Author: Josh Jackson

Josh is a long time video game, anime and wrestling fan. As a proud XboxWii60 gamer and beyond, there's not a gaming subject that he shies away from. Follow him on Twitter @InuJoshua for your fill of opinionated goodness!

Celebrate ‘La La Land’ Day With Festivities Across The City Of Stars!

by Josh Jackson

To commemorate the record breaking Golden Globe winning and almost Best Picture Oscar recipient La La Land‘s release on home media, April 25 will become La La Land Day across the city of stars.

Beginning with an official declaration by Mayor Eric Garcetti, screenwriter/director Damien Chazelle will be honored for his “extraordinary portrait of the city and its iconic locations”. Which makes sense when you consider that tourism has skyrocketed since the film’s release. Also on hand will be composer Justin Hurwitz, production designers David and Sandy Wasco, choreographer Mandy Moore and jewelry designer Kyle Chan. The festivities will be topped off with a live arial performance by the dance troop BANDALOOP.

Outside of the official declaration, special events will be held throughout the City of Stars. From dance lessons, set recreations, screenings and full recreations of Seb’s club from the film, both at the original location in Hermosa Beach to other Jazz clubs throughout the city, check out the full list of events below!

 

  • Grand Central Market will hold a La La Land dance lesson at 10am at 317 S. Broadway in downtown, and Sarita’s, the site of Mia and Sebastian’s first date will be featuring a La La Land photo op with the stools they sat on.
  • 3rd Street Dance will offer La La Land themed Dance Class at 7pm at their 8558 West 3rd St. location.
  • Kyle Chan Design will display the jewelry that Academy Award® Best Actress winner Emma Stone wears in the film at 6801 Hollywood Blvd. Ste 114. The first three people to come in and buy La La Land jewelry will take home a Blu-ray of the film.
  • Brits in LA will host a “Brits in La La Land” Breakfast at Cecconis on “La La Land Day” and give away free breakfast to the first 20 people who share an image that best represents #LaLaLand to them and why.
  • The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising will have their final day of display of the La La Land costumes in their museum, along with the unveiling of the La La Land inspired costume design contest winner.
  • Inglewood Library will have a La La Land themed activities hour at 4pm for youth who want to express their creative side with La La Land activity sheets and coloring pages.

 

Jazz bars across the country will be transformed into “Seb’s” on April 25, for one night only, including Long Beach’s “The Blind Donkey” (149 Linden Ave), the original location for “Seb’s” in the film, featuring live music, themed drinks and a full size Seb’s neon sign.

 

Additional area taverns will also celebrate with La La Land themed nights featuring ‘enter to win’ boxes with Blu-rays offered as prizes.  Bars include:

  • Light House Café – 30 Pier Ave, Hermosa Beach, CA
  • No Vacancy – 1727 N. Hudson Ave. Los Angeles, CA
  • Bar One – 12518 Burbank Blvd. North Hollywood, CA

Far from a waste of a lovely night for sure. How will you be celebrating La La Land Day?

The film will be released for home media on April 25.

Magnet Warriors Make A Comeback With The Yugi Muto Structure Deck!

by Josh Jackson

Between both Yugi’s Legendary Decks and the recently released Legendary Decks 2, we’ve seen more of Dark Magician and Exodia than we’d probably want to see for awhile. So with the release of two new structure decks featuring Yugi and Kaiba, I was wondering how they could make the idea of buying their decks seem inviting so soon after giving them the spotlight yet again. But when I opened up Yugi’s new set, the answer was to focus on his Magnet Warriors, a trio of fusion monsters that saved him in many a duel back in Battle City. With new cards to make these three more viable, as well as brand new versions and a new fusion combining both new and old types, it’s looking like the King of Games has a few new tricks up his sleeve.

Starting off with what’s new, Alpha The Electromagnet Warrior, Beta The Electromagnet Warrior and Gamma The Electromagnet Warrior are powered up versions of their old selves, each with changes to their attack, defense and new abilities designed to gather the material needed for fusing. Beta lets you add one “Magnet Warrior” card that’s 4 stars or lower from your deck to your hand when normal or special summoned, while Gamma lets your Special Summon a “Magnet Warrior” from your hand to the field when normal summoned. This sets up Alpha, who lets you add one Level 8 “Magnet Warrior” from the deck to your hand when summoned, allowing you easy access to Valkyrion the Magna Warrior, the powerful rock monster who is a combination of the three original Magnet Warriors.

Once this is set up, Berserkion The Electromagna Warrior makes its debut, which can only be Special Summoned by banishing the three Electromagnet Warriors from your hand, field or Graveyard. Banishing other level 4 or lower Magnet Warriors allows this 3000 attack and 2800 defensive powerhouse to destroy cards its opponent controls, while destroying it in battle special summons the three cards banished to summon this to begin with. Ideally, you’ll have Valkyrion in your hand before this, but even if you don’t, if you happen to have another Berserkion in your deck, you can start this cycle all over again. If your opponent is hesitant to attack though, that’s where the deck’s ace card comes into play.

Imperion Magnum the Superconductive Battlebot is a fusion of the deck’s newest and oldest stars, combining Berserkion and Valkyrion to from a 4000 attack and 4000 defense super robot. Once per turn, it can negate and destroy an opponent’s spell or trap, as well as stopping and destroying effect monsters. If this wasn’t enough power, if this card leaves the field for any reason caused by the opponent, it deconstrucs into its original forms, allowing you to special summon BOTH Berserkion and Valkyrion from your hand or deck. Of course, this won’t work if your only copies were used for the fusion, so this deck is definitely one that would benefit from buying and combining multiple copies.

Kuribohrn wraps up the new cards, which allows you to either discard it at the end of the Battle Phase to Special Summon a monster on your field that was destroyed that turn, or banish it from the Graveyard when an opponent declares an attack to Special Summon all the Kuriboh cards in your graveyard for the ultimate stall. As far as classic cards outside of the Magnet Warriors are concerned, it wouldn’t be a Yugi deck without classics such as Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl, Buster Blader,  Magic Cylinder, King’s Knight, Queen’s Knight and Jack’s Knight. The latter three also come with their fusion form as one of five total fusions in the deck, with Arcana Knght Joker making its big return. You know… I wouldn’t mind seeing a deck featuring the Knights down the road!

Not to be outdone, Yugi’s rival, Kaiba, also has a new set focusing on one of his lesser used archetypes. Revolving around his XYZ Union cards, that deck has a similar structure, with three new cards made up of the A- Assult Core, B- Buster Drake and C- Crush Wyvern, the new common card, Heavy Mech Support Armor, and two new fusions combining new and old cards, the ABC Dragon Buster and A-To-Z Dragon Buster Cannon. Mechs or magnets… Which is cooler?

Have you picked up these decks? What do you hope comes in future decks? And what were your biggest takeaways from these two sets? Let us know in the comments below!

The Yu-Gi-Oh Legendary Decks 2 Collection Breathes Life Into Old Favorites!

by Josh Jackson

It’s become an annual tradition for Yu-Gi-Oh players to expect some kind of grand collection when the end of the year starts to creep up on us. 2016 is no exception, following last year’s trend of releasing a series of theme decks all in one box. Sharing the spotlight with Joey and Kaiba this time around, Yugi and his two Battle City rivals return with decks blending new and old cards, many of which have become much harder to find through other means.

Starting with Joey, who had his own Joey’s World collection a few years ago, his deck naturally focuses on his Red Eyes Black Dragon. His featured cards include The Black Stone of Legend, a card that can be tributed to special summon a powerful Red Eyes monster from the deck. When in the Graveyard, it allows a Red-Eyes in the Graveyard to be shuffled back into the deck while the Stone itself goes back into your hand. Creating an easy way to continuously cycle Red-Eyes monsters in and out of your deck, it’s handy to have both in and out of the grave! Thesecond card, Return of the Red Eyes, is a continuous Trap Card that allows you to Special Summon a Normal Monster in your Graveyard while on the field. When destroyed, you can Special Summon a Red-Eyes monster from your Graveyard to the Field, providing a second way to filter in powerful monsters constantly. Lastly, Red-Eyes Flare Metal Dragon is an Xyz Monster from the Clash of Rebellions set that can’t be destroyed by card effects AND inflicts 500 damage every time your opponent activates a card or effect after it resolves as long as it has Xyz material attached. When material is removed, you can Special Summon one Normal Red-Eyes monster from the grave, making sure it always has backup in a fight.

The rest of Joey’s deck features many of the classic cards he used throughout the original series, including common variant favorites of Jinzo, Scapegoats, Baby Dragon and Kunai with Chain. Top that off with some powerful staple support cards such as Torrential Tribute and Mystical Space Typhoon, and you have a ready made Red-Eyes deck that can become even more powerful once cards from other booster sets are mixed in.

Next up is Kaiba, who’s trademark Blue-Eyes cards had a resurgence this year thanks to a plethora of new support cards, many of which are represented here. Maiden with Eyes of Blue kicks things off, with the popular card from the Saga of Blue-Eyes White Dragon structure deck bringing its tricks into this package. Don’t let its 0 attack and 0 defense fool you, because it’s used to bait players into attacking it in order to easily summon the powerful Blue-Eyes instantly. When attacked, the move is negated, leading to one of the dragons being Special Summoned from the Hand, Deck or Graveyard. When targeted by a card effect, the same effect comes into play, minus the negation. This can take place once per turn during either player’s turn, so one cycle can have the maximum of three Blue-Eyes White Dragon cards on the field at once! If your opponent isn’t taking your bait, you can always target your own Maiden too! The Melody of Awakening Dragons provides a second option to get your dragons out of your deck, allowing you to add up to two Dragon-Type monsters with 3000 or more attack and 2500 or less defense. This is a perfect set up for Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, the classic fusion monster that’s become a staple of Kaiba’s offense focused strategy. At 4500 attack and 3800 defense, good luck taking it down without a spell handy.

Like Joey, Kaiba’s deck is rounded out by new and old favorites, including the Synchro Monster, Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon, Protector with Eyes of Blue, Master with Eyes of Blue, Beacon of White, La-Jinn- Mystical Genie of the Lamp, Battle Ox, Burst Stream of Destruction and Enemy Controller to name a few. Naturally, it’s also packed with three Blue-Eyes White Dragon cards, each of which are common variants of the first three art styles used for the iconic monster.

But as always, Yugi is the star of the show, which is why he gets six featured cards, three of which are exclusive to this set! The first three are a trio most should be familiar with by now, with the classic designs for Slifer the Sky Dragon, Obelisk the Tormentor and The Winged Dragon of Ra sitting on top of the deck with their Ultra Rare variants. His exclusive cards revolve around Exodia, the all powerful god / meme that Yugi famously defeated Kaiba with in the first episode of the Duel Monsters anime. The Legendary Exodia Incarnate allows you to summon the monster as its own creature rather than the instant win device it has become known for when all of its body parts have been assembled. With 0 defense and fluctuating attack strength, it gains 1000 attack points for every “Forbidden One” card in your Graveyard. At the end of its user’s turn, it asks them to add one “Forbidden One” card from the grave to their hand, making Exodia weaker in the process. While it can’t be affected by card effects, destroying it in battle lets its user draw a card for every “Forbidden One” card in their hand, allowing them to cycle through their deck faster for that precious instant win, all while bringing cards back from the grave that might have been lost otherwise. Ties of the Brethren is a Spell Card that Special Summons two cards of the same attribute and type with different names to the field at the cost of 2000 Life Points, obviously meant to set up two Exodia pieces. Finally, the Obliterate!!! Continuous Trap Card allows you to discard a “Forbidden One” card from your hand or deck to send a monster on the field back to its user’s hand. When destroyed, you can add one “Forbidden One” card from the gave to your hand, but only one of the two effects can be used per turn.

To be honest, I’m struggling with finding the usefulness of these exclusive cards, mainly because their effects don’t seem worth the cost of losing your Exodia pieces, especially when they seem counter productive to other cards in the deck like Exodia Necross, which is destroyed if all pieces aren’t in the Graveyard. It seems like many of the stall and draw decks that currently exist would work much better to accomplish what these cards seem to set up. Outside of Exodia: The Forbidden One and its four limbs, Yugi’s deck also comes with cards used by both his normal form and Atem, including the Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl, the Silent Magician series, Swords of Revealing Light, Magic Cylinder  and Mirror Force. These should give players plenty to work with when building custom decks, especially to compliment the new magician cards that came out earlier in the year.

