Rate the last game you played

Kirby and the Rainbow Paintbrush - Wii U - 6.5/10

Known as Rainbow Curse in North America, Rainbow Paintbrush acts as the spiritual successor to Power Paintbrush on the DS (again, that's Canvas Curse for any North Americans reading this). As one of the few Kirby fans who didn't really like Power Paintbrush that much, this game felt like I was buying it for consumer loyalty more than excitement. That said, however, this more or less eliminates the problems I originally had and turns it into an enjoyable game, though not without its faults.

One thing I can immediately praise is the claymation art style Rainbow Paintbrush has. While in the end, it's a bunch of pixels squished into each other, everything from the foliage popping out to even the little thumb-prints on Kirby can make players wonder if they were actually made of clay. Does it rival Epic Yarn's art style? Sort of, though Epic Yarn did weave the art style with the gameplay, something that Rainbow Paintbrush really only does once in a while. But while the art style is gorgeous, there's one rather big flaw with it.

Rainbow Paintbrush's gameplay consists entirely of drawing lines with the stylus to move the rolling Kirby around. There are also a few levels where Kirby transforms into a vehicle and shoots projectiles which you can then draw lines for to properly aim at enemies, which are super fun. However, this means that about 90% of your focus is on the lower-res gamepad while it looks much nicer on a television. Really, the only times I looked up at the television were during cutscenes and viewing the model collection. Don't get me wrong, it still looks fine enough on the gamepad, not to mention it's the first Wii U game in a while that actually utilises the gamepad well, but the problem is definitely a little distracting. That said, the reason I keep the television on while playing in the first place is to get fully lost in the music. Kirby games have some of my favourite music in games, but Rainbow Paintbrush's soundtrack is glorious. The remixes of songs from the past are some of the best I've ever heard and the original songs can be engrossing and serene, depending on the situation and landscape respectively.

Rainbow Paintbrush is definitely not a long game. That's standard for Kirby fare, but this is honestly one of the shortest in the series. There are plenty of things to collect and this game certainly rewards the explorative type. There are five treasure chests in each level which can unlock either a Smash Bros-esque trophy or a remix of a Kirby tune. Finding these on your first playthrough is actually a little tricky sometimes and going on to find all of them definitely lengthens your playtime, should you choose to do it at all. There are only three levels in each world, followed by a boss fight and the bosses are a little lacking. The challenge room is great, though. It's addicting to experiment with Kirby's limited abilities to find the solution in each challenge and can actually help in the main Story Mode.

It definitely has some glaring issues, but Rainbow Paintbrush is still a solid entry in the series. The art style's unique and vibrant, the music's brilliant and the gameplay - while not perfectly executed - does its job fine enough. It's nowhere near as good as the fantastic Triple Deluxe last year (then again, I don't think anyone expected it to be), but Kirby fans will most likely find something they enjoy out of this.

Freedom Planet - Steam - 7.5/10

The only game I got as part of this year's Summer Steam Sale, Freedom Planet is a fun little platformer that's rather fast-paced. The name of the game is simple: precise platforming, defeat robots, run through shuttle loops...

If at least that last part sounds even the slightest bit familiar to a certain other platforming mascot, well there's a reason for that. Freedom Planet originally started off as a Sonic The Hedgehog fan game until Galaxy Trail decided it should have its own identity. However, it's more than just a simple clone of Sonic. First off, despite how fast-paced it is, not only does it not quite reach the speed of the blue blur, there's also no real momentum required to start running up quarter-pipe landscapes to get to higher areas. Second, the three playable characters have actual combat moves, which I'll go over in a moment. Third, the bosses seem like something more out of Gunstar Heroes rather than Sonic. And fourth, the game has an actual plot with full cutscenes and voice acting.

The story is, deep down, nothing too special. Two of our heroes (the third is unlocked after completing the second stage) - Sash Lilac and Carol Tea -- an anthropomorphic dragon and wildcat respectively - rescue Torque whose flying machine had crashed near Lilac's treehouse. While all of that is going, three of the nations of the planet are involved in a conflict over power after one of the nations is manipulated by the alien overlord Arktivus Brevon. The two stories quickly intertwine with each other, but without all the sub-plots and minor characters, the plot can basically be summed up as "Evil alien takes over and our heroes go to stop him". That said, you can play through the story in either Adventure Mode or Classic Mode. The former contains all the story I mentioned above, while the latter is simply going from stage to stage. The main characters are all likeable in their own ways, though there are times when they act a bit too cutesy for my liking. There's nothing that makes me cringe or slap my forehead, though, so the best way I can describe this story is: simple but harmless.

