tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9953112544417604242024-11-08T07:09:06.517-08:00If you want to know all about the newest, hottest games out there, then this is not the blog you're looking for. Those got plenty of coverage already, anyways. Downcast is a blog about video games and their effect on human beings. It's about those games you keep in a shoe box in the basement that you suddenly want to bring out, about the cutting-edge game you wanted to throw out the window and about life in general.Enriquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16480175472246249831noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-995311254441760424.post-61610489934768379872023-07-17T17:34:00.005-07:002023-07-17T17:54:54.181-07:00

OK so I just beat FFXVI. I don't feel good.FFXVI is the reason I bought a PS5 while it was still very scarce. I didn't buy it from a scalper, but I put a lot of effort into buying at MSRP. And well.... The only reason I don't regret the purchase is because I got to play Cyberpunk 2077 on it after Stadia shut down.There's been a lot of discourse on the game and how it's not a JRPG (and how

Enriquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16480175472246249831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-995311254441760424.post-44134039961174083832022-10-29T06:11:00.001-07:002023-01-09T06:58:26.553-08:00

I’ve been a TTRPG enthusiast for more than 10 years now. I’ve tried many different systems and have even tried my hand in designing my own.D&D was one of those games I played with different groups under different circumstances. Starting with 3rd edition (well, 3.5), then 4th, Pathfinder, and then 5th.A trend I failed to notice at first was that the burden of buying the thick books and

Enriquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16480175472246249831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-995311254441760424.post-89117529582539273552021-03-02T09:00:00.002-08:002021-03-02T09:42:53.424-08:00

Hey! Guys, have you heard of Stadia? It's really neat!Sure, it's not better than your next-gen console or your PC worth thousands... wait, you don't have one? Then read on! You can play next gen games without spending a penny on hardware! As long as you have a stable internet connection, that is.You just buy the game (digitally, of course) and you can play it on any computer! Even an old

Enriquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16480175472246249831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-995311254441760424.post-14744363233164794362021-03-02T06:02:00.003-08:002021-03-02T06:02:40.452-08:00

My last post on this blog was roughly four years and a half ago.I stopped blogging because life kept happening. Also because I felt blogging was irrelevant, since I could just share my opinions on social media for the same audience. Besides, there's no way to compete with youtube vloggers and twitch streamers, anyway.But I've been feeling downcast the last few days and there's some stuff I want

Enriquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16480175472246249831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-995311254441760424.post-84358225188896053832016-07-26T21:01:00.002-07:002016-07-27T08:47:47.866-07:00

So here's my game review: it's a free game, just get it and check it out, it's a lot of fun! Delete it if you don't like it. It's riddled with glitches and connectivity issues, and needs a lot of balancing, but that should be taken care of soon. That's it. But before you do, here are some words of caution. A few years ago I wrote a piece about Ingress, and most of it also applies to Pokémon GO.

Enriquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16480175472246249831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-995311254441760424.post-17673631886044770142016-04-17T13:59:00.000-07:002016-04-17T13:59:14.939-07:00

Here's how to beat all your friends at nintendo's first ever smartphone game, Miitomo: It's not a game. You can't win. You can't lose. You're not supposed to play it. Follow these four easy steps and you will be above the competition! Having any expectation of having "fun" while "playing" Miitomo will ruin it for you. You will "burn out" if you try to "unlock" all the "content". You will

Enriquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16480175472246249831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-995311254441760424.post-66575531790122905372016-04-17T13:20:00.001-07:002016-04-17T13:23:39.898-07:00

I've been hella busy lately, so here's a quick update on Splatoon: So. being the bona-fide Nintendo fanboy that I am, I was quite exited to hear about Splatoon. But I was cautiously optimistic. I thought it had the potential to be a hit, but it would certainly not be for me. Then they released the "testfire" stress test/demo, and I had to give it a try. Not only was the game lots of fun, but I

Enriquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16480175472246249831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-995311254441760424.post-14374530603415140252014-08-28T22:07:00.000-07:002014-08-28T22:07:03.832-07:00

That's right. Gamers are going the way of the Dreamcast. Gone. Cancelled. Forgotten. No need to be angry, though! It's gonna be fine! You're going to be fine, I promise! Put down your weapon and continue reading. For the last few years I've been writing about how toxic the "Handcore demographic" has gotten. I've discussed Nintendo hate among gamers and tried to define the term "Hardcore". I

Enriquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16480175472246249831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-995311254441760424.post-73625318804325761532014-06-29T10:11:00.000-07:002014-06-29T10:11:05.095-07:00

I love Mario Kart 8. I come home from work to play it, and stay up night playing. It's great fun, and I'm very happy it's helping drive Wii U sales. Sure, they changed a few things but I see why. You can now only hold one item, which keeps the game more balanced. They practically took away battle mode, but I don't miss it. Oh, and the graphics are amazing. The game is truly great. It's also a

Enriquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16480175472246249831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-995311254441760424.post-80743209676319213392014-05-24T09:19:00.001-07:002014-05-24T09:30:05.796-07:00

I know you've read a brazillion posts about how to save the Wii U, And I know you are sick of them all. But bear with me for a moment, this one actually makes sense! What the Wii U needs is a killer app. What the Wii U needs is Jet Grind Radio. Think about it. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker showed us that the Wii U's full 1080, 60fps capability makes cel-shaded graphics look gorgeous. What

Enriquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16480175472246249831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-995311254441760424.post-59934210166708671732014-05-11T09:58:00.001-07:002014-05-11T10:10:46.824-07:00

This whole #Miiquality deal reminds me of the time PETA went against Nintendo for Mario's tanooki fur suit. It's not helping their cause at all. We're talking about a game made by a bunch of middle-aged Japanese men. They did not push the gays out, they probably didn't notice that they were waiting outside in the first place. Throw an avalanche of hate in their direction, when they're already

Enriquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16480175472246249831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-995311254441760424.post-7844184940284027302014-04-22T16:39:00.000-07:002014-04-22T16:39:17.429-07:00

Some of you might have heard of this game called Ingress. Lemme tell you about it, from my biased point of view. The concept is fascinating, really. Google overlays an MMO over Google Maps. Meaning that in order to move your avatar in the game world, you have to move your smartphone in the real world. "Augmented reality" they call it. They tie places of interest in reality to "portals" in-game.

Enriquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16480175472246249831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-995311254441760424.post-59321747690739795302014-04-03T07:13:00.003-07:002014-04-03T07:13:50.272-07:00

I've never been a Pokemon fan. I never even saw the appeal of it. You go around the world doing horrible things to innocent creatures for fun and the only thing that is at stake is... uh...  that someone else may have more pokemon slaves than you. I say slaves instead of pets because I know some of these are sentient. On the other hand, Pokemon is a pop culture phenomenon that is VERY hard

Enriquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16480175472246249831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-995311254441760424.post-69775007750455196302013-08-06T15:51:00.000-07:002013-08-06T19:14:49.082-07:00

I have decided GameStop no longer deserves my business. Yesterday I visited a GameStop store because a flyer on their door caught my eye. It said I could get double in-store credit for my game system trade-in. Now, before I entered the store I did some quick math in my brain: The normal trade-in value for a Nintendo 3DS is about $80.00. I say about because I'm aware prices fluctuate. A new

Enriquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16480175472246249831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-995311254441760424.post-84191693048238225742013-05-14T06:02:00.000-07:002013-05-14T06:02:05.965-07:00

I don't always blog, but when I do, it's because of something stupid I saw on the Internet. Listen, I've had it up to here with your stupid "Nintendo should start making IOS/Android games" posts. You're stupid and so is your mother's face. - me Lately I've observed this disturbing trend were professional video game writers and so called analysts go on rambling about how Nintendo should

Enriquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16480175472246249831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-995311254441760424.post-15332905736346843022013-03-08T08:17:00.001-08:002013-03-11T13:35:20.495-07:00

Just in time for international women's day, this video comes up, reminding us of a serious issue that is still rampant in the world of gaming, sexism. Do you think this will turn into a PR disaster for Nintendo? I hope it doesn't, but this, together with turning their only good female character into a bootylicious blonde with daddy issues in Metroid Other M, should not go unnoticed. To be honest,

Enriquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16480175472246249831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-995311254441760424.post-18997798543603438222012-10-21T09:21:00.000-07:002012-10-21T09:21:24.067-07:00

