need to confess to.  I haven't purchased a physical Switch title for full price yet.  Not a single one of them.  (Sadly, I have to with the digital games, because you don't really have a choice.)

I'm an Amazon Prime member and a Best Buy Gamer's Club Unlocked member as well.  This means that provided I jump on a new release quickly (or in Amazon's case, pre-order only), I can score 20% off.  That means I get a 60 dollar game for 48 dollars.  I also use my Amazon Rewards Visa card which gets me three times the points when I use it on Amazon, not to mention the Rewards certificates I earn from Best Buy.  I actually haven't paid full price for not just Switch games, but games in general for a few years because of these programs.  Hell, I just ordered The Evil Within 2 for PS4 a couple days ago for free because I caught Amazon's Deal of the Day when they were selling it for 20 and I had 25 dollars in points.  How's THAT for value!

The problem with all this, though, is that these savings programs aren't available for everyone.  Some live in regions where they just don't exist.  Some don't buy games enough to warrant annual memberships.  Some don't have good enough credit to even have credit cards to order from Amazon or Best Buy. This means some people are just stuck having to pay 60 dollars for a new game, and that's just U.S.!  People in other countries like Australia might even have to pay 100 for the same game!  Gaming is really expensive, and I get that.  When you have a new system and ports of older games come out for said system, you really don't want to see games you want to play still reflect the prices they had when they released 10 years ago...

But there's one thing that I think we take for granted when it comes to the price of gaming.  Inflation.  It's almost nonexistent when it comes to the gaming industry.  I remember NES games used to cost about 50 dollars... Back in 1985!  That was 33 freaking years ago!  I bet a few of you reading this blog weren't even born back then!  SNES games were 60 dollars I believe. I remember the N64 games were eighty dollars.  EIGHTY dollars for one game!  This was back when I didn't even have a job! Let's also not forget the fact that Sony tried to sell a 600 system. However, there are other factors that complicate this.  Yes, game pricing hasn't really changed all that much, but just about everything else has gone up.  Gas, rent, utilities, food.  So, while gaming in theory should be cheaper, the cost of living going up has negated that fact. 

Also, there's a lot more to play today than there ever was and this year proved to be a rather busy one thanks to the Switch, the PS4's amazing exclusives and the Xbox One X (although if you only care about exclusives and not power, then the X1X is a non-factor).  Our wants far outweigh our needs so games seem pricier than they actually are because there's so many of them that we want.  We wish they were cheaper so we could buy more of them. But that doesn't make value any easier to calculate. 

We have to look at what the games have inside them and who the games are for.  Let's just use a modern day shooter like Call of Duty for example.  For gamers who play multiplayer each and every day, 60 dollars for one game is a steal.  They definitely get quality time with it, but thanks to the industry ternd of sacrificing single player content as a trade off, single player gamers have a very hard time justifying buying a new Call of Duty for full price, especially since another Call of Duty with an equaly disappointing campaign is just around the corner. 

Concerning single player games, how long should one be for 60 dollars?  Do you just assign a minimum standard of 20 hours or do you factor in the quality of the experience?  Is a 20 hour mediocre campaign worth less to you than a five hour extremely memorable campaign?   Does it also matter to you that the game's been out for five years and is just being remastered?  If you haven't played the original, then should it matter at all to you if it's the same price as it was five years ago?

I'm afraid there's really no objective way to argue the pricing of games.  There's just too many factors to take into account, and everyone has their own definition of value and worth. Remember how many times you would see on a message board that the Switch was overpriced? Didn't stop people from making it the fastest selling console in US history now, did it?  It's because those people who bought the Switch found more value in it than those that thought it was overpriced.  So I guess when it comes to deciding a game's worth, it's not really about how much the companies think they can get away with but instead how much you'll let them take you for.

Nintendo Is Selling Us Cardboard, and It's Genius

A couple of days ago, Nintendo was teasing a new interactive way to play with the Switch, and I don't think there was anyone who saw this coming... Their new experience is Nintendo Labo.  Say it with me again, Nin-ten-do .... La-bo.... What is Nintendo Labo you ask?  Well, that's why I put Nintendo's video up at the top.

In case you don't know, Nintendo Labo are activity kits, two in number, that let you punch out pre-cut cardboard pieces and put them together to make such things as fishing rods, houses, pianos, even "remote-control" bugs.  You place controllers or even the Switch itself in them and suddenly, it becomes a physical toy you can actually play with instead of a video game system you merely play on.

