7 Highlights of An Underrated Game - Alice: Madness Returns

Don't mind the blood stained knife ... It's probably fake for all we know ...

Out there, there are tons of games which are absolutely brilliant … but practically no one knows about them. Okay, maybe some people. And I’ve stumbled (randomly) upon a very, uh, lovely game by the name of Alice: Madness Returns. It is perhaps one of the greatest and most gripping reimagining of C.S Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. Why? Well, it’s a game for starters … But anyway … So, because I’ve been so incredibly charmed by this game … I need to write about it. And praise it. A lot. So here we go!~

1.    Innovative reimagining

Like I said before, Alice: Madness Returns is possibly one of the greatest reimagining of Alice in Wonderland, and it genuinely reflects the original, though portrayed in a really dark light. Oh wait … that was contradictory, but yeah, whatever. Anyway, the dainty Wonderland along with its inhabitants become new as Madness Returns warps their personality and appearance. Dark themes jump all around, like murder, insanity, horror, some realistic themes, and just all ‘round creepiness – characters like the Cheshire Cat turn from whimsical bright-eyed weirdos into creepy, nearly malicious, and devilish monsters. And it is awesome. Because it’s handled so brilliantly.

2.    Thorough exploration/platforming

Madness Returns is a platformer than anything else. Well, there’s lots of action too … but the platforming. Like a cross between Zelda and Mario, added with lots of insanity!~ Anyway, you have the normal stuff; jumping, stuff to land on. And then you have gliding, and … twirling (yes, interesting name) and ironically, “shrinking.” Gliding is self-explanatory, but twirling … well, another name for double jumping. Just cooler. Butterflies!~ Ok, so back to business; the platforming is just fantastic – the jumping and gliding and twirling fits so seamlessly into the game and they just have this really great feel to them. Oh, and you can shrink too. After drowning yourself in purple stuff. And it’s really awesome. Shrinking allows you (obviously) to crawl into small spaces, and it even let’s you see … things. Like, weird drawings all over the place, which are actually hints, even invisible platforms for some extremely well-designed jumping. Anyway, the platforming and the exploration are definitely top-notch.

3.    Slick combat

You know, I thought the combat quite resembled Zelda, especially with weapon changing and Z-Targeting. But anyway, fighting is just a blast. Actually ... it’s more like a blood bath than anything else. A very satisfying one. Anyway, I should start talking about it, right? So basically, it’s a bit like a button masher, with six different weapons. It’s a mix and match kind of thing, so you can get really creative with your combos. Ranged attacks also come with precise aiming, for when auto-aim keeps targeting pesky grunts. And with this, comes dodging, manoeuvring, that kind of stuff. And plus, it all mashes together perfectly. Hacking and shooting, with these awesome little pauses in time before an enemy hits you for a quick dodge - nothing is too overpowered, or useless; it’s perfectly balanced and flows with the rest of the incredibly well designed world. It is awesome.

4.    Interesting story/continuation

Madness Returns features a storyline continuing from the previous Alice game; Alice is now no longer insane (er, well, that's debatable really...) and works at an asylum for kids. And it is creepy. But still, the tale folds out exceptionally well, and Alice's tale is actually interesting to hear. And it ends with that "ah-that-was-a-good-movie" kind of feeling. And you really wish it wasn't over.

5.    Collectibles galore

There is so much to collect in this game. Seriously. Teeth, bottles, "radula rooms", awesomely designed dresses, pig snouts (yes ... pig snouts), and memories. And it really makes the journey more fulfilling, especially with memories; they play interesting little clips about the world of Alice, and it fits with how Alice is trying to regain sanity and all that stuff.

6.    Beautiful art direction

The world of Wonderland is ... well, wonderful! ... Wonderfully creepy at least. But there is so much colour! At least, when you're not in Hysteria Mode ... but anyway, Wonderland has some great environments, and they're pulled off with style. Seriously, I have not seen a more beautifully insane world in a while... The art style alone is enough to catch your attention ... aside from the blood stains everywhere.

7.    Immersive universe

This one's a bit general, but once you fall into the world of Madness Returns ... you get stuck there. There are all of these characters and worlds to discover and weapons, dresses, everything! It's such a detailed world, and it's just brilliant to immerse yourself in such a fantastically realised reimagining of Alice in Wonderland!

Ok! I think that's enough waffling for now!~ But I have to admit, at first, I was a bit put off by the horror. But I still had some interest ... but now, I am very much in love with the world of Alice: Madness Returns. One of the many diamonds in the rough of the gaming world!~

Sums up Alice: Madness Returns.

