Games That Changed My Life Part 1: Final Fantasy IV

"Games That Changed My Life" is a multi-part series on games of particular personal note in my own history. These games have incredible significance to me in one way or another, and I'll be explaining exactly why on each reoccurring episode. 

Final Fantasy IV

RPGs are all over the place today. It seems like you can't shake a stick without hitting one, or at least games that incorporate what was once considered "RPG" (aka "Role-playing game") elements. Experience points make their way into Call of Duty, Halo, Puzzle Quest, and all sorts of genres. But it wasn't really that long ago when RPGs were considered somewhat "niche," and the rift between JRPGs and Western RPGs was that much more massive.

What does this have to do with my memories of Final Fantasy IV? Well...not much, but I needed some sort of intro to make me look reasonably intelligent.

Just roll with it, ok?

I'll be frank here: I was probably the biggest terror ever to raise. Not because I was a bad kid or anything (I always tried to be good), but because I was a super hyperactive one. Say what you want about ADHD and how we overdiagnose, I was the poster child for that. Add that my two younger brothers were probably not the most darling little angels ever, and you have yourself a nice stressed mom and the inability to keep a consistant babysitter for more than two or three sessions. Think of us as Calvin and Hobbes, except there's three Calvins.

The only babysitter that I remember lasting multiple times was Carson (last name withheld to protect the innocent), and this was because he had a tactic. First, he was male (and we were all males) so that somehow made things easier. Second, he let us do anything we wanted until bedtime, then he didn't take any guff. And third, he snuck his Super Nintendo over quite regularly.

The incident in question began when my parents decided to take a day trip to L.A. Carson was the only one willing to deal with the trio of terror for that long of a period, so his skills were enlisted. On the way over he made probably the smartest decision he made that day: picked up a copy of Final Fantasy IV from the Video Rental store a few blocks from my house.

He got stuck on this boss for a while. Didn't know to just use Lit-3 and end it in one hit.

As ADHD kids, we glued ourselves to video games. Hell, I still do (I'll admit it). We never had any systems growing up, so playing on an NES, Genesis, or SNES was a real treat. So when he came over with this new game for us, we were thoroughly engrossed.

I remember everything from that game. He played the game from the beginning all the way up to the point where Tellah died (then got stuck on Barbaricca, the Elemental Fiend of Wind) and we watched over the course of who knows how many hours.

Now, I'd played games before (I don't remember how old I was, but it couldn't have been above ten) on the computer, but nothing like this. Nothing that had a story to it. I remember my brother and I being elated when Palom and Parom were enlisted, and so mortified when they turned to stone to save Cecil and the crew that my brother literally cried and we had to turn the game off for a while to comfort him. Tellah's death was equally impactful, as he was one of our favorite characters because of his awesome magic spells and spiffy attire (or at least, that's why I assume we liked him so much).

Dance for me!

This was the moment when I realized something. Video games aren't just toys. I'd cut my teeth on things like The Incredible Machine 2 and played truckloads of NES and Genesis games as friends' houses, but this was the first time a game was more than just a fun little interactive activity. It had a story, like a book. It had characters. It had emotion. It had memorable scenes (Tellah casting "Meteo" on Goblez was embedded in my mind for nearly seven years as I searched for this game after I'd forgotten the title. It wasn't until the advent of the internet in the late 90s that I actually rediscovered it). It has beautiful music on par with the classical stuff we were learning on the piano. It was more than a book could be, because it had images. It was more than a movie could be, because it was interactive. It was something wholly unique, a means to present story on a plane unlike anything we've ever seen.

Needless to say, it was impactful. We liked it so much we named a truckload of our Lego characters (we were way too big into Legos) after the characters, with the "Tellah Guy" being a mainstay who worked his way into all our of Lego adventures. When Carson got stuck on the three sisters boss for several hours (he couldn't figure out how "Wall" worked) we thought they were, in fact, the final boss of the game (I was relieved several years later when I replayed it and found the three sisters are cake). I remember Edward's girlfriend dying, and Tellah being furious. I remember the hovercraft (and even then I thought it was weird that this was in a medieval setting) and floating over water. I remember "Jump, Kain, Jump!" as Carson got stuck on Barbaricca for forever. And I remember Cid being my second favorite character, if only because of his huge hammer and love of airships.

Never Forget. 

For me, this was an impactful moment in my childhood and my gaming career. It introduced me to RPGs, a genre I would not rediscover until nearly half a decade later. It showed me story in games, with real emotional weight. It blew my young mind on so may levels that video games could be like this, something the industry (and those outside of it in particular) are still trying to comprehend even to this day. It's something I'll never forget.

