Now Rusty's Real Deal Baseball is partially what you would expect: It's obviously baseball themed, but it seems to go much deeper than that. When you first start it up, you are greeted by a retired pro-baseball player by the name Rusty Slugger: an 8-year-old DOG (56 in human years) who runs a little shack shop where he sells sports equipment and baseball video games to support his ten 10-month-old puppies (5 in human years) after his wife Mitzi left him. I tell ya, this wasn't exactly what I expected from a Nintendo game, let alone a baseball-themed one!

Now, Rusty is certainly down on his luck. If it wasn't bad enough that his wife left him, he seems to find himself in a bit of financial trouble as his little shop (and his life's dream by the way) is hemorrhaging money. As such, he's willing to haggle just to make a sale. Now this is where things get interesting. The only things he sells are ten baseball-themed minigames at $4.00 each (real world cash, tax not included) which is a bit steep; even the puppy that you are tasked with babysitting will tell you that. This is where the haggling comes into play. If you can cheer up Rusty with a doughnut and listen to his woes and/or give him a coupon or something that'll help him in his struggles, he will give you a discount or two until the price is a bit more affordable. This can make the game's total go from a maximum price of $40 to the minimum and much more reasonable cost of $16. It doesn't really seem all that moral to take advantage of a destitute man, but he seems to enjoy haggling so I guess it's alright.

Now the minigames are all based around a central theme of being certain parts of baseball such as batting reflexes; aiming, throwing, and catching the ball; and even lesser things you wouldn't expect such as umpiring and lathing your own bat, and they are all played on your Nontendo 4DS. No, that's not a typo. Nintendo actually parodies themselves within the game by making a fictional game system to be used in the player's mii's house. The longer I play this game, the more bizarre it gets, but at least all of the minigames play really well. They're responsive, well designed, addicting, and they are varied enough that they won't get stale too quickly. Plus, if you don't know much of the rules or terms in a standard game of baseball, you can consider this game an educational experience. I wouldn't say that they're worth $4 each though; definitely haggle the prices down.

All in all, this game is fun and extremely unique. Maybe a tad experimental with the micro-transactions, but they work really well in the context in which they are presented. Definitely worth checking out of you have the money to spare, but just a fair warning: you can't get the lowest total price possible unless you get at least ten street passes within the game. Spend your money wisely, but until then, I'll be seeing you.

Score

(Disclaimer: Any and all content that this game's beta contains may be changed or altered in its final release. Please keep this fact in consideration while reading.)

The story is wacky, but simple. A young but passionate baseball player named Sally hits a homerun so hard that the ball speeds through space and crashes into an alien planet so forcefully that it makes a crater upon impact. As such the aliens get pissed and invade earth to exact their revenge. So Sally takes it upon herself to fend off the invaders with her trusty bat and ball. It gives of that early 90's style of creativity that you don't see very much. The story doesn't make much sense, but it doesn't have to as the gameplay is what matters most. I love games like this because the surreal plot makes for some interesting mechanics due to the setting that the story gave it. Most game companies don't seem to grasp this any more.

Now as for the game's controls, they are very responsive and I can't seem to find anything wrong with them. You hit the ball into the blocks and aliens on top half of the screen, you grab power-ups that you can activate at any time to make completing the stage easier, and you can slide along the ground to temporarily become invulnerable to enemy fire. You only get three strikes (HP) before you're out though, but I think that's more than fair considering that the game's challenge scales at a natural pace and you don't fail if the ball ever touches the ground; Instead you just lose the score combo you've built up to that point. I never felt like the game was unfairly difficult in the 5 stages that the beta offered at the time.

Now while there were so few levels in the beta itself, it did offer a level editor which I tried out to a fair extent. Now while it wasn't the most intuitive level editor I've used, I never found myself frustrated on how to use it. It was very easy to learn and placing blocks and enemies was quite painless because the whole system was tile-based. Now I have no idea if sharing levels will be a feature that will be added to it any time in the future, but I sincerely hope that the developers will at least consider it.