The decks aren’t all that come packed with these legendary decks, since three promos and three tokens are included in each set exclusively. Consisting of two Spell Cards and one Trap Card that are meant to power up the Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl, Dark Burning Attack destroys all face up monsters your opponent controls if you control the female variant. If you control both, Dark Burning Magic can act as a quick play spell, letting you destroy all cards on your opponent’s field during either of your turns. Mimicking the magician’s eternal loyalty for the Pharoh in the anime and manga, the Eternal Soul continuous trap card makes sure you always have a Dark Magician at your side. While on the field, Dark Magician can’t be affected by card effects from your opponent, while allowing you to either Special Summon a Dark Magician from your hand or Graveyard, or add Thousand Knives or Dark Magic Attack spells from your deck to your hand. The only drawback is if the trap is destroyed, all monsters on your side of the field go with it. Outside of these cards, tokens featuring the three heroes this set is built on round out this jam packed set, which I’m sure comes in handy for someone like Joey, who would want to line up four Kaiba tokens to have them get taken down during one of his notorious Scapegoat plays.

Overall, this is an excellent set for people who are mostly familiar with the old cards, but want some new ones mixed in to help them get re-acquainted with the game. While the Yugi set is confusing in the way its set up, the other two have excellent synergy, and the three promo cards that support the magicians more than make up for any shortcomings the Yugi deck has. While it pains me to say this as a Blue-Eyes fan, the Red-Eyes deck is the all star this time around, with some fantastic cards that not only play well, but are much harder to get outside of this set

My biggest concern however, is that we might be going to the nostalgia well a bit too often with these sets. Last year’s Legendary Decks had three Yugi decks, and many of the cards here were already released back then. When you add in the previously mentioned Joey’s World, the many Battle City re-releases, the movie cards that offered some reprints of classic monsters, the Duelist Packs featuring Yugi and Kaiba, and the theme decks featuring these characters, it’s starting to feel like we’re buying the same cards over and over again rather than being introduced to new ones. Now I might be biased since I love Kaiba, but this year felt like the perfect time to give him his own set with all of the brand new Blue-Eyes support that has released. Maybe next year?

Nonetheless, you can’t got wrong with over 150 cards of Yu-Gi-Oh goodness. At the retail price of $29.99, you’re getting more than what you paid for considering some of the rare cards that are in this set. What are your favorite cards from the box, and what do you want to see in the future? Let us know in the comments!

Blast Off With The Latest Loot Gaming Crate!

by Josh Jackson

While space may still be mostly uncharted territory, that won’t stop us from celebrating it with the latest Loot Gaming crate! Featuring some of the best video games to take us into the great beyond, here’s what we unboxed this time around!

First off, the latest pin captures the wonder of space exploration with its logo showing off a bright launch. Shining bright like the infinite possibilities that the lands beyond the stars offer, it’s a great addition to the growing collection of crate exclusive pins.

Returning with more Destiny love, this scarf will surely keep us warm while we team up with friends to keep the galaxy safe. As one of two potential designs, fans of the game now have a couple of different ways to show off their fandom while staying warm in the process. Not as warm as blaster fire in your face, but warm nonetheless.

That N7 logo can only mean one thing, Mass Effect is back in a big way. Just a few months short of the big release of Mass Effect Andromeda, this new T-Shirt gives us a way to get reacquainted to Bioware’s space epic, with plenty of relationships to form along the way. Now, don’t expect to run into any sexy blue aliens, but then again, with this shirt on, you never know…

As a huge Ratchet and Clank fan, it was easy for me to decide that this Omniwrench replica was my favorite item of the crate. As an awesome miniature display, Ratchet’s trademark weapon serves as a puzzle solving tool when its not bashing bad guys over the head. Then, to my surprise, the wrench top fell off to reveal a pen! I might not have realized it was a pen until this happened, but know that it’s known, it makes the item even cooler. What better way to trudge through those lectures or take those notes then with an intergalactic space weapon? Count me in!

That does it for our space themed Loot Gaming crate! What were your picks for best items for this go around, and what do you want to see in future boxes? As always, when signing up for your own boxes, use the coupon code “Geekscape” for a discount!

Dream Big With WWE’s Latest Slam Crate!

by Josh Jackson

The second WWE Slam Crate is here, and it challenges us to dream big. Featuring items from some of the most humbling, unlikely success stories within the company, (and John Cena), both newer and longtime fans will have plenty to love this time around.

Throughout WWE history, dreams of carrying the world title would become much more likely once the Superstar won the Intercontinental Title. This month’s pin reflects that, with a replica image of the title that guys from Mr. Perfect to Triple H made famous.

On the figure side of things, this surprisingly heavy Metal Die Cast features an incredibly jolly John Cena toy to display. Exclusive to this crate, fans will surely get a kick out of this model, most likely at 2. Whether you love him or hate him, it’s hard not to find something to like about this item.

If anyone encompasses big dreams, you’d be hard pressed to argue that AJ Styles isn’t one of the best examples of this. After making a name for himself wrestling around the world, the guy who many thought would never enter a WWE ring ended up becoming champion in his first year with the company! Celebrate the champ that runs the camp with an exclusive shirt, featuring his phenomenal one logo.

As one of the most unlikely success stories within the company, Daniel Bryan helped create one of the most memorable scenes in Wrestlemania history when his nearly year long storyline, (both in and out of the ring), led him to two wins at the grandest stage of them all, one of which for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship! Relive those days with this Daniel Bryan beanie, bringing the Yes! Movement back in full force!

Rounding out the crate is my favorite item of the box, the Bayley Bear! Wearing her signature headband and her latest shirt, this perfectly hug-able plush will bring joy to both the young and the young at heart. With her character being a longtime fan who decided to become a wrestler herself, there’s no one on the current roster who encompasses dreaming big better than Bayley does, which is why her bear is such a great addition for this round of items.

Let us know what your favorite items in the crate were for this month, and share what you’d want to see in future crates! As always, when picking up your own subscription, make sure to use the coupon code “Geekscape” for a discount!

Start A Revolution With Our Latest Loot Crate!

by Josh Jackson

As if this was purposefully timed to come out after one of the most unpopular elections in modern history, Loot Crate’s latest takes up the theme of revolution. From Firefly to Mr. Robot and Assassin’s Creed, the swag in this crate celebrates franchises that challenge its characters to defy authority, which results in some pretty great loot!

Starting with this Firefly patch, the design was commissioned based on some of the original artwork to give fans of the Joss Whedon cult classic an authentic feeling piece of merchandise to show off their fandom with.

Next, the T-Shirt for the month is based on the Mr. Robot design, with its message plainly printed underneath the graphic. Not quite Guy Fawkes, but an interesting way to be a giant nerd while displaying your fandom AND your dedication to all things revolutionary.

To celebrate the movie and the theme, we get two pieces of Assassin’s Creed loot. The first one is a Funko Pop featuring Aguilar, the character featured in the film based on the game. The pin on the other hand, will be more familiar to people who have stuck strictly with the games, the series logo looks great in gold. Too bad something so flashy would give away a stealthy killer’s position in an instant.

Lastly, for my favorite item in the crate, this art book displaying figures in dynamic poses to set up some incredible scenes has some really fun images to sift through. Revolution doesn’t always mean fighting the system, but changing our way of thinking about established mediums. More than anything else here, I felt that Figure Fantasy: The Pop Culture Photography of Daniel Picard fits that idea so well. If nothing else, it gives me hope that the thousands of dollars I’ve invested in toys might become something productive down the road. Now, to find motivation…

That’s all for this go around. What are your favorite items in the crate, and what are you hoping to find in future boxes? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to sign up for your own crates with the discount code “Geekscape” to save a bit of cash!

Geekscape Presents: The Top 16 Gaming Waifus Of 2016

by Josh Jackson

We owe so much to our waifus, who often give us sad, lonely gamers love when reality shuns us. Pay your respects by checking out our lists from years past!

2014

2015

But anyway, off to the present!

WARNING: Potential spoilers for every game listed. Unless you’ve finished them or don’t care, skip the entries you’re worried about before you yell at me.

2016 has drawn to a close, which means it’s time to evaluate all of the top gaming waifu candidates for the past year. We at Geekscape take this process very seriously, which is why this year’s list has made its way to your screens a little later than in previous years. Because we always aim to deliver as the authority on all things waifu, (and because of how indecisive I am), this year’s list is the biggest one yet! Upping the tally to a massive 16, this year was a fantastic year for female characters, memorable companions and the downright freaky. Ranging from the sweet to the sadistic, the gamers to the inanimate objects, and from mechs to movie stars, here are the top 16 gaming waifus of 2016! But first…

Honorable Best Girls:

Ayane (Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 / Senran Kagura: Estival Versus)

Ayane will always hold a special place in my heart as one of my favorite video game characters of all time. Brought up as an outcast who was forced to live in the shadow of her half sister due to being a child born from rape, her resentment reflected through her relentless tactics as a master ninja. Often aiding Ryu Hayabusa throughout his missions, she’s shined as a co-protagonist in the Dead or Alive series over the years. I’m not the only person she’s left an impression on, appearing in both Dead or Alive Xtreme 3, and Senran Kagura: Estival Versus as a guest DLC character! While she had no prominent roles throughout the year, her growing popularity makes her worthy of a mention. Now if only Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water had released in 2016, that might have been enough to push her into the list proper as a guest in that game as well, but unfortunately, butt bumping and volley ball can only get you so far here.

Marie Rose (Dead or Alive Xtreme 3)

Speaking of Dead or Alive, I can’t mention 2016 without the unprecedented rise of Marie Rose. A newcomer to the DOA scene, she gets a tip of the hat due to her winning a fan poll that not only got her into Xtreme 3, but got her the cover of the game itself! It’s impressive enough as a new character, but considering she’s the only “Justice” character in a game full of “Plot”, it’s great to see such diversity shine through in the formerly rigid world of Dead or Alive.

Elena Fisher (Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End)

Elena *SHOULD* have been on the main list. She’s brave, daring, doesn’t take any crap, and manages to keep a carefree soul like Nathan Drake in line… Most of the time. But boy, did her chances fall apart when she forgave Drake so easily for lying to her about going on another adventure despite the two settling down after all of ten minutes. C’mon, at least punch his face in or kick him in the dick! Anything other than what happened. So we still love you, Elena. Just don’t take any more crap!

Shantae (Shantae: Half Genie Hero)

Shantae is FAR too kind to the citizens of Sequin Land. As their guardian genie, she’s always protecting its citizens for little thanks, to the point where the mayor is constantly trying to fire her. Half Genie Hero is a more personal adventure for the half genie, as she tries to find ties to her mother in the Genie Realm. While it hurts not to put her on the list, she really needs to put her foot down and stop letting herself be mistreated. Maybe we can impeach the mayor? Can you do that to a mayor?

UltraDimension Neptune / Big Neptune (MegaDimension Neptune VII)

More Nep is always a good thing, especially when you have two in one game. This dual blade / pistol wielding version of our 2014 runner up has all the personality of Nep proper, but without the CPU powers. This means as a human, she can age and grow in order to earn her nickname of Big Nep. She can hop dimensions and catch bugs with the best of them,but she’s not on the list because of her convoluted plan to infiltrate the bad guys from inside their group, which in typical Neptune fashion, fails spectacularly. This led to me being forced to fight her outside of non-cannon material, and I NEVER want to have to fight Nep if I can help it. She’s far too precious, and I don’t appreciate the trauma.

And so, without further ado…

16. Iris Amicitia (Final Fantasy XV)

Yes, I know that Final Fantasy XV hammers home the idea that Noctis and Luna are destined to be together, and in a way, that’s true. But for the short amount of time that she’s with you, Iris is much higher on the quality waifu scale than The Oracle ever was. She can’t die in battle, she constantly keeps you healed when your friends are bumbling around taking pictures, she gives you items that distract enemies, and she apparently becomes a bad ass monster hunter, (off camera!) Oh, and she’s cute as all hell!

But aside from her cuteness, she’s a go-getter who takes what she wants. I mean, some might call her a homewrecker for blatantly flirting with a guy who’s on his way to get married, but I call her assertive! In retrospect, considering that Luna was destined to die and knowingly led Noct into a situation where he would also be killed, all under the guise of him getting married to her, he was better off with Iris. Even if that meant having that asshole, Gladio, as your brother in law. And you know what? I felt more than justified when I took a picture of her to admire in the afterlife to distract me from being stick with Luna for all eternity. And she’d be much higher on this list if she had more screen time.

15. Those damn stained glass mirrors (The Last Guardian)

The Last Guardian could be an insanely frustrating game to play, mostly because Trico was literally programmed to only listen to your commands when he felt like it. But there was one thing that your dog / bird / snake… thing, would stop in its tracks for. Those stupid stained glass mirrors!

Your character claims that Trico was “scared” of them, but when’s the last time you saw someone blow kisses out of fear? Much like when your best friend meets that new girl, these are constantly getting in between your bro time with your companion. However, it might be a bit of an overreaction to cope with this new life change by shattering your competition into a million pieces, but it’s not like anything else makes sense in the game. Besides, if you saw Trico make that kiss face where he grows lipstick with his pink eyes, you’d do what you could to make it disappear as fast as possible.

