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A Case for EA Sports Koepka PGA Tour

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By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

EA Sports should bring back their PGA Tour game series for all gaming platforms. But this time, don’t have Tiger Woods or Rory Mcllroy endorse the game, give the honor to Brooks Koepka, the current ranked. golfer in the world.

I’ve played every version of EA Sports PGA Tour since 2003. Koepka could bring a jolt to the game’s popularity and significance. There hasn’t been a new version of the series since 2015.

Brooks Koepka is a quiet athlete. That seems rare in the age of Twitter and TMZ Sports. Koepka is on social media, but he rarely posts anything, and when he does, it’s usually about a tournament he’s participating in or Nike, one of his sponsors. He’ll occasionally post a picture on Instagram hanging out with his girlfriend, Jena Sims, and friends somewhere where there is water.

Koepka is a methodical assassin on the golf course in the final rounds of PGA Tour majors. If he is leading or if he’s a few strokes off the leader, he is unemotional and poised to a point that he has the rigorous strut of Arnold Schwarzenegger in “The Terminator.” Do you know the greatest reason for animal survival in the wild? It’s not size; it’s not speed; it’s not strength. It’s adaptability. That’s what Koepka does at the end of a major, he adapts; and that usually leads to a victory.

image source: EA Sports

During his interview with David Feherty on the Golf Channel’s “Faherty,” there were moments when he looked like he wanted to bolt from his chair, he seemed so uncomfortable. He came off as a man who didn’t like talking about himself. But Feherty, being an exceptional interviewer, knew when to insert humor and pull back.

Koepka is sort of the reluctant face of the PGA Tour at the moment. No other player has won 4 major championships in 3 years. Of course, Tiger Woods is still one of the most popular athletes in the world; especially after his storybook win at Augusta in April. But this year, Koepka and Woods are even at one major apiece.

Koepka, at 29, has another two decades of winning majors if he stays healthy and hungry. He could easily be the most popular golfer on the PGA Tour for the next ten years. EA Sports should consider the influence Koepka may have on the game, and, for them, perhaps gaming.

 

Dark Quest 2 – Nintendo Switch Review

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Prepare to enter the castle and fight through rooms of Goblins, Orcs and monsters in Dark Quest 2 from Brain Seal Ltd.

Dark Quest 2 is a strategic turn-based RPG where you control up to 3 characters in your goal to take back the castle from the evil Sorcerer. Players can recruit and level up multiple adventurers to help them in their quest as well as craft various items to increase skills and stats. Each room is tile based and characters can only move a certain amount of tiles, which varies depending on class and equipped items, this makes Dark Quest 2 feel very much like a simplified tabletop adventure. Through your journey you will collect gold and gems and if one of your adventurers happens to die, they can be resurrected for a percentage of your total gold.

Similar to other turn-based RPGs every attack and defence action is left to the roll of an unseen dice which can lead to some amazing or rather unfortunately frustrating runs. Dark Quest 2 is rather forgiving though with the death mechanic and as long as you haven’t built up too much of a gold horde, it shouldn’t cost you too much to resurrect party members. Certain levels are replayable but their difficulty increases after each successful attempt giving some good grind and risk/reward mechanics. As well as the 4 classes available in the tavern, there is also a few classes spread out in the castle for you to find.

While Dark Quest 2 is a little simplified, making it easier for casual players in some respects, it is still enjoyable for those looking for a challenge on higher difficulties. The amount of time it takes to complete Dark Quest 2 also depends on what kind of player you are. While it might be easy enough to speed through the castle and min/max a few characters to defeat the Sorcerer, a lot of the fun comes from experimenting with the different classes, items and strategies. There are only a set number of unique equip-able items though and characters can only equip 2 items each, this limits your options in one way but it also allows for some nice play-style optimisation. Clearing out each area in the castle can also be a difficult but rewarding challenge for completionists.

A fun little dungeon crawler, Dark Quest 2 offers a lot in a neat little package. Regardless of player skill, fans of tile based or tabletop games will likely enjoy what it has to offer.

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Mat Panek
Retromancer – Collector, repairer & fan of retro games & tech. Atari to Amiga, Nintendo to Sega! LD, Zip, Beta and a proud dad! One half of the TiredParents on Twitch.

