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PSN: 10,000 Trophies!

Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Games, High Scores/Accomplishments, Lists on December 1, 2024 by slateman

Through some strategic planning, this morning I achieved my 10,000th trophy on the Playstation Network – and that trophy was the platinum for Vampire Survivors!

It’s a geeky journey which means little to few…any, really. However, I find it interesting. Some quick stats:

  • First Trophy: 2 July, 2008
  • First Game: Super Stardust HD
  • Total Days Since: 5,996
  • Total Platinums: 70
  • Additional 100% Games: 20
  • Most Trophies/Year: 2016 – 1,122
  • Fewest Trophies/Year: 2023 – 315 (excludes 2008)

Perhaps more to come.

2025 In Music

Posted in Blog, Lists, Music on October 5, 2024 by slateman

Building off of my 2024 In Music post, and referring to Metal Storm’s release list, here’s what I’m looking forward to in 2025.

10 Jan: The Halo Effect – March Of The Uheard
24 Jan: Wardruna – Birna
07 Feb: Dream Theater – Parasomnia
07 Feb: Saor – Amidst The Ruins
25 Mar: Arch Enemy – Blood Dynasty
TBA: Blackbraid – Blackbraid III
Spring: Vintersorg – Vattenkrafternas Spel

Shengshou Pentahedron Guide

Posted in Algorithms, Blog, Cubing on June 9, 2024 by slateman

EDIT: I tried a different solution for the 2/3 layered renditions. This guide is not complete and it’s flawed.

I got a 4 and 5-layer Pentahedron and opted to grab 2 and 3-layer versions. Here are some algorithms for the smallest version to help before I move on to the higher-order puzzles.

Step #1: Get White & Yellow Centers

This puzzle is red-white-green clockwise unlike a standard puzzle, so get that on white on the bottom and move on to the top.

If you have two swapped, keep the correctly-placed center on the left. With a triangle pointing at you.

F/ U / F / D’ / F /

Step #2: Finish white Layer

Put the proper white piece above its correct location and do the standard 3x3x2 algorithm. R / U / R / U’ / R. This is an easy, familiar step.

Step #3: Last-Layer: Corners

We’re going to start our last layer with corners first. If you need to swap two of these, put the correctly-placed corner triangle pointing at you and:

R / F / U /
R / F / U / R / F

Step #4: Last-Layer Centers

If you end up with a pair of incorrectly-positioned centers, keep the solved side on your right and perform this lengthy algoritm.

L / R / U / R /
U’ / R / D / R /
U / R / U / R

Need to verify this all. Then I’m moving to the bigger puzzles.

Helicopter Dodecahedron Algorithms

Posted in Algorithms, Blog, Cubing on May 27, 2024 by slateman

At this stage of the game, more than 10 years into cubing, I collect based on looks and solves together. Some puzzles look great but I just know that a solve is a lot of work or that it’s not particularly fun. While helicopter puzzles look great, they aren’t often too difficult and so I figured I’d take the plunge with this one as part of a very-large purchase. The solve isn’t too bad, but I did need help on the later steps. Enter Twisty Puzzling’s tutorial. And here are the steps to solve this guy!

WIP: More To Come!

Step One: Solve the bottom face

This was intuitive and I got my white face situated pretty easily. Moving things around isn’t hard when you have plenty of free space to deposit things temporarily. This step situates the white face and the entire ‘layer’ above it all the way up to the long, edge pieces of each helicopter wing.

Step Two: Start building the bottom middle layer

This isn’t much of a layer, but here you’re going to want to maneuver these numbered pieces into place. I’ve numbered them in this photo in order of sequence. Some of these are intuitive, but keep moving around to the right of the puzzle. If you need to rotate one of the three-colored centers, just see the orientation on the top layer. If it needs to rotate clockwise, then spin it around the top layer counter-clockwise and vice versa. Move things out of the way as necessary here and as you get to the very end, use intuition to figure out the final pieces.

Step Three: Build the top middle layer

Now that you have the second layer done, your focus is the top-middle layer. This will include the higher three-colored pieces and the two petals to the left and right of them. You can do the centers (those three-colored pieces) first or build these all on the top layer and bring them down. So far, nothing too difficult.

Step Four: Position Petals

After orienting the lengthy center slices, now you move the petals around in a convenient three-cycle. In this photo, the pink on the right will swap with the off-white on top which will swap with the grey to the far left. The standard up, up, down, down here is intuitive and can be used to align all these nicely and swiftly.

Step Five: Position Corners

This three-cycle will move corners counter-clockwise from left to center to right. You will begin by moving the top-left piece to the left section, performing the algorithm and then undoing.

So, if we go left, front, left, front – then swap the right piece down – then front, left, front, left and fix the right.

