As the social norms which dictate the real and tangible world are veering to a more progressive era, it is only natural the virtual world follows suit. While Flipboarding the World Wide Web, I came across the following image and all I could do was smile and became obsessed with wanting to know all about it:
PS4 GayStation Edition
As unbelievable as it might seem to you for whatever reason, the GayStation is real – and it can be yours! …but, for a price…
Sweden is currently celebrating Stockholm Pride 2014. Apart from the fun, booze, and shenanigans people of all sexual orientations enjoy getting themselves into during these type of events, Prides all over the world also attempt to spread a sense of acceptance and unity – and Sweden is doing it right. Promoted by the hashtag #thisisforthegaymers, a customized PlayStation 4 is being auctioned off during Stockholm Pride 2014 week (July 28th – August 2nd) to benefit the LGBT non-profit organization known as RFSL (The Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights) which focuses on improving LGBT individuals’ quality of life by political lobbying, social exposure activities, and providing exceptional emotional support.
The auction will end on August 2nd, so you better get your wallets ready! Oh, by the way before I forget: the current auction is 19,200 Swedish krona. That’s roughly 2,790 US dollars. I just finished checking the bids here. Although I know it ain’t me buying it because I’m not about that “making it rain” life just yet… It is for a nice cause: 100% of the monetary collections will be donated to RFSL.
The GayStation includes:
500 GB PlayStation 4
DUALSHOCK 4 wireless controller & charger
Four electives PlayStation 4 games (cannot be Collector’s Edition games)
Mono headset for voice chat
Power cord
HDMI Cable
IF by any chance the person who buys the GayStation reads this, let me know! I would LOVE to hear about the experience. Even if the latter doesn’t occur, I want to note it’s been refreshing to read the overall accepting responses from people all over the world. Throughout my search of the GayStation, I have yet to read a demeaning comment or slur. People are complimenting the design; wishing to have the moolah to purchase said console; and congratulating Sweden for such a move. You may categorize my persona as banal, but I consider Sweden’s GayStation a rather phenomenal, marvelous, and fundamental stride towards a path of acceptance, love, and the shattering of malicious stereotypes which damage the fabric of society and evolution.
What are your thoughts on the GayStation? Let me know in the comment box below! See you around!
Addendum: The bid ended on stated date with a closing bid of 28300 Swedish Krona, which is about 4110 U.S. Dollars! Congratulations to the GayStation’s owner: “Pumpkaboo!”
Warning: As always, my reviews WILL contain spoilers as they’re crucial for thorough discussions. However, I encourage you to read anyways. Just because you can.
Overview: Mario Kart 8 portrays in essence what the title implies – Mario and various assortments of karts. Classic Mario game characters battle it out through 8 cups (translating into 32 different tracks) with fireballs, shells, boomerangs, and much more to obtain 1st Place and bring home the gold!
Gameplay: Mario Kart 8’s gameplay is relatively the same as previous titles. You have your accelerator, brake/reverse, item, and drift buttons. Easy to remember. Players get two options as to how to steer: 1) the use of the joystick or 2) actually steering with the control. Items continue to hold a big part in the game since a Banana Peel can stand between you and a gold trophy. IGN compiled a nice list of the items which you can take a look if you’re curious. Nonetheless, I want to give an honorable mention to the wondrous Super Horn. This magnificent item has the ability to destroy the fucking Spiny Shell by pulverizing it with its sound waves. It has made my life so much better and worth living…
Mario Kart 8 also features air gliding and anti gravity. The latter not only let’s you race on ceilings and walls, but also gives the opportunity to speedboost when bumping other characters or special obstacles. Gliding and anti gravity happen automatically when reaching certain parts on each course. The camera follows you the whole time, so don’t fret thinking you’ll suffer motion sickness. The goal of the game is simple: place first to win all the gold trophies you can.
Lou-Cyo’s Reaction: HOLY SHIT! The minute I saw the intro on my screen, I knew this game was a must have. To say the graphics are beautiful is an understatement. Nintendo was not playing when highlighting numerous times the fact that Mario Kart 8 was the first in its saga to be in high definition. The characters, items, courses… The smoothness of the illustrations make the pixels seem tangible. A treat to the pupils as you glide through the courses after exiting anti gravity zones.
