PixlBit

Jumping around quite a bit this weekend. First off, pickups. I got that new Pikmin amiibo and the NFC reader/writer for 3DS, and Disney’s Bolt for $10, all on my trade-in money. I wanted Batman Arkham Origins too but Gamestop wanted $20 for the Xbox 360 version. No way! Here’s a pic.

I played several levels of Hey! Pikmin (not with the amiibos yet though). I really like it. You get to throw pikmin all over both screens of the 3DS to attack enemies and grab seeds and miscellaneous objects. It’s definitely more of a puzzle type game than the free roaming console games, but you’re still using your pikmin in the same ways. There’s even a bonus level I played that was similar to a bonus level you might have in an arcade game. Objects fly down from above and you try and collect them all with your pikmin. I’m currently stuck on an early level where I can’t move these blocks that, I think, require a the yellow pikmin but I only have red. I have to figure it out.

Then on console I jumped all over the place with games. First I restarted Slime Rancher and tried to manage my slime zoo in a way that would get me fast plorts. It still felt like a chore to monitor my poor slimes to make sure they had enough food. I worry so about them. I also find the game requires a lot of roaming about the landscape, which bores me a little bit. Mark was way into it though and unlocked all sorts of things and crafted items. I was tempted to go back to it, but I just didn’t want to check another slime cage for food.

I switched to Earth Defense Force Insect Armageddon and played online with randos for several hours. This game runs even smoother on XBO. I really liked it but I didn’t seem to be making much progress towards the remaining achievements. You need a lot of cash and XP to complete all the weapon purchases and level ups. I eventually stopped, realizing it was going to be a real grind. I love the game though and will go back to it again for sure.

Then I started Far Cry 3 again after several years. This game reminds me strongly of Just Cause. You get to free roam a south pacific (I think?) island, which seems a bit like the South American location in Just Cause, and hunt and fight. Far Cry is in first person to Just Cause’s third person and Far Cry asks you to play much more stealthily. I put up with it for a while but ultimately got frustrated being somewhat vulnerable in fire fights. Just Cause is much more action oriented. You have to play carefully in Far Cry and I don’t do careful.

Then I notched another hour in Bayonetta. I love the graphics in this game. So much eastern art influences and wildly creative monsters. Plus it’s sexy as heck. If you hit the left bumper you make Bayonetta dance. It’s a very creative game and a feast for the eyes. But, maybe I wasn’t up for a lot of quick button mashy fighting and stopped after I’d finished a level.

Mark and I played Minecraft for a long while. I spent a lot of time battling in the nether and dying a lot. It was fun though. I made some colored carpet and planted flowers everywhere for a laugh.

Finally I played the first two levels of Disney’s Bolt. You start as the girl and stealthily break into a building. Then you play as Bolt and rapid fire brawl with enemies. It plays really well. I may play more of it tomorrow unless Mark and I continue our Minecraft game.