Category Archives: Indie Pennant

Nintendo Quest Charts One Man’s Journey for NES Glory

Jay Bartlett grew up like a lot of kids who lived in the late 80s and into the 90s. During that time, Nintendo became a household name in a matter of weeks, decimating sales across the country and establishing flagship characters as popular, or more so by now, than Disney’s cartoons. Ask most people of this age what their favorite Christmas memory or gaming memory is and they’ll probably mention playing the NES with someone.

Jay Bartlett
Jay Bartlett

After years of being a super fan, Jay is one day challenged by a dear friend, Rob McCallum, who is also the producer of the project, to the ultimate challenge. The goal is to collect all 678 retail released NES games in thirty days, a seemingly impossible task. With the wide spread use of the internet, it would be easy to throw money at Ebay and sites like 99Gamers, but no, Jay has to collect all of these games in person.

Rob

What’s more ridiculous is Jay has never seen physical copies of some of the games he has to find. There are twenty ultra-rare games set aside that pose the ultimate challenge, featuring the top one, Stadium Events, a game that can fetch thousands at auction in almost any condition.

Will Jay be able to make this long-time dream a reality? Well, the folks behind the documentary helped him travel the US and Canada, capturing every purchase and dive. What entails becomes not just a journey about collecting old video games, but also a personal journey of growth for Jay.

Thus begins the Nintendo Quest!

The film encapsulates what it means to be a Nintendo fan. Throughout their quest, Jay and his pals come across tons of people who make collecting a community. From shop owners, to YouTubers, to world record holders, to gaming box artists, there’s such a large pool of passionate people represented. In one scene, Jay gets to go on a game hunt with record holder Todd Rogers. It’s apparent that finding games is less important than hearing the stories behind them. While Todd picks out games he has records on, he shares his stories with the team.

Jay holding two of the rarest titles in the NES library.
Jay holding two of the rarest titles in the NES library.

While Jay does find tons of games with notable game stores, the true joy is getting the chance to meet other die-hard collectors. These are the titans of the Retro Gaming Community, the legends who have it all and more. Each game has its own story and each collector has theirs. These moments show the time and care collectors put into these often forgotten games, relics of changing times. Organization and presentation are key as shelves are kept tidy, while priceless games like Little Samson or Panic Restaurant are behind glass, often in rated boxes. These super rare titles, while seen few and far between, usually have interesting history and owning a piece of that is amazing.

It’s also important to note the graphics being used throughout the film. There’s a handy counter in the bottom left, keeping track of how many games Jay has acquired. Plus each transition pays homage to the NES, including some famous quotes that set the mood for each segment. The presentation is top notch and as much care went into the editing as it has in the journey.

Tree House
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While Nintendo Quest has a focus on the challenge, the true heart of it lies in Jay: his story and his experience with the quest and gaming with the NES. Before the start of the quest, Rob takes Jay to their old tree house, where their love for the NES inspired a club. As they sit in that confined space, the memories flooding in looks powerful. Things get even more emotional half way through, as Jay mentions the relationship he had with his father, which was rocky to say the least.

Jay as he shares the story of his father.
Jay as he shares the story of his father.

Taking this journey changed Jay and the people he and the team met along the way. It’s humbling to see him struggle to find all the games, all while battling having a job,  tough deals and high prices.

These games are more than entertainment, making the need to preserve and share these experiences a necessity. Just like how college students tote around heavy tomes of Shakespeare, those same students should also be carrying the games of Miyamoto and Kojima. Gaming is a medium worth caring about.

Personally, I’ve been collecting ever since I was a kid. My obsession started early, with my earliest memories involving playing Wizards and Warriors with my mom and Super Mario Bros 3 with my cousin. Sharing secrets with friends and swapping games filled my summers with joy. Even to this day, I schedule game chases with my wife and friends, hitting up yard sales and Goodwills. I’ve met so many awesome people through the years, many of which have become life long friends, all because of our love for games. It has helped develop my mind and pushed me to pursue a career in the industry.

Nintendo Quest is an awesome presentation of what makes gaming special. Jay and his friends had a journey that can’t be explained in words. To them it was more than collecting every NES game—although I’m sure that was fun too—it was about getting together with people who share a common interest and being a part of that community.

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I can’t recommend Nintendo Quest enough. Congratulations to Jay, Rob, the production team and all the folks involved. This is a film that will be quintessential for gamers everywhere.

