My Top 5 Most Memorable Games from the N64

It's quite possible that the Nintendo 64 is the most nostalgia-filled console I've ever owned. After all, it was the first system I could actually call my own as the Super Nintendo I put so much time on actually belonged to my brother. It's where I set up a firm base that would hold my love of all game genres including, but not limited to, adventure, shooter, fighter, flight simulator, sports, puzzle, RPG and even  "first-person rail simulation" game... whatever that means. Regardless of all the games I played and the genres they were, these are my top 5 most memorable games of the Nintendo 64.

Warning: The games on my list will most likely conflict with the childhood memories you have come to know and love. Despite not liking the same games as you remember, I do not hate your childhood. We're all on the same team here and can collectively agree that the N64 was an amazing system. Reader discretion is advised.

#5 Bomber Man 64

This action-adventure title was one of the first I ever played in my life, and although it pains me to say it barely edged out the likes of "Super Mario 64," a title many people have come to cherish. But this game really had everything. Kick ass boss fights, player customization, multiplayer battles, replayability, interesting level design  and a mysterious antihero who would keep you guessing friend or foe to the game's end. As a seven-year-old I was blown away. I had never even played Bomber Man's original game and only knew as much about it as my brother could tell me, but I didn't care. From start to finish this game had me smiling.

I remember walking around stages and looking for secrets for hours. I also remember the more frustrating times when the calming sense of exploration turned into a stressful test of skill to quickly bounce from well-placed bomb to the next in order to obtain those little secrets- grumbling to myself how stupidly impossible the task was. But hey, what's a good game without a little challenge? In the end, the game taught me how to enjoy the pain of working hard in order to to obtain a few collectibles. Not to mention the sigh of relief and feeling of accomplishment when it was all over. The aspect I remember most though was the boss fights lurking at the end of each stage. Some bosses were massive monsters in the same vein as Zelda, but the ones I really loved were the colored humanoids sent as hired guns sent to defeat Bomber Man. Each of them had their own cheesy remark with matching personality, complete with their own fighting style. Let me tell you, as a kid who grew up watching Dragonball Z and the likes, I found this incredible. I can even remember to this day beating the first form of the final boss, knocking him off the stage only to have him rise back up, say "playtime is over" and merge with his helpful robot into his final form. If I was to tell you I wasn't comparing him to Frieza, it would be a damnable lie.

#4 Pokemon Snap

One of the most memorable games of my life and first I can say I was wholeheartedly addicted to was Pokemon Red. After spending so much time watching the show before and after school and beating the game, I was a fan for life. So much, in fact, that I would go so far as to play a game centered around photography of all things to satisfy my love of everything pocket monsters.

I know what a lot of you are thinking right now. "B-but Austin, why didn't you just play the totally amazeballs game Pokemon Stadium?" Well random internet commentor, I did. And you speak true, the game was indeed amazeballs. I mean, 3D renderings and ways to collect more 'mons? I would be crazy to turn that down! But there was just something special I can't quite put my finger on when it comes to "Pokemon Snap." It could be the imaginative environments, the solemn soundtrack, the playful animations or just the fact that I got to chuck fruit at wild pokemon, but there was something unique about that photography simulator that I really haven't felt since.

In the end, I think it was simply the way "Snap" created this very tangible world out of nothing more than a TV show and grossly popular 2D Gameboy game. Sure, "Pokemon Stadium" had me back in the ring battling with my favorite team on a bigger screen, but "Pokemon Snap" put me in the world of Pokemon. It was an experience I would forever hold with me as I played future titles in the series and one that enriched the overall feel of those games. However, I would like to pose one question. When did Professor Oak get the right to critique photography? I mean, did he have a minor in photography? It seemed a little fishy to me, but I guess I'll let it slide for all the times I pelted Mew with apples- a guilty pleasure of mine.

