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Heroes Of The Storm 2.0 Thoughts + Upcoming Free Stuff

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Recently Blizzard dropped a massive 2.0 update on Heroes of the Storm and this last weekend I was able to play a couple matches. I paired up with a friend that plays a ton of Heroes of the Storm and we made our way through about 6-8 games together. As part of the Heroes of the Storm 2.0 launch celebration Blizzard let you select a Heroes pack that focused on certain types of Heroes such as Assassins, Bruisers, Specialists and Support. I picked the Bruisers bundle and as such played mostly of that type and focused on Muradin, XUL & Valla. Heroes of the Storm has come a long way since it's original launch and i'd say it's a really fun pickup and play hero brawler... Read All Recently Blizzard dropped a massive 2.0 update on Heroes of the Storm and this last weekend I was able to play a couple matches. I paired up with a friend that plays a ton of Heroes of the Storm and we made our way through about 6-8 games together. As part of the Heroes of the Storm 2.0 launch celebration Blizzard let you select a Heroes pack that focused on certain types of Heroes such as Assassins, Bruisers, Specialists and Support. I picked the Bruisers bundle and as such played mostly of that type and focused on Muradin, XUL & Valla. Heroes of the Storm has come a long way since it's original launch and i'd say it's a really fun pickup and play hero brawler that is fairly easy to learn. Blizzard has also added a ton of different maps with unique objectives making Heroes of the Storm a very unique MOBA that feels more like Unreal Tournament than DoTA 2. If you're like me and not a great player you can practice with bots only OR play games with human players on your side against bots. Heroes also has human team matches and full ranked system so if you are interested in that it's available.

So Much Free Stuff

If giving away the Hero packs with Heroes 2.0 wasn't enough Blizzard is giving away a few more things over the next month if you play the game. Starting back May 30th and ending June 12th if you play one match per day you get a free loot chest. Loot chests are like Hearthstone packs and you have the chance to open a hero, new player skin or any kind of spray, taunt, emoji or voice line. This weekend I opened the new hero D.VA and I can't wait to try her out.

To celebrate the Necromancer coming to Diablo III if you play 15 games with a friend as a hero from Diablo from June 13th - 26th you will unlock 1 epic loot chest, Leoric’s Phantom mount and Ghost Kerrigan wings in Diablo III. I am going to see if I can clock that many games as the Diablo III wings seem pretty epic and i've enjoyed the few pairs I have already.

http://us.battle.net/heroes/en/blog/20719773/
http://us.battle.net/heroes/en/blog/20811888/

Relabeling Your Destroyed NES Carts

The 8-Bit Guy has a cool new video about relabeling destroyed NES carts. He created the Pitfall and Wrestlemania labels by hand, which is no small feat. 8-Bit Guy also talks about some criticism where people shouldn't restore original game carts because history is being changed. 8-But Guy notes that restoring a personal game cart is like restoring an old car and since they will stay in his personal collection it's not a big deal.

I Played The Diablo III Necromancer Beta And It's Incredible

jdodson gives this a solid "Rad" on the Ghost Scale

This is fun, with very few issues, and is well worth your time.

jdodson gives this a "Rad" on the Ghost Scale

This is fun, with very few issues, and is well worth your time.

A week ago I was let in to the Diablo III Necromancer Beta and to put it simply the Necromancer is a ton of fun. If you loved Diablo III and Reaper of Souls and want a new reason to jump back into the game to play all the new updates you should check out the upcoming Necromancer update. To be clear, The Necromancer will be a separate DLC that you will need to buy and is launching this summer(no word on the pricing yet).

"As a master of the dark arts, you wield the powers of life and death necessary to restore the Balance! Necromancers are powerful spell casters who lay waste to their enemies using curses and reanimation—along with an obedient cadre of pets. This new... Read All A week ago I was let in to the Diablo III Necromancer Beta and to put it simply the Necromancer is a ton of fun. If you loved Diablo III and Reaper of Souls and want a new reason to jump back into the game to play all the new updates you should check out the upcoming Necromancer update. To be clear, The Necromancer will be a separate DLC that you will need to buy and is launching this summer(no word on the pricing yet).

"As a master of the dark arts, you wield the powers of life and death necessary to restore the Balance! Necromancers are powerful spell casters who lay waste to their enemies using curses and reanimation—along with an obedient cadre of pets. This new class employs a controlled gameplay style using the raw materials of life: blood and bone."

