Balatro

This game is so much better with cheats

Game no: 533
Genre: Board (Card)
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Release Date: 2024

Balatro. The name that I hear everytime I listen to all podcast. The best game of the year. I can't stop playing this. So I had to try it and I have some mixed feelings about this game. Let's get started with the review. Ok first of all Balatro is a rouge like card game. It follows two types of rules. First it follows the rules of poker like a straight flush, a full house, a pair, a two pair. Rule number two this game is a rouge like so you need to survive rounds and rounds (call binds) and beat a boss in each turn. So there are total of 3 turns per stage and 8 stages. So that's about it. 

That is where the game rules end and the rest of the game gets confusing. So you get points by multiplying your hand. To aid your game there are Joker cards that give you different boons (abilities) such as double multipler, better stats on card and such. In the end of each round you get money to buy perks such as boosters packs, celestial cards and such. This game has a lot going on it.

That is the extend of my explanation of the game. Other than that, I don't see the appeal of the game too much. It is fun if you run works. But that is so random which means that you have to be at the right moment and the right time to unlock the right set of cards to get in order to advance the game. But most of the time you'll get cards that doesn't even give you anything good to start the run. They say the more you play at it the more you get good at it. But honestly unless it a skill based game. This game depends too much on luck. I played a couple days of it and the highest run I got was till level 6. I am going to play this again but this time on PC and with cheats and I'll give another review on that. But for now this game I'll give it an B-Rank.

Mario Party 3

They save the best for last 

Game no: 523
Genre: Board   
Platform: Nintendo 64
Release Date: 2000

Another year another Mario Party for the N64. The gameplay is the same. The core mechanics haven't change as much. I think they did tweak the difficulty level for Normal characters which is good. The stages are still super interactive and the minigames are still luck based (with some skill involved) Mario party will always be a staple in my household. Since this is the only game that everyone without any gaming background can play. The controls are simple enough. The gameplay is frustrating yet fun so I think this games appeals to everyone. Playing this solo the experience may vary. So I think that this game is best played with a group of friends. Will I play this again with my girls. Probably not since there are better versions (the gamecube versions are much better than this). But at least I tried it once. I won the board this time so in the end I give this game a B-Rank.

Mario Party 2

The second outing. Will it be better

Game no: 522
Genre: Board   
Platform: Nintendo 64
Release Date: 1999

The next year Nintendo will try again release a sequel to their ever popular game. Mario Party 2. Nothing much has change from their previous formula. There is a still boards to play on and there are minigames to battle every time you end your turn. The Normal computer players are still super hard and the AI sometimes can be proven to be frustrating. There are a couple minigames requires you a split second decision in how you win it so that can also be frustrating in a sense.

Other than that. This game is actually fun. I did enjoy some of the minigames and the board is fun as well. I didn't win since it this game luck is not on my side. But I did finish the hardest board on the game list. Overall Mario party is a great game with friends. If you play this alone your mileage may vary. I can't say you will have fun. But it is something to do to pass the time. Another B-Rank for me 

Mario Party

The game that started it all 

Game no: 521
Genre: Board   
Platform: Nintendo 64
Release Date: 1998

I've been playing Mario party for close to 20 years. It is the game that my kids and I play or when we have guest over. The premise is a board game with a lot of smaller minigames that can provided unless fun and also unfair shenanigans. So I am taking a trip down memory lane to see how was the first game looks like and how has it evolved since. The core gameplay is still there. There is a board and you roll the dice to see where you land on the board and after each players takes a turn you will play a minigame. The minigame will ranger on vs 4 players, 1 vs 2 or 2 vs 2. There are also special minigames such as coin games and also the dreaded Bowser specials. Each board provides a different gimmick and challenge which makes getting the stars not as easy as you think. 

So let's established that I love Mario party. Weather playing at alone or with people. It is always a fun thing to do. But the first game really has a lot of issues. First of all the AI at normal is super hard. Couple with the bad controls of the game. You'll end up losing most of the minigames. The minigames that you can win are usually based on luck and skills. In the end you'll end up frustrating yourself more. In then end this game was a nice attempt at something special. They will end up making 10 more of of these. But for the first game. I played one board and I considered that game played. B-Rank for me 

Marvel Snap

I really thought that this game will last me 5 years

Game no: 506
Genre: Board
Platform: iOS 
Release Date: 2023

Sitting down right now I am thinking what I am going to write about this game. This game that consume my entire waking life for 7 months. My family was annoyed at me because that's all I was doing on my phone. The word "SNAP!!!" keeps on playing every time I have a good hand and thinking I can win only the be bamboozled at the last minute with their better card choices (sometimes I get the upper hand as well). Winning provides a dopamine rush and losing gives the same effect but on the frustrating side. 

This game basically a card game where each card represent a mainstream or obscure Marvel character that I

haven't heard before that provides an ability (weather On reveal or Ongoing or none) that helps you win the game. The objective of the game is easy there are three locations each with its own set of rules and you need to win 2/3 locations by playing the card is a specific way.