#3 Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

I know, I know... "Big surprise!" Zelda fan or not, the majority of people who have played this game most likely found it enjoyable. I mean, OoT has been called one of the best games of all time and rightfully so. Music, gameplay, enemy design, fluid controls(remarkable considering the controller being used), storyline, puzzles. I can go on and on and on, but for the sake of you all and the fact that we've heard it a million times before, I won't.

For me, OoT is all about the timing in my life that made it special. My brother religiously played the original Zelda and "A Link to the Past" from the time I could watch a game and understand what I was seeing. I loved seeing him battle bosses, unlock weapons and ultimately save Hyrule. But when I finally got my hands on OoT for a console that was my own, it was both an incredibly exciting, but nerve-racking moment for me. Link was this legendary hero who had already done so much in his time, and my brother had been there every step of the way. But I was still new to actually playing the game. Sure, I had played the other games when my brother was watching and made sure I didn't get him killed, but this time I was on my own. I had my own save file and played all by myself. Not exactly the peak of responsibility in a young boy's life, but a pretty big deal to eight-year-old me!

But when Navi flew into Link's house and desperately tried to wake him up, let me tell you how happy I was when I found out he was only a kid; just like me! It got me all the more excited to pick up the controller and start the adventure. Even if OoT wasn't considered by many to be the strongest Zelda installment, it would still be my most memorable experience with Link and a truly great introduction to the universe.

#2 Jet Force Gemini

I want to preface this entry by letting you know that I was not introduced to Star Fox 64 until the Gamecube days. For that reason alone, I put Jet Force Gemini here instead.

After going back and watching some gameplay videos on this, I'm not sure I would like this as much as I did, but back in the day this game was an absolute blast. It was my first real introduction to a sci-fi game and put me onto this strange planet getting into firefights with ant-like humanoids and saving friendly koala bear natives that could have been long lost relatives of Ewoks. Not only that, but it had me collecting strange guns that would assist me in my travels.

Each gun came with  its own sense of badassery and players could shoot off their enemies' heads to collect. And here I was thinking that collecting gold skulltulas was awesome. In hindsight, I'm not exactly sure how this game was able to get away with a "Teen" rating, but I'm glad it did. The multiplayer had my friends and I talking trash to each other daily and gave me something to do when I completed the storyline. "Jet Force Gemini" was the first third-person shooter I ever played and even though I had just as much fun with "Duke Nukem" and "Goldeneye," this game has stuck the closest to my heart. However, if I had to choose one aspect about it that stands out the most, I would have to say it was the soundtrack. In a world filled with giant ants and furry little Ewok wannabes, an eerie OST is a must and "Jet Force Gemini" delivered on that in spades.

#1 Super Smash Bros.  

If I was talking trash to my friends with Jet Force Gemini this game took that to a whole new level. Ever since the first time I laid eyes on the unforgettable "Super Smash Bros." commercial that had Nintendo's most iconic characters beating each other up to the whimsical tune of "So Happy Together" by The Turtles I was hooked.

There's honestly nothing to dislike about anything that's going on here. 

At that point in my life I had played "Super Mario World" and was introduced to Yoshi, was acquainted with Donkey Kong through "Donkey Kong Country" and had seen more than my fair share of Pikachu. The only thing I hadn't really seen was all of them brought together to make one of the most thrilling fighting/platformers this side of the sun. The funny part was that I never even owned the game. Every time my family took a Blockbuster trip I'd rent this bad boy, pop it in the second I got home and forgot about the outer world for the rest of the week. Between fighting level 9 computers, eating breakfast, taking on the infamous Master Hand, going to school, challenging friends to stock matches, eating dinner and perfecting my break the targets times, I didn't have time for much of anything else and I didn't care. 

As much as I love the series as a whole, the original Super Smash Bros. has always stuck with me for the upbeat soundtrack, over-the-top smashes, rich stages and creative characters. It created my love for multiplayer and fighting games, but more than anything it cemented the already present admiration I had for Nintendo. It even got me curious about other Nintendo titles I didn't know much about *cough cough* Earthbound and Kirby *cough cough*. I have lost and regained interest in many of the other games and their iterations on this list, but I have always had a love for the Super Smash Bros. series, and I would venture to say it's because of the incredibly memorable time I spent with the original. 