14. Chun-Li (Street Fighter V)

Let me start out by saying that without Chun-Li, there probably wouldn’t be a waifu list. As the first character I picked in Street Fighter II back when I was five years old because of how unique she looked compared to the otherwise all male cast, she became my very first “main”. I also ran into my first “rage quitters” in the form of high schoolers that would poke me as a distraction until I lost to Sagat because I kept beating them in our matches.

Anyway, I would love nothing more to strap a rocket onto the self proclaimed “Strongest Woman in the World” and launch her up the list simply because she’s still my primary pick in Street Fighter V all these years later. But with all things considered, she’s pretty terrible in the game’s story mode, constantly getting beaten by characters she should be able to handle. Hardly fitting for a character of such caliber, but at least she enjoyed the top tier for awhile!

13. Mai Shiranui (The King of Fighters XIV / Dead or Alive 4 Last Round)

It pains me to put Mai above Chun-Li because she’s the antitheses of everything Chun is. Mai was also the first lady of Fatal Fury, but rather than being noticed for her martial arts skills or interesting backstory, she’s mostly known for her uncontrollable breasts that may or may not be independently living entities. (En-titties?) Anyway, I won’t let my personal distaste for her character get in the way of the scientific process of determining the top waifus of the year, and Mai had an incredible 2016. As one of the characters leading the revival of the King of Fighters franchise, her strong loyalty to Andy Bogard still holds true. But while being a character in an ensemble fighting game may not be enough, being a guest character in Dead or Alive, a game that might not exist in its current form if Mai never “busted” onto the scene all those years ago, helps things come full circle in a way. Not to mention that she’s always been fun to play!

So enjoy your time in the spotlight, Ms. Shinarui. You’ve earned it!

12. Ditto (Pokemon Sun / Pokemon Moon and Pokemon Go)

Despite being an E rated game geared towards children, Ditto is the one that trainers around the world go to when they want a good time. As the most accepting waifu on this list, Ditto can be anything you want it to be. Do you want a beast? Field? How about a Water 2? If you want it, Ditto’s got it, regardless of whether or not you “get along,” or “don’t like each other very much”. This trait is both a blessing and a curse for the purple blob, making its reliability a sought after trait, while its promiscuity is something we’d rather avoid. When you have a waifu who would reproduce with its own kids if given the chance, you might need to be a bit careful around this one, even if you owe your competitive team to it.

11. Arnice (Nights of Azure)

Arnice is a holy knight who ironically became half monster. Partaking on a mission to an isolated land that’s overrun with monsters, she takes up the task of ridding monsters from the land by employing the assistance of monsters herself. But one doesn’t just invade a beast infested land for the hell of it. Arnice uses her strength to protect the one closest to her, who in this case, is her best friend, Lilysse. Often hinted at having a relationship that is more than platonic, their story tilts towards the tragic side, considering Lilysse is a saint who’s destined to be the key to eliminating the blue blood that fuels the monsters by destroying it’s source. Except Arnice also carries the blood of the Ruler of the Night, so doing so would destroy her as well. Knowing that each enemy slain is one closer to her potential death, Arnice marches on, setting her safety aside for the benefit of her friend.

Plus, it doesn’t hurt that Arnice has one of the best designs out of anyone on this list, so that always helps!

10. E-Sha (MegaDimension Neptunia VII)

Gold Third is a group of four humans that were given power that rivals the Goddesses of Gamindustri. Each one represents a major third party, consisting of C-Sha, (Capcom), K-Sha, (Konami), B-Sha, (Bandai Namco), and S-Sha, (Square Enix). So where does E-Sha come into play? As you learn more about S-Sha’s past, it turns out that she’s made up of two former rivals who fused in order to ensure both of their survival. As a parallel to the stoic and cold S-Sha, (who shares her attacks, design and quotes with famous characters like Cloud and Squall), E-Sha is much more caring and compassionate. After all, it takes a special kind of girl to keep their biggest rival alive when they’re knocking on death’s door.

She was too pure for this world… So she left it.

As an obvious parallel to the real life merging of Squaresoft and Enix to form Square-Enix, E-Sha ends up being an underappreciated member of the cast considering S-Sha’s usually the personality in control. Still, with such a selfless attitude and some hilarious Dragon Quest inspired attacks to boot, we’re making sure that Ms. Enix gets her due.

9. Renka (Senran Kagura: Estival Versus)

Senran Kagura is a bizarre game to explain. As most probably know by now, its premise is to have high school ninjas fight as their clothes come off in creative and absurd ways. Yet, the narrative of each game tends to be more and more serious, somehow asking you to form an emotional connection with these characters as they stand around nude.

However, Renka manages to do a good job making a connection despite her tattered outfit. As one of the new characters introduced in Estival Versus, Renka is the eldest of the three Mikagura Sisters who serve as priestesses with the power to help bring people back from the dead. Competing against the Hanzo, Hebijo and Crimson Squads in the hopes of getting their wish granted at the end of the festival, the trio secretly wants to draw out a mysterious figure who led them to a cave right before their village was slaughtered, leaving them as the only survivors. But when she’s not carrying that uncharacteristically heavy burden, Renka was easily the most fun to play with, using electric taiko drums as her key weapon. When she’s not squaring off with dangerous ninjas, she’s drawing faces on her stomach and dancing to entertain her firework obsessed sister to keep her from literally exploding.

The game leaves that tidbit about the village slaughter and the mystery person up in the air, so I’m hoping we see Renka and her sisters down the road.

8. Lusamine (Pokemon Sun / Pokemon Moon)

Lusamine is someone who loves hard. Way too hard, some might say. So hard that she’ll abandon her children, create what’s surely a multi-million Poke yen dollar research organization, absorb a criminal gang into said organization, and use all of her resources to draw out otherworldly beings that could potentially destroy the planet just for the chance to see the object of her affection one more time. But in the end, after assimilating with a jellyfish monster and trying to kill her son, daughter and their friends, it all came from a good place! She just became a tad obsessed after her researcher husband vanished while investigating the Ultra Beasts. Now that’s real dedication! I mean, who needs THE world when YOUR world is no longer in it?

Thanks, Lusamine. Most people see you as an evil and neglectful villain, but I appreciate you.

7. BT-7274 (Titanfall 2)

Much like Ditto, BT isn’t necessarily a male OR female, so I’ll just draw my own conclusions. Turning the tables as what most would consider from a waifu, BT protects YOU, who is the one that is too pure for this world. It’s a nice change of pace to have your smile protected for once. This abandoned Titan who’s pilot was killed during a pivotal battle quickly takes you under its wing, adapting its abilities to help protect you while either giving you direct control, or fighting alongside you as true partners in arms. As the only waifu on this list that you get to be inside of, BT also doesn’t take kindly to other Titans moving in on you, who has the somewhat concerning habit of tearing their insides out and taking their abilities so it will be everything you might have loved about them. When push comes to shove though, BT cares the most about your well being, which is why it pulls an Iron Giant during the final moments of the game while taking his spot alongside Terminator X John Connor as one of the greatest robot and human ships in all of fiction. But like a long lost ex, it seems like BT will find a way back to you if the post credits scene means anything.

6. Athena Asamiya (The King of Fighters XIV)

The ultimate idol of the SNK universe, Athena has always been one of my favorite characters ever. Once again referencing Chun-Li, Athena was my King of Fighters equivalent, serving as my main for 22 years now. This hasn’t changed in King of Fighters XIV, with such a wide variety of moves that constantly keep opponents guessing. But when she’s not fighting, singing, or hitting fans with Psycho Balls in the face as a contest prize, she has so much more significance. As the reincarnation of the goddess Athena who starred in her own game back in the 80’s, this version of Athena has starred in its follow up, Psycho Soldier, and a lesser known survival horror game. Her profession as a singer comes from her game being the first one to feature vocalized lyrics in video game history, making her somewhat of an icon in the industry.

But that has nothing to do with 2016. What DOES have to do with it is how strong of a fighter she still is after all these years, all without having aged a day. And I mean this literally, since I’m pretty sure she’s been in high school for 30 years now. Either that, or she’s far more interested in fighting than studying.

5. Marie (Splatoon)

It’s unprecedented for a waifu to make this list twice in a row, but Marie earned it. Last year, she landed at the number two spot alongside her partner, Callie. This year, a rift came between the Squid Sisters, asking players to choose between the two for the final Splatfest. When the ink settled and all the kid squids went home, Marie barely edged out her sister to become the ultimate victor. The sarcastic bad cop to Callie’s overabundant good cop took the win graciously, alongside other milestones such as having her own amiibo made and her return announced, (possbily alone), for what would eventually become known as Splatoon 2. Apparently, the final Splatfest was like Highlander, where there could be only one since Callie has yet to be seen. Anyway, I may have voted for the purple squid, but if this Splatfest would have happened a few months later, I would have been Team Marie all the way! But more on that later…

4. D.Va (Overwatch)

Some waifus become waifus because they have incredible personalities, a strong resolve, an undeniable cuteness, or make perfect companions. Others are designed specifically as waifu bait, carefully crafted to specifically appeal to the sad, lonely gamers of the world. D.Va falls on the latter side of that spectrum, and I took the bait hook, line and sinker. She’s a young, attractive professional Starcraft player who’s skills landed her a gig in the South Korean military as one of the only people in the country with the reflexes to fight the perceived Onmic threat. And did I mention she fights by piloting a mech that’s sponsored by Blizzard?

But sometimes, you and your waifu just click, and that’s what happened when I first hopped into that bunny robot and captured my first point in Overwatch. With 53 hours and counting, 440 wins under our belt, and all the obnixious voice lines I could purchase, this is a relationship that keeps on delivering. We did well even in the dark ages of D.Va, when her Defense Matrix wasn’t togglable and her Self Destruct Ultimate killed her if she was in its blast radius, but every since Blizaard decided they no longer wanted to sponsor someone so vulnerable, they used their pull to boost her up. Now, we can protect teammates, eat damage, rush the point and push the payload in ways that surely frustrate our foes to no end. And even without the mech, Zero Suit D.va is no slouch herself, becoming a medium range shooter that can deal the damage quickly. Sure, I may have dabbled a bit with my side chicks like Mercy and Pharah, but I always come crawling back to Queen B.Va when it’s time to get serious. So while “WaifuWatch” has plenty of incredible female characters, making this list was easy mode for the gaming goddess.

3. Uzume Tennouboshi (The Neptunia Series)

As the newest CPU on the block, Uzume already had her foot in the door by being the Neptunia representative for the Dreamcast, one of my favorite consoles of all time. But even without being loved by association, Uzume has something special that even the best CPUs seem to lack. Her combination of toughness, her strong sense of duty, and the fact that in her world, she’s the only goddess left alive while protecting Gamindustri all by herself, what you’re left with is one of the best characters out of any game in the franchise. Alongside her companion / Seaman knock-off, Umio, the two have rounded up the remaining monsters and serve as their protectors while Ms. Tennouboshi does all she can to find a way to restore peace to Planeptune.

Obsessed with all things cool, this attitude hides the fact that she’s a girly girl at heart. As with the rest of the goddesses, her true nature shines through when she transforms into her CPU form, Orange Heart. While she may take up a much sweeter personality, her powerful fists and trusty megaphone still get the job done, and eventually saves her world not once, but twice over the course of the game! When your main antagonist ends up being the bitter version of yourself that formed when people didn’t accept the Dreamcast, it goes to show that your awesomeness can’t be contained in a single body.

Then again, whether or not Uzume survives the conflict is up to the decisions you made throughout the game. But even if she bit the dust in your playthrough, that wouldn’t be the last we saw of Orange Heart this year. Appearing in three different games, this just might be the most appearances for a single character in their debut year! MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune vs. Zombies brought her into the action game realm, while SuperDimension Neptune vs. Sega Hard Girls had her literally square off against Dreamcast in the Vita’s crossover RPG. But no matter how you played as her, we’re really hoping we see the return of Planeptune’s crimson savior again in 2017.

2. Tsubasa Oribe (Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE)

Imagine that one day, you’re a normal high school girl who wants nothing more than to enjoy her latest Kiria album while trying to win a talent contest to become a Japanese Idol, all to find clues on the whereabouts of your missing sister. Then all of a sudden, you’re pulled into an alternate universe where entertainment is a source of energy, and you fuse with an ancient Pegesus Knight to become a warrior that protects the world from this Mirage threat under the guise of a singer. Sounds like a normal day in Japan, but this was the start of what would become one of the most creative game premises of the year.

But between traversing dangerous dungeons and teaming up with legendary Fire Emblem characters while teaching them the virtues of song and dance, this game was mostly about Tsubasa’s growth as a performer and as person. She’s klutzy, she’s not the most reliable and she can be a bit dim. But each and every time she was thrown into the deep end in an industry that she had zero familiarity in, she pulled through when it mattered the most. Whether she was asked to become an all star model, a television actress, or star in the latest soda commercial, the pressure of knowing that the world could end if you failed would break weaker waifus.

Tsubasa’s growth makes Tokyo Mirage Sessions a pleasure to play though.

