Throwback Thursday - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Welcome to another Throwback Thursday, our weekly look into my Top 100 games and general nostalgia, now examining the esteemed Top 10 games I can't recommend higher.  Leading us off in this prestigious climax and taking target this week: The game of magical sonatas and epic tennis battles that is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

Released in November 1998, 20 years ago to this month, Ocarina of Time marked the much anticipated debut of The Legend of Zelda series into the world of 3D and is heralded by many as quite possibly one of the most influential and greatest games of all time.  This fantastical adventure begins with a young boy, Link, who is the only child to live in Kokiri Forest that is without a fairy.  When sinister schemes are put into motion by a wandering Gerudo, Ganondorf, Link sets off on a grand quest to save the kingdom of Hyrule.  Little does he know the key to smiting this evil force will require the kingdom to fall to ruin, as Link will travel through time and enter a future where Ganondorf has taken rule by means of uncontested power.  Exploring these sprawling lands and discovering the many colorful characters that inhabit such, split across two timelines, makes for what feels like such a classical and epic saga.  The remorse of leaving a dear friend to embark to new lands.  The bond between a horse and a melody that time cannot break.  The intrigue of a mysterious stranger who offers wisdom and always seems to be just one step ahead of you.  The feelings this game is able to evoke is the quintessential embodiment of fantasy.

A Meal To Be Shared

<Previous <( '-' )> Next>

Happy Thanksgiving - Top 5 Games That Keep on Giving

For those looking for Throwback Thursday, such will return next week as regularly scheduled while we all succumb to food comas this Thanksgiving.  Look forward to such as we will be diving into the climatic my personal Top 10 games I couldn't recommend or praise higher!  In the meantime, let us take a moment to look past the cornucopia of food and sales and give thanks for the wonderful gifts gaming has so often provided.  While I don't typically view playtime as a necessary criteria for what makes or breaks a game, it cannot be denied that some games have considerable value given just how much playtime they give.  These are my personal Top 5 Games that Keep on Giving:

-1- Hearthstone (~750+ Hours)

Like many players at the time, I was skeptical of what long-lasting enjoyment could be found from a free-to-play digital card game, even if it was from esteemed developers of Blizzard.  But after winning Game of the Year awards in 2014 and listening to the incredibly catching soundtrack it sported, I decided to give Hearthstone a closer look.  What I was astonished to discover was a game with incredible polish in every aspect and loads of personality and charm to be found.  Over 4 years now this game continues kicking, and with a continual stream of new cards, adventures, and daily challenges, it's no surprise that this is a game easy to continue picking up and pour more and more hours into.  Having started in December, 2014, I've only now just achieved my 500th win with one character class (Priest), unlocking the coveted golden skin for them.  Unless Blizzard has other plans, this will surely be a game to be enjoyed for many years still yet to come.

Tabletop Tuesday - Top 5 Cooperative Games

The holidays are around the corner, so why not put aside the competitive spirit and come together with the unique genre of tabletop games that are cooperative games.  While some of the toughest and brutal games to be found, players can take comfort that support is among good company and all highs and lows are shared together.  These are my Top 5 Recommendations for Co-Op Games:

-1- Escape: Curse of the Temple

If you're looking for a quick game to play together that can still deliver the thrills and chills of of those games with longer playtimes, look no further than Escape: Curse of the Temple.  That is because this game is played in real time in which all players frantically roll their dice simultaneously as they search the temple for an exit within a 10-minute time limit.  It's a game that requires constant communication and teamwork if you're to have a chance at everyone making it out of these cursed halls together.  To learn more details about this game and how to play, click here.

Double-Slap

<Previous <( '-' )> Next>

Throwback Thursday - Banjo-Kazooie (series)

Welcome to another Throwback Thursday, our weekly look into my Top 100 games and general nostalgia, now examining the cream of the crop with the Top 20.  Completing the puzzle this week: The games of rhyming witches and jigsaw switches that is the ever endearing Banjo-Kazooie series.