I assume there’s a mirror version of this, but for now, that’ll do it. L / F / L / F / R / F / L / F / L / R is your three-cycle.

Step Six: Orient Corners

Minishoot’ Adventures: Fun!

Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Games on April 27, 2024 by slateman

I’ve been quite enjoying Steam’s indie offerings as of late. Not that fantastic entries weren’t available in recent times, but for some reason, my patience for PC gaming has increased and after being simply obsessed with Balatro (after my second 100+ hour Elden Ring run), I’m now firmly entrenched in Minishoot’ Adventures! It’s simple and light and precisely what I need. Looking forward to continuing this adventure and the prospect of more in the future!!!

Balatro: Surprise Game Of The Year

Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Games on March 26, 2024 by slateman

It’s another case of, “I never knew I wanted a game like this,” yet here we are and I’m enthralled, utterly, with Balatro and its mechanics.

It’s simple but deep and full of game-breaking strategies – all of which are designed to be so broken. After a bit of time just messing around, I started trying to win and…to my complete surprise, today was the day! Armed with the powerful Triboulet joker and four kings of hearts, I beat the eighth ante, earning a whopping $260k on one hand! It was quite silly, really, but that is the point. I’m having such a blast with this stupid game.

Ba

Elden Ring Playthrough #2: Still So Good

Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Bloodborne, Games with tags on February 18, 2024 by slateman

40 hours. (1 March update: 60 hours / 26 March update: 90 hours) After completing the title at a hefty 120 hours, I’ve now clocked another 40 and have no intention on stopping any time soon.

Despite arriving late to the FromSoftware parade, I’ve since beaten (and written heavily about) Bloodborne and later Dark Souls III. I got far into Sekiro (final boss) and both Dark Souls Remastered and Demon’s Souls. I feel confident in saying I understand the formula. And while I’ve written about this as well already, returning two Elden Ring two years hence has bought me right back to where I was in early 2022. I’ve got a few games I’m interested in playing: Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, Rollerdrome, maybe more Lies Of P. But, there’s no reason to. Elden Ring is just that damn good.

In fact, as I return to ranking my top-20 favorite games again, I find this game moving up…and up…and up. I can’t be certain, but I think it’s a top-10-ever game at this moment. From its sensational allure of discovery to the phenomenal art design. From the honed gameplay loop to the enticing sense of wonder. Its sound, the visuals, the adventure: it’s second to none. I just can’t say enough about this game and even without DLC, it remains one of my favorite games of all time.

Now, with Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth coming out, perhaps my passion will fade. But just like the first time I played this masterpiece, I’m really in no rush. Simply incredible.

Ys X: Nordics – NA Release!

Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Ys on February 15, 2024 by slateman

Ys Books I & II came out on the TurboGrafx-CD in the spring of 1990 when I was 14 years old. In the near-35 years since, I’ve played almost every iteration of the franchise: on consoles, on portables, both numbered entries and side stories. I didn’t beat them all; some I abandoned, others I completed, but I simply loved returning to the world every few years.

Since then, communities have exploded, translations and special editions have expanded, but my adoration of the series never wavered. I loved Ys IX: Monstrum Nox, despite it being ranked lower than Ys VIII almost universally. But all that will matter in the the autumn of 2024 is that Ys X: Nordics will have an English translation on the PS5 and I couldn’t be more thrilled. My expectations are always tempered for Falcom’s storied franchise, but I endeavor to have fun, see Adol in yet-another new light and to enjoy three-and-a-half decades of one of my favorite series ever.

2024 In Music

Posted in Blog, Lists, Music on January 17, 2024 by slateman

I still haven’t written up my best of 2023 yet, despite my listing being done, but for now, just a look ahead to the music in 2024. As always, for my purposes alone. Thanks, also as always, goes to Metalstorm’s upcoming list.

09 Feb: Chapel Of Disease – Echoes Of Light
23 Feb: Borknagar – Fall
01 Mar: Ministry – HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES
01 Mar: Bruce Dickinson – The Mandrake Project
08 Mar: Judas Priest – Invincible Shield
22 Mar: Alestorm – Voyage Of The Dread Marauder
05 Apr: Korpiklaani – Rankarumpu
19 Apr: My Dying Bride – A Mortal Binding
15 May: Kerry King – From Hell I Rise
31 May: Exodus – British Disaster: The Battle Of ’89 (Live At The Astoria)
21 Jun: Alcest – Les Chants De l’Aurore
21 Jun: Cavalera Conspiracy – Schizophrenia (Re-Recorded)
07 Jul: Amorphis – Tales From The Thousand Lakes – Live At Tavastia
02 Aug: Blind Guardian: Somewhere Far Beyond – Revisited
09 Aug: Hammerfall: Avenge The Fallen
16 Aug: Dark Tranquillity: Endtime Signals
23 Aug: Dimbild – Dunkelglöd
30 Aug: Wintersun – Time II
20 Sep: Kanonenfieber – Die Urkatastrophe
11 Oct: Andy Gillion – Exilium
25 Oct: Iotunn – Kinship
01 Nov: Brothers Of Metal – Fimbulvinter
22 Nov: Opeth – The Last Will And Testament
06 Dec: Night In Gales – Shadowreaper

Wish List

What am I hoping to see this year? Just some ideas, though other than Moonsorrow, don’t know how much I care.