Moving on to how they actually play, all characters run at a decent speed and have basic combat with their own moves thrown into the mix. Lilac has a damaging double jump, as well as her Dragon Rush which sends her flying in a straight line either diagonally or straight forward depending on directional input. Carol definitely has more variety despite her moves dealing less damage. She also comes with a Mega Man X walljump, she can use special platforms to jump from space to space immediately and if you find a petrol can, she hops on her motorcycle and offers more ways to attack. I won't lie, there's something oddly satisfying about attacking, platforming and riding through shuttle loops on a motorbike that easily makes Carol the best character for me. And then we have Milla (the third character I mentioned earlier) who is only playable in Classic Mode. She isn't terrible, but... well, her way of attacking is either through a magic shield that can fire a pathetically short-range blast and make magic cubes that she can either throw normally, or use to pick up collectibles or bombs to throw back at enemies. She also has half of the health gauge that Lilac and Carol have. She does come with Flutter Jump and the ability to dig up certain areas, though, so she has that going for her.

This post has gone on for a while now, but this is a Sonic forum and the game definitely draws inspiration from Sonic as well the Mega Drive classics in general, especially in its graphics and music. If you like the sound of a great homage to Sonic's arguably best games, then I certainly recommend Freedom Planet. It's getting a Wii U eShop release very soon at a discounted price, so buy it there if you lack the alternative option.

^ Still haven't gotten a PS4 yet. It's gonna happen very soon, I just don't know when specifically.

Anyway:

The last couple of days of gaming for me have been the games Nintendo had on display at Hyper Japan this weekend which are pretty much the games they showed off at E3, sans Metroid Prime: Federation Force. Thought it might be nice to go over the ones I played. Since these games aren't final, I won't be giving them a score:

Zelda: Triforce Heroes - Communication is key. I, along with two random dudes they paired me up with, played two areas and we had a rather good time... when we weren't accidentally chucking each other into bottomless pits, lava or other hazards. The touch screen communication to tell team-mates what to do are rather nice, though actual communication definitely works better. The guy at the booth even said, "Imagine doing this online with no voice chat," and I quite agree. But that's what I have Skype for. As a guy who really enjoyed Four Swords Adventures, I'm looking forward to this.

Mario Tennis Ultra Smash - It's Mario Tennis... with a Mega Mushroom... 'kay.

Star Fox Zero - Being honest, I didn't like this one very much. Think of this as an on-rails version of Splatoon. For those who haven't played Splatoon, you tilt the Gamepad for aiming. This works in a third-person shooter, but in a game where you're constantly moving forward, it's a pain. It probably doesn't help that I'm not much of a Star Fox guy to begin with, but I don't think this one will be turning me into a fan.

Super Mario Maker - This one I could barely keep myself away from. While I played around with the actual creation tool only once, the options at my disposal were great. I was mostly playing the levels already made by the developers, including the levels shown off at the Nintendo World Championship. I just wanted to keep playing these insane creations and I'm really looking forward to the final game in two months.

Tembo the Badass Elephant - PS4 - 7/10

(yes, I have a PS4 now... have actually had one for three weeks, but still haven't finished Arkham Knight yet)

A collaborative game between Sega and Game Freak, Tembo is a pleasant surprise platformer. Tembo comes with some nice moves at his disposal, including a charge (which you'll probably be using 70% of the time), a slide kick, ground pound, uppercut, bounce and he can also use his trunk to put out fires and solve basic puzzles. Being an elephant, he naturally moves very slowly so it's only natural you want to charge straight forward to keep things going, though this can often lead to hitting off-screen hazards. There are also the optional objectives of defeating every Phantom Soldier and finding ten civilians trapped around the stages. The civilians ride on Tembo's back during the stages and I have to admit, it's a bit of a guilty pleasure to see them sometimes throw their arms up like they're riding a roller coaster. The comic book art style is also very pleasant on the eyes.

It's good to see Game Freak branch out from Pokemon and while Tembo the Badass Elephant isn't a perfect game (you'll likely plough through it in a few hours), I wouldn't mind seeing him return in the future. He's a character with a lot of potential.

Super Mario Maker - Wii U - 8.5/10

I realise it was intentional to release this in time for Mario's 30th anniversary, but I always wondered why we only just now got a game that let's us make our own Mario levels. Fans have been wanting that sort of thing for a really long time. Whatever the reason is, Mario Maker is an intuitive level creation tool, though not without some flaws.

