Cheerful Ghost: An Awesome Community For Gamers

Shovel Knight Drops March 31st!

Yacht Club Games just passed along the good news, Shovel Knight will release March 31st! Really looking forward to some shovel swinging action in this chunky looking retro 2d platformer.

"Shovel Knight is a sweeping classic action adventure game with awesome gameplay, memorable characters, and an 8-bit retro aesthetic created by Yacht Club Games. You play as the eponymous Shovel Knight, a small knight with a huge quest. Shovel Knight has come to this valley with two goals: to defeat the evil Enchantress and save his lost beloved. He wields a ShovelBlade; a multipurpose weapon whose techniques have now been lost to the ages. Always honest and helpful, Shovel Knight is a... Read All

Don't Starve Will Get a "Giant" DLC Update

Don't Starve is a great Indie survival game with a very neat hand drawn cartoon feel. The tone of the game is very dark and I really enjoy how it weaves in with the game mechanics. Klei Entertainment, the developers of Don't Starve have released a new teaser trailer for "Reign of Giants" DLC. After watching this trailer I can't help but think of the Age of Mythology Titans expansion, which added the massive Titans to Age of Mythology.

So far all updates to Don't Starve have been free, so it's interesting seeing this new content come to the game.

Hearthstone Enters Open Beta And You Need To Check it Out!

"The wait is over: The Hearthstone Open Beta Test is now live in North America! If you haven’t joined in on all of the crazy card-slinging action yet, now is your chance! Pull up a chair and prepare to start casting powerful spells, summoning mighty minions, and dueling your friends in a fast-paced strategy card game for everyone."

Hearthstone is one of the best unsung new games of 2013. Blizzard took the collectable card format popularized by games like Magic: The Gathering and tossed in some love to make a very accessible, fun and rich game. Oh righ and did I mention that the game costs you nothing?

Hearthstone is one of those great pickup and play games where you... Read All

Am I at the End of Terraria?

https://gamepedia.cursecdn.com/terraria_gamepedia/c/c4/Terraria.png?version=795e0eff272d62ee8fa5e51f2901f9d3

I feel like I've reached the end of what I can do in Terraria, which does make me feel a little sad at the least. I've reached another difficult part of the game, one in which I need something new and better to continue. I did both the Pumpkin and Frost Moon events, which were difficult once the bigger mini-bosses came out. The Paladin in the Dungeon is also a difficult foe. I haven't searched thoroughly enough, but I'm pretty sure I can't get stronger armor or a stronger melee weapon. My best bet against these more difficult foes is probably magic and ranged weapons.

I really haven't even touched magic in the game. Sure, I tried out the Scythe drop from Demons in the... Read All I feel like I've reached the end of what I can do in Terraria, which does make me feel a little sad at the least. I've reached another difficult part of the game, one in which I need something new and better to continue. I did both the Pumpkin and Frost Moon events, which were difficult once the bigger mini-bosses came out. The Paladin in the Dungeon is also a difficult foe. I haven't searched thoroughly enough, but I'm pretty sure I can't get stronger armor or a stronger melee weapon. My best bet against these more difficult foes is probably magic and ranged weapons.

I really haven't even touched magic in the game. Sure, I tried out the Scythe drop from Demons in the Underworld, but otherwise haven't used any other magic and didn't even use that one very long at all. As for ranged weapons, I've used my Star Cannon a few times, but I don't think it really helped me out as much as I needed. I did, however, use a nice Zealous Enchanted Boomerang near the very beginning, which was my weapon of choice for a while. I've also used the ranged ability that comes with having a Terra Blade. In fact, I've found it most helpful against bosses (the Twins and Skeletron Prime) that don't always get close enough to hit. I've also enjoyed hitting close enemies with the blade, while aiming at further enemies, defeating them before they could reach me, all at the same time.

I remember reaching this point a few times during the game, usually when I was up against a difficult boss, and I was able to pass it with upgrades to my weapons and armor. But, as I said, this is one time where I can't really upgrade my armor and I believe I also have the best melee weapon. I could be totally wrong, but I'm quite sure about the armor. Perhaps magic and ranged weapons are the key to surviving these new difficult threats. Maybe I should look further into both. I have been saving my Chlorophyte ore so that I can make Chlorophyte bullets.