10 Reasons Why MapleStory Is Great!

Right, I’m annoyed. Someone I know said that MapleStory was a mediocre game. And now I’m here to prove them wrong. Yes, because I always blog about my daily gaming life with people I know. Anyway, I should let you know, I have always had a soft spot for MapleStory – true, I’ve had a bit of an on-off relationship, but I still like it. Seriously.

1.    Clever use of graphics

I seriously don't get how these graphics are bad...

The first thing they said was this: “I don’t like how it’s a 2D scroller with weird graphics” … or something like that. Well, when you compare the graphics to a 3D MMORPG, you’ll find that MapleStory’s graphics are a whole lot more polished and tidied, whereas most 3D MMORPGs have quite a few graphical limitations. It’s like saying that for a gig at a restaurant, you’ll play a piece that’s simple, but you’ve practised a lot, or a complex piece, that hasn’t been practised quite as much. The graphics in general are very very cutesy and charming, so it all balances out. And it's not so pixelated now too (they changed the resolution.).

2.    Superb sound and music

Now, I know a lot of MMORPGs have great music … but still, you have to admit, MapleStory has some beautiful tracks in there. Really, there are some fantastic scores … but I guess that’s a given, seeing as it is a fairly popular MMORPGs. Oh, and since it’s a 2D scroller, there’ll always be different maps, most of which have differing themes to them, which means a ton of variety, which is really great. And plus, when you’re fighting monsters, the cutesy sounds they make … it adds quite a bit of flair to playing, so everything’s been tuned very very nicely with sound.

3.    Heaps of classes

Now, in terms of balancing the game and all that stuff, the amount of classes is just ridiculous. But from a gameplay point of view, it's fantastic. There are 15+ classes to pick, and even though they all fit into a category, like a mage-type, or warrior-type, or thief-type, they all have a different style of playing. And it's seriously fun just to keep making more and more characters just to play around with the classes.

Yes... because tons of classes are necessary to keep a MMORPG alive...

4.    Easy rhythm

There’s just this wonderful pace you get from doing storyline quests and even grind quests – you fall into this nicely repetitive pattern; it’s hard to explain really. You just got to play it to feel it. 

5.    Polished up

Now, this is quite the general term, but it’s true. The graphics, sound, UI, quests, mapping, and etc, are all very polished up, after years and years of experience. They’ve made it pretty sleek and useful, and in general, it has a very pleasing effect to both the eye and the instinct.

6.    Ridiculous amounts of randomness

Um… Not sure if it's good or bad … Well, it's not that ridiculous... Ok, there is some random stuff, like the monster designs and some weapons found in the Cash Shop, but these contribute to that whimsical and carefree attitude that MapleStory gives off. It's this kind of randomness that makes MapleStory ... well, MapleStory.

Randomness x 9999 = MapleStory!

7.    Idiot-proofed

I’ve seen a lot of MMORPGs … and some of them just plonk you straight into their world without another word – sure, you can always read about how to do stuff … but I can’t ever be bothered. But MapleStory has been idiot-proofed once, twice, thrice, a billion times. You can’t go wrong – they teach you EVERYTHING. Well, aside from some more complicated stuff. Anyway, MapleStory will carefully guide you through, which is really a joy if you’re a newcomer.

8.    Customisation galore!

There are so many ways to make your character yours. Ok, most of them are options through paying real-life money, but even without paying cash, you can still dress up your character in all sorts of outfits, equip awesome weapons, and all that stuff. It's a very free environment, where all characters will not look alike. 

9.    Simple but effective

MapleStory doesn't have any complicated stuff. Well, there are some other complicated thingies introduced that are a bit gimmicky, but overall, it's a simple game. Go through a couple of story based quests, and then grind and do grind quests, and job quests and yeah. It goes on. And it's fun. That's what makes up the "effective" part.

10.    Easy and fun gameplay

 Press Ctrl to do normal attack. Press Alt to jump. Assign skills (press K) to keyboard. Press I to get items. Also assign to keyboard. And when you level up, press S to develop your character. Press Q for quests. Alright! You now know have to play MapleStory! Just like that! Anyway, everything happens in real-time, so no more of that yucky turn-based stuff. Mash that hotkey until all monsters die! It's a whole bunch better than sitting and waiting. There's even some platforming thrown in the mix too - jump quests (where you jump up platforms) are extremely satisfying when completed. Except when you can't finish them. Then you will hate them.

... Whew. That was a long rant on how MapleStory is awesome ... but it is. It's developed over the years, and it's become quite fun for the newcomer. To the veterans, it's not so great, for nostalgic reasons. Other than that, MapleStory is still an incredibly great game that every gamer should not miss. So go download and play! 