Tsubasa isn’t a weaker waifu. Even if that meant she had to endure verbal abuse, face down towering monsters and fight side by side with those she looks up to, she always found a way to push through. Even when that included learning how to be seductive by talking to a stray cat. And in the end, she stood tall as a peer next to titans of the industry, all while fighting alongside Caeda, her high school friend, Itsuki, and by extension, Marth, to put the Shadow Dragon down once more. But what’s most impressive about Ms. Oribe is her ability to be laugh out loud hilarious, incredibly sincere and extremely dedicated, to the point where it felt so rewarding to finally see her come into her own as an artist. Seeing her go from her debut performance:

To her final performance:

It feels like the culmination of a long journey that you took alongside her, even if she technically went from an unknown to a national superstar in a few months. With all this considered, I had a hard time deciding who would be numbers two and three on the list, but with these factors in mind, Tsubasa’s perseverance more than deserved to stand above all the rest. Well, all except one.

We’ve counted down fifteen incredible waifus, showing that 2016 had no shortage when it came to some fantastic female, (and not so female), characters. But there can only be one who sits on the top shelf, so this year’s Best Girl deserves nothing short of an introduction worthy of Hollywood. So here to present our winner is 2015’s Waifu of the Year, Nepgear.

So without further ado, the 2016 Waifu of the Year goes to…

1. Eleonora Yumizuru (Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE)

What can I say about Ellie that can encompass how beyond exceptional she is in almost every way? In battle, she’s a powerhouse who can use her expert archery skills to instant kill entire fields of enemies, even when caught in a normally difficult Savage Battle. Story wise, she acts as a mentor for her less experienced peers despite being slightly younger than they are age wise. And there aren’t many people out there that can provide better advice when it comes to all things acting, considering that she’s a consummate professional who takes her career aspirations very seriously.

You see, Ellie is often misunderstood, with her no nonsense attitude often mistaken for the stereotypical “tsundere” trope often found in anime and games. But much like every aspect of Tokyo Mirage Sessions, it takes these cliche ideas and adds enough depth to make you really feel for these characters. Ellie might be the best example of this, as you get to know her through your mock “dates” as she prepares for more romantic roles. Unforunately for her, she stands out in Tokyo as a biracial actress, which makes her feel uncomfortable in her own skin. As someone with comes from a mixed background, this resonated with me far more than I ever expected from a silly game about singers fighting demons. But something about her interactions felt so real, because it’s not like being biracial even hinders her. She’s not discriminated against… In fact, it’s implied that she gets more opportunities because of how “beautiful” and “unique” she is. Hell, even the character designer said she was his favorite character to design since she has this air of beauty and elegance about her. But the experience doesn’t have to be negative or malicious to make you feel like an outsider. Sometimes, it’s when you know that the person isn’t trying to hurt you that hurts most of all.

It’s hard to explain without living through it, but just knowing that someone sees you as different because of something you can’t control just makes you feel… Wrong? Always on the outside looking in? So she works so hard to become recognized as an actress to the point where she’s obsessed with Hollywood. Because she sees Hollywood as a land of opportunity with so many different kinds of people that she’ll just be “normal” once she becomes a big Hollywood actress. Not half Japanese and not half Scandinavian, but just an actress. So she drinks their smoothies, she accepts nothing but perfection, and she won’t allow herself to ever be second best. And yet, through all of that, she always takes the time to lift those up around her to be as great as she wants to be, even if that means she has to push herself harder. When you wrap up her side missions and you see her dreams come true, finishing the battle against the Mirages so she can star in her Hunger Games knockoff in Hollywood with no regrets, I was so proud to see success for this fictional girl that I had known for about 30 hours.That’s not just top waifu material, but top character material, so while Ellie is admittedly relatively unimportant to the main plot, her path to acceptance and the eventual realization that home lies less with where you are and more with who you are with is one that will stick with me for a long time.

I’ve been struck by cupid’s arrow. <3

Part of the reason why this article is later than in past years is part of me felt weight under the idea that this entry was more than just a silly waifu blurb, and was instead a deeply personal attachment that I don’t think I’ve ever felt in any form of fiction before. Because I saw myself and some of my own life experiences in her struggles, so I feel like I’ve been there before.  Looking back… I think I did as well as I could have! So here’s to you, Ms. Yumizuru. Here’s to hoping we meet again down the road.

So there it is! After a full year, more games than I’ve played in a long time, and 5000 words, here is your 2016 waifu of the year! To celebrate this grand occasion, here’s an extended cut of Dream Catcher, the collaboration between Ellie and Tsubasa where the pair do their best Callie and Marie impressions to the tune of Splatoon‘s Calamari Inkantation.  The top two waifus of the year dressed as 2015’s runners up singing a song reminiscent of the final boss theme from 2015’s game of the year? What better way to send us off?

Special thanks to the talented FantasyGodiva, who put this extended cut together. Make sure you check out her channel for even more videos and walkthroughs!

Share your waifu picks below and tell me how much you hate my list! I’m not scared, I’ll protect my waifus to the death.

So Tsubasa, Eleonora… Play us off!

Alm And Celica Amiibo Are Launching Side By Side With ‘Fire Emblem Echoes’

by Josh Jackson

For fans of Fire Emblem Gaiden, they’ll have more to look forward than just Fire Emblem Echoes. Launching alongside the game on May 19th, Alm and Celica are getting their own amiibo set!

Launching as a double pack like the Callie and Marie amiibo from last year, these two figures look absolutely gorgeous. Which probably means that they’ll look like McDonalds toys when they hit the shelves. Regardless, we’re more than happy with seeing more Fire Emblem characters get the toy treatment. I’m just hoping Nintendo releases more than a dozen this time around.

Is it too early to make Celica waifu of 2017?

How they will function in Echoes or any other games is currently a mystery, but I’ll be perfectly happy just keeping them on my shelf. Is anyone else planning on grabbing this pair? Let us know in the comments, and keep up with the rest of our Fire Emblem news, including more info on Warriors, Heroes and the upcoming Switch game!

A New ‘Fire Emblem’ Game Is Switch Bound!

by Josh Jackson

To the surprise of many, Nintendo is all in on Fire Emblem, with four games releasing within about a year’s time! Rounding out the release schedule is Fire Emblem for the Switch, which will mark the franchise’s first home console appearance since 2011’s Radiant Dawn on the Wii.

All that we know is that the game is scheduled for a 2018 release and will be exclusive to Nintendo’s upcoming console / handheld hybrid, which sounds perfect for the type of game play we associate with the series. That leaves plenty of room to speculate, such as whether or not it will continue the story of Ike or Micaiah like the previous console games, or if it will be its own story. We won’t be disappointed to see either return, but recent trends make me think it will be a standalone story.

Could their return be around the corner?

But what say you? What do you hope to see in what will be the first non-handheld release in seven years? Comment below with your ideas, and check out the rest of our coverage on Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Echoes, the new amiibo and Fire Emblem Warriors!

‘Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows Of Valentia’ Arrives On The Battlefield This May!

by Josh Jackson

During Nintendo’s Fire Emblem dedicated Direct, a remake of the cult hit, Fire Emblem Gaiden was announced for the 3DS in the form of Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia. Notable as a game that marked a short lived shift in the way the game played, Gaiden introduced the ability to explore dungeons and interact with towns. These features were largely ignored going forward, but Echoes is looking to modernize them for 2017 based off of the footage we’ve seen.

Similar to the most recent release, Fire Emblem Fates, Echoes puts players at the center of a conflict between two warring kingdoms. As Alm and Celica, adopted siblings who find themselves caught within the war, they’ll have to battle both sides if they want to bring peace back to the land. Naturally, what better way to deliver on that promise than with constant war.

As a big departure from the rest of the series, Echoes will mirror Gaiden with a modern twist, with full 3D dungeon exploration and the ability to break out in battle at a moment’s notice. Being able to navigate towns and communicate with your party will feel more familiar to more recent fans, but we’re excited to see how all of these changes will carry over when its release rolls around.

Between more news on the mobile game, two new Amiibo that will accompany Echoes, a brand new Switch game and game play footage of Fire Emblem Warriors, it’s a great time to be a Fire Emblem fan. What are you hoping to see in Echoes?

Prepare For ‘Gravity Rush 2’ By Watching ‘Gravity Rush- Overture’

by Josh Jackson

Are you excited for Gravity Rush 2? Do you want to get caught up with the events between the first and second games? Looks like you’re getting your chance thanks to one of the finest anime studios in the industry!

By Khara Studio, the group who worked on such classics as the Evangellion rebuild series, Ponyo, and Gurren Lagann, Gravity Rush Overture is a twenty minute short series spread across two episodes that tells the story of how Kat and Raven ended up in the new city that the upcoming game will take place in. Showing the continued fight against the mysterious Nevi, the Gravity Queen and her sister continue to fall into combat, using their ability to manipulate the direction of gravity to keep the town’s citizens from harm.

If you missed out on the first game, read up on our full review here! Then get caught up with our E3 preview in time for what’s shaping up to be the PS4’s first big exclusive of the year. Who else is excited!

 

InuJoshua’s 13 Most Anticipated Games Of 2017

by Josh Jackson

It may have taken a few years, but 2017 is looking like the year where the big consoles will finally hit their strides with a strong lineup across the board. From action games to RPGs, sequels to new IPs, and some recent surprises, there won’t be a shortage of quality content for gamers to enjoy throughout the year. Yet, we can’t play it all, which is why I narrowed down the thirteen games I’m most anticipating in 2017, which reflects the variety of content on every platform. Without delay, here we go!

Honorable Mention: Mass Effect Andromeda

It’s odd what difference a few years will make. Not too long ago, I would have considered Bioware to be one of my favorite active developers. But after Mass Effect 2 almost completely gave up on the first game’s RPG elements to become more of a straightforward shooter, the debacle that was Dragon Age 2, and the disappointing Mass Effect 3, I haven’t been all that up on Andromeda. With that said, I’m looking forward to giving this universe another chance, but I’m hoping we can up the RPG side of things while bringing back the interesting characters and alien sex that has become synonymous with the series.

13. Horizon: Zero Dawn

As the first new IP from Guerrilla Games since coming off of their mostly successful Killzone series, Horizon has a lot to prove. Based on everything we’ve seen so far though, it looks like it’s on track to go above and beyond expectations. As if fighting off robotic dinosaurs on horseback with a bow and arrow wasn’t crazy enough, the game is promising a strong narrative to match up with its incredible visuals. The only reason the game isn’t higher is because I wasn’t the biggest fan of the team’s previous games, but with something that looks so well done, Horizon has the potential to change all that.

12. South Park: The Fractured But Whole

Forrowing up on the laugh out loud hilarious Stick of Truth, The Fractured But Whole will take us back into the world of South Park, as the kids switch from their fantasy game to their super hero personas. Being tasked with once again creating your own kid to join in on the hilarity, the sequel is promising to deliver a more refined battle system to match up with what will surely be a hilarious script. Let’s just hope that unlike the first game, that Fractured ends up being free of game breaking glitches, features ways to re-visit past missions, and offers more content than an afternoon’s worth of adventuring.

11. Fire Emblem Warriors

I can’t say that I was ever a particularly big fan of Warriors games, but Hyrule Warriors taught me that the games are way more exciting when you’re playing as your favorite characters from other properties rather than fictional takes on historical figures. Transitioning from the land of Hyrule to the world of Fire Emblem, the franchise has hundreds of characters to choose from when putting together an all star cast, many of which will have unique abilities that fit in perfectly with the one vs. all style of these games. Corrin’s dragon abilities, the expert swordplay of characters like Marth, and flying in on a pegasus are just some of the possibilities we can expect, especially if there’s a small chance that we can have some of our favorite Tokyo Mirage Sessions characters make their return. Can I PLEASE wipe out armies with Tsubasa while she sings Feel?

10. Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia

From one Fire Emblem game to another, 2017 is looking like a fantastic year for a franchise that was considered dead in the water a few short years ago. While I knew next to nothing about Fire Emblem Gaiden before the announcement of Echoes, I’m thrilled to see how Nintendo is adapting everything that made the cult classic unique. We’ll have dungeon exploration for the first time in the West, a more focused story that won’t rely on a create your own character to drive the narrative as your main lord, and optional battles as you explore the two kingdoms. Two new gorgeous looking amiibo give me even more of a reason to be excited for May 19th, and I’m hoping that this won’t be the next game in the series that I buy and never finish…

9. Persona 5

This one has been a long time coming, with Atlus’ most popular RPG series relying on some fantastic spinoffs and remakes to keep the name out there. But after nine years, Persona 5 will finally find its way into our hands, as the Phantom Thieves take center stage. Since the third game, Persona has featured strong storytelling mixed with some of the finest turn based combat you’ll find, and wrapped it up in a high school / dating simulator where you can put the moves on your party and important NPCs in exchange for new abilities. Expect the same dark themes and haunting imagery to follow along with some of the finest role playing on the market, because after such a long wait, it just has to deliver.

8, Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite

Here’s another game that seeingly came out of nowhere towards the end of 2016. Promising more of a focus on the Marvel Cinematic Universe side of things and rumors swirling that the X-Men will be completely absent, we’re almost promised a mostly unique cast of characters. It’s a shame since X-Men: Children of the Atom was the game that really kicked off this series, but if losing Wolverine means we can get characters like Black Widow, Ant-Man, Groot, Star Lord, Vision, Scarlet Witch and Loki to make their debuts, then it will almost make up for it. I’m just hoping that the return of the 2 on 2 format will make the game much harder to break compared to MvC2 and UMvC3, but I’ll never underestimate the fighting game community’s ability to scrub every nook and cranny of the game.

7. CyberDimension Neptune: Four Goddesses Online

There’s two comments I have to make about this entry. One, it’s not actually scheduled to come out this year. Two, if it had a confirmed date, it would be much higher on the list. BUT… The reason why I have the long awaited journey into Vert’s favorite MMORPG near the halfway point of this list is because much like Neptune vs. Sega Hard Girls last year, that game also wasn’t scheduled, but found its way onto the Vita by the end of the year. In other words, I fully expect this out before 2017 is over. CyberDimension will take the girls of the Neptunia series to uncharted territory in more ways than one, making their debut in the simulated MMORPG realm as their first game made with Unreal 4 and placing them in roles that are brand new to each character. Uni as a thief? Neptune as a paladin? Noire as a Dark Knight? Get me that lifelong subscription!

6. Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony

Last year marked the end of the original Danganronpa story, with the third installment being told through an anime with mixed reception. Starting with a clean slate, V3 places us in a prison with 15 other inmates, with the same goal of getting away with murder in exchange for their freedom. The biggest reason why I named the first games my game of the year in 2014 was because of how creative it got with a genre as rigid as the point and click adventure series, so I’m anxious to see how Killing Harmony will continue this trend with the ability to lie. Expect plenty of heartbreak, despair, and many a waifu candidate this year. Now, excuse me as I go on a media blackout ahead of its Western release to avoid spoilers.

5. Gravity Rush 2

Gravity Rush 2 was a shoe in for a top three slot on this list… Until the Nintendo Switch conference happened and blew my expectations out of the water. Even still, Kat’s big return is easily my most anticipated game on the PlayStation 4 this year, which will deliver a much larger world for the Gravity Queen to manipulate with her incredible powers. We got a taste of her new ways to control gravity during the E3 demo last year, so the idea of taking such a creative premise and essentially tripling the possibilities is something I’m beyond excited for. Throw in Raven as a playable character, an expanded story that will hopefully fill some of the first game’s gaps, and multiple missions to tackle, and we’re left with PlayStation’s most can’t miss game this year.

4. Splatoon 2

We talked a little bit about 2014’s game of the year, so we can’t leave out 2015’s top game! Splatoon left a strong impression on me because of how different it was for an arena shooter. To think Ninendo’s biggest new IP in years would be an online shooter where the goal is to shoot everything BUT your opponent! Yet, here we are, getting ready for our second trip to this world where squids take human forms and pass the time by shooting each other with ink all day. From the small amount of footage we’ve seen so far, an expanded set of new abilities, weapons and gear will help make this sequel worth visiting, all while hopefully packing in a much more fleshed out single player mode. Trust me, I won’t sleep well until I learn why Marie is all alone in that reveal video…

3. Xenoblade Chronicles 2

As far as I’m concerned, the original Xenoblade definitely belongs in the discussion as one of the greatest RPGs of all time. Taking Western exploration and combining it with a more Japanese blend of combat and storytelling, I’ve still yet to play a game with such scope as either the original, or Xenoblade Chronicles X on the Wii U. The surprise reveal left us with plenty of questions, but one that was answered incredibly quick was when it would be released. Promising a 2017 launch, XC2 looks like it’s picking up in a post Monado… And post Shulk world, with a more cartoon-y cast to accompany that beautiful world. At this point, I trust anything that Monolith Soft does, so I’ll continue to let the intrigue build as we trudge through the year. One thing is for sure though, I’m fully expecting to be wowed yet again.

2. Super Mario Odyssey

Super Mario Galaxy 2 is one of three games that I go back and forth on regarding what my favorite game of all time is, so whenever a new 3D Mario game is announced, you better believe that I will be paying close attention. Not that I needed much convincing after watching Super Mario Odyssey trailer, because it’s already looking like a joy to play. The big draw when it comes to mainline Mario games is experiencing how the team at Nintendo EAD manages to find a way to make the formula feel fresh despite continuously using a now 21 year old game as its foundation. This time around, it’s looking like a free roam city inspired by the real world and the ability to use your hat as an additional platform seem to be the most noticeable changes, with plenty more to come I’m sure. Odyssey has some legendary shoes to fill, but it might be able to do so with a living hat!

1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Breath of the Wild at number one should come as no surprise to anyone. Easily the most ambitious title in the franchise since Ocarina of Time, Link’s Switch debut is taking the series in some bold, new directions. Forsaking linear progression for an enormous version of Hyrule to explore, our hero will have to prepare for new threats, different terrains, and the harshness of nature as the world is literally his playground. With statements being made saying that the game is possible to complete very early if you explore thoroughly enough, early word makes it sound like the game will be open ended enough to let each and every one of us carve out our own experiences. We can approach dungeons in different ways. We can prioritize resource gathering. We can give up our trademark sword and shield in favor of a broadsword or an axe. And yet, it still retains that whimsical charm and loose basis in reality that has made the series beloved for decades now. So while we have numerous games both on and off this list that will surely be fantastic, Breath of the Wild is the only one with the potential to change how we view a franchise. And that’s why it places as my most anticipated game of 2017.

Now it’s your turn! What games are you most looking forward to in 2017, which ones should have made the list, and which ones don’t belong? Let us know in the comments!

‘Xenoblade Chronicles 2’ Is Switch-Bound This Year! Check Out Its Debut Trailer!

by Josh Jackson

During Nintendo’s Switch conference, the company announced that Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is heading to the console.

As one of the most surprising reveals during the show, first impressions make it seem as if, the latest from Monolith Soft will be a direct sequel to the Wii and 3DS classic, Xenoblade Chronicles, rather than a follow up of their latest on the Wii U, Xenoblade Chronicles X. Rumors were flooding the Internet as the show approached that a port of the Wii U’s XCX was going to be Monolith’s big contribution, so we were more than okay with a continuation of what I feel is one of the greatest RPG’s of all time.

Based on the little bit of footage we got from the game’s reveal trailer, it’s clear that the game will be just as large, (and just as beautiful), as previous games. This is all while taking advantage of the Switch’s increased power, which is apparent based on the trailer’s smooth frame rate and non-grainy character models. Speaking of characters, their designs seem to have received the biggest change, taking a more anime inspired look compared to the original. But with the teases towards the end, we’re left with plenty of questions. Namely, how has the world changed since Shulk’s adventure, will the old crew return in any capacity, and is that red sword in the end related to the fabled Monado?

But the biggest surprise is this game is scheduled to come out this year! So it won’t be long until we have those answers barring any delays. Check out the trailer and try to pick out some more details, then share them in the comments below!

‘Shin Megami Tensei’ Is Heading To The Switch!

by Josh Jackson

Atlus and Nintendo have announced that a new Shin Megami Tensei game will be launching for the Nintendo Switch as part of the 25th anniversary of the long running monster recruiting RPG series.

While nothing solid is known yet, the teaser trailer showed off a new main character in a golden body suit being confronted by many of the signature demons found throughout the series, (many of which will likely be censored before its final release). What we can expect though, is brutally difficult battles, a wide variety of party customization options, and one of the most rewarding games you can find in the genre.

Nintendo seems to be the home for the main SMT series as of now, with SMT IV and its follow up, Apocolypse, being exclusively for the 3DS. On the crossover front, Fire Emblem and SMT notoriously crossed over to come up with a fun gem that I won’t shut up about, so if we keep getting quality like these games from this partnership between the two companies, then so be it!

With Shin Megami Tensei making the Switch alongside a healthy list of JRPGs, are these starting to shift you over to Nintendo’s new console? Let us know in the comments, and make sure to check back as more information on the final game surfaces!

‘Splatoon 2’ Splats Onto The Switch This Summer, With New Weapons, Abilities, And 100% Less Callie!

by Josh Jackson

Splatoon 2 was teased during the Nintendo Switch’s initial reveal, so we know something was coming. During the big Nintendo Switch conference however, the game was confirmed to be a full sequel as opposed to an updated port like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe! Set for a summer release, the new trailer shows off plenty of new content to look forward to… Along with one noticeable omission.

In the minute and a half of footage included in its first full trailer, there’s plenty of new content to sift through. First of all, those dual pistols are look pretty sleek, covering more ground while affording speed. Inklings can now dodge roll out of danger while leaving a trail of ink behind them, although we have no way of knowing if this is a standard move, or if it’s exclusive to a new weapon type such as the dual pistols. Special attacks are also getting a ton of new versions, including a multi rocket that rains exploding ink bombs on the opponent, a sustained beam that drenches its path while taking out anyone in its way, a Super Mario Sunshine-esque jet pack that sprays ink below, and a literal rain cloud that travels across the stage with its own inky downpour!

Outside of the core game, it seems like Inkopolis has gone through plenty of changes since the last time we visited. The city looks different, and the Inklings look like they’re enjoying their lives outside of shooting each other to death. The city definitely looks more alive, with characters both Inklings and otherwise occupying the streets. But two of our most beloved citizens seem to be missing. So we have to ask… Where are Callie and Marie!? Towards the end of the trailer, we see a stoic Marie staring off into the distance without her partner. What does this mean? With the Octolings back, did they kidnap the purple Squid Sister? Will the pair no longer introduce the game to us when we log on? Or is the position of squid idol like being a Highlander, and Callie was unapologetically slain so Marie could gain her power after the final Splatfest? 

Let’s hope we find out from the game’s story. Dissect the trailer with us below and try to pick out more details, then let us know if you’re as excited as we are for the follow up of my favorite game of 2015!

Splatoon 2 is scheduled for a Summer release, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch!

‘Fire Emblem Warriors’ Heading To The Nintendo Switch This Holiday!

by Josh Jackson

I’m guessing the partnership between Koei Tecmo and Nintendo was pretty successful the first time around!

Picking up where Hyrule Warriors left off, Fire Emblem Warriors is the next Musou title where the team behind the Dynasty Warriors franchise adapts a popular Nintendo franchise in the style of their 100 vs 1 hack and slash games. While not much was shown outside of the Fire Emblem itself and a tease of Fire Emblem Awakening‘s Chrom, (who was notoriously excluded from Super Smash Bros.), there was zero footage of what the game we’ll look like. But after seventeen years of Warriors games to look back on, we have a pretty good idea.

I’m beyond excited for this surprise announcement! I thoroughly enjoyed Hyrule Warriors on the Wii U, and while the 3DS re-release last year had its share of problems, it was plenty enjoyable with the right hardware. With Fire Emblem’s adaptation coming to a stronger console, I can’t wait to see its best characters in action. Robin’s spells, Ike’s power, Marth’s swordplay and Corrin’s dragon transformations are going to be a blast to see outside of a fighting game or turn based setting. After how great of a year the series had last year with Fire Emblem Fates and Tokyo Mirage Sessions: #FE, 2017 looks like it’s going to keep the former fringe property in the spotlight. Speaking of TMS, can we get one of the idols in this game please!? I’d die for Tsubasa.

Check out the trailer below and let us know who you want to make the cut! Fire Emblem Warriors is set for a holiday release.

The 12 Days Of Switchmas: Day 11- New Life For The Wii U?

by Josh Jackson

It’s my turn once again to talk about what I’m hoping Nintendo will deliver with the Switch, the company’s upcoming console. If you want to get caught up with the rest of the series, including how the Virtual Console should be revamped, and how table top gaming could change the game for the system, check us out here!

This next entry might sound a bit weird coming from me. Both on the podcast and in my writings, I’ve talked at length about how I feel like this generation has become a glorified PS3 and Xbox 360 retread. It’s hard not to think otherwise when so many recent releases are remasters and collections of games no one ever asked for, (I’m looking at you, Deadpool and Legend of Kay Anniversary). But in the case of the Switch, with so much mainstream attention being shined on it as we approach Nintendo’s big conference, what better time would there be to breathe new life into some of the Wii U’s greatest games?

If this can get a remaster, why not Donkey Kong?

Yes, contrary to what popular opinion might tell you, the Wii U has a fantastic library of exclusive titles. Due to the low install base however, most of them never got their fair shot, forcing many great games to get tossed aside. The company seems to already be on the right track when you consider the rumors that have surfaced since the system’s reveal, which include versions of Super Smash Bros., Mario Kart 8, and my two favorite games of 2015, Xenoblade Chronicles X and Splatoon. On other consoles, versions of ZombiU minus the Game Pad have already been released, while Lego City Undercover is on its way.