Still, I've spent 159 hours in the game and I love it and want more! It is similar to Minecraft, even with it's own differences. I think both games are a bit new, at least new to me, and they seem to stand out among all else that I've seen or heard about. I want another game like these two games. Starbound seems similar, but after watching a trailer for it on Steam, I was wishing it looked more like Terraria. Both games are obviously not graphically intense, but Starbound just didn't look as nice and appealing as Terraria. I'm not sure if I'll give it a try.

What do you think? Are there other similar games out there that you'd recommend? Or what do you recommend for this point I've reached in Terraria? I'm still playing Pokemon X, I just captured the legendary Pokemon and have one badge left to get. After that I'm planning to play The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. I feel quite oblivious to the gaming world and don't know of much of what's out there and what's good and great. I just know that just about everyone's playing a bunch of FPSs, that I'm really not interested in. I enjoyed the Dooms and Quakes way back in the day, but also RTS games as well. But then, when I went to college, I fell in love with RPGs. Now I'm loving the mine and build kind of games, although I'm only familiar with 2 of them. So, what are your recommendations? Or, what are you playing? What have you played that you've really enjoyed? Also, what are you expecting to play soon or in the future?

Right now, I have no interest in a next-gen console, although I may get a Wii U if or when that new Zelda game comes out.

Travis Admin wrote on 01/21/2014 at 03:49am

It seems like there's an imbalance in the game, or I'm missing something. With the spectre armor and a good magic weapon, you can dominate the pumpkin/frost moon events. Melee is basically a lost cause for those. So yeah, you have some chlorophyte on hand, go harvest some ectoplasm and make the spectre armor and snag a bat scepter (which you can get in the early waves of the pumpkin moon) and the golden shower and you're a powerhouse. I'd also google some gear loadouts for your accessories. There are some configurations that work better than others for the endgame events.

I will tell you a couple of things about Starbound though.

First-- it's amazing. It isn't done yet and it's already amazing.
Second-- don't play it yet. It isn't done yet so you're likely to get burnt out on it before you even get the full game.
Third-- and don't make this a habit, Greg, but as it so happens I have an extra copy of Starbound if you're interested. I'm not going to keep giving you every game you show interest in :D

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 01/21/2014 at 05:20am

Hahahahaha! You made me LOL with your last statement! Fortunately enough for me, since last month affordability for games is not an issue. In fact, I was astounded to see the balance of my bank account today (for I had another large deposit). One of my friends says I need to upgrade my PC, which is a bit aged now. I have an AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 5200+ processor, 4 gigs of RAM, and a Geforce 8800GTS. I'm willing to bet you're more familiar with recent hardware than I am and you could probably get a good idea of the age of my PC's components. But, I'm not sure I'm ready to upgrade. I haven't even bought new fans for it since 2 of 3 of them died on me in recent months.

When is Starbound supposed to be done? I hate to say that I found the video for it to be visually unattractive. I'm not saying that Terraria looks bad at all, but Starbound looks much less visually appealing. That is, just speaking from what I saw in the video. Now we could also argue that graphics don't necessarily make a game and I'm not one that has to have this beautifully rendered HD game either. In fact, I think many of today's gamers would be turned off of even Terraria's graphics, but I think that game looks nice. I admit, at first, I wasn't sure about the 2D thing, but I came to really enjoy it. That could perhaps happen with Starbound and it could be that the graphics are actually better looking than they were in the video. Maybe it's something I'd appreciate more if I played it.

jdodson Admin wrote on 01/21/2014 at 11:15pm

I've had lots of fun with Prison Architecht and even made a video and posted it on the site.

I'd recommend a few other games like Fez and FTL too. Like Travis said Starbound is great and like you I didn't love the art style at first, but it grows on you or at least did for me.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 01/22/2014 at 12:34am

Awesome, thanks Jon! I trust Travis, when he says the game is amazing. I'll look into those other games.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 01/22/2014 at 12:45am

I should say this, too, it's still amazing that Travis still has an influence on the games I love and play. It's thanks to him that I fell in love with Final Fantasy VIII and therefore the series in general. =) Thanks, Travis!

jdodson Admin wrote on 01/22/2014 at 01:46am

Yeah, Travis is pretty awesome.

Oh and he was fucking right on with BioShock Infinite too. If you see that game on sale, pick it up and play it!

