A Self-Proclaimed Dreamer

      It has been said time and time again that Nintendo doesn't work like basically any other company in the gaming landscape. Time and time again, they have shown that they don't really care what any other company in the medium is doing, they'll continue doing the things that work over and over again, focusing on making fun games above emphasizing graphical capabilities, which is why the Switch was never considered a "powerhouse" system, even in the year that it was first released. That has not stood in the way of this little hybrid console, consistently selling better than all competitors, even facing a global shortage of them upon release, then yet another shortage whenever the world was under pandemic. It has been over 7 years since this console came out, and we've received official word from Furukawa, the CEO of Nintendo, that the successor to the Switch will be announced before the next fiscal year, which ends at the end of March. With this portable con...

     I have a lot of thoughts on the topic of "Gacha" practices and "free to play games" in general, very few of them being positive. The concept is not new, and for those of you not in the know, the word "Gacha" derives from the Japanese "Gachapon" machines, which equate to capsule toys like you might find in front of a grocery store or a steak and shake. It refers to the concept of random rewards being given in games once you've gained a certain amount of currency to try for a new character or weapon. The controversy comes along when you introduce little kids to this type of game, which is essentially something akin to gambling, especially when you can buy this fictional currency with real money. There has been a lot of legislation against this type of game recently, so it's less predatory than it used to be, now there has to be some way that the game can disclose your odds of getting a really cool thing, but it's still yucky. I unf...

     I was interested in this game before Videogamedunkey attached himself and his indie studio, Bigmode, to it, but that definitely ensured that I saw much more of it in the days and weeks before it came out. I didn't really know what to expect from it, despite seeing all of the trailers for the game shortly after they were released. I wasn't sure if the game would really be for me, boasting a Metroidvania style with less of an emphasis on combat, instead just being all about puzzles. If you'll recall, Disney Illusion Island , a game that game out last year, had a very similar focus, though that experience worked better as a proof of concept than anything much deeper, with more of a focus on platforming with very light puzzles. There was a great game, but it appealed to the younger player much more than a seasoned platforming veteran. Animal Well is not as long as that game, but the fact that your inventory is so diverse changes it from a platform-based Metroidvania int...