Comments 744

Re: PS5 Stock: When and Where to Buy PlayStation 5 in February 2021

jgrangervikings1

In Minnesota (US), I have not seen the PS5 system available in any store, but there are loads of PS5 games in every store that sells video games. Since there’s a decent number of games and very few people have a system, I’m not seeing a demand for all those games. They’re gathering dust. I can’t imagine the stores just want to sit around with all that stock, so I’m a bit surprised that PS5 game prices haven’t fallen sharply yet.

Re: Soapbox: The Long, Painful Path to My First Madden NFL 21 Online Win

jgrangervikings1

For what it’s worth...
—If it’s 2nd and short (1 or 2 yards to go to get a first down), chuck it deep. Even if it’s incomplete, it’ll just be 3rd and short, and you can still choose either a run or pass play to pick up the first down.
—If my cornerbacks are lousy, I don’t use much man-to-man defense because the offense’s passing attack will torch me.
—If you’re playing Mutant Football League and Mutant League Football (on Sega Genesis), bribe the refs. And, if the refs call a penalty against you, it’s likely because the other team bribed the refs, so you’ll want to kill the refs.
—If you’re playing NFL Blitz, keep using Da Bomb play. Nearly always works.

Re: Talking Point: What Content Do You Want from Push Square?

jgrangervikings1

1. More reviews on smaller titles.
2. More in-depth info on the smaller titles. So many games are released each week, and most of the smaller games aren’t talked about on other sites. If you’re wanting exclusive content that other sites can’t touch, that’s the ticket.
3. Q&A with smaller devs.
4. When there’s a lull in new games being released, revisit the best games from, say, this month two years ago and rank ‘em against, say, the games released this month three years ago. Include some polls to get user interaction. I love the PushSquare polls.
5. Reach out to devs and get the scoop on games they’re working on. Most indie dev games don’t get any buzz until the week they’re released. That’s a bummer. I want to know what’s in the pipeline!
6. When sales are announced, rank the top 5 deals.

Re: Next-Gen Pinball FX Will Bring Battle Royale Gameplay to the Tabletop

jgrangervikings1

@Badheelman Yes, on the PS3 there’s a game called Pinballistik that features wide tables that can open in the middle and you can shoot your balls onto the other player’s side to make their game more challenging. It’s been a few years since I played it on my PS3, but I remember it being pretty fun and always questioned why Zen didn’t make wide tables or more 2 player options.

Re: Hands On: Why You Should Be Using PS5 Remote Play More

jgrangervikings1

If only my PS4 could remotely play the PS5 owned by someone else who lives a few blocks away. I mean, at some point the PS5 owners have to go to work or school, so I could totally play their PS5 during those down times.

For that matter, they could pay me since I’d be doing them a service. I can make sure their PS5 is still in good shape and runnin’ good. 🤪

Re: Guide: New PS5, PS4 Games This Week (16th November to 22nd November)

jgrangervikings1

I have a tough time believing that other game companies haven’t taken the basic mechanic of Katamari and made it more appealing to the masses by westernizing it (aka making it less batsh!t crazy). Donut County made something similar, but made a bigger hole vs. a bigger rolley ball, and that was fun.

Since I’m dreaming, I hope a developer makes a new game along the lines of Gals Panic S2 / Cubixxx / Qix. I love those types of games.

Re: PS5 Price, Release Date Confirmed: 12th November in US, 19th in EU, $499 Standard, $399 Digital

jgrangervikings1

@Northern_munkey I bought Michael Jackson’s Thriller on album...then cassette...then cd...then ripped the cd to mp3s and put ‘em on a data disc...then moved ‘em to a flash drive...then my wife bought the tracks again on her iPhone. What’s the point? The only constant is change.

Physical media will likely disappear. It’s just a question of when. Eliminating physical media saves on manufacturing and distribution costs, and it gets the game into players’ hands nearly instantaneously. As soon as the files are uploaded onto the PSN site, money can be made and it goes directly to Sony—with no middle men taking a cut of the profits. Digital direct-to-consumer sales HUGELY boost Sony’s (and other developers’) profit potential.

Re: Guide: New PS4 Games This Week (3rd August to 9th August)

jgrangervikings1

Zaccaria Pinball is free-to-play, and it’s fun in short bursts. One pinball table is fully playable (1980’s Space Shuttle), and the other tables have a score limit—usually attainable anywhere from 12 seconds to about 3 minutes, depending on how long you can bash the ball around without hitting the lit lanes or the specials.

It’s fun that many of the special effect sounds come out the controller speaker—it feels more life-like that way, and the rumble of the controller feels just right. The sound effects of the flippers are right on, too.

The play is somewhat better than the Farsight studio pinball games of the past (Gottleib and Williams Pinball Hall of Fame and Stern Pinball)—the ball just moves more realistically. I like that the player can adjust the lighting/colors on the tables, so it one-ups Zen Pinball in that respect. And, and the ability to modify the arcade room’s carpet and wallpaper were a neat addition.

Still, at the end of the day, the pinball tables in Zaccaria Pinball are based on actual machines, many from the 1970s and 80s, and that’s what holds it back. Ultimately, the game will hold your attention for only as long as your thirst for your memories of the past need quenching and, considering I don’t remember any of these machines in the American arcades I frequented, it wasn’t too long before I was ready to move on to something else. That said, the download is fairly small and the entry price point is nice. It’s worth a look if you’re looking to play something different or if you enjoy playing pinball.

Re: PS Plus July 2020 PS4 Games Announced

jgrangervikings1

I own Erica. It’s okay. For a full-motion video game, it’s got good production value. The story and payoff, however, weren’t all that exciting or interesting—at least to me. I had more fun with The Complex and The Bunker. Still, it’ll be good that more players are introduced to FMV games.

