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.

Puzzle & Dragons Tuesday - Nintendo Switch Edition - Mille 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 Mille Cup! (11/27 4PM - 12/4 3:59PM (PST)) in Puzzle & Dragons: Nintendo Switch Edition whilst using a GamePad and my Nintendo Switch is Docked.

This was a much better Cup for me than the last one. The previous Cup, https://youtu.be/TGWaHPERguM, took over an hour and a half to complete and i got only one 2nd place finish, you can see that as a short here https://youtube.com/shorts/4Prtorvj8l4. This Cup took more than an hour less to complete! That's mostly down to the score gimmicks being easier.

There were some high-level competition, i did win a couple of times! i had one dud game, all the rest were fairly high scoring, and it was genuinely tense at the final score screen to see where we came and who got a bonus. throughout nearly all the games, the bonuses were switching from player to player and when one of them is down to chance, that being the combo bonus, who knows who'll get it. i did get to the boss a couple of times, but i never beat them.

Cloud Monday - Assassin’s Creed: Origins - Part 1 - An Hour with Numerous Streaming Issues

Cloud Monday is back and this week i'm trying out a somewhat bigger release than anything i've played so far. I really enjoy history, so this was more of a personal choice than playing it for any specific reason.

But the video title says "Part 1" for a reason and that is because the hour i played was full of streaming issues. more than once the connection warning appeared in the top right. So, like the Lost Planet video, i'll do a second video on a different day and time to see if the problems persist. for Lost Planet, the second video was much better than the first.

And it wasn't just the connection warning. there were instances of grey screen, faded low resolution colours, and some big quality drops. in other games in this series, when the quality has dropped it's often felt like 1080p drops down to 720p and whilst noticeable it was rarely a big deal. in this game, there were many instances where the drop was big, harsh, and ultimately, they broke the immersion of the game and world.

Pokémon Violet - The Ninth Part - My First Victory Against Team Star and Exploring Cascarrafa City

This ninth part is a more focused and shorter video than some recent ones. My main goal was to defeat my first Team Star Base. Everything else would be a bonus.

I had tried to do Team Star before in my sixth video, https://youtu.be/BeMvjwAMzjg, but found i was under levelled for the grunt outside it so i didn't try doing it. So, going into this one i wasn't exactly sure how it would work. It didn't go too smoothly, i felt like the "lock on" aspect of telling your Pokemon to attack didn't work that well. but i was impressed by the huge space inside. it's just, it seemed like a waste. when it was over and i could explore, it was mostly empty inside with little to find and nothing to catch. i won't pass judgement on it yet until i've done another one or two, but whilst it's a nice part of the story in terms of gameplay it kinda felt somewhat hollow.

The next city up the road is Cascarrafa City and no one made any mention to the Team Star shenanigans that were happening or that they were even defeated. i did get to see some new Pokémon and when i made a quick dash into the desert i was surprised to see a Larvesta and quickly caught it. As for the city, it's certainly big and looks great but like the others there's little to do inside. At least the gym leader running away as i approached was a fun little twist to the story. at least i know what i'll be doing in Part 10!

Pokémon Violet - The Eighth Part - Getting to and Defeating the Wind Titan Bombirdier

In today's Pokémon Violet video, the task was simple. Get to the Titan. But because of how i play the game, it took a lot longer than i expected. 

Some of the extra time was because i thought i was being clever by trying to avoid the falling boulders, i thought that by going round the back it would be a shortcut to the top. Nope.

But fighting the Titan wasn't an issue. Even tho it was a Pokémon i hadn't seen before and knew nothing about, my leading Pokémon Wattrel was more than enough to deal with it.

There weren't too many other surprises along the way. I'd say the level 50 Jolteon was maybe the biggest. Thankfully i was able to run away from that battle. The other big surprise was finding a Tera Lokix. it was a Pokémon that i hadn't seen yet, tho i do have a Nymble and have been levelling it up, so to see it shining gold was a surprise.

Online Saturday: Pokémon Violet - 20 Online Tera Raid Battles!

Online Saturday is back!

it took around an hour and 10 minutes, but i went and did 20 online Tera Raid Battles. the online connection was mostly fine, but i did cut out 1 disconnect and 4 instances where a random online Tera Raid Battle couldn't be found.

It was a fun thing to do. i saw many Pokémon i hadn't seen as yet in the game and caught several i'm eager to try out.

*LOST VIDEO* Pokémon Violet - The Seventh Part - Exploring South Province Area 2 and Bug Badge

Yes, the title is true. The gameplay video for this part never saved and i lost it. So this video has my audio, but the video will be the start screen.