It turns out there are few experiences in gaming that are more enjoyable than beating up a big, goofy ape with a small, electric rodent. At least, in my opinion. 

Honorable Mentions:

Super Mario 64- "So long, me Bowsie!"

Duke Nukem- Because kickin' ass and chewin' bubble gum is fun for all ages. My mom didn't know any better when she bought this one for me. 

Goldeneye- If you played Oddjob in multiplayer, you were known as "that guy" among your friends. On a side note, this game did not age well at all. 

Pokemon Stadium- Is it bad that the mini games are just as memorable to me as the battling?

Star Fox 64- Some of the best "so bad it's good" dialogue that gaming has ever seen. "Can't let you do that, Star Fox!"

Cloud Chamber creates gripping story, foggy on gameplay

The term "video game" can be used to describe a vast array of titles and genres, and for no two people does the definition bring the exact same thoughts to mind. But for anybody who takes the time to play Investigate North's massively multiplayer story, "Cloud Chamber," the term might just become a little hazier.

"Cloud Chamber" is a strange take on a mystery thriller and leans more toward a movie as the only interactive aspect comes from posting thoughts and opinions about the story that is being told. The story is the "game's" most important and interesting aspect and has the distinct aroma of a sci-fi drama the likes of which might be featured on the Syfy channel. Video clips, pictures and text entries are placed and interconnected throughout ten different levels and used to drive the story forward and create a sense of mystery as the player doesn't always receive them in chronological order. After every entry, players have the option to post about what they think the information means and how the story will unfold from that point on. Other "Cloud Chamber" investigators will then like or dislike the comment and discuss the topic further. Awards are then given to players based on the amounts of likes they've had, having the most likes in a single comment and just having insightful posts. So, in a sense, whoever is the most interesting theorist that can present those theories in a social media friendly way will be the best... er.... cloud chamberer. That's where "Cloud Chamber" starts and ends.

Looks like a solar system simulator, but I promise you it's not.

Unlike other mystery games such as "Myst," "Professor Layton" or "Carmen Sandiego," where the player must find clues, question suspects and make decisions, CC is purely based off of the community's opinions alone. This is both incredibly freeing and insanely limiting all at the same time. It's nice to be able to just talk about what my thoughts are and what I think is going to happen in the story, but games are supposed to be interactive, not just a journal of your thoughts and emotions! I struggle to use the word game because the experience feels more like a weekly book club.

The worst part is that in order to unlock more information on the story, players are forced to comment and get likes. After enough comments are made and enough likes obtained, more of the story becomes available. There's a huge problem right there. The plot is the best part of the entire experience. It's the main draw to CC, and without it there's only peoples' comments and other peoples' validation of those comments. If I wanted to play a game like that, I'd sit on Facebook all day and count how many times people liked the memes and kitten pictures I waste my time sharing every day(an average of 87 likes each day FYI). This theory-heavy, must comment mentality will be a difficult hurdle for many people to get over. Not everybody is going to find the story intriguing enough to post about with strangers online. Hell, some people won't care how entrancing the story is, they'll just get to the first clip and lose interest all together. In this, "Cloud Chamber" will lose much of the gaming population because it's not really, well, a game.

This is mostly due to the fact that video games usually aren't successful unless they have strong gameplay elements. Besides posting and liking comments, which I'm not sure qualifies as full-blown gameplay, the only interaction the player has with "Cloud Chamber" is clicking on entries and enlarging text documents so they can be read. This makes for a very shallow experience, as far as games are concerned, and one that will leave most people looking to PLAY a video game begging for more. That's not to say it ruins itself for the people who do accept CC for its minimalist take on gaming.

