Cheerful Ghost: An Awesome Community For Gamers

Smooth Operator Launches Today - Interview With Beardo Games

One important goal of Beardo Games is to create weird games and there is no better example than the launch of their new game Smooth Operator. Smooth Operator is a couch co-op mobile kissing game where two players both select a character and attempt to follow the on-screen prompts to keep the kissing mojo strong and gain a high score. If you want to score well you will need to work with your partner to execute an array of tongue moves that would make Sharon Stone blush. If this all sounds strange, don’t feel bad, the game is but it’s also fun and well worth a look.

I first met Beardo Games at a Portland Indie Game Squad event where they had a booth. Smooth Operator is a... Read All

Blizzard Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary

Starting fresh with RPM Racing then moving to The Lost Vikings, Rock n' Roll Racing, Blackthorne, The Death and Return of Superman, Warcraft: Orcs and Humans, Justice League Task Force, Warcraft II: The Tides of Darkness, Diablo, The Lost Vikings 2, StarCraft, StarCraft: Brood War, Warcraft II: Battle.net Edition, Diablo II, Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, World of Warcraft, World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty, World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, Diablo III, World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria, Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm,... Read All

Travis Admin wrote on 02/11/2016 at 02:25am

Huh. I knew about RPM Racing, The Lost Vikings, Rock n' Roll Racing, and Blackthorne, then all those awesome Blizzard titles we all know and love, but I never knew about The Death and Return of Superman. That was probably my first Blizzard game. Weird!

In terms of the standard games we think of as Blizzard games, Warcraft II was my first.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 02/11/2016 at 02:55am

I think I barely remember playing Rock n' Roll Racing with a friend on their SNES, but I didn't pay attention to the developer. Years later, when I got a PC, I got into Warcraft II after seeing the review in PC Gamer (maybe I played a demo, I can't recall). After that, I played Warcraft.

I picked up Starcraft when it came out. In fact, I traveled half an hour to Wal-Mart in another state (West Virginia) because I had trouble finding it locally. I really enjoyed it at the time and then again at least a few times years later (which includes the expansion). When I got my new beast of a PC, I got Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty and Heart of the Swarm. More recently, I finished Legacy of the Void and I have the new expansion pre-ordered.

A few or couple of years ago I got into Diablo III (because of Cheerful Ghost), which was the first I've played of the series. After that, I found the Diablo II Battlechest in KMart for $2, so I bought it, but I didn't spend very much time playing it. I do have a demo for Warcraft III, but haven't spent much time with it either.

I think I haven't played many of the other games. I also played Hearthstone and Heroes of the Storm, but not as much for the latter.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 02/11/2016 at 03:38pm

I first brushed up to Blizzard seeing Blackthrone, Rock N Roll Racing and The Lost Vikings in Nintendo Power. I always wanted to play them but since the games I could own was limited, I merely dreamed of playing them. The Lost Vikings in particular looked really fun, but alas no Vikings for 90's Jon.

My first actual experience with a Blizzard game was Warcraft: Orcs and Humans on floppy disk. I played through the humans and orcs campaign and loved all of it. The game was a bit easy after you figured out a solid build order and the magic users were super overpowered so, essentially you made a couple of them and summoned stuff to wipe out the bad guys. That said, it's a really solid DOS game and I really enjoyed the simplicity of it. Hopefully they can port it to modern systems because again, it's a pretty solid game but I haven't played it recently.

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Dancing Mad on Steam with Final Fantasy VI

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

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

Azurephile gives this a "Rad" on the Ghost Scale

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

Review

Recommended

Achievements, trading cards, updated graphics, ATB change, controller support

Minor UI issue

Optional characters

This is one of those Final Fantasy games that I actually have quite a few copies of. I have the SNES cart, which is actually called “Final Fantasy III” and I have the PSX version. Now, like other FF games, I own it on Steam. I was not disappointed with this version, in fact I enjoyed it yet again.

Changes: Along with Steam achievements and trading cards, this version contains updated graphics, like the other FF games on Steam. The other major change for this version was the ATB. Instead of having a bar that gets more full and indicates... Read All

jdodson Admin wrote on 02/11/2016 at 01:34am

I am going to pick this up because I never actually owned it. I always borrowed it from Adam, who also loaned me Final Fantasy II as well as Mystic Quest. That said, I plan on picking this up soon but the reviews on Steam are not great.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 02/11/2016 at 02:45am

Awesome! I also have FFII and Mystic Quest. Anyway, I didn't realize the reviews on Steam weren't great. I guess I didn't pay much attention to them. I did notice that FFIV: After Years doesn't have a good rating, which I understand, because it's pretty difficult, although I down own 2 copies of it (one for the Wii and one for the PSP) and I intend to buy it again on Steam (some time after I finish FFV). I did buy FFV on Steam after finishing VI, but I haven't started it yet. It's one of the few games in the series I've hardly played.

