Call of Duty Black Ops 2

Date played: April 29th
Platform: PS3
Session fun rating: 10/10

Wow, I was on fucking fire last night! I fucking owned in every game, getting a 2.0 K/D ratio or better in all five of my matches. I don't know what it was, I was just on the ball I guess. There was only one guy who really gave me trouble, he was using an ACOG equipped assault rifle and was faster than me at mid range, but everyone else suffered many deaths to my powerful MK48. My best match had me sitting at 22-7, pretty good.

I was almost as deadly as this beautiful creature!

I think one of the reasons I did well is because a lot of kids just like to run around like this was fucking Quake or something. The others are usually snipers. I tend to fit in the middle of this where I move around enough not to be predictable, but not enough to be caught off guard every time I spawn. I'm also starting to use the Engineer perk until I level up a bit more, it really helps with stupid shit like Bouncing Betties, C4 and Claymores.

Kirby's Adventure

Date played: April 28th
Platform: Wii U
Session fun rating: 7/10

I've never played Kirby's Adventure, it came out late in the NES's life and I was already on the SNES train at that point. I bought it on Wii U as a part of the 30 cent promotion and I was pleasantly surprised. I played it only on the Wii U pad and I have to say, it looks pretty damn good for a SNES game. The controls are crisp, simple and effective and it's actually pretty fun to play.

They don't make box art like this anymore!

I played through the first three levels. The concept is simple. Kirby can fly, can eat enemies and can absorb their ability such as swords, fire breathing and spikes. Honestly, this is a simple, fun game that does what it does well. It kind of makes me want to check out the one that came out on Wii a while back, Kirby's Return to Dreamland I think?

NHL 13

Habs are going down baby!

Date played: April 28th
Platform: PS3
Session fun rating: 10/10

I was feeling pretty down this weekend and ended up hanging out with a friend. We played two NHL 13 matches. The first was a VS between me and her, I played as the Sens (YOU'RE GOING DOWN MONTREAL!) and she played as the Avalanche. I won 1-0 and as usual, I had trouble putting it in the back of the net. I had three times the amount of shots on goal as my friend but it wasn't enough for more than one measly goal.

The second game, we played together as the Sens against the Blackhawks and easily won 2-0. We were clearly dominating and while the other dudes got a few quality chances, we were hammering away at the net for most of the game.

Call of Duty Black Ops 2

Date played: April 24th and 25th
Platform: PS3
Session fun rating: 7/10

I finally prestiged! I made it back up to level 7, I used my permanent unlock on the primary gunfighter ability and have almost the same class setup as before I prestiged. All I am missing is Dead Silence and tactical insertion...

Call of Duty Black Ops 2

Everything is better in gold right?!?

Date played: April 21st, 22nd and 23rd
Platform: PS3
Session fun rating: 8/10

I played a few multiplayer matches again. I started poorly but ended up doing pretty well for the night. The most interesting thing that happened was that I finally unlocked all the camo colours for the MK48. It took 150 kills without perks or attachments but in the end, HAY GOTS DA GOLDZ SKINZ! It looks fucking sick in gold and I've also updated my calling card to show the new emblem. At this point, I guess I should just prestige...but we shall see. I also updated all my calling cards, my profile screenshot and my classes to reflect my new unlocks. I now have 5 classes that have the exact same setup save for the lethals and tactical items. I gave them funny names too...

-BFG 2013: Main setup with tactical insertion
-Smoke my LMG: Smoke grenades
-Blow my LMG: Grenades
-Destroy my LMG: Claymore
-Bounce on my LMG: Bouncing Betties.

NHL 13

Carey Price was great

Date played: April 19th
Platform: PS3
Session fun rating: 7/10

I played two games against my brother and got fucking destroyed by his skills. While I am a good player, I have a really hard time aiming the puck at the open areas of the net, I kind of just shoot a lot and rely on good rebounds for my goals. We played Sens vs Habs of course and while Carey Price had his share of stolen goals, I still should have been able to score at least one goal in two games.