Nintendo Quest can be found on Vimeo, other major digital platforms and DVD.

Levl Up Bros Seeks to Make a Home for Early Access Titles

Early Access titles seem to be what all the cool kids are doing in the game designing world for better, but more often for worse. From the excellent uses of the system found in Starbound to the terrible lack of attention that destroyed The Stomping Land, Early Access as a term comes with a bit of mixed perception. As a whole, I’m a big advocate of Early Access games, but when the system is abused or the games that lack any sort of coherency get onto the Steam Marketplace, it’s more than frustrating as a gamer and as a writer. It’s hard to find games on the Steam Marketplace as is, so throwing in tons of Early Access titles with questionable quality just makes things asinine.

That’s where Levl Up Bros, a monthly subscription-based platform for Early Access titles, seeks to stand out with its service. Players will be able to play an unlimited amount of games and be given the option to pre-order games when they are eventually published. There are some interesting indie games and rom hacks to check out, but more games should start showing up as the platform develops. So how does Levl Up Bros seek to enhance the gaming experience for both developers and gamers?

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Even seasoned designers often find publication disconcerting. The percentage a development team should make is usually slashed down by larger publishing companies, limiting profits, but adding marketing solutions. Levl Up Bros seeks to give developers a broader range of publishing options, as well as a system that allows popular content to be shown prominently.

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The entire platform focuses on levels in the traditional, RPG sense. Players will be able to gain levels from completing quests, which can be as simple as leaving a comment on a game’s page or pre-ordering a title. This way, feedback is encouraged. The levl up system also wants to reward its players by giving them free memberships, as well as full-game downloads as they level up their account.

Games will also have levels, gaining experience points based on comments, time played and much more. This way, the best gaming experiences is featured by the system. The Levl Up Bros will not only give attention to these games on their client, but also on their various blogs and outlets, such as their Twitch or YouTube channels.

They contain a substance called alpha-androstetenol that mirrors viagra prices pheromones (which is the thing that pulls in truffle chasing hogs). levitra vs viagra This has increased the demand for anti ED medicine in the minds of people. It may include feelings of sadness, anxiety, emptiness, hopelessness, worthlessness, guilt, on line viagra irritability, or restlessness. Erection is the major cause which ruins men’s tadalafil price mood and not allow men to have intercourse. Levl Up Bros seeks to provide a space for game designers to stay focused on making their games. The platform takes care of marketing and distribution, as most gaming clients such as Steam seek to do, but also rewards developers and players for engaging in their service. Where Levl Up Bros currently focuses on computer gaming, it also seeks to branch out into console gaming, giving players a chance to truly shape the way games are designed by giving feedback to developers.

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Many games and studios have already agreed to be featured in the early era of the Levl Up Bros client. Disciples of the Storm, an ambitious attempt to recreate a classic PC game—a game we’ve featured before here on Giga—is on that list. Other than that, the other titles are unfamiliar, but that’s exactly what this client needs: unknown titles utilizing the system to further their goals.

If Levl Up Bros succeeds in its Kickstarter campaign, a test client should be available in the Spring of 2016, with more features slated to roll out by the Summer. Users can take a look at the Levl Up Bros website for an idea of the sort of aesthetic the creators are going for.

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Unfortunately, as of now, there is no prototype available for use. All of the designs proposed in the campaign, as well as the visuals behind the assets used gives a really solid first impression; however, there is no way of knowing how the platform will fair until its available for testing, at the very least. There’s also a lack of editing apparent on the campaign and its website, hopefully it will be rectified in the future.

Either way, it would be interesting to see a new outlet for Early Access. Some games would truly benefit from this system. Until Levl Up Bros rolls out for testing, I’ll continue picking through the mountains of Early Access titles on Steam, searching for gems.

 

Indie Alert: Pulse Review

I didn’t know what to expect when I first read the unique concept of Pulse:

Journey as Eva, a young girl who [h]as lost her sight at an early age, and has since developed the unique capability to see the world around her through sound.

This first-person adventure allows players see what Eva “sees”: a semi-transparent world full of vibrant colors and polygon shapes. The transparency mixed with the shapes reminds me of an abstract C4D (Cinema 4D) effect. Sound obviously plays a very important role in Pulse. Rain drops, walking, wind, birds fluttering, and running water can all help get a glimpse of the dark world surrounding you. Jumping in place also helps if you don’t have room to walk.