Production value in "Cloud Chamber" was quite impressive as both actors, music and general feel all combine to keep commentators busy. The actors played their parts admirably and have appeared in shows and movies ranging from "Casino Royale" to hit HBO show "Game of Thrones." CC's soundtrack adds to the story's cryptic vibe and meshes well with one of the main characters' background as he plays an underground DJ who has a musical gift that could unlock the mystery of an interstellar signal. Like I said, if you love anything science fiction, the story will be right up your alley. However, it might be a better idea to invest in a Netflix subscription and watch the Star Trek seasons to satisfy your space-loving appetite as the price drops in at $20 on Steam.

Cloud Chamber is a "game" that makes me feel like a child in a bad way(and yes, I know how ironic this is), because of how impatient I get when playing it. I want to control something other than my thoughts and ability to click a mouse and type. I want to rescue a princess, get chased by the cops and even put multicolored bricks next to each other like an architect with a mad case of OCD. Either way, I want to feel like I'm doing something more than watching a show and posting about my thoughts on Facebook only to hope for a massive amounts of likes so I can unlock more in said game.

Must... resist urge... to troll...

Look, I know we're in the midst of a very internet-obsessed, always connected, streaming everything, "I hope everybody likes my comment" "check out the 1,023,946 ALS ice bucket challenge" generation-but it doesn't work for everything. "Cloud Chamber" is strong proof of that. It has a colorful cast of characters played by more than competent actors, a strange plot that has viewers scratching their heads and a soundtrack to wonderfully complement the whole thing, but I just don't feel like I'm "playing" anything. I'm watching, hearing, thinking and analyzing, but there's no physical interaction. That truth gets in the way of the gaming experience.

Maybe I'm just stuck in the past or possibly too dense to appreciate the story for what it is, but "Cloud Chamber" would greatly benefit from a few well placed puzzles or questioning segments in the same vain as "L.A. Noire." For those of you who care only about a games' storyline, give this one a try. If you play games to... well, play games, don't bother picking this one up.  

Cloud Chamber earned itself 6 likes out of 10.    

Shulk Revealed for SSB4

Haven't I seen you before? Very recently, actually...

Shulk, the protagonist of the Wii title,  "Xenoblade Chronicles," was confirmed Friday on the Miiverse as a playable character. This comes in the wake of a huge string of leaks that sprang up over the internet at the beginning of the week.

The video released by Smash Bros. director, Masahiro Sakurai, is titled "Looks like we don't have a choice," which may allude to the leaks existence, but no official confirmation has been announced. The swordsman's moveset does match what was showcased in the videos as he uses a ground whirlwind attack and his weapon, the Monado, has a beam that extends beyond the blade's normal length.

Japanese smashers will be ahead of the crowd as usual as the game is slated for release Sep. 13 in the land of the rising sun. With this, smashers across the globe will await spoilers of the game's final roster shortly after the its debut and official validation of the recent leaked videos can finally be put to bed.

Complete with pink sword and underwear alt. costume!

SSB4: The Leaky Road to Release

Uh-oh! Someone's gettin' sued!

Since video games' strong presence on the internet, the Super Smash Bros. series has always been the target of endless rumors and a few legitimate leaks. The often delicate stream of prerelease information supplied by the game's director, Masahiro Sakurai, creates an interesting love/hate relationship with series' fans as they hope for the most amount of information without spoiling "too much" before the game's release. After all, everyone and their grandmothers want their favorite Nintendo representatives in, and if they don't see them, they're pissed. Because if Smash Bros. isn't about the characters... what is it about?

Up until a few days ago, information on the series' fourth installment, "Super Smash Bros. for the 3DS and Wii U" (yes, that really the name) has been served in nice, little bite-sized portions on the Wii U's Miiverse. Monday though Friday, Sakurai has given reveals that range from a trophy of Dr. Wily to the return of veteran fighters Ike and Meta Knight. There has also been a Nintendo Direct and E3 trailers to give more than the recommended dose and create hype the likes of which haven't been seen since the rivalry fights between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. Hype creates speculation, trash talking, hope and everything in between on the internet and has people rushing to YouTube, reddit and twitter to give their opinions on the latest bit of news. It truly is a spectacle to behold in the gaming world.