I lost the first game
5-0. though it felt more like I should have lost 3-2 or something. The second game was definitely closer to a real score at 3-0 but again, I should have managed to stick it in at least once. I just can't seem to finish my amazing plays.

Call of Duty Black Ops 2

Camo unlocks, the hamster wheel of 2013

Date played: April 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th
Platform: PS3
Session fun rating: 9/10

I played a bit of Black Ops 2 multiplayer every day this week, but I only had time for two or three matches each time. While playing some Team Deathmatch, I finally unlocked a few more camouflage colors for my MK48. At this point, all I am missing are the two camos that are unlocked by getting 150 kills without perks and without attachments. I've decided to try getting both at the same time, so I'm running a specialized loadout. It has a plain jane MK48, my anti-aircraft rockets, two bouncing betties and two concussion grenades. While it's definitely a bit harder to get kills, mainly due to visibility, it's still quite manageable. I've managed about 50 kills so far so I'm about a third of the way through.

Call of Duty Black Ops 2

Date played: April 13th and 14th
Platform: PS3
Session fun rating: 8/10

I played a few good TDM matches of Black Ops 2 this weekend. I actually did really well, including one of my best games ever at 22-3. I've been using a different TV that is a lot smaller but also a lot closer to me and it's been helping quite a bit. I also seem to do a bit better when I have the predator aiming reticule... The MK48 has been serving me very well and I finally unlocked the stock attachment for it's second prestige.

This dude cheered me on in the first mission

I also played a bit of the campaign for the first time... The story starts in the future sometime and while I confuse the names, one of the dudes from the first game is an old man in a home who gets interviewed by some officials about....something. Whatever, it's mostly non-sense that leads to a flashback in the late 70's or early 80's. The first mission was cool looking but ultimately felt like every other fucking Call of Duty campaign since Modern Warfare. There was a huge crew of warriors on both sides so I used my RPD to mow down dozens of soldiers. I also took out some tanks via some aircraft fly-by shooting segments. We were trying to save one of the dudes who was being held on a boat. We crash landed on it, killed tons of dudes then shot up many gun boats. After all that we found the man but he was badly hurt so I transported him on my shoulder while hiding in the bushes. I stopped playing shortly after because of a fucking bug. Basically, a soldier got stuck in a tree was checkpointed there. The problem is that I was supposed to go through the area undetected which became impossible because of the stuck dude. I think I will have to restart the mission, fucking bummer.

NHL 13

NHL 14 is coming soon!

Date played: April 11th and 12th
Platform: PS3
Session fun rating: 10/10

I've been seeing a lot of friends and family lately and haven't been gaming a lot, however, NHL is always a good way to socialize with dudes so I ended up playing quite a bit of NHL recently. I played a few versus matches with my bro and his friend. While I lost my game, I made an amazing comeback. My brother was leading 4-1, then I scored two goals. The game was about to end when I pulled my goalie and managed a goal in the last two seconds of the third period. I eventually lost in shootouts but it was quite an epic match. We then played a 2 vs 1 game, I was alone and won by a goal.

The next day I played two matches with my buddy against some randoms on PSN. We actually lost both games but we played pretty damn well. The first game was against a very strong player who was always on the puck and had amazing stick work. He also learned our techniques quickly, making it a lot tougher to score goals. The second game was much closer and honestly, we should have won but luck wasn't on our side.

The Nintendo 64 sibling nostalgia special

Date played: April 9th
Platform: N64
Session fun rating: 7/10

I was hanging out with my brother on a lazy afternoon when he spotted the Goldeneye and Top Gear Rally N64 cartridges on a shelf. We started with a little nostalgia trip down the first single player level of Goldeneye 64. That game looks fucking ugly, controls like ass and has some of the dumbest enemies ever, yet it's still kinda fun. We then jumped into multiplayer and played a quick License to Kill pistol match on the Stacks level. License to Kill makes the game into a one hit kill which helps negate the awful aiming. It was pretty fun and kind of ridiculous, yet very old!