You remember how 150cc was MAYBE a tad hard in previous Mario Karts? Mario Kart 8’s 150cc poses a realchallenge. If you’re anal like me and need every single unlocakble in the game, prepare yourself for overwhelming emotions ranging from crippling anxiety to irrational rage when attempting to place 1st on every track on 150cc. I cannot even count how many times I got CLOBBERED with a plethora of shells when on the LAST LAP of the LAST COURSE and SECONDS away from the damn finish line. Thinking about it makes my skin crawl with anger… But in a good way! Unlocking the characters and kart parts in this game is such a treat. I enjoyed getting the Koopalings the most. Do you remember them from Mario Bros. 3? Apart from the blissful nostalgia these characters embody, they get a cool HD touch up!
The game features mirrored racetracks to spice things up once you have collected all golden trophies the first time around. The online gaming options have expanded to phenomenal degrees by letting players customize tournaments. You have control over basically everything – from the race difficulty to what items and karts are allowed. Meaning you can have a 150cc races with only Mushrooms to be used. Can you imagine that in any of the 2 Rainbow Roads featured in this game? Sounds deliciously evil and fun to attempt! I recently got to play MK8 with 3 other people and the fun never stopped. We played for hours and the adrenaline was pumping nonstop. Mario Kart 8 is a game that will make you come back again and again. No matter if you’re alone, online, or with friends. I give Mario Kart 8 a 10/10. The game is just too much fun.
Have you played Mario Kart 8? What are your thoughts on the game? Let me know on the comment section. I wanna hear from you!
That is the word Sony chooses to describe PlayStaion 4’s future. Gamers all over the world have been teased by Sony in these past few months with statements such as “epic stuff” which “can’t wait for E3” would be announced in due time. One of the most shocking reveals were the several tweets by Chicago born (woot!) actor, Todd Stashwick, who shamelessly posted a selfie where he’s wearing a sensor suit and picture of dummies on the floor accompanied by the hashtags #uncharted #ps4. SONY YOU’RE KILLING US HERE!
Uncharted is one of the most recognized franchises by PlayStation, so certainly many where hyperventilating the millisecond their eyes devoured these:
If that didn’t catch your attention, watch the released trailer below. The overwhelming emotions that will want to burst from your chest will take your breath away.
As I wrote about it in my previous trilogy posts titled Let the console war begin!, PlayStation 4 slaughtered the competition and stayed on top since the beginning. Xbox One does snag the title of “Fasting Selling Console” and the Wii U experienced a surprising boast with the releases of Super Mario 3D World and The Legend of Zeld: A Link Between World. Nonetheless, with over one million units sold in North America in the first 24 hours, PlayStation 4 holds the title of Top Selling Console and is clearly a beast not to be overlooked.
What are your thoughts on the PS4? Do you think PlayStation 4 will be overthrown at any time before the next Console War begins? Let me know!
Before you read on ahead, let me warn you there WILL be spoilers of the game in my review – read AT YOUR OWN RISK! With that out of the way, let’s start!
Overview: There’s a war beginning to uproar between two (very human-like if I may add) species, the Vektans and the Helghast, who live on the same planet. It’s around the 2300’s and you, Vektan native Lucas Kellan, joined the Shadow Marshall Academy and became a Shadow Marshall working for the Vektan Security Agency (VSA) headquarters. While following orders and infiltrating the Helghast to take hold of enemy’s military intel, Lucas finds himself in a compromising position when discovering not only the monstrous plan of the Helghast leaders, but also the true intentions of the VSA.
