I don’t know much about video games but I know what I like. When it comes to video games I’m kind of a late bloomer: my gaming education in no way rode the wave of innovation or popularity: I had a NES console when I was 6 or 7 and could play Contra and Super Mario (and that’s about all I had) on a tube TV with broken channel knobs and wooden trim and when I was 10 or 11 my parents bought my sister and I an N64 and I played that and only that until I went to college. Even when I got to college and had some money to throw at a new console, I opted for a blocky used Xbox 360 which shortly thereafter gave me the dreaded Red Ring of Death.

So I kind of missed out on the novelty of console games with online multiplayer modes, and when I had systems capable of running them, I didn’t really enjoy them. I also get pretty intense motion-sickness from playing First-Person Shooters like Doom, Halo, Call of Duty, or Overwatch so there’s a huge swath of games I can’t even boot up. So between being a few console generations behind the curve and too queasy to play some of the most popular of today’s video games I’m by no means an expert when it comes to video games and I don’t rush out day one to pick up the latest releases. That being said, where do I get off writing a review of a video game?

Well one thing that my video game upbringing gave me was an appreciation for what has become known as the ‘Couch Co-Op’ genre of gameplay. My hours of Mario Kart 64, Contra, Super Mario Bros., and Star Wars: Racer instilled in me a profound affection for sitting next to a buddy, eyes glued to a screen, sharing trash talk and controller tossing. I don’t get that from online multiplayer. Part of the beauty of those days was that nobody had to own every single game: you just found a buddy with a different console, or different cartridges and you got to play together. Nowadays, if I want to play Battlefront with a friend, we both have to be on the internet, both have to have the game and a separate console, and if we want to play it in the same room we need two separate screens! Now I know that the PC fans among you are pulling your hair out in response to my resistance to the LAN party concept, which has been around for ages, but I’m lazy, and I don’t want to spend my time setting up a game when all I want is that old-school, Couch Co-Op experience.

Enter Cuphead: a gorgeous wicked hard run and gun action game which combines razor-precise platforming with brutal bullet-hell boss battles that you can play in a couch co-op two player mode. I’ve played this game every day since I’ve bought it. I’ve brought my laptop to two different apartments and played with 6 different partners, more than happy to start over from the very beginning of the game. But more than just scratching that Couch Co-Op itch for me, I find myself returning time and again to Cuphead because the game is so damn charming. Visually stunning, Cuphead was crafted using the same hand-painted cel animation style as the vintage cartoons that it pays tribute to with its wild and surreal boss and level designs. Demonic potatoes that spit obstacles at you who then morph into giant weeping onions and finally shift into telepathic carrots will infect your brain as your hands go numb and eyes turn blurry. And though I’ve progressed through only about half of the game, dying more times that I can count (or would like to admit), I keep hitting ‘Retry.’

The game is difficult but it is not unfair. Cuphead’s Bosses and run and gun levels do have predictable fire and movement patterns which can be learned and evaded with practice. As you progress you are able obtain power-ups and weapons which allow you to tailor your attack strategy to each stage of the game trading rate of fire for bullet spread, or disappearing in a cloud of smoke when you dash. 
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Everything about the presentation of this game is outstanding, from the wacky character designs and evolutions to the 20’s and 30’s era songs that accompany every boss and level. Timeless and crafted with care, Cuphead is a masterpiece.
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            A few quirks I did have with the game that are almost too nit-picky to mention are:

1. The standard controller mapping of the Dash Ability (Y for me as I was using an Xbox 360 controller with my Steam copy of the game) was a bit counterintuitive, but remapping it the Right Trigger helped a great deal.
2. The Parry Ability, which is integral to increasing your final score at the end of a stage (provided you get there), is not outlined as explicitly as it could be. I found, after discussing it with a friend, that rather than a skill that banked on timing, the Parry is more successful when thought of as a skill that creates an arc around Cuphead (or his pal Mugman) and if you use it earlier it works a lot more often.

           
Cuphead is a Steam and Xbox One exclusive title and is only $19.99. I can tell you that it’s more than worth the price and I will be playing it, and getting my butt kicked by it, for many months to come. Until Next Time, Geek On!

If you know me and my tubby self, you know food and I go together like peanut butter and jelly, beans and rice, or peas and carrots. I live by a simple motto: FOE, or ‘Food Over Everything’. So, when I heard about Hey There Fatty, my stomach grumbled with excitement. A game all about food? Be still my beating heart. The team at Chocolate Crackers, LLC (that name is fitting) brought their brand-new card game out to the Indie Zone at DreamHack Denver. It did very well.
 
Hey There Fatty was nominated for DreamHack 2017’s Best Multiplayer Experience Award. That is a feat in and of itself, but it’s even more amazing when considering that Hey There Fatty was a lone card came competing against a pack of video games. To throw a cherry on top of that delicious sundae of impressiveness: Hey There Fatty won the award! I stopped by the game’s booth at DreamHack to see what makes it such a great game.
 
The booth was hard to miss, anchored by a huge Chinese takeout box emblazoned with the game’s name. The cards were spread out on a table, next to an awesome ‘How To Play’ infographic. The game’s creators, Anthony and Cory, were also on hand to describe the game and lead playthroughs throughout the day.
 
