Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade - Rayman Mini - The First Hour

This fourth video in the new Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade series is on Rayman Mini. This is an exclusive game on Apple Arcade from Ubisoft and Pastagames.

When searching for games to play on Apple Arcade, Rayman Mini wasn't one that had turned up when looking through the charts nor had it been recommended to me before. So when i found it i was genuinely surprised as i hadn't heard about this game before.

this meant i came into this video a little excited and definitely intrigued. thankfully, this game doesn't get bogged down with a tutorial as it incorporates it into the adventure mode. it is a little light, it just says where to touch and what it does. there's no letting the player try it out before the level starts. i wouldn't say the levels are easy, but the first couple have no hazards that can kill Rayman. Plus, restarting a level is really quick so it's a useful way to acclimatise to the controls.

But it's not an easy game. you're tasked with collecting all the Lums in a level as doing so unlocks a new version of the main characters. but i only managed to do this in a couple of levels. Rayman Mini is a runner, so it's very difficult to go back if you miss something and some levels simply block off the past areas of a level. Which means, Rayman Mini is a puzzle runner. 

Because of this, i came away from this game thinking that it was more difficult that i expected it to be. getting into the game and replaying levels is really quick, so replaying isn't an issue. but there is an element of frustration in being unable to solve the puzzle that is the level. there are no check points, at least so far, and they can go by too fast to see it all. there were more than a couple of levels where i couldn't work out how to get all the Lums.

Another issue i had with the game was the controller lag, or what felt like to me a lag between what i wanted Rayman to do and Rayman actually doing it on the screen. i tried both handheld and bluetooth controller and the lag felt like the same using both controller methods. the speed of the game, especially the music level, made timing actions really hard. To the point where it felt like i had to learn the level rather than react to the level.

Rayman Mini is a beautiful game and is one that can show off the power of the platform. it continues the art style that Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends popularized, and arguably revitalised the series, as well as the music stages and challenges. it's worth downloading and trying. but it's not an easy game and one which could be more frustrating than fun. for me, i ultimately found it frustrating and i probably won't be heading back to it.

Backlog Conquering - Eat Them! - Part 2 - A More Difficult 45 Minutes

Welcome to Backlog Conquering.

Today's video is part 2, the second 45 minutes, of playing Eat Them! on PS3.

Yesterday's video, https://youtu.be/yFzk0i8jj1Y, was a fairly simple one where the game was only difficult when i made mistakes. Today's video starts off with me failing to complete a level.

As mentioned yesterday, the game is split into comic books and today's video saw me trying to complete the 3rd comic book. but it's first level was more difficult than i expected. and it wasn't a major problem, i'd just keep missing a policeman and it would stop the convicts from escaping. after a few attempts i learned i had to be more attentive. i couldn't just go and clear a path, i had to manage said path whilst also trying not to be killed.

But that wouldn't be the only stage where i failed. the other failures were much tighter so whilst it was a little annoying to fail, it wasn't a huge issue. but i'm a little concerned going forward by the apparent jump up in difficulty. Let me know in the comments how much harder it's going to get.

Pokémon Violet - The Twenty-First Part – Defeating Tulip, The Psychic Gym Leader

*This video was recorded before Christmas, so the start of this and the next video had me talking like the videos were coming out before Christmas.

In Part 20, https://youtu.be/_ygjAKAVATc, i got to Alfornada City and began to level up, ready for the gym battle. In this video, i take on the Psychic Gym and eventually get the gym battle.

I say eventually because i failed to beat Tulip during my first attempt. But i only needed to make a couple of changes to my team before i quickly tried again and defeated her.

This video is long because i first spend some time levelling up my first squad, as well as some exploring, before ending the video by moving to outside the Poison Type Team Star Base.

Pokémon Violet - The Twentieth Part – The Journey to And Exploring Alfornada City

*This video was recorded before Christmas, so the start of this and the next video had me talking like the videos were coming out before Christmas.