After discovering that i was under levelled in the previous video, https://youtu.be/BeMvjwAMzjg, i changed my plans and headed to the west side of the map. This didn't go as planned. the pokemon here were lower levelled than i expected. it feels like this is the area you should do first, rather than heading east towards the grass gym.

i caught several Pokémon, including a female Combee as Vespiquen is one of my favourite Pokémon, and did a few raids. i encountered my first in game trade, a Flabebe for a Snom. but mostly this video was mostly me exploring this whole new area. as it was lower levelled, i moved around my squad and sent out many other pokemon to battle and level up.

Pokémon Violet - The Sixth Part - Where I Discover I'm Under Levelled

This is the part where my progress in the game came to a halt. I didn't see it coming, but in reality, i should've noticed it was happening. I was under levelled and had to change my plans.

The video starts with a Black Tauros sweeping my team! My luck doesn't get much better. i head to the Team Star Base nearby and barely beat the grunt outside! I try to level up around that area, but everything is just a bit too high ... so i end the video by changing my plans.

I'm not frustrated by this. i think Sword and Shield were easy Pokémon games and i've been treating this game the same way. So it having a somewhat higher than expected difficulty level is a nice surprise. it's also good that the game world and story are big enough so i can change my plans, so i can go and do something else. This set's up Part 7 as possibly something really quite interesting.

I do get a couple of Pokémon Evolutions, the most surprising being Clodsire. i suspect i got it because it levelled up in rain, but i haven't checked it out to see if i'm right. i also gave some raids a go and surprise trade.

Pokémon Violet - The Fifth Part - Defeating the Titan Klawf and Beating The Grass Gym

No Backlog Conquering this week, but check out it's playlist at https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyEBkNKW1vyoTrDgaJFdhyVqABtfrXasU, maybe there’s a video you’ve not seen. 

At the end of the previous video, https://youtu.be/SIGX32Pq2u8, we were ready to face the Titan Klawf. So, at the start of this video, we face off against it and start Arven's story arc.

At the end of the video, we get our first gym badge. but it wasn't as easy as defeating the Titan Klawf. i got lucky when my final Pokémon saved me!

In-between is full of me exploring the world, getting lost, "cheating" and not getting away with it, and of course catching new Pokémon. It's not the smoothest ride and there is a point where i get frustrated with the world design and mechanics, but overall I'm still enjoying myself and the story.

Puzzle & Dragons Tuesday - Nintendo Switch Edition - Valeria 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 Valeria Cup! (11/20 4PM - 11/27 3:59PM (PST)) in Puzzle & Dragons: Nintendo Switch Edition whilst using a GamePad and my Nintendo Switch is Docked.

This was one of my worst weeks ever! The gimmick seemed simply enough but turned out to be difficult and a little luck based. All you had to do was make combos 5 or greater. but the competition i faced was fierce and there were some amazing high scores from them. i didn't win, i didn't even see the boss. i only got 1 second place, a couple of thirds, and many lower places.

Pokémon Violet - The Fourth Hour - The Road to Titan Klawf

Today, we set off into the East Province to find the Titan Klawf, it's part of Arven's story. The area is huge and there was soo much to see so this video became the longest yet. and by the end, we only found it, we didn't even interact with it!

I was surprised that Miradon couldn't climb or do any other type of riding other than just a bike. i guess that's something that'll unlock later. so there were some things i saw but couldn't get to. including a red glowing sword object thing in a rock?!

The area was much, much bigger than i expected. lot's of ups and downs and tunnels, too. i haven't full explored it either! it's size posed an interesting issue in that i needed to use health items and rotate my Pokémon squad. it's been a long time since i've had to be so careful. it's a nice change. Thankfully, catching a Paldean Wooper as early as i did has really paid off as it's been super useful. i highly recommend getting one as soon as you can for the early part of the game.

In this video we also had our first Tera Raid Battle, many trainer battles, we found lots of items and some TM's, and we caught a handful of new and interesting Pokémon...including the Fairy Tera Type Skiddo.

Pokémon Violet - The Third Hour - Going to School and Exploring Mesagoza City

I was curious how the school system would work. is it a hub that we return to after we do something? is it somewhere we visit once? and after this video i'm still not sure. What i didn't expect was the time skip. our room got more decorations, but our Pokémon didn't level up

Something i didn't expect to annoy me, but did, was the lack of interactions. in past Pokémon games you could click on many things and get a little speech bubble with some text on it. often that text had nothing to do with the story and more to do with the world or place in general. something like "there are many books" "the trash can is empty" or even "you found TM..." because in previous games looking around could sometimes be good as you could find things. as you'll hear in this video, i look around a lot and find nothing.

That kinda continued into the town as you'll see in the video that restaurants are often repeated and take up many shop spaces. whereas there are other shops that look like we could go in, but we can't. But the town is very big and very impressive. i wonder if it'll be a place they fill in more with updates and DLC or if it'll stay as is.

