Warframe, What the Fuck?

Warframe is a game that kept showing up in the ‘now playing’ status of long lost friends on Steam and Discord for a while now and another friend left a comment mentioning it on a Jacobin article about politics in games. I’d never bothered to actually find anything out about it though until today when I realised it had appeared on the Switch eshop, was free to play, and didn’t involve Nintendo’s extortionate online fee. I went in completely blind, not even reading the description, and this is how it felt.

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Catching Up – Xbox One in 2018

We’re approaching the end of 2018 and I’ve just got myself a brand new Xbox One S, five years into the lifespan of Xbox One. It’s a new world for me as I’ve been playing nothing but Nintendo stuff for the last few years, having a great time it must be said. I never had a PS4 either so this is my first time dipping into the 2013 “next-gen” console family, which is now this-gen, or half-gen to the Pro and X which will be last-gen again next year. Phew. Whatever you want to call it, I have a lot of gaming to catch up on and I thought this was a unique perspective worth a little writeup. I was lucky enough to get my XB1S bundled with Red Dead Redemption 2 and Forza Horizon 4, two very expensive new release games. The whole bundle was $100-200 AU cheaper than a Switch or PS4 by themselves, which is ridiculous. Xbox is priced very well and has huge support in Australia, and I was in a good spot to take advantage of it. It just felt like the right time with Nintendo’s Switch holiday lineup mainly focused on two games I’m not that interested in. I got home with my new Xbox and it felt like Christmas again. The old, fun, child-like Christmas, not the new HD remake “Adult Christmas” which is full of disappointing social engagements. This was going to be fun on my own terms.

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Now hiring

Pietriots is a fast-paced startup looking to manipulate the narrative of gaming discourse. Do you want to work with a dynamic team of passionate industry unprofessionals who liaise with stakeholders of media conglomerates in the leading buzzword economy? You’ll be excited to learn that we’re expanding and welcome applicants for the following vacancies. Please note that working for Pietriots provides no benefits, compensation or prospect of future employment. You will however get exposure and valuable experience!

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Completing the Pokédex: Zeraora

On the 22nd of October, with a glint in my eye and my 3DS in my backpack, I got on my pushbike to acquire Zeraora and complete my Pokédex. It had been a long journey but it felt fitting to finish it off by travelling by bike and train, Red’s preferred methods of transport, even if asking a store clerk for a code to redeem online isn’t my favourite method of acquiring a Pokémon.  Continue reading “Completing the Pokédex: Zeraora” →

Last Minute Smash Predictions

I figured a Nintendo Direct would probably be happening soon to hype up Pokemon and other Fall/Winter games. Plus, Smash still needed to reveal the mystery mode. Thus, I knew this was an article I’d want to get to quickly once I started writing here. I just didn’t expect to have to do it this quickly! Couldn’t you have waited another week, Nintendo?

Obviously, there are a lot of supposed leaks floating out there and if you are someone who wants to hear them or speculating about who may make the roster then you are probably already aware of them. As such, I have no plans to recap them though I will be referencing some at times. If you need to catch up, here’s a handy-dandy list of all the big leaks with details so far. For this article, I’m just going to post my own theories and guesses about what may be revealed tomorrow based on a mix of my own reasoning and the possible leaks. Continue reading “Last Minute Smash Predictions” →

Khushrenada Hired at Pietriots Thanks to New Bribe Acceptance Policies!

You know Pietriots, just when I think this site could get more desperate, you go and do a thing like this…

 

But I jest. Pietriots doesn’t need redeeming. It just needs more content, am I right? Realizing this fact is why Sir Lord Charles reached out to me to offer me a seat at the Kids Round Table of the Pietriots. What better way to celebrate the 9th anniversary (or so) of this site then adding a 10th member? Now, I realize there may be many readers and visitors of this fine establishment who may be unaware of who I am or why I’d be brought aboard since it isn’t like I was much of a prolific commenter here for any who might have recognized me from the comment section. Well, let’s just say I have a reputation for providing content for the internet…

 

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No, Game Critics and YouTube Critics, StarLink isn’t the best Star Fox game

To think otherwise makes you an idiot, because StarLink is not even remotely close to a Star Fox game in style. The game, from what I’ve seen in trailers and footage, is closer to No Man’s Sky in execution. It is not a Star Fox game, and if you are crowing it should be, then you need to shut the hell up.

