PPR 101

ow many times have you been told that a video game has to be played above all else, a game that has to be experienced to be believed, or something that made you feel like you were playing with power, or loud?

Hell, what about all things that it does that the other games just don’t, and the nonsensical screaming and camera shaking that followed… If you recall any of the reminiscent of the aforementioned occurrences that were described, then you my friend may have bared witness to the infamous “video game commercial.”

While we discussed what the effects of a hype train can hold, the publisher-funded adverts that’re pushed down our throats to refurbish that same sort of sensation may be going the way of the memory card before we know it. The gang gets together to discuss some of the commercials that they remember, and the effects that they had along with the shifting climate of game advertisement and more along with all the latest news and announcements that have been dropped as of recent.

We’re talking Red Dead Redemption 2, the Voice actor strike, Skylanders Imaginators, Layer Section II, Burly Men At Sea, Azure Striker Gunvolt 2, The Nintendo Switch, Destiny: Rise of Iron, the PS4 Pro, which movie is better between Super Troopers and Beerfest, and more!

So start listening, and get N or get out, or whatever, no one’s really forcing you honestly…

Mail us at our new email Mailbag@presspauseradio.com, leave a voicemail at 469-PPR-TALK, and be sure to stop by at our Forums if you haven’t already registered and post your thoughts about the show. Finally, make sure to rate and subscribe to us on iTunes and YouTube, follow us on Twitch page and Twitter, and finally take part in our Facebook and Steam group!

Click to read more ...

PPR Presents Play Play: Super Mario 64: Last Impact

ts been 20 years since the Nintendo 64 came into being, and while some of us may not have been as excited as a screaming kid in his pajamas on Christmas morning for it, you can’t deny the last impression that it’s left on the video games, even after all of this time.

Case and point, someone just released a modified version of Super Mario 64, and the effort he put in to it could only be described as a true labor of love. Titled Last Impact, this version introduces 130 new stars set in brand new level, with 12 power-ups hailing from a plethora of Mario’s various adventures over the years, all done within the original engine of Super Mario 64.

George decides to give it a solo look, and see what all the fuss is about, you guys can also find links for it here, and check it out yourself before Nintendo’s legal team decides to go ham on the whole thing (pretty surprised that they haven’t so far to be honest.)

Mail us at our new email Mailbag@presspauseradio.com, leave a voicemail at 469-PPR-TALK, and be sure to stop by at our Forums if you haven’t already registered and post your thoughts about the show. Finally, make sure to rate and subscribe to us on iTunes and YouTube, follow us on Twitch page and Twitter, and finally take part in our Facebook and Steam group!

Click to read more ...

QCF: ReCore

t’s bizarre to me that in a medium that spends so much time romanticizing its past through a modern filter for audiences both old, and new, that there’s this weird bygone era in video games that hardly receives the same kind of attention—the 3D Platformer. One could argue that the nuances of the side-scroller will forever stand the test of time in contrast with that of games like Banjo–Kazooie, or Spyro the Dragon, doomed to fall in line with a specific aesthetic or design, but I think the formula deserves more than that, and personally, that outlook always came off like a copout.

Which is why Armature Games’ ReCore is a refreshing experiment to that sentiment; an open-world action adventure title that embraces the age-old “collect-a-thon” conventions of the 90’s, within a large open world game that’s still designed with modern sensibilities in mind.

The refreshment doesn’t last though as the title has one of the most unstable game engines to have ever been released out of a first-party title, and will often reduce the charming experience that ReCore has to offer into a steaming pile of garbage.

Click to read more ...

QCF: Batman: A Telltale Series Episode 2: Children of Arkham

espite how resonant the premise of Batman may be towards the conceit of a Telltale-designed game, the first episode of the series played it surprisingly safe when it came to the approach of narrative in their spin on the Dark Knight. The roles of Harvey Dent, Selena Kyle, and the other notable regulars of Gotham City all played their role up to any fan’s expectation of the plot, and the novelty of the choice-driven gameplay being used in this world and the focus on Bruce Wayne seemed to be the main attractions offered.

In Episode 2 of the series however, the Bat gauntlets are seemingly taken off, as Children of Arkham works to rock the foundation of just about every convention of the Caped Crusader’s universe that fans have come to know and care about, and the results undeniably enthralling, if not admittedly unsettling at the same time.

It’s going to be pretty hard to avoid spoilers from here on out, but I’ll be damned not to try—the shake-ups start happening right of the bat (pun intended, and I could care less what you think of me for it.)

Click to read more ...

QCF: I Am Setsuna

he status quo of the modern-day JRPG is getting more, and more polarizing by the year—and a lot of that has to do with the two very distinct audiences that the genre has gradually come to cater to. The term “JRPG” generally triggers thoughts of nostalgia for the genre’s heyday on the original PlayStation and SNES in the nineties, but lately, the definition has expanded into different territories that are now more synonymous with the style, with conventions like relationship building, and permanent character deaths.

There aren’t many earnest options around for the old camp of fans these days, and that’s what makes the original JRPG giant’s attempt to recapture that magic with I Am Setsuna so intriguing, and maybe even a little admirable in some aspects.

The new game from Square Enix is one that spares little time in chasing a legacy that most considered long forgotten, and while some of its methods used to deliver that experience are a bit rough, it still manages to be a memorable love letter that charmingly romanticizes the charms that defined what the genre used to be.

Click to read more ...

QCF: Song of the Deep

s vast as the ocean is, nothing compares to the depth that it hides below; there’s this whole other world that exists under the fathoms, upon fathoms of the sea’s underbelly. So one would imagine just how well the explorative dynamics of a Metroidvania-direction would complement that sort of setting, especially with the caliber of a developer like Insomniac Games at the helm—and Gamestop publishing it themselves to boot.

In spite of this surefire recipe for success however, Song of the Deep only manages to live up to be somewhat endearing at best, and hopelessly mediocre at worst.

 Yeah, I know; the review is already going downhill from the start but my impression just simply couldn’t help from being deflated by the fact that the game’s biggest flaw happens to be one of the most important elements to a successful Metroidvania title.

Click to read more ...

Bullet Heaven HD, Episode 157 - Touhou Genso Rondo -Bullet Ballet-

t's finally happening! A Touhou game on Bullet Heaven! But you may not have expected this to be the first... and we didn't expect it to resemble another certain game we've taken a look as quite as closely as it does. Daeruna Calls them Ballet Shooters. I call them pretty neat. But how does Touhou Genso Rondo stack up? Let't take a look in the Series 7 Finale!

Touhou Genso Rondo on PSN 

Click to read more ...

Bullet Heaven HD, Episode 156 - The Hurricane of Varstray

t's not especially often that a super-polished caravan-style vertical shooter is released these days, but Studio Siesta (Trouble Witches Neo!, Episode 52) seems to have it locked down with The Hurricane of Varstray. But how does it stack up?

CHECK OUT THE HURRICANE OF VARSTRAY:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/416380/

Click to read more ...