Thank you G Fuel for sending us a review sample!

G Fuel’s Rapid Fire mandarin orange flavored drink is officially licensed with Konami to use the Contra branding on the packaging. I’m not sure how the fruity flavor and orange color are related to the popular game, but the branding is attractive to middle age gamers who can benefit from a low-calorie caffeinated beverage.

The flavor is good and tastes like a more tart version of Tang. Since they're both orange flavored powders and I'm not much of an energy drink connoisseur, this is the best comparison I can come up with. Sucralose (Splenda) is used to sweeten the drink and as a result, does not cause a sugar crash. Another added benefit to Sucralose is that each of the forty servings is only fifteen calories.

Antioxidants and focus aminos are present in every serving to promote healthy cell production and to stimulate your brain. Multiple vitamins including C, E, B12 and B6 have also been added without overpowering the flavor.

Caffeine is a major ingredient, and you’ll find 140 mg in each cup you drink. This is double the amount found in other energy drinks. For reference, 8oz of coffee has 96 mg. When I did my unboxing/first impressions video, I consumed a glass at 6:30PM. I’m normally really tired at 9:30PM since I’m up at 5:15AM almost every morning. At 10:30PM I was not tired and was quite alert. I forced myself to go to bed since I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t. Falling asleep took a little more effort than usual but it was not that difficult. Having a purring cat at my side lulled me to sleep.

My sleep quality wasn't great because I was woken up by coyotes at 1:30AM. I won't blame G Fuel for that. My mental clarity was solid and I didn't experience any sided effects like jitters. I'm always busy doing something in regards to pets, farm animals, or bees and I had plenty of energy to spare.

The price is a bit steep at $35.99 for forty servings, but they’re currently running a buy one get one free special which sweetens the deal. If you subscribe to a monthly delivery, you can save an additional 5%. Flat rate shipping will set you behind $8.49. It’s definitely not cheap, but other energy drinks are expensive too. If you’re looking for a fruity low calorie caffeinated drink, G Fuel Rapid Fire has got you covered.

 

I (Daniel Cullen) recently contacted the maker of RPG Architect, which is currently in Early Access on Steam. Locke, the head developer, was gracious enough to respond to my queries about their game engine, and on top of sending us review keys for the engine, for which we will be providing a complete review, he requested and we were happy to grant an interview to learn more about their engine.

Before we continue, I want to make it clear that, aside from formatting needed to make it appear legible in print and any needed grammatical adjustments, this interview is formatted exactly how I sent the questions and how Locke responded.


1. First, ChristCenteredGamer would like to thank you, Locke, for consenting to this interview. We've reviewed products like RPG Maker, which provides a full suite of options to make turn-based role-playing games, and we are curious about what will make your product stand out by comparison?

Hi Daniel, thank you for reaching out. Y'all will be the first official curators to review RPG Architect!

RPG Architect is going to be massively different than other makers for several reasons. As a RPG Maker veteran, I was frustrated that RPG Maker never really evolved -- it feels like it has been constantly adding features and removing them, never appending them -- and as soon as plugins were added, they relied on the community to "fix" the problems they had. Further, once the latest version or [sic] Maker is released, it never really adds features -- just bug fixes (if you're lucky).

RPG Architect is largely a response to this. You shouldn't have to upgrade an entire edition to get a "new" feature. RPG Architect is planned to be updated for a decade after official release. I'll be obviously sorting out the bugs, but also adding features. Once the core feature set is built, the big ask from the community has been a tactical or simulation RPG battle system -- so that'll be next. After that, it'll be up to the community to decide. My goal is to make RPG Architect the last RPG creation engine you will need (within reason). Since I'm the only developer, I can respond quickly to the community's needs/asks without any red tape. If you look at our reviews and comments in our forums or discord, you'll see that is one of the strengths many have noticed already.

Further, I have no desire to make RPG Architect 2. The goal is to have continual iteration on RPG Architect. If there is desire after a decade and a new engine rewrite is warranted, I might consider it, but only with the blessing of the community.

2. Your product is currently in early access, so some teething pains are inevitable, but your Steam page already advertises it can be used for more than just making RPGs if needed. Ultimately, will this become a more general framework and SDK for game development, or will it still primarily be devoted to role-play gaming?

This is a good question. Most games ultimately have RPG elements in them -- even Mario. Mario collects coins and can "equip" power-ups. The same could be said of action/adventure games as well. Since RPG Architect boasts a fully-fledged physics engine, it's not impossible to make these types of games and track different scores, power-ups, etc. We actually have an internal "Platformer" sample that is in the works (coming soon)!