Gameplay:Killzone Shadow Fall is a fist person shooter. Apart from virtually standard controls (e.g., pressing one button to reload, another to aim your weapon, and the other to change your weapon), this game uses the newly installed touch screen pad on the controller. While playing as Lucas (and yes, you get to play as another character at the end of the game), you have control over a flying droid called OWL. Apart from being able to revive Lucas if he has an adrenaline pack handy, the OWL has multiple options that are activated by swiping on the touch screen pad which include: hacking, stunning, firing, zip-lining, and shielding. Also in KSF there’s a one hit kill by pressing R3 in which Lucas uses a knife to slash his enemies’ necks open, if not opting for breaking their necks with his bare hands. Both lethal. Both graphic. Both awesome. Multiplayer mode is available presenting three classes – Scout, Assault, and Support – each with unique weapons and abilities. Also on multiplayer, you get to pick from between developed maps (i.e., Warzones) by game creators or players. An online season pass for $20.00 is available for purchase containing expansion packs. Furthermore, many of the weapons have dual functions with the second function having more fire power – yes, the more powerful the weapon, the slower it’s going to be. But if you time your shots right, it will always be worth it. Another beautiful aspect of KSF’s gameplay involves several free falling scenes where you have to use the joysticks to maneuver through the the laws of aerodynamics. Overall, the controls run smoothly and are easy to remember.
Lou-Cyo’s Reaction: Killzone Shadow Fall gets a solid 8.5. Apart from the obvious stunning and smooth graphics, the background story is intriguing and thought-provoking. Following a massive detonation, the planet Helghan was destroyed to the point of being inhabitable. Helgahst survivors where granted protection by the Interplanetary Strategic Alliance (ISA) – an alliance group who protects the colonies of the United Colonial Nations which includes all colonies under the government of planet Earth. ISA decides it’s a wondrous idea to give Helghast refugees half of planet Vekta. As a consequence, half of Vektans are being evicted out of there homes – if not executed in the process.
Can you imagine evicting half a planet? As if that’s not fucked up enough, Lucas’s father gets killed in the process. Great. But it is during these times of evacuations and family loss where Lucas commences to develop as a character. Also, the way the game’s story takes you from being a loyal Vektan to a total outcast was flawless. Lucas, who risks his life in every single operation, is being placed on the front lines just to find out all his efforts are not to prevent the use of a deadly bioweapon, but to facilitate a genocide in a war he believes to be preventing. The emotions displayed by Lucas throughout the game connect with the player to exhilarating levels since you are basically being hunted by two opposing organizations – one of them being the VSA. The feeling of being unsafe lingering throughout… Brilliant.
I appreciated the effectiveness of the OWL. When you actually send the flying bot to shoot down some motherfuckers, the OWL actually gets the job done. It’s not one of those scenarios where you get “assistance” from in-game characters that either run the wrong way or shoot everything else but actual target. I can’t count the times OWL had saved my life serving as a bullet shield and an efficacious turret – I think I fell in love with the little fellow!
OWL
The coup de gras which definitely places Killzone Shadow Fall as one of the best games out there for the PS4 is the game’s ending. During the last mission, Lucas finds the leader of the Helghast and the bioweapon. However, the game’s story takes a sharp left turn as Thomas Sinclair, who took care of Lucas after Lucas’s father was murdered, ends up shooting Lucas in the head when seconds before Lucas was on the ground pleading for his life and the credits follow.
Thomas Sinclair
Not only sad, but IRRITATING as fuck! I couldn’t believe it! My jaw was probably on the floor until a cutscene interrupts the credits letting you know the game is not over and you have one more shot at revenge. In the last scene, you play as Echo in a mission to assassinate Sinclair and put an end to the war. Echo scampers through the city of Vekta; gets her hands on a sniper rifle; and after positioning herself in a hidden area she whispers, “For Kellan,” and shoots – the camera following the bullet that will pierce Sinclair’s skull. The amount of emotional distress this game’s ending made me feel was unimaginable.
Echo
I deducted some points because the game is indeed short. There’s only 10 Chapters in which more than half are not lengthy. Once you have finished the game, you’ll be able to breeze through the missions if you decide to play a second time around. You can always challenge yourself by trying to get all the collectibles and trophies which indeed will take more time, but the game itself won’t be consuming much of your time. I also took some points off because the presence of Sinclair during the last chapter where he kills Lucas seemed rushed and, to some level, random. Also, when Echo snipes at Sinclair, you don’t get to see the effects of the shot. You are left to assume Sinclair died. I don’t understand why we don’t get the opportunity to see Sinclair’s brain matter on the floor after witnessing Lucas slitting throats all throughout.
There you have it! Hope you enjoyed my review and please, do yourself a favor and get a copy of Killzone Shadow Fall – I recommend it. If you played the game, do you agree with my review? If you haven’t played it, what vibe do you get from the game after reading? Let me know what you think! See you around!