Splatoon is sure to be a highlight for the Switch!

But with those games on the table, you’re still missing so many games that haven’t been accounted for. Pikmin 3 was the best game in the series yet, with multiple characters and paths to play with. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is one of the best 2D platformers you’ll ever play. Imagine Super Mario 3D World with online multiplayer and a few new characters so you can play with your friends no matter where you are? Bayonetta has definitely taken back some of the spotlight since making her debut in Smash, so it makes perfect sense for her second game to make the jump to the Switch as well. And dare I mention my game of the year of 2016, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, a game that was so poorly promoted that even the Atlus and RPG faithful didn’t even know what it was, let alone being aware that it released. The Switch and its portable capabilities would be perfect for the simulated text messaging app that your party uses to communicate with you outside of combat. And let’s not forget Kirby’s Rainbow Curse, Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water, Pokken Tournament, and the many other games that could do well with a much larger install base. For that matter, why stop with the Wii U? The Wii had plenty of games that became casualties in the propaganda machine that convinced many that the Wii had no games for “hardcore gamers”. So I would LOVE to be able to replay hard to find gems like Zack and Wiki, Madworld, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, The Last Story, Pandora’s Tower, and many other forgotten classics that didn’t get their due.

Bayonetta 2 would be a perfect candidate for a second chance.

While the influx of re-releases has gotten out of control in recent years, one benefit is that they fill in library gaps when the system would otherwise be pushing through a dry spell. When you pad your library with games that most people never played the first time around, they end up feeling brand new to most of your install base while having to invest very little in comparison to making a brand new game. It’s a win-win for consumers and Nintendo alike!

I’ve gone over what I want to see, so now it’s your turn. What Nintendo exclusives would you want to see get a second chance on the Switch? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to check back tomorrow for our FINAL entry in our 12 Days of Switchmas series.

‘Mafia 3’ Is 2016’s Biggest Gaming Tragedy

by Josh Jackson

Sequels often have the well earned reputation of being more of the same, rarely treading new ground while instead opting for something stagnant. Mafia 3 goes in the opposite direction, shifting its focus from a Godfather inspired crime story about a grunt’s rise through the ranks of organized crime, to a man’s quest for revenge against the Italian mob for killing those he called family. As a former member of the black mob in 1968 New Bordeaux, (a not so subtle take on New Orleans), Lincoln Clay has more than just criminals, assassins and the most ruthless bosses the city has ever seen. He also has to deal with the horrors of segregation, institutionalized racism, and a section of the city that sees him as less than human based on his skin color.

Mafia 3‘s setting, story and acting are some of the finest I’ve ever seen in a game, with an amazing soundtrack that places you right in the era. But more than any game I can think of, it does its best to take full advantage of the interactive medium, placing us in an ugly period of American history and making us feel the anxiety of what it means to be an “other” in such a hostile environment. Yes, the game pales in comparison to the feeling in real life, but being put in the shoes of a character going through these experiences was eye opening as I pushed through this tale of vengence. Traversing black neighborhoods leads to people greeting you and wishing you well, while whispers of what that “boy” is doing here can be heard from the NPC’s in the white neighborhoods. Missions that require you to enter certain buildings that are marked as “Whites Only” will lead to the police being called to attack and arrest you in the same way as being caught fighting or shooting would. Committing crimes in white neighborhoods will also result in the cops responding much faster and aggressively, while they might not even show in the bayous occupied by the poor black citizens. Encounters with the KKK, underground “jungle fights” where whites gamble on black men fighting, and the justification of murdering black men via talk radio segments round out everything you need to know about the world Mafia 3 creates, which is one I’ve never come close to encountering before.

To top off the period piece that the game works towards being, the story is framed as a documentary. Cutscenes flash back and forth between present day versions of characters you interact with in the main game explaining the events you’re about to play, and playing as Lincoln carrying these events out. Whether or not he ends up as a savior or a monster depends on your choices towards the end, but every twist and turn that takes place justifies each possibility. Each character feels like they could have been a real person, adding gravitas to the events that create your story. This leaves us with the most unforgettable campaign I’ve ever played, possibly ranking as my favorite narrative after 25 years of gaming.

But the real tragedy comes with the fact that despite the top notch presentation, the meticulously crafted recreation of 1968 as a black male, the expert voice acting and its overall uniqueness, Mafia 3 isn’t a very good game. Missions are repetitive, essentially filling its 30 hour play time with the same six or so missions repeatedly. The amount of bugs I came across were appalling, which ranged from enemies getting stuck in the environment to my map becoming a giant white line and textures completely vanishing. I also don’t think I got through more than two hours at a time without the game completely crashing, kicking me back to the Xbox One home menu before having to sit through the very long initial load screen. The AI is as dumb as it can get, with stealth missions dominating the game when patrolling guards will literally line up to “investigate” the guy who was stabbed two feet in front of them, only to walk into a knife in the throat. Lather, rinse and repeat. That’s Mafia 3.

And you know what? That’s horrible. Because everything that was so great about the game deserves better than what essentially amounts to an even glitches and more drawn out retread of the original Assassin’s Creed. So I’m not going to dance around the issue. Mafia 3 is one of the worst high profile games of the year from a pure game play standpoint. It feels unfinished, clearly needing a few more months to add more content and fix up the technical issues. If you’ve read my previous reviews, editorials and lists, you know that game play is what matters most to me, since without that, the story might as well have been a movie. But despite these issues, I urge anyone reading this to give the game a chance anyway, even if you put it down long before the credits roll. Running around New Bourdeax alone is worth your time. Even outside of the main story, moving around in this environment is a truly valuable form of interactivity in a way that no other game before, which I hope starts a trend for designers to use games to help us visit more realistic depictions of our history.

It’s just tragic that the first game of its kind has to play so bad.

The 12 Days Of Switchmas: Day 7- Focus On The Exclusives!

by Josh Jackson

Here at Geekscape, we’re all incredibly thrilled for the Nintendo Switch. Going into day seven of our series of wants for Nintendo’s next console, my colleagues have all touched on some excellent points. From the importance of innovation to the horrid purchase management of previous Nintendo consoles, all the way to the ever present third party issue that’s hung over the company for a few generations now, you can read these thoughts and more here!

But my wish for the Switch is a simple one! One that might seemingly fly in the face of conventional thinking while being completely obvious at the same time. That is that third party support shouldn’t be the goal! Rather, focus on your exclusive content.

Splatoon was a creative, new take on the arena shooter genre. But it still felt like the Wii U wasn’t necessary to play it.

Let’s think about the most successful periods that Nintendo has enjoyed in a post Playstation world. The GameCube sold far less than their previous efforts, but had plenty of memorable exclusives that keep the system in the conversation when it comes to its great library. For all of the Wii’s faults, it sold tens of millions of units simply because it was so different, rounded out with software that took full advantage of the system’s capabilities. Even with Nintendo’s untouchable portable empire standing tall today, the mainstream press completely slammed the DS as a flimsy gimmick… Until developers made the most out of its dual screen functionality to help make it the best selling handheld of all time! The 3DS would continue this trend with an expanded focus on communication thanks to its StreetPass functionality that you couldn’t get anywhere else!

ZombiU revolved around the Game Pad, while Tokyo Mirage Sessions helped you communicate with your party with text messages. Two of the rare games that felt special on the console.

For some reason, the Wii U didn’t follow suit. If the console faltered anywhere outside of its advertising, it was that so many of its games felt like something you could play on any other console. As Jonathan alluded to in his piece, games like Nintendoland and ZombiU excelled because the Game Pad and its features were so vital when it came to getting the most out of those games. As time went on, what made it unique became less and less important. Even great games like Xenoblade Chronicles X, Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze and Super Smash Bros felt like any other game to an extent, ones that you wouldn’t need a Wii U to play if they weren’t made by Nintendo or its second parties directly.

Smash was a blast to play, but it hardly pushes innovation when it was literally bundled with a controller from over a decade prior.

So when it comes to the Switch, its biggest focus absolutely needs to be making its console the exclusive home for a large variety of content, even if they’re the only ones pushing that envelope. Because as a huge Nintendo fan, I’m being realistic when I say that porting games like Skyrim and Dark Souls to the Switch will make a negligible difference when the only people who will want those types of games likely already have a PS4 or Xbox One to play them on. Even though the Wii was Nintendo’s largest home console success, you STILL had many gamers balking at games like Madworld and Monster Hunter Tri because those games, “should have been on the PS3”. Regardless of its justified, Nintendo is a damaged brand, and it would take at least a decade of good faith for Nintendo to become the first choice again. You’ll build that good faith by being the only place to get the best games.

Don’t get me wrong though. Third parties still have a place in this scenario, but simply porting games like EA did with Mass Effect 3, then throwing their hands in the air and giving up because their poorly adapted game that was years old at full price didn’t set the world on fire won’t cut it. Instead of that short sighted shell of “support”, give us the old EA! Give us the one that made games that centered around the console’s features! Because while people won’t buy Madden on Switch just because, but they did on the Wii when you had a chance to chuck your controller through your TV. Or when you actually swung your golf club in a game of Tiger Woods. Hell, even when NBA Street Vol. 3 didn’t have online support on the GameCube, you better believe that was the one people bought if it meant they could play as Mario, Peach and Luigi when tearing up the court.

It’s not street ball until Princess Peach dunks on Carmelo Anthony.

At the end of the day, Nintendo’s focus should be on rebuilding to show gamers and the casual audience that the Switch is THE destination for gaming. If this is going to happen, it’s not enough to just be a fourth PC with a few exclusives. It needs to push the envelope at all angles in a way that makes it stand head and shoulders above the competition. If they need to do that by themselves, then so be it. Now would be the opportune time to do it too, since the other two consoles are still primarily remaster and port machines with their exclusive content barely trickling out. So you can keep your Overwatch and Call of Duty… Unless I can play as Samus storming the beaches of Normandie or Fox McCloud (not) escorting the Payload of course.

Thanks for reading our seventh day of Switchmas! Be sure to check back tomorrow for our next round of thoughts, and make sure to share your own Switchmas wishes in the comments as we approach the big Switch conference!

Josh Jackson’s Favorite Games Of 2016 (So Far)!

by Josh Jackson

Can you believe that 2016 is coming to a close? In just a few days, we’ll abolish that dreaded six for ten more years, and a cool, clean, sexy seven will take its place.

2016 has been an incredible year for everything aside from presidential candidates and celebrity deaths, so as always, we wanted to share our favourite games, movies, moments and more of 2016.

We’ve seen Adam’s favorite things and MCDave’s favorite films, and now it’s Josh Jackson’s turn. No, his yearly list of Waifus isn’t ready quite yet (read last year’s list again to tide you over), but here are his top games of the past year.

5. Pokemon Go

No, Pokemon Go isn’t the best game out there. Hell, a better Pokemon game came within the same year with Pokemon Sun and Moon! But the reason why the popular mobile game ranks so high with me was because of its ability to encompass what a mobile game could be, offering players around the world the chance to bring Pokemon into the real world, complete with plenty of incentives to have us socialize, explore our environment and go outside for all those hatched eggs.

Not to mention that this game was a global phenomenon that thrust Pokemon into the mainstream for the first time in years, When the games that I ranked higher than this one come and go, expect to see Pokemon Go discussed for years to come. Would anybody be surprised to see Buzzfeed using it to fill their nostalgia lists in 10 years?

4. MegaDimension Neptunia VII (Review Here)

Despite what the many Neptunia releases on PS Vita may suggest, the fourth main entry in the RPG series saw its debut on the PS4 and Steam after a three year gap since its predecessor was released. The lighthearted parody of the game industry returned in full force, telling the story of the death of Sega as a hardware publisher using cute anime girls, all while forcing Neptune to share the spotlight with the rest of the CPU’s, Newcomers like Gold Third, the embodiment of the top four third party Japanese developers and ms. Dreamcast herself, Uzume, to round out the cast, there was plenty of humor and insider references to keep me playing for hours on end.

But while the humor still carries the narrative, I consider VII to be as close as you can get to a perfect sequel. The graphics and framerate received a noticeable upgrade. The game play stayed true to its roots while implementing multiple new features to make fights more dynamic. New types of battles like giant fights kept things interesting, while teamwork amongst your party played a much bigger role. It should be a no brainer, but sequels seem to have a harder time these days when it comes to differentiating themselves from the rest of the series while still feeling familiar. VII isn’t one of them.

3. Titanfall 2

What a difference a campaign makes! The original game was a fantastic display of what an online shooter can be when the developer thinks outside the box, but once the player base dried up, there was no reason to go back into your mech and do battle. Titanfall 2 fixes that with one of the best shooter campaigns I’ve ever played, complete with some of the most creative sequences I’ve played in a very long time.