There are these little, white animals called Moko that you can throw, which creates a sound when they land. Mokos are also used to get through obstacles throughout the game. Sometimes you have to throw them into little barrels they have to run in or sacrifice them to open the next level. They follow you around, waiting for you to need them—so cute, with their cute little faces. At first, I didn’t want to throw them and lose them. Throw them. Throw them everywhere. It really helps.

white little animal with big black eyes
Each Moko has its own facial expression: angry, questioning, happy, scared.

Pixel Pi does a great job of making players feel like they are blind too, which makes the game tough to play.  With no map, the transparent world is deceiving and makes traveling a confusing trek. What you think is a clear path to a far away cliff in the back, is actually a wall that doesn’t fully appear until you’re against it. I got lost, a lot. Eva does leave glowing footprints for you to trace your steps, which was a little helpful. Whenever the world shakes or turns red, you’ll know you’re going the right way. I still had to stop and take breaks to make sure I didn’t become completely discouraged. Also, stay out of the water and try not to stumble into the unknown.

A blank background with the words "You have lost your way in the unknown" across the screen.
I saw this screen a lot.

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The story is vague—on purpose—for most of the game. Eva is on a pilgrimage her in which village didn’t want her to go, and the world and her village are in danger of collapsing. An obscure bird appears throughout your journey to give you cryptic messages about the events leading up to now. These hints help you to piece together what has/is happening to the world. I wasn’t really attached to the story; it felt like something was missing. Maybe a cutscene or something to show a little more background leading up to the beginning of Eva’s pilgrimage. A little something extra to make me care more. The scene could have still been through Eva’s eyes—or maybe jumbled pieces that the bird could remember—allowing players to have a better connection with her perseverance through the obstacles ahead of her. I was more interested in the obstacles Eva had to face and discovering more of this unique world.

A bird talking

The game is short, about an hour, possibly longer if you take the time to get all of the achievements. It can be completed in 30 minutes if you speedrun. There’s even an achievement for completing it in 30 minutes or less.

I wanted to love this game. I really wanted to and I really tried. The concept is great and the world has a lot of secrets I would like to discover, but I don’t think I’ll be playing Pulse again. The world is beautiful, but the thought of having to go through the trouble of seeing it just deters me. However, I would recommend trying it for the  different experience. It’s not like any other game I’ve ever played, and I don’t regret playing.

Pulse

I definitely want to see more from Pixel Pi. They are a talented group with a lot of creativity and imagination. There is definitely more worlds and stories they are holding onto. I hope this is only the beginning for them.

ARTIST ALLEY: NS Kane

Kane cosplaying as Batwoman. Picture by George Wong
Kane cosplaying as Batwoman. Picture by George Wong

Sitting in a darkened room, with the sounds of Shrek creeping through a wooden door in Sydney, NS Kane is typing away at a keyboard, plotting  a plot. New to comics, she is an aspiring writer from the Land Down Under and is hoping to become another Australia comic-success story, following in the foot steps of people like Tom Taylor (Injustice: Gods Among Us) and Nicola Scott (Black Magick).

Pages of Seamstress comic
Seamstress

What is your current project?

The project is called Seamstress, and it’s about two seamstresses who work for both heroes and villains in their world, creating the famous outfits that they wear.

What inspired you to work in comics?

Actually my partner Kate did since she is an actual seamstress in her spare time. When I was sitting in my lounge with a friend, he turned around while watching her run back and forth carrying cups of coffee and said “you are a human sewing machine that runs on coffee.” At that moment I bolted to the computer and started writing, two years later Polli and Cassi were born.

What is the piece you are most proud of?

Well I love my Seamstress very very much but I’m equally as proud of my next project coming up called Toxicity, which is outside my comfort zone, but challenges me as a writer to really think outside the box.

Who is your dream team to work on a comic with?

Greg Rucka, JH Williams, Dan Mora, Blond the colourist, Rex Locus, Nicola Scott, Marguerite Sauvage, Stjepan Šejić, Ivan Reis, Joe Prado. Lol and that’s just for a start!

What is a typical day in the life of you when working on comics?

Well I go to work, whine for half the day that I’m not writing comics, then I find a few minutes to jot down a rough outline of my ideas for either a plot line or a 22 page issue. Then I usually come home and start loading the notes into a pretty format that looks cleaner before I realize I have made so many spelling mistake and spend the rest of the night cleaning them up.

nyteowl comic cover
Nyteowl: written by NS Kane

How long does it take to do a single issue script?