Back to FFVI, I hope this post helped you in your decision to get it. I really was not at all disappointed with the Steam version. I enjoyed it just as I enjoyed the original SNES and PSX versions.

jdodson Admin wrote on 02/11/2016 at 03:41pm

Yeah, it did. Thanks Greg! Let you know when I pick it up.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 02/11/2016 at 11:14pm

Wow, I just looked at some of the reviews of the game, after I wrote my recommended review. I didn't have any of the issues those others had. My experience with this version seems to be unique. I hope your experience with it is as good as mine.

jdodson Admin wrote on 02/13/2016 at 12:38am

Yeah, me too. Plus, this version is so much cheaper than picking up the old SNES kart.

But I still want the old SNES kart

Travis Admin wrote on 02/13/2016 at 07:15am

The SNES carts are collectors items. I have FF IV on SNES but... I've never actually played it.

rettisawesome wrote on 02/13/2016 at 08:12pm

awh nice. 6 is probably the best in the series. even today. the story is tight. the characters are well done and their different abilities actually give you a reason to play each one. unlike ff7 ( which is still fantastic, but the depth came from materia, not really individual skills, at least not as much as 6.) and the music is still among my favorites. i have the SNES kart and a sweet GBA copy that I still play from time to time. looking forward to picking this one up.

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Lumberyard - Amazon's Free Game Engine

"Amazon Lumberyard is a free, cross-platform, 3D game engine for you to create the highest-quality games, connect your games to the vast compute and storage of the AWS Cloud, and engage fans on Twitch.

You can use Amazon Lumberyard to build rich and engaging games with the highest ceiling of quality through its comprehensive and proven toolset, and runtime performance that has been highly optimized over many years. With Lumberyard, you get a full-featured editor, native code performance, stunning visuals, and hundreds of other features like performant networking, character and animation editors, particle editor, cloth physics, UI editor, audio tools, weather effects,... Read All

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 02/09/2016 at 07:19pm

I really like the fact that you can release a game without payment to Amazon. It was (relatively) expensive to release my game on Google Play.

Of course this also could mean that we'll have to wade through a plethora of middle school assignments from computer classes lol

Travis Admin wrote on 02/09/2016 at 09:36pm

This is awesome. It's always good to see more and easier ways to get games to the players.

scrypt Supporter Post Author wrote on 02/10/2016 at 04:19pm

I didn't know you made a game, Adam! On Google Play... is it Android only? I want to play...

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 02/10/2016 at 07:14pm

It is Android only, it would have cost even more (and needed a lot more work) to make an iphone version. And the three of us that made it all had android phones lol

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ArrowDynamicStudios.BeyondTicTacToe&hl=en (the graphics are better in game than in the store photos. It's also a *mostly* complete game, but there are a few things that didn't get finished)

scrypt Supporter Post Author wrote on 02/10/2016 at 08:14pm

Very nice :)

jdodson Admin wrote on 02/11/2016 at 01:35am

Amazon is a rainforest with lots of trees and Lumberyard is a place to collect felled wood, I wonder if there was an intentional joke there

jdodson Admin wrote on 02/11/2016 at 01:36am

Also "Beyond Tic Tac Toe" isn't just a game, it's an experience. We all know tic tac toe. This really takes it... well beyond that into a realm of something ethereal.

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Tale of The Dragon Is A Fun New Expansion For Age of Mythology!

One of the benefits of PC gaming is that you can keep playing your games long after you’ve upgraded your system. Often times gamer communities keep amazing old games running well beyond their original shelf life as seen with the Red Alert CnCNet project and Forgotten Empires. For certain game classics such as Wind Waker, Age of Empires 2 and Age of Mythology we even get an HD makeover that ports the game to modern systems along with a visual refresh. We usually don’t expect these old games to get a full blown expansion 14 years later but recently SkyBox Labs in partnership with Microsoft and Forgotten Empires recently did this and released a full expansion to Age of... Read All One of the benefits of PC gaming is that you can keep playing your games long after you’ve upgraded your system. Often times gamer communities keep amazing old games running well beyond their original shelf life as seen with the Red Alert CnCNet project and Forgotten Empires. For certain game classics such as Wind Waker, Age of Empires 2 and Age of Mythology we even get an HD makeover that ports the game to modern systems along with a visual refresh. We usually don’t expect these old games to get a full blown expansion 14 years later but recently SkyBox Labs in partnership with Microsoft and Forgotten Empires recently did this and released a full expansion to Age of Mythology called Tale of the Dragon.