7 Kinds of People Who Play Dating Sims

Ok, so we all know there are hundreds of types of games (well, kind of anyway.). Now, one of the most … interesting kinds are dating sims. Most people generally don’t go there, and when you hear someone you know is playing one … it’s just … facepalm moment.

You KNOW it's a dating sim when incredibly attractive people talk to you in perfect poses, with text at the bottom, and choices to pick...

Now what kind of people play it? Well, that’s obvious, but it might just be interesting to know … for all I know, the person next to you, or even some random stalker you have may be playing dating sims…

(Note: To people who play dating sims, I respect you, and I am not trying to demean you in any way. If you are hurt during the reading of this post, I am deeply sorry. If you don’t like it, please don’t read it. That was a very long note indeed.)

1.    People who are … unattractive to the opposite (or same) gender

To be fair, I included gay/lesbian gamers, because they exist too, but anyway… Generally, this is one of the most common types of people who play dating sims – they fulfil their love lives with non-existent people …who are attracted to them because their programming told them to.

2.    People who can’t get boyfriends/girlfriends

Uh… This is fairly similar to the first one, but still… You could be very attractive but might not be successful in love. Anyway, as I said, people who fit under this category drown their sorrows in programmed love.

3.    People who actually LIKE dating sims (generally very lovey-dovey)

Now, this is a bit rare, but you could just simply enjoy dating sims for what they are – a window into life’s best. Dating sims aren’t necessarily bad, and so there still is a fanbase … kind of.

4.    People who are extreme gamers, and are looking to play every type of game

Ok, I’m kidding. This section probably doesn’t exist.

5.    People who are “preparing” for love

Normally, I'd say something more sentimental, but the boy in this picture probably had practice with dating sims ... ok, maybe not. Love level x 9999!

Another really random one. But it could be possible, you know! Boys/girls who are a bit younger might be trying to get some “practice” before the real deal… which sounds a bit inappropriate for them, but hey, practice makes perfect, right?

6.    People who were introduced to dating sims by friends (who have been converted)

Wow… This post has a whole bunch of random ones. But yes, you could’ve been converted by one of your lovey-dovey friends into playing dating sims, as strange it sounds.

7.    Girls between ages 12 – 17

This isn’t exactly a type of person, but I’ll include it anyway. Well, I think anyway. Generally, girls in that age group are all in a constant love mood. (I’m being very stereotypical here…) Of course, males play dating sims too ... except they generally don't admit it.

This was totally random, by the way. But now you know what kinds of people play dating sims! If you fall under one of these categories … good luck getting that dream/virtual person!

4 Common Mistakes in Gaming

Yes, we all play games. And most of us make some of the dumbest mistakes while playing them, which ruins the experience of the game ... unless you’re playing a terrible game, which I recommend you don’t do.

1)    Spoilers

You might think that avoiding spoilers is incredibly easy, but trust me, it’s actually not. One day I might be looking for the solution of a really frustrating puzzle, (I’d probably be playing Legend of Zelda) and then I stumble on the solution in a walkthrough ... and one line down, is a huge storyline giveaway. That’s happened too many times to me now... Unless you’re the type who likes knowing everything, spoilers are an absolute don’t in gaming.

2)    Rushing

I see this everywhere. People can’t wait a second for good parts in a game, and just trade it off ... with more battling. It’s really sad to see such interesting bits wasted, and usually it’s dialogue which is passed over. Some games, like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and its equally dialogue-intensive sequel, feature some fantastic dialogue, and I’ve seen people just plough through it. And then they don’t know what to do next.

Although, skipping over side quests, and just generally avoiding the subtler parts of a game can be considered rushing; not something I’d do.

3)    Cheats (depends on game/gamer)

This little mistake is stuck on every big gaming site, and although it’s pretty dependent on games and the gamer, it pretty much defeats the purpose of a game. You’re meant to get stronger, and feel like you are growing with your character ... not start out with 9999 HP and 9999 MP.

4)    Getting angry

Awwww.... Having a little temper tantrum, are we? How cute.

Well, maybe you won’t look as freaky as this kid here, but you’ll probably be angry enough to throw a brick at me. So if a puzzle/battle/annoying glitch/etc bogs you down, don’t worry. Be happy. I’d tell the kid to be happy too. When you’re angry, you tend to miss out on important messages, and you panic a lot more easily. Generally, you just don’t play as well as you normally do.


So you hopefully have an image of what NOT to do when you're playing games, yeah?