In this video we also had our first encounter with Team Star and we Terrastalized our first Pokémon!

Pokémon Violet - The Second Hour - An Hours Walk To Mesagoza, Exploring Along The Way

Continuing my laid-back approach to this game, it would take about an hour to get from the lighthouse at the end of the first video, https://youtu.be/o2qMxElMJMk, to the city where our school is located in at Mesagoza.

I was surprised at how open this game is. sure, you can't jump or climb but there are still plenty of paths to find and go down. I caught my Wiglett because i found a path that led down to the ocean. other paths have lead down to the river, whilst others have rewarded us with TM's and other items. 

Like the first video, there were some technical issues. this time it felt like they were mostly related to shadows and geometry. from the beginning of the video there's an issue where the lighthouse shadow disappears and reappears. later, as we get into a hilly area, the camera breaks out of the world and when we start Pokémon battles there are points where half the screen is "normal" and half is looking through the world.

But overall, i feel just as energized and curious as i did when i started the game so i will keep on playing.

Pokémon Violet - The First Hour - Getting My Starter, Catching Pokémon, And Meeting Miraidon

I enjoy playing Pokémon games so I was looking forward to playing this game. I chose Violet because I liked the box legendary. Other than that, I’ve tried hard not to read leaks. 

In the Splatoon 3 Pokémon Splatfest, https://youtu.be/DkZlwadS50Y, I talked about how I like Grass types. But I actually went with the Fire type Fuecoco! You see my favorite Pokémon, Jumpluff, is in the game and I wanted to get it. And I did! It’s one of the first Pokémon you find.

There are some technical issues throughout the video. They’re not game breaking, but they can be immersion breaking. The game feels a little rough in places. 

But overall, the first hour was fun. I enjoyed the new setting and seeing the Pokémon. The story wasn’t bad either. I’m looking forward to playing more of the game. I had thought that I would be calm and relaxed playing Pokémon Violet, but by the end of the video I felt energized!

Backlog Conquering - Not A Hero - The Second Part

(Sorry for the late post. This went up on YouTube, maybe you could subscribe there and be kept up to date https://www.youtube.com/user/QTEGamersVideos)

Welcome to Backlog Conquering.

Today's video is part 2 of playing Not A Hero on PS4.

I don't make as much progress in this video as i did with part 1. For me, the difficulty ramped up a fair bit as there were many more enemies to deal with, and they had stronger weapons. i'm not sure as yet if there'll be a part 3 as i was getting frustrated and not really having much fun.

Backlog Conquering - Not A Hero - The First Part

Welcome to Backlog Conquering.

Today's video is part 1 of playing Not A Hero on PS4. I decided to move on from Legend of Kay as i wasn't really enjoying it. The point of this series isn't to finish games, it's to actually play them. Once i've played them, i'm able to judge whether or not i want to finish them.

In this first part, i play through the short tutorial and play through the first section (boss) of the game. it's certainly different and i don't think i've quite got the controls down. the writing is fun and whilst the story hasn't grabbed me, it's still been fun to read. my concern is the difficulty level. i have found some sections difficult already, so we'll see if it's just spikes in difficulty or a sign of things to come.

Puzzle & Dragons Tuesday - Nintendo Switch Edition - Pixel Zuoh 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 Pixel Zuoh Cup! (11/13 4PM - 11/20 3:59PM (PST)) in Puzzle & Dragons: Nintendo Switch Edition whilst using a GamePad and my Nintendo Switch is Docked.

This was a good week for me. i got a win in one match. in another i beat the boss, and i mostly in the top 3 throughout. the gimmick was to make a row of 6 using green, blue, and red. i don't think Purple or Yellow worked. in the grid was a space that would change the color of a sphere on it. i got lucky and for the most part these weren't too in the way. i did have a few mistakes with my controller. it maybe time to think about a better pro controller for the switch.

Let me know how you did this week and if you have controller recommendations, also let me know what they are.

Cloud Monday - Skydrift Infinity - A Fun Arcade Racing Game BUT Avoid The Online

In today's Cloud Monday, I'm playing Skydrift Infinity. I didn't know anything about this game other than the screenshots and video that were on the game's page.

So i was pleasantly surprised to find a fun arcade flying racing game. this was the first racing game i've played for Cloud Monday and i was interested to see how the cloud streaming would hold up to such a fast paced game. it wasn't perfect. there were several instances of the video quality dipping or becoming blocky. there were other instances of the grey tears here and there across the screen. thankfully controlling the game felt fine. it was different from other racing games i've played but it felt like it was because of what i was controlling rather than any lag introduced to the game via cloud streaming.

