Playing For Shits And Giggles

When the world is falling apart, be sure to have a comfortable front row seat.


How I look checking the headlines for what frightening nightmares the new day brings

Another short one from me today my riztastic readers, as per my quickie yesterday, at some point in my week, I do have to both get some well deserved rest *and* find time to you know, actually play the games I wish to write about. Mar10 Day shennigans definitely derailed me a bit, but it’s good to catch up with Nintendo’s sacred cow once in a blue moon. I use to make it a habit to do a one shot playthrough of any major Mario game upon it’s release day, and just do one massive 12 hour session to 100% the whole thing in it’s entirety to help manufacture the greatest amount of challenge and really highten the dopamine rush of some gaming par excellence. A reality I sadly was not able to predicate upon with Mario Wonder on day of launch, but playing through the game in a similar manner is still in the cards.


Super Mario Wonder definitely the elephant in
the room of my potential Mar10 Day festivities

Speaking of cards…that segways perfectly into a game I did finally get to sit down with briefly and try out after reading so much bluster involving it’s highly addictive nature, and that’s Balatro, which has been regularly praised by outlets far and wide as the new hotness, being a highly addictive card game you will simply not be able to put down. Well, after putting the title down after about twenty minutes of playtime, I can tell you emphatically that is simply not true.

Admittedly, it would seem I merely dipped my toe into the perverbial waters of interest, and plan on continuing to play it to see just “what is up” with the game, but thus far, it is seemingly just some suped up remix of Poker with more of a collection aspect to it involving combo cards with special abilities. Not sure if there is some crazy grand twist to the game along the lines of Doki Doki Literature Club where the game does a 180, ditches the faux premise it sets itself up to appear to be, but then diverts right into crazy town by being super meta while simultaneously possessing a twisted narrative hidden behind an unassuming aesthetic….or if Balatro really is just, you know, kind of like poker.


Pictured: Balatro’s main gameplay hook

The jokers are wild, it would seem.

~Pashford

Words of Wisdom: Scheduling Sanity

As others have already acknowledged, 2025 is looking to be crammed full of awesomeness.


Not pictured: The insomnia this release schedule
will induce

Just a quick post today, as I’ve found if I don’t force myself into enjoying some more leisurely moments in my busy week, my enthusiasm levels go directly into the shitter. Which bring me to my words of wisdom that I share with you now: make sure to have a sane schedule for the sake of your own mental health. Try not to over stuff your days with an absolutely insane roster of activities to get to, and to make sure your eyes aren’t bigger than your schedule is open, as trying to stuff every minute of everyday with some thing to do, gaming or otherwise, is a sure fire way to burn yourself out without even trying. While the gaming universe is usually chock full of enjoyment to be had, make sure to schedule in some downtime for yourself on a regular basis, lest you drown in a sea of strained productivity, and end up dooming yourself to woofing down a big old bowl of regretti speghetti.

Happy gaming.
~Pashford

Pressing On The Shoulder Buttons Of Giants

Those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it.


Some even love setting records in that regard

An even more morose notion within the confines of historical perspective is losing it entirely, as is the case with those who fail to preserve it. A broadly problematic issue, though one that has a specific citation within the world of video games, with an ever increasing issue where preservation and archivist standards are concerned. Which is why moments like The Strong’s Video Game Hall of Fame are absolutely essential in reminding people of old titles, the virtual experiences that helped to cultivate our past, and the celebration therein of our history as gamers as a collective…every single one of us.


Except whoever made this

Which is why I was delighted to see that public voting was still open to help decide which of the games nominated as a potential inductee to the Video Game Hall of Fame for 2025. The titles are all worthy entries, as each and every single one has represented either a cultural touchstone in the world of video games, or helped elevate the entire medium in some regard, with some true heavyweights to pick from. The list of nominees are twelve strong, and are as follows: Age of Empires, Angry Birds, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Defender, Frogger, GoldenEye 007, Golden Tee, Harvest Moon, Mattel Football, Quake, NBA 2K and Tamagotchi.


