Games, Food and More: March 2015

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Going Back to the Best and Worst Schools in Video Games

"School's Out for Summer" are the rockin' lyrics that will be relevant again in May and June of 2015. As kids are gearing up to head back to those hallowed halls of higher education, or wallowing in self-pity at their desks as we speak, here are some of video games' best and worst classrooms and schools that heroes and NPCs alike have had to endure.

With quirky personalities all their own, it's difficult to not fall in love with pets. We're intrigued by their thought-processes and smitten by their charm, even if they cannot use magic spells to destroy our enemies as our video game companions often can. Inspired in part by Fiery Corgis in WOW, here are some of the strangest pets in gaming.

15 More Obscure RPGs We Wish Had Sequels

Following last week's List of 7 Obscure RPGs I Wish Had Sequels, there were so many incredible suggestions from Kotaku readers that we're doing it again.

Yes, I know. All of it is amazing.

Splashed in ever-changing neon palettes that suggest a drug induced reality; pulsating beats and blips contribute to a cool rhythm, and an unmistakable atmosphere. Spattered nearby are the thuds and icky thumps of your most recent kill, blood pooling as a grim reminder of what was left behind, what you're capable of, and what will surely be repeated. Stylish. Driven. Perplexing. That's Hotline Miami—the game with multiple voices, multiple personalities and no easy answers.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D: The TAY Review

Rose-colored glasses or not, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask remains an interesting entry to the series that's as weird, terrifying, heart-breaking, and brilliant as ever.

There are 117 Games, Physical Items on Club Nintendo Right Now

The Not Dead Yet (but soon to be) Club Nintendo* quietly updated their Rewards Catalog this Groundhog Day. And like that jerk Groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil that told us Spring 2015 is just a myth, so too is it hard for me to believe that the wealth of games and physical goods currently being offered is real.

Fighting games tell stories that are the soap operas of video games.

The Casts of Persona 3 and Persona 4, Ranked

The casts of Persona 3 and Persona 4 will soon be dungeon crawling together with the release of Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth. This is the perfect excuse to arbitrarily rank who has the best chance at making it out alive! ...Oh who are we kidding?

Fantasy Life: The TAY Review

Across the grassy plains, the wind dances playfully among the treesI spend my days with a fish hook dangled aimlessly in a stream, it's the angler's life for me

That's how my life began and a terrible attempt at a rhyme aside, at some point it may very well be the life you choose to lead too.

Or not.

And that's totally okay.

Minecraft Party Requires 110% Imagination to Appreciate

There's nothing quite like butchering your favourite franchises into home-made party favors and cakes. It's fun as it is funny, and sometimes you just have to improvise when you're on a budget... and put on a brave face as you show the world that you cannot draw a pixelated gold nugget to save your life.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call: The TAY Review

A good pair of headphones and a strategic plan are suggested but not necessary to play the latest spin-off from the Final Fantasy franchise, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call.

A continuation of the compilation soundtrack to your life has released today, Final Fantasy fans. With 221 songs of field music to traverse, boss battles to fight and events to trigger, what better way to celebrate Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call and FF music than with a little Mixtape Challenge of our own?

Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: The TAY Review

Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright I've just one objection that is also the puzzle: Why?

Of the many stories and controversies that boarded and disembarked the 2014 E3 hype train, the one I found most interesting was the speculation on whether or not the Link in the trailers for the future Wii U title was actually female. Lines were drawn in the sands of the Internet and the division became clear: the fans who believed the reincarnated Link, by the very definition, could return as female to fill a blank slate role. Then there were the fans who firmly believed that Link would always be male - a fully fleshed out character, along with Zelda and Ganon, who developed distinct roles over the years with every new iteration in the long running series.

Pineapple shirts. A shark on the beach. Flared nostrils. Daily Markets. Escargot. Rent-A-Puppy coupons. Cloud. Ganondorf. Luke Triton. You. Mii.

Your Favourite Worst Nightmare: The Blue Shell Cometh...

Your temporary residences: No one quite knows where you live, but the Mushroom Kingdom is your [goomba?] stomping ground. Are these hills really your home? The ones blanketed in dancing trees hiding strange suits that give you strange abilities? What of the desert? Where spiky, dangerous beasts gingerly saunter to your location and follow your every move, all the while with devious, unassuming smiles on their faces. What about the snowy slopes? The kind you slip and slide on, fearing an icy, watery bath at any given misstep. Water worlds that have squid-like monstrosities swarming you at every stroke… It's a colourful place with portals leading everywhere, each destination even more beautiful and treacherous than the last.