That’s the attitude Reggie Fils-Aime, President of Nintendo of America, has towards the PlayStation 4 and XBOX One systems’ game lineups. He appears to feel there’s no threat en route to the Wii U because when in a console war “it’s all about the games.” Reggie embellishes the latter statement claiming Nintendo’s ownership over unique and legendary franchises like Zelda, Mario, and Donkey Kong – and he is right… To an extent.
I agree the titles mentioned above are indeed beyond greatness; however, I believe there’s a line between maintaining a positive attitude and beginning to sound bastardly cocky – which I feel the latter is what’s happening to Mr. President over there. I understand being passionate about a console – as I am a Nintendo fan myself. However, it’s not a real necessity to diminish others’ work, especially with no facts supporting such devaluing indications. Don’t get me wrong, if something’s a piece of crap, I can acknowledge it and call it what it is: crap. Nonetheless, as I wrote in my entries Part III – PlayStation 4: “The most powerful console” and Let the console war begin! Part III, NEITHER of Wii U’s rivals are opening with only “meh” category games. N-E-I-T-H-E-R.
Reggie’s allowed to say “meh,” but that doesn’t take away the fact of it being a distasteful comment directed to the work of numerous individuals and marvelous gaming franchises. It all makes it seem like if it’s not Nintendo, it sucks. And that’s far away from the truth.
So what do you think about Reggie Fils-Aime’s expressions? You already know mine, but I’m interested in yours.
I can officially geek out (even more) now: Sony announced Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2 remastered versions for the PlayStation 3 will be available Winter 2013! As I wrote in my previous article “What can I do for you?,” Sony will be releasing remastered versions of both games to give us a beautiful feast of graphic design. As a major fan of FFX and FF X-2, I am extremely ecstatic to see what the PS3 technology will have in store for us aesthetically. Not only I have utmost faith that the stunning graphics will make us cry, but I’m exceedingly excited for the new game content. Yes, you read correctly: new game content. Both releases will include features of the internationally game versions that weren’t available in the markets of North America. I don’t know about you, but I’m fucking thrilled – AAAAHHHH! I can’t wait!
If you haven’t had the chance to explore the world of Spira alongside Yuna and Tidus, THIS is definitely the time to embark on such journey. And if you have already traveled the Calm Lands years before, I say it wouldn’t be a bad idea to dust off that airship and revisit the beautifully remastered landscapes and cities.
I’ve done it! I-I have become a summoner!
I fight for Spira.
Defeating Sin, ending pain… this I can do.
I will not stand by and watch them be hurt.
Now, Sin is finally dead.
It all began when I saw this sphere of you.
I don’t want friends to die…or fade away.
Through the smiles, tears…
Everything is connected. I can feel it.
This is my story.
P.S. – Here’s a video to let you see the amazing remastering product we can expect. See you around!
As many of you may recognized the famous phrase I used in the title, today we’re taking a trip to the land of Killer Instinct – a Native American Spiritual Land to be more exact.
A few days ago, I got a message from one of my friends, “OMG! They just revealed CHIEF THUNDER!” and sends me this video link which confirmed that Killer Instinct 3 will indeed have Chief Thunder as a playable character – coming a long way from his last (and only) appearance in 1994’s KI.
Pretty menacing, ain’t he?
American video game developer group Double Helix‘s Patrick Gilmore (Studio Head), Michael Willette (Producer), and David Verfaillie (Game Design Director) presented a vast overview about the new and upgraded version of Cheif Thunder. He will be sporting new gear, as you can notice his substantial headpiece and dripping war paint on his face giving him a primal look. The smoother graphics not only make him seem over 7 feet (2.13 meters) tall, but also threatening and aggressive as ever. I wouldn’t like to run into him if I were exploring the woods… Or running into him anywhere, period. His skills set has also been revamped, but he will retain some of his old characteristics moves like the Sammamish and Triplax.