Overall, I had a ton of fun with what little was presented to me. The music was extremely well composed and had a Sega-like feel to it, the graphics and spritework was expertly made and was vibrantly colored, and the fact that it's gamepad compatible is just icing on the cake. I was especially impressed by the fact that it was made in Unity as the sheer abundance of crappy Unity-made games makes ones like Aliens Go Home Run! shine as a result. There are a few bugs here and there but due to it still being in its testing phase, that's to be expected. I personally can't wait until the full version of this game is completely finished and released on April 2nd, but until then, I'll be seeing you.

(Disclaimer: Like before, any and all content that this game's beta contains may be changed or altered in its final release. Please keep this fact in consideration while reading.)

So first of all, what can I say that hasn't already been said? Each of the 70 stages and 9 bosses have their own unique challenge to them witch gradually increase in difficulty as you play. But I did have one major problem with one stage and one stage only: 5-7. Every regular stage before and after it were perfectly fine and a lot of fun when it came to their difficulty relative to where it was placed in the game, but this stage in particular was severely unbalanced. I get that the game is still in beta and is currently being tested for bugs, but when I'm subjected to a bullet hell while avoiding mines AND those thwomp-like enemies for nearly an hour where every other stage took roughly 5 minutes (bosses at no more than 10 minutes), it starts to feel more like a chore. The only other gripe I had with the game is that some of the achievements didn't proc when they were supposed to, but that didn't bother me too much. I've never been big on collecting achievements in games.

Now that one stage didn't ruin my experience of this wonderfully crafted game. It would take a helluva lot more than one bad stage to make me hate a video game; I'm not that petty. So like I said, my overall opinion was largely unchanged. And now that I've beaten the game, I feel that I can properly score this game like I have in every other review I've done. So until next time, I'll be seeing you.

Score

The game was this minimalist 3D game that looked like Hitman GO, a strategy game Square-Enix put out a few years back. It was the simple indie look that made me want to play OK Golf.

The game is very simple to play. Swipe back, move your finger to direct where you want your ball to go, then release. Even though that sounds super simple, these courses are accurately real life layouts of actual golf courses around the world.

From the lake country of Georgia

To the desert landscape of Arizona

To the Zen gardens of Japan

To the islands of Hawaii

And the beach fronts of Miami.

These courses are very challenging. It took me multiple tries on many of them to get a birdie first try. Getting under par (birdie or eagle) gave me a full three stars. Even though I was screaming at my phone every time I missed the hole, I still did not want to stop playing the game like I do with some games after being frustrated by my failure.

The game has three single player modes per course. The first is Free Play. Free Play let's you practice each course as many times as you want. After finishing Free Play the course is opened to Championship and Timed Mode. Championship is a regular scored golf game. So the more you practice in Free Play the better you are in Championship mode.

I have not played every mode or have gotten to try the multiplayer feature yet. Though it looks like like it can be fun playing friends all over the world, as long as they have the game and are running off the same OS. You can even do pass and play if you're looking to have some fun at the bar with your friends.

Overall this is one of the best casual games of the year. Definitely worth the $3. Don't wait till it's on sale or in a humble bundle. Get this game not the overpriced coffee you don't need.

I know this article might come late to you in Europe, but we still have some day light here in the States. In honor of today I wanted to share some of my favorite mobile Skateboard games for Android. So let's get into it.

5. Transworld Endless Skater - Free

When you think endless skater you think Temple Run type game with side view skateboarding where when you mess up three times it's game over. Nope not with this game. This game is see how far you can get in 60 seconds, while trying to achieve three different challenges after another.

The game has pro skaters you can unlock to be like Danny Way, Ryan Decenzo, Lyn-Z Pastrana, and Christian Hosoi just to name a few. Which was one of the reasons why I downloaded the game besides it being free.

The only issus I have is the game is timed this does not seem to be really endless, along with a four point controls this is why I'm putting it at number 5.

4. Epic Skater - Free

Epic Skater looked like a fun kids skateboard game. Though after downloading it I found out how much fun and challenging this true endless skater game is.

The game is just collecting coins while maneuvering through different levels with long rails and huge gaps. Epic Skater has been one of the skateboard games I play daily. Though I have gone through 4 phones in a year I still love getting back to where I left off after every time I reinstall this game.

The controls are super simple and I hope this game helps get kids excited even with the crazy gaps and some unrealistic Tony Hawk Pro Skater type lines you can do. This is a great casual skateboard game that you will find playing over and over again.