The better question -- is RPG Architect ideal or suited toward this? I think that will be for the community to ultimately decide. I certainly don't mind adding other features to make other game types possible.

3. You provide native support for Microsoft Windows, and experimental support for macOS and Linux. Will this be supported for Steam Deck or other third-party operating systems?

Actually, we're a bit past experimental support for macOS and Linux -- we have full-fledged support for them. Steam Deck will be supported for published games (as will consoles, and the aforementioned platforms), but I don't know that it will be ideal for an editor. If there's enough interest and compelling arguments for it, I could be agreeable to try it eventually.

The only piece missing for support on Steam and consoles at the moment is controller support -- which the platform supports, but RPG Architect doesn't have implemented/connected just yet. Coming soon!

4. Currently, your engine is generally 2D based with 3D support. What kinds of 3D support do you anticipate providing via your engine ideally?

The physics engine (and everything internal) is all represented in 3D, so the sky will (mostly) be the limit. I plan on supporting 3D models in glTF format. Maps will still ultimately be built from tiles. However, with Doodads and Entities supporting 3D models, you'll be able to build non-blocky houses, cliffsides, trees, and so forth.

I hope we see (at best) some PS3-era style games in the lifetime of RPG Architect.

5. The system requirements for all supported systems are quite modest at present. Do you anticipate this changing over time, or is the intention to keep base requirements geared for more modest requirements as a baseline?

The editor itself doesn't need a whole lot -- and neither does the engine. When you start pumping in larger resources with higher polygon counts, etc, it might change. At the end of the day, though, the engine is highly optimized and the goal is to make something that works with really bad and old hardware.

Fun story -- before I released into Early Access, I actually borrowed a friend's laptop from 2008, which had Windows 8, 2GB of RAM (not even enough to run Windows), and no disk space. My internal 3D test project ran at 40 FPS with lighting turned on (though it did take a while to load). At that moment, I knew that RPG Architect had the potential to be something really accessible and special.

6. We at ChristCenteredGamer understand some stock resources will ship with your current program, and we were wondering what ages they would be most appropriate for? We also would like to know how freely we use and adapt resources from other engines and what general limits this will include for the immediate future.

I think most of the resources are suitable to all ages, minus small, small children. Inherently, RPG's have violence (there is a battle system, after all). However, there are no scantly clad men, women, or monsters, nor do I really anticipate there being any of such.

Adapting resources from other engines is a very nuanced question/problem. Some engines and resources are distributed to be used with a specific ENGINE only (the licensing terms). RPG Architect is similar -- you cannot use our resources in RPG Maker, etc. That said, the format is largely similar to other RPG Maker tilesets/character sets (we do support user-defined frames of animation, as well as 1, 2, 4, and 8 directional sprites). We have an import tool on our website and Steam (under Tools) that will help you import RPG Maker-style tilesets for use with RPG Architect, since the format is a little different.

RPG Architect's volunteer resource makers are all pretty wholesome -- Final Boss Blues (Jason Perry), Jason Martin, and Bit by Bit Sound (Bert). We're always looking for more volunteers!

7. Your Editor uses C# and AvaloniaUI. The Engine uses C# and MonoGame. Is the product going to remain proprietary or will some or all of it it eventually become open-source? If it will become the latter, to what degree?

Some of the verbage I have listed may be old -- the engine actually uses FNA now (it is comparable to a "cousin" or "sibling" of MonoGame, as they both are implementations of Microsoft's XNA). The core engine is abstracted enough to be easily ported (part of the strategy to support consoles, if necessary, though FNA seems to port natively on all of them right now).

I have no desire to let RPG Architect go open source -- except for maybe at the end of its life (see above -- that'll be in the 2030's sometime, perhaps later). It needs to remain closed source and generate revenue in order for it to get the active development it deserves.

In fairness, though, the engine isn't obfuscated whatsoever.

8. Finally, what are the future ambitions you have after this product reaches a mature state? Do you foresee other types of development software you might develop, or is it too early to say?

That will ultimately be up for the community to decide. I'd like to work on RPG Architect full time, but that'll depend on the community's support/investment of it. If it gets community investment comparable to other big-name makers, it wouldn't be hard to make it my full time job. Pie in the sky, for me.

As far as other tools -- it might be something I eventually humor. However, it has to make sense to do such, since the goal of RPG Architect is to make ONE tool that you'll buy and use for years. I don't want users to have to pay someone to port their game to a console -- or pay money for a plugin to fix a shortcoming of the engine -- that seems contrary to what an engine should do. I imagine we'll see little features pop up here and there (or Templates) that will help the engine tackle a different genre of game.

