The Geek-Out

  Echoes of Wisdom , the latest entry in Nintendo’s long-running Legend of Zelda series, was released this past Thursday, September 26. I’ve been a fan of The Legend of Zelda for well over ten years now– few other series can get me to drop everything I’m doing to buy a newly released game ASAP the way Zelda can. And even though I’m (presumably) still far from the end of Echoes of Wisdom , I can reassure you– it’s worth the hype. I’ll be detailing my trip to Nintendo NYC to buy my copy, as well as my thoughts and experiences playing through the first three dungeons (which make up what I consider the first story arc of the game). Be warned– minor spoilers below! The title card of the game, displayed right after the intro. Screencaps from my gameplay. In order to get my copy of the game, my roommates and I headed into Manhattan to Nintendo New York– Nintendo’s official, 10,000 square foot storefront near Rockefeller Center. I had to wait until Saturday to get my copy for two dis...

Marvel Logo, from Pinterest. I’ve been a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for quite some time now. I joined the fandom when Captain America: Civil War came out in theaters– my family and I watched Age of Ultron the day before, just so we had some background information on the plot of the movie, and I’ve been hooked ever since. At this point I’ve seen nearly every Marvel movie, and even a handful of their TV shows. But something has been bothering me about Marvel ever since we entered Phase 4, and I think I’ve managed to finally put my finger on it: Power Creep .  If you’re a TCG (trading-card game) gamer, you’re probably familiar with the term power creep , but just so we’re all on the same page: In gaming, power creep is when newer cards, abilities, or other gameplay elements are added to a game that are all-around better than what’s currently available in-game. In isolation, this isn’t a bad thing, but when it keeps happening over time? The newer items/abilities/cards...

What’s most important to you? The past, the present, or the future?   That’s the question that Splatoon 3 asked its global playerbase over this past weekend’s Grand Festival (the biggest Splatfest ever)– and boy howdy, did the Splatoon players have a definitive answer. Team Past won in a solid victory, with Team Present sitting in a comfortable second place. Team Future, though they fought well, ended up squarely in last. Event-exclusive title screen says whaaaat. For those unfamiliar with the Splatoon franchise (think C.O.D. but with less bullets and more… cod ), a Splatfest is a weekend-long event that occurs nearly every month, where all the game’s players divide into 3 teams based on their responses to a prompt question, such as What would you bring to a deserted island? or What’s the best kind of chocolate? Each team is led by one of the three idols from Deep Cut, the game’s main band and emcees. Over the course of the weekend, the teams battle it out to decide once and fo...