As for the Tomb Raider game, it’s been available on PS Now for a few months and I wasn’t interested enough to try it then. And, a previous Tomb Raider game was given away through PS+ a few years ago. I played that game then—it was good. I’m sure this is a good game, too, so kudos for giving out a high quality game. Still, I’d rather the game be from a series that hasn’t been previously tapped.

As for the NBA game, we’ve already gotten a couple of NBA 2K games through PS+ in the past so, again, I’d rather it be a different game from an untapped series. And, it’s not as though NBA basketball changes all that much from year to year, anyway. We’ll have updated rosters, new animations, and slightly more polished graphics. The Timberwolves sucked then, and they still suck now. Let me play with the ‘94 roster, and I’ll be slightly more interested. Still, the 2K series of NBA are high quality games, so I’m glad basketball fans will have something to play.

I’m sure many players will be excited for July’s games, and they’re fine AAA choices, but I don’t foresee myself playing them. I’ll add ‘em to the library, though, just in case something unforeseen happens and I have extra time on my hands. Who knows?! Maybe there will be a pandemic. 🤨

Re: The 'New and Improved' PlayStation Blog Goes Down Poorly with Fans

jgrangervikings1

My guess is that it’s a cost-savings move to save on labor costs. Employees probably had to take mandatory furloughs, and this is what got cut. And, if there’s enough public outcry, then Sony will bring it back and say that they’re listening, the fans have spoken, and they’re committed to providing the best info and service that they can. At that point, the furloughs will have been taken, and business will be back to usual...and Sony comes away from this whole thing smellin‘ like a rose.

Re: PS Plus Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary Today

jgrangervikings1

Hey, let the users download a free game for PS1, PS2, PS3, PS4, PSP, and PS Vita. Heck, throw in a free PSMini game and a PS Mobile game, too. Just do it—give ‘em all away, Sony! And, on my end, I’m willing to take on the heavy responsibility—the burden, if you will—of scouring through PSN with a fine-toothed comb to find the most wothy games, managing the PS4’s hard drive and ensuring there’s space for all of ‘em, downloadin’ ‘em, bootin’ ‘em up, and givin’ each one of ‘em a thorough playthrough. And, I’ll even pay for my internet service and electricity costs. I’d do all that as a way to honor PSN and PS+. Sony, you’re welcome.

Re: Earth Defense Force 6 Announced, Brings Bug-Blasting Chaos to Japan in 2021

jgrangervikings1

Is this a Sandlot game?

———

To save our mother Earth from any alien attack
From vicious giant insects who have once again come back
We'll unleash all our forces, we won't cut them any slack
The EDF deploys!

Our soldiers are prepared for any alien threats
The navy launches ships, the air force send their jets
And nothing can withstand our fixed bayonets
The EDF deploys!

Our forces have now dwindled and we pull back to regroup
The enemy has multiplied and formed a massive group
We better beat these bugs before we're all turned to soup
The EDF deploys!

Re: Blind Gamer Reacts to The Last of Us 2's Unprecedented Accessibility Options

jgrangervikings1

Touching video. Glad the research is being done, glad the options are there.

I was playing Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune on PS4 this weekend, and, literally, after YEARS of playing, getting frustrated, and rage quitting over and over again I FINALLY finished the game. The problem? The colors on all three of my tvs were too dark, and I couldn’t see where to go or what to do in basic cave areas. I had cranked up the brightness on the game settings and on the tvs, I tried playing at night in the dark, and it still didn’t matter—the game was still too dark in places...but for years I never knew that was the reason why I was struggling to play through it.

So, how did I finally finish the game? How did I learn the brightness was the problem? I finally broke down, went onto YouTube and watched someone do a playthrough. I hate watching playthroughs because I feel like I’m cheating. I enjoy figuring out the puzzles on my own. But, what I found was that the brightness levels on my iPhone go much higher than my tv, and it was like a night and day difference. I could see different colors and textures on the walls—it was awesome.

I do have some vision issues, but even with my glasses and standing a foot away from my 65 inch LED tv and squinting, I had to pause the game about every other minute on some of the final levels to view the iPhone YouTube walkthrough so that I could see what direction I needed to go.

The point is...accessibility options can be hugely important to game enjoyment. Uncharted had a brightness option, but it still wasn’t enough. Naughty Dog could’ve done more. I’m glad they’re doing more with TLOU 2.

Re: The Complex - Live Action Sci-Fi Story Should Have Stayed in Quarantine

jgrangervikings1

I just played through The Complex and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought the acting was great. The characters were engaging, the story was interesting, and it was a great way to spend an evening—a couple of hours, some choices, some intrigue, and a great overall experience. Given the low price and opportunities to go back and play through it multiple times to see different endings, it’s worth a look—at the right price point. At a $19.99 price point I’d give it a 7.5. At a $14.99 price point, I’d give it an 8.0. At a $9.99 price point, it’s an 8.5. And, if you can scoop it up for $4.99 or less, it’d be worth a 9.0.

Re: Poll: Predict The Last of Us 2 Review Scores

jgrangervikings1

It’ll come in at a 92. It should be higher, but there are always reviewers who believe nothing is “perfect” because there are always small, subtle things that can be changed here or there. And there will be a few reviewers who felt certain story arcs or dialogue responses should’ve gone a different direction. Still, Naughty Dog is the cream of the crop, and I honestly can’t remember when they last put anything less than stellar onto the market. I suppose it’s always possible TLOU2 could be “el poopy“, but there’s a better chance that the COVID-19 pandemic started from Donald Trump’s uneaten Taco Bell leftovers.