3. Skate Lines - Free

Skate Lines is another endless skater game that I found last year that I just fell in love with. This is one of my favorite skateboard games ever made next to Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4 and Skate 3. The game never left beta. It got so popular that developer Agens just put it out publicly with promise for a full game that is now called Skate City. Which is being co created by Alto's Adventure developer Snowman.

The controls are simple. Though being in the beta stage could use some work. I really loved the chill instrumental soundtrack that went with the three levels you can play. This is the most zen skate game you'll ever play. That is why it's my top three skateboard games. This is the game you play after skating all day and are relaxing after a great session.

Even though the game is beta and Skate City has no release date yet. This game is better then 95% of the skateboard games you'll find on Google Play.

2. Skater - $5

I saw a meme that said "Fidget Spinners are fingerboards for posers". For most skaters that is fact. Fingerboards were the first fidget spinners for skaters with ADD and pre-diagnosed autism. So when smartphones first came out there was a fingerboard game called Touch Grind. That game was fun for maybe 5 minutes. I was pissed I paid money for it. As much as I love fingerboards I hate fingerboard games.

Till one day I watched this video from Revive Skateboard owner Andrew Schrock about a skateboard game his company was in called Skater. I was turned off by it being a fingerboard game though I thought I'd try it out when I found it on sale for $.99.

I was really surprised to see how much I liked this game. I just like how you earn stars to unlock boards, shoes and real location. That was a selling point for me was real locations like you'd have in Tony Hawk games. Unlike other fingerboard games you had fake spots that you had to pay for. They have some great compete decks as well from Toy Machine, Baker, Deathwish, Foundation, Zero, and DGK.

This is one of the first games I saw skaters making YouTube videos playing a mobile skate game. The tactility controls are smooth just like EA's Skate games are. Though it may cost you a Starbucks or a pint it's well money spent. Don't feel fooled by other fingerboard type games Skater is the only one you need.

1. Skate Party 3 ft Greg Lutzka - $2

Skate Party 3 is the third skateboard game from Ratrod Studios featuring pro skateboarder Greg Lutzka. Skate Party is the only mobile skate game that plays like Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4, which is one of my favorites out of the series of Tony Hawk games. It had the best real locations, pro skaters, secret skaters, and special moves.

I got just as excited about playing Skate Party 3 as I did playing Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4. To me it's Ratrod's best game yet. It's still playable even a year after it was launched. It has a online vs mode just like Skate 3. It really is the closest console clone to a skateboard game that I've played. From touchscreen Tony Hawk style type controls, to console reimagined graphics, as well as Skate 3 and Tony Hawk type challenges.

This is the best skateboard game made so far. I have not played a mobile skateboard since Skate Party that captures my favorite video game series Tony Hawk Pro Skater. Activision was working on a mobile Tony Hawk game, but then scrapped the game and started making Tony Hawk Pro Skater 5. Though late year after Skate Party 3 came out I was not mad about it anymore. If you love Tony Hawk Pro Skater or Skate this is the game you've been looking for.

Here are a few honorable mentions:

1. Alto's Adventure - Free

Alto's Adventure is a fun endless snowboard game. It's one of the most popular casual games ever. It was even Apple used it as an example for their keynote at this year's WWDC.

2. Halfpipe Hero - Free

Halfpipe Hero is just a fun casual endless halfpipe game that I've found very fun to play to kill some time.

3. Skate City - Unreleased

Like I said earlier Skate City is a game that is being developed by Agens and Snowman. Even though the game is not released this looks like it could be the next best skateboard game ever. Even pro skater Jonny Giger has said that it could be the Tony Hawk Killer.

I linked Skate City's Instagram above. That is where they posted most of the game play videos.

Now a year later cre-ture has rebranded the name simply to Session, and has launched a kickstarter that has succeeded it's goal of $62,935. At the time of the submission of this article the campaign has reached $118,019 and has completed 7 of its stretch goals. Though the campaign is being funded daily through the support it is receiving through all forms of social media, including gamers YouTube videos of them playing the game.

