Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

 

The fifth edition is the definitive, most ultimate based entry.

Although not as innovative as previous titles, we are talking about a fighter sequel here. After the success of the Wii U and the 3DS versions, a Nintendo Switch version would be obvious to do. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate came out sooner than I expected.

All of the previous fighters are featured, and with 5 more upcoming DLC characters, this is both the biggest fighting game in terms of playable characters, as well as the biggest crossover game in gaming history.

A new single player mode called World of Light is fun to do once, especially if you are in the process of unlocking everyone throughout the playtime. Instead of trophies or stickers, souls can now be collected and equipped for various effects.

The multiplayer scene lets you create custom rule sets per match, which is nice, and you can play locally or wireless using the Switch. The online experience seems to have improved, letting you play through matchmaking, or get into arena's with friends.

Some modes have been scrapped though, such as the level editor, Break the Targets and homerun with the sandbag dummy. Also, almost every stage returns from every game, but unfortunately for me, Mute City from Melee did not!

Some characters have gotten new move sets, such as Ganondorf's sword smashes. Of course, many moves have been tweaked by the numbers, and right now, balance patches can still come out. It's early to tell if the overall massive tier list is balanced.

After the whole roster is available, perhaps then we could have an objective based analysis using tournament statistics. Anyhow, like any part in the franchise, the best thing about these games for me is the celebration aspect of representing each franchise fairly.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a massive undertaking, and the replay value is immense. it's not perfect, but it's the best that's available!

Rating: 9.5

PlayStation Classic

 

This is a nifty little emulating tribute to the first generation for Sony's video gaming, although it is flawed.

Released in last December, the PlayStation Classic is yet another dedicated return to nostalgia, although it's one of the biggest releases arguably next to Nintendo's NES and SNES classics, as the brand is that recognizable.

It comes preloaded with 20 games of various genres, it has 2 identical replica's of the PlayStation Controllers without the analog sticks, there is a small save state feature, and it virtualizes switching between CD-ROMS's, which was a thing back in the 90's.

Unfortunately, it is a commercial and critical failure, and personally even worse, I bought it at retail price. Now you can get this mini console for a mere 30 euro's. For several reasons it has disappointed hardcore gamers.

First, the user interface. This comes of as amateurism, bland and unappealing, unlike Nintendo's happy tunes for instance playing on the menu's. Second, bizarrely, Sony decided to include PAL and NTSC versions of the games for both regions, instead of tweaking and optimizing them for 2018 standards.

Finally, and definitely the biggest reason is that objectively, the game line up is a mess. Speculated because of the license and copyright concerns, some of the definite PlayStation classics are missing, and others like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro are argued to be missing because of their recent remastered collections being available.

Also, some of the games featured aren't the best incarnation of the best representation of the library or the franchise, and some genres are featured more. The lineup isn't as balanced as people though it would be.

Luckily, I myself did not experience or grew up with the PlayStation 1 or PSX back in the day. So most of these games featured are new for me to play. Also, I am planning to modify it so that I will be able to adjust the lineup and the versions involved to my wishes.

In overall, the PlayStation Classic is objectively disappointing, but subjectively,  it interests me enough. Whenever I am feeling retro or old school, there are countless ways to go back, but a mini console like this with HDMI output is tempting.

Kingdom Hearts III

After being in development hell, part III finally releases, and honestly? I had the same amount of fun with it alongside part 1 and 2.

It has by far the prettiest graphics seen yet, and the Pixar worlds are very much welcome, I truly enjoyed Toy Box, Tangled and Big Hero 6 in particular! Kingdom Hearts III brings back all of the gameplay elements such as flow motion from Dream Drop Distance, and it does a pretty good attempt at tying up all of the subplots and main plot in what seems to be Xehanort’s last chapter.

It’s still a headache trying to understand the overall whole plot, but it worked, and the voice acting plus soundtrack made the adventure quite more enjoyable. Thankfully the last few bosses aren’t as frustrating as previous ones, and the ultimate showdown is wrapped up quite well too.

The Gummi Ship segment returns but plays a bit more different, making it somewhat more enjoyable, but I wanted to keep traveling through the worlds as soon as possible to be frank.

Kingdom Hearts III is long overdue and finally available, and I had quite an amount of fun with it. However, it's still not the end of the overall franchise, as DLC has been semi announced, and the creator has expressed to continue with another sequel.

 Rating: 8.3

Losing Weight

Living on my own since august 2017, something bad was happening; I got more fat. Normally I would weigh around 83 to 85 KG, while my length is 1.83M. I was 95 KG at the beginning of February, and that's when I told myself to stop and change direction.