Despite being as short as it is, (my first run on the hardest difficulty took about seven hours including deaths), it’s easily a story I could play through over and over again. By doing a great job of building up some interesting villains alongside the bond between you and your Titan, the story constantly keeps up with the incredible action.

Oh, and online is still fun! New abilities, a wider variety of Titans, weapons and abilities, free content updates and a variety of incentives to keep you online make it one of the better online games of 2016 as well, Inferior maps compared to the first game hold it back, but with the focus on fast movement, unique features like having the losing team evacuate while the winners hunt them down for extra EXP, and the wider array of options on the battlefield, there’s no reason why this gem should be passed up.

https://youtu.be/EXwdWuSuiYA

2. Overwatch

There was no game that I played in 2016 more than Overwatch. What started off as somewhat of an impulse buy became an obsession, racking up as many loot boxes I could grab as I took on heroes from around the world in Blizzard’s latest offering. The thought of an online only shooter may be intimidating at first, but with the wide variety of characters, each with unique abilities, (and personalities), that are sure to fit any play style, there’s sure to be a character or two for everyone.

But Overwatch’s true brilliance comes from when you explore the ins and outs of every character and start to think of playing for the benefit of your team rather than yourself. Using that clutch Ultimate that wins, (or saves), the match, hearing that rewarding sound as you accumulate a quadruple kill, or somehow holding off an entire team when you’re the only one on the objective are some of the incredible moments the game has offered throughout my many matches. As the lore opens up and the free content rolls in, it’s looking like Overwatch will be a popular choice well beyond 2016.

1. Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE (Review Here)

There’s not much I can say that I didn’t already cover in my review, but I’ll just say this. Tokyo Mirage Sessions is the best game of 2016 and it’s not even close.

Let’s check off the list of what makes a great game for its genre:

A JRPG with endearing characters that flip their tropes on their heads, complete with excellent voice acting that had me laughing out loud constantly.
An addictive battle system that puts its own unique spin on the traditional turn based formula.
Stylized graphics and presentation that make it look incredibly unique.
The best soundtrack of the year, both because of its BGM and its full songs, most of which get the music video treatment.
Plenty of creativity, from using the Wii U game pad as your phone to send and receive text messages, to its unique spin on the Fire Emblem universe.

But in the end, its biggest strength is to balk at all the expectations that came from a crossover between a dark series like Shin Megami Tensei, and the feudal themed turn based strategy that Fire Emblem is known for. Whoever came up with the idea of taking these two universes, setting it in the modern day, and having it revolve around teenage Japanese idols was insane. They were also onto something. Because it would be easy to throw the two series’ together and make some generic mash up between the two, (much like Pokemon Conquest, a game that in some ways is this one’s predecessor). Instead, we got the best parts of both to create something brand new, all of which was executed at a level of excellence expected from Atlus and Intelligent Systems. It was a risky move, one that paid off in a big way for all those involved. Now, let’s hope it gets the spotlight it deserves with a Switch port!

How Tracer’s Sexuality Changed ‘Overwatch’

by Josh Jackson

It didn’t.

But you wouldn’t know that based on the reaction of the Internet, where many of its denizens are totally convinced that Blizzard has forsaken them due to a detail of a character’s personal life that was shown outside of the game. Allegations ranging from pandering, to being unnecessary, to flat out saying that a company that has delivered free characters, new maps and a wealth of new items to keep the game alive has lost their respect have been lobbied at the game and developers. And why? Because the girl on the cover likes to bump clams?

If you somehow haven’t heard by now, the latest Overwatch web comic features the heroes and villains of the game celebrating the holidays with their loved ones. Primarily focusing on Tracer as she rushes to find the perfect Christmas gift for her significant other before meeting with the lonely Winston, the moment in question comes when the gift is given to a red head female who happens to thank her with a kiss. A rather mundane scene has now become the talk of the gaming world over the last week between those who are praising the reveal and those that I referenced above who have numerous problems with it. What are they saying, you ask? Here’s a sample of what some of the negative reactions have been funneling in on various forums.

I really wish they wouldn’t do stuff like this for this game now really. We’re not allowed to just enjoy the game anymore because we have to put up with a load of braindead social correctness bulls***. I’d rather put up with dark souls 3’s crowd telling me to kill myself again than this.

Yes, because a single character in a cast of 23 characters is “social correctness bulls***”. Because a web comic is keeping you from enjoying a game. Newsflash, being gay is becoming more acceptable these days, which is why we’ll more than likely see homosexual characters be featured in future games. I hope you find a way to continue enjoying your games despite gay people existing in them, but it sounds more like the medium is passing you by. Being gay isn’t “PC”, it’s reality, and it’s time to get used to it.

The purpose of the comic was to exploit LGBT awareness to stir up controversy for a game the week before Christmas.

The teasing and “Hype” for an alternative sexual character was intentionally a path leading to Christmas sales.

Because Overwatch was having such a hard time building a player base, right? 20 million in a few months really shows how desperate Blizzard was for those few extra sales. But we’re now at a point where anything other than heterosexual representation is either “pandering” or “exploiting”, despite the idea of again, having ONE character among a cast of 23 being a lesbian is pretty normal these days considering about 3.8 percent of the US population identifies as LGBTQ according to this 2015 Gallup poll. Then again, gay people can’t exist in fiction without an agenda, right? Because a single character in a growing cast of 23 and counting is asking for “special treatment”, as I’ve seen mentioned on other forums.

1. Tracer was not presented as gay from the beginning, so it seems like she was changed to being gay.

2. Tracer was paired with some random nobody that was just made up rather another playable or important character.

3. Not that Overwatch’s story is deep or anything, but it seems like the presentation of Tracer being gay served no other real purpose than to show that she’s gay, so the presentation didn’t seem organic, and more agenda driven.

Wasn’t presented as being gay? What, was she supposed to weigh 300 lbs with a shaved head and a biker jacket with a rainbow flag stitched to it? It may come as  a surprise to some, but many gay people don’t wear their sexuality on their sleeve. They aren’t walking stereotypes. They’re actual people. Which makes the last claim that it’s not organic ironic since she apparently needed to wear a “Hi, I’m gay!” sign around her neck for this to feel organic. And the fact that she’s paired with a “nobody” instead of a different character? Do you *really* think it would be better if two characters were revealed as gay instead of one?

It simply didn’t need to be. There’s no plot arc for any character. Sexual orientation doesn’t select the way a character plays. It has exactly 0 bearing on anything.

However, it’s SUCH a big deal to liberals nowadays that companies pick up on the hype and use it to their advantage. This is known as pandering. Most people don’t have a problem with gays, it’s this bulls*** pandering that pisses people off.

No one on this cast needed to be gay or straight. They’re not real, and their orientation doesn’t change how the game plays.

You can tell what the mindset is coming from this comment based on using “liberal” as an attack, but I just want to point out that “this bulls*** pandering that pisses people off” completely contradicts the idea right above this quote that “It has zero bearing on anything.” I don’t see how someone would be pissed off to begin with if they really felt it didn’t matter, but even if it doesn’t matter to you, it obviously matters to those who found a character in the game they can identify with. Then again, I *REALLY* don’t think that the issue is that “No one on this cast needed to be gay or straight.” Because I can’t seem to find the outrage for Pharah’s unnecessary and forced boyfriend in the same comic.

Or Reaper following an unknown family in the same comic.

Or Torbjorn and Reinhardt’s families being revealed… IN THE SAME COMIC!

But I’m guessing that none of the images above make you feel icky when you look at them, so those are A-OK. Objectively, you could say that the Tracer scene is equally as pointless as all of the above ones. Yet, hers is the only one being labeled as such. Hmm… I wonder why?

Now that we got that out of the way, let’s talk about the real issue here. Gaming has come a long way as a medium, and I feel that making the poster child of one of the most popular games of the year was a bold, yet necessary move by Blizzard if we want to keep moving towards normalizing homosexual characters in the way that many of the posters above and those like them pretend they already are. But reactions like these show how much farther we have to come, because we’re still sifting through comments calling the move a desperate plea for holiday sales despite the fact that Blizzard has been talking about this since at least 2015. Their goal was to reveal it in a natural and tasteful way. What better way to do it than to reveal it in a side story that’s all about spending time with loved ones during the holidays?

Let’s be real though. To these people, the only way for the reveal would have been “tasteful” and “natural” would have been for it to have never happened at all. Remember that in decades past, including minorities in prominent roles was also considered “pandering”, but with diligence and the continued usage of diverse characters in a variety of roles, seeing it has become more and more commonplace. Not that there isn’t a ton of room to improve, but homosexuality in the public consciousness is still behind in so many ways. So I can only hope this trend continues until we stop seeing gay characters as a gimmick and more as a facet of a more complex whole. And that won’t happen if we pretend they don’t exist.

Or you know, keep typing away furiously when girls kiss each other.

Today’s Your Last Chance To Grab Meloetta, The Last Mythical Pokemon To Wrap Up #Pokemon20!

by Josh Jackson

Pokemon trainers, today is the day! After a year of Mythical Pokemon giveaways, which started with Mew back in February, now is your last chance to pick up Meloetta for your X, Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire games. The fourth Mythical Pokemon from the Black and White generation of games is here to entrance you with its song, thanks to its two unique formes.

Multiple formes have been nothing new when it comes to Mythical Pokemon. If you recall from our previous coverage, Shaymin could switch by using an item outside of battle, while others like Arceus and Genesect could change types based on what item it’s holding. Yet, Meloetta is unique as the only one that can change mid battle using a specific move. Continuing the trend that Mew started, Meloetta is a Psychic type, being the first Pokemon in the Mythical line to be both Psychic and Normal. Using its signature move, Relic Song, not only does it have a power of 75 with a 10% chance of putting the opponent to sleep, using it switches the Pokemon from its default Aria Forme to its Psychic/Fighting Pirouette Forme. This versatility helps it keep its opponents on their toes, all while holding the constant threat of sleep. Don’t let its opera theme fool you, this Mon is dangerous.

Also unique to generation five’s last Pokemon, Meloetta isn’t featured in its own movie. Instead, it was the first Mythical Pokemon to have a reoccurring role in the main anime. Following Ash, Iris and Cyan at points across their travels across Unova, it gained plenty of screen time to make up for its lack of a feature film. On the card front, check out Meloetta’s featured pin and card below, complete with two more Pokemon Generations booster packs to fill out your collection.

Now that we’re wrapping up an incredible year for the Pokemon fandom, we’ll hand the final comments over to you. What are your thoughts on Meloetta, and how do you think it compares to the rest of the Mythical line? Did you manage to grab all of them throughout the year, and which ones are your favorites? Comment below, and share your Pokemon highlights with us as we move on past 20 years of Pokemon. Here’s to another 20!

Ryuji Sakamoto Fights The System In The Latest ‘Persona 5’ Trailer

by Josh Jackson

Following the reveals of the main character and Ann from the highly anticipated RPG, Persona 5, Ryuji Sakamoto is the next in line to join the Phantom Thieves. Apparently following in the footsteps of such bros as Persona 3‘s Junpei, Yosuke from Persona 4, and Tokyo Mirage Sessions‘ Touma, Ryuji is said to be a true friend who puts the group’s well being before his own.

As a former track star, Ryuji’s dreams were shattered along with his legs when over-training pushed on him by his relentless coach led to a career ending injury before it truly started. Now harboring resentment towards “shitty adults”, he joins the Phantom Thieves as a way to get back at society, and to change it for the better in his own way.

In battle, he wields a pipe just like a bat, beating on any shadows that cross his path. Fitting for someone who has a reputation for being the troublemaker of the team, feel lucky that you aren’t on the other side of the swing.

Voiced by Max Mittelman, (Saitama himself from One Punch Man), here’s some more detail on what went into bringing Ryuji to life. We’ll have to wait until February 14th to hear the final result, and we can hardly wait for it!

Which version are you going with, the steelbook case with the standard game, or the Take Your Heart edition with all the cool stuff we mentioned before!? Let us know below!

BlizzCon 2016: The Overwatch League Looks To Make eSports The Next American Pastime!

by Josh Jackson

The BlizzCon 2016 Opening Ceremonies had so much information on Overwatch that it was hard to believe it only took up 20 minutes of time! As the festivities begun, between the reveal of new maps, modes and characters, Blizzard announced what might be the most game changing reveal of all; the Overwatch League.

Looking to combine traditional sports with eSports, the Overwatch League looks like you would expect something you would expect from the NFL, NBA or MLB. By allowing pros to prove their worth at a nearby combine, their play will be evaluated for the chance to join a legitimate sports team. If a potential owner likes what they see, they can sign you to a contract, complete with a salary for your services. The plan is to give major cities around the world their own teams, making this incredibly ambitious plan looks like it could be one major step forward in legitimizing eSports in a way that will make digital competition surge to levels that can compete with physical sports. I bet your parents feel pretty foolish for telling you to go outside now, don’t they?