One idea I've humored with some of the resource makers -- I may eventually release a DLC for a Character Maker/Tool (this would need the blessing of the community) to basically fund resource development to the artist volunteers I have. The revenue for that would basically continually flow to the resource makers to push content out, not too dissimilar to what Final Boss Blues does with his Patreon account -- but you would buy-in once. As people do that over the months and years, it will pay for resource development.

The financial goal/strategy for RPG Architect and its sub-products will ultimately be volume. If we can get enough support to do things, then that will fund other endeavors, features, and upgrades. Kind of like the world's longest Kickstarter, but hopefully without the stigma of missed deliveries (and awful pitches).

However, this all requires me to repeat this again -- it HAS to be supported by the community. If there is no community, there will be no volume of sales -- and there will be no good input/ideas on how to grow the engine.

Ultimately, having a connected, involved, passionate community is paramount to RPG Architect's success.

 

Thank you Scarlet Moon for sending us this digital album to review!

Mario Mixtape by Mustin Enterprises is a father and son collaboration that only took 88 days to make. They reached their goal of releasing this album before The Super Mario Bros Movie. This is my first time hearing Mustin’s work, and I must say that I’m impressed. Though I’ve only played the NES and SNES Mario games, I’ve heard my husband and son play the others, so I’m familiar with the rest.

In total, there are twelve tracks that’ll keep you entertained for close to half an hour. Here’s a breakdown of the tracks:

New Super Mario Bros. - Ground BGM 02:17
Super Mario Sunshine - Delfino Plaza 02:22
Super Mario Galaxy - Attack of the Airships 02:43
Super Mario World - Game Over 02:18
Super Smash Bros. Melee - All-Star Rest Area 02:29
Super Mario Bros. - Underground BGM 02:32
Super Mario 64 - Piranha Plant's Lullaby 02:27
Dr. Mario - Dire, Dire Docs 01:19
Super Smash Bros. Melee - Menu 01:56
Super Mario Galaxy - To the Gate 02:58
Super Mario Bros. 3 - Athletic Theme 02:05
Super Mario 64 - Dire, Dire Docks 02:51

As you can see, there’s a good representation of the various Mario games here. Even though the Attack of the Airships is from Super Mario Galaxy, I picked up on the Super Mario Bros. 3 Airship song similarities. That’s not the only mashup. I enjoyed the Dr. Mario and Dire, Dire Docs mix too.

Most of the songs like All Star Arena, Piranha Plant’s Lullaby, and Underground BGM are smooth and easy listening while To the Gate and the Super Mario Bros. 3 Athletic Theme have a more electronic feel to them. Delfino Plaza has an upbeat ska vibe.

Overall, I enjoyed the whole album and don’t have any particular favorites or disliked songs. If you enjoy relaxing Mario-themed music, Mario Mixtape is worth checking out. You can give it a listen on BandCamp and buy the digital album's FLAC or MP3 files for $9.99. The tracks can be purchased individually for $.99 apiece.  The physical version of the CD will be available on April 20th.  I look forward to more father and son collaborations!

 

Thank you Scarlet Moon for sending us this album!

Deltarune, in my opinion, has one of the best soundtracks of the indie game genre, and due to this, people love making their own versions of the songs in it. A wonderful example of this being done is an album called Piano Diaries: Deltarune Chapter 1 by David Russell and Laura Platt. It contains 40 pieces that show the arrangers’ views on what they would do to the soundtrack in a more classical style. All of the songs are played on a piano without any percussion, but sometimes effects are added and may change the instrument in some way.

Each song is unique and has its own separate mood, while staying fairly faithful to the original material. One of my favorites is their version of Rude Buster, as it keeps the chaotic vibe but interprets the song in a way that I really like in terms of the key, the way it completely changes the mood in some parts, and the great control of the volume. Another thing that I believe is really great is that even though a lot of the songs in the original Deltarune soundtrack rely heavily on percussion, the renditions in this album make up for that really well by messing with the tempo or volume of the already amazing piano playing. The arrangers also made something beautiful about the only song in the soundtrack with lyrics, Don’t Forget, by turning it into a slow, flowing piece that’s pretty much guaranteed to calm your mind.

Although this album is great and I think the artists behind it did a very good job, there are a few songs that I feel are unnecessary due to how short they are or how they aren’t worth putting in so much work to transcribe. Some examples of this are their covers of Weird Birds, I’m Very Bad, Fanfare, and a few others.