  • Moonsorrow (my ultimate wish)
  • Exodus
  • Skeletonwitch
  • Temple

2023: A Year In Games

Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, DoDon Pachi, Games, Lists, Personal, Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Ys on December 27, 2023 by slateman

2023 is wrapping up with many critics claiming it resides shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the best years in gaming history. My experience isn’t quite so stellar, but

Let’s go through some lists starting with titles that were released before 2023, all while realizing that the true best game I played this past year was Bloodborne!

Older Games Played:

  • Dark Souls III
  • A Plague Tale: Innocence
  • SteamWorld Dig
  • SteamWorld Dig 2
  • Rogue Legacy 2
  • Neon White
  • Lunistice

Of those titles, I completed the 2D ones only. While I had played Rogue Legacy 2 on Steam the prior year, it was only when I got it for free on PS+, and could play from my couch, that I beat it. Admittedly, I lowered the difficulty to blaze through chunks that I had beaten before. In some ways this game is perfect: allowing for those changes to difficulty, a fantastic gameplay loop and incredibly-tight and responsive controls. Several of the theme songs stuck in my head for quite some time and it was a fun experience. However, my Old Game Of The Year, if that were a category, would go to SteamWorld Dig 2. It’s so funny, I got a trophy in the first game way back in 2013 and I remember playing it and abandoning it. No clue what drove me to return, but once I started, I was hooked. After blazing through the first title, I anxiously awaited a sale price for the second, eventually pulling the trigger without one, that’s how much I liked it. And the sequel did not disappoint, living up to and exceeding my praise of the first. I simply loved that game and, much like the emptiness felt after completing Elden Ring, I continually yearn for a similar experience, with no satisfaction. In fact, if I were ranking the best games of the year regardless of their release date, SteamWorld Dig 2 would be in contention.

The other titles all had qualities of their own, but not enough to keep me returning to them.

Moving along, now we look at titles released this year that I have yet to play in 2023:

  • Alan Wake 2 (Some day I’ll try)
  • Baldur’s Gate 3 (Trial was cool, dunno if it’s for me)
  • Blasphemous 2 (Curious, not much more)
  • Cocoon (Hmmm)
  • Dead Space (Maybe an ‘on-sale’ game)
  • Diablo 4 (Trial run, felt like D3, really)
  • Hi-Fi Rush (Maybe when I get an Xbox!)
  • Octopath Traveler 2 (Never played the first)
  • Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (Lost interest in the first)
  • The Talos Principle 2 (Never beat the first)
  • Viewfinder (Demo was fun!)

There are a few games I’d like to try, but none here give me the burning desire to jump in. Games like Pikmin and Fire Emblem may be great, but do I care? Nothing above are a have to play game, despite how good BG3 appears to be.

Our final category is the games I have indeed played this year, and ranking them isn’t very easy.

2023 Games:

  • Final Fantasy XVI
  • The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom
  • Lies Of P
  • Resident Evil 4
  • Sea Of Stars
  • Street Fighter 6
  • Super Mario Bros. Wonder
  • Xenotilt

As I work through Lies Of P and Sea Of Stars, I quite like the former due to its obvious inspirations and feel indifferent towards the latter. I beat neither Zelda, much as I didn’t its predecessor, nor FFXVI, losing interest after numerous hours.

Thus, we’ve whittled down the list to four games, all sequels. As much as I love Mario games – and I do like the franchise – nothing about Wonder stood out to me, despite what everyone else thinks.

And then there were three. Xenotilt probably improves on everything in Demon’s Tilt. As DT is in my top-20 ever, I struggle to wonder which should be on that list. In either event: it’s not 2023’s GOTY.

Capcom ends up holding the trophy, as the remaining games are both theirs. And this decision is a difficult one. By all accounts, Resident Evil 4 should do what no game has ever done: won the trophy as both an original release and a remake! But while it effectively replaces the original, I think I have to give it to Street Fighter 6. The gameplay is honed. The systems are polished. The game is just fun and it’s the best launch-SF game since SFII. I absolutely love this title and have no reservations awarding it GOTY, even if RE4 is as good as it is – DLC included!

So there it is: Game Of The Year 2023 is Street Fighter 6!

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