But, and a big one as you can see in the title. i had to quit the game because i got stuck in online. i have a Japanese PlayStation 4 and so the O and X buttons are often swapped. some games will automatically swap these back to a European standard. some won't. this game did and didn't do it! so more than once i would find that the buttons did the opposite. in the online section, that you can see near the end of the video, none of the buttons would allow me to exit. it left me with no choice but to close the game and try again. But then the PSN failed to restart the game and gave me an error screen. i had waited for several minutes and decided to end the game there. i say avoid the online because i can't say for sure if it is operational, if there's a bug which is stopping it working, or whether i had a unique issue.

Switch Funday - Splatoon 3 - November's Splatoon x Pokémon! Splatfest! - An Hour of Tricolor

Today is the second part of this weekend's Splatoon x Pokémon! Splatfest! The focus today is to try and play a Tricolor match. In the last Splatfest, September's, i tried for an hour and didn't get into a single Tricolor game.

So i went into today's Splatfest not knowing what was going to happen. Ultimately, in the hour i played, i got into two Tricolor matches. But, only one of them was completed. a strange issue today was disconnections. i had six in the hour i played! But i did win the single Tricolor game i played.

Online Saturday - Splatoon 3 - November's Splatoon x Pokémon! Splatfest - 20 Match Special!

Welcome to Online Saturday. This Saturday I'm back playing Splatoon 3. This weekend is the November’s Splatoon x Pokémon! Splatfest.

I was enjoying myself so much, i played for around 2 hours for 20 matches! This is my longest gameplay video yet!

I chose team green and throughout these 20 matches you see there are very few big wins. each game was a challenge, and every win was satisfying. From playing all 20 games, it's hard to say which of the three teams was coming out top. Other than Green, i'd suggest that maybe Blue were a top team.

It may take some time for YouTube to ready the HD version of this video, so feel free to pop back here later or you can subscribe to the QTE Gamers YouTube channel.

Mobile Friday - EDENS ZERO: Pocket Galaxy - The First Hour

I wanted to try this game because i liked the character art. i enjoyed reading and watching Fairy Tale so i was excited to find a game Hiro Mashima had done wrt for. When i recorded this, i didn't know that there was an actual Edens Zero Manga or Anime! 

Whilst this hour does give us a good solid back story and teases some things we've yet to discover, is terms of playing it i did very little. Downloading and installing extra took a while and then it's all tutorial. i'm not sure if it's actually finished. but what we did do controlled well and it does look good. there's some pop-in tho throughout the game.

Backlog Conquering - The Legend of Kay: Anniversary - Part 4 - The Part That Broke Me

This is the fourth and quite possibly the final part of me playing The Legend of Kay: Anniversary. Yesterday's part 3 was difficult and frustrating and whilst there were some better moments today, the video ends with me having to battle with the camera in a platforming section that seems to have no save point anywhere. 

The game does have some good points, but not nearly enough of them for me to continue to struggle with poor camera controls, poor fighting mechanics, and a story that really isn't doing it for me. If i had this on PC, it's possible some of these issues might've been cleared up. the same with playing it on newer consoles. but as it is, i think i'm done with it. This makes it the first game in the series which i don't finish. But, i have started it and that in itself is a positive step to making progress through my backlog.

Backlog Conquering - The Legend of Kay: Anniversary - Part 3 - A Frustrating Hour!

This third hour of gameplay turned out to be the most frustrating so far. More than once i got stuck in a situation where the game's controls or mechanics were not working as i had been taught. This really hampered progress which meant in this video I only found the other two dragon statues and rebuilt the bridge.

If this continues, this maybe the first game in this series that i don't finish. I'm fine with some jank, i know it's an older game with older mechanics. But if it's just going to be "unfair", i'll find a game that doesn't waste my time. There will be a part 4 tomorrow, but we'll see how it goes.

Puzzle & Dragons Tuesday - Nintendo Switch Edition - Sanada Yukimura 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 Halloween Cup 2! (11/6 4PM - 11/13 3:59PM (PST)) in Puzzle & Dragons: Nintendo Switch Edition whilst using a GamePad and my Nintendo Switch is Docked. 

For the second week running i got no wins. i was up against many human players this week and some of them had some real high scores. i'm not really sure i got the gimmick this week either so it never really felt like i was succeeding. it felt more like i was just playing. still, i did get close to winning, only to lose out with bonus points.

Cloud Monday - Brave: The Video Game - A Solid Game with a Solid Streaming Experience

In today's Cloud Monday, I'm playing Brave: The Videogame. It might be the first Disney movie tie-in videogame i've played since The Lion King and Aladdin on the Mega Drive. I have seen the movie and i do enjoy it, more so than Cars and Toy Story. But i knew nothing of the game before starting it.