Follow Mat on Twitter and Twitch

 

 

Disclosure: Dark Quest II [Nintendo Switch eShop code] was kindly provided by Brain Seal Entertainment for this review.

 

 

Sega and Taito Sounds Hit The KORG Gadget On The Nintendo Switch

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As Queen’s Freddy Mercury once sang, ” Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?“. Could we be dreaming? The KORG music production studio will allow (from July 11) you to create 80s Sega arcade game sounds and Taito FM synth sounds on your Nintendo Switch.

Yep, dreams do come true! With the awesome collaboration between ‘SEGA’ and ‘TAITO’, version 3.0 of the KORG Gadget for Nintendo Switch is a reality that will include the 2 new gadgets – Sega’s Otorii and Taito’s Ebina!

Check out the video below and head to the KORG news site for more info on this music making awesomeness. July 11 can’t come fast enough!


source: KORG

[story & image source: Korg News]

 

Masquerada: Songs and Shadows – Nintendo Switch Review

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Don your mask and delve into a world of intrigue, mystery and magic in Masquerada: Songs and Shadows from Witching Hour Studios.

Set in a country beset by civil war, where masquerade masks grant their wearers incredible powers, Masquerada is an interesting and deep isometric tactical RPG. You assume the role of Cicero, an Ispettore (inspector) brought back from exile to track down an important official, a researcher that has gone missing. Masquerada is set in a fantastical Venetian world where threats are presented from not only the rival faction, known as “The Mask Runners,” but also from the magical creatures known as Fey. 

The prologue acts as a tutorial, setting up the backstory of the world and also giving a nice quick rundown on the games battle mechanics. Pausing the action just as it starts or at any time in battles, gives some real interesting tactical options in Masquerada, this allows the player to set up flanking positions, change fighting stance and time attacks or buffs. There is also an emphasis on elemental tags that allow extra damage to be dealt to enemies by tagging an enemy or group with one attack and carrying out specific follow up moves. Character’s skills and powers can be assigned and upgraded for offence or defence depending on play style and different masks will give different Elemental powers, bonuses and skills.

The story is a wonderfully written and fully voiced experience, full of political intrigue, lore, mystery and in fighting between the various factions of the Citte Della Ombre, meaning that Masquerada’s world is as interesting as it is complex. There are numerous codex entries that give extra back story to the world and it’s characters for those ready to dive deep but enough is explained throughout the story that nothing seems confusing. For those looking to just take in the story, there is also an easier story mode that tones down difficulty but will still give you the thrill of the fights and tactics.

Masquerada: Songs and Shadows has some great tactical gameplay in an incredibly rich and vibrant world that may put off some with it’s slow burning story but those that love well written mystery and political intrigue will really appreciate all it has to offer. 

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Mat Panek
Retromancer – Collector, repairer & fan of retro games & tech. Atari to Amiga, Nintendo to Sega! LD, Zip, Beta and a proud dad! One half of the TiredParents on Twitch.

Follow Mat on Twitter and Twitch

 

 

Disclosure: Masquerada: Songs and Shadows [Nintendo Switch eShop code] was kindly provided by Stride PR for this review.

 

 

Lapis X Labyrinth – Nintendo Switch Review

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Stack some heroes, head into the labyrinth and loot to your heart’s content in Lapis X Labyrinth, the latest from Nippon Ichi Software!

Cute chibi characters join forces to battle evil minions in a game that feels like an action RPG crossed with a pachinko machine. In Lapis X Labyrinth you can choose from 8 different character classes ranging from the nimble hunter to the beefy Destroyer and stack 4 of them to head into the depths of the treasure filled Labyrinth. Each character can be equipped with a weapon, armor and a special item or accessory. You collect a contract from the guild that will determine the level you are heading into, difficulty of the enemies and end of level sub-boss, contracts can be completed multiple times but the bonus from completing them is only earned once. Moving through each contract will unlock more and eventually you will be given the opportunity to face the main boss character, defeating whom will open up further areas of the labyrinth.