This video takes place after my third 20 Online Tera Raid Battles video, https://youtu.be/7pPtfUcsJgE,  and starts with me showing off some of the new pokemon and squad changes i've made since Part 19 of my Pokémon Violet Game Play, https://youtu.be/ujeNBlHDWmU. Once that's all finished, the goal is simple ... head to Alfornada City and get ready for it's gym leader.

The journey there was an unexpected as i expected. I've gone into the game knowing as little as possible and that includes how to get from city to city. so heading into a giant cave was kinda expected as i've been in several already. but the size and scale of it was totally unexpected. especially the verticality of it.

Once out, i changed my team up a bit to make it more suitable for the gym leader and did some levelling up at the outskirts of Alfornada City. to end the video i head into the city and explore it before going to the gym and seeing what the gym challenge will be. in the next video, you'll see my attempt at the challenge and the gym leader.

Backlog Conquering - Eat Them! - The First Part

Welcome to Backlog Conquering.

Today's video is part 1, the first 45 minutes, of playing Eat Them! on PS3.

This is one of those games that i've seen on my XMB for many years, i even remember watching the little video that plays when it's highlighted. But i've never played it as there's always been something else i've wanted to play more. Well not today. 

It makes a good first impression. it's quick to load and has a whole lot of style. back when this game came out in 2010, it was a somewhat more familiar style of cell shading. but it's not as common today. the lines are thick and black and really work with the art style. it's surprisingly clear what everything is, from the big buildings right down to the characters running away or attacking you.

The tutorial is a bit too brisk. there's a lot happening on screen during it. i would've liked a bit more of a step by step approach, as seen in the game's monster creating area. but the game is mostly simple enough that you can work it out as you play through the opening areas.

You do need to pay attention as to what you're being tasked to do. a couple of times i wasn't paying attention. in this video i play through the tutorial and first "comic." Each map is split into comics, and each comic is broken up into different stages. for the first comic/area, there were 7 stages and i play through each. i also try out the monster creator, too.

Puzzle & Dragons Tuesday - Nintendo Switch Edition - New Year's Cup! - Achievement Run

Welcome to Puzzle & Dragons Tuesday! Sit back and either watch me play through, with no commentary, the cup or leave it running in the background as BGM!

I play and earn all the achievements from the New Year's Cup! (12/25 4PM - 1/1 4PM (PST)) in Puzzle & Dragons: Nintendo Switch Edition whilst using a GamePad and my Nintendo Switch is Docked.

This was one of the most difficult weeks in a long time. it took over an hour to get all the achievements! i didn't get a win, but i did get a couple of second places. it's a little difficult to understand why i didn't do well this week as i thought i understood what the gimmicks where. Sure, some of my opponents were really tough but i never came close to beating the boss too.

Online Saturday - Pac-Man 99 - 45 Minutes of Gameplay

For this weeks Online Saturday, i wanted to give Pac-Man 99 another try. I saw i had it on my switch, when i was getting Tetris 99 ready https://youtu.be/Fy7VXszf8TY, and i had genuinely forgotten i had it. i hadn't played it since it came out.

So for this video, i just wanted to try it out. i had some vague memories about it, memories like it being complicated or confusing. But they were vague so i mostly went in not knowing what to expect.

after 45 minutes i decided to call it a day and i had a good time with the game. i'd go so far as to say that the worst experience i had with it was actually the controller! the game uses the D-pad for directions and in each battle i did, i had an issue with it. the game does have 8 different options to choose from, 4 on each the left analogue stick and right buttons, and i did find them confusing and just stuck with a combination that seem to work well with my play style. it's possible that there were better combinations out there for me, but seeing as none of them were explained in game i didn't experiment too much.

Switch Funday - Pokémon Violet - 20 Online Random Tera Raid Battles 3

Today's Switch Funday is a return to Online Radom Tera Raid battles in Pokémon Violet. I enjoy these raid battles, i never know what i'll battle against or what Pokémon i'll fight alongside. 

In today's video, there was a weird connection issue. you'll see an issue with the 15th battle where we wait several minutes before we can start fighting. Then with the 16th battle, it's a repeat of the 15th. that has to be an error as the chances of it happening must surely be astronomically low.