I played through the tutorial and first "Level" of the game which was a little under an hour. I must admit i was surprised. it looks very much like a PS3 game when you start, and i admit it was what i expected from a game tie-in. But by the end, i was really enjoying myself and got far more immersed into the game than i expected. It's not the best game ever, but a solid 7 or 8 for sure and well worth trying out on via PlayStation Plus. Don't let the tie-in fool you either, it does well to tell it's story without needing the player to have seen/know the story of the movie.

But that's just from the first hour, or so, of the game so i really can't say if it holds true throughout. As for streaming, i found no issues playing this game via the PlayStation Plus Premium service. i found the controls responsive and the video quality stable and good. the only thing worth mentioning is that during the story cutscenes, which are uniquely made for this game and not pieces from the movie, there were many moments where macro blocking was evident. The problem is, without a disc copy of the game to compare with, i can't say for sure if it's due to streaming the game or rather due to video compression used for the game itself. If i were to guess, i'd say that it was already a part of the game, more so when there was no evidence of it happening during game play. One fine thing, the game does autosave which means we are somewhat at the mercy of it if we get the dreaded countdown to the stream being cut.

Online Saturday - Splatoon 3 - November's Salmon Run Gear

Welcome to Online Saturday

This Saturday I'm back playing Splatoon 3. The focus of this video is to firstly, get November's exclusive item, and to vote for the upcoming Splatfest.

As normal, my aim is to get two copies of this month's exclusive item and then keep the better of the two. I got really lucky today as the first item i got actually had 3 bonus pins rather than the usual one or, like last month, the rare two pins.

In the begining i got a few convincing wins in, but by the end it was loss after loss as each team i was in would get wiped out in the final wave. it was certainly one of the more difficult Salmon Runs i've tried. I felt that the weapon rotation and stage really didn't work together at times. 

Mobile Friday - Star Trek: Lower Decks: The Badgey Directive - The First Hour

Today is Mobile Friday and i'm playing Star Trek: Lower Decks - The Badgey Directive.

The game is out on iOS and Android

But i'll be playing the iOS version.

I am playing on an iPhone 14 Pro that has iOS 16.1 installed.

I'm a big fan of Star Trek so i was surprised to find this game on the app store. i never knew it was out. i was excited to try it out and i admit i maybe a little biased. so, i do try to keep to the facts about how it plays. but as far as a Star Trek experience, i felt that it stuck close to the show. i would've liked the game to have voice work tho.

Backlog Conquering - The Legend of Kay: Anniversary - The Second Hour

Welcome to Backlog Conquering.

Today's video is part 2 of playing The Legend of Kay: Anniversary on PS3.

In yesterday's video, we played through the first hour which was mostly just the game introducing the backstory and tutorial area. In today's video we continue on from where we left off yesterday. Not too much extra story stuff is revealed in this time, but we do get more action scenes and a little more tutorial.

It was a bit rough in places. a combination of my old PS3 controller suffering from stick drift and the fact that this was a PS2 game made a few moments more stressful than i'd like. there were also some unclear moments in the gameplay. But i'm still interested so there will be a part 3 next week.

Backlog Conquering - The Legend of Kay: Anniversary - The First Hour

Welcome to Backlog Conquering.

We have a new game in the Backlog Conquering Series. I have started The Legend of Kay: Anniversary on PS3. this is the first video, and it shows the first hour of the game.

Going in, i knew little to noting about the game. i'm sure i only have it via a PlayStation Plus get many years ago. but it's always been a game i was curious about and this series is the perfect chance for me to give it a go. 

My thoughts of it being a PS2 game were right, and some gameplay mechanics feel a little dated by modern standards. but for the most part, the first hour was good and i'm looking forward to at least another part. It's too early to say whether i'll play it through to it's end, but i don't regret giving it a go.

Puzzle and Dragons Tuesday - Puzzle and Dragons: Nintendo Switch Edition - Halloween Cup 2 - 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 Halloween Cup 2! (10/30 5PM - 11/6 4:59PM (PDT)) in Puzzle & Dragons: Nintendo Switch Edition whilst using a GamePad and my Nintendo Switch is Docked.

I got no wins in this video. Unlike previous weeks, i just wasn't feeling this one. The gimmick didn't seem fun either. But it wasn't difficult, and you can see that it took around 40 minutes to complete it. One of the more difficult aspects were my opponents. There were many good human players and even the Ai did well. i got a few second places, but never really got too close to winning unfortunately. 

Cloud Monday - Lost Planet - Part 2 - An Improved Streaming Experience

In today's Cloud Monday, I'm back playing the PS3 version of Lost Planet. In last week's video, we saw how the gaming experience was affected by poor internet. So the reason for giving the game a part 2 was to see if it really was poor internet or was it just how the game streamed.