There’s no word on if this is going to be a PC exclusive opportunity, but chances are console players are going to be left in the dust. Still, we all have plenty of time to brush up on our payload escorting skills ahead of the league’s launch, which is expected to be in 2017. What are you hoping to see out of the Overwatch League? Think you have what it takes to be the next superstar of gaming? Let us know what you want to see from the league in the comments below!

BlizzCon 2016: Here’s What We Know About Oasis, The Next ‘Overwatch’ Map

by Josh Jackson

A new character wasn’t all that was revealed during the Overwatch- What’s New? panel at BlizzCon 2016. During the presentation, the team behind the game discussed Oasis, the next new map scheduled to released by the end of the year.

As a Control map, the two teams will fight over controlling a specific point on one of three sections of the map. Located in the Middle East, this display of human advancement was built when a group of scientists got together and decided to push the boundaries of what  technology can achieve. Apparently, these brilliant minds were able to put together a kind of desert utopia, complete with one thing the world needs in this time of crises; jump pads!

Yep, jump pads are back! Once a staple of FPS maps, Blizzard said they were inspired both by the old school design choice, as well as giving players a unique way to move around that isn’t possible elsewhere. Did you think Bastion was annoying as is? Wait until he parks his turret mode on a jump pad and keeps bouncing up and down while decimating your team! How about a Roadhog hooking an exploding D.Va mech and placing it on the pad, allowing it to blow up high in the sky? And the McCree’s… I’ve never looked more forward to 12:01 PM in my life.

blizzcon-2016-overwatch-oasis

No matter what unique changes Oasis brings, one thing is for sure… Your entire team will still play Deathmatch rather than get on the point. All the art work shown so far is tentative, so don’t kill us if the final version doesn’t look exactly the same. Needless to say, with a December PTR release scheduled, and an early 2017 release for the main game, let’s hope we all get to play in it sooner than later.

What are your thoughts on Oasis, or any of the other news to come out of BlizzCon so far? Be heard  below!

BlizzCon 2016: Starting Monday, Quick Play Will No Longer Allow Hero Stacking In The ‘Overwatch’ PTR

by Josh Jackson

In one of the more controversial news pieces to come out of BlizzCon for Overwatch in between the Sombra confirmation, the details on The Arcade, and the new Oasis stage, it was revealed that Quick Play will no longer allow multiples of the same hero in the PTR, (the PC test server,) starting on Monday. If previous PTR changes are to go by, this change should come to the main game within a month. Formerly a competitive exclusive feature, Quick Play will now become a way for players to test out their competitive strategies in a similar environment rather than the free for all that it is now.

Hero stacking has been a contentious topic pretty much since the game launched. Blizzard has argued in the past that it brings a legitimate level of strategy to the game shortly before removing it from competitive, while players range from wanting to be able to play as who they want to regardless of team composition, to hating getting stuck in games with five Genji’s screwing around while the enemy walks the payload to the goal. Hero stacking will still exist in the form of the No Limits brawl in arcade, but as of now, brawls are significantly less popular. Blizzard is hoping the new format will spark interest in the bonus modes, but as of now, that remains to be seen.

Personally, as long as we still have the option to stack in the game, I don’t mind. As it stands, we have no way of practicing for competitive outside of playing in competitive itself, meaning that we might get dropped a few ranks before figuring out what works. But what do you think? Let us know in the comments, and check back with Geekscape for all the news coming out of BlizzCon!

BlizzCon 2016: The Arcade In ‘Overwatch’ Will Bring Back Lucioball and Junkenstein’s Revenge!

by Josh Jackson

During the Overwatch- What’s New? panel, the team went into more detail about The Arcade, a new mode that’s on its way to the team based shooter. It turns out that not only is it right around the corner, but it’ll give us plenty of reason to duck out of competitive and quick matches by bringing back some fan favorite brawls!

Promising to bring back Weekly Brawls from past runs, players will be able to create a type of playlist for them and their friends to fight through. So rather than sticking to one brawl and getting bored after a few matches, each fight will mix up the combat with each fight’s unique set of rules. Most importantly, the event exclusive modes, Lucioball and Junkenstein’s Revenge, will return via The Arcade as well! So if you needed your FPS soccer fix, or want to team up with three friends against the AI instead of having to gun them down, we won’t have to wait a whole year for them to cycle back around! What’s even better is that I’ll have more time to unlock that no door damage Halloween spray!

Aside from the brawls, the team expanded on their reveals of one on one and three on three combat. One on one will have each player pick the same hero, and have them square off in a best of five duel. Three on three matches will consist of elimination rounds, with the team’s characters are locked in until a round is over. By elimination, it means that once a player is killed, they’re done for the round. At that point, they can decide to keep their team as is, or mix it up for different results. Some of these modes will take place in unique maps, such as the recently revealed Antarctica arena, giving us a look at Mei’s backstory through nods throughout the environment.

But who cares about Brawls, right? They don’t give you as much EXP for those sweet loot boxes. Or at least, that was the old Overwatch. When The Arcade is released, your first win during the Weekly Brawl will give you a box outright! After that, every three wins will award you with another, up until you reach the maximum of three for the week. That’s four boxes a week total!

Needless to say, we’ll have plenty of reason to dig into The Arcade when it launches, hopefully by the end of the year. Especially when it’s now the only way we’ll be able to play with stacked heroes going forward. What are your thoughts on the news? Let us know below, and keep checking back for all the BlizzCon 2016 news!

 

BlizzCon 2016: Sombra Is Finally Confirmed For ‘Overwatch’ Alongside A Peek At New Modes

by Josh Jackson

After months of poking, prodding and teasing through social media, Sombra has finally been officially revealed during the BlizzCon 2016 opening ceremony! Giving us a look at what to expect thanks to a surprise animated short featuring her, Widowmaker and Reaper, the plot surrounding the countless King of the Hill matches is starting to really heat up. But is she friend, foe, or only in it for herself?

As the latest offensive hero to be revealed for the team based shooter, she looks to bring a completely different type of skill set to the game. If you’ve been following the leaks, it seems like they were spot on, but for those who managed to stay in the dark, you’re in for a surprise. Courtesy of the Overwatch website, here’s what we can expect when Sombra arrives in our games.

Stealth and debilitating attacks make Sombra a powerful infiltrator. Her hacking can disrupt her enemies, ensuring they’re easier to take out, while her EMP provides the upper hand against multiple foes at once. Sombra’s ability to Translocate and camouflage herself makes her a hard target to pin down.

ABILITIES

MACHINE PISTOL

Sombra’s fully-automatic machine pistol fires in a short-range spread.

HACK

Sombra hacks enemies to temporarily stop them from using their abilities, or hacks first aid kits to make them useless to her opponents.

THERMOPTIC CAMO

Sombra becomes invisible for a short period of time, during which her speed is boosted considerably. Attacking, using offensive abilities, or taking damage disables her camouflage.

TRANSLOCATOR

Sombra tosses out a translocator beacon. She can instantly return to the beacon’s location while it is active (including when it’s in mid-flight).

EMP

Sombra discharges electromagnetic energy in a wide radius, destroying enemy barriers and shields and hacking all opponents caught in the blast.

 

On paper, Sombra sounds like a game changer. Being able to teleport at a much faster speed than Reaper helps her mobility, while her stealth makes it easy for her to flank opposing teams. If that wasn’t enough, her Hack ability completely disables opponents and their ability to heal through packs, and that EMP ultimate can set up major comebacks when defensive teams are completely walling you off. Then again, reading about it and its actual application in game are two different things, so we’ll be keeping our eyes on the floor impressions, since she’s available to try at the convention.

Aside from the new character, Blizzard promised new modes and maps, including what they called The Arcade. Revealing Eco Point Antarctica, Mei’s home stage where she was frozen for years, this map was the first one mentioned for The Arcade, which will offer 1 vs 1 and 3 vs 3 matches. The Oasis will be the next standard map, a type of high tech utopia built in the Arabian desert. The new content was said to arrive on the PTR in December, so it’ll be a little longer before we’ll be able to check it out for ourselves.

Watch Sombra’s reveal animation below, then let us know if you think she’s living up to the hype! And keep checking back with us for all the news coming out of BlizzCon, including more details on the new modes from the Overwatch panel later today.

 

Get Ready To Rumble With Loot Gaming’s October Crate!

by Josh Jackson

October always means a busy month for gaming, with the holiday release schedule being in full swing. With so many hard hitting games, Rumble seems to be a fitting theme for the month. To celebrate the release of Titanfall 2, as well as paying tribute to some other great games from past to present, Loot Gaming has some surprising items to reward our fandom. Without further ado, here’s what we’ve got!

img_5557

Starting with two original items for the Rumble crate, a pin commemorating the month shows two boxing gloves clashing with “October 2016” being engraved at the bottom and “Rumble” at the top. The included poster sets the scene for a futuristic battle, while the back details all the goods that have arrived for the month.

Prepare for Titanfall. Titanfall 2 is the major new release being focused on this month with a new T-Shirt featuring the silhouette of a Titan and its pilot. Simple, but recognizable enough thanks to the iconic mech in the background, we’ve found out shirt of choice when its time to hit the battlefield.

img_5558

Taking a more villainous turn for our other clothing options for the month, we’ve got not one, but TWO accessories that will surely keep us warm with the fires of hatred they both exude. First, Dr. Eggman may not be able to defeat the world’s fastest hedgehog, but at least his hands will be nice and cozy with these Game Over gloves. These are great, but the biggest surprise of the crate came from the pair of Toon Ganondorf socks courtesy of Bioworld. Wind Waker is my favorite iteration of The Legend of Zelda, so full length Ganon socks would be something I’d buy on their own. Knowing that, my enthusiasm when I saw these resting in the box went through the roof. All it’s missing is a slot in the forehead.

Going from a pair of classic villains to one that’s captured the hearts of our meme filled modern times, Reaper from Overwatch arrived as an adorable Funko Pop figure! I’ll be honest, I’m not the biggest fan of the brand, mostly because the vast majority look identical. This is why when one comes along that has extra detail, it catches my attention even more. Reaper is one of these cases, with a unique mask and well crafted shotguns that look like they could be straight out of a Play of the Game, it’s close as to whether this or the Ganonforf socks win best item for the month.

img_5559

What easily wins the prize for the strangest item this month is this box of Pac-Man adhesive bandages. Wondering why one would ever need these outside of the inevitable moment when a giant yellow ball eats your finger, the back of the poster made everything clear. This month, if you show off your rumble wounds by getting creative with your bandages, you’ll have a chance to win a Wii U and a copy of Super Smash Bros. For Wii U. With the console ceasing production this week, you might want to jump on the chance to win it, especially because Pac-Man himself is in it!

img_5564

To round out the line up, we can’t talk about retro heroes or Smash Bros without mentioning Mario. Now the plumber can go wherever you want with this Mario magnet. When you want to be greeted when rummaging the fridge for mushrooms or have his smile to look forward to when stepping into the car for the day, you’ll never have to go without the savior of the Mushroom Kingdom.

img_5562

That’s a wrap for October! What are your thoughts on this month’s Loot Gaming offerings? As always, share your thoughts below, and make sure to use “Geekscape” as your promotional code for a discount!

Meet Ann Takamaki, The Beautiful Rose Of The ‘Persona 5’ Cast

by Josh Jackson

Since Persona 3 set the current standard for the game featuring some incredible female characters, we wouldn’t expect anything less from the upcoming Persona 5. After meeting the main character last time around, now we’re being introduced to Ann Takamaki, the beautiful rose of the Phantom Thieves who looks to carry the torch held be best girl candidates such as Aegis, Yukari, Yukiko and Naoto.

Unlike the previous girls however, Ann seems to have herself relatively together. Despite being the source of many rumors back at school, (as well as having to deal with an overbearing gym teacher), that doesn’t get her down. In fact, she serves as the moral compass of the group, helping keep her friends level headed in the face of some extraordinary circumstances. Once stepping into battle, the use of her whip brings the pain to the enemy shadows, all while bringing extra style to the punishment she inflicts. Don’t believe me? Check out her reveal trailer below and see for yourself.

In case you needed to know more about Ann, Atlus has also conducted an interview with Erika Harlacher, the voice actor behind the catsuit clad character. Known for voicing characters in anime series such as Kurapika in Hunter X Hunter, Ami in Toradora! and the game voice for Kiyoko Kirigiri in my 2014 game of the year, Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Erika will be playing a completely different character than the stoic detective from two years ago. From what we’ve seen so far though, it seems like her full performance will be something to look forward to. Find out more in her interview below!

Persona 5 will launch on February 14, 2017 for the PS3 and PS4 with two editions. First prints will come with a limited edition steel book case, while the “Take Your Heart” edition will be available exclusively on the PS4, with all the bonus goodies we detailed in the protagonist’s reveal for $89.99. Which one are you thinking of picking up, and does Ann look like a worthy addition to the group? Let us know what you think!