There's no real standout catch, but at the end of the video i do decide to swap out my Arctibax for the newly caught Frigibax as it has a much better hidden move and Tera Type.

Online Saturday - Tetris 99 - Getting The Tetris Maximus Cup Kirby’s Dream Buffet Theme

Welcome to Online Saturday!

Today i'm playing Tetris 99 on Nintendo Switch. it's been a while since i last played this game, but the goal today is to get Kirby’s Dream Buffet Theme from this weekends Tetris Maximus Cup.

I'm not the best player and in all the time i've put into this game i've not won it either. But i do get the theme, and even accidently have an extra battle! an added bonus is that i don't commentate throughout, so you can sit back and enjoy Tetris and the cool music for this cup.

Let me know how the cup went for you. did you get a win?

Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade - Warped Kart Racers - The First Hour

This third video in the new Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade series is on Warped Kart Racers. This is an exclusive game on Apple Arcade from 

Electric Square.

In the last video in this series, https://youtu.be/J_oywbo5WmI, i mentioned that i'd like to try out a racing game from Apple Arcade. I had a look and there were some familiar names and sequels on there. But Warped Kart Racers caught my attention because of the characters. i've watched most of the shows the characters are from, but it's not just characters as there are race tracks and collectables from these shows too.

When you star the game you're straight into a race. the Prologue section of the game acts like a tutorial with each race, or part of a race, being used to teach the controls of the game. it's very short, maybe 10 minutes or so, and simple to understand. Tho, it was a little difficult to master. I've played a lot of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Sonic All Stars racers and it's difficult not to compare this game to those top Kart Racers. in terms of controls, there are some differences but in the end they're slight and easy to adjust to. i felt like whether i used the touch screen or controller i was mostly in control.

This was the second time i've tried out using a controller and it was a welcoming experience. i went to the main menu, thinking a controller symbol was a button to press, and when i turned on the controller and it paired automatically the game added button prompts to the screen making it clear what button did what. This continued into the game as on screen prompts got controller buttons, too. i felt that i was able to be accurate with a controller, but the main benefit was that it was easier to fire off weapons. when using the screen, the fire button is above the drift, and it was difficult to reach with another finger so often i'd have to fire after a drift.

Ultimately, i had a nice time and i do feel that whilst it can be compared to other Kart Racers, it does have some of it's own unique charm. most of that comes from the shows that characters and tracks come from. so the more you like them, the more you'll get from this game. the thing that i think will be the most hit or miss with players is the character art. there's a slight cell shading on all the characters and they're also somewhat stylized in a way that makes all the characters from the different shows feel like they're from the same place. the tracks and their backgrounds were fantastic and mostly full of life, but i did find the characters themselves a little distracting. And, as it wasn't a problem, i should say the Dynamic Island never got in the way of the game.

Warped Kart Racers is well worth playing. there's something to enjoy if you like the shows, something to enjoy if you like Kart Racers, and something to enjoy if you like racing games. at the very least, the quick introduction to the game, via the tutorial and first set of races, makes this an easy game to try out, like a demo, whether you're out and about or at home.

Pokémon Violet - The Nineteenth Part – Defeating The Lurking Steel Titan

I’m the previous video, I followed the path and ended up in #Zapapico Town. In today’s video, I go from there across the desert to where the Lurking Steel Titan is. 

As usual, I meander along the way. So if you want to see the titan fight, head to the end of the video. Along the way I level up several Pokémon and catch some familiar fire types. I show that I only have 3 different fire type Pokémon and I was concerned that I would struggle against the titan. 

But as I made my way through the desert, it became clear that my team was most likely fine, if not over leveled for the task. Still, it was a shock to see what the Titan ended up being!

Pokémon Violet - The Eighteenth Part – The Journey to Zapapico Town

I didn't have a goal for this video. as you'll see in the beginning, there were many options open to me. In the end, i ended up following a path to the mountains near Medali City in West Province.