Fly on, Red Wings

Even as I replay the game today and realize it's...well, let's say "dated," to be nice...I can't help but be completely engrossed and wrapped up in nostalgia as I re-remember and rediscover things buried in my mind. Granted, that only lasts until after Tellah dies (though Carson did load another save on the rental copy that was on the Moon, which lead to mass confusion), but the music, the feel of the game; all of it is still there, buried deep in my brain. It's something special.

As a final, maybe not relevant anecdote, many years later when I went to college I had another weird Final Fantasy IV experience. This was around the time iTunes was starting to get big (2004ish) and they just introduced the network-sharing feature. Naturally, everybody on our dorm shared all their iTunes music so the whole building could see everybody's library. They could also see their playlists, including their "Top twenty-five most played" and playcounts.

The sound of my ruined college.

Due to some freak accident (that or I left it on overnight or something), Hello, Fat Chocobo got something like two-thousand playcount. Again, no idea why. However, this quickly became a huge in-joke that I was unaware of. People from four or five floors above would walk past my room, humming the song loudly. They taught their friends to do it too, so whenever we went to social gatherings somebody would hum or whistle it absently at some point during the visit. To this day I have no idea why the playcount was so high, but it pretty much cursed me for my entire freshman year of college.

That's all for this time, but expect some more trips into Nathan's psyche and personal game history soon. Because that's what you always wanted: to get inside my brain. Yeah you did. Admit it.

Red Eclipse, STK feature in Microsoft Promo

Hat tip to forum member TheLastProject who posted about a promotional video for a proof of concept research project called 'IllumiRoom'.  The main game shown is Red Eclipse, but SuperTuxKart also briefly appears (implicitly as the game played by a girl!) around the 0:48-50 mark.

I doubt they were actually showing an Xbox as I'm unaware of either Red Eclipse or SuperTuxKart being able to run on one.

I find it fascinating that 2 FOSS games would appear this way.  Either this is an indication of red tape avoidance (no permission required for GPL games) or a cultural shift within Microsoft - or perhaps I'm just reading too much into it.

It certainly adds some validation to the games themselves, indicating they are impressive enough to feature as part of a video by one of the world's foremost technology companies.  So hats off to the developers of both projects and also the projects that enabled them (CubeSauerbraten, TuxKart) - I like it that both games are good examples of open source in action.

GarageGames raising money to port MIT-licensed Torque3D to Linux.

Just a quick heads up.  GarageGames is currently raising money to port their recently open sourced Torque3D engine to Linux, including editing tools.  Here's a link to their IndieGogo page.  They're using a fixed funding campaign, so you don't have to worry about losing your money if they don't reach their goal.

We could use a capable 3D engine with mature, commercial quality editing tools on Linux (yes, there are other FOSS engines that run on Linux, but what we don't have is something that comes close to Unity at the moment in terms of ease of use) -- not to mention the fact that this would open the door for people to port a lot of existing games.

If you'd like to see this happen, stop by their IndieGogo page and help them out.

Spaceteam

Spaceteam

The Short

Pros
- Frantic multiplayer game where you are a SPACE TEAM
- Free
- Can be played 2-4 people and game adjust difficulty accordingly
- This game is an absolutely hilarious, insane good time
- Cleverly written and designed, with no two games the same
- Did I mention it's free?

Cons
- Some of the "disabilities" are much, much worse than others
- Might make your friends hate you if you play really bad
- No advanced options (team switching)
- Can't have more than four people...though that might be a pro
- Not available on Android. Since it uses local Wifi, I'd love to see cross-OS play here

It's time to form a team. A Spaceteam. 

The Long

I heard a lot about this game over the holiday from the various gaming blogs and podcasts I listen too, with several even considering it in their Game of the Year deliberations. It made me curious about it, but the screenshots didn't look particularly enthralling. Yeah, it's a space game. Yeah, you hit buttons and turn dials. And yeah, it's multiplayer only and is free. So..?

I had these reservations, sure. Until I played it.

Spaceteam is one of the best things you can get on your iOS device at this given moment. Assuming you have friends (local ones, mind) that own iOS devices as well. 

This game is so frantic, it's absurd. 

Spaceteam is incredibly simple, yet incredible in what it does. Essentially, you and up to three other people are...well, a Space Team. You are all part of a ship that is running from an exploding sun, and it's your job to keep the ship up and running to avoid getting blown up. How this is done is through a variety of random, menial tasks. For example, you might have a dial called the "Zaxon Zapper," and you'll need to turn it to 3 and then to 5 when the game tells you to, before the time runs out. Simple, yes?

Well...no. Because sometimes, instructions for your screen appear on your friends' devices. And sometimes instructions for their screen is on yours. Because everybody gets a completely different set of controls on their various iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch, you have to yell it out to them to do what is needed ("Flip the Dekadatter!" "Eject the Metapods!") before time runs up. Get enough right and you'll jump to hyperspace for a brief breather before it continues. Screw up enough, and you explode and your team dies. Your space team. That's not a good thing.

