Mustapha's Game Room

*Originally Published In Penmen Press*

A new year begins, and the anticipation for upcoming titles starts right back up. This year is especially big for the video game industry as Nintendo, the longstanding industry titan will be launching their handheld home console hybrid, Nintendo Switch. Along with that will come some very high profile game launches. Let’s dive right in and look at the biggest titles of this year’s launch schedule.

On Feb 21, the critically acclaimed “Halo Wars” series will be getting its second installment. This RTS reimagining of the classic shooter franchise has been a major success, appealing to fans both old and new. The second title will be available on Xbox One and Windows 10.

On Feb 28, “Horizon Zero Dawn” will launch, combining the aesthetic of a futuristic technologically advanced world with tension of a dystopia and tribal division. This game is looking to be one of the most creative launches this year, and will be available exclusively on PS4 and PS4 Pro.

Mere days later on Mar 3, “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” will launch on Wii U and Nintendo Switch. Perhaps the most anticipated game of the entire year, this title will reinvent the conventions of Zelda, bringing the game back to its open world roots. With fully voice acted cutscenes, and a world that can be explored from the time you purchase the game, this is shaping up to be the most interesting Zelda yet.

Later in the month, on Mar 21, fans of the “Mass Effect” series can get their hands on “Andromeda” which is the newest game in the RPG series. Bioware is back in space, and this time, players can explore an entirely new set of planets on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

For the first three months of 2017, there will be plenty of big game launches. As we approach the spring, even more titles such as “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” and “Injustice 2” will be on the way. Here’s to keeping games in 2017 as interesting as possible.

*Originally Published In Penmen Press*

Nintendo has recently turned to mobile titles to pay tribute to some of their most beloved intellectual properties. From “Miitomo” which personalizes the interaction between players, games, and their own avatars to “Super Mario Run” which gives new players a basic introduction to the wonderful world of gaming’s favorite platforming superstar. Perhaps no mobile title yet has been as strong a tribute as “Fire Emblem Heroes” which takes the beloved series to new territory.

A beautiful celebration of the beloved strategy franchise, “Fire Emblem Heroes” takes the most base elements of the core series, and adds enough pull to lure in new fans. As mobile titles take over the world in their influence (largely due to free-to-play models making them accessible) it’s great to see a title that uses that influence to keep traditional handheld titles relevant.

“Fire Emblem Heroes” is essentially, a lite strategy game that allows players to participate in 4v4 battles featuring a combination of a new original cast and the most revered heroes in the franchise. Take the role of tactician, as you use your rare ability to summon heroes from many worlds. Whether it’s Marth or Roy (commonly known for their appearance in “Super Smash Bros”) or Eirika and Eliwood, players will get to delve even deeper into the franchise, perhaps finding an interest they didn’t know they had.

The combat of “Fire Emblem Heroes” is substantial, keeping most of the core elements of the original games while maintaining some level of simplicity. The visual style is new and fresh, as well as somewhat humorous. The sound design is brilliant, and true to the series’ roots. The social experience is also quite well executed, with adding players as friends being as easy as the click of two buttons. Perhaps eliminating the friend codes for specific requests would be ideal, as friend codes have never worked particularly well for Nintendo.

The launch of this title incredibly well timed with “Fire Emblem Echoes” coming out in a few months, and “Fire Emblem Warriors” coming out next year. Nintendo is clearly trying to capitalize on what was once an incredibly obscure franchise. With “Fire Emblem Heroes” now being available on IOS and Android, the franchise will no doubt hit the homes of many players far and wide.

Welcome aboard, Game Roomies!

I’d like to take this time to share in an intimate discussion with my favorite readers about the nature of this year in games. I realize it hasn’t been the best or the easiest for a lot of people, so I’d just like to take some time and discuss some highlights and low points of this year’s launches.

A lot of people really don’t like No Man’s Sky, and that’s reasonable, but I think it has the potential to become a beautiful comeback story about what our industry is capable of achieving with enough time. The game may not have launched being of the quality represented by Hello Games, but over the course of the next few years, it has the potential to be a good game. I doubt it will ever regain the love and popularity it had before launch, but that comes with the territory.

Now in discussing some good launches, I don’t think I can mention games of the year without talking about Overwatch. While I myself don’t care for shooters, as loyal readers already know, this game has had a major impact on the culture surrounding Blizzard in a way I enjoy. While I may never play the game, I’ll hold out for an animated series of sorts.

Back on my side of the coin, Fire Emblem Fates also launched this year, and I got the privilege of playing all three paths of the game. They were incredible.