I then needed to find a Pokémon Centre, so that then became my target. i left and continued to follow a path and before i really knew it, i had ended up in Zapapico Town. I saw some raids in the distance so i went to have a look, but i came right back to Zapapico Town. 

as per usual, for me, there's lots of meandering on the journey, and even a really big fall. i evolved a Pokémon and caught a new one. Overall, it was a nice relaxing time and i hope you'll enjoy it as much as i did.

Pokémon Violet - The Seventeenth Part – Exploring Medali City and Defeating Larry

The goal for this video was to explore Medali City and to do it’s gym. Of course, with a little bit of meandering along the way. 

I did it, but it wasn’t easy. The gym challenge was unique and kinda interesting. It certainly got me thinking and took a little time. But the gym battle was hard. Larry’s team is tough with some good coverage moves. I made some mistakes and more than once I thought it would’ve been a loss.

Then my rival challenged me to a battle right afterwards. There was no time to change my team to my regular team. So they also had a hard battle and once again I thought I was going to lose. But, somehow, I won. 

I don’t really have a plan as to where I’m going to go next!

Puzzle & Dragons Tuesday - Nintendo Switch Edition - Christmas Cup 1! - Achievement Run

Welcome to Puzzle & Dragons Tuesday! Sit back and either watch me play through, with no commentary, the cup or leave it running in the background as BGM!

I play and earn all the achievements from the Christmas Cup 1! (12/11 4PM - 12/18 4PM (PST)) in Puzzle & Dragons: Nintendo Switch Edition whilst using a GamePad and my Nintendo Switch is Docked.

Back to back weeks of winning and finishing in 6 rounds!

Out of the 6 games, i won the first 4, got a second and a third place. it looked like i would get a clean sweep, but a new player came in in my fifth match and was able to beat me in that game and the following sixth match.

Just like in the video last week, the rules for this week were simple to understand and easy to pull off. you'll see in every game that i try to make a L shape and try to make long chains of the same color as these offered the highest attack score. as ever, combo's are somewhat luck based but i did get lucky a few times.

Pokémon Violet - The Sixteenth Part – The Journey From Porto Marinada to Medali City

I didn't expect so much of what happened on the way from Porto Marinada to Medali City.

The first big highlight was walking into a lvl 50 area with my lvl 35 Pokémon. I was soo excited in seeing a Tropius but as soon as i caught it, i knew i had to get out of there. But even then i was surprised when i came across a new fish Pokémon, Tatsugiri. i tried to catch it but it used Memento every time i tried.

Another highlight has to be catching a Frigibax via a Online Raid Battle. i had never seen one before, but i really liked it's design. being a Dragon Ice dual type is interesting and it soon became a part of my team and evolving into Arctibax, a Pokémon with an even cooler design.

All along the way i was on the look out for shiny Pokémon and new Pokémon. But i also had to level up some of my Pokémon, too. i haven't used fighting types, and with Medali City home to the Normal Type Gym, i really had to put in some effort.

Switch Funday - Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass - 5 Tracks from DLC Wave 3

On December 7th, Wave 3 of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: Booster Course Pack was released. This included 8 courses. My goal was to play as many of them as i could in an hour. Ultimately, i was only able to play 5 of the 8 in not too much longer than an hour.

London Loop was fun, the map looks intense and the level changes each lap so it's very interesting. Berlin Byways, like London Loop, has many famous places from the city as well as a course that also changes as you play. Peach Gardens is also interesting as on the last lap the direction of the race changes. I thought Merry Mountain was a little simple, but there are hazards on the track to watch out for. the same can be said, to a lesser degree, about Rock Rock Mountain as i found it to be more interesting with its flying sections and hazards.

Overall, i enjoyed the courses i played. i didn't pay for the DLC as it comes with my Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pass. 

Online Saturday - Splatoon 3 - Big Run December Event

I'm back with Splatoon 3 to try out the Big Run. It was added to the game in the Chill Season update, game update 2.0.0, but didn't start until this weekend, December 10-12. 