The magic of Spaceteam is the absolutely frantic co-op, and the absurd things the game makes you say. With four people, you have all four of you yelling commands, hoping that the right owner will catch their needed maneuver through the din. Not to mention asteroid fields (everybody has to shake their devices at the same time) and wormholes (everybody has to flip their devices at the same time) can mess up your controls. Screw up a lot and bits of your controls fall off, slime covers buttons, or (the worst), your translation machine fails, turning button names into nonsense. It only gets harder and harder until you die, with the challenge being to get as many warps as possible.

Sometimes they turn to random symbols. Because Spaceteam hates you.

Without a doubt, this game is some of the best fun I've had with a group of friends owning iOS devices. We played with two iPhones, and iPad, and an iPod Touch. There was no lag (minus our own yelling and misinterpretation), the yelling escalated quickly, and there's the awful sense of embarrassment when you issue a command and then realize it was on your button set to begin with. The game is chock-full of near-misses and awesome feats of teamwork, and when you fail you just want to start the whole frantic, yell-fest again.

By not being "just" a touch-screen game and incorporating real-world cooperation, Spaceteam succeeds in a way I wouldn't have imagined from a simple phone game. Yes, I could critique the graphics (which are charming but hardly pushing the envelope) or the lack of group options (I'd love to see it make two groups of three, then have people swap groups during hyperspace. That would be insane) or more than four players, but for what it does...it does it perfectly. For a frantic yell-fest that hooks your team and sends you into elated hysterics when you just make that hyperspace jump together, Spaceteam is something else. 

Unfortunately, this game is not available on Android (yet). It is free on iOS, with a few very minor in-app purchases available (none of which are necessary to enjoy the game; they simply make it a bit better). It requires everybody be on the same local Wifi (which makes sense, as you have to be near each other to even play the game) or Bluetooth together, but all iOS devices have Bluetooth now so it should be an easy connection. We had no issue getting together on a local Wifi. Because it circumvents stuff like Gamecenter, I could see cross-platform play (Android and iOS) with this game, which would be delicious.

I feel a bit silly review this game, but let me just say this: if you have friends that have iOS devices, get this game and force them to play it with you. Trust me, it's a load of fun, probably the best "party" iOS game ever, and gets you to all yell totally stupid stuff while trying to be the ultimate Space Team. Words don't do it justice. Just get it. Seriously. JUST GET IT.

Four out of five stars. 

Persona 4 Arena

The Short

Pros
- Excellently crafted fighting game from the creators of Guilty Gear and Blazblue
- Accessible combos and moves make this Arc System's most "noob friendly" game yet
- Game is gorgeous and follows a similar art/aesthetic style to Persona 3 and 4
- Story mode does a decent job connecting the characters from Persona 3 and 4 while adding some entertaining foils
- Voice acting is spot on, as it usually is with these games, and the localization team still rocks
- Music is excellent, featuring a mix of P3 and P4 tracks that have been remixed, as well as some original songs
- Works surprisingly well in the Persona universe, despite my immense doubts as to how it would fit
- We finally figure out what the heck Elizabeth has been doing since the end of P3 in greater detail. Which is awesome.

Cons
- Limited roster of characters, and most are from P4 (13, with two being new)
- The presentation of the visual-novel style story mode is completely at odds with the dialogue-based character development presented in the series Persona games
- The protagonist from P4 has both a voice, name, and inner monologue. I don't think I like it.
- They changed Chie's voice actor so she doesn't sound like a 30-year-old women. Yes, this is a con.
- I still hate how homophobic Atlas is when it comes to everything involving Kanji. Seriously...it isn't funny.

Welcome to the Velvet Room.

The Long

My eyebrows nearly hit the ceiling in raised...ness when Atlas and Arc Systems announced Persona 4 Arena. I mean...did anybody's not? Taking one of the most popular (and possibly best) JRPGs crafted in recent memory and turning into a fighting game...well...that didn't make a lot of sense. Especially considering the main focus of the games was heavy on story, dialogue, and character interaction, there really isn't much for that in a fighting game (the only "character interaction" is them beating the crap out of each other). 

However, as the development cycle went on (and I got fully exposed to the rest of Arc Systems games, and they are arguably my favorite fighting game company to date) I began to have hope that this game would work out. Especially after Atlas pointed out that 1. This game is canon (?!) 2. It would have Persona 3 characters and 3. It would have a heavy emphasis on a story that fused (hur hur, Persona puns) together; I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and allow Persona 4 Arena a shot at life.

So, as a hardcore Persona fan, Arc Systems fan, and writer, what is my opinion of Persona 4 Arena? Well, it has a whole lot of good, and a decent amount of mediocre. Read on and I'll explain.

If you like text, this game has got you covered. 

