- Written by Brandon Billingsley
- Category: Editorials
- Hits: 356
Released in 1996 not long after the games which it was based on, and just like those games, the Pokémon TCG quickly took off in popularity. So much so that they even made a Pokémon TCG game for the Game Boy. It was a golden era for GameFreak and their franchise. Even after Pokémon's popularity declined for a bit, the TCG scene remained active and to this day, it's considered one of the “Big 3” of TCGs alongside Yu-Gi-Oh and Magic: The Gathering. It’s received dedicated apps, at least two different digital versions and constantly updates alongside the video games. Then on October 30th, 2024 The Pokémon Company released Pokémon TCG Pocket, the newest app developed by DeNA(Who also worked on Pokémon Masters) and Creatures Inc which seeks to recapture that feeling of opening card packs and hoping for the rarest cards. So what is Pokémon TCG Pocket?
- Written by Zamir Twiggs
- Category: Editorials
- Hits: 476
An unusual elk was spotted in the highlands, and I was part of the hunting party racing to its last location. From the back of our journeykin, we pounced the elk and it fought with leyline-infused techniques. We were making progress, when it started running, forcing us to remount our journeykin and pursue it! We readied harpoons with chains to slow it as it zigged and zagged, trying to throw us off. It took several attempts but we stopped it and continued the assault. As before, we waylaid the elk, exhausting its vitality before it began to run again. This time our pursuit led us to another situation, a wolf pup was sickened and the kodan needed help gathering herbs to fight the sickness. It was looking rough, there weren’t enough people to hold off the titans and gather herbs. Trusting the party that began the hunt to finish it, I broke off and went to the pup’s aid.
This series of events is exactly why I love playing Guild Wars 2. You begin one of the many tasks that unfold in the world and it intercepts another task. These events are built to engage you with the world and convey the themes of each map. The Lowlands map doesn’t have a meta event, relying on small local events to convey kodan culture, from hunting and gathering to agriculture and combat. You tend to basic chores around towns, and maybe get an unusual request from a cryptozoologist, however, a strange rot spreads, and you’ll investigate the underlying threat while fighting its effects on the ecosystem.
Read more: Making a Home in the Wilds: Guild Wars 2 Janthir...
- Written by Sean Phillips
- Category: Editorials
- Hits: 478
So, today was the Xbox Partner Preview showcase, where the latest in third-party games coming to Xbox were shown and to be perfectly honest? Outside of a few select titles, there really wasn’t much noteworthy here to really get excited about, which is a shame as, usually, I find a good bit of games that look fun, but not this time, sadly. That doesn’t mean that there wasn’t anything good on the show, just that nothing really screamed MUST GET, for me at least.
Read more: 2024's Xbox Partner Preview - Thoughts & Trailers
- Written by Brandon Billingsley
- Category: Editorials
- Hits: 732
Strategy focused RPGs are always some of my favorites. I’m not always good at them, but I enjoy them. So when I saw the announcement for Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven a few months ago, I was intrigued. A non-linear rpg with multiple characters and different formations? That doesn’t involve a standard exp system? This promises to be pretty interesting, especially since I’ve never heard of the SaGa franchise before this game. Fortunately, like Final Fantasy, the number is mostly a formality: knowledge of other entries in the series is not all required to play or enjoy this one. Which means we can jump straight in.
- Written by Zamir Twiggs
- Category: Editorials
- Hits: 534
The forests of this realm were quiet, and an unsettling chill always lingered in the air. Though we channeled the Tome of Glades to camouflage our race with fur and our uncanny ability to traverse the woods gracefully, the land was hostile with an unrelenting sense of wrongness. Our magic changed barren spaces to something livable, but death wasn’t just an intangible thing here, it claimed this world and the beasts in them.
- Written by Valraven
- Category: Editorials
- Hits: 887
Jak and Daxter are back in the hit sequel Jak II (Jak II Renegade in Europe!) The series returns to its roots with Platforming, collecting, and puzzles all while adding new aspects like gunplay, dark powers, and a sweet new hoverboard! Our heroic duo must once again save the world, this time against a dark metalhead force! There is one thing I need to know, and that is where can I get a crocodog plushie?
(Read Valraven's Review of the first game in the series, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, here!)
- Written by Sean Phillips
- Category: Editorials
- Hits: 1159
When you hear the word 'Sequel', either one of two things will pop in your mind: Either happy images of great sequels like 'The Empire Strikes Back' or ‘The Expendables 2’ or nightmares of horrible sequels like 'Son Of The Mask' or ‘Halo 5: Guardians’. So, what happens when a great product receives a sequel that does improve on the previous faults and introduces new ideas but, at the same time, seems like a step backwards? That's where 'Banjo-Tooie', the sequel to the legendary Rare game 'Banjo-Kazooie', seems to fall. Now, before you raise your pitchforks at me, hear me out: While it does improve all the original faults and issues that I had and I do still like the game, it oddly feels like it takes a few steps backwards as well. What do I mean by this? Well, ready your trusty side-kick and prep your new moves, cause it's time to Beak Bomb into: BANJO-TOOIE.
- Written by Valraven
- Category: Editorials
- Hits: 1059
Naughty Dog really had something special when they started the Jak and Daxter Series. Platforming, collecting, engaging puzzles with just the right amount of difficulty, and to top it all off, it had the first seamless 3D open world with no loading screens. And who doesn’t love a furry otter-weasel hybrid sidekick? I just wish they had kept the plans to have Jak a wolf-like humanoid! Always could use more wolf characters!
- Written by Brandon Billingsley
- Category: Editorials
- Hits: 757
It’s-a me! Super Mario!
Originally released in 1985 for NES and Famicom, There is little doubt that Super Mario Bros. has an immense legacy. Mario is one of the oldest and most recognizable names in pop culture. It's one of the earliest titles in what would become one of the biggest and most well-known gaming franchises to ever exist. In fact, it’s considered one of the greatest games of all time and in the context of the time period in which it was released, it definitely is something special that earned that legacy without question.
- Written by Sean Phillips
- Category: Editorials
- Hits: 721
Let’s be honest: The State Of Play from Sony and Geoff Kieghly’s yearly ‘Summer Games Fest’ were less than stellar. While both had some interesting games, general consensus seems to be that they were the weakest, especially Summer Games Fest. So, all eyes were on Xbox and their showcase, with everyone hoping we got at least some decent games announced and did we? Well, I’m happy to say that not only did we get that and then some, I feel Xbox may have had the best show they’ve had in a long while! In fact, general consensus seems to be in agreement as well, with a recent poll by Geoff Kieghly ranking Xbox’s showcase with an A, the highest, I think, the showcase has ever gotten. Do I agree? Personally, outside of two games we’ll get to, I think this was the best show I’ve seen in a while!