PixlBit

May was my best month so far this year for getting things done, though one of these was in the works for quite a while.

Games Beaten

-Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors (DS)

This game is mostly story but what a story it is! It twists and turns and keeps you guessing. The characters are wonderfully developed as well, making their interactions as interesting as the main plot points. The puzzles are a nice diversion and never reach the point of obtuse frustration. The mostly-still graphics portray the world and characters well enough and the music does a good job setting the mood. There is a LOT of text in this game but it's never a chore when it's this well written.

-Monster Tale (DS)

I really wanted to love MT but ended up merely liking it instead. The graphics are full of charm and the music is very good. The level design, though, lacks a certain purposefulness and features a lot of arbitrary backtracking (no fast travel or teleporting). The underlying mechanics are solid and fun and developing your monster offers more depth than I expected, though the length of the game doesn't really support the wealth of options. It's a good intro to the genre but not a classic itself.

-Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Wii U)

It would be hard to ask for more with Tropical Freeze. It's gorgeous to look at, first of all, and has one of the best, most diverse soundtracks I've heard in a long time. The platforming is challenging yet fair and variety is never in short supply. Secrets abound, including entire optional levels, and there is plenty to collect without it becoming a chore. Co-op play is just icing on the cake (though playing that way is probably more difficult than doing it solo). It's an excellent game.

-Velocity 2X (Vita) (PS+)

Velocity 2X is a great sequel. It gives you more of what made the first game so good—the teleporting especially—and adds to it. Some levels are more action or speed oriented while others are more puzzley and exploration-focused. Both kinds now have on-foot platforming sections interspersed throughout that are actually really good, adding an extra bit of variety to the gameplay. The story is thin but effective and the graphics are simple but appropriate. I love the techno space music :D

Games Bought

May was a moderate month of game purchases. It started with a brand new copy of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (PS3) for $5. I grabbed a copy of Shadowrun Returns (Mac) for about as much from the Humble Store during a sale. Been wanting that for quite a while now. Speaking of which, my wife surprised me with a copy of Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call (3DS). I'm really looking forward to digging into that. We got a great deal on The Last of Us Remastered (PS4) from a GameFly flash sale. My wife upgraded her copy of Dragon Age: Inquisition from the 360 to the PS4, which I guess isn't really a new purchase for us but holy freakin' cow, that game looks so much better now and runs much more smoothly. She also picked up The Witcher 3 (PS4), though she hasn't actually started it yet. I've heard about that game on podcasts so much lately that even I am becoming interested in it. Rounding out the month are a couple of older games—but good ones!—Pokémon Silver (GB) and Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 (GBA). Can't go wrong with either of those!

I won't lie. It's a weird art style.

Then, naturally, there are the PS+ games. Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition (PS4) is the big win of the month. I had that already thanks to the Humble Bundle but I'd much rather play it with a nice controller. I don't particularly care about the others: Ether One (PS4), Hohokum (PS4/PS3/Vita), Race the Sun (PS4/PS3/Vita), and Murasaki Baby (Vita).

Now Playing

-Destiny (PS4)

Been playing the House of Wolves expansion. Pretty cool stuff! In other news, we did the Vault of Glass—a six-man raid—with just four people!

-Monster Hunter Freedom Unite (PSP)

Mostly been grinding materials for new weapons, though I've been trying to do more of the single player stuff. I'm really far behind compared to multiplayer but that's actually kind of nice since my high level gear makes the single player missions much easier.

And that's it for right now. I'm in between single-player games at the moment. Hoping to start Phoenix Wright 5 soon (been meaning to do that for, oh, a year and a half) and maybe Curtain Call. Need a console game too and there are no shortage of choices!