The Tale of the Dragon expansion adds a new playable civilization to Age of Mythology in the Chinese, new multiplayer maps as well as a new full single player mission. Age of Mythology is a great game that used to be a staple at my LAN parties with friends. I’ve always felt the game needed more civilizations and this expansion aims to fix that problem.

The single player missions in the original Age of Mythology were really fun and it was great to tear into the new Chinese single player campaign. With that, the single player missions are quite hard and I found myself playing through some a few times to be able to progress. For longtime fans upping the difficulty is a really nice addition as the first single player missions really do start simply and even by the end don’t offer a huge amount of difficulty. If someone were starting the campaigns from scratch Tale of the Dragon's increase in difficulty would be appreciated.

One problem people often have with older multiplayer games is that if one friend has the original game and the other has the expansion they often can’t play together. If both people are running Age of Mythology EX on Steam you don’t need to worry if your friend has the expansion as both people can play together regardless of whom has what.

If you are a real time strategy fan or loved any part of the Age series you need to check out Age of Mythology - Tale of the Dragon. It adds a much needed new civilization and single player mission that really harkens back to the good old days of RTS single player campaigns.

I also want to thank Skybox Labs and Microsoft for giving me a press review key to play through the new Tale of the Dragon expansion.

EA Giving Away Need For Speed Most Wanted On Orgin

EA is giving away Need For Speed Most Wanted right now on Origin. You can grab the game by hitting the link below and claiming your copy. As with all the Origin on the house games, this is available for a limited time so if you want it, get it soon.

https://www.origin.com/en-us/store/free-games/on-the-house?sf44212184=1

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 02/06/2016 at 04:24am

1) I've never played a Need For Speed game. I don't really know anything about it other than it's a car game. It looks like you're racing against the cops. It does look pretty cool and seems like it might have a good soundtrack. If anyone who's played one of these games wants to input their personal experience, I'd welcome that.
2) I'm so very glad at least one of us is being updated on these "On The House" deals with Origin. I only find out about them here. So, thanks!! =)

Travis Admin wrote on 02/06/2016 at 04:11pm

Greg-- all you have to lose is a bit of bandwidth to download it. It's free. Try it out! :D

I played it ages ago. The Need For Speed games are a good balance of arcade racing and realism.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 02/06/2016 at 04:46pm

I was downloading it as I wrote the comment. =)

scrypt Supporter wrote on 02/07/2016 at 07:58pm

Most Wanted was one of the NFS games developed by Criterion, the studio that made the Burnout games. One of the things I loved about the Burnout games was that intense sense of speed, with precision control. Hot Pursuit felt that way. I'm sure Most Wanted does, too. Definitely worth a download, since it's free.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 02/08/2016 at 03:56am

I played a Burnout game a few years ago, so I decided to get Burnout Paradise on Steam. I haven't played it much though. Thanks for the input, Scrypt, that makes this game sound cool. I'll give a try some time.

Travis Admin wrote on 02/08/2016 at 09:57pm

I have Burnout Paradise on Steam, and I swear it used to work, but now it crashes after every event and none of the fixes I've read online seem to address it.

It's a great game though, I played the hell out of it on PS3.

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Are Our Brains Hardwired To Love Fallout 4 And It's Dystopian Wasteland?

"Why are we naturally drawn to horrible, ugly game worlds? Well, it turns out there are plenty of philosophical theories that help to explain the phenomenon. In this week’s episode, Jamin breaks down our love affair with despair."

As someone that really enjoys post apocalyptia I can say safely that yes, my heart does indeed love partaking in horrible, blown out wasteland worlds... that is until I actually spend time in a desert then I don't because it's hot as hell there.

Nicholas_Biondi wrote on 02/05/2016 at 10:17am

..or maybe game developers use destroyed places since they seem less unreal when they are empty; And empty is less taxing on a computer than full of characters, animation, electricity etc.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 02/05/2016 at 05:45pm

Yeah, that's a good point. It is easier to copy the same bleak tileset than build something lush and possibly more complicated. I definitely got that vibe a bit with the first Borderlands. Less so in 2.

scrypt Supporter wrote on 02/06/2016 at 02:02am

I'm forcing myself to play Fallout 4 right now, because I want to trade it in before The Division comes out. Does that make me a bad person?

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 02/07/2016 at 09:30pm

Hahahaha, no I don't think so.