Let's go over what I'll probably talk the most about: Persona 4 Arena's absolutely colossal story mode. Considering this was what most fans considered the most sacrilegious part of the game (and the one with the biggest chance to screw everything up), I figured it deserves more than a brief mention.

The game allows you to play as every single character through the story mode, starting with the "core" Persona 4 characters (Yosuke, Yu [Aka the Protag], Chie, and Yukiko. After beating one of theirs you unlock Teddie and Kanji (who had a different path), and then the Persona 3 characters Mitsuru, Akihiko, and Aigis, as well as the last P4 straggler, Naoto. There's one final new character who you play last (Labrys), and after beating her mission you can replay all other stories from the "cliffhanger" ending to see the different ways the story plays out with your chosen character as the center of attention. Finally, after getting the "true" endings from the P4 and then P3 cast, you unlock Elizabeth's story, which is arguably the biggest fan-servicy one of them all as it seems to mostly focus more on resolving parts of Persona 3's story rather than Persona 4's. 

Point being: there's a butt-load of story here, and you are going to be spending tons of hours burning through it all if you are a Persona fan (I did). So since I spent all this time beating every character to 100% and seeing every ending, that means I loved the story mode right? Right?

Um...ok, let's talk about that.

Teddy is still a lovable idiot, and his story is one of the best (if only because of his moronic monologue)

So I'll get this out of the way first: I don't really dig the "visual novel" style of some Japanese games. Don't get me wrong, it can work (Phoenix Wright is a sterling example of this) but in most cases they become exposition heavy, monologue riddled messes that spend far too much time "thinking" rather than actually moving the plot forward. They're designed to bare everything through pages and pages of text, which can be good for some people, but for me I prefer a level of subtlety in writing. On the "show, don't tell" spectrum, they tend to be heavily lodged in the "tell" section, and it irks me.

Persona 4 Arena's story mode is super exposition heavy, and nearly drowns in its monologues. I kid you not when I say there's probably 7-8 paragraphs of monologue for every spoken line in this game, and that might actually be a low estimate. As you'd expect, you spend more time in character's heads than they do actually participating in the tournament, and that makes the story's pace drag to an un-bear-able crawl (see that pun? Teddy would be proud).

This is especially noticeable (in a bad way) for the main character, Yu's, story arch. In the games he was a silent protagonist, allowing the player to project themselves onto him. Since they couldn't do that in this game he has both a voice and pages of internal dialogue with himself, most of which is boring and generic. Not to be "that guy," but my Bob (which is what I named him in P4) wouldn't be nearly as big a toolbox as Yu is in this game. Not to mention that, since he didn't really have a personality  they can only draw on things P4 forced on his character, like his relation to Nanako. This makes him seem a hollow shell of the deep character I developed (in my own head, admittedly) during Persona 4, and makes his entire scenario really awkward to experience.

Elizabeth is on the moon. Don't ask why. 

This sense of awkwardness carried over to nearly all the Persona 4 characters I played, especially considering Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko have literally the exact same character arc for their stories. And that arc is identical to their Shadow trial in Persona 4, which makes it seem double lazy. I understand playing it safe, but come on! Not to mention their internal monologues, which I'm certain were meant to make the characters more three-dimensional, actually focuses more on their two-dimensional character attributes, making them flatter than 2D Teddy. The Persona games always conveyed incredible character depth through dialogue only, since the only thoughts you could perceive were the protagonist's (and you usually directed them). It made you feel like you really knew these people without getting into their heads, and as such make the relationships feel more...real. I mean, you don't know the exact thoughts of your best friends, right? Unless you are some sort of freaky mind reader. 

Persona 4 Arena botches this when it comes to its storytelling. By going the "easy" way out and making it a visual novel method of storytelling, it loses the depth and personality found in the Persona games and just makes it a long, droning look inside the heads of people I really didn't want to see the thoughts of. I knew them well enough before, thanks.

If I'm sounding a bit too hard on the story, that might actually be the case, because despite my complaints I really enjoyed the plot at hand. Whenever dialogue did emerge it was usually excellent, and there was some fantastic character banter (again, why I play these games) in each story (except Yu's. His was dull). And the "get inside their heads" actually worked very well for Kanji, Teddie, Aigis, Elizabeth, and Labrys' story arcs (mostly because all save the latter were quite funny). The story itself is also fairly decent, and seeing it unfold from different views (as the angle gets wider and wider as you back into Persona 3 character territory and finally see what's actually going on with Labrys' story) is genuinely clever. It's just too bad you have to sift through tons of useless fluff in order to actually get to the good stuff. 

General Teddie knows how to dress. 