In today's video, i play about an hour of this new game mode. Splatoon 3 is up to update 2.0.1, i think it fixes the brush and roller issues introduced in 2.0.0. I've played a few Salmon Runs so far so i kinda knew what could happen. But this Big Run takes place on a new map, Wahoo World. So i was a little unfamiliar with the layout of the map. there were also a few waves where i hadn't played their rules before so i was caught off guard a few times.

Despite all that, i had a fun time and actually won a few games. I was able to get the December Salmon Run item twice, an Astro Helm, too! If you've played Salmon Run, you basically know what to expect. if this is your first time, well each game of Big Run is split into 3 waves. you play all three on the same map, but possibly at different areas of it. Water levels could also change between waves meaning the areas of the map you can access also change. As with any Splatoon 3 video i do, i fell into the water a couple of times. i thought the range of weapons you could be assigned at the start of each wave was greater than any Salmon Run i've played before. the positive there being i got to try a weapon i haven't used at yet in all my hours of playing Splatoon 3 and i got to use a trusty 'brella!

Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade - Zookeeper World - The First 45 Minutes

This second video in the new Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade series is on Zookeeper World. This is an exclusive game on Apple Arcade from Kiteretsu.

I haven't played any other games in the series, nor did i know what it was about. and after 45 minutes, i had a great time. This video is also interesting because for the first 20 minutes or so i played using my phone's screen. then for the next 20 or so, i switched to an Xbox Controller.

I found using the touch screen controls was OK, but the camera was a pain to use. When playing the match sections, it was also easy to catch the top and bottom of the screen. so in the video you'll see me drag the notification screen down once or twice.

Using a controller was an interesting experience as i hadn't used one before with my phone. When i record these Mobile Friday videos, and i mention this in the video once or twice, i use Apple's HDMI out cable and have it going to my TV. so when i switched, i put the phone down and focused solely on the TV. I felt that the camera became easier to manage, but i think that's more because it moves slower with a controller compared to what it did with my thumb. moving tiles was also slower, but for most of the video it wouldn't be an issue as there wasn't a time limit … until there was a time limit at the end of the video.

Ultimately, i had a nice time. the graphics aren't mind blowing but they are great to look at and certainly give the game a unique look and character. the game combines a match game with a zoo management sim and pulled it off very well in the 45 minutes i played. the music is subtle but fun and the sound effects aren't obnoxious nor saccharine sweet. i had a good time and it is a game i would recommend. after 45 minutes, you might have played all you need to, but they're a good 45 minutes.

Pokémon Violet - The Fifteenth Part – Defeating Iron Treads the Quaking Earth Titan

This proved to be a little more difficult than I expected. But it was nice seeing this strange donphan. It defeated my team. 

I had set up my team in a way to cover what ever type it would be, as it’s a Pokémon I hadn’t seen before I didn’t know what type(s) it had. The battle started with it k.o.ing my Jumpluff in one hit, as well with most other Pokémon. 

I tweaked my team and set out to level up a couple of times, and that was all I needed to do. Going back in for my second attempt, things went much better. I don’t think it was luck, either. It hits very hard, but most things hung on. But the biggest difference had to be my Crocalor evolving. It could go bad as it’s new ghost type isn’t great against Knock-Off. but it held on and Arven and I finished it off.

Pokémon Violet - The Fourteenth Part – Exploring Levincia and Defeating The Electric Gym Leader Iono

In part 13, https://youtu.be/VhVN03tH5YI, I reached the Pokémon level limit with several of my regulars and even had one over the level 34 limit that had started to ignore my commands. So the goal of this video is simple, get my fourth badge and in doing so raise the max level Pokémon would obey me. 

As usual I did some wandering outside Levincia City before heading in, or in my case swimming in! I think I explored all around the city and talked to everyone I could, just in case there was a trade to be done but I didn’t find one. But with the cities being as big as they are, it’s possible I missed a part of it. 

Battling the gym was easier than expected. Iono’s Pokémon weren’t much higher than the last gym I did. Getting the badge only raised the minimum level to 40, too!