The Necromancer is a class that feels at home in Diablo III. It was my most played class in Diablo II and I was expecting it to be a near clone of the Diablo II class and I was surprised that it plays differently but feels very similar in tone to the original. My current Necromancer character "DeathsDoor" has the dual Scythe as his main attack(it sends out two Scythes that hit all enemies in front of him) and a long ranged bone spear alternate attack that takes up mana. This bone spear is a good powered attack for taking down enemies at a distance and travels through all enemies in it's path. That said the main fun of my current Necromancer build is my massive army of Skeletons, Corpse Explosion, the Flesh Golem and Bone Armor.

When you play as the Necromancer whenever you kill an enemy a corpse drops on the ground. The Necromancer has many abilities to use corpses and one that's my favorite is Corpse Explosion. This allows a crazy chain reaction where you start exploding enemies in a chain to take down a huge mob. The only downside to sinking most of your abilities into corpse attacks is that if you don't have any corpses available you can't do much. Corpse explosion works well for huge mobs but not bosses so having good alt abilities here is useful.

Another cool ability is Bone Armor which is activated when you select it over a group of enemies and it yanks out their bones and you wear them as armor for a time. It's a fun and totally gross ability that fits the Necromancers theme well.

I haven't leveled my Necromancer to max yet but already have had a blast just taking it as far as I have. The Necromancer is a very fun addition to Diablo III and one I am very interested in playing more of when it launches this summer. With that, I still wonder what the future of Diablo III is and I hope they add another campaign to the base game as I really enjoyed the last one in Reaper of Souls. That said, the Necromancer update should be well worth checking out and if you want to jump back in to Diablo III it might be a good time to do it.

https://us.battle.net/d3/en/blog/20698502/necromancer-beta-now-live-5-23-2017

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 06/01/2017 at 04:16am

That sounds cool. I always thought it looked like a cool class to play. I intend to get it when it's out. I don't think I'll take mine through Story Mode, as I've overplayed it. I need to check out Adventure Mode more.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/01/2017 at 04:26am

If you like collecting moar loot, Adventure Mode is the way to go. I miss the campaign so I think i'll take the Necromancer back through that again.

Travis Admin wrote on 06/02/2017 at 01:54am

I'll always take a new class through the story, but I'm definitely glad you don't have to just repeat the story over and over like back in the day. I'm looking forward to trying this!

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 06/02/2017 at 07:02am

Is there any indication when it might become available? I'm not sure how long the beta testing phase lasts for D3.

Travis Admin wrote on 06/02/2017 at 01:43pm

No indication yet, but I would guess very soon barring the unforeseen. The beta tests for less involved updates (by which I mean, not massive expansions or loot 2.0) tend to last under a month. This is the first update we will have gotten that's not super major but also not just balancing and things like that, so it's less clear.

Travis Admin wrote on 06/02/2017 at 01:43pm

They've announced it's coming in patch 2.6 but nothing about when that patch will drop.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 06/02/2017 at 07:30pm

Thanks, Travis!

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 06/03/2017 at 04:23am

After seeing the new cinematic, I may actually start a Necromancer Campaign, or two. https://youtu.be/3Ajt6rOoFw4

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/05/2017 at 09:03pm

New information dropped today about what will be in the Necromancer DLC pack: https://us.battle.net/d3/en/blog/20838873

Travis Admin wrote on 06/06/2017 at 01:53pm

BUT WHEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNNN

Seriously excited for this.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/13/2017 at 05:45pm

New legendary set: https://us.battle.net/d3/en/blog/20845157

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The New Far Cry 5 Trailer Is Out And It's Making Some People Angry

I don't have a problem with shooter games and violence. I also think it's good that video games branch out from the same kinds of plot lines and story beats. The new Far Cry 5 trailer dropped on the Internet recently and besides Ubisoft taking the game visuals to a new level (it really does look very good) the game is getting a bit of a backlash from gamers for it's setting. Basically the game is set in rural Montana where a religious cult takes over the town of Hope Springs. Since all of what I described is not only a crime in America, but also total bullshit if you enjoy the freedom to do what you want with your life, in Far Cry 5 you are the player set to take the... Read All

Terraria 1.3.6 (Now 1.4) Spoilers Updated

Re-Logic has released a few spoilers for Terraria 1.3.6 (now 1.4). Chippy Gaming has some videos about them.
“Confusing” spoiler: https://youtu.be/Wr5lRQuaUgw
Fancy Lighting: https://youtu.be/tl9_LoX082g
New Sprites: https://youtu.be/JMhaMTECy1Y
Corruption Furniture: https://youtu.be/WF1WamNH0ZQ
New Background: https://youtu.be/NkdPo61bSkU

If there ever was a time to buy a new keyboard, that time is coming. This update includes Razer Chroma support. It’s kind of an expensive keyboard, but they keys light up. I found it for about $80-90 on Amazon. I was actually thinking about this some time ago, since I often play in the dark and sometimes it’s hard to see keys when I need... Read All

Magikarp Jump!

