For the last couple years we've been going strong with the Cheerful Ghost Roundtable which is a monthly live stream video roundtable show where we talk about all manner of geekery and video games. Recently we've been advertising the livestream more and had a great time in the most recent episode about Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I've also been doing more with video as seen in my recent interview with Wick as well as Let's Plays and Cheerful Ghost mini videos. I've updated our Cheerful Ghost YouTube channel, organized everything into tidy playlists and we just recently added our new YouTube channel art as seen above.

I want to thank Scrypt for working on the amazing piece seen above and I to say I love it is a bit of an understatement! As video on Cheerful Ghost expands, it's nice to have amazing art reflect that and I hope 2016 is a great year for it!

If you want to follow more of Scrypt and his art projects, check out his blog post below:

http://johningalls.tumblr.com/post/136691154742/so-i-got-nasty-sick-over-the-holidays-and-i

Some games are fantastic on smartphones. Hearthstone, Flappy Bird, Monsters Ate My Birthday Cake and Skullduggery are all good games that work well when you tap around your screen. There are also entire genres of gaming that are not served well on smartphones. First person shooters, real time strategy and traditional platformers are not great with tap controls. Because of this i’ve been searching for a handheld gaming system where I can play a different variety of games. In the last couple months I picked up the GPD XD and it’s one of the slickest gaming devices I own.

The GPD XD is a Chinese made Android handled that resembles a Nintendo DS. The GPD XD sports a Quad Core 1.8 ARM CPU, 16GB of storage and 2GB of RAM. It has the clamshell hinge, two full analog thumb-sticks, a directional pad, X/Y/A/B buttons as well as two trigger bumpers for each index finger. It has a volume toggle, on and off switch as well as ports in the back for headphones, usb power, a micro SD card and HDMI mini out. It runs a GPD semi-custom Android build that sports a strange UI that you can change if you want. It’s a fully unlocked Android 4.4.4 device so you can install anything from the Google Play store or any Android app through an the .apk format. From my initial usage the battery seems to last about 4-6 hours and it has a relatively quick recharge cycle. The battery lasts a bit longer if you turn off Wifi and turn it off when you are not using it as the sleep cycle seems to drain the battery.

The specs are actually pretty solid for a handheld device but the most powerful gaming device is junk if you can’t play any games on it. Needless to say the GPD XD comes loaded with a ton of games over the Google Play store and some are tuned well for a traditional controller. I’ve downloaded Duck Tales Remastered, Knights of the Old Republic and Sword of Xolan and they all work amazingly well with the controller. I obtained those games for free on Amazon Underground as Amazon has a special deal with certain games to provide them to the player for no cost. It’s an interesting model Amazon is trying and I am not sure how it works for the game developers, but as a player it’s pretty solid. Only a couple Android games work with the controller and I imagine as more games are optimized for AndroidTV, the landscape will get much better here.

That said, playing Android games isn’t the only thing the GPD XD can do and one other big use case for it is Emulation. I have a ton of physical Nintendo, Super Nintendo, GameCube and Wii games and it’s nice to be able to play them wherever I want. It’s also nice to use only one device to play them all. The GPD XD emulates the Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Gameboy, Gameboy Advance and PSP with ease. It falls down on DS emulation but since I don’t have many DS games it’s not a huge problem. In world where your NES and Gameboy cart batteries die, it’s nice to be able to load up the game on a device that will never suffer that fate. It’s also nice to be able to switch between Gameboy Tetris and Secret of Mana in a couple seconds.

Since the GPD XD is full blown Android you can use it for pretty much whatever you can think of. Want to output the XD to your HDMI monitor and plug in a keyboard and mouse and use it as a sort of PC? You can. Want to attach it to your TV and connect a USB controller? You can. Want to watch a movie on it? Yep. One of the big problems I have with buying tech is buying into an ecosystem that doesn’t allow you to use in whatever context you want. I love the hell out of my iPhone but it’s annoying I can’t always use it in the ways i’d like to. These unlocked Android devices really allow that and I think it’s a huge bonus.

One other killer feature of the GPD XD is Moonlight. Moonlight is an open source project that allows you to use NVidia streaming to play your PC games on any device that can run Moonlight. Since the Moonlight developers have a great Android port Moonlight runs well. What this means is that I can stream Fallout 4 to my GPD XD from anywhere in the house. Well, Fallout 4 or any other PC game I have. Someday I hope Valve releases a Steam in home streaming client for Android and iOS but until then, Moonlight works amazingly well.

The GPD XD is a great device if you are interested in the fledgling Android controller games market (like I am) or want to play your retro games in a more convenient context without rebuying. Since it’s a Chinese designed and made device it suffers from some odd translation and usability decisions but if you can hack your way around Android, it’s not a problem. In the end if you are looking for a device that is open and hackable with a traditional control set the GPD XD is for you. If you are looking for a place to play the latest and greatest Nintendo or iPad games, you should stick with what you already have.