Released in the US on June 29th, 1998, Banjo-Kazooie debuted on the N64 set to capture the success and fun that was 3D adventure platforming as introduced by Super Mario 64.  Developed by Rare during their years of partnership with Nintendo (the golden years), Banjo-Kazooie delivered on the many hallmarks this company was becoming well known for, notably impressive graphics and top-notch sound design.  This goofy, lovable adventure follows the exploits of a bear named Banjo and bird named Kazooie, the latter of which lives in Banjo's backpack.  When a wicked witch, Gruntilda, captures Banjo's little sister Tootie to steal her youth, the dynamic duo of bear and bird set forth into Gruntilda's lair to gather the many scattered Jiggies and ascend the tower's peak.  Jiggies unlocked new worlds for more Jiggies and more musical notes to find, of which allowed further access into the tower for more worlds to uncover, and thus began the cycle of what was the popular and addicting genre of the collect-a-thon.

Super Mario Party Review

Genre: Party Game
Players: 1-4
Playtime: 20+ Hours (Includes playing every mode, board, and mini-game, both in single-player and local multiplayer fashion)


The Mario Party franchise has a rich, long history of clever boards and mini-games, hilarious and bogus luck-based situations, and the cause of many a heated and memorable arguments to be had.  The last well-received entry in this chaotic series was Mario Party 8 for the Nintendo Wii, released back in May, 2007.  After 11 years with several missteps along the way, the new Super Mario Party for the Nintendo Switch now looks to do what many games on Switch do best: Go back to the roots and reexamine the core fundamentals of what made this series so beloved to begin with.  Does this reboot find success in re-rolling the dice?  Let's jump to the board and examine the many joys and cons to be found inside.

Use Bombs Wisely

<Previous <( '-' )> Next>

Throwback Thursday - Super Mario 64

Welcome to another Throwback Thursday, our weekly look into my Top 100 games and general nostalgia, now examining the cream of the crop with the Top 20.  Making the long jump this week: The game of plentiful yahoo's and wahoo's that is Super Mario 64.

Released in the US on September 29th, 1996, Super Mario 64 was the iconic plumber's first foray into the world of 3D and would pave the way for much of the industry and other 3D games to follow.  At the invitation of the princess and delicious prospects of cake, Mario ventures to Peach's castle only to find Bowser's shenanigans at play once again, capturing both the princess and all the Power Stars of the castle.  From the very opening moments of the game, players have free reign to perform all sorts of acrobatic moves and run around wherever their whims desire, creating an immersion into the world of Mario like never before.  As players push the bounds of their curiosity, they'll notice many peculiarities that will require returned investigation.  A door beneath the water's surface of the front moat.  A ghost at the end of a long hallway.  A painting that wavers at close touch.  And then the magic happens.  You decide to jump into the mysterious painting, and you're literally sucked into a whole new world of possibilities.

Can't Always Get Wahhh You Want

<Previous <( '-' )> Next>

Throwback Thursday - Beyond Good & Evil

Welcome to another Throwback Thursday, our weekly look into my Top 100 games and general nostalgia, now examining the cream of the crop with the Top 20.  Sneaking into the fray this week: The game of anthropomorphic aliens and sneaking into things that is Beyond Good & Evil.

Released on November 11th, 2003, Beyond Good & Evil is yet another game from Michel Ancel of Ubisoft, creator of the Rayman series, set in a new universe filled with aliens, war, conspiracies, espionage and more.  Players take control of Jade, a female photojournalist, who lives with her "uncle" Pey'j, a pig-like human mechanic, among other orphans on the planet Hillys.  The planet is under attack by a hostile alien force known as DomZ, to which a government force known as the Alpha Sections has the planet under lock-down for its protection against this opposing force.  Strapped for cash in which to shield their home, players take an assortment of odd-end photography jobs to pay the bills.  However, these pursuits soon lead to discovery of darker truths to be found in this world of Hillys.