Depends on the script, sometimes I’m not feeling the mojo and it takes weeks, and sometimes it could take me less than three hours to knock out the script. But nothing is perfect, so I like to usually take a week to have some time to read then re-read it making sure everything is sitting right.

What is the process?

Usually loads of coffee is a good start, but I don’t do anything without music, it’s definitely a must for me to be in the writing mood. Then I sit down with my templated format and my rough plan to start writing away.

Who are your inspirations?

Greg Rucka is my biggest inspiration followed by Michael Alan Nelson and Tom Taylor. All these men really do give me hope that you can do what you dream, that you can write what you want and that even being from Australia will not limit you to reach the biggest comic companies across the world.

What is your dream project?

To write for Batwoman. That’s my biggest goal in my life, since she started me on this comic journey, and she is where I want to be. I want to give her a new life and the passion that she restored back to me.

art by NSkane
Red: Caution

If you could pick anyone to act as your mentor, who would it be?

GREG RUCKA!!!! Yes if he would put up with my annoying pestering every five seconds I would love to have him, if only for a few hours, to give me that nudge in the right direction.

Have you done anything at a convention, as in had a table in artist alley or a booth or been a guest?

Not yet, but it’s still early days for me so I’m hoping to debut Seamstress next year down here in Australia.

Have people ever cosplayed your work?

Unfortunately, no. Though I hear down the grape vine that something might be in the works! But it would be amazing to see any of my works come to life.

How has the industry changed since you first started?

Since I found comics a few years ago, the industry has exploded with talent, so I’m really excited to be in the thick of it right at this moment now.

How do you feel about the change to mainstream thanks to shows like The Big Bang Theory and the movies now in the cinema like Spider-Man and Batman vs Superman?

Well those shows have opened the world of comics up from being a child’s interest to a more adult scene. It’s nice to see people my age embracing this fantasy world and becoming more involved in it letting their inner child break free.

Tell us about Polli and Cassi:

polli
Polli: Seamstress

Polli is a unique individual with light pink bubble gum hair. She only wears the latest fashion styles when she’s not doing business. Usually found in a sleek, seductive dress, she is the epitome of rich snob and knows it. With the cover of running a fashion house and magazine, Polli has no qualms about flaunting her decadence for the world to see, hiding in plain sight. But it is [that] confident high from her creations in front of the villain’s that boosts her thrill factor, having them only come back for more despite her rather unpredictable temper. Polli also has a quirk which is a considerable addiction to coffee.

cassi
Cassi: Seamstress

Cassi, on the other hand, is a recluse. Only leaving her ‘Nook’ when she must, Cassi is usually found wondering around her hidden studio in just a baggy T-shirt and her underwear. She mostly avoids contact with her clients and all people in general, preferring to spend her time with machines more than man. A complete contradiction to her twin, Cassi is humble and caring with a stubborn sense of pride for her work. Cassi doesn’t care much for fashion and has a cheeky attitude that winds her sister up every time the topic is spoken of. Cassi also has a quirk which is a significant addiction to soda.

How long are you looking to have this series running?

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What is your favourite moment in what you have written so far?

Oooo, that’s a tough one, I have so many moments in each series I don’t think I can choose but one of my most heart wrenching is in a future issue of Toxicity when the main character Synner has to say goodbye to someone she loves, I cried while writing it and I still cry each time I read it.

Anything extra you would like to share:

The Kickstarter for Seamstress is running currently to fund the series. It’s been a long journey to get the book up and running and I just hope that people enjoy the rewards on offer as well as the story I want to bring to the world.

Fun time:

 Who is your favourite comic book character?

BATWOMAN!! Everyone  knows this!

Who is your favourite author (books)?

Mikhail Bulgakov

What is your favourite movie?

My go to movie is Spirted Away

What is your favourite band/music artist?

Heavy metal, give me anything with drums, guitar and screaming.

What is a quirk you have (like dipping fries into chocolate Sunday)?

List making, lord I have a list for everything I even have lists for lists.

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Synner: Toxicity

 Pick-

Day or night

 Night

Star trek or Star Wars 

Oooo damn you. Star Trek if it has Janeway

Coffee or tea 

Coffee

Summer or winter 

Winter

Cats or dogs 

Dogs

Batman or Superman 

duh Batman!