Travis Admin wrote on 01/22/2014 at 02:22am

Aw, shucks guys. *blush*

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 01/22/2014 at 03:05am

Ok, I "Googled" the specs for BI. My computer *might* be able to handle it, but it doesn't meet the recommended specs.

jdodson Admin wrote on 01/22/2014 at 05:08am

Right. Worth considering that BioShock Infinite runs on the PS3 and XBox 360 so if you computer is a few years old, it should be ok. What are your system specs?

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 01/22/2014 at 08:02am

From and earlier comment to Travis, "I have an AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 5200+ processor, 4 gigs of RAM, and a Geforce 8800GTS."

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Stardew Valley Update: Relationships, Arcades and More!

Stardew Valley is one of the games I am very excited about launching this year. ConcernedApe pushed the release from 2013 to 2014 and considering how big the game has become, it makes sense that happened. I appreciate that Stardew Valley isn't a game that focuses on a cosmic struggle of good and evil that spans the universe and instead is a more simple country life game focusing on growing crops and hanging out with your neighbors. I also appreciate the attention ConcernedApe is paying to the relationship "quest lines" and story. Many games tack on relationships but they are so ham-fisted and trite they aren't that compelling as great game elements.

"There are 10 “... Read All Stardew Valley is one of the games I am very excited about launching this year. ConcernedApe pushed the release from 2013 to 2014 and considering how big the game has become, it makes sense that happened. I appreciate that Stardew Valley isn't a game that focuses on a cosmic struggle of good and evil that spans the universe and instead is a more simple country life game focusing on growing crops and hanging out with your neighbors. I also appreciate the attention ConcernedApe is paying to the relationship "quest lines" and story. Many games tack on relationships but they are so ham-fisted and trite they aren't that compelling as great game elements.

"There are 10 “eligible” characters in the game, 5 females and 5 males (Yes, same-sex marriage/relationships are allowed!). Each one has at least 5 “events” which you’ll encounter as your relationship with the character progresses. Most of the events include conversations in which you can choose between different dialogue options. Sometimes the option you choose will affect how the rest of the event plays out. In addition to conversation options, you’ll sometimes be given a choice between multiple courses of action, which always has an effect on how the event plays out. Sometimes, choices you make in events will affect what characters end up doing in the future. Characters that you can’t marry also have these event cutscenes, but typically not as many.

I’ve been carefully going through every one of these events, adding or rewriting dialogue, new animations, props, cameo characters, settings, storylines, graphical cutscenes, sounds, music, and more! I also added a lot more cases where your choices affect how the rest of the event plays out. Additionally… while working on these events, if I encounter anything else in the game I am unhappy with I typically take a small detour and fix that as well."

Stardew Valley is a game that will primarily launch on Windows but there is some good news for Mac and Linux users as ConcernedApe has mentioned a possible Linux and Mac port of the game.

http://stardewvalley.net/dev-update-14

Why Data Caps Are Problematic for Our Digital Lifestyles

The video showcased above it titled "Why Comcast's 300GB Data Cap is Bad for Gaming" and the subtext is "An explanation of how Comcast's 300GB data cap is bad for me, you, and pretty much everyone else in the whole wide world."

A few things before I talk about data caps. First off, the video creator notes that Comcast(the ISP in question) mentions that the majority of it's user base doesn't go over 20G of monthly data. So the assertion that a data cap is bad for everyone seems a bit off. That said, the overall concept of the video is correct, data caps are not a good thing and I do want them to go away.

I haven't paid for cable TV ever and don't plan to so having a... Read All

Continuing Adventures in Hardmode in Terraria

https://gamepedia.cursecdn.com/terraria_gamepedia/2/2f/Terra_Blade_%28demo%29.gif?version=b83a9769f61dda6e0e231dc288af3198

So, I was able to upgrade to a Terra Blade. It's an interesting sword, in that it's a bit of a ranged weapon as well as melee. I can't at the moment recall what bonuses are on it or what the damage stat is, but it's better than the Corsair I've been using all throughout Hardmode. In fact, that Corsair was better than a True NIght's Edge and a True Excalibur. I was surprised!

I was finally able to defeat Plantera, The Twins, Skeletron Prime, and the Golem. I know the Terra Blade was very helpful, especially helping me defeat those pesky bosses who wouldn't allow me within range to hit them with my sword before. They couldn't escape the power of the Terra Blade.... Read All So, I was able to upgrade to a Terra Blade. It's an interesting sword, in that it's a bit of a ranged weapon as well as melee. I can't at the moment recall what bonuses are on it or what the damage stat is, but it's better than the Corsair I've been using all throughout Hardmode. In fact, that Corsair was better than a True NIght's Edge and a True Excalibur. I was surprised!