Transistor's Soundtrack Reminds Me Why I Love Video Game Music

Sometimes, I need a game like Transistor to waltz into my life.

What if Everyone in the World Lost Their Hair?

Peter Tieryas Liu's novel, Bald New World builds a dystopian future that is terrifying, clever with a sometimes beautiful exterior that is gritty in its truths. It is captivating in its visuals and storytelling of a world in chaos after everyone loses their hair. Espionage, intrigue, murder and mystery are shrouded under dazzling city lights, masked by a steady rain and engulfed by stifling smog. The harsh realities of its world lay the groundwork for an equally engaging narrative centered around the journey and personal struggle of its main character, Nick Guan.

Those Sassy Silver-Haired Video Game Characters

With the possibility of Suikoden II being released on the PSN, I will finally get to know all the joys of one much-talked about JRPG. As per my motto, I'm still lowering my expectations so as to not be disappointed even though I've heard only great things about its amazeballs, complex story and the characters who carry the narrative with class. But you know what I want to know most about Suikoden II? Yes, yes: the music, the adventure and the villains but more so, I am wondering if there's any white or silver-haired character for me to swoon over. These are the important things that matter most. Who disagrees?

Certainly not my JRPGs and other Japanese created games.

The Perfect Song: When Television Gets it Right

This week when seven heroes were forced to live under new identities, curb behavior that could be marked as deviant and run to avoid execution, a song to keep us warm was not the one played when all hell broke loose.

Saying Goodbye to my Tiniest Companions in the Game of Life

The last 10 months have been filled with uncertainty, changed lives and sorrow. When I was grieving for the one life lost that was one death too many, life went ahead and dealt our family three more. Somber celebrations were had, full of family sharing stories, meals and even a laugh or two through tears. We all grieved in different ways for the loved ones we lost. My mother for her brother who loved food and life. My sister for her friend who had a beautiful smile and a brave soul. And then, there is me...to the little friends who depended on me to take care of them but instead, gave me a richer life than I could ever have given them.

Campbells Mario Chicken Noodle Soup: A SnackTAYku Review (?)

This right here? This is going to be da bess review you will ever read in the history of ever. There will be few words but you'll be crying by the time it is over. Crying as you go into the recesses of your mind to relive your childhood with Mario and his many obstacles. Crying because you'll want me to stop writing on account of how terrible this will be. TERRIBLY AWESOME THAT IS!

...Naw, let's reinstate just the terrible part.

Any given JRPG usually ends with your party of four (sometimes less, sometimes more) saving the damned world from a crisis born of one ultra-bad (maybe misguided?) person (or thing!) bent on world destruction. Somewhere along that epic adventure to the end game, there would be a lot of familiar tropes your party members would encounter. From stealing monster's hard-earned money to visiting villages or towns, to meeting the bubbly character with the sordid secret past; we've all been there and done that.

Those Forgettable Final Fantasy Characters

"Who am I?"

Lego Shot: Stuck on a Puzzle

He was an Adventurer: traversing foreign lands buried in ice and snow, others blanketed by blistering desert sands, and sleepy villages surrounded by thick mists and foreboding auras.

He was an Ambassador: conversing with men disguised as magicians, frauds from the past selling tales of the future, and vampires that lived among mortals.

He was a Detective: stumbling upon curiosities hidden on dusty shelves of Scotland Yard's underground archives, discovering and unlocking the mysteries of ancient civilisations, and bringing crooked men to justice.

He was a Gentleman: a man with a good-nature and impeccable manners who was also skilled in the art of swordplay. A man well-versed in identifying and appreciating the delicate flavours of tea. A man who had solved hundreds of puzzles during his lifetime and tenure as a Professor at Gressenheller University.

He had done just about everything.

But when the moment came, Hershel Layton could not solve the greatest puzzle of his career: Retirement.

Lego Shot "Professor Layton in Retirement" was constructed using Lego, thread, imagination and a dash of Photoshop.

Inazuma Eleven: The TAY Review

Perhaps you, like me, have a more off than on-again relationship with soccer (or football, whichever you wish to call it). Maybe your love affair blossoms for a fleeting month or so when the World Cup rolls around every four years. Maybe you, like me, have more of an investment in the world of RPGs. Thus when the RPG Soccer game, Inazuma Eleven was finally released in North America, your interest may have been piqued as mine was.

Interview with Art Director of 3D Collect-a-Thon Platformer, A Hat in Time

In the months that followed the successful A Hat in Time Kickstarter and being Greenlit for Steam, the Indie Developer team Gears For Breakfast has been busily working away on the game that stars the charmingly adorable Hat Kid.

