Welcome to Hughes3D: A Gaming Blog, where the three D's stand for dice, d-pads, and design. Hughes3D is your portal for impressions and discussions on video games and board games, an exploration into game design, weekly web comics, and more.
Sunday, July 29, 2018
Thursday, July 26, 2018
Throwback Thursday - Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
Welcome to another Throwback Thursday, our weekly look into my Top 100 games and general nostalgia. Saving the cosmos this week: The game of copying abilities and angry trees that is Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards.
Released in the US on June 26th, 2000, Kirby 64 was the sequel Kirby's Dreamland 3 from the SNES in the ensuing battle against the encroaching corruption of Dark Matter through the greater universe. In this colorful adventure, Kirby teams up with friends, foes, and new faces alike as they journey to collect the many scattered crystal shards and save the fairy Ribbon's home planet of Ripple Star. New to the series and still standing as a unique highlight to this day is the mechanic of being able to combine powers from the enemies which Kirby sucks up. With 7 different base abilities (Fire, Stone, Ice, Needle, Bomb, Spark, and Cutter) and the various combinations in which Kirby can mix these, there are a total of 35 distinct abilities in this game. This is just as much joy from playing with this wide arsenal of powers as there is in experimenting and discovering the various combinations that lead to these abilities. What drives this concept further is each level contains 3 hidden crystals to uncover, many of which require use of specific powers, meaning the players naturally want to be continually tinkering and learning all of these abilities to be had.
Released in the US on June 26th, 2000, Kirby 64 was the sequel Kirby's Dreamland 3 from the SNES in the ensuing battle against the encroaching corruption of Dark Matter through the greater universe. In this colorful adventure, Kirby teams up with friends, foes, and new faces alike as they journey to collect the many scattered crystal shards and save the fairy Ribbon's home planet of Ripple Star. New to the series and still standing as a unique highlight to this day is the mechanic of being able to combine powers from the enemies which Kirby sucks up. With 7 different base abilities (Fire, Stone, Ice, Needle, Bomb, Spark, and Cutter) and the various combinations in which Kirby can mix these, there are a total of 35 distinct abilities in this game. This is just as much joy from playing with this wide arsenal of powers as there is in experimenting and discovering the various combinations that lead to these abilities. What drives this concept further is each level contains 3 hidden crystals to uncover, many of which require use of specific powers, meaning the players naturally want to be continually tinkering and learning all of these abilities to be had.
Sunday, July 22, 2018
Thursday, July 19, 2018
Throwback Thursday - The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
Welcome to another Throwback Thursday, our weekly look into my Top 100 games and general nostalgia. Conducting the ballad this week: The game of guardian acorns and magical conch horns that is The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening.
Released in the US in August, 1993, Link's Awakening marks the Zelda series' first debut to the world of handheld gaming consoles on the Nintendo Game Boy. Unlike most other Zelda games, this game takes place outside the world of Hyrule or even the inclusion of Princess Zelda herself. Instead, players take control of a shipwrecked hero, Link, as he washes ashore a mysterious island, which atop the tallest mountain rests a giant, watchful egg. Finding guidance from a wise owl and local inhabitants of the island, Link sets off on a quest to obtain eight instruments of the Sirens and wake the Wind Fish that sleeps atop the mountain so that he can return home. The story is unique and so elegantly poignant, as the characters found in this game reveal a degree of self-awareness and quiet dignity in their solitary lives. Originally intended as a bit of spin-off for the Zelda series, the game is also not afraid to be weird as all heck when desired, featuring cameos from the Mario and Kirby series even. This combination of refined and quirky storytelling make for quite the memorable adventure.
Released in the US in August, 1993, Link's Awakening marks the Zelda series' first debut to the world of handheld gaming consoles on the Nintendo Game Boy. Unlike most other Zelda games, this game takes place outside the world of Hyrule or even the inclusion of Princess Zelda herself. Instead, players take control of a shipwrecked hero, Link, as he washes ashore a mysterious island, which atop the tallest mountain rests a giant, watchful egg. Finding guidance from a wise owl and local inhabitants of the island, Link sets off on a quest to obtain eight instruments of the Sirens and wake the Wind Fish that sleeps atop the mountain so that he can return home. The story is unique and so elegantly poignant, as the characters found in this game reveal a degree of self-awareness and quiet dignity in their solitary lives. Originally intended as a bit of spin-off for the Zelda series, the game is also not afraid to be weird as all heck when desired, featuring cameos from the Mario and Kirby series even. This combination of refined and quirky storytelling make for quite the memorable adventure.
Tuesday, July 17, 2018
Tips for Catan - Settling for Victory
Frequently topping the lists of top-selling and most popular board games, Settlers of Catan is a favorite among many tabletop gamers and serves as great introduction into the world of more complex Eurogames (games with more abstract components and that tend to focus on strategy rather than luck). Part of this appeal comes from the fact that players are constantly involved in Catan, even when it isn't their turn, making trades or obtaining resources at any given moment. Still, when playing against seasoned veterans already well versed in the various tactics of trading and building settlements, it can be a bit of a one-sided match for newcomers. So here are a few tips and tricks to give any player, newcomer or experienced player alike, a more competitive and equal edge:
(NOTE: These tips apply to the standard, base version of Catan. For a brief overview of Catan and the general mechanics of the game, see the previous Tabletop Tuesday post on such here)
(NOTE: These tips apply to the standard, base version of Catan. For a brief overview of Catan and the general mechanics of the game, see the previous Tabletop Tuesday post on such here)
Sunday, July 15, 2018
Thursday, July 12, 2018
Throwback Thursday - Okami
Welcome to another Throwback Thursday, our weekly look into my Top 100 games and general nostalgia. Framing the composition this week: The game of celestial envoys in the form of beastly heroes that is Okami.