Stunning…
Chief Thunder’s arena also experienced a phenomenal metamorphosis. Now instead of a (let’s face it) crappy bridge over a deep ravine with monotone colors, now we get mountains, rain, ravens, a freaking lake scenery in the background – a beautifully crafted stage with much texture and visual pleasure. It was amazing watching Double Helix’s staff speaking so passionately and letting gamers know they want to make KI have a magnificent comeback – which I appreciate because they have quite the pressure on them with Killer Instinct being such a classic legend. Double Helix can’t afford to fuck it up. Moreover, this game can serve as a nice buffer to the Xbox One, especially after the nasty backlash the console experienced after its presentation on the 2013 E3.
Are you excited for the next chapter in the Killer Instinct universe?
Today, Chicago made homage to one of the greatest characters in video game history:
“I’m’a Luigi – number one!”
As The Year Of Luigi forges ahead full force, Nintendo chose the city of Chicago to promote Luigi’s new superstar game “New Super Luigi U.” Over taking several of Chicago’s L trains which blaze through the Brown Line routes, many CTA riders had the magical experience to ride the Luigi Line! I can’t even explain to you the level of excitement/anxiety I was feeling while waiting for the Luigi Line to pull over. All of the sudden, there is was: a beautiful green colored train with decals of the different characters in the game along with a few gold coins (too bad those golden pieces weren’t real…). As a Luigi fan for virtually my whole life, you can imagine the level of thrill rushing through my body while I stepped inside the train. For all you Chicagoans (or those visiting the city) that missed riding the Luigi Line today, do not fret. The Luigi Line will be running for about 4 weeks around the Loop on the Brown Line. So plan accordingly and experience a joyful ride!
While the Luigi Line paraded around The Windy City’s Downtown area, Nintendo made sure fans would get complete exposure to Luigi’s new game by setting up various kiosks around the Clark and Lake train station where people had access to play New Super Luigi U for unlimited time – which I may or may have not played for over 2 hours before heading home. NSLU’s gameplay controls and world displays are basically the same as in New Super Mario Bros. Wii; however, there are a few different tweaks. Luigi can jump higher and further than Mario, but he slides further too – so be careful and don’t plan on being able to come to a complete stop. It’s not happening. Also, the courses are shorter. This time around, you only get 100 seconds to complete the stage before being assassinated by unknown forces of The Mushroom Kingdom universe when the timer reaches 0. One cool feature that I wasn’t able to experience was the option to play as Nabbit. Nabbit is this little rabbit-thief looking character who is invincible against enemies. I immediately thought about how that would be “the saving grace” for older siblings who are forced to have younger siblings play with them. With Nabbit, the youngings can actuallyhelp you. So thank Luigi for this.
Yes riding the line home was fun and playing NSLU was beautiful, but the coup de grâce was getting the chance to meet Luigi himself. As I mentioned above, I have been a Luigi fan since his first appearance in Mario Bros. games. I’ve always been attracted to his underdog image because I was an underdog myself. And now he has an opportunity to break from his shell and shine – like I did at one point in life. Having the chance to finally meet him brought me back to when I was 10 years old looking up to someone who kept on fighting no matter the outcome.
I can’t wait buy the Wii U and NSLU – It promises hours upon hours of fun! What do you think about The Year Of Luigi? Have you played NSLU? Do you think Luigi will reach new heights of Super Stardom? I want to know! See you around!
Intertwining love, gaming, and social media in one post – sounds fun! At first, I wasn’t sure how the 3 aforementioned would blend with each other, but my mind immediately went to the numerous videogames that offer different levels of social interaction between us human beings all around the world. You might be thinking why am I mentioning videogaming? First, my blog Lou-Cyo Reviews’ purpose is to expose news, reviews, and commentary about the world of videogames – I want to keep it relevant. I owe it to my readers. Though I won’t be focusing on videogaming, I will refer to it all throughout. Secondly, if we are talking of social media, videogames constitute a vast portion of such category especially if we’re discussing “21st-century love.”
Modern age love. When I read the previous sentence, I immediately consider the Internet being involved in some way, shape, or form. In this era, the Internet has given an immense number of the Earth’s population access to connect with each other via instant texts, videos, illustrations, and microphones. If we’re not on facebook checking for Notifications, we are tweeting and retweeting people we find fascinating. And if you’re immersed in the gaming culture and into massive multiplayer online games, you might already have a set time to meet with your team to either raid a sorcerer’s cave or take down your enemy’s armed forces. We live in the times of connectivity – the resources seem endless. With each passing second, people are trying to find easier and better ways to connect and share their lives. So with that, how can one even entertain the idea that love CANNOT sprout between two (or more) people?
