Fallout Shelter is one of the best phone games i've ever played. It's a fun post apocalypse vault dweller simulator reminiscent of SimCity, SimTower, Progress Quest and a bit of FTL. Noclip just released a Fallout Shelter documentary as part of their recent Bethesda series that takes a look at the making of Fallout Shelter from it's early days as a Fallout 3 trailer to the E3 2015 launch. They also mention that Bethesda built an entirely new mobile team after the incredible success of Fallout Shelter (120 million players) and that team is carrying over to their upcoming phone game Elder Scrolls Blades. The video even hints a bit at Elder Scrolls blades at the end and apparently Noclip's final Bethesda documentary will all about Blades.

If Fallout Shelter is an indication, Bethesda will have a long and amazing history of incredible mobile games and being that they are all free to play without a huge requirement to buy in, I can't argue with the results.

We all know Super Mario Bros. 2 wasn't the follow up to Super Mario Bros. in Japan and that it was originally Doki Doki Panic and translated into English for an American audience. That reason being the big factor on why some Mario purists don't consider it a proper Mario game. Super Mario Bros. 2 celebrates it's 30th anniversary this year and as such Arcadeology has a focused retrospective on the game and it's history in the franchise. It's the deepest dive about Mario 2 i've seen to date and it showcases many of the improvements made over Doki Doki Panic. In fact, i'd say Mario 2 is superior to Doki in nearly every way and since Doki started out as a prototype for Mario and then later was translated into a Mario game by a Mario team, it's a proper Mario game. Open to others thoughts here but Mario 2 is one of my favorite in the franchise because it's so unique and I don't think it standing out is any kind of weakness to it.

John Riggs has a new video out where he reviews the Namco Museum Arcade Pack on Switch and if you like old school arcade games and don't own any of these games this seems like a good set to get. The Namco Museum Arcade Pac includes Pac-Man, Galaga, Splatterhouse, & Tower OF Drauga, Rolling Thunder, Sky Kid, Tank Force as well as Pac-Man Champion Edition and Pac-Man Chamption Edition 2 Plus! I have Pac-Man on the NES Classic but it's not quite as good as the arcade port and getting Splatterhouse and Pac-Man Championship Edition seem work the price of admission alone.

Today Mega Man 11 blasts it's way to PC, PS4, XBox One and Nintendo Switch and so far it's getting pretty good reviews. Right now it's sitting on Steam with 91% of people rating it positively and a 79 on Metacritic. But don't take anyones word for it as you can play a demo on Switch, PS4 & XBox One. Bummer there is no PC demo but that seems pretty standard these days.

Curious what people think of the new game and how you are all playing it?

"The legendary hero returns! Play as Mega Man and face off against a gallery of fierce Robot Master bosses. Defeat the likes of Torch Man, Tundra Man, and the rest to steal their weapons and defeat the evil Dr. Wily. Harness the innovative new Double Gear system to slow the flow of time and overpower your Mega Buster and boss weapons. Revel in the stunning new visual style, which combines hand-drawn environments with 3D characters. Continue the fun with the extra challenging Superhero difficulty and a variety of challenge modes. Experience the evolution of the Blue Bomber’s side-scrolling supremacy. "

http://megaman.capcom.com/mm11.html

ChippyGaming is one of the most renowned Terraria YouTube video creators who over the years has been able to showcase exclusive game update spoilers and today has a new video that looks back at the Terraria 1.2 update. The 1.2 update changed Terraria forever and cemented it in my heart as one of the best games of all time. Not only did it come with a ton of new NPC's, the Crimson and more but it also came with ... the Bee update.

https://media.giphy.com/media/dcubXtnbck0RG/giphy.gif

"In today's video we give a recap of the one of the largest Terraria updates over the past 7 years. Terraria 1.2 turns 5 years old today and to celebrate let's take about it!"

YouTube Channel Noclip is fastly becoming one of my favorite gaming channels as it focuses primarally on longer form video game documentaries. Funded by a healthy Patreon, Noclip has created some great docs such as one I shared recently for The Witness. I've been sitting on sharing this one for a while and now seems like a great time with Doom Resurrection on the horizon. The first part of the series is embedded above called To Hell & Back and covers the original Doom game iD was working on before it was rebooted to become Doom 2016. They show off screenshots and gameplay and interview the original designer and developers about it. The second part Designing a First Impression covers how they went about building and designing Doom 2016 and the final installment Guns, Guitars and Chess on Mars wraps everything up to launch and does a deep dive with the composer of the music in Doom.

Needless to say this is a must watch if you liked Doom 2016 and even if you didn't play it and want to watch something interesting about a very cool game, i'd press play.