For starters, the tools you're given to work with at the start are incredibly limited. I understand the point of it is to smoothly get you comfortable with how creation works. The problem with it is how everything else is locked away in a timed fashion. Before release, you'd have to play around with the creation tool for about five minutes before getting notified the next set of tools would be made available the next day. You'd have to either sit down and wait or start time travelling with your Wii U's clock. After listening to the reviews however, Nintendo has since released a patch for the game that speeds up the unlocking process, though exactly what is required to unlock sets is still baffling a few people.

That being said, it's incredibly easy to lose track of time while creating levels, especially when you have an idea. There are four eras of 2D Mario to work with: Super Mario Bros., New Super Mario Bros. U and later on, you'll gain access to Mario 3 and my personal favourite, Super Mario World. There are then several level types: Grass, Water, Haunted House, Airship, Underground and Castle. There are of course enemies and obstacles that weren't in certain eras, i.e. Chain Chomps weren't in Mario 1. Almost everything has been worked and redesigned to fit the aesthetics of a particular era. You can't use Goomba's Shoe outside Mario 3 or use Yoshi outside Mario World or Mario U, but even with these limitations, there's a lot to inspire even the most uncreative of players.

That's really the essence of Super Mario Maker. You're required to complete your level once before you can upload it. However, this can also mean that someone can complete a level which is nothing but enemies all thrown at you at once and think, "Alright, this level's great." No! Don't do that. Thoroughly test everything, make sure there isn't a way that players can cheese past a certain obstacle, hold back on the amount of obstacles. It's perfectly fine to make a challenging stage, but test their skills, not their patience. Master this art and Super Mario Maker gets the creative juices flowing, even if you don't have everything at your disposal right away and that's what makes it a really fun experience.

Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows - Wii U - 8.5/10

Way back when Yacht Club Games had Shovel Knight in Kickstarter status, one of the stretch goals was to make individual side stories starring some of the Order of No Quarter in the form of free DLC. Plague of Shadows is the first of these with the focus being on Plague Knight. Unlike what you might expect, Plague of Shadows is not simply pasting a Plague Knight sprite over Shovel Knight and calling it a day.

Plague Knight is an entirely different beast. The creepy alchemist has his own toys to play with. Whereas Shovel Knight wields his trusty shovel, Plague Knight throws bombs. Doesn't sound like much? The bombs are also customisable. A bomb is set up into three parts. The casing which is how the bombs travels, the powder decides how the bomb explodes and the fuse determines when it explodes. The are dozens of combinations to play with and though I didn't use all of them very often, it really comes down to the player's choice of how he or she wants to progress.

The story is just as enjoyable as the original. Plague Knight along with his assistant/love interest Mona are a lovable duo. It's great to watch the chemistry unfold as the game goes on and while it lacks the chivalrous dialogue of the original, it's hilarious to see Plague Knight taunt the other knights. He even gets his own boss fight against Shovel Knight himself who, considering he was the playable character before, has an impressive AI that utilises his abilities.

The one drawback for Plague of Shadows is that Plague Knight is intentionally nowhere near as mobile as Shovel Knight. While he has a double jump, it's not always enough. Plague Knight's new ability is the Bomb Burst, which consists of holding down the Bomb button until he flashes. Once the button's released, he'll fly either upwards or forwards, depending on directional input. Mastering what is essentially a triple jump is essential to completing the game and collecting the Cipher Coins. Also, because of the bigger focus on projectiles, most of the bosses (with the exception of that cheating bastard Propeller Knight) offer almost no challenge, assuming you knew their attacks from before.

The expansion also throws in Challenge Mode for both characters and they're really fun too. They're not too difficult and reek of the "one more go" mentality.

Even with some chinks in the armour, Plague of Shadows has lived up to the hype. Despite how different he is, Plague Knight is fun to play as, the story is charming and assuming you already own and have completed Shovel Knight, it's completely free. I almost wish I had been able to pay for the DLC, but then again I have the Shovel Knight amiibo down for pre-order, so I guess that'll count for now. I'm very interested to see what the next DLC starring King Knight is like.

Right, I'm aware that I've pretty much been putting a lot in this thread lately, but this is one I've been putting off for a while.

Batman: Arkham Knight - PS4 - 7.5/10

I won't say too much, since I'd be repeating what a lot of others have said, but Arkham Knight is a satisfying finale and a game I'm very happy to have been my first PS4 title...

... But to be completely honest, Asylum and City are vastly superior to me.

Now please don't misunderstand me, I'm not calling Arkham Knight a bad game. I wouldn't even say it's a disappointing game. But I wouldn't go as far to say it completely met my expectations.

The graphics are amazing. The story is flawed, but fine. The combat has been tweaked just that little bit more. It's not beginner-friendly, but nothing too hair-pulling. The Batmobile is a great addition, but the tank battles are monotonous. The side missions can be also described as such etc., etc.