The great classic thing about how cre-ture is going about promoting the game is a free prototype demo. I remember playing that first Tony Hawk Pro Skater demo at my neighbor's house before the game was out when I was in highschool. It was just one level, but we played it like it was a fully developed game. You can spend the holidays mastering your skills and playing Skate with your friends, just like us old farts did back in the day.

You may be asking yourself. Why is this game the evolution of skateboard games? Well cre-ture posted on the campaign that:

Session focuses on the authenticity of skating, both in the way the game feels and is presented to the player. Based on this philosophy, each feature makes the game even more innovative, fun and respectful to the skateboarding culture. The main purpose of the game is to live the sport in its entirety. Feel what it is to be a talented street skater. Explore and tame the concrete, film yourself, your friends and share your footage on the internet with the worldwide skateboarding community.

So the game seems to give you the tools you need to become the best skateboarder in a virtual community of skaters. Though there is no point system so that means there is no ranking, this is all about earning respect in the streets.

Today is the last day to donate. This is a great gift for you or your Skateboard gaming friend. Along with supporting a great up and coming independent game company, and the next great skateboard game.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/100195109/ses...

After getting hit with negative game reviews, outrage over buying and then closing smaller game studios, and general poor feedback, Electronic Arts is looking at it's first unanimously great PR move in years. Unfortunately, it may be lessened considerably due to a supposed editing error. which has since been fixed, that censored former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick's name out of "Big Bank" by YG, a song off of Madden 19's soundtrack.

So, setting politics aside, is Madden 19 worth being a part of your gaming budget?

If you are a fan of the NFL that plays exclusively on PC, absolutely snatch this up. Madden 19 improves on everything its predecessor created, except Longshot. This time around it plays more like a JRPG with long, unskippable cutscenes combined with short moments of gameplay. There is only one choice in the entire game mode, what quarterback Devin Wade admires, be careful though, your selection determines what style he becomes later on and as a player in MUT. It is rather short as well, leaving you feeling like nothing really happened, unlike in the first iteration of the mode.

What it lacks in Longshot, it makes up for in MUT. The levels and challenges have been beefed up and rewards are more frequent. The chemistry system is a lot easier to see and you can now change the chemistry of players. It is still a little lacking compared to FIFA's chemistry system but definitely improved in Madden 19. EA did include the amazing squad battle feature from FIFA and removed the horrendous, coin draining, contracts that worked well in FIFA, but never quite translated to Madden. Both of those changes combined means an influx of coins will be coming your way. After only a few hours, the coins earned were more than sufficient to form a decent high silver team.

Graphically, Madden 19 is an upgrade in every way. Some of the faces of lesser players, like kickers and punters get a scary treatment and the fans look like they were copy and pasted from the last Madden PC game but besides those small issues, the game is absolutely beautiful.

Waiting until E3 to announce the expansion to PC, EA could be using Madden 19 as a test run for future Madden games on the platform, as well as a potential NHL comeback. Back in 2008 when it was announced that Madden 09 was not coming back to PC, EA stated that, "The PC presents some very serious business challenges to us in the sports category..." and when they pulled NHL off the PC in 2009, EA cited a "...continuing decline in the sports PC market." With the launching of EA's own Competitive Gaming Division in 2015, and earlier this year, an eSport league in conjunction with their FIFA franchise and Major League Soccer titled eMLS, EA seems to be both putting more value on competitive sports gaming and expanding their existing IPs. Those actions by Electronic Arts, when looked at with their quotes from years ago, suggest that they have seen an increase in the sports PC market worthy enough to bring back Madden.

Madden 19's success could very well change the fate of the franchise and the potential of an authentic NHL game hitting Origin by 2020.


Madden 19 for PC can be found on EA's Origin client with two versions available for purchase: the standard edition for $59.99 and the Hall of Fame edition for $79.99

In USBB you have more range than up and down. You have full 360 degree movement along with the classic fighting power move. I'm not going to say this game is easy, though the more I played the game the more I felt like Esports master.

The game has ten characters to choose from, all with different stats and abilities. Just like Street Fighter, every character has a backstory on why they are at USBB which gives the player that desire to win to see the outcome of each character. You will not get bored trying to master your favorite few, or the whole roster.

I've seen USBB on sale a few times over the summer, so you might want to put this on your wish list for that next time you are looking for a fun game to play that may become the next Mario Tennis Aces killer.