QCF: Metroid: Samus Returns

ver since Nintendo issued a takedown of Milton Guasti’s AM2R, fans of the iconic exploration-driven sci-fi property have been chomping at the bit for a new entry, and in a surprising turn of events—the Big N responded by unveiling not one, but two upcoming Metroid titles on the docket for a future release.

 One of them, in particular, seemed to explain the company’s swift litigatory actions with AM2R, as they teased their own remake of the Gameboy classic, aptly titled Metroid: Samus Returns. While the announcement generated all the hype you’d expect, it also raised a lot of eyebrows, as it was also revealed that Nintendo would be handing off development over to Mercury Steam, the folks behind polarizing Lords of Shadow games in the Castlevania franchise; including that sloppy 3DS entry, Mirror of Fate. Not to mention the last time Nintendo handed the reigns of series over to another studio, we were all treated to the disaster that was Metroid: Other M, resulting in a disappointing sales performance that set the property back six years until the underwhelming release of Metroid Prime: Federation Force just last year.

Metroid: Samus Returns needed to be more than some knee-jerk reaction to the fans who clamored for it; it needed to be a quality game that was worthy of succeeding the likes of Metroid Fusion, and Super Metroid…

Thankfully, the remastered take on Samus’ second adventure is easily one of the best games to have ever bear the Metroid name.

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PPR's Top 5 Super Mario Maker Levels

t’s only been a week since the release of the anticipated DIY-centric adventure about gaming’s star plumber, and we’ve already been treated to some of the niftiest stages, and levels to have ever come out of the minds of intrepid gamers everywhere.

Seriously, some of the stuff to come out of Super Mario Maker so far has generated a sensation that contemporaries like Little Big Planet could only dream of, and it’s only going to get bigger. So while we’re preparing our review of the game, and enjoying some of the shenanigans ourselves, I figure that I would share with you all, my top five favorite levels to have generated out of the fun little Nintendo experiment so far and their respective access codes—in no particular order mind you, they’re all really awesome.

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Press Pause Video-Episode 01: Metroidvania

he guys have gone Video! Every other week, we plan on sitting down and essentially recording mini-podcasts in the vein of Press Pause Radio, only with visual aids and other horseshit of the like. The inaugural topic of discussion has us breaking down the meaning and association of one of George’s favorite distinctions that he loves to romanticize—Metroidvania.

What is it exactly, and why do we love it so much, and why does the label seem so arbitrary in the grand scheme of things in today’s gaming landscape; Andrew, Ser, and George sit down to chew that fat.

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!

Life Through The Pixel Glass: Lego Stop Motion

 

There are some crazy awesome stop motion videos on YouTube. Some of the best involve action figures and/or Legos. This is one of those Lego times.

 The gameplay was recorded off of an emulator and the footage was stretched over the photograph of a block of Legos. By turning down the opacity of the emulator footage it allowed the texture of the blocks show through. Sweet stuff!

D-Pad Studio Interview

What if we told you there existed a game where you fly around the world without power-ups, carry gunners that shoot bullets Contra style, and explore puzzle-packed dungeons full of mysteries and revolutionary gameplay mechanics? We’re well aware of how crazy this sounds, which is why we decided to consult with D-Pad Studio about their latest creation titled Owlboy.

Press Pause Radio’s GeorgieBoysAXE and Seandood had the opportunity to interview D-pad members Simon Stafsnes Andersen and Jo-Remi Madsen, as they discussed Owlboy and D-pad's sources of inspiration, trials with the XNA development kit, and other wild facts that caused everyone to laugh simultaneously. We hope you grab a gun-wielding buddy and some wings -- as dangerous as this sounds -- while you sit back and enjoy the interview. You might also want some popcorn and a phone that dials 9-1-1.

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QCF: Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet

Among my summer activities, one of my favorites happens to be exploring planets -- particularly ones that are insane, twisted, and shadowy. Luckily, in the past week I have been given the honor to prance through Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet to quench my midsummer’s gaming thirst, and I must say it is one of the most uniquely striking planets I have traversed in some time.

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Bits and Pieces: NES Cover Art

Remember when game covers weren't as uniform as they are today? There was once a time when every developer had their own design theme, and when cover art was somewhere between the literal definitions of "art" and "garbage." With over 700 titles to choose from in its hit-and-miss library, the NES was notorious for harboring many of these unique design themes, quite possibly containing more variations than any other system. In the years to follow, game companies began transitioning to a more conventional form of cover presentation, usually making sure every single game box (excluding "greatest hits" editions) looked almost exactly alike.

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