Nintendo Switch: The Hype is Real!

When Nintendo started to slowly trickle out info on there Project NX I was super skeptical of everything that was leaking.  Could Nintendo get its groove back after the Wii U?  Would the people come flocking back to the a company that they felt had abandoned them to pursue cheap gimmicks and a larger fan-base?  I feel like that Nintendo answered a lot of those questions last week when they blew the doors off the machine.

There is a pocket of people out there that still think that Nintendo has gone with a gimmick to try and sell consoles.  What I see is a brilliant concept that has a wide appeal and goes after a group that Sony and Microsoft are not targeting.  Now let me say this.  Nintendo is never going to win in a horsepower war with the PS4 and the Xbox One especially with the new Pro and project Scorpio coming out.  But with the switch they don't really need to.  They have gone after a group of people who are used to playing games on there smart phone and when they get ready to go somewhere they can just take it with them.  Your in the middle of a great part of Zelda Breath of the Wild but you need to pop out the door and go to work.  Easy just grab your Switch from the dock and go.  Your kids do not want to quite playing Mario Kart but you do not want to be late for Soccer Practice grab the switch and let them play in the car on the go.

This concept of a hybrid home/mobile console has lots of potential.  I mean look at all the 3rd party company's that are excited to be working with Nintendo again.

Now compare that to who was working with Nintendo at launch for the Wii U.

I think there is a good story there.  It shows that the 3rd party guys are willing to tap into this new market.

Overall I am sold 100% on the switch.  I have one reserved and ready to start playing on March the 3rd!  I'm making the Switch are you?

Forza Horizon 3 Demo Impresssions

Let me start out by saying that I am a huge fan of racing games and the king among them is the Forza series.  Ever since the Horizon brand debuted though there is something different about this series. Motorsport is all about the full simulation Horizon has always been about the fun of driving, and Horizon 3 looks to continue this trend.
 Where

This picture was taken on my game.  It makes me want to spend more time taking pictures than playing the game.

First thing to say about this game though is that is breathtakingly gorgeous.  A lot of news articles and interviews have talked about how Playground games models its sky's and man if it does not show in the final product.  The sky in the game reminds you of the perfect summer day (except when it rains and even then it still looks great).  The different environments in the game all look so good you may want to pack your bags and head to Australia to see the real thing.

Oh and lets not forget the cars!  In the demo you start off in the cover car, the Lamborghini Centenario and boy is it a fun one to drive.  You switch off quickly between a off road vehicle for a quick drive down the beach splashing through surf as you drive.  Then your off to your first showcase where your racing in a four wheel off road buggy against a Jeep.... carried by a helicopter.  These races were some of the highlights with the other Horizon games and this one looks to keep up the insane races.

Little touches I loved about this one quickly show in the demo.  For starters the game asks you to select your avatar and your name from a list (somehow the demo defaulted to my name.  It was only a little creepy at first).  Plus you can personalize your plates for the car this time.  With the promise of you running the festival this time there will be a lot more customizing and I have a feeling a lot more of challenging your friends.

All in all if the demo is a good indication of where this game is heading I can easily see me losing several hours to this game as I have the previous Forza Horizon games.  Put this one on your radar and try the demo for yourself.  I have a feeling its going to be a great ride.

Overwatch Beta Impressions

So I finally got some time on the console version of Overwatch.  I'm not much of a PC gamer so this was the first time I got to try it out. After spending the last 2 nights playing I can say I am fully convinced that this game will be a huge success.

For starters everything just feels right.  From the shooting and ability's to the overall control scheme.  If you've played a shooter before you can jump right in with no problems and feel right at home.  Within minutes of playing this game reminded me of all the best parts of Team Fortress 2.  If you get a chance to watch GameSpots The Story of Overwatch Documentary you will see exactly why this is and where the team found there influences for this game. (check it our seriously its amazing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jq-HwvYjLLg) 

The thing that stands out to me about this game so far is the balancing.  With 21 playable characters I was really scared that there would be overpowered characters that would break the game.  However I have been blown away by the fact that not one single character feels overpowered or under powered.  Every one of the hero's I played on felt like they were very unique and had a role to play in any of the matches.  In a match where we were taking a objective point I played as one of the tank characters of Reinhardt he is not the best melee character but with his shield the rest of the team was able to get behind me as we made a push.  Other games if your not getting kills your not really helping your team.  In this one I felt like everything I did was helpful and important to the round.  This is reflected in the final score as well.  No where did I see a k/d ratio that is so coveted in other FPS games.  It did a good job of celebrating the things that every player does well.

This is the first shooter I've played in a long time that I can see myself devoting a lot of time to.  (it also helps that its rated T and I feel okay playing it when my kids are awake, but that is another post all together).  After the game comes out I plan on writing a longer review about the final product but as of right now the beta has done everything right and I feel like Blizzard has another huge hit on there hand.

This is a must try open beta guys.  Go out and play it and just try it out.  You will be happy you did.