At the risk of running long in the tooth here, let me end this briefly: Persona 4 Arena's story does an adequate job connecting the worlds of P3 and P4, is chock full of some fantastic fan-service, has a decent plot (once you actually get to it), the voice acting is excellent, and it made me genuinely excited to see where this series will go in Persona 5. It also works the whole "fighting game" mechanics into the world in a way that is surprisingly not lame, so the idea of these characters fighting each other actually makes sense, so that's a credit. While the method of administering the story was arguably the worst way they could have chosen, it's still worth looking into if you are a P3 or P4 fan.

Oh, last thing: you'll have to have played both Persona 3 and 4 to really understand and get the story here, and you'll even have to have beaten the optional velvet room bosses from both games to really get the story here (or Elizabeth's, at least). I'm serious, both games. While it does a decent job expositioning the crap out of you in case you missed one of the two games, it isn't sufficient enough if you are going in completely dry. So play the story after beating both games, alright? There, I'm done.

On to what really matters. 

Ok, so story beats out of the way (and see how I avoided spoilers? You'll thank me later), let's talk about what actually matters in terms of gameplay: the fighting itself. For those who have played previous Arc Systems games, you'll know they're big on lots of half rolls and multiple button mashes and loads of counters and crazy combos. And, for those who like their other games like BlazBlue or Guilty Gear, you'll be pleased to know Persona 4 Arena is absolutely an Arc Systems game. In fact, it might be their best one in terms of control.

The gamepad is very simply laid out. You have two buttons that are your character's physical attacks (light and heavy) and two that are their Persona attacks (also light and heavy). Most major specials require use of Personas, which can be banished if the Personas themselves are hit four times during a match (they'll return after a brief recharge). Across the board, most characters have all the exact same sets of moves (forward half-roll + physical attack, forward half roll + Persona attack, two forward half rolls + persona for an SP special) which means you can easily pick up any character and start figuring out how they work without worry about what unique controls you have to manuiver. There are, of course, a few exceptions to this (Aigis' different modes, and Elizabeth's absolutely insane self-damaging/self-healing sets of abilities), but as a whole this is the most accessible fighting game I've probably ever played. It's very easy to pick up and do moves, though figuring out how to best use each character's unique arsenal is the "hard to master" part of this discussion.

Robot battles.

There's also a lot of Persona-themed flavor to be had here, too. Moves are named after spells, so if you know your "Zio" from your "Bufu," you're in for a treat. You gain "SP" at the bottom which is used for the more powerful specials (which are all magic taken from the series), and there are even status ailments that you can inflict on your enemies to mess 'em up (as well as All Out Attacks, though those aren't particularly useful). Characters execute their own personal signature moves from their respective games, including their common phrases used in battle. While it certainly looks and feels like an Arc Systems fighting game, the Persona flavor is still very much there, and as such adds a sense of weird style that isn't found in many other fighting games. It's a weird mix, to be sure, but I was greatly surprised at how seamlessly it blended.

It's worth pointing out, however, that if you plan on playing this online, the Xbox 360 online community seems to be pretty much dead. The netcode wasn't that great on that system to begin with, so I suppose it was inevitable (plus 360 owners tend to play more first person shooters than super Japanese fighting games based on super Japanese RPGs about monster collecting and dating...), but I've heard the PS3 version still has a decent community. There's plenty of options for couch combat if that's your thing (that's how we usually play), and as stated the story and arcade modes are pretty robust, but if online's your thing...note it.

If there's anything I can agree with, it's Chie beating up Naoto.

Here's a question: what happens when you fuse the uber-detailed, HD animated sprites from BlazeBlue with the super stylish, super flashy design of Persona 4? If you answered "something awesome," you'd be totally right. 

Persona 4 Arena looks downright incredible. From the awesome yellow theme in the menues (mixed a bit with the heavy "blue" theme from Persona 3) to the gorgeous characters and their respective Personas, Persona 4 Arena is glorious on an HD TV. Characters look very accurate to their Persona 4 counterparts, though I did notice they tended to lean a bit towards the "Arc Systems" style of art rather than their Atlas inspirations, but not enough that it bothered me. As stated previously, the effects are super flashy and look fantastic, while the menues are stylized and striking. It's a great looking game that is loyal to its source material.

Same goes for the voice acting. All the voice actors are pulled over from the original games, except Chie and Teddie. And here's where I'll make a special note. I don't mind Teddie's new voice actor (I honestly can't really tell the difference) but new Chie really irks me. A friend of mine pointed out she sounds like a 30-year-old woman in the PS2 Persona 4, but there was something about her voice that grew on you in that game. Plus, she was my favorite character in P4, so having a completely different voice was really jarring. Not enough to piss me off or anything, just...weird. I hear it's the same VA that's in P4Golden on the Vita, so there's consistency there, but it still is weird. 

Music is, as expected, fantastic, featuring killer remixes (and originals) of songs from both Persona 3 and 4. That stupid battle song from P4 is still the catchiest thing ever, and you'll probably be humming most of the tunes long after the game is turned off.