As for the streaming experience, well the title says it all. it was a night and day difference between part 1 and part 2. i recommend you watch part 1 to see how rough it got in places. But for today, it was very playable. the only issues were with the game itself, rather than anything caused by streaming it. 

So, after trying it, i'd recommend this game for people with good solid internet. if your internet is a little rough, then the low definition of the game and long periods of white and particle effects can make it a bit of a mess. if your fine, it's a fun game. i've played 2 hours of it and it felt nostalgic to go back after all these years. I'd really like Capcom to go back and remaster it, bringing in more modern ideas from Titanfall, Monster Hunter, and Killzone.

Switch Funday - Splatoon 3 - Tableturf Battle

Welcome to Switch Funday.

This video focuses on the final part of Splatoon 3 that i had yet to play, Tableturf Battle.

Simply put, Tableturf Battle is a card game that's in Splatoon 3 that has the same goal as Turf War, ink the most. This is done very differently from Turf War as this card game has some unique rules. I'm not a card gamer so i don't know how good a card game it is, but for me personally it's not one i'd go into the game to play. If it was a part of Splatnet 3, then i might play on the go on my phone. but if i'm playing the game, i'm playing one of the other game modes.

Online Saturday - Splatoon 3 - Getting October's Salmon Run Item and Levelling Up

Welcome to Online Saturday. This Saturday I'm back playing Splatoon 3. The focus of this video is to get October's exclusive item. as i got it very early in the video, my next goal was to level up. Iin the end, i managed to get this month's exclusive item twice, with the second one being better than the first.

As ever with Salmon Run, i tried out a few different weapons for the first time as well as a stage i hadn't played on before. There were some real close runs, and i even lost a couple. It's an intense and yet enjoyable hour of Splatoon 3.

Mobile Friday - Marvel Snap - The First Hour

Today is Mobile Friday and i'm playing Marvel Snap.

The game is out on iOS, Android, and Steam. 

But i'll be playing the iOS version.

I am playing on an iPhone 14 Pro that has iOS 16.1 installed.

This is a new game that has gained instant popularity. I've even seen ads for it here in Japan. This is the first Mobile Friday with my new iPhone 14 Pro, so as well as talking about how hot the phone gets i also talk about how the Island gets in the way of things...how the game hasn't been designed around the Island.

Backlog Conquering - Rain - The Fourth and Final Part

I Accidently used my laptop's mic to record this video, so it sounds different to any of my recent videos.

This is the fourth and final video in my playthrough of Rain on PS3. In this video i play through the final couple of chapters of the game. i don't go on to play through the memory collecting mode.

The game continues to play well. the main issue with controls is my own controller which is suffering with stick drift. The graphics continue to impress. there were moments which had an almost cinematic feel to them. the contrast of the city in the previous video compared to this was stark and it looked great when it came back.

This will be the final video in this series. If i plan on getting extra trophies, there is no platinum, i won't be recording it.

Backlog Conquering - Rain - The Third Part

Welcome to Backlog Conquering.

This is the third video for Rain. Like Part 2, this video is less than an hour and sees me playing from Chapter 4 to the start of Chapter 6.

The game continues to play well. the main issue with controls is my own controller which is suffering with stick drift. The graphics continue to impress. there were moments which had an almost cinematic feel to them. a memorable highlight was walking along the side of a bride.

Puzzle and Dragons Tuesday - Puzzle and Dragons: Nintendo Switch Edition - Halloween 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 Halloween Cup 1! (10/23 5PM - 10/30 4:59PM (PDT)) in Puzzle & Dragons: Nintendo Switch Edition whilst using a GamePad and my Nintendo Switch is Docked.

This is maybe my shortest video yet in this series. There wasn't really a specific gimmick this time, but i think a match 6 gave a bonus. This video starts with a win and there's another win, too. like the previous videos, there weren't many other players when i did the achievement run.

Cloud Monday - Lost Planet - Part 1 - A Rough Streaming Experience

In today's Cloud Monday, I'm playing the PS3 version of Lost Planet. I play through to the start of the second mission, so for about an hour. I had previously played a lot of the multiplayer on Xbox 360, so some parts of the experience were familiar. But it was soo long ago that for the most part i was relearning about it.

As for the streaming experience, well the title says it all. this was the most demanding game for a streaming service i've played so far. this includes for me personally when it was PlayStation Now. Throughout the video you'll see macro blocking and other similar errors. for the most part it's annoying at worst. but there are times when it impacts the gameplay. But, that could just be due to internet conditions today. so, to give it a fair go, i'll do another mission or two next week and talk about if there are any differences between the two experiences with the game.