Other than some small things, Piano Diaries: Deltarune Chapter 1 is completely worth listening to, especially if you enjoyed Deltarune’s soundtrack or if you like solo piano pieces. There are songs in here for any mood, and consist of various genres played in various styles which I think you’ll enjoy.

Piano Diaries: Deltarune Chapter 1 is Available on Amazon for $8.99
(Amazon Affiliate link)

Note: Due to the fact the PC open beta of Gundam Battle Operations 2 had some features restricted, this article will not cover all aspects, it will merely cover what was available during my experiences with the open beta period.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Battle Operations 2 is the second iteration of the MMORPG-styled third-person shooter set in the Universal Century franchise of the Gundam universe. Despite being a longtime fixture on consoles, it was oddly not playable on the PC platform. A failed launch of the open beta for the PC port on Steam further did not herald good fortune for those who wanted to play versus others on their computers in 2022. Thankfully, the second attempt at an open beta on January 16th, 2023 went better after an initial issue with logins, and most of the game, albeit in restricted form, was available for play. The story is by necessity somewhat vague. You are a new member of a mercenary corporation that can pilot practically any unit in the UC Gundam canon, and aside from definitely being set after the original Gundam and its One-Year War, it's not exactly clear when it takes place otherwise. Further, units from both the Earth Federation and Zeon factions are available for piloting, which was certainly not unusual for both sides, especially later in the Universal Century. The exact reasons you are fighting are mostly an excuse to have giant player-versus-player battles where shooting down mobile suits, and their pilots, and destroying their base camps and sources of resupply will be your bread and butter. Combat will take place both in terrestrial (land) and space environments, much as it did in the Gundam TV series, manga, movies, and so on. For PC players, it uses a Free-To-Play model, as the game itself can be downloaded for free from Steam provided they meet the system requirements. It uses a "gacha" model for providing enhancements to units and pilots. Gacha machines in real life are a form of Japanese capsule toy machine that can grant rewards randomly for payment of real-world currency, resulting in a chance to earn certain rare capsule toys and other prizes. In-game, both in-game currency earned through various events and real-world money can be spent for similar reasons to acquire new mobile suits, equipment, pilot outfit upgrades, and various other enhancements. While the game is perfectly accessible to newcomers and those who do not wish to spend real-world money, it is much easier to acquire certain high-end prizes for payment. The game itself starts in the mercenary camp of your employer, which serves as the main player hub. Here is where players can start matches, upgrade units, do training missions for various game mechanics, join clans (not available during the beta period), and otherwise rest in between sessions of online combat. There are options for both auto-saving and manual saving of progress during this part of the game, allowing the player to resume progress at any time in case they shut the game down at any point or if they suffer a sudden loss in internet connection. The combat modes are where the game gets a bit complex. There is a "rock-paper-scissors" style balance for mobile suits, revolving around General, Raid, and Support Machines. Each type is strong and weak against one of the other types, so proper knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of your equipment and the units piloted by others will be essential. Mobile suits can be further customized for different load-outs and mission profiles for different styles of play as well. Pilots may also dismount their machines or be forced to do so by the destruction of their current mobile suit. In this mode, they must either commandeer another unit or perform certain actions only accessible on foot, such as setting bombs on enemy base camps or calling in fire support. Player versus player can get VERY chaotic as a rule. While some players wind up serving one side, some will fall on the other, and the goal is to score the most points before the timer for the mission sortie runs out. The overall goal is to make the player less a one-man army and more emphasize they are just one more soldier on the battlefield, so careful play with allies serving to support one another and prudence in taking on enemies lest the player be overwhelmed is strongly encouraged. While players and suits will respawn after a time, it's best to avoid blindly charging at enemy lines and preserve one's own combat health as much as possible. Respawn points can also be seized by enemies or attacked while the player is calling in another suit or fire support, further making this a game where wits are required to survive matches with the least casualties. On a graphical level, this title derives heavily from the franchise models and designs for mobile suits and areas but renders it all in a fairly gritty, realistic style to fit the wartime aesthetic. Mobile suits are typically rendered as lumbering war machines vulnerable to the laws of physics to further hammer home these are pilotable machines with great power that requires great skill to handle effectively. The terrain and backdrops are generally gritty and slightly bleak looking to capture the wartime feel of the franchise, though even on higher graphical settings look a bit under-detailed at times. The sound and music all crib heavily from the licensed series that comprise the franchise and for the most part are 1:1 accurate to their sources. There is full voice acting for several languages, all of which is clear and distinct, though players generally are restricted to certain limited dialogue selectable from lists for commenting towards another during play. Most of the voice acting is heard in the player hub from the NPC characters who handle various services and explain various game mechanics. The controls are accessible via either keyboard and mouse or any Steam-compatible controller, there is full support for both. I found the keyboard and mouse to be just as well implemented as the controller for accessibility, but it is heavily advised to play the tutorials to get used to the mechanics before doing anything else. There is also the option to remap controls to player preference in case certain controls feel counterintuitive. Stability is, given this is the first open beta to let people actually get as far as the lobby and beyond and still function, uneven. Despite having a PC that easily cleared the recommended requirements for high-end play, I had to turn down some graphics settings to maintain a reasonable framerate. Connections remain stable most of the time, though I had some server timeouts on occasion. Saving periods between certain events also can take a bit long to complete as well. This should hopefully improve as the official launch implements lessons learned from the open beta period. Certain features were not available, either partially or fully, during the open beta period. Clan creation and joining clans of other players was not available, and while crossplay between PC and the console versions has been highly desired, there was no crossplay ability at this time, due to the fact the open beta for the PC version was a limited access event to PC only to evaluate technical issues and server load balancing. This open beta event left me hopeful this will become just as popular and develop just as dedicated a player fanbase as the console versions when it launches officially. Regardless, it will still need a fair amount of technical polish if it wants to do this when it launches officially.

