PixlBit

Happy Tuesday my Pixlbit peeps! I missed yesterday’s blog because I was a bit busy but today I’m good, you can read my controlled ramblings, and let us enjoy writing and reading about our shared hobby? Sound good? Well heck let’s get to it!

On Sunday while thinking of interesting topics to write about, I decided to postpone one idea I had for later on in the month, just so I can “gather” more info (by gather I mean play) but this topic always seemed interesting to me because it has slowly become a running joke. Anyways I tend to watch a lot of Reality TV, I like the made up drama, of watching people who want to be famous get on TV, and I do crazy things. It’s like a fun zoo where you sit back with some microwaved popcorn, and wonder “Where in the hell do they find these people?” There is one Reality Show I don’t watch because I think it’s “too classy”

 

Yeah I don’t watch it, but I would always make fun of it, telling people they didn’t earn a rose, and whatnot. The one Reality Show I did watch that tried to set someone up with true love is For the Love Of Ray J

 

It used to be on VH1, and I only watched Season 1 because it was crazy. The girls would fight, some of them were just crazy, and the interviews were hilarious. Ultimately it came down between two girls Danger and Cocktail (I think Ray J gave them nicknames because actually calling them by their name was too difficult)

 

Danger was nuts because she had a tattoo on her face. HER FACE. Ray J chose Cocktail and they lived happily ever after…until Season 2 of For the Love of Ray J. I stopped watching because my faith in true love was crushed.

Anyways back to The Bachelor, I don’t watch this show, but I get recaps from one of my favorite Podcasts, The Right Reasons on the Grantland Network. For those who don’t know Grantland is Bill Simmons’ site where they cover a wide range of topics from sports, to pop culture. Bill Simmons used to have an episode of his podcast that deals with pop culture, which was hilarious (especially when they talked about the Reality Show Fantasy League. Think Fantasy Football with Reality Stars). Anyways the hosts Jacoby and Juliet go into detail about the Reality Shows they watch and their thoughts. This is where I started to listen about the Bachelor, and when I saw the game in the Under $10 bin at GameStop, it was a must buy

Now the game was released on the DS, and the object of the game is to go on these “group dates” and try to defeat an opponent in mini games. There are a bunch of different minigames, but I encountered one game where they just changed the object you were trying to collect.

 

I can’t remember why my character looks like a stereotypical California surfer. I either must have hit skip during a create a character, or this is the default look. Anyways the game starts out with you picking a gender. Do you want to go after the Bachelor or Bachelorette, and then you’re off to episodes. In these episodes is where you play these mini games. Beat the AI in either two or three group dates. One of my favorites is a baking game where you have to bake a cake and keep the thermometer with a green zone for three seconds to move on to the next stage of “baking”. Actually this format is used to inflate a hot air balloon as well…

 

Anyways once you complete these dates, you go on a date with the Bachelor/ette and I think you play another game and then when they lean in to kiss, the screens pans out. I guess this is part of the show, and the final part of the episode is where you receive your rose

So far I think my character has defeated three other people and we are moving on up!

Oh I wish this game was on the Vita purely for the names of the trophies. Things like “Kiss From A Rose” or “Another One Bites The Dust”. This would be the most hilarious/shameful Platinum Trophy. I like to think this is the best $2 I’ve spent on a WTF game in 2014.

 

Games I’ve Beaten

In my Quick Hits blog I mentioned that I took down two games from my Mount Backlog. Well a day later I took another down, and I thought I’d do a mini review on each

 

Arc Squadron - Android

 

Arc Squadron was a random game I found on Google Play in their “Best Of” section. I thought nothing more of it than a shooter, but it turns out I enjoyed it a bit more. Controls were simple, just use your finger to pilot the plane, and it shoots automatically. There are add-ons in the game such as upgrading your ship’s armor, and weapons through in game currency that you earn during missions. You can also buy skins for your ship, but I thought that was useless.

There are a total of nine bosses that you face after playing through two or three levels within a World. The bosses are a little tougher than the general AI within the levels but they can be defeated after two or three tries when you spot their pattern. Each World also has a couple of bonus levels where you can rack up the cash.

Arc Squadron is a fun game, and it would make a good Arcade game on the PS3 or 360. This is a game done right that doesn’t constantly ask if you want to purchase anything with actual money. Arc Squadron gets an A from me.

 

Guacamelee - Vita/PS3

 

This is a game I would have never tried if it wasn’t for PS+ and their sale a couple of weeks ago. I really didn’t have any reason to play it, but when it dropped to $7 for the game and the two DLC packs. It was perfect for the Vita because there were a ton of save points, and quick action with bright graphics.

What I really liked about this game is the controls and timing. You have to time your moves to advance into the later portions of the different sections. It’s not hard, but you have to get your timing down, which can be frustrating, but after a couple of tries you get the hang of it, and then wonder why you had problems to begin with.

Another feature I truly enjoyed that I usually skip on games is the in game music. It fits the different sections of the map very well. In my last blog I mentioned that in one of the underground portions, there was hints of the music from Super Mario Bros when they go underground.

Guacamelee is one of my favorite games of 2014. From the sneaky jokes, to random side quests, this game has it all, and is a steal for under $10. Easy A from me.

 

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire - DS

The final game I knocked off Mount Backlog is Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. Now before you ask, “How Did You Beat A Trivia Game?” I followed the rules of the show, you win a Million Bucks, you win the game. Like in Jeopardy! if I go five games straight as the Jeopardy! Champion, I’m invited to the Tournament of Champions.

As for Millionaire, it’s been awhile since I’ve seen this show on television, so I’m a little rusty on the rules, like did they always tell you the topic of the questions? And when I have the audience pick, why are they always wrong?

As for the game, I jumped into it, a little too cocky, and I was bounced after the $5,000 question. It took a couple of tries, and by couple I mean 6 tries in one sitting before hitting the big money and getting to the One Million Dollar question. The question wasn’t hard, but I did use all three lifelines during my run to the million. I’m still playing this game because I want to earn the in game awards like win the game without using any lifelines, win the game by banking 15 seconds per question, etc.

The game also keeps a running total of how much you have made during your career, which is a nice touch, especially if you want to brag to other folks about how much you banked. I give this game a solid B. The graphics is what hold it back and the fact that the audience cost me $32,000 a couple of times.

 

Before we end our little journey today, I received this on Facebook for my birthday

 

I’ve never received a gift through Facebook, but one of my friends hooked it up, and it’s really cool to get a gift through social media. I like to think of myself as the person in my group of friends who’s into the techy stuff, but I’ve never used this feature, and I wanted to share how cool this is. I think I might start sending out Starbucks Gift Cards like this for Christmas.

 

That’s all for now, more later!

-Chris