Life Is Strange

Let’s talk about the space-time continuum. Do you know what that is? The space-time continuum is a mathematical model that joins space and time into a single idea. Space-time is represented by a model where space is three-dimensional and time has the role of the fourth dimension. We good? Alright, let’s move it along then.

In pretty much every video game I’ve ever played, they have all had one thing in common: they were linear. One goal. One mission. The game couldn’t progress until you got that one thing accomplished. “Life Is Strange” does not follow that model.

Don’t confuse it with free-roaming games. It’s not the same thing. Games from the “Grand Theft Auto” and “Assassin’s Creed” franchise are free-roaming. In AC and GTA, you can spend the entire game exploring your surroundings without ever actually moving the game forward. “Life Is Strange” doesn’t follow that formula. Instead, you are given a series of choices to make throughout the game that ultimately influences and changes you, the surrounding characters, and even the very plot of the game itself. So you can argue that “Life Is Strange” is not one game, but really dozens-if not hundreds divided up into five chapters.

The game starts with you stuck in a massive storm in the middle of the forest. You try to make your way to a lighthouse for safety and a boat is blown out of the water that smashes the lighthouse and kills you.

Why Super Mario Maker On The WiiU Is A Great Representation of Life As An Artist

Super Mario Bros. is officially turning 30 years old on September 13, 2015. (Boy, I feel old.) Over the past three decades, Mario and Luigi have had countless adventures where they’ve had to rescue Princess Toadstool from Bowser, scale Donkey Kong’s barrels, and race to the finish line to name a few. The Super Mario Bros. games have come a long way and evolved with the times beautifully. But for a lot of people (myself included), it’s still not enough. We want more!

I’ve written reviews in the past about previous Super Mario Bros. titles.

Super Mario Bros. (the original) 

Super Mario Bros. 3

Game hackers created alternate emulators of the game on their own with wonderful results. Some are even self-playing that result in a tribute to the game’s mechanics and physics. But the WiiU has just stepped it up in ways all gamers-from casual to hardcore alike-could only dream of for so long. Not only is Super Mario Maker a testament to the history of the Super Mario Bros. franchise, but to me it is also comparable to life as an artist. How is Super Mario Maker comparable to life as an artist?

Follow me down the warp zone on this one…

My Top 10 Sports Video Games of All Time

Back by popular demand, (that popular demand being my own brain,) I have decided to make another Top 10 List. This time I’m focusing on my favorite sports video games. I thought of this randomly after running into one of those idiotic pseudo National Inquirer vortexes that the Internet pulls us all into. I thought back to the games I played as a kid on my NES or Super Nintendo all the way up to current generation consoles. Let’s see how this goes.

Disclaimer: Like most of my Top 10 Lists, these are subject to change in order depending on my mood or when a new memory strikes. I’ll do my best to be as accurate as I can. But there will be NO MADDEN GAMES on this list. I make no apologies.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate Annonced

Ubisoft officially announced this morning that the next chapter in the ever-popular series, Assassin’s Creed, will be set in Victorian-era London. From the looks of the trailer, you will be playing as Jacob Frye. With him comes an array of new weapons and gadgets like brass knuckles and an insane-looking knife called a kukri.

Set to be released in October of this year for all major platforms, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate (at first glance) looks like it will be another very successful chapter in this glorious franchise. Pre-orders are already available with exclusive DLC containing storylines with Charles Dickens and Charles Darwin. I’m willing to bet that there will be a DLC (if not already inlcuded in-game) of Jack The Ripper.

The Official Nintendo GameBoy Turns 25!

On this glorious day-which also happens to be my sister’s birthday-the first and official Nintendo GameBoy made its debut (in Japan.) About five and half years after the release of the first and official Nintendo Entertainment System. The GameBoy originally came bundled with Tetris, the puzzle game that has since been re-hashed and copied countless times. Those of you who were around for the first generation hand-held probably referred to it as “the brick.” It has since gone countless makeovers making them transparent, pocket-size, flip, backlit, in color, and has since evolved with the times.

So thank you GameBoy for making family road trips more bearable. You kept Duracell and Energizer batteries in high demand. I nearly went blind by the time I was seven thanks to you. Well done, GameBoy.

Super Mario Bros. 3

Sequels upon sequels upon sequels in games are very common and usually the sequels will improve upon its predecessors.  Be that as it may, the core principles of the games remain nearly identical.  Sports games get new titles every year and with a few changes along the way.  It’s basically just tweaked graphics and an updated roster. Maybe some changes in the user interface as well, but that’s about it.  FPS (especially from older generation consoles) for the most part were also prone to this.  Even this franchise is probably the most guilty of them all and I’m not going to hide from that fact.  I mean how many times can Princess Toadstool get kidnapped?  But it works…

So most of us have already heard of these brothers named Mario and Luigi…  

Tomb Raider

In the world history of video games, it is predominantly common for the protagonist to be male.  The Super Mario Brothers (no explanation needed), Sam Fisher (Splinter Cell), Solid Snake (Metal Gear Solid), Billy and Jimmy Lee (Double Dragon), Nathan Drake (Uncharted), and the list goes on and on.  Few exceptions to the rule are Samus (Metroid) and Ms. Pac-Man.  Female protagonists in video games were all turned on its head in 1996 when a sexy British female character named Lara Croft “busted” into the scene.

Lara Croft is essentially an Indiana Jones type; an ambitious archeologist out to uncover the wonders of the ancient world.  Her previous games from previous consoles all involved Lara already at her physical and mental peak.

In this new installment however, we take a huge step back and we’re introduced to a younger Lara for the first time and take part in her origin story.

Tomb Raider opens

The Simpsons: Tapped Out (iOS)

I can never have too much of “The Simpsons.”  It’s a show that my generation and beyond have grown up with.  Several video games have been made over the years that have had a varied success or popularity.  My personal favorite is “The Simpsons Game” released on XBox 360 back in 2007.  A few hand-held games have been released since the very beginning but nothing that ever truly sparked my interest.  That all changed the other day.  

Marvel: Avengers Alliance

As if I or anyone else for that matter needed a reason to stay on Facebook longer than however long it takes to like some photos and update your status.  Marvel: Avengers Alliance is a Facebook exclusive that revolves around the Marvel universe.  This is the very first game on Facebook I’ve ever played and I sometimes find myself playing it instead of my 360 when I’m at home.  It’s a turn-based RPG that has remnants of Final Fantasy and any other masterfully designed and multi-layered turn-based RPG.  The first thing you do is create your character which works just like any other adventure game these days.  You decide your character’s sex, have a handful of face templates to chose from, and a skin tone.  Next thing to do is

Assassin’s Creed 3 (Story Mode)

Back in August of last year, I wrote one of my most detailed reviews ever on Assassin’s Creed 2.  The second installment of the series set during the Renaissance turned out to be a resounding improvement from its original and should have been a 2011 Game of the Year candidate.  Now 18 months in real time result in Desmond Miles once again entering the Animus to gather information left behind about 200 years after the Renaissance and about 5000 miles West to the heart of the American Revolution.  Interestingly enough, for the first time ever in the Assassin’s Creed series, you are able to