Since this a free to play (f2p) mobile game you can play with cards that are given to you. The cards that are given to you mostly all of the other players have. In order to be different then the rest of the pack you need to either grind or pay to win (p2w) in order to get newer cards which provides abilities that can either make or break the game. For example Galactus which was my favorite card for 4 months that will
destroy the two other locations and wrecks havoc in the opponents gameplay. The problem with that card is that it cost 6000 tokens which translate to 2 months of grinding or $100 of real money.

What I liked about this game. There is a lot. The sudden rush of winning a game. The effects of each card. Even leveling up a card making it more stylish also provides a rush of excitement in this lizard brain of mine. Every chime and colorful colors make me more excited to play again and again. Sometimes I can finish hours just
snapping again and again. I could start at level 70 and 2 hours later still be at level 70 after going as high as 78.  But as any mobile game the developers need to tweak and change in order to balance the game so that it won't seem broken and where people will only use one deck on and on again. Yesterday one famous card called Wave (which effects will make all cards 4 cost but works well with others lower cost reducing card that will make using her part of the meta) which effects a meta (the ability to win or lose with the combination of cards) has been nerf. That means you can no longer perform a combo move when you use her. Because of this a lot of players started to complain that Second Dinner (the developer) is destroying the game. But that usually what happens every time a buff or a nerf happen so that is already expected. 

So what made me hard quit? The way I describe the game is more like a dopamine rush and I could play this game forever. But that's it. Sometimes you release that a game stop being fun and what you doing is actually a chore. You wake up everyday to finish the daily missions in order to collect credits to give you the ability to level up and rinse and repeat. After a while I found that most of the opponents that I am facing are playing almost the same deck. Is like you can anticipate what they are going to do next since there are not that many combinations of decks you can play. So you mostly know what they are going to do. Plus the RNG (Random Number Generator) where each card is assigned to you randomly makes winning is not just a game of skill it is always a game of luck. If you are lucky you can choreograph an epic game that makes you win and sometimes the card you need is not coming out which makes you lose. After a while this card game became to repetitive and honestly not fun. So today I deleted the game and say goodbye to this game. I will still consume this game but this time just via YouTube since there are a lot of awesome content creators that have all the money to buy all the cards. Just fun watching them play. 

I finish this game with CL 5470 and have spend a good $100 in the 7 months I've played this. I am glad I got the opportunity to play this awesome game but I am also glad that I am out of it because there are more awesome games that I want to play. This is my longest review I have done and I am giving this game a S-Rank. This game will be in my top 10 games of the year due to how much is sucked me in. I take it positively and negatively as well. All is good 

Inscryption Act 1

This game is great but only the first act 

Game no: 438
Genre: Board
Platform: PC  
Release Date: 2021

What is it about?
It is a mystery game that starts of with a card game 

What I liked?
The card game mechanic is awesome. The gameplay is complicated in the beginning but you learn from your mistake 
Everytime you die you start again and you become the card. So the rogue like mechanic is fun 
The map has multiple branches and some gives you high reward but also has a riskier payout 
There is also an escape room inside the game where you can get up and solve how to escape the game 

What I didn't liked?
Once the game ends it ends. There is no more card game. The second Act is actually a pokemon type RPG and the thrid Act is roguelike 
The RPG mechanic is a drag  for. It has the card game elements but it is not the same since it a different type of deck 

Status: Finish the first act and watch the rest on youtube

Fun Factor: I wish they made this game but it is just card game version

Super Mario Party

Another Switch must buy 

Game no: 307
Genre: Board (Party Minigame) 
Platform: Nintendo Switch 
Released Date: 2018

What is it about?
Mario and friends are having a having a board game minigame party

What I liked?
- Out of the 80 minigames, more than 65 are considered fun. The motion controls are a hit and a miss though
'- There are a lot of modes to choose from such as, board game, tag team board game, mini game party mode and a single player mode
- Each character has their own unique dice which provide a certain element of strategy to the game
- Getting a ally will land you in more dice roll. It seems that there is no limit on how many ally you can have in a game
- Playing multiplayer with actual people is fun and hectic. You can't tell who will win unless there are already 3 stars ahead of you

What I didn't liked?
- The motion control games are very hard to get it right. 
- The interactive things on the board are not as robust as previous mario party
- Rumble minigames 
- The fact that this game loses appeal once you completed everything. There are stickers and such but you are not missing anything 

Status: Finish the game with all boards and characters 

Fun Factor: An excellent party game for the Switch.  

Battleship

Who knew this board game translated well on to the Gameboy

Game no: 223
Genre: Board
Platform: Gameboy

 

Does this game holds up?
- It plays like the normal battleship but with added tweaks
- You have only 4 ships and each ship has their own unique weaponry.
- Battleships can shoot harpoons, Destroyer can shoot 3 missiles, Freight can shoot 2 missiles and submarines can use radar to scan for enemies
- Computer cheats in my opinion

Status: Played till level 3
Fun Factor: Great way to waste your time

Othello

A board game with a simple premise

Game no: 211
Genre: Board

Platform: NES

Does this game holds up?
- It's a game where you have to same coloured pegs on both ends of the board and it will cause the rest of the line to change colour
- Level 1 computer is hard as nails.
- The trick is not to go to the outer end of the board. Whoever goes there first will lose 

Status: Finish the whole game in Level 1
Fun Factor: A great way to waste your time