Owlboy Review

Genre: Platforming Adventure
Players: 1
Playtime: 7 Hours (Includes beating the game and finding 75% of Buccanary Coins and other secrets; Played on the Nintendo Switch)


Owlboy is the impressive culmination of 9 years of development poured into one the most stunning pixel-based works of art you'll likely ever lay eyes on.  And really, that's more or less what the game is: A project of love and admiration for old-school platforming adventures of the Nintendo era.  As you may imagine with such a long development period, the developers faced numerous revisions and changes of direction along the way.  Was the long wait able to meet the eager expectations that came along with these delays?  Prepare for liftoff as we take to the skies and assess the pros and cons of this windswept adventure.

Throwback Thursday - Metroid Fusion

Welcome to another Throwback Thursday, our weekly look into my Top 100 games and general nostalgia.  Rolling into the mix this week: The game of genetic mutations aboard desolate space stations that is Metroid Fusion.

Released in the US on November 18th, 2002, Metroid Fusion was the 4th installment in the Metroid series.  Following the events directly after that of the SNES classic Super Metroid, bounty hunter Samus is exploring the surface of planet SR388 when she is attacked and infected by an unknown parasitic organism known as "X".  She is saved through a vaccine made of Metroid cells, the only predator of this hostile parasite.  Armed with this new Fusion Suit, Samus can now absorb these organisms for health and ammo, but due to the Metroid's genetic makeup, is also vulnerable to the cold.  Back in commission, Samus is sent to investigate an attack aboard the BSL space station, where she discovers that the X parasites have begun infesting with the help of "SA-X", an X parasite who has replicated Samus' genetic makeup after her attack on SR388.  There are many horror games that will try to rile you up with a good jump scare or unsettling imagery, but it's remarkable how much this simple 2D doppelganger can strike such a greater chord of fear and unease.  As you're crawling through the shadowy vents of the space station, and the door beneath opens to reveal the dreaded SA-X walking in with loud echoing clanks of the metal walkways, you're filled with such tension knowing you can be torn to bits with with one shot of its ice beam.

Tabletop Tuesday - Rivers, Roads & Rails

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 train tracks and tire tracks that is Rivers, Roads & Rails.

Players: 2-10
Time: 30-90 minutes
Genre: Casual Family Game

Tools of the Trade

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Throwback Thursday - Super Smash Bros (series)

Welcome to another Throwback Thursday, our weekly look into my Top 100 games and general nostalgia.  Challenging the lineup this week: Hats off to the competing mascots of the Super Smash Bros series.

It may seem at ends in saying the following for a series that is all about beating each other up, but Super Smash Bros is truly a love letter for Nintendo's long and rich history.  And it all began with the debut of Super Smash Bros for the Nintendo 64, releasing in the US on April 26th, 1999.  For the first time ever in any Nintendo game, players could play as the likes of Mario, Link, Samus and more, together in a one-of-a-kind game.  In fact, it dared to take a new approach to the typical fighting game genre, opting for a side-scrolling brawler with damage percentage and stage knockouts instead of your standard fare health bars and power meters. Each character also offered such a unique move set that reflected and celebrated each character's series.  And this attention to detail carried over everywhere, from the battlegrounds in which characters would fight on to the items they would use in battle.  With an easy to learn, pick up and play style, Super Smash Bros would go on to be a smashing hit and one of the greatest multiplayer games of a generation.

SteamWorld Dig 2 Review

Genre: Action-Platforming Adventure
Players: 1
Playtime: 6.5 hours (Includes beating the game and finding 60% of all upgrade cogs and artifacts; Played on the Nintendo Switch)


2013 saw the release of SteamWorld Dig, a surprise hit indie game from the developers of Image & Form that combines the likes of Metroidvania exploration with a procedural-like Dig-Dug and other robot, steampunk-like inspirations.  Building upon the criticisms of this first entry, SteamWorld Dig 2 offers a more fleshed out adventure and carefully crafted world, with aspects such as a greater focus on story, unique puzzle / platforming challenges, and a greater variety of upgrades.  With that said, does this sequel still manage to strike gold?  Let's grab our pickaxes and take a look at the positive and negative charges to be found in this robotic wild western of a game.

Tabletop Tuesday - Labyrinth

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 magical halls with moving walls that is Labyrinth.

Players: 2-4
Time: 45-90 minutes
Genre: Strategy

A Weight to Carry

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Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day to one and all!  To celebrate, have a listen to some fiddling, Celtic-inspired tunes from the worlds of games and enjoy.