Magikarp has always been a bit of a sad Pokemon. They’re almost completely useless, although they do redeem themselves when they evolve into Gyarados. However, that has now changed and Magikarp gets its own game called Magikarp Jump. It is free for Android and iOS. The point of the game is to raise a Magikarp and win jumping contests. The higher a Magikarp’s JP (Jump Points), the higher they are able to jump in the air. There are jumping leagues full of battles to win against other trainers.

To begin, the game gives you an introduction and takes you to catching your first Magikarp. Once caught, it will stay in your pond, which can be decorated. Food will fall into the... Read All Magikarp has always been a bit of a sad Pokemon. They’re almost completely useless, although they do redeem themselves when they evolve into Gyarados. However, that has now changed and Magikarp gets its own game called Magikarp Jump. It is free for Android and iOS. The point of the game is to raise a Magikarp and win jumping contests. The higher a Magikarp’s JP (Jump Points), the higher they are able to jump in the air. There are jumping leagues full of battles to win against other trainers.

To begin, the game gives you an introduction and takes you to catching your first Magikarp. Once caught, it will stay in your pond, which can be decorated. Food will fall into the water and you can tap on one to get your Magikarp to eat it. This will increase it’s JP, but you can also train it. Training doesn’t require input from the player, Magikarp will train on its own.

There are also other Pokemon in the game, which often offer support. You can obtain some by playing, but you can also use some of the game’s currency to buy new ones. I have a Pikachu and Piplup that I acquired by progressing through the game. I also have a Litten that I bought with in-game currency. When they get an exclamation mark above their head, I can click on them to get various bonuses. They also appear during jump battles and provide additional support.

Each Magikarp is limited by how high it can level up. Your first one can only get to level 11 or so. As you progress in the game and gain experience, your character’s rank will go up, which will allow you to catch Magikarp that can level up higher. Their higher levels allow them to have more JP. Once you reach a Magikarp’s max level, you’ll need to finish a league and (win or lose), your Magikarp will retire afterwards. Then, the game lets you catch another one.

There are a variety of random encounters that can occur. Some of them require your input. In one, for instance, you see something shiny and have to decide whether to get it or leave it alone. If you get it, it could be something valuable, like a diamond, or a piece of glass, which will take away some of your JP. I was told, by a friend, to be careful of a certain random encounter in which your Magikarp can be taken away by a Pidgey.

As with most free games, you can spend real world money to buy in-game items or currency. Perhaps this would help reduce the amount of time you have to wait for your training sessions to refill. I’ve only just begun, but so far I don’t see a real need to spend any real money on the game. It does seem kind of cool, so I recommend checking it out, if you like Pokemon.

A news source: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/a-new-pokemon-game-is-out-now-for-mobile/1100-6450325/

jdodson Admin wrote on 06/13/2017 at 04:49am

So i've played this a bit and it's fun but not much more than that.

I sort of think of this game as a "clicker" kind of game but instead of clicking you wait for your ability to collect food and train your Magikarp. It's more like a clicker game in that when you Magikarp looses you get a new one and start over again and then if you upgraded you ability to gain EXP from food and training you can level faster.

I haven't gone too far with the game because i'm not sure there is much compelling me too but it's nice to see smaller games from Nintendo and this seems right at home on the iPhone.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 06/13/2017 at 05:14am

Yeah, you made a good point in the second paragraph. I still play daily. I have quite a bit of things. I've caught rare Magikarp, the gold one and the pink one.

There are plenty of things going on with the game. Often after training you'll run into an event and have to choose what to do. In one case, it looks like a Pokeball. If you grab it, it could be coins, or a Voltorb, which will kill your Magikarp. There's also a tree of fruit, but if you try to get it, you're likely to see a Pidgeotto take your Magikarp away.

Travis Admin wrote on 06/13/2017 at 01:34pm

Agreed Jon. I tried this out and kinda fell into the same spot. I didn't really know how to put it but you hit it on the head: It feels like a clicker. Those random events that you run into are interesting because they distract you from the core gameplay, which is good because there's not a lot going on. You're kinda watching the game happen and pushing a button to make sure it keeps happening until those gambling elements present themselves.

But then the App Store reviews are insanely high so I think it's just that this is not my type of game.