Plus, the used the final boss song from P3 for Elizabeth, which is the dopest song in the game. So there's that. 

A year later, and Kanji still is a big chicken.

I will say I was very surprised by Persona 4 Arena, in both a good and a bad way. Good because they were very loyal to the source games, the fighting is fantastic, and I love the connection between P3 and P4. Bad because the story presentation is absolutely unfitting to the series it's presenting, it has some horrible pacing, and Chie's voice actor is different. Yes, I'm still harping on that.

All that aside, however, I have to commend Atlas for this. They made a game that crossed two genres that most people don't play both of (lengthy JRPGs fused with fighting games) and managed to create a game that would appeal to both. By having it be both accessible yet competent, and paired with the charming and memorable characters from both games, Persona 4 Arena is an anomaly of gaming that shouldn't work but somehow totally does. If you enjoy either Arc Systems fighting games or the Persona series, you should check it out. Plus, it's like $20, and if you plan on playing Persona 5 I'm pretty sure some stuff in this game will be referenced. It is canon, you know.

If they'd just presented the story better, this would probably earn a perfect score. But for now, it still gets a glowing four out of five stars.

And remember: every day's great at your Junes

Rayman: Jungle Run

The Short

Pros
- Fun twist on the "runner" genre
- Livid Dead levels are a fun, difficult challenge
- Graphics look gorgeous on a retina screen or high-res android display
- Game does a good balance of rewarding powerups to improve difficulty
- Great "pick up 'n play" game
- Has free DLC
- Not hampered by microtransactions
- Only $2

Cons
- Could have used more levels
- Simplistic platforming might irritate some

I was runnin...

The Long

It's no secret I'm a big fan of iOS and Android games. Short, usually simple experiences that sate your video game fix on the go for a hefty discount. Games like 10,000,000 and Game Dev Story can be content rich (and, at times, complex) while still being loads of fun and budget priced.

Something I'm sick of, however, is the "runner" style games on the iOS store. There's plenty of these out there, some more popular ones being Canabalt, Jetpack Joyride, Monster Run, and I Must Run! Basically you endlessly run to the right, dodging obstacles forever until you run into something and die. It's a score chase, it's mindless, and there's too many of them.

So when I heard they were making a Rayman game that was a "run" game, I was a bit turned off. Yeah, I loved the crap out of Rayman Origins, but I didn't want fond memories of that game tarnished by a weak knock-off. However, after hearing a few good reviews and seeing how downright pretty this game is, I dived in.

And guess what? Rayman Jungle Run is a superb platformer in every respect, that certainly goes above the concept of both a "runner" game and an iOS platformer.

The game certainly looks like Rayman

Jungle Run takes the basic ideas from Rayman Origins, strips them down, and leaves a game that is both easy to learn and difficult to master. It plays somewhat similarly to runner games in that Rayman will always automatically run to the right, but what differentiates this game is that there's actual level design here. It isn't an endless runner like many might think; instead, it's got similar platforming to Origins, just axing the manual directional control that would normally be handled by the D-pad. As such, you are left with three very simple options: jump, hover, and attack. And the game has worlds devoted entirely around these mechanics, just to be sure you'll learn them. Oh, and the wall run move. Can't forget that.

Because this game has actual levels, it feels more like an actual platformer than many other iOS platformers that offer full control. To be honest, removing directional controls (a finicky thing on a touch screen) was probably the best idea for this touch-only game, as they obviously designed the levels around the "always running" mechanic. This leaves a bunch of levels that are both challenging and fun, while still being easy and not having touch-controls trying to bottleneck you at every turn. It was a smart design choice, and it pays off in spades. 

Lums are still the goal of the game. 

While the levels are usually not too challenging to get through in terms of traversal, the real goal is to collect all the Lums (those little golden dudes) on every stage. That is where the game's challenge comes in. If you can get all 100 Lums, you earn a tooth for Death. Get enough teeth in a world, and you unlock that world's Land of the Livid Dead stage, a super challenging gauntlet that can often feel more like rote memorization rather than actual skill. Still, these uber-difficult unlocks are appreciated, as they feel like a good capstone to the skill you learned in each world. They also add a lot of replayability, as each level is usually under a minute long, so replaying it over and over to try and get all the Lums quickly becomes priority.

There were originally four worlds (five now, with DLC), each with ten levels if you count the bonus Livid Dead levels. That's a total of fifty levels for $2, which is certainly not a bad deal, but I wouldn't have minded more considering how easy the first world is. Still, it's easy to pick up, hopelessly addicting, and controls great. You can't ask for a more perfect iOS experience.

Good luck with that coin. 

This game also looks downright gorgeous on an iOS screen. The fact it looks nearly identical to Rayman Origins is a credit to the developers considering the downgrade in hardware, and the bright colors pop out vividly on the retena display. It looks great on an iPhone, but on an iPad it's downright spectacular, easily being one of the best looking iOS games artistically.