Now, whenever Nintendo decides to do something original, something wacky, something only Nintendo has the gumption to come up with, it splits the internet down into two camps.  There's the camp that just doesn't get it and has to lash out at Nintendo for being so stupid to make something like this and believes it will be an instant failure.  Then, you have the other camp, the one that sees the promise in it, and also realizes its not made specifically for them.  I belong in the latter camp.

Let's just get this out of the way, ok?

NINTENDO LABO IS NOT MADE FOR YOU!

Nintendo Labo is simply not made for gamers, not even the 6-12 age group they're targeting.  If you were looking for a new awesome first party game, I'm sorry, this simply will not be it. This isn't gaming; this is edutainment. This is for a select group of young children who enjoy putting things together.  Nintendo is looking to stimulate imaginations, and the age group of 6-12 is when a lot of kids show imagination and creativity.  Nintendo Labo will help facilitate this because it marries two things together: virtual and physical.  As I said earlier, Nintendo Labo transforms the Switch into something they don't just play on, but play with.  This is a move that should be lauded.  Any company that shows interest in the development of children should be praised.

Let's address a commen complaint, though.

"They're selling cardboard for 70 and 80 dollars!"

Yeah, this is a little hard for even me to defend.  First off, let's just remember that software is coming with Labo, so it's not just the cardboard.  With that said, how robust can the software actually be to inflate the cost of these 70 and 80 dollar kits?  I got to thinking, though.  As with most toys, you're not really paying for cheap material.  You're paying for all the R&D.  You're paying for the engineering.  Even though it's cardboard, it's precision cut cardboard and has to be manufactured exclusively for Nintendo.

You know what else is cheap but costs more than it should?  Legos.  Legos are just plastic, but for some reason, they cost about 10 dollars for every 100 pieces.  This means that the larger sets can very easily become quite expensive.  Just a few months ago, Lego released a massive 7,500+ piece Millennium Falcon.  The retail price?  800 dollars!  EIGHT HUNDRED DOLLARS for plastic!  And what do the kids get out of it?  Something that they play with for a few days and then let it collect dust somewhere.

Ok, yes, Legos are more durable than cardboard, but the one point I think just about everyone has missed is that Nintendo will replace these pieces.  For free.  Even better, you can probably make your own pieces with your own cardboard so you don't have to wait for Nintendo to ship out replacements to you.  If you lose a piece in a Lego set, you're pretty much screwed, but if you lose or break a piece in Labo, you can literally replace it yourself.

True, Nintendo Labo is not Metroid Prime (although we are getting a new one eventually). It's no F-Zero.  It's no Pilotwings; no Super Smash Bros; no StarFox; no Paper Mario.  It's nothing that any hardcore Nintendo fan actually wants for their Switch.  What I'm honestly most disappointed with is that it's still no Virtual Console.  I get it.  Nintendo fans are pissed about Nintendo Labo because they feel that Nintendo isn't giving them what they want, what they need, what they feel they deserve to have for supporting Nintendo for so long.

You just have to keep patient.  Nintendo has always tried something new and for the most part, it usually involved their entire demographic, but this time Nintendo is focusing on young children.  I tend to think children aren't stimulated enough, and STEM activities are becoming more popular by the day.  For Nintendo to bring something to younger gamers that actually involves them to play WITH their system, not just on it (ok, that was the last time, sorry), it's actually a genuinely good thing.  A kid can put together a cardboard piano and then find out he wants to be a pianist.  A kid could put together the Robot kit and find out he wants to work in robotics.  Hell, a kid could put together a fishing rod and then have a newfound desire to go outside and fish for real.

Without really trying to sound like a Nintendo fanboy, I have to say this much.  Out of the three console makers, Nintendo is really the only one to truly think outside of the box... even if it's with cardboard boxes.  Sony and MS are in the hardware race pushing each other to make incremental upgrades just to up resolution and frame rate.... and that's about it.  No strives to further enhance gameplay, no real innovative tech, nothing distinctively unique. The only reason why you can't play one game on the other console is because of who owns the licenses. 

Labo is proof positive that Nintendo is dedicated to innovation and creativity in the console market, as if the Switch wasn't already proof enough.  It's weird to think that in order to stand out, you sometimes have to scale back, and Nintendo's scaled so far back as to involve a basic childhood playtime material: cardboard.  There's something to be said about simplicity, and it's the simplicity of Nintendo Labo that I find to be... simply genius.