A beautiful chunk of nostalgically based gaming excellence right there

Having played all of the titles, and beaten the respective ones that have a conclusive ending, the roster is truly one of endless priase, even though some of the entrants are of a sports variety, which I’ve never been extraordinarily fond of, it’s still hard to eny the staying power of the 2K series, or even the underrated contributions of what Mattel Football and Tamagotchi helped to add to the cultural zeitgeist. Running in line with my recent musings of the Rare variety, it was hard for me not to go with Goldeneye, as the game represents a turning point for FPS games the industry over, beating out Quake slightly in my opinion of cultural influence for what it accomplished in shifting the needle on how massively the game impacted the perspective of shooters on consoles moving forward.


Four person free for all on Facility in Goldeneye: talk
about a core memory unlocked

Voting will remain open to the public till March 13th, so be sure to make your voice heard and help celebrate a piece of our virtual heritage proudly.

~Pashford

Pashford Posits: True Wealth is Enjoyment

There’s a fine line between love and hate.


A tale as old as time

Ultimately, when I attempt to come up with an idea for ATE, the genesis of the interest is indeed genuine intent to entertain and inform, though I often find myself at odds with a struggle involving content, delivery, and presentation, though I’m always of the mind an authentically good idea or grandiose spirit imbued within a concept is worth sharing. I abhor fanboyism and fandom in general, even though I know what good can come of community, and that it will always be the individual that helps make up the bottom line at the end of the day.

I think the notion of blind fanaticism sickens me deeply, the same goes for shallow attempts at shilling product, which is why I got out of doing paid gigs in this line of work awhile ago. Puts me in a properly fucking weird place though, as most people don’t know how to make heads or tails of someone engaging in an activity if not for the sake of money in this day and age. There’s hobbyism, sure, though I’m tempted to posit the notion pure hobbyism has an inherently hedonistic bent, where one is indulging in their fancy of choice willy-nilly, even throwing caution to the wind and without a greater cause in mind for the sake of basic self-gratification. I don’t know if something like a publicly facing writing project (I.E a blog) or something of a similar variety can truly be classified in the same manner, with both the want to fulfill others curious moments with pleasure and wisdom likely not up for consideration as a truly selfish endeavor by definition, though the simple idea of gratifying others through sacrifice and devotion would qualify as one hell of a queer kink.


Though the competition is stiff in that regard

I think both the abstract nature of creation, play, imagination, and whimsy remain powerful agents of change for the everyday, and perhaps the greater the disparity between distinct lines drawn to fit an entire medium, or even art-form, if you’re feeling generous in the moment, is likely for the best, as everyone’s interpretation in regards to the perception of the matter helps to color the tapestry of possibility involved. As with most modern day conveniences, the erosion of quality is usually directly tied to the financial machinations of whomever is in charge, so my only plea of consideration is to prioritize the premise of quality of life first and foremost for the individual, and hopefully any profit there after is not just one of monetary consideration, but the truly virtuous benefit of enjoyment for the the majority whole at large.

Happy gaming.

~Pashford

Good Pipe in the Moonlight

We often seek counsel from those whose advice we subconsciously know we’d prefer.


Probably goes a long way in explaining why my
love of Conker and my general life philosophies are
in equal parts aligned and most certainly fucking
absurd

I’m sure examining that axiom more deeply is worthy of continued reflection, and hell, may even be worthy of it’s own article, but like most points I make on ATE, I refuse to elaborate on them in any satisfying or timely manner. Within that spirit, I take this moment now to mention I’m glad I finally got to start writing my series about Rare Replay, as it’s been on the brain for awhile. Rare as a company has delivered a treasure trove of material over the years, so that single compilation alone will be an absolute wellspring of enjoyable content to wax philosophical upon, as the game is filled to the brim with top notch content, and one can’t even really go wrong with nearly any title in the bunch.


Nearly

More on that down the road, and one we are even more immediately detouring from than I initially planned on, as today I was continuing to eye (in a matter of speaking) a satellite of related interests involving Rare’s offerings, but I stumbled upon the confirmation of a random oddity that turned out not to be a fevered dream after all. In celebration of Mar10 Day, (March 10th), Nintendo usually puts a spotlight on their favorite cash cow, in which to milk him further of his sweet capitalistic juices. In spite of my cynical mention of the whole affair, the events year in and year out usually do take the form of some fun events, whether they be in-game what-have-yous, or legitimate celebrations involving easter egg hunts that can score one some sweet swag. Though I’m not yet familiar with all of Nintendo’s machinations in reference to festivities entailing the celebration of Mario Day this year, I do know of one, which is starting today in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and one that can score you some sweet virtual currency that can be used for real life rewards***.