But for some people it just isn't enough. 

Over the past week, a string of leaks have appeared on Reddit, 4chan and gaming information hub, NeoGAF, that might have revealed most, if not the entirety of, the game's release roster. Xenoblade Chronicles protagonist Shulk, Bowser Jr., Dark Pit and one of Nintendo's oldest dogs, Duck Hunt Dog have all been shown as newcomers in a screenshot of the game's 3DS version. Video footage was also leaked in the form of five clips, but few remain since Nintendo hastily removed most of the YouTube uploads. 

Not the best footage but one of the few videos still out there.

The leaks are said to come from multiple sources, but leakers indicate the information stems from the same source, an ESRB member who received a video copy of gameplay and stills. The leak also shows the return of veterans Ness, Ganondorf, Wario, Mr.Game & Watch, R.O.B, Jigglyppuff and Doctor Mario, a fighter who was removed after his Melee debut. 

Although the roster made for a colossal reveal, one leak may have trumped it. One text leak stated more characters would be made available as DLC, a move uncharacteristic of Nintendo until the recently shown "Mario Kart 8" DLC packages. The packages will be released at separate times and include both characters, karts and tracks. The Mario Kart announcement is an official statement by Nintendo and supports the possibility of a similar fate for Smash Bros., but in light of all these unofficial leaks, there has been a whirlwind of mixed emotions from gamers across the web. 

The doctor and dark angel. Silly me thought Sakurai was avoiding clones!

Some have taken the leak as fact and either commended or condemned the roster, some vehemently oppose all of the commotion and some have used the information rush as a chance to formulate personal theories about characters, stages and the possibility of DLC. In the spectrum of all that, I fall somewhere in the category of "what the hell just happened?!" and "could this really be?!"

To give some perspective, I must admit that my relationship with Smash Bros. has been filled with overwhelming joy, passionate addiction and an unquenchable thirst for victory- sooo... the usual. I fell in love with the series in the days where Nintendo 64 rained supreme with its fresh take on "realistic" graphics. After seeing the first commercial where Mario, Pikachu, Donkey Kong and Yoshi demolished each other to the whimsical song "Happy Together," I had to have it. Following that, it was nonstop playing until Melee where I became competitive and strove to perfect my skills- because after all, who doesn't think they're the best at Smash? Brawl released and was almost immediately hated by the competitive player I had become with its floaty physics and *gasp* tripping. However, I played Brawl throughout college and my hardened expectation of the game faded. Then, I saw the Megaman trailer...

No arguments here.

I was back in the good ol' Nintendo 64 days all over again! With each character and every hype-filled trailer I found myself 10-years-old again, but like most, I craved more. Flash forward more than a year later, move past countless leaks and here we are.

Less than a month before SSB4's Japanese debut, we get a bombshell complete with video footage. We never get video footage! Usually just a crappy photoshop job that reeks of trollishness or fanboy desire. The roster might be a secret no longer, the Duck Hunt dog has people even more eager and my seemingly endless appetite for everything Smash Bros. is subduing, but a strange feeling now lingers. It's one that I can only liken to the month of December. More accurately, the week or two before Christmas when your excitement reaches Super Saiyan levels and your curiosity leads you to that closet in the basement, you know, the one people only use when they're trying to hide something. But when the Game Boy Color comes out of the box and the sense of wonder wrapped in a cloud of hope dissipates, there's nothing left but the wait for Christmas. A wait filled with regret and self disappointment.

A wait that I believe many who have seen the leak are experiencing now, and this really made me wonder. I can't think of one other game that gets people this batshit crazy- this absolutely, overwhelmingly pumped up for release. A title that commands this much attention is powerful and Sakurai knows it, and despite the haters that say Sakurai is sick and tired of this franchise, he puts a lot of time and effort giving fans just the right amount of information. After all, we're just little kids waiting for their Game Boy Colors, hyper from the sugary sweet reveal trailers and overly eager for the hours of entertainment surely to be had. 

