Game Review: Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD

Developer: Nintendo EAD

Publisher: Nintendo

Genre: Action/Adventure

Platforms: Wii U

Website:  http://www.zelda.com/windwaker/

Age Rating: 7+ (PEGI)

There are many great debates in this world, each with their own points and counter points to be made. This being the internet, however, debates tend to turn into unreasonable, scathing attacks on each other’s sexuality for some reason so I’ll just throw this statement out in the open: Wind Waker is the best Zelda game there is.

If you’re not seething with fury and preparing statements filled with name calling instead of punctuation, willing to listen to my argument or just have plenty of free time on your hands, hit that ‘read more’ button and I’ll tell you why.

Oculus Rift Impressions

There are moments in all entertainment mediums that stop you dead in your tracks, mouth hanging open in pure, awe struck amazement. I usually think my standards are slightly higher than most as while I considered Quake, Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Assassin’s Creed very impressive to downright amazing, I didn’t sit, stare and go ‘wow’.

The first time I saw something in a video game and said ‘wow’ was watching footage of Super Mario 64. It was certainly impressive, running around a fully realized environment so fluidly, but the moment I went ‘wow’ was when Mario jumped into a painting and seeing it ripple like water from the point he jumped in.

Physics and details tend to be the things that really get me going wow. The next time I felt such a ‘wow’ moment was playing Unreal Tournament 2003 in Bombing Run Mode. I scored and immediately fell down a pit directly underneath the goal and watched in awe as my dead character bounced off all the poles spread across said pit as he fell, bouncing off each and every one. Next came Half-Life 2, which wowed me twice with fully expressive and realistic characters and fantastic water effects. 

Now, I’m adding a moment in iRacing.com while using the Oculus Rift.

Checking in + mini-Singapore review

I've noticed on a few considerably more popular blogs then this one if the author suddenly doesn't update the thing, people start to come up with ideas about how they met their grisly end. Luckily for me, I haven't met it yet, I've just been a bit ill.

Just so you know, I didn't avoid writing a review for the Singapore GP because Vettel won by so much. I do have chunks written about how the whole was was a simple equation: 

Best car + moulded around one of the best drivers / opposition in clearly inferior cars and unable to push * Vettel in a position where he could push 100% (which these days rarely happens) = very easy win.

I was surprised he got venomous boos in a place not renown for it's F1 passion, but the fact he has to separate literally every win as if it was his first and/or most challenging is grating on a lot of people. As for the idea the Red Bull has something potentially illegal on it, it's more likely to be something that's not actually covered by the rules then out right illegal.

Anyway, blog. I've decided I'm not going to do individual reviews of the races for the rest of this season to focus on some story writing, some of which might just make it here. I'll do a season review after Brazil (which likely won't have much to do with Vettel besides acknowledgement of him being there as he's very much the uninteresting part of this season) as well as a few game reviews then I can pull myself away from them.

So there you have it, I'm still here and I will be continuing to update this thing. In the mean time, be good!

Game Review: Guacamelee! Gold Edition

Developer: Drinkbox Studios

Publisher: Drinkbox Studios

Genre: Platform Adventure

Platforms: PC, PS3, Vita

Website: http://guacamelee.com/

Age Rating: 12+ (PEGI)

The current indie game craze has been picking up a hell of a lot of steam since Minecraft hit it big. Smaller, more imaginative games are giving big budget, ‘AAA’ studios and publishers more than a run for their money and even embarrassing them on a regular basis.

Of course, with so much money pumped into these ‘AAA’ titles the execs who look to profit are always nervous so fewer indie developers can take are taken. After all, could you see Activision or EA making a 2D ‘Metroid-Vania’ game based on Mexican folklore with a complex and challenging beat ‘em up combat system?

Game Review: Rayman Legends

Developer: Ubisoft Montpellier

Publisher: Ubisoft

Genre: Platformer

Formats: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U, PC, PS Vita

Age Rating: 3+ (PEGI)

Deep within the ancient mountains of gaming, stood upon it’s tallest peak, stands a legend among legends: The plumber called Mario. Throughout his long years, he has been on many adventures, defeated many foes and fended off many rivals.

They may have speed. They may have technical prowess. They may have talkative companions. But they still can’t stand up to Mario’s charm, challenge and ability to adapt to the ever shifting paradigm of gaming.

Yet one remained determined and steadfast. A French rival with a cult following from the days of the Playstation and Saturn who possessed no limbs yet inexplicably still had hands and feet. He too possessed the ability to adapt to change, yet he also had the ability to see flaws in his opponent, see where they were weak and capitalise.

It has taken so long, but Mario, master of the platformer, has been defeated.

Formula 1 - Round 12: Italy

The dictionary definition of Passion is “A state or outburst of strong emotion” or “An intense enthusiasm for something”. If you’re still not 100% sure of the world, then the Autodromo Nazionale Monza on a grand prix weekend will make you fully understand the word.

In the almost holy trinity of Formula 1 circuits, Monza stands apart from Monaco and Silverstone as not only is it a high-speed wonder, it’s also home of the sport’s longest running, ever present team: Scuderia Ferrari. Long running legends of racing at one of the greatest circuits in the world. Sadly, in this era of Red Bull and Vettel dominated ‘racing’, even the Cathedral of Speed itself can’t provide.

Formula 1 - Round 11: Belgium

I think I’ve broken one of my records. I’ve played it a few times whenever Formula 1 goes to a track with legendary and classic credentials, but almost every time I play it something goes wrong and it starts playing the German national anthem for some reason (and I get the words ‘Deutschland, Deutschland über alles’ or whatever it is that isn’t really the first line of the anthem). I suppose it’s the only needle I have that fits the record player and works consistently, but it’s still annoying when a record that has previously been amazing plays out the same dull slog.

I’ll probably put the record away in storage for now while throwing out the one where I say I’m going to get these out for a particular day, mainly because I have little urge to play that one. But it seems in the Ardennes Forest, its business as usual as Formula 1 returns from its summer break.