Releasing for the PlayStation 2 on April 20th, 2006, Okami is an action-adventure game developed by Capcom with heavy influences from The Legend of Zelda series and Japanese folklore and ink wash painting style. Players take control of Okami Amaterasu, the sun goddess who takes the form of a white wolf, and is tasked to free the lands of Orochi's curse, an ancient and evil eight-headed demon. Joined by a tiny, bug-like artist named Issun, the two journey on an adventure whose scope and grandeur are far greater than you'd likely ever anticipate. As is expected from a game that takes inspiration from the Zelda series, Okami delivers a great blend of satisfying exploration, puzzle solving, and general combat. What's more impressive however is that it does so in a style that feels so fresh and distinctly its own. At any point during the game, players can freeze the world to draw brush strokes onto the screen and activate Celestial powers, like calling for the sun, bombs, or gusts of wind. These powers are used for a variety of of puzzles and combat situations, and every time you freeze the screen, it really highlights just how beautiful this game is that any moment can look like a beautiful tapestry.
Releasing for the PlayStation 2 on April 20th, 2006, Okami is an action-adventure game developed by Capcom with heavy influences from The Legend of Zelda series and Japanese folklore and ink wash painting style. Players take control of Okami Amaterasu, the sun goddess who takes the form of a white wolf, and is tasked to free the lands of Orochi's curse, an ancient and evil eight-headed demon. Joined by a tiny, bug-like artist named Issun, the two journey on an adventure whose scope and grandeur are far greater than you'd likely ever anticipate. As is expected from a game that takes inspiration from the Zelda series, Okami delivers a great blend of satisfying exploration, puzzle solving, and general combat. What's more impressive however is that it does so in a style that feels so fresh and distinctly its own. At any point during the game, players can freeze the world to draw brush strokes onto the screen and activate Celestial powers, like calling for the sun, bombs, or gusts of wind. These powers are used for a variety of of puzzles and combat situations, and every time you freeze the screen, it really highlights just how beautiful this game is that any moment can look like a beautiful tapestry.
Monday, July 9, 2018
Cuphead Review
Genre: Run and Gun / Brawler
Players: 1-2
Playtime: 12 hours (Includes beating the game in local co-op play at 100% completion on Regular difficulty)
This is a review long overdue, but would be criminal to overlook. Developed and published by a new Canadian indie game company, StudioMDHR, Cuphead represents a project of deep affinity and passion for the surreal animation styling of 1930's cartoons and the punishing, but rewarding difficulty of retro gaming. With a development time of 7 years and the developers even remortgaging their own house to keep funds afloat, no shortcuts were taken in ensuring most every facet of this game received the polish it deserved. So grab your fighting gloves as we prepare to parry through the pros and cons of this jolly-brawly gem.
Sunday, July 8, 2018
Thursday, July 5, 2018
Throwback Thursday - Animal Crossing (series)
Welcome to another Throwback Thursday, our weekly look into my Top 100 games and general nostalgia. Making the move this week: The games of buried fossils and neighborly critters that is the Animal Crossing series.
Released originally as Dobutsu no Mori on the N64 in Japan, Animal Crossing would see release on US shores as enhanced port for the Nintendo GameCube on September 15th, 2002. It was quite a unique simulation series for its time and still to this day, where players take control of a villager who moves into a new town full of animals as neighbors and shopkeepers. With little but the clothes on your back, you start with a humble shack and a hefty debt to pay off as you then play the game of life, earning the currency of bells through means of selling various goods, fruits, fish, and more. But there is no urgency in which to pay off this debt. In fact, the only goal in this game is what you decide is your prerogative. You can befriend other animals, dig for fossils, go fishing in rivers and oceans, decorate your house, design shirt fashions, and so much more. It's a game that can be enjoyed in short spurts or long sessions, but however you play, it's a game that is designed to be a relaxing and personal experience.
Released originally as Dobutsu no Mori on the N64 in Japan, Animal Crossing would see release on US shores as enhanced port for the Nintendo GameCube on September 15th, 2002. It was quite a unique simulation series for its time and still to this day, where players take control of a villager who moves into a new town full of animals as neighbors and shopkeepers. With little but the clothes on your back, you start with a humble shack and a hefty debt to pay off as you then play the game of life, earning the currency of bells through means of selling various goods, fruits, fish, and more. But there is no urgency in which to pay off this debt. In fact, the only goal in this game is what you decide is your prerogative. You can befriend other animals, dig for fossils, go fishing in rivers and oceans, decorate your house, design shirt fashions, and so much more. It's a game that can be enjoyed in short spurts or long sessions, but however you play, it's a game that is designed to be a relaxing and personal experience.
Sunday, July 1, 2018
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