Travis Admin wrote on 02/07/2016 at 10:02pm

I can't make myself trade in games. The only games I traded in were PS2 games, when I was getting the PS3 versions. I just know that as soon as I trade something in, I'm going to want to play it in a few days.

scrypt Supporter wrote on 02/07/2016 at 10:04pm

I'll probably pick it up again sometime next year on a Steam sale or something. Honestly, it's super buggy on PS4 as of right now. Frame rate issues, and it's crashed on me a couple of times. I'm sure I'll find out how wonderful it is at a later date :).

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 02/07/2016 at 10:14pm

Yeah, you might have a better time on PC. I haven't had those issues, mostly I want to turn up the visuals but can't because my PC can't quite handle it.

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New Doom Will Crawl From The Pits Of Hell On May 13th

The Demons of the new Doom title will infest Mars base on PC, PS4 and XBone on May 13th. In a trailer that is both disturbing and a bit crazy I can say that I am both excited and bit perplexed. I don't mind gore at all, I own Quentin Tarantino and Ridley Scott movies. That said, this trailer is so over the top as to run up against a bit of puzzlement in my mind. I mean at one point in the trailer you smash a human eye socket into a terminal with a sort of discarded detachment that makes me wonder if the player is actually... human? Regardless of all of that, I will be picking up the new Doom and giving it a go as the single player does look good and the Snap Map... Read All

Song of the Deep by Insomniac

Insomniac Games recently announced a new title they're releasing this summer "Song of the Deep". I really enjoy almost every Insomniac release (especially Ratchet and Clank) so I follow them closely and now I'm eagerly awaiting this "Metroidvania-style underwater adventure"

Announcement: http://www.insomniacgames.com/announcing-song-deep/

Hearthstone Shake Up - Normal Mode & New Deck Slots Coming!

One of the biggest problems in Hearthstone has been new players starting the game. There are a ton of cards to get and because of that, it's very daunting for new players. Changes are coming that should address this and create an entirely new game mode that should shake up the base game for the better.

There is so much here, I am going to clip out most of it to discuss.

"You’ll play Standard using a deck built solely from a pool of cards that were released in the current and previous calendar year, along with a core foundation of the Basic and Classic card sets (which will always be valid for Standard). You’ll be matched against other players who are also using Standard... Read All One of the biggest problems in Hearthstone has been new players starting the game. There are a ton of cards to get and because of that, it's very daunting for new players. Changes are coming that should address this and create an entirely new game mode that should shake up the base game for the better.

There is so much here, I am going to clip out most of it to discuss.

"You’ll play Standard using a deck built solely from a pool of cards that were released in the current and previous calendar year, along with a core foundation of the Basic and Classic card sets (which will always be valid for Standard). You’ll be matched against other players who are also using Standard decks.

Standard will help make for a more dynamic and balanced metagame:

* A select set of cards makes each new card have more impact!
* The developers will have more freedom to design exciting new cards.
* It lets newer players jump in faster without having to collect as many cards.
* Standard is only available as a format in Friendly Challenges, Ranked, and Casual play, so it won’t affect Arena, Solo play, or Adventures.

Wild is our new name for the Hearthstone you already know, because it’ll be the format where anything can happen. While Standard puts a bright spotlight on recently released cards and brings a more balanced experience, when you queue up for Wild, you’ll be cozying up with the crazy fun of Hearthstone you’re already familiar with. Of course, as more and more cards are added over time, the wilder and more unpredictable Wild will be!

In terms of gameplay, nothing is changing for Wild: you’ll be able to finish quests, earn gold, rank up on the ladder, get card backs, earn Legend rank, and use all the cards you’ve already collected to build a Wild deck, just like you always have. When you queue up for Ranked or Casual play with a Wild deck, you’ll always be matched with other players who are also using Wild decks.

The arrival of Standard format will also be an excellent time for us to take stock of Hearthstone. While normally we’re quite conservative about making balance changes to Hearthstone cards (and we’ll continue to be in the future), we’re planning to take the new Hearthstone year as a golden opportunity to re-evaluate a number of cards in the Basic and Classic card sets, including class cards, and make some long-considered adjustments."

Blizzard will also be phasing out the ability to buy old expansions and adventures that are not part of standard. You will be able to craft these cards if you want, but the Naxxramas adventure and Goblins VS Gnomes packs won't be available for purchase. Additionally you will be able to dust all the old Adventure cards for full value, so if you want you can dust Maexxna, Wailing Soul or Sludge Belcher if the only mode you play is Standard.

After I first heard the news I'll admit, I was a bit scared but after more consideration this really does seem to be a good move for Hearthstone. Standard will be the new primary format and Wild will be available for anyone that can swing it. I've always dreamt of crafting Dr. Boom but since Goblins VS Gnomes is heading out there is no longer a reason to do that. That said, we will all lament some cards being phased out like Sludge Belcher and Loatheb.