Yesterday Steam had 12,332,504 users online at the same time breaking it an all new Steam concurrent user record. In the "post PC era" Steam is doing pretty well and with the advent of living room machines, the Steam controller and Steams new VR this number should keep growing. The top most played Steam games are not too surprising with Dota 2 in the lead followed by Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Fallout 4, Team Fortress 2 and Sid Meier's Civilization V.

I imagine the Steam sale and holiday had much to do with these numbers but as with the last couple sales, I didn't buy anything as I have enough to play as is.

http://store.steampowered.com/stats

Speedrunner Rydou has just beaten the record for Fallout 3 with an impressive 14 minutes and 54 seconds. Rydou uses clipping as well as triggering certain events in order to achieve the final ending. I wonder how much more this can be optimized? Currently Fallout 4 speedruns are a couple hours, I wonder how that will look after people have been running it for a few years?

If people are handing out awards for the laziest post titles, i'd put "A Few Things I Liked In 2015" up for nomination. I wanted to make it "Things I Just Couldn't Even In 2015" but you know, I couldn’t even.

This post is a wrap up of a few things I enjoyed in 2015. It's not an exhaustive list but I am sure I am saying that so you don't judge me for only putting popular stuff on this list. You know, so if someone is all like "hey man why is this list Star Wars The Force Awakens" 20 times I can say "it's not meant to be exhaustive.”

The following lists aren't in any sorted order unless otherwise noted. This list is of things I experienced in 2015 not just stuff that was launched in 2015.

Hearthstone is the game of the year hands down no exception, no tag backs and no reverses. For me right now it's the perfect game. Every day I get a new quest where I can grind for gold. The dailies vary enough to be interesting and if I save 700 gold I can unlock a new Adventure tier. With each adventure tier you get new and interesting cards that can change your decks and how you play the game. When you unlock all the adventures you can open packs that also add and change how you play the game. Hearthstone has a few classes and each class combined with deck builds make for a wide arena to play in. Tavern Brawls mix the core game mechanics up in interesting ways and since it's such a popular game there is always someone to play with and I win enough to make the game fun and enjoyable.

I have acquired enough cards to make some interesting decks and as mentioned before my win ratio is high enough that the game is still lots of fun. I am not the greatest Hearthstone player and don't care to be but it's nice to improve my game over time. Hearthstone fits well in a world where you have little time because each match is only a few minutes long. I am not sure how long I will keep playing it but hands down in 2015 Hearthstone was my game of the year. I hope Blizzard keeps bringing the awesome because it's a great game and keeps getting better.

To date I've spend $0 in game. It's a nice achievement and I wonder how far I can climb ladder this way?

Terraria

The 1.3 update was great and my only real complaint was I didn't get to play it more. It seems they have finally "finished" Terraria in the we have a proper endgame but even with that they released the Mac and Linux ports and I’ve heard about future updates as well. It's a game I plan on playing in bursts every year and that’s pretty incredible considering I purchased it in a sale for $3.

Fallout 4

It's what everyone says it is unless someone says it's a bad game. I've recently stopped playing it for nearly no reason but each time I come back it's a solid experience. Bethesda did a great job here and the massive sales show that people are still interested in this franchise. I didn't get the DLC pack and don't plan to until I am completed with enough of the main game to warrant it. If you have the PC or console horsepower it's well worth a shot.

Broken Age

I bought Broken Age+Double Fine Adventure doc series in a slacker backer bundle and decided to play Broken Age when the whole game was released. Even though I looked how to complete most of the endgame puzzles(they are really hard in ways I don't want to spend time on) the games journey and story were very rewarding. The Double Fine Adventure doc series was similarly great and to a point was more enjoyable than the game itself. Double Fine has garnered some displeasure from the gaming crowd and whereas I understand the criticism I'm not sure I find the immense negativity to be warranted. Not a mega fan by any stretch but I enjoyed this game and the doc series that came from it.

Starcraft II: Legacy of the Void

This was a great ending to the Starcraft II trilogy. Not sure much more needs to be said here, if you love those games check it out.

Movies:

The Babadook is a really unique film about grief and things that we can’t seem to shake. What they accomplished with such a small budget is remarkable and considering this the first film of Jennifer Kent even more so.

Faults is a strangely compelling film about cults. The first few minutes are a mixture of hypnotizing and cringeworthy mixed in such a way I couldn’t stop watching. It’s got a fun twist and showcases well how creative independent movies can be.

Beasts of No Nation is a Netflix original movie that is one of the most beautifully shot films i’ve seen all year. Beats is a movie about child soldiers and as such is a very emotional journey. Super happy to see such a high quality movie be released by Netflix after The Ridiculous Six left such a bad taste in my mouth.
Blue Ruin is a movie I’ve heard described as No Country for Old Men featuring very stupid people. It's a revenge movie with a great ending that harkens back to the bleak style of 70’s films.