Lead 3D Environment Art Director, William T. Nicholls took a few moments from a busy schedule to discuss the Alpha release that hints at new game mechanics, stellar music, a creepy mansion and a familiar sounding penguin.

The short burst of laughter that resulted from having to seek shelter from the deluge that emptied out of the sky that Wednesday almost felt wrong to utter. It was not so much we found a moment of joy in an otherwise terrible day; it was more the sad kind of sentiment, and an acknowledged bewilderment at how the rain fell with a particular ferocity. It was easy to notice how ominous the sky was, and how much more filthy, quiet and flooded those streets of Chinatown became that day.

My Layton vs Your Phoenix, Part II

How long until the Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright U.S. release? How long until Sam G. has to finish playing through the Professor Layton series to understand why I love it so? How long do I have to convert or at least find an appreciation of that crazy, spiky-haired attorney as Sam G. so insists I will? Are we one step closer to understanding each other in this second installment of our "Layton vs Phoenix" series, and on our way to stop our friendly bickering?

The icy clutches of the polar vortex are upon us: stabbing our little hibernating gaming hearts in the dreads of the long, molasses crawling days of January. To make matters worse, February is just around the corner. We all know that month is even worse for weather (but here's hoping we all will be spared). The only good thing February may bring is a slew of brand new games. But before we hibernate even further into our rabbit hidey-holes from all that ice, let us gather together for warming thoughts and memories! You know the kind: the fire levels and heat-inducing situations that have forever burnt holes in our minds and made us sweat it out in our hearts.

SnackTAYku Gil Toss: The Adventurous (plus Angry and Disappointing) Mash Up

This January: It's time for one special adventure. Equip your newly acquired grass sword and grab a friend. It's time to venture through the distant land of ice, snow and the Golden Arches. I made the journey this weekend where I tussled with a magician. Along the way, I stopped by a Tree House and it's there I played video games, and wished for a perfect sandwich.

Flashback Friday Funtimes: Zar's Revenge!

Do you remember that one time you were just about about to destroy a difficult boss but then it bested you instead? Or how about that time you were so close to clearing an area but fell short not once, or twice but thrice? You refused to put the controller down because you knew you could do it! That was frustrating enough but that chuckle you heard from your sibling or loved one watching you while you failed did not make things easier. That's the part you remember most of all, isn't it? Why would they laugh at you? Because they're loveable jerks, that's why! But no matter because they decided to pick that controller at some point too or stuck around while you played, didn't they? And that's when you exacted your revenge… Welcome back to Flashback Friday Funtimes!

Expectations Met...and it Was Not What I Was Hoping For

For a brief time in an embarrassing moment during my childhood, I played the role of a Sony Fan Girl. Like most people who have no clue what they're talking about due to sinful ignorance, I loudly decried Nintendo without ever really investing the time to play a Nintendo game. It was purely brilliant reasoning, I know.

I had been exposed to the NES and SNES prior in my very inexperienced and short, Nintendo life. My cousins owned the systems while my family had a Commodore 64. Ah yes, I had my start as a PC Master Race player (yeah, right. No really, I know absolutely nothing about PC Gaming) and then made my way to the grey, dirty enticing… glow (?) of the Sony Playstation: with its promises to bring me a Flower Girl, and a fight for possession and control over evil in Soul Blade.

Brothers...and a Sister: A Tale of Quiet Reflection

The younger brother is a bit of a trickster. He has a natural ability for the musical arts. He is kind to animals, preferring to set birds free from the cages that trap them than to see them chirping sadly in captivity. Yet as a young spirit, he finds himself leaning towards the inquisitive, playful and sometimes naughty side: teasing a bunny along the way or mischievously creeping up on an unexpecting villager. He is far more trusting and curious. His sometimes daring nature and carefree attitude lands him in trouble but at times, it is just what is needed to further a journey.

Next to the inviting electronic glow and crackle of a virtual fire, it was there I started my year by tossing objects (with a scarily joyful smirk) into my brand new Little Inferno fireplace. Doing so warmed the place right up in those cold January months! What it did not do, however, was stop those grizzly murders from happening. Difficult to ignore, I turned my attention to solving case after case with my very own Scooby Doo gang: the Investigation Team. It was tough staying up until midnight and venturing into the television on those crazy nights. I also really hated that thick fog. Umm, maybe I should not have burnt those toys after all. Plus the screaming when I did was none too pleasant…

Your Favourite Worst Nightmare: Trust No Bun(ny)

Your humble abode: it's just one room and you. There's a single-sized bed with other modest furnishings in a lone table and two chairs. Some paintings hang on the walls, three pots on the lower left line the wall in a most unassuming fashion, and a mask adorns the opposite side of the room. Not far north stands a grand castle and to the west, a quaint village with its laid back atmosphere found in its milk bar, farm, citizens and cuccos happily clucking while roaming free. Everyone knows your name but you prefer to live the solitary life with your late mornings, and idle thoughts of becoming a Blacksmith.