That said, having a more accessible format to new and existing players seems like a great thing. But what do you think? There is a lot here so I recommend reading the whole post and FAQ linked below.

http://us.battle.net/hearthstone/en/blog/19995505/a-new-way-to-play-2-2-2016

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 02/03/2016 at 06:32pm

This is a HUGE change. One that will be worth following. I jumped on the Hearthstone bandwagon hard when it came to mobile and was pretty decent at it.

I've not played for a month or so now, and this update upsets me a little. I don't like losing adventures like Naxx. When I started, I was more interested in Black Rock, so I played through that, then saved my gold for the Grand Tournament expansion. I've played a couple tiers of the League of Explorers adventure, but got a little burnt out on the game. Now if I want to play Naxx, I have to get in a quickly grind up to 700 gold to unlock a level of Naxx before it goes away if I want cards from it. This frustrates me.

But at the same time, I realize that having a Standard game will greatly help out newer players. Wild could be really fun years from now when you see a card you've not seen for years played as well :)

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 02/03/2016 at 08:01pm

I will probably play both Standard and Wild. Keep decks for each.

scrypt Supporter wrote on 02/03/2016 at 09:27pm

@AdamPFarnsworth, it sounds like you'll still be able to acquire the cards from Naxx or the Goblins/Gnomes adventures via crafting, rather than doing the adventures. The cards aren't going away, they're just changing how you get them, and limiting what will be available for use in the Standard vs Wild arenas.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 02/03/2016 at 10:21pm

Sure, I know that, but crafting a card like Kel'Thuzad seems impossible lol

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 02/03/2016 at 10:41pm

@Adam @scrypt "How will purchasing Adventures work?
You will be able to purchase Adventures that are part of the current Standard format normally. Adventures that are not part of Standard will no longer be available for purchase. If you already own at least one wing of such an Adventure, you’ll have the option to unlock the remaining wings using in-game gold."

So if you have at least one wing of an Adventure open you can keep unlocking the rest with gold to collect the cards. So if you haven't already and still want to unlock at least the first wing of Naxxaramas.

http://us.battle.net/hearthstone/en/blog/19995505/a-new-way-to-play-2-2-2016#cards

Bina wrote on 02/03/2016 at 11:39pm

Did anyone else notice how forced the cheerfulness of that designer was? His smile was a little to big and his voice has an underlying tension. I think he's trying to be reassuring, but it comes off as just kinda weird to me.
I'm really excited about this change up. Though I have to say I hope they continue to balance some of the cards from classic so that we see a real change up. Cards like Tirion and Silvanas still seem OP and may go back to being an auto-include if Blizzard doesn't do something. Or I could be really wrong about that and we might see a flood of new builds wildly different from anything we've seen before.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 02/05/2016 at 01:20am

"Did anyone else notice how forced the cheerfulness of that designer was? His smile was a little to big and his voice has an underlying tension. I think he's trying to be reassuring, but it comes off as just kinda weird to me."

I've been subscribed to the Hearthstone YouTube channel and seen a few of Bens videos where he talks. From my observation, I could be wrong, he seems to have a nervous energy about him and also seems like he wants to be select with wording. I think one reason why he is careful with wording and especially this news drop is how much of a big change this is and how vocal the Hearthstone community is. Some people are really upset and very vocal about it. I think the, general, consensus is somewhat mixed but coming out in support of this. That said, some people are pissed and I can see how they'd be a bit nervous people might riot. Change is hard and some gamers are really really hard to deal with sometimes.

"Though I have to say I hope they continue to balance some of the cards from classic so that we see a real change up. Cards like Tirion and Silvanas still seem OP and may go back to being an auto-include if Blizzard doesn't do something. Or I could be really wrong about that and we might see a flood of new builds wildly different from anything we've seen before."

I think some balancing to Classic is essential for this to work, otherwise the best cards to get are the OP ones from classic.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 02/05/2016 at 02:50am

Interview with Ben Brode after this news. It's really interesting and well worth a read.

http://www.pcgamer.com/ben-brode-on-why-standard-hearthstone-has-to-ditch-the-old-card-expansions/

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 02/05/2016 at 02:57am

PC Gamer also listed the most important cards that will leave Standard when that starts and #1 is Sludge Belcher. I agree, that card is important and nearly always a win to any deck you add it to.

http://www.pcgamer.com/the-20-most-important-cards-that-will-be-removed-from-hearthstone-standard/

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 02/11/2016 at 05:26pm

Good pcgamer interview. Thanks for posting @jdodson!

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