Nintendo announced their newest console, the Switch, and Sony and Microsoft have been releasing iterative versions of their consoles as well, emphasizing the 4K visuals that seem to be sweeping the gaming world.

But you know, I get to talk about best games and whatnot on MMOExaminer, so I’d really like to zero in on some of the best stuff that we got to do here.

Starting with PAX East, where I got to be on Nintendo Minute and meet numerous independent developers, the true destiny of Mustapha’s Game Room became unmistakably clear to me. My job through this blog was to create an online portfolio, giving me access to countless opportunities, as well as a chance to interact with the gaming community on a daily basis.

Through podcasts, E3 Live Coverage, and tons of written posts here and on MMOExaminer as well, I got the privilege of becoming a far better writer than I thought possible.

In May, we were just a blog with big ideas, but now we’re growing, and it’s thanks to the readers who have stayed loyal over all of this time!

As always, if you’d like to read more of my written content, head on over to MMOExaminer for daily game news and discussions from yours truly! Make sure you like my Facebook page and follow me on Twitter as well!

I’d just like to extend my utmost gratitude to everyone, and make sure that you all come back in 2017 for more from the GAME ROOM!!!

*Originally Published in the Penmen Press”

If you’re like me, “Undertale” was a game you intended to try, but the incredibly vocal fanbase may have turned you away. Having now passed that threshold, it’s clear that there’s far more to this game than meets the eye.

“Undertale” is a game worth revisiting, for numerous reasons. First and foremost, it offers fans of classic RPGs such as “Earthbound” and “Final Fantasy” a familiar interface, taking the traditional nature of turn-based battles and building on that formula. However, the deeper you get into the game, the more you will start to find that the mechanics of combat don’t quite match up with a classic RPG at all.

“Undertale” truly puts you in the driver’s seat. It gives you the opportunity to customize your experience as you go, allowing your style of play to directly mirror the narrative. Whether you kill or spare enemies, attack or dodge, defend or run, the game will be an entirely different experience.

Despite taking the classic RPG aesthetic, “Undertale” has some very advanced and modern game design principles at play, including an incredibly reactive and relevant soundtrack. Gripping narrative moments as well as comical scenes bounce off of the incredibly dynamic tracks.

Finally, the narrative. The story of “Undertale” is progressive and modern, without being preachy and overbearing. You’ll find the question of morality, but it’s not shoehorned or self-righteous. It’s incorporated in a way that allows you to act on instinct, and rewards or punishes you accordingly, by presenting some incredibly emotionally gripping scenes and characters.

“Undertale” is genuinely a modern masterpiece, utilizing the style of an RPG to really give insight into some of the more psychological aspects of video game design. If you happened to miss it when the game was popular, now might be an even better time to give it a try!

This review was originally written for my school newspaper. For more of my written content, please follow my Facebook and Twitter pages, where there are 2-3 new posts per day. In the meantime, thanks for reading and come back soon for more from the GAME ROOM!!!

*Originally Published in the Penmen Press*

Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon Review

The first brother of gaming is back with his signature vacuum in “Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon.” Step into the quivering shoes of Luigi, who is out to restore balance to Evershade Valley. The once benevolent ghosts of the land have gone mad thanks to the shattering of the fabled Dark Moon. Professor E. Gadd calls the one ghost buster he knows he can count on, and just like that the adventure begins again.

While the first “Luigi’s Mansion” had a legitimately spooky undertone, this game takes a much more comical approach. A lot of Luigi’s style and movement are inspired by Mr. Bean, so one could imagine that he’s a very goofy rendition of this lovable character.

This game also has a more action-oriented approach, with a far more involved set of mechanics for ghost catching, including a button that unleashes a special attack.

Dark Moon offers a competitive/cooperative game mode called ScareScraper that allows players both online and locally to pursue the ghosts of a special mansion. This mode has a lot of ghosts exclusive to multiplayer, so there’s some extra completion value for those who want to play with friends and strangers alike.

The story mode of this game is filled with hilarious antics, with Luigi being one of the most reluctant heroes in gaming history. The world is working against him, as he almost never wants to go on the missions that the Professor asks of him.

To conclude “Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon” is an incredibly quirky and character driven game, that really manages to bring out the best of one of gaming’s most lovable heroes. If you’re looking for a fun “spooky” Nintendo 3DS game to play this Halloween, this is definitely the title for you.

Another review for you, my Game Roomies! Thank you all for reading, and come back soon for more from the GAME ROOM!!!