It's in this that I kind of hate the internet and my Super Smash addicted sickness. The game might be the cheese at the end of the maze, but with all journeys it's not only the end that matters but also the journey taken to get there. Unfortunately, if the leaks are true, a whole lot of fans' journeys may have been cut short this week. 

Admittedly, there is a chance that the videos were a product of a mod such as Project M, a SSBB modified game that sports the competitive Smash Bros. quickness and hit stun. Shulk's moveset did resemble that of Marth's, but Bowser Jr. seemed to have quite a unique moveset that might prove difficult for even some of the best modders to produce. On the other hand, the stages shown in the clips were available in Brawl, so a mod might not be completely out of the question. Without a doubt, there is a much to be questioned right now.

Despite the leak's outcome, though, there's no denying the power this beloved brawler has over the gaming population. It can get people to make countless prediction videos that could result in nothing and leave forum members flaming each other in the wake of opinion-filled rants about how Ridley would or wouldn't be a viable character. It can even bring you back to a simpler time in life. A time where we were much younger and far more impatient. 

So to all of my fellow smashers out there I give you a nod of understanding. If the leaks prove false and we can all wait long enough for the game to come out in Japan, we might be pleasantly surprised with what we find. After all, I wouldn't be shocked if the leak was a clever ruse engineered by Sakurai, the Smash Bros. troll himself. A trick to end all tricks if you will. Heck, if people are able to turn a blind eye to Smash until a release in their countries they might be able to discover all the game's ins and outs by themselves- a blast from the Nintendo 64 past. 

Release is coming...

Let's be honest though, when the game's out in Japan, we'll be looking up spoilers for days. But at least we made it to release!  

Tell me what you guys think about the leak and it's validity. If you could pick, what Nintendo characters would you put in the game. What 3rd party characters would you have? Why? Tell me about your Smash Bros saga!  Let me hear it all and more! Happy smashing until the game's Oct. 3 US 3DS release! 

   

Garden Warfare gives same PvZ personality with different packaging

The flowers and flesh eaters are at it again, but this time they're packing a bit more heat. PopCap Games' tower defense series, Plants vs. Zombies, is fairly well known among the gaming community with releases on PCs, phones and everything in between. The point of the game is to plant as many flowers as you can and strategically place them in positions advantageous to complete zombie annihilation. It's a fun little game that has you playing for hours with its upgrades and addictive zombie slaying antics(is it just me, or are most zombie killing games pretty sweet?).

The series received a sequel, "Plants Vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time," which offered much the same as the first but was still well received, scoring an 8.6 on Metacritic. A Plants vs. Zombies game was even released on Facebook and Apple chose "Plants vs. Zombies 2" as the runner-up 2013 iPhone game of the year. So what happens when you take a popular game combine it with and amazingly popular genre and put the result on next gen systems? Well, it goes a little something like this.

And if plants and zombies wasn't enough, they throw in a yeti for good measure.

"Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare" combines the fun-loving, joke-filled personality of the PvZ series and throws in guns. It's pretty much as easy as that. Despite the overly simplified analysis, that's not to say this makes for a terrible experience. As a matter of fact, there's loads of fun to be had with friends as far as Garden Warfare goes, and I think that's what PopCap really strived for here. There are so many shooters out there that take themselves too seriously, and "PvZ: Garden Warfare" doesn't fall into that trend as a third-person shooter filled with smiley sunflowers and jackhammer-riding zombies.

The gameplay will instantly feel familiar to anybody who's played a shooter before and the hit detection is pretty accurate(something that developers who specialize in shooters can even mess up). Both the plants and zombies will have four base units they can deploy into battle and each of those units will have subclasses with unique attributes; so even if you're technically playing the same class as someone else, the way each subclass plays keeps the mayhem fresh. PvZ fans will have a permanent grin as they play the series'  most memorable characters that have made the transition from stationary guards to fully mobile soldiers.

