Happy New Year's Eve!

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Snipperclips Review

Genre: Puzzle Game
Players: 1-4*
Playtime: 4 Hours (Includes beating all 3 worlds of World mode through means of 2-player co-op and briefly trying Blitz mode)

Of the few games to release with the launch of the Nintendo Switch, Snipperclips stood out as a unique and creative offering to be sure.  At a low price point of $20 at the time, its compelling cooperative play, and adorable animations, it was an easy recommendation to add to new Switch owner's starting libraries.  Now that the library has considerably grown though, does the same still hold true for this little puzzle game?  Let's take a snip at the pros and cons of this game and see if it still makes the cut.

Doki Doki Literature Club Review

Genre: Visual Novel Game
Players: 1
Playtime: 3 Hours (Includes one play-through of reaching the game credits)

(NOTE: Content in this game is not recommended for all ages due to mature / disturbing themes and graphic imagery; Parental discretion is advised.)

After hearing a lot of buzz on various game media outlets about this unsuspecting game called Doki Doki Literature Club, I decided to give a go and see what all the hoopla was about.  What I found was a shockingly unnerving, compelling, and incredibly memorable experience.  For purposes of this review, I will do my best to stay vague and spoiler-free as the surprises to be found in this game are the best aspects, but are best kept secret for the unaware player to discover for themselves.  So if your curiosity too has been peaked, join the club as we pick away at the positive and negative readings of this fanatical game.

Throwback Thursday - Hearthstone

Welcome to another Throwback Thursday, our weekly look into my Top 100 games and general nostalgia.  Covering the tab this week: The card game of Murlocs and Warlocks that is Hearthstone.

Released on March 11, 2014, Hearthstone is a free-to-play digital card game taking place in the world and lore of the Warcraft series.  The conception of this game was inspired by the team's love of collectible card games, such as Wizards of the Coast's "Magic the Gathering", in which the inspiration is abundantly clear.  A key difference though as a digital card game was to ensure that the gameplay flow was kept simple and clean.  As such, the game was streamlined to be a quick-paced, turn-based process, where players would be unable to interrupt each other's turns as can be the case in traditional physical card games.  With this system in place, games can be enjoyed in quick sessions and allow for more experimentation in creating and playing various deck types from the nine hero classes available to choose from: Mage, Shaman, Paladin, Warlock, Druid, Rogue, Priest, Warrior, and Hunter.  Further streamlining the process is how mana naturally ramps during the game.  Both players start at one mana, to which they will gain one mana at the start of each of their turns until they reach a total of 10 mana.  Having this slow, automated process allows each match to evolve at a controlled, but exciting pace as wilder cards get played later in the game, keeping everyone on the edge of their seat.

Tabletop Tuesday - DropMix

Welcome to another edition of Tabletop Tuesday - Your weekly exploration into games of dice, cards, luck and more of the Tabletop world.

This week's game...the game of fusing hip-hop with pop rock that is Dropmix.

Players: 1-4
Time: 10-20 minutes
Genre: Party / Music / Casual Card Game

(Note: Smartphone or tablet is required to play this game)

Merry Christmas Eve!

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Year In Review - Top 5 Games of the Year (2017)

With the end of 2017 comes time to catch up on games and reflect back on what this year in gaming brought us.  So if you're feeling equally nostalgic or looking for the best games to enjoy over your holiday break, look no further as we break down my Top 5 games of 2017, among other recognition to be had.  Note for this first category, there is only so much time and funds one can afford to spend in a world of so many great games, from the slew of small indie titles to the abundance of massive open-world adventures.  As such, the games selected in this category are only games in which I've played through in full / majority of completion, and were released in 2017.

Top 5 Games of the Year - 2017

-1- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Aspiring to take the Zelda series back to its roots of open-world, non-linear exploration, Breath of the Wild took bold risks in changing its mechanics and staple formulas.  The result was a profound and refreshing experience that will stand as a defining entry for generations to come.  While it has its share of imperfections and debatable design choices, the massive scale and wonder to be found in this game substantially rise above these flaws.  For more extensive detail on this exploratory marvel of a game, read the full review here.

Throwback Thursday - Donkey Kong (GameBoy)

Welcome to another Throwback Thursday, our weekly look into my Top 100 games and general nostalgia.  Hammering into the zone this week: The game of climbing ladders and jumping girders that is the 1994 GameBoy version of Donkey Kong.

