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