Week: End Game: On 05.09.2015

Welcome to another installment of Week: End Game: On! What games are the staff playing this weekend? Read on to find out!

Angela Marrujo

I’ve had a bit of an obsession with Mario Kart 8 since it came out, but ever since the second DLC pack came out it’s been all I’ve wanted to play. My favorite tracks are Wild Woods and Super Bell Subway, but every track is really enjoyable to play.

I’ve also experienced a renewed appreciation for Mewtwo, as both a Smash Bros. character and a Pokémon, since his DLC became available, and as a result I’ve been playing more Smash Bros. for Wii U. Trophies are a huge deal for me so I’ve been working on unlocking and collecting them all, and I like practicing with Mewtwo against the CPU from time to time. However, there’s a local gaming event that occurs every Tuesday and Thursday night in San Francisco, so I’ve been trying to play competitively online with Link (my main since the first Smash) before going to one of these game nights to play other people.

I got the email about the Splatoon demo, but I’m on the fence about downloading it. Hate me if you will, but I haven’t been excited about Splatoon at all since it was announced. So I’m wondering if I shouldn’t knock it before I try it, or if I’m better off not downloading it.

Nicolas Vestre

Until recently, gaming time has become Settlers of Catan time, so I haven’t been playing video games until just a few days ago. I did manage to get in some solid time with Little King’s Story on Wii, which is a great title. I’m about to take on King Shishkebaboo, who would rather have a tea party with me than relinquish his rulership over his domain of the Sweet Kingdom. Despite its cutesy aesthetic, this game packs some serious challenge in the boss battles. It’s almost a guarantee that I’ll die many times on this boss.

I’m almost halfway done with Velocity 2X on PlayStation 4, which I hope will come to Wii U some day. It’s been a long time since my memory and reflexes have been challenged so soundly. The last game that made me feel this way was when I was S-ranking Mega Man Zero. Getting perfect on every level requires blistering speed, attention to detail, and a lot of patience. I can’t count the times I missed the high score by five points, which can be infuriating.

Other than that, I was convinced to order a copy of Digimon World: Dusk off of eBay, which set me back about forty dollars (blame the weak Canadian dollar for that). It should arrive sometime next week, which is pretty exciting. Having someone to trade with who owns Digimon World: Dawn will make the experience that much better.

I also bought Mario Party 10, which I’m trying hard not to regret purchasing. I guess playing it with four people (or five!) would make it more fun. But it’s so much easier to get together for Settlers of Catan than Mario Party…

Anthony Pelone

I just got off from the Global Testfire online event for Splatoon and I loved every moment! For those who didn’t play it, you’d be amazed at how addicting it is to splatter the whole arena with paint! When using rollers, I found myself as more of a “behind-the-scenes” team member, who just goes around painting the arena as my teammates confront the enemy. I wonder if that will end up being my weapon of choice? At the moment, it’s looking like the Roller weapons are dominating, but I’m sure counter-tactics will spring up in no time. Also, pro-tip: make sure to cover your spawning base with paint. It’s basically free points!

As for other games…I’ve started a new file of Xenoblade Chronicles on Wii in preparation for the Wii U sequel. I’d forgotten how huge the game was, and from what little footage I’ve seen from X, I can’t wait to see how the scope will be expanded upon. Now if only they could do something about the character face design…

Craig Harnett

I wasn’t really interested in Splatoon when it was announced, but given all the speculation and hype I must say that I‘m a little curious (damn, that marketing campaign has clearly worked on me). I have just this second started the download for the demo which should be ready for the last event today at 8pm UK time. Thanks to Anthony for the well needed tips too; I think I’m going to need all the help I can get!

Other than that I have decided to treat myself to Super Mario 64 on the Virtual Console. The game holds lots of fond memories for me so it will be nice to revisit it through Wii U. It also provides a welcome break from my recent outing on P.T. for PS4, which I decided to download before its permanent removal from the PSN store at the end of April. Wow, that thing is messed up! The things you see in that demo can never be unseen, so my thinking is to try and forget they ever happened by returning to the safety of Princess Peach’s castle, where everything is fluffy and nice and the only disembodied head I will see is that of Mario’s at the title screen, welcoming me to the game.

What games are you playing this weekend? Did you also try to Splatoon Global Testfire? Let us know in the comments!