We then played some Top Gear Rally. This one holds up a bit better but has a few rough edges as well. The game plays well but only has a couple of tracks and looks pretty awful overall. We played some split screen and while it took a lap or two before warming up, we ended up with some pretty close races.

Lego City Undercover

SHINE GET!

Date played: April 7th
Platform: Wii U
Session fun rating: 9/10

Today was a rainy, cold day which means we spent most of it inside. Seeing as I can't exactly play any game while my three year old is around, I spent a lot of time with Lego City Undercover. I completed the mining level, highlighted by an amazing free fall sequence through the mine shaft. I eventually found Rex but since Chase's combat skills kinda suck, he got beat up and decided to learn kung fu to prepare for next time.

I went through the dojo area. It was all really pretty and fun, with fireworks and gongs punctuating the exploration and combat. This was a short section but proved to be pretty funny since it was full of Matrix references. After I left though, I didn't go for the next mission right away, I spent a LOT of time just exploring parts of the city, unlocking costumes, vehicles, gathering studs and blocks, even building many large structures such as a house and a train station. The game is starting to open up a lot now in chapter 5. I reached and explored a large urban area. I even found a couple of Mario references along the way. I like this game a lot, it's simple, fun and addicting, due to the insane amount of collectibles.

DMC: Devil May Cry demo

Date played: April 7th
Platform: PS3
Session fun rating: 8/10

Here's a game that I've been interested in for a long time but haven't had time for yet. I'm a huge fan of both Heavenly Sword and Enslaved by Ninja Theory. DMC is their latest game which is a reboot of the Devil May Cry series. The first thing that impressed me with the game is just how sharp and precise the controls are. The demo had a regular level and a boss battle. The level was mostly melee combat, some puzzle platforming and some action platforming. Everything works perfectly and on cue. There is no way anyone can complain that this game does not control well.

Dante is a fucking asshole...but I still kinda like him!

The combat system is interesting, there are buttons for ranged attack, melee attack, lift attack, jump and evade. Most of these functions can be modified on the fly with the L2 and R2 buttons which basically equips Dante with a scythe or an axe. There is also a grapple that can pull enemies or pull Dante, depending on the situation. It all plays really well honestly. The graphics are pretty good but if I bought it, it would have to be on PC since the frame rate took a few hits and the textures were a little meh.

The boss battle was fucking awesome. The beast is some fucked up demon that vomits constantly, is 12000 years old and has a very expressive way of saying "Fuck you". The battle itself was pretty fun but pretty basic with Dante attacking it's hands and grappling from platform to platform to evade attacks. I think I like this game!

Punch-Out featuring Mr. Dream

Date played: April 6th
Platform: Wii U
Session fun rating: 8/10

This is the third virtual console game that Nintendo is selling for 30 cents. Of course, at that price, it's an automatic buy for me. Thankfully, Punch-Out is actually still a very good game if you ask me. It's responsive, simple, challenging and fun. The game plays a lot closer to a puzzle game of a boss fight than it does a boxing game. The player must identify the patterns used by the enemies, then dodge and attack with proper timing. I beat Glass Joe and the second guy but I got my ass whooped by the Japanese fighter. I'll get him next time!

Chime Super Deluxe

Date played: April 5th

Chime to the rescue

Platform: PS3
Session fun rating: 4/10

My mother in law was visiting. To kill the time (and my feelings of despair, hopelessness and dread), I played two 6 minute rounds of Chime Super Deluxe. I played on two tracks I had never completed in the 6 minute mode and while I wasn't able to clear the two levels, I still managed some pretty good percentages. This game is always a good fit when I need something quick and non-violent.