Pokémon Violet - The Thirteenth Part – Finally Defeating Team Star’s Mela and Wandering Around

I did it, i finally beat Mela. 

it kinda took 3 videos, the first time i realised i wasn't strong enough for the grunts, the second time i actually lost in combat, and this video where even after learning from my mistakes it was still a difficult fight. you can hear my emotions when i finally won.

It's a long video because i wandered around, levelling up, checking Tera Raid Battles, and catching new Pokémon. i ventured a bit further away than i had before and caught a handful of new Pokémon i had never seen before. i also spent a little time sorting out the moves of my Pokémon. But we saw that i had reached a level cap, i need the next badge to increase the level of Pokémon who will obey me. I had at least one battle where i used a Pokémon too high a level and they ignored me a bit.

Puzzle & Dragons Tuesday - Nintendo Switch Edition - Amon Cup! - Achievement Run

Welcome to Puzzle & Dragons Tuesday! Sit back and either watch me play through, with no commentary, the cup or leave it running in the background as BGM!

I play and earn all the achievements from the Amon Cup! (12/4 4PM - 12/11 4PM (PST)) in Puzzle & Dragons: Nintendo Switch Edition whilst using a GamePad and my Nintendo Switch is Docked.

This might be my best week ever!

Out of the 6 games, i won the first 4 and finished with a second place. i hoped to win all 5, but the player who came into my fifth game completely blew all of us away. The rules this week were simple with an added bonus for making cross shapes. this meant it was easy and fun to try and make as many combos as possible. The power-ups mostly helped with this two with most of them changing orbs in a way that filled the playfield with many of the same colors.

Pokémon Violet - The Twelfth Part – Defeating The Water Gym and Losing to Team Star’s Mela

This twelfth part of playing through Pokémon Violet started with one simple goal, defeat Cascarrafa Gym Leader Kofu and get the Water Badge. And that was simple enough to do.

After that though i decided to head across the map to the Fire Team Star Base. i had tried to beat them once before, but the grunt outside was several levels higher than my Pokémon so i never went in a gave it a go. This time, i had stronger Pokémon and quickly dealt with the grunts inside. But i didn't manage to beat Mela. Her Torkoal bested a couple of my Pokémon and her Revavroom finished off my team.

I think i can beat her, i just need to choose a better team. i kinda forgot how these worked so only had Pokémon to deal with the grunts. i didn't have much else to deal with her two. I'm not angry or sad about it, going in with as little knowledge as possible, i knew situations like this would happen. it's not the first time i've lost all 6 Pokémon to an enemy.

Cloud Monday - Assassin’s Creed: Origins - Part 2 - A Second Hour of Streaming Issues

Cloud Monday sees a return to Assassin's Creed: Origins this week. last week's video, https://youtu.be/X5e1b-JPh70, was full of streaming issues. so i said i'd give it another go on another day and at a different time. unfortunately, things haven't improved much.

We didn't get as many "Grey Outs" this week, and in some respects i might even say it was a better streaming experience this week. But there were issues. the most common one seemed to be a drop is resolution, to the point in some places that it was difficult to read the on screen text.

So, can i recommend this game be played via PlayStation Plus Premium? No, i can't. it has worked as an excellent demo. but other than that, the experience of playing the game was marred by the streaming issues.

Switch Funday: Pokémon Violet - 20 Online Random Tera Raid Battles!

I did it again!

i enjoyed doing random online Tera Raid Battles last time, you can watch that video here https://youtu.be/8awMWkwVu7I, so i did it again. i don't know if this'll be a weekly thing or if it'll take the play of a Game Play video, but for now here's a second video.

This is also my first video with the most recent patch, 1.1, and maybe it helped improve online stability. what happened in the first video, but was edited out, was that there were 4 or 5 times where the game said there were no random online Tera Raid Battles. and that could be true, maybe there weren't enough players online when i was. But there were also disconnection issues. whether that was me being unable to join a game it found or all four of us in a group unable to go to a Raid Battle. In This video you won't see it, but there was just 1 disconnection and no issues finding a game.

As for what i caught, well you'll have to watch the video and find out!