Your starting lineup. At point guard, we have Sunflower!

However, it's not all run-and-gun as each unit has a set of three cooldown abilities to spice up their strategy. For example, the game's heavy hitter, the chomper, has the burrow, goop and snare ability. The goop slows enemies, the snare holds them in place and the burrow allows the chomper to move underground and possibly gobble up an unsuspecting enemy. These actions all compliment the Chomper's namesake attack, the chomp. Not only are the abilities fun and fluid for the most part, but they neatly fit the personalities of the characters PopCap has made popular in PvZ, a fact both players new and old to the PvZ series will love.

The multiplayer is where "Garden Warfare" shines its brightest as both local and online play will keep players entranced for hours. Two people can team up locally to defend their garden against zombies for as many waves possible. The longer you stay alive, the more coins you get and the more coins you get the more you can unlock in the game. On this premise, players will be at it for hours trying to unlock every last character, item, and skin mod. Stickers can also be used to purchase potted plants in the defend your garden mode. Potted plants help you mow down your zombie foes and make the overall experience more enjoyable as a nod to the original game.

Unfortunately, only one player can take part in the online play. It seems like a missed opportunity considering the local play is a blast, but the upside is that both plants and zombies are playable in this mode. This is the first time where players can use the zombies which adds a whole new lineup of characters to choose from. There are plenty of modes to choose from including a capture the flag style game, team deathmatch and classic deathmatch where only the base units in the game are playable, creating a level playing ground for first time players and seasoned veterans. Matches go by fairly quickly and the lobby system is both simple yet effective as players can view battle statistics, chat and buy stickers in between matches.

Casey Jones makes an appearance as a zombie!

Levels are randomly selected and range from a pirate ship to a mining town with a train running through the middle. Although the maps aren't anything to write home about and the selection could be better, they do exude the PvZ mood with vibrant colors, a playful and goofy messages that add personality to the play, and that's what "Garden Warfare" is all about.

At the end of the day, this smirk-inducing, third-person shooter is a hell of a lot of fun. Silly, laid back, more addictive than crack-fun. But that's about it. There's no story(which, I mean, what would you expect anyways?), local play desperately needs to be upgraded to four players and more maps would be nice, but for $40 ($30 on the PS3) there's not much to complain about. Despite it's February release on the Xbox consoles, there should be plenty of Sony fans happy to see "Garden Warfare" finally make it's transition to PlayStation. So, if you like fun, plants, zombies, guns or any combination of the bunch, pick this up. It'll be a nice little appetizer until titles like "Evolve," "Destiny" and "Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain" can subdue our hunger. Plus, when's the next time you'll be able to say you killed a member of the undead with a potato? Well... besides "Dead Rising."

"Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare" gets an 8 out of 10 on the sweetness scale.

Sims 4 Create-a-Sims thoughts

Austin: You know, I haven't extensively played the Sims games, but I have dabbled so I was no stranger to making a new character. The first aspect about the Sims character creator or "Create-a-Sims" demo as developers, Electronic Arts, have so "creatively" named it is the amount of minor tweaks you can make to the characters. I tinkered with my avatar for a good 30 minutes and I still felt like I could do more to improve what I had. Not only does the program come with presets, but after a player chooses a face or body type he/she likes they can click on minor features like the cheeks or hips to enlarge or minimize the selected area. It was a nice little touch that seemed to give more control to gamer's who are all about making that picture perfect avatar(you know who you are!). Beyond that there is an option for facial hair, clothes, tattoos and much more. After my 30 minutes of work this is what I came up with.

Ignore the pink haired girl in the middle! 

My friend Josh, who has very limited play time with the Sims, also decided to try his hand at making a mini him. The experience was fairly entertaining and as you can probably tell *sigh* we didn't use source material for these characters. The demo also came with the option to personalize your Sims walk, hobbies, personalities and life goals. Even if I didn't care much for the creator itself, the character abilities dictated by a Sims' personality made me curious as to how they will translate to actual gameplay.