It all appears wonderfully uncomplicated written down, doesn’t it? However, it’s far from the truth. Yes, social media gives us countless ways to communicate with others and create possible healthy relationships with one-time strangers. But social media is just that: the means weuse to communicate. If people don’t utilize their resources appropriately and effectively to nurture their relationships the same are as good as dead. It’s not a matter of what a pair of lovers use to communicate with each other. It’s a matter of how they communicate with each other. If people cannot interact in a healthy manner in order to promote understanding and trust between them, it won’t matter whether you both have a Twitter, facebook, Skype, ooVoo, Xbox Live, or email accounts.
I found myself playing the Long Distance Relationship Love Game once. We started a friendship in a popular chat site and after several months decided to meet in person. I believe we never exchanged photos by that time, so it was awkward as HECK when we finally met. Outcome? We became really good friends and later our friendship bloomed into one of the best relationships I’ve ever had in my life. Obviously ups and downs occurred, but for 95% of the time I felt satisfied and happy. Lucky even, that I had found such an individual to share my life with. Then the universe decided it was time to test just how strong our bond was. I was presented with an opportunity to expand my education and get a Master’s Degree in Chicago – I couldn’t say no.
I was scared. Scared to face my significant other and make my decision of moving to another country which meant the end of the relationship we had. I remember days of pulsating anxiety and dread. When the conversation finally took place, I remember my lover at the time tell me, “We don’t have to end it. We’ll make it. I believe in us.” And I believed it. We discussed how we still have our cellphones, facebook, and laptops to video chat. I was confident. However, the minute I left my home island things turned for the worst. My other half started to alienate from me because I was “not [there].” The phone conversations went from “I miss you” to guilt trips of “I hate this. I don’t understand why you needed to go so far.” Video chats rarely happened. We exchanged maybe a couple of emails… Long story short, the person I loved called me one night and said, “I can’t deal with this anymore,” and just like that, it was over. I was devastated. I felt at the verge of depression, but thankfully I was surrounded by wonderful individuals who kept me going and pushed when I needed it.
We both had facebook, Skype, and our respective cellphones… But it didn’t matter –effective communication was nonexistent. I was so eager to share my new-found passion in life and what the big city of Chicago had to offer. And what did I came across? My significant other saying, “I really don’t want to know about it. I don’t want to believe you’re gone.” My LIFE became Chicago at that point in time, so what was I supposed to talk about? Conversing about what I ingested and if my bowel movements were normative can only take you so far. The lack of communication served as toxic waste in the field where understanding needed to grow in order for our relationship to survive. The methods were there, but never used in an effective manner. Relationships, created over the Internet or not, last because people WANT to work on the relationship and make it last.
You better grab every single green trinket you possess because it’s time for grand celebration: Luigi is turning 30 this year! Can you believe it’s been that long?! Since his first appearance in Mario Bros. (released on July 14, 1983 and not to be confused with Super Mario Bros. which release date was 1985), Luigi has served as Mario’s sidekick in almost all the adventures that have taken place in the Mushroom Kingdom and beyond. However, Nintendo has decided that Luigi has been shrouded by his brother’s shadow for far too long. Now in 2013, Nintendo has focused boundless efforts in creating and promoting new games and console designs centered on the green cap hero. The highlight of this birthday? New Super Luigi U!
This game will mark history in the Mario Bros. universe as it is Luigi’s first platform game in which he plays the starting role. Excited? You better! I’ve been a Luigi fan since I can remember, even after playing so many Mario centered games throughout my life. So now that I can enjoy Luigi to his fullest… It makes my heart feel like a bundle of joy!
Also to celebrate, Nintendo twitted:
And so I did. It took me a several minutes to compress all my loving words for Luigi in just 120 characters and have a selfie photoshoot because it was required to send a picture along with the greeting. I am hardcore geeking out over this… I really hope I get selected to appear on that digital card!
So what do you think about Nintendo’s Luigi Extravaganza? See you around!
Lou-Cyo Reviews 