***Dead CEO’s not included

If you log into MK8D, Nintendo has up a special tournament dedicated specifically for a special community event in honor of Mario Day, the event running from today through the 17th in honor of the mustachioed bastard, and the goal is for the collective conglomerate of MK players to race an accumulative one million laps within that time frame. If achieved, every racer who helped out will receive 310 platinum points, which can be redeemed for all sorts of awesome things. Of course, any one player only needs to finish a single lap to contribute towards the grand total, but any laps the player races in that time will be added to the bottom line. Obviously, one will need Nintendo online and a My Nintendo account to claim the coins, *and* be sure to specifically enter the code 1152-2501-4827 under the tournaments tabs in MK8D in order to log the laps, but with all the said, if you burn some rubber in honor of the old plumber’s 40th anniversary, you will reap rewards thusly.


Possibly a blue shell enema in the process, but
at least it’s a worthwhile pain in the ass

Drift on my little koopas.

~Pashford

Rare Replay: A Journey Through Space and Time

Following up on my post from “yesterday“, I continue to “march” on with my monthly challenge “unabated”***.


***wibbly wobblyiness not withstanding

*Ahem* Which brings me to the start of what will be at least a thirty part series, as I on again, off again discuss the many titles found within the jam-packed compilation known as Rare Replay, an omnibus of greatest hits from Rare and their endeavors over their several decades long history. Technically speaking, it reaches all the way back to 1982, when the company was developing under a different moniker: Ultimate Play The Game, which was the name they developed their first game Jetpac under.


An (excellent) game that featured one whole screen
Kids just don’t know how spoiled they are these days

Though, ironically, much like yesterday’s post, which was billed as being about the Castlevania DLC for Vampire Survivors, content of which I hadn’t even downloaded yet, my mention of Jetpac too is equally and utterly full of shit, as I am not even discussing the title today, and really should have started this entire series on, what with it being the first game “Rare” developed, and then thusly became the first game featured on the compilation. Let it not be said Active Time Event is as paradoxically charming as it is confusingly informative on the regular.


Hellishly craptacular attempt at making sense,
I concede

Truth be told, this is all an incredibly flimsy excuse to not-so-subtly stealth brag about having beaten one of the titles on Rare Replay, Knight Lore (1984), which was one of the earliest isometric games ever developed (isometric being a type of perspective, if you didn’t know), though that honor does officially go to Zaxxon. Knight Lore is a tough as nails isometric platformer, and one that is also based on a time limit. If you compound that with the fact this initially came out on a home computer sans controller, I can’t even imagine how much hardware was nearly smashed in the attempts to beat the game in it’s entirety.


An artist’s portrayal of the average Knight Lore players
reaction (Hulk) in attempting to beat the game on their
ZX Spectrum (Wolverine)

Rare was wise enough to include the titular “replay” feature in Rare Replay, as a way to make the old school titles even remotely approachable, as many of their pre-3D adventures are completely fucked in the face in terms of difficulty. We are talking about the folks who brought to us Battletoads after all, and all of the broken friendships that followed in it’s cooperatively nightmarish wake.


What the end of every Battletoads partnership
looks like

I guess I should mention the replay feature is really more like a rewind button of sorts, that lets you manipulate time at will, so you can basically go back in time up to 30 seconds, in case you fuck anything up, which, in a game of Knight Lore, is going to be happening a lot. As I now just start to get into the ebb and flow of my writing state, and ramping up to really delve into the nitty gritty of what made Knight Lore so lauded in it’s day, and some of the harrowing feats involving my epic quest in conquering the trials and tribulations that Knight Lore has on hellish offer, I glance over at the clock and realize in classic ATE fashion, I have run out of time.

Time giveth, and time taketh away.

~Pashford

The Belmont’s Day Off: Temporally Disturbed Boys

Let’s do the time warp again…


Never a bad time to let your freak flag fly high

Doing two posts today, because I totally failed to get one up yesterday, hence the timey-wimeyness of this one. I’m still on the hook for writing a post everyday for March, and the whole point of a challenge is it’s possible to fail said challenge, or else there is no risk, no reward. However, strength of character can be found in picking oneself up after falling and soldiering on, hence the two posts. I second guessed myself yesterday, and changed my own mind three times about what I was briefly going to discuss, before falling asleep at my god damned keyboard…let it not be said analysis paralysis is often the bane of the creative existence. With that said, I’ve decided to land on some familiar territory after saying “fuck it”, “axing the idea of reason” and just going “full rock and roll” with it.