Lapis X Labyrinth is all about one thing though, Loot. Each level is filled with enemies that have a chance to drop treasure, defeating enemies without being hit will increase your treasure combo which acts as an item chance multiplier. Simply put, the higher your combo score, the more likely you are to find good loot and this mechanic makes Lapis X Labyrinth extremely addictive and fun. In addition to this there is a “Fever” gauge to fill that, once full, will activate “Fever mode” a flashy and thrilling timed event that multiplies and adds to every bit of treasure you gather. Treasure can be spent on upgrades and items back at town but the real thrill comes from finding rare items dropped by enemies and replaying each level to maximise profits and level rank.

Visually Lapis X Labyrinth is both gorgeous and super cute, characters and enemies are adorable while level and background art is vivid and full of detail. Fever mode cranks up the colour as fireworks fill the background, blocks flash and treasure pours from every corner of the screen. There is so much going on at the best of times that it’s easy to lose track in the excitement or get carried away trying to scoop up every bit of treasure but it can become a bit dull if loot grinding isn’t your style. The game audio is exclusively in Japanese which is great for some but could end up sounding a bit repetitive and saccharine for those not overly into this style. Loot will upgrade your stats but won’t affect your character’s look, so no matter how funny it is equipping a destroyer with a “Black Maid’s Outfit” there is no visual change which is a shame but understandable considering the number of items.

Overall though Lapis X Labyrinth is extremely colourful and charming, a wonderful way to waste away some time and have some fun. If you love grinding away for some loot then look no further!

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Mat Panek
Retromancer – Collector, repairer & fan of retro games & tech. Atari to Amiga, Nintendo to Sega! LD, Zip, Beta and a proud dad! One half of the TiredParents on Twitch.

Follow Mat on Twitter and Twitch

 

 

Disclosure: Lapis X Labyrinth [Nintendo Switch eShop code] was kindly provided by NIS America Inc. for this review.

 

 

VA-11 HALL-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action – Nintendo Switch Review

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It’s time to mix drinks and change lives in VA-11 HALL-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action now available on the Nintendo Switch from Sukeban Games.

VA-11 HALL-A is a super stylish bartending sim set in the Cyberpunk styled Glitch City, a city with a whole lot of secrets and unique citizens for you to discover. From the comfort of a bar countertop you play as Jill, one of two employees at the BTC bar designated VA-11 HALL-A. There you mix drinks and make conversation with a large cast of clientele that can range from grumpy publishers, rescue force workers, adult industry workers and hired mercenaries. Some clients will request specific drinks while others will give you vague instructions on what drink they may feel like which can add to the challenge and will change the dialogue depending on how they are served. Looking through the drink recipes and mixing up various cocktails and beverages is easy to understand and fun to do if not a little repetitive at times. At the end of the day Jill will get paid depending on how well she does serving people, while there are no real high stakes, Jill still has bills to pay and needs to be met that help her concentrate at work.

There is some real retro future style in VA-11 HALL-A that mimics PC-98 adventure and visual novel games while feeling set in a cyberpunk like future similar to Blade Runner, Snatcher and Bubblegum Crisis. Glitch city feels full of tension and unrest, hearing rumours and news about what’s happening around you really makes you feel like you really are a part of the world but not a hero that’s called to action. There is a jukebox in the bar that allows you to choose a number of chiptune and vaporwave inspired tracks to play throughout your shift and help set the mood.

VA-11 HALL-A is full of little Easter eggs and references to both popular culture and other games but overall it’s the story that really drives it along. Getting to know the characters, their lives, their stories and their feelings is what makes VA-11 HALL-A so compelling and will require multiple playthroughs to uncover everything. Certain dialogue options are hidden quite cleverly behind different drink choices, some of which must be bought from the store and others that are hidden recipes. It’s easy to tell that a lot of care has gone into making each of these characters as interesting as the last and the allusion to early anime with it’s female heavy cast is quite apparent but never overbearing.

So grab a drink, get comfortable and get ready for some Cyberpunk Bartending Action with VA-11 HALL-A. A fantastic story driven title that’s perfect for on the couch or on the go.