Switch Funday - Disney Classic Games - The Lion King - A Not So Funday

Welcome to Switch Funday. Today, i played The Lion King from Disney Classic Games. I went in so happy and excited. you can hear it in my voice from the start. This was a game i never finished but one i played a lot on the Sega Mega Drive. I thought that i would spend a couple of weekends playing through the game, something i never managed as a child. 

But, as you can see from the title, it wasn't as fun of a experience as i had hoped. If you hear my voice at the start and compare it to the end, you can hear how deflated i was from this hour of gameplay. at this point, i don't know if i'll come back to the game on Switch Funday or if i'll move it to my Backlog Conquering series.

Online Saturday - Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass - Battle Mode

Today's Online Saturday is on Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass's Battle Mode. It's a mode that i haven't really played online. 

The videos i've posted here have always been on online racing. As i haven't played Battle Mode much, i didn't know what to expect. so, you'll hear that i was surprised for most of the video as i was playing game modes i didn't know know were in it. i was expecting just the game mode where you have balloons and attack other drivers. the biggest surprise was that i won a game!

Mobile Friday - Alchemists’ Garden - The First Hour

Today is Mobile Friday and i'm playing Alchemists’ Garden. This is a game that i had been seeing ads for and they got me curious. it showed the game has a battle mechanic similar to Puzzle Quest. Other than that, i didn't know what to expect as each ad seemed to show different aspects of the game. So it was unknown what i would see and when.

This video shows the first hour of the game. it shows there is a small additional data download, a small un-skippable tutorial, and how the game opens up and encourages the player to explore it.

Backlog Conquering - Rain - The Second Part

This is the second video for Rain. This part isn't quite an hour, but starts immediately at the start of Chapter 3. There is no Part 1 as, for some reason, that video didn't record video. it did record audio from the game and i also was commentating. so there's a chance it'll be an unlisted video in the near future.

As for Rain, this PS3 game played really well. apart from the initial load screen, there was no obvious loading whilst playing. Gameplay tho is less positive as sometimes it's very clear where you're to go. then there are other times when it's not clear what you should be doing next. to help overcome the latter, i do die in this video many times.

Puzzle and Dragons Tuesday - Puzzle and Dragons: Nintendo Switch Edition - Artemis Cup - Achievement Run

Welcome to Puzzle and Dragons Tuesday. This week it is the Artemis Cup. Like other recent videos, this took me less than an hour to complete. Whilst i felt like this wasn't my best performance, i did manage to get a couple of wins this week. However, like last week, there was a lack of other human opponents. i think at best i had a game or two with 3 or 4 other players. The Gimmick this week was also fairly easy, i did find it sometimes took a little more time to set up than i would like. But i never defeated the final boss. most of the enemies felt stronger this week.

Cloud Monday - Key of Heaven - The First Hour

In today's Cloud Monday, I'm playing Key of Heaven (Also known as Kingdom of Paradise). this was originally released on PlayStation Portable, PSP, and is now available on PS4 and PS5. I'm playing the game on my PS4 via the PlayStation Plus Premium Cloud Streaming service.

In today's video, i play the first hour of the game. Whilst i knew of the game, i didn't really know what to expect. so, i was a little surprised that in the first hour of the game there isn't too much to do. There's a lot of story and exposition. There are some battles and for the most part they are easy. but the final battle in the video was truly difficult.

As for the streaming quality, i don't have anything major to report. i found that the game played quite well. there was a little artifacting/macro blocking in the pause menu, but whilst i was playing the game i had no trouble. i'd go so far as to say that the game itself got in the way more than any cloud streaming stuff.

Switch Funday - Splatoon 3 - Splatnet 3 and Anarchy Online Games

Welcome to Switch Funday.

This video is a little different as i start on my phone with the Nintendo Switch Online app!

The app is an interesting part of the Splatoon 3 experience. I go through each part of it, showing how it works, and i make some changes to my character in the app.

I then go into the game and show that those changes have been made already. I then show were you go to get stuff you ordered via the app, stuff that is often somewhat unique and cheaper than usual.

I finish the video by playing the Anarchy game modes. i don't get to play all playable game types though, the video was already getting pretty long. But i do show off the two Anarchy Game Modes. 

This video does feature more disconnects that normal. i speculated that maybe it was some players getting salty and quitting the game. but i honestly don't know. i've played the game for hours and whilst there is usually one disconnect, there's never been this many. Getting into games was a little longer than usual, too. my guess is that the Anarchy game modes aren't as popular as Turf War.

Online Saturday - Starlit K.A.R.T. - Is it Online???

Today's Online Saturday video is a little different. The game is Starlite K.A.R.T. (Kart) and i'm playing it on PS4. It's a free to play kart racing game that i assumed had online multiplayer. But, after playing it i'm not so sure. As a kart racer it's good. The tracks are fun, the music is nice, and there are plenty of powerups. i feel that it needs an extra kart to choose from, and putting the fastest speed behind a paywall, and not say game progression or in-game currency from playing it, sucks. But there is still plenty there to play.