Music is also good, with a few select tunes from Origins, though it doesn't quite reach the awesome level that Origins' music provided. Still, I play most iOS games with the sound off, and the game plays fine silent as well. So that's a plus too.

I have very little bad to say about this game. 

Jungle Run isn't Origins. It's stripped down, to be sure, to accommodate for the touch screen and mobile status of a phone. But despite that, Ubisoft has created one of the best iOS platformers I've ever experienced. By removing what is often a developer's biggest hang up for these types of games (analog directional control on a touch screen) and focusing instead on building levels around the running mechanic, they've created a game that's fun, a good challenge, addicting, and excellently controlled. My only gripe is I wish there was more of it, something they seem to be fixing with free DLC.

If you have any affinity for these types of games, on console or otherwise, you should do yourself a favor and grab Jungle Run. I mean...come on. It's $2. You can't even buy lunch with that. 

Four out of five stars. 

Fire is still bad, though. Just...in case you forgot. 

Favorite Games Played in 2012

Hello all! And welcome back to Nathan vs Video Games...the blog. Yeah, there's been some serious radio silence on this end for a while, mostly because of life issues, but my New Years goal is to provide you with one review or article on this blog daily, so re-bookmark and re-subscribe or whatever, because content is coming full force!

You may note I said "Article" in addition to Reviews. While I still plan on continuing the epic quest to review every game I've ever played, I also am no longer pigeonholing this site to just reviews. Expect lists, articles, and more on here as part of the daily content update for 2013. It's gonna be good stuff! And all video game related, so you know you'll love it!

In addition, there will be a hefty amount of new video content once I figure out how Adobe Premiere works. For those who missed it, I built a sweet gaming PC over Christmas, and now have switched to Windows for video editing. So those who subscribed to the YouTube channel and are sad because of lack of updates...don't be! Stuff is in the pipeline. Stuff big.

But for now, let's do a very quick list of my favorite games I played in 2012. Now, here's the catch: these games don't have to be released in 2012 to count. I know, right? This list is, in fact, for games I played for the first time in 2012. I'll be referencing games released in 2012, but there are a few I played the first time this year worth mentioning.

Also, these aren't in any particular order, so there's that too. Ready? GO!


Mega Man X

I can't believe I never played this game before now. I had played all the Mega Man NES games, all the Mega Man Zero games, but for some reason never touched the X series. Well, I fixed that in 2012, and good damn, this game is fantastic. As stated in my glowing review, Mega Man X is probably one of the best action platformers ever created. The controls are perfect, tight, and the game has excellent game feel. The power-ups are useful and cool, the stages have tons of secrets to be discovered, and the final area is a serious challenge. It's an unmatched game, to be sure, usurping even the NES Mega Man games in terms of quality. If you haven't played it, you really should. Really. Do it.


Spec Ops: The Line

I literally finished this game two days ago, so expect a review up shortly (as well as a spoiler-filled article on why this game is fantastic) but in terms of games released in 2012 that I actually finished, Spec Ops: The Line is my absolute favorite. Not because it's a good game (the controls are clunky, the shooting never changes, and the gameplay is wholly generic), but because of what it does. Without digging too deep, this is a game based on Heart of Darkness, a critique on the horrors of war and what it does to people. Only Spec Ops: The Line takes it one step further. That generic box art that looks like Call of Duty or Battlefield? A trap. The generic intro and hour-start that sets the trappings of just another "hoo-rah," shoot the foreigners, war-glorifying shooter? A ruse.

This game knows its audience, and as such lures you in before completely pulling the rug out from under you. And not just that, it points its target of criticism not just on its psychologically damaged characters, but on you as a player, in some incredibly well done "meta" ways. I won't say more for risk of spoiling it, but you should really play Spec Ops: The Line. Just...don't read anything more about it until you do, ok? Spoiling this game will ruin the experience. It's unbelievable to me this game got greenlighted based on the underlying meaning it pushes.


Shatterhand

Here's an NES gem that was overlooked by too many people. Shatterhand is, simply, an action platformer with an emphasis on punching. It's sort of a hybrid between Ninja Gaiden, Mega Man, and...God Hand, maybe? Ok, not really, but both games have a lot of punching.

The thing that makes Shatterhand so great is the controls. It's one of the best feeling games I've played (right up there with Mega Man X), combined with a cool powerup and healing system (where you can pay for heals with the coins you acquire, mid-stage) and well designed levels that are an absolute blast to traverse. It's a difficult game, to be sure, but an awesome one.

Also, the graphics are gorgeous and the music is kick-ass. Seriously, good stuff.