Which can have disastrous results, mind you

Which is where Vampire Survivors comes in (?!?), which is described by the community in a myriad of ways, and seems to be a source of tension in some circles. From a casual browsing on the subject, no one has yet to refer to it as an “auto-shooter”, which feels like a lexical gap I’m filling, which in my world, truly is as sexy as it sounds. It is an action game through and through, and some have landed on “idle” game due to certain tendencies the game has, others a roguelike for others….it is an action game with rpg elements at the very least, so hopefully you have gained some notion of the matter. In good ol’ ATE fashion, Vampire Survivors is no way, shape, or form topical, having come out years ago, but I write about what I play, and sometimes I don’t get to games very immediately. Vampire Suvivors has done well for itself, both critically and commercially speaking, and has had a stream of additional content come down it’s pipeline, including an “Ode to Castlevania” which debuted as recently as October 2024, so the game is still cash money by most accounts.


The Belmont’s failing to show up this time was
my bad: no pay, no play, after all.

I ironically downloaded the demo for the game on the Switch around the same time in excitement for the Castlevania DLC, which I still have not even downloaded yet, but I keep switching platforms in which to play Vampire Suvivors, having also nabbed the title for the PS4 and now playing it on the Series X, so I can’t seem to make up my mind involving how I want to enjoy the game. I suppose the silver lining for the experience given this evidence is that at least I do enjoy the game, perhaps for it’s ridiculous simplicity.
Being an “auto-shooter”, you really only have to move your character around the play screen: no buttons needed. You needn’t worry about controlling anything else aside from movement, as projectiles automatically get fired, based on level, items acquired etc. Any one playthrough is based on a time limit (30 minutes), and it will take the player awhile of basic canoodling through the levels before they’re even strong enough to last that long, as the game is fairly serious about killing you as quickly as possible.

You can’t outrun death.


[SIC] Nevermind

Vampire Survivors is kind of your ideal dopamine gaming, if you will, with a penchant for inspiring that “just one more run” mentality, as it always feels like you can do a little better, and it feels great when you’re in the middle of a good run where you’re just mowing down hordes of enemies. I feel as if the game works the best on touch screens, per my mention of its extraordinarily simplistic nature, but I’ve been more than happy with the game on every console. Considering how cheap the game normally is, even when it’s not on sale, ease of accessibility, and inherently engaging nature, I think most would do well to give a shot.


Or a stab…whirl…you’ll have a blast, if we are going by
weapon selection availability, anyways.

(Not the first time I’ve downloaded a game based on the promise of cameos from another series that I ended up not getting to initially, and I’m guessing it won’t be the last.)

~Pashford

They See Me Rollin’…

They hatin’.


How I feel about my coworkers during my more
tumultuous work shifts

Another short one today, as my schedule continues to be breakneck in pacing. Mind you, this is one of my days off, so color me surprised I can’t even find much time to game and write on even my most accommodating of days. C’est la vie. One of the (many) games I have been playing as of late has been We Love Katamari REROLL+ Royal Reverie, which is more or less a re-release of the 2nd title, with some added content. The experience is available to be enjoyed via gamepass, and I was nothing short of delighted to jump back in to the insanity that is Katamari in it’s entirety, if not just for it’s soundtrack alone.


Seemingly every screenshot of Katamari is out of context

Even if you have no desire to play the Katamari games, if you’re a fan of amazing music, I thoroughly suggest you check out the OST, as the series regularly boasts the best in video game soundtracks, new or old school. Though the creator left the series a long time ago, and went on to deliver some wild kinds of other worldly experiences, the legacy of Katamari as a standout example of creativity within the medium cannot be understated. So you can imagine my surprised when I read that Bandai Namco had recently filed a trademark for a new Katamari title ala Once Upon a Katamari, which would be the first new game in 14 years. Many games have come out in the series, but most have been re-releases of sorts, so this one might be brand spanking new.


My top three reasons why I’m excited about a new
Katamari game.