You can read the full details on how to play on their site, but in essence, players draw food cards to place on their imaginary plate, which they consume when an ‘Eat’ card is drawn. Over the course of the game, players will consume and burn calories, with the goal of maintaining a healthy diet and finishing with as few as possible. Each game comes with one die, 49 junk food cards, 272 draw pile cards, and a fortune cookie.
 
The game is a blast for many reasons. It’s a good ol’ sit down card game with a unique story and style of play. It’s the type of game that you can revisit time after time and still have fun playing, thanks to the twists and turns that come with the draw pile cards and the unpredictability of the luck of the draw. Plus, it’s relatively easy to pick up, so you’ll have no problem showing it off to new players. The art style is silly, fun, and visually appealing, with anthropomorphized foods bringing the game to life. A very French piece of French toast, a muscular leek, and a literal chicken strip are just some of the cards that are sure to give you a laugh.
 
As of October 23rd, the kickstarter for Hey There Fatty is now live and wraps up on November 22nd. The game will retail for $24.99 but a ‘Meat and Potatoes’ pledge of $15 will secure it for you. They currently have a few cool products in their shop, including a ‘Leek’s Ultimate Physiques’ gym shirt that I may or may not have my eye on. If you’re looking for a new way to have fun with friends and family, consider supporting this silly and strategic award-winning game. You’re sure to have that nice, full feeling that comes after a good meal.

In a galaxy far, far away…but not so far in the future! Just four weeks from today, we can hop into the expansive universe that is Star Wars: Battlefront II. The game releases on November 17th for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The follow-up to the 2015 game, Battlefront II looks to be a more well-rounded and complete game, featuring new modes and gameplay. Here are some of my impressions, both good and not so good, after trying out the beta.
 
Single-Player Campaign
The biggest addition to the game is the Campaign Mode, something that many felt Star Wars: Battlefront was sorely missing. Trailers for the single-player story mode look incredible. Visuals, cut scenes, and voice acting are all top-notch. The story itself looks really good too. You play as Iden Versio, a leader of an Imperial special forces unit called the Inferno Squad. From the looks of it, the in-game story is crafted to be a nice addition to existing Star Wars lore. A tie-in novel, titled Inferno Squad, was released in July. The novel picks up immediately after the events of Rogue One, so if the Campaign Mode story mirrors the book, you can expect to play in that era of the Star Wars universe.
 
Game Modes  
Aside from the single-player campaign, not much is new as far as game modes go. Strike, Blast, Starfighter Assault, Galactic Assault, Heroes vs. Villains, and Arcade Mode fill out the list of multiplayer modes available. That being said, multiplayer wasn’t really the problem with Battlefront. While they could get stale over time, Battlefront II has added new maps and characters, as well as new systems for playing, which should keep things fresh.

Character Classes
Another key addition is that of character classes. Rather than hopping into the online-multiplayer world as an all-purpose character, you now choose which class you want to be in before the match starts (and you can switch between classes before respawning throughout the match). Assault, heavy, officers, and specialists are all up for grabs, each with their own styles, weapons, and upgrades. I found myself drifting towards heavy and assault, but I enjoyed my time playing as each. This move really adds variety to the experience, especially as you get sucked into playing a stretch of back-to-back games.
 
Heroes, Villains, and Vehicles
Heroes, villains, vehicles, and other power-ups are now more fairly allocated during gameplay. In Battlefront you could take control of a hero or a ship by finding and activating tokens throughout the map. In Battlefront II, you earn points for kills, assists, and other objectives, and you redeem those in-match points to respawn as a hero or villain, or to take control of a vehicle. I found this to be a much more effective way of divvying up the really good perks. 

Visuals and Other Intangibles
As always, the game looks stunning. The maps, characters, ships, and surroundings are detailed and well-crafted. This is one game series that is as visually stunning in play through as it is in any cut scenes or trailers. It’s still a shooter that feels smooth to play, too.
 
Crates, Star Cards, and Microtransactions  
The biggest concern I had about the Battlefront II beta was the implementation of crates and in-game currency. As soon as I began playing, I noticed I had a few unopened crates. Each came with three items, which could include Star Cards (player and ship development items), weapons, emotes, celebrations, and other items to upgrade your characters.
 
As mentioned, I had a few starter packs, and I noticed there were daily crates, crates earned through performance and use of specific characters or modes, and crates available for purchase. For the beta, all purchases were made with currency earned in-game, but knowing EA and some of its freemium features in other games, I worried that real cash would become a factor upon release. Fortunately, I wasn’t alone. It seems many had this concern and EA has acknowledged the criticisms that came with the beta. We’ll see if they make any changes before the game rolls out.
 
Thoughts and Pre-Order Information
I truly enjoyed my time playing the Battlefront II beta and I’m very excited for the full game to release in a month. I think the pay-to-play aspect of it could be a bummer if it continues into the full release, but I hope it won’t hamper things too much. The story in Campaign Mode looks immersive and well-written and the mode itself should fill the void that existed in the first game. All in all, if you love Star Wars, it should be a blast!
 
If you’re interested in checking out Star Wars: Battlefront II, pre-ordering will get you The Last Jedi Heroes Pack, which comes with Kylo Ren and Rey outfits, access to hero and starfighter Star Cards, and instant access to The Last Jedi Millennium Falcon. You can choose between the Standard and Deluxe Edition, with the latter coming with four character class upgrade packs and the aforementioned bonuses without pre-ordering. Both editions release for all systems on November 17th. Just four weeks to go! May the Force be with you.