Papers, Please is a game I wasn't expecting a lot out of. Simple looks, simple sounding gameplay; so not a bad game, but nothing that would blow me out of the water. Boy was I wrong.

​Papers, Please was created by Lucas Pope and released this August. In it you play the part of a border crossing guard who gets to decide who gets in to the country and who gets kicked out. But it's not just an endless stream of people coming through, it can be with endless mode, but there is an actual story attached to the game and the tedious task of checking passport after passport. You are from the communist country of Arstotzka (that's a made up country by the by) and the borders have been closed for the last six years. Now that it's open you must let people in based on perimeters that change on an almost daily basis. They change because every day something new happens in the bordering countries or in Arstotzka itself. Terrorist attacks, sickness, just plain old communist fun, these are all reasons for rule changes.

    Everyday is timed and at the end of the day you go home with your pay, your pay being dictated by how many people your processed in that day ($5 a person). Now that you're home you have to pay for rent, food and heat, all on a daily basis; don't have enough money? You get to choose what your family doesn't have that night. That's right folks, not only is this an insane puzzle game that keeps dumping new challenges on you every time you get comfortable, but it also forces you to make really tough decisions about your characters life.

    But wait! There's more! You'll face certain moral challenges in your daily work life. An early example a man and wife coming up one after the other. The man makes it through with all the correct paperwork, while his wife is missing some of her papers. Do you let her in? If you do you get a citation, which means you don't get paid. Or you can send her away and make your five dollars. With enough citations in a day you actually start getting docked pay. It can mean the difference between your family not having heat and letting a couple into the country together.

    The game also has multiple different endings, so the replay value of this game is huge. Where this game can gets frustrating sometimes though with the small text that can be tough to read and the game does take some trial and error to spot all the little things that the game wants you to find on the passports and papers. But the faults are few and far between while the rest of the game is really fun to play. You really do get wrapped up in the world that is Papers, Please and for $10 you get hours and hours of fun.

Life is like a hurricane! Or is it? Ducktales: Remastered from Capcom is a remake of the original Ducktales game on the NES console but almost completely redone, save for the gameplay. Ducktales for those of you that don't know was only one of the coolest cartoons around in the late 80s with reruns continuing on into the early 90s... not to mention one of my favourite movies growing up DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp. The movie and show starred Donald Duck's uncle, Scrooge McDuck, a super rich duck that will do anything for more money (you may remember Scrooge from Disney's Christmas Carol where he played himself). Also starring in Ducktales were Huey, Louie and Dewie, Scrooge's grandnephews and their female duckling pal Webby. There is a whole slew of other characters, but I'm here to tell you about the game not the show.

The game follows the exploits of Scrooge as he attempts to get richer after finding a treasure map behind a painting in his office. He brings his friends and family along, usually putting them in great danger, but that's just the kind of character Scrooge is and you'll love him for it by the end of the game/show/movie/etc. The game sends you to remote locations around the globe: African Mines, The Amazon, The Himalayas, Transylvania and The Moon. The levels all have major story elements added to them from the original explaining why you're there and the new objectives that you must complete. The original game was just a platformer set in different regions and Capcom and Co. have done an amazing job of adding in elements that breathe life into the game while maintaining the feel of the original. The levels all have their own objectives and enemies making it fresh and new every time you switch locations. It's not just a straight shot from one point in the level to the next, there are small puzzles and things that Scrooge must accomplish before he reaches the final boss of the level.

Deadpool Review


There’s something melancholy when you play Deadpool.  On one hand it’s a relatively competent third person shooter game but on the other hand some of his ridiculousness is just a little too excessive.  You expect that though when playing a Deadpool game.  While I can’t say that I read a lot of the Deadpool comics I’d be remiss if I didn’t say that I knew what his whole shtick.  For those who aren’t in the know, Deadpool is Marvel’s anti-hero darling, the merc with a mouth.  Endowed with powers from the Weapon X program, Deadpool has a wealth of powers include superhuman reflexes, a short range (and temperamental) teleporter, and most importantly his healing factor (which he practically took from Wolverine).  However all those Weapon X upgrades left him mentally unstable which is the root of his iconic fourth wall comments.  Does Deadpool have what it takes to host his own game or is it “Dead” in the water?  Read on to find out!

    Anyone with a 3DS should know about the Mii Plaza, the first Streetpass option that most of us are given. In the beginning there was only Find Mii and Puzzle Swap. Then there came Find Mii II (which I still haven't finished all the pathways on) and they continue to update the puzzles for free. But now it's time for Nintendo to bring in some dough and to do so they have released, not one, not two, not even three, but four new games for the Mii Plaza. The catch? They cost money. The price tag? $4.99 a game or a one time offer bundle. But what are these new games like and are they worth the money? Read on to find out.

    Animal Crossing, what a sordid past we have had. Ups, Downs, and just plain old heartbreak. But now you're back in my life and I couldn't be happier to have you back. Oh, hello there dear reader, I didn't see you there... Well now this is awkward... I guess I'll just have to tell you why I love this game as much as I do. So if you've been hurt by this game series read on to find out if you'll fall in love again or if this is just another cheap attempt from Nintendo to cash in on your addiction to an amazing series. Oh, and if you've never played the game before in any iteration keep reading to see if this is the addict- I mean game for you.

    For those that haven't played the game there really isn't any kind of story. You, a young person moving out into the wide world, arrive in a town that you name yourself. A nice tanuki by the name of Tom Nook usually offers you a house at this point in time and then charges you a huge amount a money for said house. But New Leaf is different, something that fans of the series will appreciate. This time after getting off the train that brings you to your town you are greeted by the villagers of the town and touted as the new Mayor. This is obviously a mistake but the animals, who will now be your neighbors, will have none of your backtalk. So instead of setting yourself up with a home, you go to city hall and apply for an ID card. An issue arises though, you don't own property. So now you're off to see Mr. Nook, who no longer runs the local shop, but a local relator instead. He sets you up with a tent until you can come up with 10,000 bells, the in game currency and then he'll build you a house. Once you're in your new abode you can get your ID and be allowed to sit at your mayoral desk. But now you need to get the approval of your citizens... Okay I'll stop there because this is becoming a walk-through. To explain in short, once you've finished the tutorial, which is what all that is, you can start making decisions as mayor.

What did I think of DC's newest fighting game? Check out the above video to find out!

I had a bunch of other stories lined up for you good folks this week, not just reviews but some other things I want to try my hand at and then along comes this game… Brink. So I said to myself, “Self, wait awhile, write your other stuff no one will miss a review of this game”. And then I played the game and I have write about it. Does that mean it’s bad? No. Well then it must be good. No again. It’s an odd thing to be so divided like this, usually I’m pretty good at knowing when I do or do not like a game, but with Brink I’m stuck in this weird limbo (no not the one that involves side-scrolling and giant spiders). Anywho I figure by writing about it I’ll be able to get it across to you(and myself) what kind of game this is, so read on!

As I said in my Quick Review of Portal this game series is amazing and you should buy it. Okay with that done let’s all have some cookies and go outside and enjoy the sunshine. What? You want more? Ok, if you like puzzle games or games with great story and characters then this game is for you. If you want to know even more read on for my Single-Player Review…