This is a real Star Fox game.

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Project Highrise – A Vertical Empire

Project Highrise, by Somasim Games is an unabashed homage to Yutaka “Yoot” Saito’s 1994 hit SimTower. The two games share the same premise and aesthetic, with Project Highrise’s art style firmly planted in the early 1990s. It’s a game where you’re tasked with constructing and managing a building, leasing out space to offices, shops, hotels, restaurants and apartments, with the revenue going into services for the tenants and further construction. It’s a sandbox management sim and I think it’s a really good one, but there’s a lot to talk about and the comparisons to SimTower have to be made. Continue reading “Project Highrise – A Vertical Empire” →

Rocket League Journeyman Retires

Rocket League journeyman player Roland announced his retirement to stunned teammates and opponents, after scoring an own goal to seal defeat for his team, in his 1000th match of competitive Rocket League on Switch.

The announcement came a shock to all with no one even saying ‘gg’ in quick chat after the match, despite constant quick chat taunts and banter throughout the match. Continue reading “Rocket League Journeyman Retires” →

The Switch Online NES App is Amazing and Has Tons of Potential for Nintendo Classics

I know most of you have said this:

“I’m not paying $20 a year for online NES games!”

Well, first, whatever. I’m sorry your precious on-system voice chat isn’t there (and quite frankly those features were things I never liked in the first place, thanks experience on 360 Live!), or the fact you are now bitching about Cloud Saving despite that being a thing you wanted. I bought Switch Online membership for the year, and so too did Deguello. Why? Continue reading “The Switch Online NES App is Amazing and Has Tons of Potential for Nintendo Classics” →

Xbox Adrift: Can Microsoft save the Xbox One? Should they?

An Xbox One X floats across a stormy sea.

Xbox One has the smallest presence in the gaming industry that the brand has ever had. It’s plain to see that while SS Microsoft sprouts wings and sails towards the clouds, Xbox is a raft floating hopelessly adrift in a choppy sea of home consoles. Microsoft are an astonishingly successful company who have been more than happy to abandon unsuccessful side ventures. Yet despite Xbox costing the company billions and forcing them to obscure the financial performance of the division every annual report, they remain committed to the brand. With the battle for the living room over and lost, it’s time for Microsoft to let go of consoles and reposition itself in the gaming industry. Continue reading “Xbox Adrift: Can Microsoft save the Xbox One? Should they?” →

Completing the Pokédex: Gameplan for the last 28.

This is really a personal entry, but by making it public I want you to hold me accountable. People who tell others about their goals are 70% more likely to complete them, or at least that’s what I’m told in the pop-psychology self-help blogs and diary products I have found myself glazing over during this now prolonged unemployment. Earlier I mentioned that part of the problem for me was the open-ended nature of Pokémon and by having partially complete save files across several games I’m left unfocused. In this entry I will delineate a path to follow through the games while leaving myself the flexibility to keep them fun and give myself multiple chances to pickup missing Pokémon along the way. This entry will be regularly updated with a checklist at the bottom crossing off accomplishments and in-game milestones outlined under each game subheading.

Last updated 29th of March, 2019. Pokédex complete. Most games sold.

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Completing the Pokédex: Learning to let go.

When we last spoke, I had just added Manaphy to my Pokédex and had another eighty odd monsters left to collect. It’s been a year, and progress as been slow but as of today I have just 28 left. Of the 58 caught over this time about 30 came in the last week due to a recent bout of motivation. Today’s update isn’t about those captures though, it’s about the sheer mental disarray these games have left me in due to their convoluted systems, open ended nature and emotional hooks. If I’m going to finish this job, and I must, I need to learn to let go.

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