The Walking Dead

Confession: I haven't beaten the season yet, but I can tell already that this game was made for me. Dynamic character choices, exceptional voice acting, a cool story that isn't cliche, and some genuinely tough decisions make this a game I had difficulties pushing down. Well, until my computer died and ate my progress, meaning I'll have to burn through two episodes to get back to where I was. Either way, there's a reason people won't shut up about this game. It's awesome. And I won't way any more for fear of spoilers or just lack of knowledge.


FTL (Faster Than Light)

I love Indie games, if only because they often do things that wouldn't fly from big publishers. Such is the case of FTL, a Kickstarted game that turned out amazing. FTL is basically The Oregon Trail in space. You start with a small ship that you stock, man, and arm and set it out into space. You then travel to different (randomly generated) locations, doing battle, saving aliens, and embarking on adventures as you try to avoid getting caught by the big baddies that want you dead. Death is permanent, the game is very hard, and the battles are unbelievably cool. If you ever wanted to be the commander of the Enterprise but none of the Star Trek games were doing it for you, this is a game you need to play. With all its unlockable ships, events, and the fact that you can do a run in under a half hour (or less if you really suck), it's a great game in short bursts.

If you can ever put it down. Good luck with that.

Mark of the Ninja

I love stealth games. Let me correct myself, there: I love the concept of stealth games. Sneaking around, offing dudes secretly, and feeling like a badass is great. The problem is, most games do stealth completely wrong, or only get part of it right. For as much as I love Metal Gear Solid, those games always felt routine and clunky to me. As much as I love Batman: Arkham Asylum, there was still a bit of trial and error that irked me. Where's that awesome stealth game I want? I'd also like to be a ninja in it, please.

Oh hey, Mark of the Ninja.

These are the guys who made the not-so-great Shank, and holy cow this game is so much better than that one. Mark of the Ninja is everything I want in a stealth game. It's empowering. It gives you tons of tools and options to work with, with dozens of optional paths for every single enemy. Or you can just never kill anybody; the game gives you the tools for that too (a true badass). Paired with excellent UI and HUD abilities, tight controls, and a killer art style, and Mark of the Ninja cuts a bloody path through the competition. Grab it on XBLA or Steam, seriously. It's incredible.

Theatrythm Final Fantasy

This is a game that SquareEnix made just for me. Yeah, I'll share it with all you guys, but they obviously made it just for me. Seriously. They couldn't not have.

A rhythm game using the touch screen? Awesome. Featuring Final Fantasy music?! Amazing! And a leveling up system?! What?! And absurdly difficult segments, unlocks, and secrets? Ok, you're giving me too much here!

My only complaint about Theatrythm is the DLC. It isn't badly priced ($1 a song isn't awful), but the fact that they put songs out on the iOS version that aren't on the 3DS really ticks me off. Also, nobody likes the soundtracks after Final Fantasy X, Square, so stop releasing them as DLC. And you released a song from the vaporware Final Fantasy XIII Verses and not Final Fantasy Tactics? For shame!

(Put Chrono Trigger and Xenogears songs on there and I'll love you forever, Square <3).

Super Mario 3D Land

Yeah, I got a 3DS this year, can you tell? Anyway, Super Mario 3D Land caught me by surprise. I thought it would be another stupid Mario game like all the New Super Mario Bros games are, just regurgitating the same formula over and over. To my surprise, this game is completely different. It's like a weird fusion between the 2D Mario and 3D Mario games into this totally strange hybrid. And it works. It doesn't just work, it excels! Super Mario 3D Land is one of my favorite Mario games to date, if only because of how totally unique it is. While I am a bit sad it isn't a sequel to the weird-as-balls Super Mario Land, it's enough removed from all other Mario games anyway that I guess I'll take it.

Also, the graphics are gorgeous and the 3D is killer. This is probably the best game on the 3DS (even if Theatrythm is my favorite 3DS game).

A Bunch of Other Games I Haven't Played Enough But Seem Cool Anyway I Guess?

Journey - Aka the quest for the Super Scarf
XCom: Enemy Unknown - I played for like an hour and had to quit because I knew I'd never do anything else again for the rest of my life. I'll be back.
Far Cry 3 - It doesn't do anything particularly spectacular (besides the awesome intro and pretty graphics on PC), but I can't stop freaking playing it
Zelda: Four Swords (GC) - Yeah I actually have played this game before, but my wife and I found new love for playing it together. It's quite crazy-awesome!
Borderlands 2 - The Mechromancer is the way to play this game, because it takes all your intuitive conventions of shooters and ruins them. Playing as other classes is ok (minus the absurdly slow start to this game), but I really enjoyed the game with the Mechromancer. Also the guns are better.
Nier - Game of the year, every year.


Well, my brain is fried, so that's it from me for now. Future articles will actually have graphics and stuff, but I'm too sick today to be bothered. Hope you enjoyed it, and see you tomorrow!