Playing video games with your kids is an effective way to spend time with them, but it can also be a great way to teach them about life. It is important to set limits on how much time you allow your child to play these types of games and encourage them to think creatively. In general, it can be a fun and rewarding experience getting to play video games with your kid, especially if you’re an avid gamer. But how can you keep them safe online and teach them good habits while having fun simultaneously? Keep reading on to find out!

Limit online interactions

Although video games are often a great activity to engage in, parents still need to take measures to ensure that their kids are kept from unsavory characters and content online. Even if you’re next to them, playing with them, make sure to pick certain video games where they won’t be so likely to encounter anything inappropriate. You could even look into a Minecraft SMP server to see if one is good for your child. You can’t control how others act, but it’s on you to protect what your kid is exposed to.  Some websites have been designed entirely around this, and that’s the nature of many particular games, too. For example, teaching them the rules of a card game like patience through a well-developed site can be a great shared experience.

Encourage problem-solving skills

Video games offer a unique way to encourage problem-solving skills in children. Some of the most popular video games, such as "The Legend of Zelda," require players to solve puzzles. In addition to the puzzles, these games also teach perseverance, communication, and planning. As with real life, children need to be flexible in order to overcome obstacles.

This may mean taking a different route, relying on a team, or trying a new strategy. Since video games have these perks, why not utilize them yourself? If you play video games with your kid, why not let them do the strategizing and do the puzzles? It’s a great way for them to learn and be encouraged to work on problem-solving skills.

The online games industry is widely developed around the world, and many developers add casino elements to their projects - various game rewards that can be earned to a greater extent from luck and investment.

Such projects have a rapid outflow of players if the situation is set strictly for pumping money, but subject to a compromise on the principle - today you lose, but tomorrow you win - they are wildly popular, including due to excitement and risk.

Popular games with casino elements

 

• FIFA 23
• CS GO
• Dota 2

 

Thank you tomtoc for sending us two review samples!

I like to protect my gaming gear and I’ve been using tomtoc’s Urban Sling Bag despite it not being designed specifically for the Switch. Not only is the Urban Sling Bag spacious, it’s quite sturdy as well.

The tomtoc Slim Switch Carrying Case is indeed slim. If you’re hoping to have room for ear buds, USB cables and charger, you’ll want to look elsewhere. This case will only hold your original or OLED Switch and ten of your favorite game cartridges.

There are many color options available, including some neat gradient offerings. There are thirteen different options on the Amazon page, including solid colors and camouflage. I would think twice about bringing a camouflage carrying case on a hiking or camping trip! We were sent the Cherry Blossom and Sky Blue models to review. Both of these models have nice gradient color transitions.

tomtoc is known for their military-grade protection and these carrying cases live up to those standards with their water-repellent EVA hard material. Their store page states that Switches in these cases survived military-standard drop tests. I’ll take their word for it.

Not only does tomtoc offer a 12-month warranty, they also have a 30-day money back guarantee. They want you to be happy with your purchase and to take comfort in knowing that you have your product covered.