The Link Between Super Mario 3D Worlds Launch Event at Nintendo World, NYC

Streetpass continues to be one of the best features of Nintendo's 3DS. It certainly comes in handy when you're waiting in line for a launch event. It makes the cold air a little more tolerable while you're standing on the street. Listening to friends talk about their respective Pokémon Safari is amusing. There's fun to be had being allowed to peek into what games others are currently playing. And of course, the all mighty flicker of a green light indicating you've tagged a fellow Nintendo Enthusiast is one of life's simple yet wonderful pleasures.

Last-Gen Heroes: ...All That Jazz (and Then Some)

It was a week after its launch in 2006 when I strolled into Nintendo World to pick up my Wii. The place was in utter madness. Kids were running crazily all over the place and parents were busily trying to keep them in check (or not). I handed in my receipt at the counter and from the back my Wii was collected and presented to me. “How come she gets one?!” an insolent child inquired. “Pre-order,” I smugly replied to combat the attitude I was met with. The Wii sold out quickly and being in short to no supply, made all unable to get their hands on one that day quite displeased with my pre-order "prowess". I took it home and booted up The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Days later, Link and I would be felled at the bridge while my family teased me during my time of increased frustration.

The Last Generation of gaming saw me log more hours into my DS and PSP than on my Wii and Playstation 3. On the go gaming just made more sense with busy weekends, and a two hour commute each day for five days a week. The ten or so JRPGs I bought for my PS3 and Wii for the most part remain untouched. Of the handful I played, Final Fantasy XIII and Eternal Sonata disappointed me while Costume Quest brought Halloween to life, and the joy of inedible candy into my heart. While I have some gems waiting to be played on my consoles, I needed to not look very far to get my JRPG fix as both the DS and PSP were willing to cater to those needs. Square had a strong presence in that regard but when thinking about the Last Generation of gaming for JRPGs and SRPGs, it's clear that there's one company in particular that has become a force to be reckoned with.

Game Changing: Feeding the Chocobos to the Dogs

I am very much a creature of habit. I found my preferred genre of games in 1997 when I laid my hands on Final Fantasy VII. However, it was not love at first play. It took a frustrated break and a determination to understand what I was doing to develop that love. When I finished it, I knew that the JRPG would be the type of game that I would seek. I knew then too that Square would have my loyalty. In looking at my library from the PSOne and PS2 eras, there are a few different genres strewn in as well. There are my fighting days in Soul Blade and Tekken. I would cringe as a “backseat” player to the Resident Evil series. Farming was fun with Harvest Moon… and cooking with the Wonder Chef in the Tales series makes an appearance as well. It is clear, however, that Square dominated my decision making in buying games.

Last-Gen Heroes: When the Best Villain is You

I had seen this man before. An attractive, tired looking sort of fellow with his scruffy excuse for a beard. He had tussled hair and the rings around his eyes indicated he had not been sleeping very well. Perhaps he’s been having nightmares. His expression is one of utter concern. It’s as though he’s gotten news he’s none too keen on. Drinking every night at a mostly empty nightclub, he talked about problems of the heart. Ah yes, this guy. How could I forget him? He reminded me of myself.

The Seedy Social Experiments of Animal Crossing

At some point, and very early on in my Animal Crossing's town's short existence, a green parrot named Frank moved in. He and I did not get along the minute he opened that brutish mouth of his. He sounded mean and gruff, and spoke Animalese in a tone that was very much like how Okami's Susano sounds.

He's one of those animals that had the heart of a jerk. You know the sort if you've played any iteration of Animal Crossing: the judgmental type who is unpleasant in his mannerisms.

I wanted him gone. And so, the fastest way to get rid of him was to have little to no interactions with him. Day in and day out, I uttered barely a word to that ugly green bird. An occasional pleasantry was exchanged, and I may have run an errand once or twice but not much more was done to further the friendship.

Flashback Friday Funtimes: The System is Down

The Internet seems a sadder place since 2010. That was the last time I saw certain fools...and since then I’ve been trying to figure out what it is I’ve been doing with my life. It feels as if I’m at a crossroads and there’s like a Denny’s on one corner and an Ihop on the other. Light switch raves never seem fun anymore and I don’t feel like celebrating Decemberween either. You guys know what I mean? Bear (holding a shark) with me as the strom is unleashed on this Flashback Friday!