Lego City Undercover

Date played: April 6th
Platform: Wii U
Session fun rating: 9/10

Well this was fun! I played through chapters 2 and 3 and a short portion of 4. Chapter 2 introduced me to the grappling hook, letting Chase reach high ledges when blue hooks are available. It opens up a lot of areas in the city. I was tasked with identifying the location of some French robbers by scanning the area with the Gamepad. Once I found them, I went through a platforming section that included lots of grapple hooks, swinging from poles and doing acrobatics. There are also blue and white Lego pieces that allow for some stunts like wall jumping, climbing and even long range jumps (in slow motion!).

The prison chapter was lots of fun

Chapter 3 was set in the Albatross prison, a satire of the famous Alcatraz prison. I had to break up a prison riot and find Rex Fury's cell. Once I found it, I searched the room for a hidden passage where I found more hints but ultimately, couldn't find Rex. To get to the prison though, I had to make my first super build, a large construction that requires many blocks in my inventory. For this particular location, I had to build a ferry.

I played a short portion of chapter 4 which was set in a mine that is having some problems. Again, there was a lot of platforming but I also got to use my new prisoner outfit to open some solid doors with a crowbar. I also found the miner costume which allows Chase to break boulders and carry dynamite. 

SSX

Date played: April 5th
Platform: PS3
Session fun rating: 8/10

My daughter was sick so she had to stay home instead of going to daycare today. After breakfast, she came up to me and said "PAPA! Joues au jeu de snow!" which means "DAD! Play the snowboarding game!". So I did.

I just did some random trick global events, sticking to the tracks with no equipment requirements. What kind of sucks about this game is that it's just leaderboard led, I really wish there had been some kind of real time multiplayer. I imagined a dozen riders, tricking their way down the mountain at the same time. Sadly, that will have to wait for a sequel...

Fire Emblem Awakening

Gregor

Date played: April 4th
Platform: 3DS
Session fun rating: 6/10

I killed a few minutes with a random battle in Fire Emblem. After a very routine battle, I tried to mix things up by bringing in a team of complete newbies to the next battle to see if they could survive. I put one veteran in there to deal with emergencies.

It was a bit more difficult than I expected. Even though I paired everyone up, I ended with three deaths, including Gregor, a mercenary that seems like he could be useful later on. In the end, I decided not to save and will try again with a more balanced team another time.

NHL 13

Date played: April 3rd
Platform: PS3
Session fun rating: 10/10

I played two games against my friend online. In the first match, I suffered a heart breaking 3-1 loss, though I was mostly dominating the whole game. We played some weird Eastern European league, kind of on the same skill level as the AHL. Passes were sloppier, shots were less accurate and goalies were easier to mess with.

Hayley is one tough lady

The second match was an all Legends game. It was a tight game where we had a lot of trouble getting shots on net because we were both really good on defense. The highlight of the game was an amazing fight between Zach Parise and Hayley Wickenheiser. Yes, the woman, and she fucking beat his ass too! In the end, we had a really close overtime period where I managed a top shelf goal at the very last minute.

Call of Duty Black Ops 2

I was almost as rusty as this wonderful truck

Date played: April 2nd
Platform: PS3
Session fun rating: 7/10

I haven't played video games in a while, life has been really busy. Plus, I fell down the stairs a few weeks back and hurt my left thumb. In fact, it still hurts and makes it hard to hold a controller. I played some Team Deathmatch and some Domination. As expected, I was pretty rusty but still managed 1.0 K/D ratio at least in all matches. Since the last time I played, I changed my living room's layout and now sit a lot further from the TV so I placed a chair closer to the TV. While it helps me see enemies better, I found myself turning too quickly since I was not used to that sensitivity from this distance. I also noticed how fucking awful the resolution is compared to all the PC gaming I've been doing recently.

I also tried out a new class setup for fun. I basically made a pistol/knife runner class. It's fast, flexible and deadly but is definitely not suited to any type of open area.