Really, my biggest problem with Arkham Knight is that it doesn't really do too many different things. More than Origins, if I can give it that much but despite how many tweaks and improvements the developers can add, it boils down to the fact that Arkham Knight is more or less the same thing, just prettier to look at. Yes, I realise that sounds incredibly hypocritical from a guy who likes Mario games, but this is a franchise starring a character who is constantly evolving and improving himself (well, physically... mentally speaking, on the other hand).

This also holds very true to the story in one aspect. I love The Joker. I especially love Mark Hamill as The Joker. But I am so sick of seeing The Joker in these games. It's nice that he's now just reduced to hallucinations and I do genuinely get a kick out of his dialogue (in fact, I think it's some of his best in the series). But you don't need Joker for everything you do. One of Batman's biggest strengths is that it's got a wide variety of villains to deal with. I get that Bats and Mr. J are two sides of the same coin, but his appearance here after the way Arkham City ended is really stretching it.

But like I said, Arkham Knight is by no means a bad game. I still recommend it, but if you've played the previous games, it's best that you don't go in there with high expectations like I did. And major kudos to Rocksteady for holding out this long and I look forward to what they'll do in the future. Maybe move on to another DC Comics franchise. There's a lot to work with that I think deserve a good video game.

Yeah, I saw his review. It's actually what got me to finally post my thoughts since his review kind of mirrors my feelings (in fact, that post had a few revisions since I noticed I pretty much copied what he said without realising it ^^; )

The Beginner's Guide - Steam

You'll have already noticed I have not included a score above. The Beginner's Guide doesn't need one since it's down to interpretation. Coming from Davey Wreden, the creator of The Stanley Parable (which I whole-heartedly also recommend), it's an insightful look at an old friend of his simply named Coda and the unique ideas he had for video games.

And that's all I can really say. I neglect to give this a score since it's not so much a game, but rather an interactive biography. I know that doesn't sound like something you should spend money on, but I for one think you should. It's less than ninety minutes long and it's currently on sale on Steam, so now is probably the best time to experience this; "Experience" being the key word.

Now if you'll excuse me... I need to hug someone.

Assassin's Creed: Syndicate - PS4 - 8/10

Syndicate does a lot of things progressive to the series, and its time setting of the Industrial Revolution certainly helps in that. Set in London, you take control of twins Jacob and Evie Frye. While their goal of overthrowing this game's templar Crawford Starrick is the same, they go about it in different ways. Evie learns of the Piece of Eden and aims on locating it. Jacob, meanwhile, forms a gang known as The Rooks and aims on conquering the city from The Blighters, who are under Starrick's control. Outside of story missions, you're free to play as either of the twins at any time. Despite being twins, their personalities couldn't be more polarised. While Evie won't hesitate to take the life on an enemy, she follows a sophisticated yet cunning path, which ultimately makes her my favourite of the two. Jacob's selfish but effective nature is enjoyable too and he does have some funny moments ("Where the bloody hell did you come from?" "Well, I was born in Crawley, but that's by the by."). The story isn't quite as engaging as previous instalments, but its narrative is enough to warrant the journey.

Making the entire game take place in one city is something I'm very thankful for. Getting from Point A to B in past games felt like a chore and the welcome addition of the zipline makes traversing the area not only quicker, but enjoyable to boot (and make me feel like Batman if he were from the 19th Century). If the rooftops aren't your cup of tea, you can drive a horse and cart around as well, though the missions involving these are a bit unrealistic since they're pretty much demolition derbys. Plus, it's a little weird seeing horses plough through lamp posts like they're wrecking trucks rather than living animals. The famous figures are once again out in full force featuring the likes of Charles Dickens, Charles Darwin, Alexander Graham Bell and even Karl Marx to provide some extra missions. They're all relative to each person's famed professions, but Dickens' are easily the best ones as he tasks you with investigating some possible supernatural occurrences. The combat is also a bit more simplified than before.

Syndicate is also a beautiful looking game. The developers really took advantage of not just the next generations power of the consoles, but also of the setting. Just something as simple as taking a stroll through the streets of London can provide a worthwhile time-spender. The score composed by Austin Wintory is a blessing to the ears as well. And the mere fact that there are far less visual glitches than last year's AC: Unity is great too. They still happen on occasion, but they're more funny than anything else (and far less terrifying than Unity's disappearing faces).

Just when I thought I was done with the Assassin's Creed series, Syndicate pulls me right back in, though I'm starting to wonder how much the series has left. While Black Flag is still the better game in the series, Syndicate does so many things right that it's hard not to be impressed with the amount of work put in. Ubisoft may understandably get a lot of crap for releasing these games every year, but the effort shows in this one and I applaud them for it.

Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection - PS4 - 9/10

The Playstation 3 was a console I had skipped over. There were definitely interesting titles, but a lot of these I could also play on my Xbox 360 and most of the exclusive titles didn't really interest me that much. The exception to this was the Uncharted series. I'm not really sure what it was, but it was probably the only thing that made me wish I had a PS3 instead. Way back when I was still thinking about getting a PS4, I always told myself that if a trilogy collection was available (and knowing Sony, that was bound to happen), that would make my decision. And though at this point, I still haven't quite finished Uncharted 3, I can really see what I've been missing.

The gameplay of all three heavily reminded me of 2013's reboot of Tomb Raider, which for those who don't know, was actually my favourite game of that year. While it's definitely much more linear than that game, going slightly out of your way can reward you for hidden treasures, assuming the rewards for which seem worthy to you. Alternative skins can provide some light entertainment, especially ones that dress Nathan in a getup he most likely wouldn't be caught dead in. There's something oddly comical and meta seeing him in a Naughty Dog baseball tee; kinda want one of those for myself. Speaking of Nathan Drake, his very character is what drives me to keep playing, along with his friends and enemies. It helps that he's voiced by Nolan North (in fact, there are times when I hear a little of his Deadpool voice), but even then, he's a very enjoyable character and you want to see him succeed.

It's a rare occurrence when the story is my favourite part of a game. This isn't quite as apparent in Drake's Fortune, since it seems rather basic in its storytelling, but like I said, the characters make it worthwhile. Among Thieves steps it up in every way. The writing is sharper, the set pieces are used to full effect, especially in the infamous train sequence and it feels much more fleshed out. And though, as I said, I've not finished Drake's Deception, it's an interesting look at Nathan's roots and puts his trust in his friends to the test. Among Thieves is easily my favourite of the trilogy, but all three do a wonderful job pulling the player into their struggle.

Finally, the games are beautiful to look at. The added 60fps adds to its cinematic charms and the music is very fitting, so much so that the main theme in the series has been stuck in my head for quite some time.

It feels like I was given a second chance to experience this brilliant trilogy and it really paid off. I can't say how much it appeals to players of the original, but it's definitely worth checking out if you haven't played them before. Really looking forward to Thief's End next year.

Rocket League - PS4 - 9/10

It's a concept that shouldn't work: football with cars. But its popularity isn't coincidental, the game is addictively fun. The rocket boosters on the cars and their ability to jump certainly helps. You can combine these elements to take flight, though mastering it takes a lot of time. Not to mention the cars themselves control so tightly and there's hundreds of customisation options. And that's not even counting the downloadable content. If this were a real sport, I'd take it up for sure.

No matter which version of the game you play on, Rocket League is a guaranteed good time. Football may be the beautiful game, but Rocket League is the fun game.

Mega Man Legacy Collection - 3DS - 6.5/10

Yeah, surprise surprise, the resident Mega Man fan got the Legacy Collection. This is an anthology of the original six NES Mega Man games. I decided to specifically wait for the 3DS version since I already have all six of these games in console form and wanted to wait for a version I can take on the go. I'm aware that all the games are available on the 3DS eShop, but this is an incredible value if you have yet to experience these games. That being said, if you haven't played them, you might be better off getting either the console or PC version of the collection. For starters, despite playing on the New 3DS, the D-Pad isn't entirely ideal for play, especially if you're playing on the original 3DS (was never the biggest fan of that D-Pad, to be honest). Yeah, you can use the Circle Pad, but the D-Pad is more ideal for side scrollers to me. Next, the console and PC versions have slightly enhanced visuals whereas the 3DS versions are taken straight out the original games. This is especially noticeable when you notice sprite flickering and some of the original glitches are still present (yes, you can still take out the Yellow Devil using the infamous Pause Trick).

The challenge section is pretty fun, though. It's a good test of skill and Mega Man fans will almost instantly recognise the scenario they're in. They can range from taking on all the bosses in one game, a Mega Mix of level segments from one game and even mixing things up from several games at once. But it can get repetitive. I haven't played all the challenges but I can count several times they re-use segments, such as the moving platforms from Guts Man's stage or the instant-death lasers from Quick Man's stage. It's nothing too bad, but it's definitely a case of, "What else ya got?". The exclusive challenges unlocked with the Mega Man amiibo aren't that much different.

I'd really only recommend the Legacy Collection on the 3DS if you have nothing else to play it on or you don't want to pay for each game individually for on-the-go play. Still, you get all six games for a very good price, so long as you can endure Mega Man 5.