Based off the 1981 Donkey Kong arcade game, players take control of Mario as he ascends his way through the four arcade levels to rescue the damsel in distress, Pauline, from the dastardly monkey that is Donkey Kong.  But rather than repeat these four stages endlessly for a high score as you would in the arcade game, the game takes an unexpected twist as DK makes for an escape even further, giving Mario chase through more lands and distant destinations.  The true nature of the game is revealed to be a most unique puzzle-platformer in which Mario must locate and escort giant keys to locked doors to proceed in each level.  The means of which obtaining and/or guiding these keys is not always so obvious, often requiring Mario to make use of the environment and other enemies around him.  Fortunately, Mario is given a much more diverse move set to aid in accomplishing this task, being able to pick up and toss objects, perform back flips, handstands and more.  And while all these moves are usable right from the start, the game cleverly teaches the player these mechanics through humorous little cut-scenes that take place at the end of every 4th stage, that being a bout with the Kong himself.  These skirmishes vary from complex obstacle courses to fierce arenas with barrel tossing face-offs, and add a nice change of pace to the more puzzle focused stages.

Tabletop Tuesday - Monopoly

Welcome to another edition of Tabletop Tuesday - Your weekly exploration into games of dice, cards, luck and more of the Tabletop world.

This week's game...the game of paying bail to get out of jail (or hoping for some doubles) that is the classic Monopoly.

Players: 2-6
Time: 60-120 minutes
Genre: Casual / Family Game

A Coveted Surprise

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Video Game Music for the Holidays - Volume V

For those who enjoy the merry music of the holidays, but fear being whammed by "Last Christmas" again and again, I'm happy to present this year's volume of Holiday Ambience - a continuing collection of music from video games, carefully selected to still fit the holiday vibe and general ambience.

Throwback Thursday - The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

Welcome to another Throwback Thursday, our weekly look into my Top 100 games and general nostalgia.  On the collision course this week: The game of angry moons and time-controlling tunes that is The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.

Released in the US on October 26th, 2000, Majora's Mask is the follow-up sequel to the N64 masterpiece that was Ocarina of Time.  The development time between Zelda games is typically long and grueling, but Nintendo sought to deliver another entry on the N64 sooner than later.  As such, they formed a smaller team and reused the game engine and assets from Ocarina of Time to cut time and costs, and in just one year, create one of the most unique and dark Zelda experiences in the entire series.

Tabletop Tuesday - Munchkin Quest

Welcome to another edition of Tabletop Tuesday - Your weekly exploration into games of dice, cards, luck and more of the Tabletop world.

This week's game...the game of bad puns and dungeon crawling fun that is Munchkin Quest.

Players: 2-4
Time: 180-300 minutes
Genre: Role-Playing Game

Generational Gaps

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Video Game Music for the Holidays - Volume IV

Tis the season to be jolly and be surrounded by such jingles everywhere you go.  For those who enjoy these holiday hums, but are looking for some reprise and variety to these repetitive licks, allow me to share then our next volume of Holiday Ambience - a continuing collection of music from video games, carefully selected to still fit the holiday vibe and general ambience.

Belated Throwback Thursday - Mega Man X

Sorry for the delay of this week's Throwback Thursday.  I did not allow myself enough time to prepare this post and the 2017 Game Awards went longer than I expected last night.  But huzzah for Breath of the Wild winning Game of the Year, and let me just say, what a year 2017 was for amazing soundtracks in games!  Every game in that category more than deserved to win.  Truly phenomenal sound design.

So as not to slight this week's pick, I decided to allow an extra day for this entry.  That's because making the dash this week: It's the game of shooting lemons at robotic villains that is Mega Man X.

Released on December 17th, 1993, Mega Man X was the first of a new Mega Man series to debut on the new SNES console.  Making use of these new system capabilities and larger color palette, Mega Man had been redesigned for an edgier, more "hardcore" aesthetic.  Gone were the days of the conniving Dr. Wily, replaced with a darker undertone and backstory of an uprising of criminal replicate androids and their maverick robot hunters.  It was still important to the designers to keep the core elements of what makes a Mega Man game, to which you will see many familiar mechanics such as the selection screen of robot masters, gaining new abilities from defeating these robot masters, and that classic feeling of jumping and shooting.  In fact, the controls of Mega Man X feel nearly identical to that of the classic Mega Man series (because there wasn't really any reason to change what worked in the first place).  However, two new mechanics would help define and push forward this Mega Man X series: Wall jumps and dashing.

Tabletop Tuesday - Biblios

Welcome to another edition of Tabletop Tuesday - Your weekly exploration into games of dice, cards, luck and more of the Tabletop world.

This week's game...the game of monks, quills, and auctioning thrills that is Biblios.

Players: 2-4
Time: 30-40 minutes
Genre: Strategy Card Game

Needy Neighbors

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Video Game Music for the Holidays - Volume III

The holidays are now in full swing and with it, those yuletide songs of the season.  If you're looking for some variety to these holiday hums, then you've come to the right place as we continue our collections of music from video games, carefully selected to still fit the holiday vibe and general ambience.