Cheerful Ghost: An Awesome Community For Gamers

I Completed Fez

I completed Fez on Mac after the Mac port came to Steam yesterday. The game plays beautifully and picks up my controller such that the game feels just as polished as the Windows version. Another rad feature is that Steam syncs your saves. I started the game on Windows and played it a bit on Linux and completed it on Mac.

You can unlock the final area with 32 cubes collected and I achieved that in about 6 hours of total play. I have many more cubes to collect and plan on doing that here and there over the next bit. The ending sequence was really interesting and I don't want to say much to spoil it but I will say that it was unique and thought provoking.

After you... Read All

Klei's Incognita available via Early Alpha Access

Klei Entertainment (Shank, Don't Starve, Mark of the Ninja) have announced a new turn-based tactical espionage game entitled, Incognita. The trailer suggests gameplay similar to Frozen Synapse or X-Com: Enemy Unknown.

Access to the Alpha is via a Steam key redeemable on pre-order of the game. Two things keep from buying in on this one: unemployment, and it's currently Windows only. The first hurdle is up to me, the second is on Klei Entertainment. However, Klei has released their most-recent titles for Mac and Linux both via Humble Bundles and through Steam, so once this one leaves alpha, we Linux users might be able to join in the fun.

Links:
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Wind Waker HD: Side by Side Comparison

"How does The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD's graphics and visuals compare to that of the original GameCube version? We pitted the two side-by-side in a head-to-head comparison to find out just how much better the Wii U version looks!"

Press play and crank up the resolution and watch Wind Waker side by side Wind Waker HD. Looks like Wind Waker HD brings some really crisp visuals to the table. Does this look compelling enough to nab on Wii U?

Timogorgon Member wrote on 09/12/2013 at 05:24pm

I'll admit that when Wind Waker came out at first... I hated the cell shaded graphics. However, seeing them in HD makes them look MUCH better.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 09/12/2013 at 08:33pm

This looks really cool, and I've never played Wind Waker, but I can't justify a U just for this game.

It does look great though!

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 01/25/2014 at 10:23pm

Wow! Unlike WhiteboySlim, when I got Wind Waker when it was released, I was very impressed, I thought it was gorgeous! Now seeing both versions of the game side by side, I notice how smooth and gorgeous the HD version is and how I must have overlooked some of the aspects of the original version that make it not as beautiful.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 01/25/2014 at 11:41pm

Well, the original Wind Waker was played more on the old SD TV's and if you played the game on that, it looked great. BUT hooking up the old version to an HD TV is pretty rough so the HD version really sort of fills the chasm there.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 01/25/2014 at 11:52pm

Yeah, that makes total sense. It does seem pretty sweet that the game looks much better and more polished now.

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Cheerful Ghost Roundtable Ep. 4: Grab Bag

Cheerful Ghost Roundtable Episode 4 takes a bit of a different turn as @Travis, @CapnCurry and @scrypt are away with bubonic cancer. @WhiteboySlim and I talk about some really interesting game news bits and show off what we are playing!

show notes

Humble Indie Bundle 9: https://www.humblebundle.com/

Vita TV: http://cheerfulghost.com/Travis/posts/1597

2DS: http://www.nintendo.com/3ds/new/

@Blue_Element's comment of the week: http://cheerfulghost.com/Travis/posts/1597#comment6395

Steam Family Sharing: http://cheerfulghost.com/Travis/posts/1601

Terraria 1.2 drops October 1st: https://twitter.com/IndieGameHQ/statuses/377918648935251968

Prison Architect: ... Read All

Humble Indie Bundle 9 is here!

The next entry into the Humble Bundle Saga releases today, with Trine 2, Mark of the Ninja, Eets Munchies Beta, Brutal Legend, and for the Beat-the-Average bonuses, Fez and FTL. There are sure to be more goodies added later in the sale.

https://www.humblebundle.com/?hib9

jdodson Admin wrote on 09/11/2013 at 06:46pm

This is already a good bundle but what makes is great is that Fez is now on Mac and Linux :D So happy about that.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 09/11/2013 at 07:54pm

Grabbed this the second I got the email! I had neither Fez nor FTL, so this was a *must* buy bundle for me!

jdodson Admin wrote on 09/11/2013 at 10:10pm

They are both great! Cant wait to see whats added to this one.

hardeyez wrote on 09/12/2013 at 07:30pm

Ditto, grabbed as soon as I got the email (mainly for Fez and FTL). Make sure to check out Mark of the Ninja it is a lot of fun (I already bought it during the steam summer sales)

beansmyname Supporter wrote on 09/12/2013 at 10:42pm

I already bought Fez after watching IGTM. So thankful that I don't have to reboot into Windows to play it. And the framerate is better in Linux.

Pleased to get Mark of the Ninja. Klei has some really good titles under their belt. Looking forward to playing more of that one.

