Just like with the return of Gohan to prominence in recent episodes of Dragonball Super, Blog Herding makes a return to form and then some. While I know that some of you have no idea what that last sentence means, let's just say we have a super awesome edition of Blog Herding this week, thanks to all of G.I.'s wonderful bloggers.
Community Blogs For May 26 – June 7:
What Makes Success?
StarterPack mulls over the reasons why a game is successful. It doesn't merely
ponder why a certain game is a hit, but really looks at historical anecdotes
about gaming in general and whether or not success can be gauged. Success,
after all, means different things to different people.
On
Fighting Game Character Variety
Qrow Rose looks at fighting game rosters and what makes them good. Often times
it comes down to balance, and apparently Injustice 2 has caught some flak for
including too many similar characters. I definitely agree on the point about
Smash Bros. needing more variety. But at least it has improved.
Top
10 Soundtracks This Generation
I was worried about this list until I saw that Refle included Shoji
Meguro's Persona 5 tunes on it. And it is quite brave to include Breath of the
Wild since people seem to hate on the music, but it truly is nuanced, playing
at just the right situations.
Is
It Still Fun?
Brendon Curzio is correct: Nostalgia can be super bad. Here he goes through why
some games work and some don't anymore. Of course Super Mario World will always
feel perfect. What is interesting is that our blogger does not think a lot of
realistic games from the PS1 and PS2 eras hold up as well. Some of that is down
to art direction.
The
Adventures Of A Gamer Teacher: Ensemble Cast
GerardoExber has been busy with life, but here we get to read about a gaming
party he had with his students. It's basically a story about video games
bringing people together and helping to form new friendships.
What
Makes a Game Successful
Issacclarke322 gives us his thoughts to the sister blog above on the subject of video game success. This blog's take is a bit different, acknowledging
that everyone enjoys different types of games, and also explaining what makes a
game so much fun for someone.
Why
I'm Anxious About Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is blowing critics and viewers away, and Haley Shipley writes
about why she likes this version of the hero. It's less a story about the character
and more a trip through Haley's life looking at heroes that worked for her, and
who inspired her. I enjoyed New 52 Wonder Woman and some other stories starring
her, and I am stoked for what sounds like a strong, feminist hero in a movie
that sounds amazing.
Why
I Played Monster High: Thirteen Wishes
I don't have time to play games I like, so it is interesting to see Attackcobra
play something that does not seem too fun. And you know what? This is a bad
game. Cobra writes it best: "And as it turns out, Monster High: Thirteen Wishes
is well deserving of the stigma of being a bad game."
Community Reviews:
Snake
Pass Review – PC
I can't think of too many games where you control a snake, and according to
Vichilino, Snake Pass should not be passed up. What has me intrigued is how the
physics could go awry, leaving us with a fun situation for the poor snake.
Writing Challenge Responses:
CWC: The Enjoyable Deaths
StarterPack looks back at the silliest deaths he has faced in video games,
including the dreaded self-destruct via your own grenade bouncing off a wall
and back at you. The story about the Skyrim glitch throwing players hundreds of
feet into the air is something that I would do on purpose. Heck, I used to
shoot the lake water in Resident Evil 4 because I got a kick out of getting
eaten by the lake monster. I found that out by accident and then proceeded to
shoot the water for 20 minutes straight, much to the chagrin of my college dorm
mate.
Writing Challenge:
Like Gohan, what game series has done a fantastic job of finding its identity, or is in desperate need of a revival? Following Tim Turi on Twitter has me seeing a lot about Sonic and Mega Man, which has me excited, but I still lament that we did not get Mega Man Legends 3. And someone needs to right the ship for Chibi Robo.
I hope you enjoy the blogs! Please contact me via my Game Informer page or on Twitter at @LouisGarcia12 with any blog news or playdate suggestions.