Fado - The Wind Sage from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Feel free to share and comment with your own favorite Irish melodies and jigs found in games or just in general.  And have a safe, fun green weekend!

World of Warcraft

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles

Fire Emblem: Fates

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Throwback Thursday - Half-Life 2

Welcome to another Throwback Thursday, our weekly look into my Top 100 games and general nostalgia.  While this blog is rated E for everyone's safe and enjoyable viewing, I should mention this week's throwback is rated M for Mature.  Parental discretion is advised for playing this game.

Speaking of which, crawling through the duct space this week: The game of gravity guns and physics fun that is Half-Life 2.

Released on November 16th, 2004, Half-Life 2 is applauded by many as the "Game of the Decade" upon its debut.  Developed alongside Valve's new Steam software and Source engine of the time, the game displayed incredible graphics, animation, and an impressive physics system that ended up being a core feature in the game's many puzzles and firefight moments.  The game centers around silent protagonist, Gordon Freeman, who awakens on a train car pulling into an unfamiliar city under the control of a ruthless police state known at the Combine.  As Gordon pushes forward, he finds himself thrust into an underground war between Black Mesa scientists, the Combine, and your favorite zombie head-crab aliens.  While a fairly linear adventure, there is a certain amount of freedom to be enjoyed still, venturing off the beaten path and finding completely optional areas, such as abandoned homes or hidden camps.  And players are often rewarded for these efforts with extra supplies and memorable encounters, be it with NPC's, enemies, or clever little Easter Eggs, such as the often reappearing and mysterious G-Man or Lambda symbol.

Tabletop Tuesday - Apples to Apples

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 comical comparisons that is Apples to Apples.

Players: 4+
Time: 30-60 minutes
Genre: Social / Party Game

Smash for Switch! - Top 5 Wish List (200th Post!)

The Nintendo Direct that dropped March 8th announced to the world that Super Smash Bros is on its way, and hitting the Switch this year.  If you haven't seen it yet, check out the brief tease below.

Also, this happens to be Hughes 3D's 200th blog post (wowza)!  So I thought what better way to celebrate than to have a little fun and have a discussion on what we'd like to see come to the next Super Smash Bros for Nintendo Switch.

Attack from Above

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Throwback Thursday - Harvest Moon 64

Welcome to another Throwback Thursday, our weekly look into my Top 100 games and general nostalgia.  Sowing the field this week: The game of clearing rocks and gathering livestock that is Harvest Moon 64.

Released in the US on December 22nd, 1999, Harvest Moon 64 stands tall as what is perhaps the best of this series' longstanding farming / life simulation games.  Players take control of a grandson who inherits their grandfather's neglected farm and is tasked with restoring such.  With only a handful of tools, you learn the basics of working the fields and raising crops.  But how you choose to proceed and what to prioritize from there is up to you.  From what crops to grow, where to grow them, livestock to acquire, forests to explore, rivers and beaches to fish at, and townsfolk to talk to, there is an abundance of sights and activities to behold each day.  And yet only so much time and stamina in a day to cover a small portion of them.  As you get into the rhythm of playing, you'll find yourself planning ahead tasks and itinerary, wanting to play just one more day to reach that next milestone.

Making a Switch

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This weekend was devoted to moving, but thank the Switch for making gaming easy without the need to dig through mountains of boxes.  Happy birthday to the Switch and look forward to more posts once more unpacked.  Cheers!

Throwback Thursday - Super Mario Bros 3

Welcome to another Throwback Thursday, our weekly look into my Top 100 games and general nostalgia.  Taking the stage this week: The game of Tanooki feathers and helpful letters that is Super Mario Bros 3.

Released in the US on February 12th, 1990, Super Mario Bros 3 is aptly the 3rd best selling NES game, selling over 17 million copies worldwide, and considered by many gaming critics as one of the greatest video games of all time (for those curious, the top 2 selling NES games are Duck Hunt and Super Mario Bros).  Taking control of the infamous plumber that is Mario, players once again set out on a platforming adventure to defeat the notorious Bowser and rescue the Princess Toadstool (aka Peach).  Only this time, the adventure takes place across 8 uniquely themed worlds in which Mario must also defeat Bowser's children, the Koopalings, and rescue each of the respective rulers of the various kingdoms.  Each kingdom implemented such an array of interesting ideas from dangerous desert dunes to slippery ice-capped slopes; From parallel worlds of small and giant proportions to kingdoms that literally ascended to the skies and clouds above, there was no end of ingenuity and charm to be found.