Kingdom Hearts III Review

Genre: Action RPG
Players: 1
Playtime: 30 hours (Includes beating the game and a fair share of side exploration and mini-games; Played on standard difficulty on PS4)


Fourteen years have passed since the last numbered installment of Kingdom Hearts II in 2005, though the series certainly hasn't stood still during that time, releasing a slew of side entries to fill the gap.  With that however has also come ever rising expectations and increasingly growing loads of convoluted narratives to resolve.  Games with long development periods and frequent delays are often due to unrelenting levels of polish poured into the game or else on the other spectrum, a disjointed vision for the overall game design.  And never has this been more true than for the beautiful mess that is Kingdom Hearts III.  Are the breathtaking aesthetics enough to compensate for the game's narrative and gameplay shortcomings?  Summon your keyblades and get ready to mash "X" as we strike through the hordes of pros and cons in this review.

A Misconstrued Surprise

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Throwback Thursday Update

Welcome to another Throwback Thursday, which for the past 2 years has been your weekly destination for nostalgic looks into my Top 100 games.  Now that we've covered all 100 games on this list, you may be wondering what next lays in store for this particular blog segment.  For starters, our Top 100 list was previously determined for all games released prior to 2017, so some time will be spent reevaluating the list to include games released / played in the past two years.  Also, the act of closely analyzing and writing about each of these games across these many posts has given new perspectives on each game, to which the rankings of some games may be adjusted during this time.  So look forward to an update on such in the near future.

And although not every game necessarily can stand among what is my Top 100 games, there are still plenty of more great, nostalgic games deserving of time and recognition.  So look forward to more throwbacks still, though please understand they won't appear on as frequent a weekly basis.  Adjusting the frequency of these Throwback segments will allow more time to catch up in completing other posts, such as many pending reviews for Kingdom Hearts III, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Astro Bots: Rescue Mission to name a few.  Also look forward to more game recommendations based off genres, consoles, and more, so still be sure to check in and stay tuned for more gaming discussions on a regular basis.

If you have any suggestions for topics you'd like to see in Throwback gaming or other general gaming, be sure to let me know in the comments.  Be sure to check the Throwback Thursday tab and catch up on any previously discussed games you may have missed.  And look forward to a hopefully greater wealth of gaming content to be found still, just with more unexpected timing and joyous surprise.  Thanks.  And happy gaming!

A Wallet Full of Remorse

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Happy Valentine's Day - Top 5 Local Co-Op Games

Be it because love is in the air or it's just plain cold out there, there's nothing quite as alluring as snuggling up on the couch and enjoying some quality game time with someone special in your life.  For those searching for such allusive, but delectable cooperative experiences, allow me to shine a light on a few such games the perfect likes to share together.  These are my Top 5 recommendations for Local Co-Op Gaming:

-1- Snipperclips

If you're looking for a unique puzzle game in which to work together, or often cause mischief and fits of giggles, look no further than Snipperclips for the Nintendo Switch.  This is a delightfully silly and creative game that requires true cooperation and communication to overcome the many variety of obstacles and challenges this game presents.  And as the game only requires a single joy-con controller per player, Switch owners are already equipped and ready to enjoy some two-player co-op fun right out the gate, though there are also 3-4 player modes to be had for those with extra joy-cons.

Celebrating Two Years of Blogging

Where has the time gone, because wouldn't you know it, Hughes3D - A Gaming Blog is hitting its 2nd anniversary today!  In this 2nd year, there have been...

• 21 Tabletop Tuesday posts
• 51 Throwback Thursday posts
• 49 Weekly Comics
• 14 Game Reviews
• 4 Tips & Tricks
• 11 Top Five Lists
• 1 By Design discussion
• 2 Impression Posts
• All for a Grand Total of 153 posts

It has been a continuing pleasure to share these writings and discussions on video games, board games, and more again this second year.  Because Tabletop Tuesday has slowed pace and Throwback Thursday is soon to follow suit with the completion of our Top 100, the volume of posts moving forward will likely not match the same stride of these first two years, but that doesn't mean there isn't still plenty of content to look forward to.  Make sure to keep checking in for Weekly Comics, game reviews, and other various recommendations, throwbacks, and discussions to be had.  And with this change of pace, I hope to also start sharing a look into personal projects of art, animation, game design and more.  With that in mind, if you have any suggestions for this blog moving forward, be sure to let me know in the comments below.  Thanks!  And here's to another year of happy gaming!

Short-Term Memory

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Throwback Thursday - The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Welcome to another Throwback Thursday, our weekly look into my Top 100 games and general nostalgia.  And wouldn't you know it, we've finally arrived at what is perhaps my favorite game of all time.  It is by no means a perfect game I will acknowledge, but no game has managed to ignite my imagination and wonder quite as magically as this masterpiece pulled off.  Topping off our esteemed list of games this week: The game of pulling up sunken treasures and calling upon the forces of weather that is The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.

Released in the US on March 24th, 2003, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker was the much anticipated debut of the Zelda series for the GameCube.  After the series' critically acclaimed jump to 3D on the N64 with Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, and a demo called Space World showing off the graphical capabilities for this new Nintendo hardware, the world's excitement could not be contained for what next laid in store for this series.  So it was quite a surprise when this next Zelda adventure of The Wind Waker instead featured a bold, cel-shaded art direction with a cartoonish, young Link (we now refer to as Toon Link thanks to the Smash Bros series).  While this caused a heated divide among players at the time, hindsight and time have proven this art direction to have aged flawlessly and to be a timeless work of art.

Recycling

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For those who noticed the absence of last week's comic, sorry about that.  If you'll pardon the pun, time just slipped away last weekend (because this week's comic is about a banana peel...get it?).  Enjoy the comic.  :)

Celeste Review

Genre: 2D-Platformer
Players: 1
Playtime: 5-20 hours (Includes beating the game finding 65% of hidden strawberries with 750+ deaths in 5 hours; Continued trekking the mountain for all 175 normal strawberries, uncovering hidden hearts, and clearing all B-side levels and epilogue for an additional 15 hours; Raised the white flag of surrender at C-side levels and golden strawberry challenges; Played on the Nintendo Switch)


At a passing glance, Celeste may look just another simplistic indie platforming game with minimalist graphics and grueling difficulty.  But there is more than meets the eye as this is a game packed to the brim with so much creativity, finely-tuned craft, and most importantly, a whole lot of heart.  The journey to climb this formidable mountain becomes a shared experience with that of the player and protagonist, growing in skill, determination, and self resolution.  As my personal Game of the Year for 2018, there's no need to hold back for the end of the review to say that I adore this game and would absolutely recommend it to just about anybody with any interest.  For those still uncertain or want to learn more about this curious platformer though, grab your hiking bags and prepare yourself as we ascend through the many positive and negative crevices of this captivating gem.