Movies or a book 

Movies

Pizza or Burgers 

Burgers

Coke or Pepsi 

Pepsi if I could drink it, lol

For those wanting to see more of NS Kane’s work you can find her on Facebook, Twitter  and the Kickstarter for Seamstress

Next issue release date of current project: January 2016

Indie Alert: Noct

Horror is a genre that relies on multiple layers of design. Designers have to know these layers inside and out, as well as study their players to see what’s working to make a game scary. Often times, the titles with residual horror tend to stand out the most, such as Silent Hill 2 or Amnesia. These games have elements that stick to the player, often with their narrative or hints at one.

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The Indie scene has blown up over the past few years with titles like Five Nights At Freddy’s and Slender soaking up popularity. This, in turn, has many developers focusing on horror. Devolver Digital is helping developer C3SK bring Noct to a reality.

Noct is a top down, multiplayer shooter that mixes elements of Silent Hill and Rust with monsters of which Lovecraft would be proud. Players see and control their survivors through a satellite feed, while given directions by a mysterious being known simply as XMIT. Who XMIT is and why he is helping the player are some of the questions that make these exchanges especially unsettling. It seems that XMIT wants nothing more than to see the survivor succeed, but is just as quick to move on upon death.

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The game carries many solid, uncanny elements in its visuals. According to the game’s website, Earth has been cast into perpetual darkness, plagued by monsters known as the Nocturnal. The monochrome color screen fits with the notion that the player is being watched from above, presumably by mostly XMIT. The monsters of the game are all terrifying and overwhelming, as they can kill players with a single hit. The HUD is also cryptic; players must manage ammo and supplies without any clear numbering. It’s never easy to fight off a monster when ammo is low, but it’s oppressive just knowing ammo is low in general.

In addition, monitoring data provides a good way to start a BBA course, and its recognition and prominence is now universal. rx tadalafil Action: Kamagra Polo is an empty ring like drug that holds sildenafil sildenafil super active citrate, which is been affirmed from FDA to be sheltered and viable to deal with erectile disappointment. Some of the most common side discount viagra appalachianmagazine.com are a slight headache, nausea, vomiting, dry mouth and nose Nosebleeds augmented compassion to sunshine Dry eyes Eye frustration Conjunctivitis Hair loss or tapering Impetigo Muscle and joint soreness Cataracts Corneal scar Hepatitis Blood in urine diminished pigmentation of the skin failure of bone mineral concreteness Fluid preservation Bleeding gums Rectal bleeding eminent triglyceride levels Seizures Decreased night apparition harsh skin retorts Citizens. A many health professionals recommend this treatment to a many patients who visit their clinic every day. http://appalachianmagazine.com/2017/03/27/nancy-green-the-first-aunt-jemima/ tadalafil soft tabs Playing with the objectives in mind leads players around the expansive map, gathering supplies and activating various machinery, as instructed by XMIT. Throughout the walkthrough, what’s left of humanity, vision becomes blurry as the eldritch creatures appear, just out of sight. Most of the time, when the monsters show up, its too late. Fighting them alone is futile and running from them is almost impossible. Survival is much easier when teamed up with other players, but they can also be as dangerous as the monsters. While being connected to a multiplayer server, I never ran into anyone else, but given the player patterns of Day Z, I imagine they would kill me without question.

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It’s important to note that Noct has not been fully developed. It is currently under Early Access on Steam and has already gone through quite a few patches. As of now, once most objectives are cleared, it seems that players can get stuck in a loop to gather supplies. Being that many monsters can simply chase down the player, especially the little worms, there isn’t as much horror as there is frustration. The game’s framework is there, but the actual experience feels just as empty as the world its attempting to create.

Noct does carry a visual and thematic framework that could turn into something special. The monsters look great and the graphic style is oppressive, all while being accompanied by some interesting guitar songs that are reminiscent of Silent Hill. I was also hoping to get that overwhelmed feeling that comes with horror games. No matter what forced my character to say “Uh oh,” there was usually little room for avoidance or for confrontation. Most of my session included heading towards a waypoint, dying, and then continuing to the waypoint, until reaching it. It didn’t feel scary, just time consuming.

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Being enclosed in a building, frantically grabbing supplies, felt unnerving, especially when the scratching of claws got closer and closer.

Let’s hope Noct continues to evolve and capitalize on those moments.