But is it online? I don't know. a quick google search doesn't come up with answers either. there are 4 game modes, Cups, Versus, Bosses, and Challenges. Versus is couch gaming and cups is versus the Ai. Bosses is you playing against...well...bosses! Challenges tho, it's unclear who you're racing against as it's never said if it's other players, Ai, or a mix of both. If you know, please let me know in the comments. But, as a game mode itself it was fun and i didn't win everything, there was some challenge to it.

Mobile Friday - Candies 'N Curses - The First 50 Minutes

For today's Mobile Friday i'm playing an older iOS game called Candies 'N Curses. This video shows the first 50 minutes, but if you're interested in the game, you can play it in short bursts rather than in one long session like i did.

It's a game that hasn't been updated for a bit and it works mostly fine. i had a couple of issues where swiping down sometimes brought the whole screen down. it would obscure the bottom part of the game which does affect gameplay. there was also a slight issue where a notification seemed to be cut off a bit by the FaceID notch.

Backlog Conquering - Deliver us the Moon - The Seventh and Final Hour

This is the seventh and final video in the Backlog Conquering series featuring the game Deliver us the Moon being played on PS4. After getting stuck in yesterday's video, i looked up what i was doing wrong and was shocked that i had missed that one of the fuel cells was empty! Once i knew what to look for getting to the end of the game was fairly straightforward. There was a welcomed plot twist right near the end as well as another surprise after the initial credit sequence.

Backlog Conquering - Deliver us the Moon - The Sixth Hour, or so

This is the sixth video in the Backlog Conquering series featuring the game Deliver us the Moon being played on PS4. I think we are near the end as in this video we got a lot of story. many questions were answered, and we explored a lot of the station. The video ends with me being somewhat stuck with a puzzle. i know what the pieces are, i know how it should work, but by the end i hadn't worked out one part.

Puzzle and Dragons Tuesday - Puzzle and Dragons: Nintendo Switch Edition - Pixel Fenrir Cup - Achievement Run

Welcome to Puzzle and Dragons Tuesday. This week it is the Pixel Fenrir Cup. Like other recent videos, this took me less than an hour to complete. this video starts and ends with me winning and there's a third one around the middle. But i think the reason why i did well this week wasn't because i understood the gimmick of this cup. actually, i think it was because i was facing fewer opponents. I think there were a couple of times when i was just playing against bots. I was playing it later at night than i usually do, so maybe that's a reason why. either way, a win is a win and i'm happy with my victory over this week's cup.

Cloud Monday - White Knight Chronicles 2: White Knight Chronicles 1 Remastered Part 3

This is the third and final video of my look at the White Knight Chronicles 1 Remaster that you can play in White Knight Chronicles 2. Like before, i'm streaming the game via the PlayStation Plus Premium streaming tier. The videos in this series aren't designed to show the game being played from start to finish. Instead, my aim is to show how playable the game is via the streaming service. 

In this video i spend over an hour unable to progress from one side of a map to another. As i mention in the video, if i was playing this in my own time i may've given up on the right side and tried the left side. But as i was recording this and it was already a long video, i decided to end it. At the very least, we all now know what awaits us on the left side.

As for the streaming experience, we did get a grey streak across the screen. I don't know for sure but it felt like a missing frame, and it was only there for a second at most. we did get artifacting at various points and only a couple of times did it get noticeable and possibly get in the way of gameplay. And there were instances where it felt like the streaming resolution went down a notch or two. Again, nothing really that got in the way of gamplay. Tho, the game itself kinda got in the way now and then with screen tearing, slowdown, and a boss character i couldn't get past but also wasn't sure if i should be fighting or not.

Switch Funday - Overwatch 2 - Over an Hour of More Frustration

Yep, i'm back playing Overwatch 2. In yesterday's Online Saturday video, you would've seen that i became ever increasingly frustrated with Overwatch 2 on the PS4. And i didn't expect that i would try the game again. But i realized that the game came out on Nintendo Switch, too. I was genuinely curious as to the quality of the Switch port so i gave it ago.

What i don't show in the video was the process of getting my Battle Pass, which was already linked to my PS4, onto my Switch. it wasn't too complicated, but it did take a little time. But once it was linked, i started recording and you see me play for over an hour in an unedited video.

I went into this video knowing more than i did yesterday. I tried to practice more, for example. But as you'll see in the video, i found more things to be frustrated with. However, the experience of playing the game on Nintendo Switch was a pleasant one and one that i would recommend. the biggest difference for me was how much shorter the time was getting into games!