In the past, I used to play baseball with my dad, perform tennis, do swimming, play chess and of course train Kenpo Karate. Since the beginning of 2018, I promised to compensate by going to the fitness club and do jogging instead.

While I would jog once per week over the summer, the fitness club was gradually fading away, until I started with a protein rich diet on the 18th of February this year. 1 month later, and I have lost 3 kilogram's, and I still want to go down at least 7 more.

Perhaps the major reasons that this was happening is because of my current busy lifestyle, and also the temptation of a nifty invention called the AirFryer. That product is indefinite on hold at the moment, and as I am trying to sell it, I do plan to upgrade it after achieving this current goal, while maintaining the status quo by then.

Starting on the 18th of February, I read numerous internet articles with subjective opinions and contradictions, advises, and I got inspired by one of my friends, who recently considerably lost 12 kilograms, and it showed.

I started reading etiquette's on purchased products, I ate less per day looking at the calories, weighing the foods out of either curiosity or doubt, I ignored stuff like snacks, soda, desserts and fried consumptions, and I started eating eggs regularly in a week for the first time in my life.

Consuming more proteins like walnuts, fish and eggs, the feeling of having eaten enough per day increased because of this. I've also revived my sport sessions to twice a week, either with jogging or the fitness club, and currently I am on a tight but progressive schedule.

I even started doing trainings back at home, such as crunches, the skipping rope(on the attic) and mountain climbing. Admittedly, I still struggle with push-ups after doing 10 reps, as I find it to be a tough work out, but I will keep trying.

Losing weight can be very challenging, and sometimes, waiting for it can be annoying too. But once those kilograms start disappearing, you will feel motivated to keep it up, and of course because of this and the diet, you will lead a healthier life!

Being conscious of food and body, it's wise and fun.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

 

It has been 2 years already since this entry released with the launch of the Nintendo Switch and the demise of the Wii U, and now I have finally beaten it.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the latest seen in Nintendo's flagship franchise, and it is both an innovating development, as well as a major return to form. It goes leaps and bounds with exploration, while it harmonies that with the vast open world.

It is easily the largest game in the series seen yet, although technically and with valid arguments, most of the content is optional, and through knowledge and skill, the game can be beaten swiftly, but that is not the point.

The real point of any video game, or pretty much any story, is the journey itself, and Breath of the Wild embodies that beautifully. I had the most enjoyment climbing and hiking my way through the various regions of Hyrule, and come to think of it, I reflect that enjoyment through my real life by traveling to other countries.

Similar to A Link Between Worlds, Link's abilities are all available very early, on a region known as the Great Plateau, overlooking all of the other regions. This is clearly a department design choice from Nintendo, but as this was introduced from a top down perspective, it's now happening in 3D.

As the game is non linear, you are able to traverse through in so many ways. You can free the Divine Beasts, do side quests, gather materials, go exploring or attempt one of the numerous mini dungeons available, which are called Shrines.

The Shrines concept is rather cleverly done, as they not only function as fast travel objects, they also test you as the player through puzzles, combat and perceptiveness. Heart Containers and Stamina Vessels are locked as rewards after overcoming several of them, motivating your dedication.

Link's familiar skills and abilities return such as horse rising, arrow and bow plus the bomb, although the latter can now be remotely controlled, although I do miss the mechanic of being able to roll them, like in Skyward Sword.

New abilities include Cryosis, which lets you create or destroy ice blocks, Magnesis, which lets you control and move metallic objects, Stasis, which lets you stop matter and time of an object while you can "empower" it so that is will have an impact effect later on, and lastly the Camera, which is a photographic feature available since The Wind Waker.

The challenge is certainly available in the form of some very tough adversaries such as the fully functional large versions of Guardians equipped with lasers, or the intimidating Lynel race, and aside from the dungeon bosses, there are also mini, or rather overworld bosses available.

At times it can be tough to survive, but luckily in this game, Link can cook! This is another one of my favorite features, as you can gather many kinds of ingredients to mix up and cook at hot pots in order to create delicious recipes which not only let you restore your health, they have side effects too.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is certainly another strong point of entry for anyone to delve into, as veterans and newcomers can start here, despite being chronologically at the far end of the timeline. My only nitpick I can personally think of is the lack of an overall effective soundtrack.

Oh, and it's also one of, if not Nintendo's first embark into the ludicrous nature of Downloadable Content! Although to be fair, I haven't touched BOTW's DLC content yet. I plan to cover that as well as other DLC from Switch games in the future.

Rating: 8.6