I was finally able to defeat Plantera, The Twins, Skeletron Prime, and the Golem. I know the Terra Blade was very helpful, especially helping me defeat those pesky bosses who wouldn't allow me within range to hit them with my sword before. They couldn't escape the power of the Terra Blade. Mwahahaha. I defeated Plantera a few times more to get more Temple Keys. I had a Hallowed and a Frozen Key Mold, then I got a Jungle Key Mold, and now I'm trying to get a Crimson Key Mold. I did go back into the Dungeon to open some chests and it was like, "who turned on the Hardmode in the Dungeon?"

Seriously, the Dungeon (after defeating Plantera) is no joke! I beat the Paladin once, I think it killed me a few times, but it didn't drop anything I wanted from it, so I'm looking for it again. Some of the enemies in the Dungeon (the Skeleton Mages) are pretty annoying/frustrating.

I changed from Fairy Wings to a Jet Pack after I misread the wiki, I thought the Jet Pack was better, but I didn't read the chart correctly. I'm glad the Fairy Wings are better because the Jet Pack's sound is kind of annoying. I'd still like to upgrade my Wings, but I'm going to need some ingredients (drops) from enemies that spawn during the Pumpkin Moon. I'll work on that some time soon.

I haven't messed with magic yet, but I'm already impressed by the staves I have collected. I haven't even tried them out, but some of them look like they have awesome stats!

One last thought....sometimes I think there has to be some kind of formula for calculating drop rates for items wanted. The formula has to take into account how bad you want the drop, perhaps, because the listed drop rates seem to be way off when you're looking for something in particular. Haha. Yet, at the same time, sometimes I think the game knows what I want and lets me feel lucky (such as giving me the two Broken Hero Swords I needed to finish the rest of the ingredients needed for the Terra Blade). Still, it keeps me playing, which is good because in a way I don't want to "be done" with this game. I don't know what I'd move onto next, even though I'm still playing Pokemon X and planning to play The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds after that. Minecraft is still tempting, but I feel like I've reached a point where I'm not sure what I want to do with it next, probably go explore another area because I can't seem to have enough diamonds.

A new Tactical RPG from Yasumi Matsuno hits Kickstarter

Back this on Kickstarter!

"Unsung Story: Tale of the Guardians is the spiritual successor in a storied line of epic tactical RPGs designed by Yasumi Matsuno. Playdek is excited to be partnering with one of the most legendary game designers, as well as you the fans, to bring out a refreshing, immersive new take on the tactics genre.

In the hands of the veteran tactical RPG master himself, Unsung Story will re-imagine a classic game genre, as Yasumi Matsuno weaves together one of the complex and rich game worlds that he is known for, with inspiring class based tactics game play."

When I heard that the man behind Final Fantasy Tactics, Tactics Ogre, FFXII and Vagrant Story was working on a new... Read All

Upcoming Starbound Patch Will Be Final Character Wipe

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"Of course, there’s also the highly anticipated/possibly feared final character wipe– this patch contains a fix for save files so after this, you won’t need to worry about our patches destroying your characters or ships. This patch will wipe everything– characters, ships and worlds. It will definitely be the last time we’ll need to wipe characters or ships, and will hopefully be the last time we’ll need to wipe worlds."

Awesome bit of news. I really enjoy Starbound but don't like to have my character or ship wiped. That said this will be the last character wipe but there is also a possibility this will be the last planet wipe.

After the update are you going to dive in... Read All

Rain World Kickstarts It's Way To Slugcat Survival

Back this on Kickstarter!

"Rain World is set in an abandoned industrial environment scourged by a shattered eco-system. Bone-crushing intense rain pounds the surface regularly, making life as we know it almost impossible. The creatures in this world hibernate most of the time, but in the few brief dry periods they go out searching for food.

You are a lonely nomadic slugcat, both predator and prey in this land. You must hunt enough food to survive another cycle of hibernation. Other - bigger - creatures have the same plan."

Rain World is a very interesting new Kickstarter project featuring Slugcat. I really appreciate the game score, visuals and overall tone of bleak world. Plus, you know,... Read All