OK. There's a free demo out there for this game, so I won't waste my time telling you why you should get this game. Just play the demo. I, however, want to tell you why you should get the demo. Denpa men is a JRPG in the classical sense, a dungeon-crawler if you will. But at the same time it's a very interesting experiment. [insert flashback sound effect here] Back in the day,

Enriquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16480175472246249831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-995311254441760424.post-76337484492323022502012-10-14T11:20:00.000-07:002012-10-14T11:20:54.092-07:00

Ever since the creation of this blog, I've been talking about how gaming just sucks nowadays. I've written  about the "core" wars and the deep Nintendo hatred that has poisoned this generation of gamers, and other alarming facts. 'Tis true, my friends, gaming has taken an ugly turn ever since the PlayStation days. And I think I've figured out one of the main reasons. "I only care

Enriquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16480175472246249831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-995311254441760424.post-33612278034293422952012-06-14T08:17:00.001-07:002012-06-14T08:20:51.910-07:00

Hey kids! Today I’m going to cover a subject I have mentioned before, so to avoid repetition, please peruse the following links for context. Softcore Revenge of the (hardcore) Nerds My lawn, and why you should get off it Based on recent events, and the links provided, if you have been following this blog (and by “you” I mean “nobody”) you might have seen this coming. I want to talk about the

Enriquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16480175472246249831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-995311254441760424.post-88199149713483605812012-03-18T20:40:00.000-07:002012-03-18T20:40:34.091-07:00

Greetings my fellow downcast gamers! I know I have been away for a while, but I only did it so you would appreciate me more when I came back! Right! Let’s do some blogging! First, quick update, I owe you a handful of reviews for some new games I’ve gotten since I last posted here, namely Mario Kart 7, Super Mario 3D Land, Pushmo and VVVVVV for the 3DS. I also want to write a bit about Star

Enriquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16480175472246249831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-995311254441760424.post-7808557870303196522011-12-01T16:59:00.001-08:002011-12-01T17:09:20.226-08:00

I got this coupon in the mail for a discount on a used game, and they didn’t have much used games in store so I grabbed a copy of Nintendogs +cats. Seriously, though. That was my choice. My reasoning was that I wanted a game I could pick up and put down at random intervals, mainly so I could play at work. My daughter had the original game a few years back and I found playing with the

Enriquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16480175472246249831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-995311254441760424.post-9983906418175075142011-09-23T18:59:00.000-07:002011-09-23T19:02:26.615-07:00

I keep finding articles all over the internet about how the Nintendo 3DS and the PlayStation Vita will be utter failures simply because people already have gaming-capable smartphones in their pockets. Of course I have written about this more than once, and to summarize, I simply don’t think it’s true. "I think it's very similar between cell phone cameras and professional digital

Enriquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16480175472246249831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-995311254441760424.post-45577318357305335932011-08-05T20:33:00.000-07:002011-08-05T20:56:27.009-07:00

Dear Nintendo: It has been almost 6 months since the Nintendo 3DS was released and even though I am very happy with my system, it seems the public perception is different. And even though you went as far as to announce a price drop on a system that is nowhere near obsolescence to change that notion... Well, I worry. Let me tell you why. If I had it my way I'd buy every console and every game

Enriquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16480175472246249831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-995311254441760424.post-39026038226764733922011-07-20T18:13:00.000-07:002011-07-20T18:36:04.870-07:00

When the time came to write the review for Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, I asked myself: "Self, what do Downcast readers expect from this Outdated Review™?" To which I answered "what readers?" So I'll just post a slightly amusing anecdote accompanied with my impressions on the game. We're talking about a game that was first released in 1998. I'm going to spare you gameplay-specific

Enriquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16480175472246249831noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-995311254441760424.post-61690610174128453082011-06-21T19:24:00.001-07:002011-06-21T19:28:58.648-07:00

"Fly, Navi, fly! The fate of the forest, nay, the world, depends upon thee!" - The Deku TreeWhen I first saw The Legend of Zelda, one of the things that most impressed me was Navi. You see, I believed they had changed the way games would be made that day. They had figured a way to make a "living, breathing" cursor that helped you navigate a 3D world. It wasn't a dumb arrow, a blinking highlight

Enriquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16480175472246249831noreply@blogger.com0