The Guest

If you mixed Halloween, The Terminator and Scream you’d get The Guest. Whereas it’s not particularly scary it’s a lot of fun and contains a ton of style worthy of it’s sourced material.

Mad Max: Fury Road

I think of Mad Max: Fury Road as “car chase the movie” except that I generally dislike car chases and I love Fury Road. It’s a solid entry into the Mad Max franchise and entertains each time I watch it.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

It’s a new Star Wars movie fitting of the original trilogy. Not sure I can give it any more accolades than that.


TV / Shows / Podcasts:

Mystery Science Theater 3000 is the greatest show of all time. I’ve been watching each episode and am currently mid season six. It’s a show I loved watching in the 90’s as a kid and holds up very well now. Lots of memes we use on the Internet either started on MST3K or were used on it. It’s a pretty impressive feat considering Internet/meme culture wasn’t a thing back in the 90’s. MST3K was recently Kickstarted for a new season and after backing it I can’t wait to watch the new episodes. Rewatching the old show a bit of a time is like experiencing an important part of history and can’t wait till I watch them all.

Anything Red Letter Media

Like many I started watching Red Letter Media after I watched The Phantom Menace reviews. I binged on the rest of the Plinkett Reviews then started watching Half in the Bag and most recently the video game review show Previously Recorded. I watch pretty much whatever they release and love nearly all of it. If you are looking for a hilariously unfiltered look at pop culture, I recommend anything Red Letter Media.

The Slashfilm Podcast

I love movies and the Slashfilm podcast is a good way to know what’s great. I heard about Faults, Blue Ruin and The Babadook through Slashfilm and found their reviews on The Force Awakens, Jurassic World and other popular films essential to the film-joyment process. I don’t watch all the films they review but really respect their opinions and find the banter to be very entertaining.

The results have been counted and the winners of the Cheerful Ghost 2015 Game of The Year Awards are:

Triple A Game of the Year

Winner: Fallout 4

Runner Up: Bloodbourne

Indie Game of the Year

Winner: Rocket League

Runner Up: Ark: Survival Evolved

Update of the Year

Winner: Terraria 1.3

Runner Up: Hearthstone Tournament of Champions / League of Explorers

Mobile Game of the Year

This year we have a tie for the winner of the Mobile game of the year in Monument Valley and Fallout Shelter!

Thanks to everyone that voted and here's to 2016 being a great year in gaming!

I want to wish everyone a very Happy New Year! As we are all hanging out online and in person I am wondering what games people are playing by themselves or with friends to ring in the new year? Fallout 4 counts just as much as drinking games so don't feel too shy here. Also curious what people want to see happen in gaming in 2016?

After taking nominations for our 2015 Cheerful Ghost Game of the Year awards here are polls to vote in. Please only vote once for each category and have fun!

We will tally the results on January 1st!

Triple A Game of the Year (Witcher 3, Bloodbourne, Fallout 4, Starcraft II: Legacy of the Void, Mario Maker):

http://www.easypolls.net/poll.html?p=56801fade4b0d27fbad14f9c

Indie Game of the Year (Undertale, Ark: Survival Evolved, Rocket League, Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number, Crypt of the Necrodancer, Broken Age, Nuclear Throne, Talos Principle):

http://www.easypolls.net/poll.html?p=5680203de4b0d27fbad14f9d

Update of the Year (Terraria 1.3, Hearthstone Tournament of Champions / League of Explorers, Grim Fandango: Remastered, BioShock Infinite (Linux port)):

http://www.easypolls.net/poll.html?p=568020aee4b0d27fbad14f9e

Mobile Game of the Year nominees ( Fallout Shelter, Crashy Road, Monument Valley):

http://www.easypolls.net/poll.html?p=56802106e4b0d27fbad14f9f

In this special episode of the Cheerful Ghost Roundtable livestream we discuss our thoughts on Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens.  We start each show talking a bit about what we have been playing in video games and then our main event, Star Wars.  We have a spoiler free section at the top of the show and quickly move into spoilers.

How many times do you all plan on watching The Force Awakens while it's still in theaters?

Recently I got together with Wick to do a retrospective interview discussion about Starship Rubicon and get this thoughts on this years launch. We talk about some of his new projects as well as some of his early memories of Star Wars and his start in game development modding Star Wars Battlefront II.

This video is part of a larger holiday video project. I really enjoyed cutting together this video and working more with this documentary interview style. It was also my first use of 4K which seems to have worked out just fine even if most people will ever see it in 1080p. I plan on doing more of these interviews in the Portland game scene so expect to see a few more of these pop up next year.