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Mat Panek
Retromancer – Collector, repairer & fan of retro games & tech. Atari to Amiga, Nintendo to Sega! LD, Zip, Beta and a proud dad! One half of the TiredParents on Twitch.

Follow Mat on Twitter and Twitch

 

 

Disclosure: VA-11 HALL-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action [Nintendo Switch eShop code] was kindly provided by Stride PR for Ysbryd Games for this review.

 

 

Prepare for Impact: PC-Engine Mini, CoreGrafx Mini and TurboGrafx-16 Mini are Coming!

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Konami has done a mic drop at E3 2019 by announcing that they are entering the Mini classic consoles arena with three variants:

  • PC-Engine Mini (Japan);
  • TurboGrafx-16 Mini (US/Can); and the
  • PC-Engine CoreGrafx (Europe/RoW)

This is huge news, as it means Konami is going to go toe-to-toe with Nintendo and their SNES and NES Classic Minis and also Sega with their Mega Drive Classic Mini (due later this year). The three-way mini console war has been ignited!


source: Konami

Anyway, back on topic, they also revealed 6 titles to tickle our nostalgia, with lots more to come. We are loving the initial games by the way! Oh yeah, it also looks like the Japanese variant (PC-Engine Mini) will have a different lineup of games than the West variants – see below.

TurboGrafx-16 Mini & PC-Engine CoreGrafx Mini Games (announced so far)

PC-Engine Mini Games (announced so far)

Other details worth mentioning are that there will be a MultiTap released for 5-way gaming tussles (will be sold separately), save state functions – so you can play from where you left off and of course, the Minis will have various display modes (yay to scanlines!) to ensure you get the full nostalgic fix!

There were no release dates or pricing details at the announcement, so be sure to hit us up on Twitter and Facebook as more news comes to hand. We are damn excited!

image source: Konami

 

Byte Driver – Review

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Get radical and blast down the endless highway in Byte Driver, the latest game from Vector Hat.

Feeling like a long lost arcade cabinet from the early 80’s, Byte Driver is an interesting mix of games like Outrun, Night Driver and Spyhunter. As you make your way through the courses energy slowly depletes, hitting an object or obstacle will drain a larger percentage and hitting zero means game over. As you drive along you can hack opponents stealing energy or earning upgrades like improved vehicle stats, weapons or other consumables for your vehicle. Progressing through levels means harder enemies with more defensive and offensive skills will be there to oppose you in your pursuit of high scores.

Byte Driver definitely has some cool retro styling, looking like an old vector drawn game with screen shake and glitches being thrown in for good measure. There is also a monochrome mode for those that really want to embrace that real vector drawn feeling. The soundtrack is  fantastic and suits the style perfectly, filling sound and vision with pure 80s aesthetic that really gets you into the feel of the game. Being high score driven means that at low level play, Byte Driver is perfect for hot seat score comps with friends while high level play can be fought for with online leaderboards.

Byte Driver succeeds in evoking retro game feel and charm but, much like it’s early arcade peers, there isn’t much else to the game beyond 5 difficulty levels and high scores. Challenge does ramp up nicely as you progress and it can get real tough towards the end but with practice it’s easy to shoot for those high scores. The addition of a “low Stress” mode is nice for people to come to terms with the mechanics and allows you to play without the energy meter falling to zero for some more casual play.

There is a lot of fun to be had here and fans of classic arcade games will likely enjoy what Byte Driver has to offer, a well made and fantastic looking indie title.

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Mat Panek
Retromancer – Collector, repairer & fan of retro games & tech. Atari to Amiga, Nintendo to Sega! LD, Zip, Beta and a proud dad! One half of the TiredParents on Twitch.

Follow Mat on Twitter and Twitch

 

 

Disclosure: Byte Driver was kindly provided by Vector Hat for this review.

 

 

Katana Zero – Steam Review

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Hack and slash your way through countless enemies in Katana Zero, the latest game from Askiisoft.