Along with a Switch case, I highly recommend applying a screen protector (sold separately). The $29.99 asking price is a bit steep compared to other cases available, but there’s a 10% off coupon available on Amazon at the time of this review.

(Amazon Affiliate Link)

League of Legends is an online game played by millions of players. This is a battle game that was inspired by Defense of the Ancients. Creators want to make a stand-alone game and did so in 2009. This game is a multi-player game that is also an action role-playing game.

            There are many websites that give you information about League of Legends. There are also websites that you can check your accounts worth to see how much you have in your game. You can do some research and find out all you need to know about League of Legends.

            This article will share some cool statistics about your League account. There may be some things that even you did not know about. Read on to get some interesting information about League of Legends.

Cool Stuff

Here’s our 2022 Christmas buying guide! Below are our favorite gadgets and family appropriate titles we have played throughout the year. More reviews can be found on ChristCenteredGamer.com! Each game is given a gameplay score for the overall gaming experience and a moral score for how suitable it is for younger gamers. The Amazon and Humble Store links will benefit Christ Centered Gamer by giving us a small % of the sale.

Platform	Title	Game Score	Moral Score	Buy it!
PC	Crossing Guard Joe	88%	98%	Steam
macOS, PS4, PS5, Switch, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S	Disney Dreamlight Valley	88%	86%	Humble Store
Atari VCS, Linux, macOS, PS4, PS5, Switch, Windows, Xbox One/Series	Gravitar: Recharged	86%	98%	Steam
Switch	Kirby and the Forgotten Land	88%	90%	Amazon
Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X	Paw Patrol: Grand Prix	86%	98%	Steam
Steam	Splatoon 3	92%	87%	Amazon
PC	Super Dungeon Maker	88%	96%	Steam
VR	Synth Riders Lindsey Stirling Music Pack	86%	100%	Steam
PC	The New Chronicles of Noah's Ark	86%	100%	Steam
Switch	Ultra Mega Xtra Party Challenge	86%	86%	Amazon
PS4, Stadia, Switch, Windows, Xbox One	Windjammers 2	88%	91%	Steam
Atari VCS, Linux, macOS, PlayStation 4/5, Switch, Windows, Xbox One/Series	Yars Recharged	88%	98%	Steam
Audio	Encuentro De Sangre – A Metal Tribute to Castlevania	N/A	N/A	Bandcamp
PC	FiFine K658 RGB USB Gaming Microphone	N/A	N/A	Amazon
Android	Gamevice Flex Mobile Gaming Controller	N/A	N/A	Amazon
PS4, PS5, PC, Switch	JBL Quantum 610 Wireless Gaming Headset	N/A	N/A	Amazon
PC	Maono AU-HD300T USB/XLR Microphone	N/A	N/A	Amazon
PC	Neat King Bee II Cardioid Solid State Condenser Microphone	N/A	N/A	Amazon
PC	ROCCAT Burst Pro Air Wireless Gaming Mouse	N/A	N/A	Amazon
PC	ROCCAT Kone XP Wired Gaming Mouse	N/A	N/A	Amazon
PC	ROCCAT Vulcan II Max Optical RGB Gaming Keyboard	N/A	N/A	Amazon
PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S	Turtle Beach React-R Controller	N/A	N/A	Amazon
PC, PS4,PS5,Switch, Xbox One/Series X|S	Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 MAX Wireless Gaming Headset	N/A	N/A	Amazon
PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S	Turtle Beach VelocityOne Flight Universal Control System	N/A	N/A	Amazon

 

Thank you Scarlet Moon for sending us a digital album to review!

The genre Metroidvania is combination of Metroid and Castlevania which revolutionized platformer games.  Growing up, I played more Castlevania games than Metroid and most of my time in the series was spent in Castlevania III.  Upon hearing about a metal tribute album featuring songs from the first three Catlevania games, my interest was piqued.  I was sold on checking out the album upon funding out that Ferdk was one of the performers.  I really enjoyed his rendition of NieR: Automata and Undertale songs.  

Along with Ferdk, other collaborators (that I now admire) include Pokérus Project. ThePlasmas, and Thennecan.  Each group/artist contributes three songs to this tribute album.  All of the songs are exceptionally done and there are no weak links here. Each game is equally represented with four songs apiece.

This product was sent to us through Amazon Vine and since our account was restricted from reviewing it on their platform, It’s now here for your reading pleasure!

In a household with multiple Steam Decks, I like to have mine stand out from the rest. Aside from a custom boot video, I thought a body and screen protector would be nice to have, especially with my cat who has been known to knock laptops off tables.