Online Saturday - Splatoon 3 - Trying Out Patch 2.0.0 - Improved Online Stability?

Welcome to Online Saturday!

Patch 2.0.0 was released a day or twp ago for Splatoon 3 on Switch. This patch introduced the new Chill Season. Some of the headline additions to the game were a new game mode for high level players, X Battles, a twist on Salmon Run, Big Run, some new weapons, and the return of the Brinewater Springs and Flounder Heights stages.

Big Run hasn't started yet and X Battles is something i can't join because my level is too low. i was also aware of some bugs that this patch had introduced, specifically for the paint brush and roller weapons. So, going into this my goal was simple, can i notice any changes for me. and Yeah, i think i could.

In the hour or so of playing, one thing really stood out to me, and i'm sure i mentioned it a few times during the video too. the waiting times for online Turf War games were much shorter. typically, they were around 30 seconds to a minute. but, after this patch i felt that the waiting times were 10 seconds to maybe 40 seconds. i also noticed that i had no connection issues during the hour. again, typically, i've found that there's at least 1 connection issue during an hour's play time. sometimes more in a Splatfest. but here, i found it to be rock solid. i also noticed that the players i was playing with also managed to stay together longer than normal.

Of course, this could be for a number of reasons like my internet or a general increase of players playing the game here in my region. but there's always been a lot, so more could actually be bad. that's why i'm strongly suggesting that i think online connectivity has been improved in this patch. But feel free to talk in the comments about your own experiences of this patch.

I'm hoping to try out Big Run when it starts later this month, as well as getting this month's Salmon Run item. so that'll be another video.

Pokémon Violet - The Eleventh Part - Exploring Porto Marinda and Catching My First Shiny!

This eleventh part of the Pokémon Violet Game Play Series focused on Exploring Porto Marinda and finding Cascarrafa's Gym Leader Kofu.

Of course, i wandered about and explored the light house outside the town. once the town was finished, i also explored a nearby beach and found my first shiny Pokémon! in part 10, https://youtu.be/uKN1o3XA5bA, i found a Grass Tera Type Sandygast and in this video i found a shiny one. it's shiny form is also cool, it's black.

Other than that, i didn't do too much more. i tried again to find a Tinkatink but couldn't find one. i did speak to someone in Cascarrafa City and got a Wooper via trade for a Paldean Wooper.

Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade - Star Trek: Legends - A Lacklustre First Hour

For the next few videos, Mobile Friday will become Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade. I forgot that with my phone upgrade i also got some months free with Apple Arcade. So i'll use them to explore what the service offers on my phone, as i don't have an Apple TV or Mac.

The first game i chose to play was a selfish choice, much like my Star Trek: Lower Decks video https://youtu.be/5rA9Fb4SVhI, because i really enjoy watching Star Trek and i'm on the lookout for a game to equally enjoy.

This however isn't it. It's possible my expectations going in were too high, because it's something i enjoy, but you'll hear me compare it to other mobile games i've played in this series throughout and constantly find issues or areas where it's lacking features, clarity, or just "common sense."

There is a lot to this game and i wouldn't dismiss it immediately. if the game's story isn't captivating you then there's always the online features. admittedly i didn't try them out in this video. The game's tutorial isn't too long and there's no extra download when you start it for the first time, or if there is it wasn't revealed to the player that it's happening.

Have a watch of this video and judge it for yourself.

Pokémon Violet - The Tenth Part - Crossing Asado Desert, Seeing and Catching Many New Pokémon

This tenth part had one goal, cross the Asado Desert. And i did it!

And what a journey it was!

If you're unfamiliar with this play through, i've gone into this game knowing very little. mostly just rumours from a couple of months ago and what i've seen in the trailers. So, this video is full of surprises for me.

It was soo much fun coming across Pokémon i've seen in raid battles, https://youtu.be/8awMWkwVu7I, as well as spotting random Pokémon out in the world. i tried to catch as many as i could, i've even added one to my team.

It's a longer video as the Asado Desert is very large, but as usual i meander my way across as well as trying out a path i don't think i've tried before.