Was pleased to see that all of the Steam keys validated and all of the titles were available for Linux within hours of the HiB being posted. I would have to dig a little deeper, but I believe this also the first time that ALL of the titles were available in Steam for Linux so close to release.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 09/13/2013 at 07:04pm

So far I've played the crap out of FTL, and I still suck, but I still love it.

Fez was amazing looking... but I wanted to play more FTL, so I'll have to get more into Fez later.

I checked out Mark of the Ninga. I didn't know anything about it, but thought it looked like a fun side scrolling ninja game. Turns out it's that, and also somewhat of a puzzle game. Distracting guards to either get by them, or to silently kill them. I did enjoy hiding bodies after I killed them. I probably put an hour into the game. I definitely would be better with an xbox style controller, and of course I have a playstation style, but still an entertaining game.

I have yet to check out the other games. After playing FTL, I know I definitely got more than my money's worth on that game alone!

beansmyname Supporter wrote on 09/13/2013 at 09:59pm

@Adym - Do yourself a favor and go snag a Logitech F310. With the exception of Bit.Trip Runner 2, games recognize it as an XBOX controller and I didn't have to configure a thing. Works way better than trying to use any number of methods to convince your computer the PS3 controller belongs there.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 09/13/2013 at 10:00pm

Rock on, I will look into that. Thanks!

beansmyname Supporter wrote on 09/13/2013 at 10:08pm

Unless you're doing wireless, then you'll want the F710. Sorry. I sit at my computer so I don't mind a wired controller.

jdodson Admin wrote on 09/13/2013 at 11:36pm

Somehow if I am playing by myself in the living room or office I don't mind wired. If I am playing with a friend in the living room, it bothers me. No idea why :D

beansmyname Supporter wrote on 09/20/2013 at 04:40pm

It's the cords. As great as the XBOX breakaway design was, it was still annoying when someone would get up and accidentally sever the cord.

jdodson Admin wrote on 09/20/2013 at 04:44pm

Ah yeah, I hated that. Now things break away a bit better, but you could really break some old stuff that way. Some brittle laptop power connectors come to mind :D

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Steam announces Family Sharing

Steam Family Sharing allows close friends and family members to play one another's games while earning their own Steam achievements and saving their own game progress to the Steam cloud. It's all enabled by authorizing a shared computer.

Coming in mid-September, you will be able to share your Steam library on up to 10 devices. Friends and family can borrow your games when you aren't playing them. Of course, there are some restrictions. Some games require a separate activation to a third-party service, etc. But still, this is amazing news and solves a lot of issues with the digital games model.

This is awesome, but before your hopes get too high, let me point one thing... Read All

jdodson Admin wrote on 09/11/2013 at 06:45pm

This is awesome. Many of my gripes about going digital with Steam have now been addressed. DRM but with sharing in your friends and family network? Incredible.

hardeyez wrote on 09/12/2013 at 07:32pm

Hopefully it's more of a per game lock... As I currently do "family sharing" with my kids this way... just by allowing them to sign in as me to use the games they want to play. Although, I end up buying 3 copies of a lot of things for multiplayer (i.e. minecraft, terraria, torchlight 2, etc)

beansmyname Supporter wrote on 09/12/2013 at 10:39pm

This new feature is not really new. It's just a repackaging of what @hardeyez and many others are already doing. The key difference here is that your credentials don't have to be entered in another user account or even on a remote machine.

Sadly, this doesn't parallel the ability of being able to loan games to a friend or family member. Understandably so. Somewhere in the decision-making for adding/revamping this feature is revenue generation. If players can share a title at a time, there's less incentive for the recipient to purchase a copy for themselves. Perhaps implementing something similar to the PlayStation Store's 60-minute trials would be a viable option.

The timing is right to make this announcement, though. With the XBox One and the PS4 launches right around the corner, Valve is wise to address some of the concerns that gamers have brought up to the current console manufacturers about digital distribution and DRM before the arrival of the Steam console.

I am curious to see how this feature develops, if at all, over the course of the next few months in the beta. If anyone gets in, please be sure to keep the rest of us posted.

jdodson Admin wrote on 09/13/2013 at 02:26am

@beansmyname, good point. If you singly loan a game it does lower the incentive for someone else to buy it. But that happens now with console games and movies I loan out too. Or library stuff. That said, perhaps a time lock or something would be nicer for sure.

That said, borrowing the entire person's library to play a game is still better than nothing and I look forward to checking this out.

I really hadn't considered sharing a password with people to share my library though but apparently it is a pretty normal thing to do and Valve is just making that simpler for everyone. Which is the way to do it, notice how your users use your thing and make it simpler for them.

beansmyname Supporter wrote on 09/13/2013 at 03:06am

You don't necessarily have to share your password. You could log in via TeamViewer or something similar and log in remotely, never providing your credentials to the other party. Saving them would then prevent them from knowing your credentials.

One area where this is better, though, is that the player sharing the library can't make purchases on your behalf. That is a marked improvement over the current system.