For less than $22 on Amazon, you can get the Narati Steam Deck Protection kit which includes:

1 Protective Case
1 Screen Protector
6 x Stickers
2 x Dust Filter Covers
4 x Dust Filter Plugs
4 x JoystickThumb Grips

Installation is pretty straightforward. You only get 1 screen protector, so make sure you have it perfectly aligned and not 1mm off like I did in my unboxing video! My second attempt was perfect. I highly recommend ordering a backup screen protector for this reason or for future cracks. The headphone jack and USB-C dust covers are a nice touch, but are easy to lose and some may deem them not worth the hassle.

The rear button stickers look and feel nice, however, I had to scrap the touchpad stickers as they did not properly detach from the adhesive paper. That’s my only complaint with this kit.

I like the bigger joystick grips though some may prefer Valve’s original configuration here. Since these will eventually wear out, the extra set will come in handy. I also installed the wire mesh filter covers around the air intakes to reduce crumbs or dust from getting into my Steam Deck.

The external grip is easy to install and very comfortable to use. I’m happy to report that my Steam Deck still fits in its original carrying case with the protective case on.

If you’re looking to protect your gaming investment at a low cost, this Narati Steam Deck Protection Kit is definitely worth checking out. I hope you have better luck with the sticker installation than I did.

The FIFA 23 Rulebreakers team 2 has been unveiled by EA Sports, and it includes a number of players currently active in the Premier League. This is the second part of a campaign that has already added a significant number of cards with prominent stats and abilities to the game. Even if Cristiano Ronaldo is not a part of this team, there is no question that some of the players will stoke the fires of excitement among the FIFA community. Have you made preparation by utilizing buymmog for that and obtained enough FUT 23 Coins? Keep reading down below to find out all clues.

Member Of The FIFA 23 Rulebreakers Team 2

The FIFA 23 Rule Breakers promotion offers special player products that provide the player a significant boost to one of their lower-rated statistics in exchange for a minor reduction in their most desirable statistic. The Rule Breaker's Team 1 team is the first promo team in FIFA 23 to have two teams, and it comprises a number of notable players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Wilfred Zaha, Kalvin Phillips, and others.

 

Overall, it is planned that more Rulebreakers player items will drop in Ultimate Team throughout the course of the next week as a result of completing team Building Challenges and Objectives. Rulebreakers Team 2 will be playable in FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) beginning on Friday, October 21, 2022, at 18:00 British Summer Time (BST) and continuing until Friday, October 28, 2022, at 17:59 BST.

This product was sent to us through Amazon Vine and since our account was restricted from reviewing it on their platform, it’s now here for your reading pleasure!  

Adults and children can benefit from protecting their Switch from drops, dings, and general wear and tear.  I was disappointed that this protective kit did not include a screen protector.  I would highly recommend purchasing a screen protector along with this case for all-around protection.

One of the biggest benefits of this protective case is how it makes holding the Switch much more comfortable with the bulkier controller grips.  Before I had this case, I was using third party controllers that have a similar shape and lack the drifting defect that plagues the Nintendo branded controllers.  Although it’s a tight fit, my Lizard Skinned controllers do fit in this case.  

This product was sent to us through Amazon Vine and since our account was restricted from reviewing it on their platform, it’s now here for your reading pleasure! 

I’ve had the pleasure of playing many Sonic games growing up and have shown them to my kids along with the movies. Unsurprisingly, they’re fans of the series. Sonic is a likeable character and my son does a pretty good voice impersonation of him. I ordered this light with him in mind.

This night light can be powered by 3 AA batteries or with the included micro USB cable. A 5V AC adapter is not included. What you will find is the base, 3 interchangeable 2D Sonic see-through poses, and a remote control to configure the base’s color scheme.

You can hard lock the color to various shades of red, green, blue, white, and mixtures in between. In total, there are sixteen color options. By default, the colors will rotate automatically. You can adjust the brightness and animation type to flash, strobe, fade, and smooth.

The three Sonic poses have him running, giving a thumbs up, or in a fighting stance wielding a sword. You’ll have to peel off a protective wrapper before inserting the pose of your choice into the base.

Overall, this is a nice looking light that works well on a computer desk. My teenage son is a bit old for a nightlight, but he does like using this as a decoration on his desk. The asking price of under $20 is reasonable. Any Sonic fans looking to spruce up their room or gaming environment should check this lamp out!

 

The best character of the Multiversus game – who is?