Although I'm not sure this was enough to ignite a burning passion inside me for "Sims 4," I absolutely didn't hate the experience. So to put it into perspective... I might not go out of my way to buy this game, but if a buddy asks me if I want to try out their copy, I wouldn't turn my nose up to it.

"Guardians" low profile paved way for positive reviews

By now, it's probably no big secret to anybody that the newest Marvel flick "Guardians of the Galaxy" has received a whole lot of praise from critics and fans alike. Metacritic scores it at 76 with a user score of 8.6 and box office figures report the fun filled space adventure complete with talking tree and wise-cracking raccoon generated more than $41 million. That's a nice little chunk of change for a franchise that most non-comic book readers have never even heard of. Heck, a lot of the comic nerds out there that I know don't have much to say about the Guardians, but somehow Marvel found a way to make us care, but how?

Sure, superhero movies tend to dominate the summer box offices. Just look up figures on the new TMNT movie and you'll see just how easy it is to rake in the cash, even with a film that didn't score half as well on Metacritic(34 out of 100 if you were wondering)! But the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have a colossal fan base when compared to Starlord and friends. So what made this formula so successful? Well, in this case, the low profile of the Guardians may have done more to set reasonable expectations for moviegoers rather than alienating them from the experience all together. 

Think about it, if people weren't sure about the wacky cast of characters that make up the five-man space brigade, they expect less from it than say a movie like, oh, I don't know, "The Avengers." With a movie like that, comic book fans as well as fans of the previous films were practically trampling over each other to get their tickets. Why? Well, in the case of the Avengers, it's almost an impossible question to answer. Some people wanted to see Thor. Some came to see Captain America. Others just wanted to see Robert Downey Jr.  Either way, expectations were high and rightfully so. A lot of people's favorites were out there alongside other heroes of legendary status and fans wanted nothing less than perfection. This wasn't a hurdle the Guardians had to overcome. 

Green chick, check. Raccoon with attitude, check. Space ent, double check.

Instead, I think the biggest problem "Guardians" looked to solve was getting people to care. After all, not everyone wants to watch a two-hour movie about some rocket-wielding raccoon, even though deep down I kind of wish they did. What better way to make Marvel fans care that than throw in Thanos, one of the biggest bad guys from the respective universe. By doing this, people who saw the Thanos teaser at the end of the Avengers wanted in on the action. 

To top it off, this film just looked like it was going to be stupid, silly fun wrapped up in a neat little package of ass kickery and a bit of mystery. There's humor, everybody loves Chris Pratt, there's action, everybody loves Chris Pratt and the movie is set in space. Who the hell doesn't want to watch a superhero movie set in outer space... with Chris Pratt? Add in a few more aliens, one strong and stupid, one sexy and smart and you have yourself some interest to say the least- but only interest. Not the overwhelming urge to say "this is going to be the best thing ever." 

Why do they call him Rocket? Oh... right. 

The trailers got butts into seats and those butts turned into bucks quickly. But at the end of the day, the movie was actually good- really good. It wasn't perfect and I had a few small qualms with with pacing, but nothing big enough to take away from the overall experience. Everything the trailers promised, the movie delivered it but better, and the best part is nobody even expected it, and that's what made it so memorable. It took people by surprise. That and unlike "The Avengers" the majority of the film wasn't spent getting all of the guardians to "play nice" together. 

The moral of the story here is that sometimes less is more and in the case of Guradians and peoples' knowledge of the franchise, less expectations turned into more enjoyment. I just want to see how the next "Guardians" entry measures up in the eyes of audience now that there's an established fan base. 

I wrote this with the intent of reviewing "Guardians," but at this point there's just been so much positive feedback that you all know what you'd be getting into. But if you haven't seen it you should stop reading this and be on your way to the theater now. Unless, of course, you want to go check out Michael Bay's latest attempt at mass childhood ruination. I'll just be here writing about games and patiently waiting for Guardians 2.