Part 2 - Designing a First Impression https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsoVQWnSOfM

Part 3 - Guns, Guitars & Chess on Mars https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0nOsuaPDeg

Today we're launching a new game on the Cheerful Ghost Games BBS called Iceberg 2 Wrath of Don by Taylor Buchheit. If that name rings a bell it's because Taylor is 50% of the Game Devs Podcast, a local Podcast all about Indie game development. Taylor and I have been talking about the games he's been making and Iceberg 2 seemed like a good fit to include on our BBS lineup. It's a fun top down arcade styled game that harkens back to Robotron as you try to save an Iceberg from global climate change.

Find Iceberg 2 Wrath of Don at our Games BBS Link below or click the "Games" tab at the top of the page. We think Open Source is pretty awesome and as such Taylor was cool enough to release the source for Iceberg 2 on GitHub and you can find that on the Iceberg 2 link below under "View Source on GitHub."

https://cheerfulghost.com/games/iceberg2

I want to thank Taylor for letting us include the game on our BBS and make sure to checkout the interview below.

jdodson: Can you explain to everyone what Iceberg 2 is and your inspiration for creating it?

Taylor : I made Iceberg 2 as part of the 2018 Low Res Jam which constrains developers to using a 64 x 64 resolution. Iceberg 2 is the sequel to the first game jam game I ever made, Iceberg. In Iceberg, players look after a melting iceberg. Their only option is to continue watching it melt, or close the game, thus saving the iceberg from global warming. Iceberg 2 follow a similar premise, but this time the player controls a scientist who must collect carbon credits to combat climate change and heal the iceberg. His greatest foe, Bad Don, is chasing him around, attempting to corrupt him, denying that climate change is real and dooming our planet.

In our current political climate, I am becoming increasingly frustrated with the blatant attack on science, and specifically on climate change. I believe that games have the power to move people, so making games with a message is really important to me. This game is a direct attack on climate change deniers and hopefully prompts players to think about the devastating effect that denying scientific evidence has on our planet.

jdodson: For any aspiring game developers, what tech did you use to create Iceberg 2?

Taylor : Iceberg 2 was made in the Pico-8 fantasy console. It's a really neat game engine that can run on just about any computer, including a raspberry pi, but still has surprising power. If someone is learning game development and wants to fully understand concepts like the game loop, how animations work, etc, I think it is a great engine to use.

jdodson: You and Rett partake in the Game Devs Quest Podcast, a show I listen to regularly. What's your favorite show you've recorded so far and has anything surprised you about how the show has progressed over time?

Taylor : This is a tough question to answer! At this time, we have released 80 episodes, so there are many to choose from. I really enjoyed when we first started the podcast because we were hyper focused on sharing our experience learning game dev; we always had something we wanted to share from the previous week's progress. As we continued, the podcast evolved into more of a show about Rett and I's friendship and all of the challenges that come with pursuing our passions. Lately we have had some great guest game developers, and that is always a blast and a great opportunity to learn from others.

A few episodes that are notable in my memory are Episode 26: One Percent Dota where we break down how much time we have spent doing things in our lives and the ten thousand hour rule, Episode 32: Shinkansen Edition where we recorded a podcast as we were riding a train in Japan, Episode 48: ManBeardGames where we talk to fellow gamedev ManBeardGames who teaches us the basics of shaders, and our most recent episode, Episode 80: Coffee with Butterscotch where we podcasted with the Coffee with Butterscotch podcast (one of our favorite podcasts to listen to). Overall though, it is really hard to pick a favorite because we have done so many episodes and have had so many great conversations (including several episodes with Jon Dodson of Cheerful Ghost!).

In terms of being surprised about our progress, I'm surprised that we have continued to produce an episode each week for about a year and a half. I never would have thought that Rett and I had this kind of dedication to this project, but after hosting 4 game jams that yielded hundreds of games, starting a Discord server that now has hundreds of active game developers, and meeting so many cool people with similar interest via the podcast and twitch streaming, it has become an extremely enjoyable and integral part of our lives.

jdodson: What are you playing right now?

Taylor : I actually don't play many games anymore because I spend most of my free time either making games or programming. Recently, however, I picked up Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun and have been completely consumed. Growing up, I was a huge fan of the Commandos series, and Shadow Tactics feels like a Commandos sequel set in Japan during the Edo period. I love games that give me nostalgia, and this game definitely brings me back.

I've also been playing the Banner Saga, which was a little tough to get into at first, but is now very enjoyable. I love the hand drawn art style and the turn based fighting.

jdodson: Are there any game developers or companies that you look up to?

Taylor : One person who really inspired me to start making games is Eric Barone aka Concerned Ape, who made Stardew Valley. After playing that game and learning the back story behind how it was made, I started to believe that one person could make amazing games on their own.