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The Trailer For The New Castlevania Anime On Netflix Is Out!

Netflix is spending a ton of money on original new content and one of the new shows that will be coming to the streaming service this July 7th is Castlevania. The new trailer doesn't pull any punches as it starts with someone putting a Castlevania game into an old Nintendo and then the Netflix logo and 8bit video morph into a few clips of the show. The animation style looks solid and I wasn't sure how i'd feel about a dark adult Castlevania but this looks like it could be pretty interesting.

What do you think of the new Castlevania trailer? Is this something you are going to watch when it drops on Netflix July 7th?

Didn't Get An NES Classic? John Riggs Reviews An NES Classic Bootleg.

For $20 this NES Classic bootleg is quite the deal and it comes with 500 games but is it any good? From the video I have serious doubts AND it doesn't even include The Legend of Zelda or at least I didn't see it when he scrolled through all 500 games.

My Continuing Adventures In Link Between Worlds

As i've said before, one of the main reasons I wanted a 3DS was to play Link Between Worlds, the direct sequel to A Link to the Past. I plan on writing on my journey through the game as it's quite good and think it might be interesting to read. Link to the Past isn't a very difficult game but it's fun, engrossing and a very tight and focused gameplay experience which is why it's always topped my list for one of the best games of all time. That said, Link to the Past is pretty easy if you play it in the right way and Link Between Worlds ups the ante some to make for a more interesting game. For instance, in traditional Zelda games death has no real effect on how you... Read All As i've said before, one of the main reasons I wanted a 3DS was to play Link Between Worlds, the direct sequel to A Link to the Past. I plan on writing on my journey through the game as it's quite good and think it might be interesting to read. Link to the Past isn't a very difficult game but it's fun, engrossing and a very tight and focused gameplay experience which is why it's always topped my list for one of the best games of all time. That said, Link to the Past is pretty easy if you play it in the right way and Link Between Worlds ups the ante some to make for a more interesting game. For instance, in traditional Zelda games death has no real effect on how you play the game. In fact starting with Link to the Past you can collect Fairies in bottles to bring you back to life each time you die. Effectively this means that if you have the maximum number of bottles and play the game reasonably well, death has no negative effect on gameplay. Link Between Worlds tries to change this with item rentals. At a certain early point in the game you meet a purple rabbit named Ravio that takes over the house you start in to rent and later sell you items. If you die in a dungeon Ravio takes you to the house again and removes your item rentals. It's an interesting mechanic where dying actually has some kind of downside and I think it's pretty cool. Even though you can store fairies to restore you back to life if you lost an item you need to complete a dungeon, you still have to go and get it. Later on in the early part of the game Ravio allows you the ability to buy items for 800 gold, which removes some of the negatives of dying but buying out all the items takes along time and I've only purchased a couple of them. Buying items is also different than the traditional Zelda way of finding them in dungeons which is a fresh take on how Zelda games work.

Recently I just gathered all three pendants and collected the Master Sword. This mirrors the original Link to the Past and I wonder what the Link Between Worlds equivalent of the Dark World is? Maybe it's the Dark World again? I'm not sure as I haven't read many spoilers about the game but when I find out i'll let you know.

James & Mike Play Alien Vs Predator Arcade & Talk About The Alien Franchise

I'm really excited to see the new Ridley Scott Alien: Covenant film and I don't think i'm the only one as there seems to be a lot of recent videos looking at the old Alien films and franchise games. In the video James and Mike of Cinemassacre play the old Alien VS Predator arcade game and talk about the Alien VS Predator film and other Alien nerdery. I'm going to watch Alien: Covenant with friends tomorrow and have really been enjoying the gaming commentary about these older franchise games and movie series retrospectives. If you are looking for a good Alien series retrospective before you head to the theater to watch the next Alien film Cinemassacre has a long... Read All

Heroes Of The Storm 2.0 Thoughts + Upcoming Free Stuff

Relabeling Your Destroyed NES Carts

I Played The Diablo III Necromancer Beta And It's Incredible

The New Far Cry 5 Trailer Is Out And It's Making Some People Angry

Terraria 1.3.6 (Now 1.4) Spoilers *Updated*

Magikarp Jump!

The Trailer For The New Castlevania Anime On Netflix Is Out!

Didn't Get An NES Classic? John Riggs Reviews An NES Classic Bootleg.

My Continuing Adventures In Link Between Worlds

James & Mike Play Alien Vs Predator Arcade & Talk About The Alien Franchise

Terraria 1.3.6 (Now 1.4) Spoilers Updated