Having originally been refused classification for sale in Australia, Katana Zero is a super stylish and fast paced action platformer that has you slicing through rooms of enemies in ever complex scenarios. As you play through each area you must eliminate or sneak past enemies depending on your exact mission. Enemies are easily dispatched with a swift slice of your blade but you are equally vulnerable and this is where the major gameplay mechanics come into play. Instant death is balanced with being able to slow time, deflect bullets and throw objects at enemies, meaning you are always looking for more efficient and creative ways to dispatch your foes. Feeling a lot like groundhog day, if you happen to get killed the level rewinds back to the start of the area and you must try again. At the end of an area the “tape” is played back for you to watch your Kurosawa style handy work at full speed.

Oozing with style and flair, Katana Zero never fails to impress with visual and audio design.

Each level feels diverse and lived in, giving the city of New Mecca a real gritty and neo-noir feel. Thrown in is some retro cool neon and VCR inspired overlays to really top off that dark future feel the game is going for. The soundtrack is full of a variety of electronica that really nails the vibe of each level, tracks can vary from subtle to full tempo while others really get that heavy grime bass treatment.

Katana Zero is all about brutal but stylish action, feeling at times like an action filled anime it’s hard not to love it. As the plot thickens and answers make way for more questions the action really starts to heat up, leading to some very intense and complex levels. Some real serious issues like war crimes and PTSD play an import part of the plot, meaning that the story is just as intense as the levels. The ending does leave you wanting for more but there is more than enough game already there for you to enjoy. For the player that isn’t used to this kind of precision and repetition, later levels can get increasingly frustrating but not impossible. Players that crave this kind of pixel perfect movement and timing though will find it both incredibly rewarding and satisfying.

Available on Steam and the Nintendo Switch, Katana Zero is Blade Runner with samurai blades, a game full of fantastic style and super solid gameplay that makes it a must play title.

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Mat Panek
Retromancer – Collector, repairer & fan of retro games & tech. Atari to Amiga, Nintendo to Sega! LD, Zip, Beta and a proud dad! One half of the TiredParents on Twitch.

Follow Mat on Twitter and Twitch

 

 

Disclosure: Katana Zero [Steam] was kindly provided by Power Up PR for this review.

 

 

Renzo Racer – Steam Review

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Zooming its way onto Steam is Renzo Racer, a fast and frantic kart racer with a lot of personality. 

Who doesn’t love a good cart racer game from time to time, especially with friends! Renzo Racer is, as one would expect, a fairly cookie cutter style racing game. Choose from one of 16 different racers and around 20 tracks and prove your racing prowess against friends or the computer. Characters are full of charm and personality and the tracks are all interesting and diverse but the racing itself is a mixed bag. There are plenty of obstacles and hazards thrown into the tracks which add to the fun but weird AI can be a hassle when playing alone.

The physics model feels very realistic which is a little strange for a kart racing game and because of this everything feels a bit mismatched. While it does feel like a deliberate choice for the game it will throw off players thinking of a traditional kart racer. There is no easy way to slide into corners which means a more realistic driving approach needs to be taken and proper apex turns are required. Another issue is the barriers which are properly modelled not just invisible walls. Hitting a barrier at speed can cause your racer to flip or get stuck, leaving you spinning tyres for a few seconds until you eventually reset. Characters and tracks are unlocked very slowly by placing first in single race or Grand Prix modes, while a slow drip of content is nice only one character and track is available from the start.

It’s not all negatives though, the physics model definitely adds to the experience and getting used to it can reveal some nice tricks. Placing the bomb item down as a person is right behind you will give you a nice impromptu boost forwards and hitting a ramp just right can have you soar right over the competition. The character designs are all well done and it’s easy to start picking favourites depending on the kart shape and stats. There is a real charm to the whole feel of the game but it is often easy to see where other kart games have influenced Renzo Racer in its style. 

A good game to try with a few friends for a good laugh as you knock each other about but single player can be a bit frustrating from time to time. From the wacky cast to the cute tracks, Renzo Racer is a game that definitely stands out from other Kart clone racers but not always in the best way.

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Mat Panek
Retromancer – Collector, repairer & fan of retro games & tech. Atari to Amiga, Nintendo to Sega! LD, Zip, Beta and a proud dad! One half of the TiredParents on Twitch.

Follow Mat on Twitter and Twitch

 

 

Disclosure: Renzo Racer [Steam] was kindly provided by EnsenaSoft for this review.