Wish I had more time to revel in the wackiness with y’all, but I’ve got to roll on.

~Pashford

Ever Dance With The Devil In The Pale Moonlight?

Coming in hot here at the last second.


Effortlessly channeling those 2025 vibes
through my creative endeavors

Just a short share today, but I’ve got to keep on keeping on with my challenge of writing everyday during the month of March. I thought I had remembered the date correctly for my one year anniversary of having started Elden Ring, but double checking my trophy history, it was actually the 2nd of March 2024 and not the third, so oopsie fucking daysie on that one. Good thing this wasn’t an anniversary involving an actual relationship, or I’d be in couch jail right about now. In a ridiculous twist of fate, in spite of a year of playing, I have in fact, not yet started a new game plus of the title, which is slightly mind boggling to me. Though I’ve finished the vanilla experience and the DLC, I am still cleaning up some content on my first playthrough, though I think I’m nearly finished sweeping up the last remnants of obnoxious pain in the ass trash that is still littered about.


Pictured: This bitch
Not pictured: The absolute audacity

I am about to start my quest to find the legendary equipment strewn about the Lands Between to finally acquire my platinum trophy, but I am tasked with besting what I believe to be the last boss left to beat in Elden Ring, which is the infamous Malenia, and all of her bloodrotting glory. I’m grossly over-leveled for the affair, having already gone through Shadow of the Erdtree before I even got to her, and with that in mind, I still didn’t down her my first play session, which is a testament to the wealthy dividends one may muster involving successfully managing the absolutely steamy piles of horseshit shenanigans she manages that I’ve heard so many prattle on about at this point.


A quick visual reference of what to expect when
encountering Malenia

In my defense, my first attempt was a half-hearted drop in the perverbial time bucket, so I’m not overly concerned about her becoming the same kind of roadblocking shit house like Radahn was at the end of Erdtree, given my pedigree at this stage in the game, so her phase 2 Poison Ivy cosplay looking ass is getting launched directly into oblivion in due time, me thinks. I imagine my new game plus will be right around the corner soon after, which is great, cause I may be able to power through this just fast enough to wrap up the platinum in time to play Elden Ring: Nightreign when it launches on May 30th, a title which is suppose to be a multiplayer focused time restricted roguelike remix of sorts using core mechanics from Elden Ring, which based on gameplay footage from the network test they did, is shaping up to be a May 30th, 2025 release worthy of excitement.

Cheers to future ass beatings.

~Pashford

Life’s A Beach

So many worthwhile games to discuss, so little time.


Pictured: Not an example of what I just referred to

Sorry (not sorry) to all of you Death Stranding fans/Kojima stans who are at the ready to cream your pants at the mere mention of new info on the upcoming sequel to the…err, “experimental” experience that was the first title, but I believe any positive reinforcement of the notion involving incentivizing a misguided fanbase is unworthy of serious consideration. Though there is apparently going to be new info on the sequel at SXSW 2025 on March 9th, with Kojima heading up what is likely to be a reveal detailing a ton of new info to keep his insane fanbase frothing at the mouth.


In-between their sessions of jerking themselves off
while enjoying their Amazon employee delivery simulator

Death Stranding was one of the weird titles that came out during my “mini-retirement” of sorts, so I never sat down and wrote out some thoughts on what kind of grandiose absurdity I believed the whole affair to truly be. I think there was an intensely interesting conversation to be had about the nature of DS in my opinion, though most invested into the idea of the quality relating to said title would likely be described as not enthused with my deconstruction of the whole experience down to it’s essential parts. I’ve always wanted to go back and write a much lengthier article involving my thoughts about the title, though that would mean me sitting down and actually wanting to play it again, which is unlikely to ever happen. After obtaining the platinum, I never really wanted to return to the scene of the crime, though for the notion of the article alone it may be worth the theoretical toleration of Death Stranding once more. I will leave you with the seed of the idea for my deconstructionism of DS, and that it wasn’t really a game per se, but more of a virtual experience.

Within that perspective, it does prompt the interesting idea of what defines a game these days, and how much the medium has grown in the past few decades, so at least within that respect, I believe it to be a fitting pretense that the man responsible for being the one to prompt me to consider just what exactly a game can be with the release of Metal Gear Solid, does so again with Death Stranding, but for completely antithetical reasons.

~Pashford