Other notable game developers I look up to are the guys from Butterscotch Shenanigans, Chris DeLeon of Gamkedo, Christer Kaitila aka McFunkypants, and so many developers that are a part of our community. All of these developers have a very positive attitude, not just towards making games, but in regard to living a productive, fulfilling, and good life.

jdodson: Now that Iceberg 2 is out what are you going to work on next?

Taylor : My next big project is developing a website for the Game Dev's Quest community. I'd like a full blown web application where our members can interact in more of a blog/forum like fashion as opposed to a real time IM environment with our Discord server. After I finish that, I plan to get back to a mobile game called Logger's Road I had been working on for about 5 months. In the game, you own a logging business and you must manage your forest in a sustainable way to be successful.

jdodson: In Solo A Star Wars Story Han got his last name by way of an Imperial recruiter. Apparently because Han Solo had no family the Imperial recruiter wrote "Han Solo" on his application. So let's say in an alternate timeline you are the writer of Solo A Star Wars Story and you __HAVE__ to figure out a way Han Solo got his last name, what would that be? Remember a million nerds are counting on you!

Taylor : Oh, wow. See, Rett is the creative writer, not me!

How about this (I've gone through several different versions and all are terrible!): When Han joined the imperial fleet, he was a practiced marksman. He ranked top of his class with a blaster, hitting nearly every bulls eye in his weapons course exams. He gained the nickname "Solo" because, as his classmates said, Han only needed one shot per enemy. From then on, he ditched his real last name and went by Han Solo.

jdodson: Thanks for taking the time to do this, anything you want to say before we wrap things up?

Taylor : If anyone would like to get started making games, it is like anything else, all you need to do is make the decision to start and practice as often as possible. Pick an engine, stick with it until you've made a bunch of really bad games, and don't give up! If you'd like someone to help you stay motivated along the way, check out our podcast and our community. You can join our discard at bit.ly/gdqdiscord or follow us on twitter @gamedevsquest. Best of luck on your own Game Dev's Quest!

http://gamedevsquest.com/

During the middle run of the Playstation 3 I bought Oblivion used from Gamestop and up to that point it was the first time i'd seriously played an Elder Scrolls game. It was a fun open world game but like the recent LGR review of it, I didn't love the Oblivion gate sections either. All that to say, it's a fun game and the LGR review is a good overall retrospective of it and it's DLC expansions including the oft chided Horse Armor.

Since Cheerful Ghost has been rolling along happily for 7 years, make sure to read Greg's review from 2014 if you want even more Oblivion stuff to read.

https://cheerfulghost.com/games/167/the-elder-scrolls-iv-oblivion

I remember the first time I saw the original Super Mario Brothers and that memory is burned forever in my brain. As Mario entered the pipe for World 1-2 and the color palette of the level changed to a darker tone, I was hooked. I've been playing Mario games since that point and quite enjoy that Nintendo is continuing to create games in the traditional 2D platformer style under the New Super Mario Bros. series. It started with New Super Mario Bros. on the DS and then then New Super Mario Bros. Wii and I finally picked up the 3DS version I'm playing now called New Super Mario Bros. 2.

New Super Mario Bros. 2 takes everything that worked about the previous games and continues to do that while focusing on coin collection. You have a running tally of coins you can collect that unlock things in-game making progression tied to coins and continually completing stages. The focus on coin collection means that I actually collect coins playing the game, something I've never really done much of in Mario games. This focus on coin collection and the game giving you many more opportunities to collect them means that as of World 3-5 I have over 106 lives! The New Super Mario Bros. series never felt too punishing but if you play the game like it intends and don't rush, it's not that difficult and YOU TO can have way too many lives in reserve!

So far New Super Mario Bros. 2 is Mario platforming at it's best but after playing the first two games in the series it doesn't feel as fresh as it should. I suppose the New Super Mario Bros. series should stick to basics but I feel more could be done here. Don't get me wrong, the platforming is some of the best in the series and getting the Raccoon suit back is incredible but so far.. it just feels like another fun game in the series. Which if that's what you are looking for, you're gonna find it in spades.

Today I found a three part video essay review and documentary piece by Lindsay Ellis and needed to share it. I found the Hobbit trilogy to be interesting yet had a rough time with aspects of it and Lindsay's review does a good job covering it and she does an epic deep dive on how it was made and it's complicated path to theaters. I don't want to spoil her review videos but I will say her series blurs the lines between review and documentary in a very unique way that elevates video reviews to new heights. For instance she travels to New Zealand to interview people involved in local cinema and were involved in the production of The Hobbit. One part I appreciate in Ellis's review is how she deals with duality and specifically how things can be both good and bad at the same time.

The first part of her series is embedded above and you can watch part two and three by hitting those links below.

The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Studios (Part 2 / 2) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElPJr_tKkO4

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Warners (Part 3/2) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qi7t_g5QObs