I guess the real question I mean to be asking is this:
Would you really step aside from your library of games long enough to let someone else play?

Would you let them play all three Mass Effects in one run-through? Would you let them take your library for three days?

I'll be perfectly honest: Nope! Not going to happen.

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 09/13/2013 at 03:45am

"Would you let them play all three Mass Effects in one run-through? Would you let them take your library for three days?"

No way. BUT I could totally let Jon play something for two or three hours a night, since we're in different time zones, or if I have a game that my brother-in-law is interested in trying out, I can let him play it for an hour here and there to see if he wants to buy it.

That's one major strength here. If a publisher doesn't provide a demo, you can still legitimately try the game before buying it (as long as you have a friend who has the game).

beansmyname Supporter wrote on 09/13/2013 at 03:54am

Timed trials ala the PS3 would still provide that benefit, too. Using Steam's already existent DRM structure would probably make that easily enforceable.

I don't deny that this is a feature that many will find use for. I just think the hype is overpowering the reality at the moment.

Also, from what I gather, Jon could just do a remote session via Hangouts or something similar and share said game, too. :)

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 09/13/2013 at 03:58am

Well, only if the game is something like FTL, where there's no twitch gaming, but yeah :)

I think the hype is higher right now than it should be because people think they can borrow games still. I'm bummed that you can't, but... it's better than nothing!

jdodson Admin wrote on 09/13/2013 at 05:56pm

Travis: "No way. BUT I could totally let Jon play something for two or three hours a night, since we're in different time zones, or if I have a game that my brother-in-law is interested in trying out, I can let him play it for an hour here and there to see if he wants to buy it."

Totally, in fact that's how I think about using this. Plus, I don't use my Steam catalog all day every day. Plenty of time even during normal "gaming hours" when people could play a game on my account.

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River City Ransom: Underground Kickstarter

Back this on Kickstarter!

The sequel to one of the most beloved NES games is finally being made! Conatus Creative looks like it is really taking the the spirit of the original to heart too.

"We've set out to create a sequel worthy of the name, paying homage to the original while recapturing its charm and gameplay innovation. This is our love letter to River City Ransom, Technōs Japan, and the epic fighting and wrestling games of the 80's and 90's. We're pushing the envelope of all two dimensions with this ambitious retro revival. "

If you are interested in seeing this project funded, check out the Kickstarter!

Ouya game, Gridiron Thunder, successfully funded?

Back this on Kickstarter!

The question mark in the title isn't a typo. Gridiron Thunder has successfully completed its Kickstarter campaign with just over $170,000. And only 183 backers. That makes the average donation around $935.00, the highest average ever, and raises some serious questions about the campaign.

This was done by a few early donations of over $10,000, and it could all be legit and on the up-and-up, but this does come in the wake of another Ouya Kickstarter campaign, Elementary, My Dear Holmes, getting canceled due to donations from suspicious accounts.

The kicktraq is interesting. Just look at all those massive spikes:
... Read All

Sony announces PS Vita TV, new slim model

Sony has announced that it's taking the Vita to your living room.

That tiny little device costs $99, connects to your TV, uses a Dualshock 3 or 4 controller, and plays Vita games on the big screen.

Full press release here: http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/release/pdf/130909c_e.pdf

Destructiod's coverage: http://www.destructoid.com/ps-vita-tv-announced-261515.phtml

More pics:
http://i.imgur.com/Ei75p8R.png
http://i.imgur.com/DUGVcHM.png

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In addition, a new slimmer model of the Vita is in the works, which is lighter, has better battery life, and comes in 6 colors.

http://www.destructoid.com/new-slim-ps-vita-model-pch-2000-announced-in-japan-261504.phtml.

jdodson Admin wrote on 09/09/2013 at 03:35pm

I hadn't considered this. Very interesting. I like you can use your PS3 controllers with it!

Travis Admin Post Author wrote on 09/09/2013 at 03:55pm

The only issue with that is the touchpad on the back of the Vita. The PS3 controller can't help with that. The PS4 controller, though, should be able to pull it off I would imagine, though it may be a little awkward.

jdodson Admin wrote on 09/09/2013 at 09:53pm

Yeah, I wonder how prolific that is with Vita games?

Blue_Element wrote on 09/09/2013 at 11:20pm

Haha, at nearly the same time Nintendo announces a 3DS with no 3D, Sony announces a PS Vita with no screen.

Blue_Element wrote on 09/09/2013 at 11:39pm

It still seems pretty cool though.

Timogorgon Member wrote on 09/10/2013 at 10:34pm

lol, I think @Blue_Element wins best comment of the week.

jdodson Admin wrote on 09/11/2013 at 01:50am

:D agreed.

Blue_Element wrote on 09/11/2013 at 11:11pm

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Cookie Clicker in Minecraft

I agree, this is awesome.

Waiting patiently for Cookie Clicker in Skyrim.