When you look at games it is difficult sometimes to understand clearly, what is the leading point. For example, what is the main storyline? Or who is the main character? With the Multiversus game, the situation is a little similar. Looking at all the variety of characters present in the game, it is pretty difficult to say which is the hardest, or the most interesting to play. Learn the Multiversus best character with Mobalytics and keep surprised!

Mobalytics

The source that provided the tier list to discuss in this article is called Mobalytics. As the name suggests, they are occupied with making analytical content concerning games and other similar pieces. To be more specific, the Mobalytics team provides:

• the website with a clear description of the analytics they post;
• the explanation about how their tools for tracking the gameplay activities work;
• helpful blog articles with various data to help you keep in the stream.

This blog is a place, where the team publishes information on less popular or new games. Multiversus is one of them.

Him? Really? 

According to the tier list that Mobalytics has made, the best character of Multiversus patch 1.01 is Bugs Bunny. This carrot liker has magnificent abilities and almost invisible disadvantages to notice. Moreover, he is not so difficult to handle, which makes him even better than the other characters with similar features. However, it would be a mistake to consider the heroes of lower tiers much worse than him – and it gives an idea of quite a curious power balance to experience!

Christians, the first things that come to our minds are people devoted to and believers of God.

On the other hand, a gamer is someone who spends a significant amount of time playing video games. If someone is a Christian gamer, it must mean that they are believers while playing games from time to time.

Now, depending on one's devotedness to the Lord, people often view Christian gamers as hypocrites. Video games have some content that is not really in line with the Christian belief, bluntly, evil, such as profanity, extreme violence, etc., which pulls them farther away from God. 

This is true, but not 100% true. After all, God did not say not to play games. Howbeit, there are countless principles and words of wisdom that God imparted to us humans to guide us to the right paths — including distancing ourselves from evil games.

So, what does it exactly mean to be a Christian gamer? 

There are multiple benefits of outsourcing mobile game art. Outsourcing is especially handy if you need a lot of artwork. In this article, we will share easy steps you can follow and share some tips to help you make the most out of your first mobile game art outsourcing experience. We will also cover the top myths and common mistakes people make when outsourcing mobile game art.

The Cost of Outsourcing Mobile Game Art

When you are making a game, the creation of the art can be stressful and demanding. Not only are you required to meet tight deadlines and work with highly demanding stakeholders, but you also have to deliver quality content while balancing your in-house specialists and changing requirements. In this article, we will break down some of the common myths about outsourcing mobile game art.

The cost is one of the major influences you need to consider when choosing an outsourcing service. The cost of game art outsourcing depends on the complexity and scale of the project. Game art outsourcing with https://retrostylegames.com/ is often more affordable than hiring a team of artists for in-house production. However, costs may vary depending on the region: an hourly rate in the US is generally significantly higher than it is in Eastern Europe, for example. If you work on your project in an expensive area, hiring an external game art production studio is recommended. The rate you pay should reflect the quality of the work you receive.

Benefits of Mobile Game Art Outsourcing

Outsourcing game art tasks to external vendors can save a large portion of the budget. Instead of hiring and training 10-15 specialists in-house, you can outsource the task to experienced professionals. Outsourcing can help you get better quality and faster time to market. Here are some benefits of mobile game art outsourcing to consider:

Have you ever tried gaming on your phone, then suddenly, your game starts lagging? This can be because your phone is not powerful enough to handle those demanding games. Moreover, games these days are heavy, and requiring more than a regular phone's specs to run smoothly.

But do not worry; you can have a seamless gaming experience in addition to the basic features from an excellent gaming phone. In addition, a good gaming phone will allow you to play demanding games such as RPG or sandbox games among others.

However, it's crucial to know what you might need for your preferred game to function properly before deciding which phone to get. It is also important to note which smartphone, such as Apple iPhones or Android phones, you feel most comfortable using. Now, let’s discuss which smartphones recommendations may suit you.

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max

Apple’s iPhones are very famous, and that's for good reasons. They have great specs, are durable, and dependable. This latest Apple iPhone is one of the best gaming devices on the market launched in 2021, the iPhone 13 Pro Max. It has a powerful A15 Bionic Chip with a 120Hz display, and long battery life.

 

Cribbage is a fun game you can play with friends or online. You can even compete in online Cribbage tournaments. As it is so popular, numerous Cribbage apps help players score in personal games, score tricky hands, or use your gaining strategy. 

 

If you are wondering where can I play online Cribbage with a friend, we have got your back. We have tested many different websites and listed the best ones in this post.