Showing posts with label Thoughts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thoughts. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

HORI Nintendo Switch Split Pad Compact Review

April 18, 2023 0 Comments

There are countless of options for joycons for the Nintendo Switch, and besides 3rd party (non-Nintendo licensed) options, the HORI stood out to me especially when the HORI Nintendo Switch Split Pad Compact came out. 

I was mesmerized by it's sleek look and the color options. So it was without hesitation that I got it when it was on sale (it's always better to get it on sale then paying for full price).


Out of the many options that they had, the color option I got was the Mint Green x White version.


Hori’s new Split Pad Compact controllers are apparently the improved version of the Hori Split Pad Pro with a more colorful design and reduced size. They come in a range of colors such as Apricot Red, Yellow, and Mint. They also have Pokemon designs, which are pretty cool. 


In essence, the Hori Split Pad Compact acts just like the Nintendo joycons - they slot right into the sides of a Nintendo Switch where the joycons would usually do. But unlike their Nintendo counterpart, the Hori series of controllers do not have an internal battery and cannot be used wirelessly. In addition to that, they also do not have Motion Controls, HD Rumble, NFC, or IR camera, and they can only be played in handheld mode.


These controllers offer substantially more room for bigger hands than the actual joycons, and they are ergonomically comfortable to use as well. So if you are mostly playing in handheld mode over docked, this might be your jam.


As the name suggests, compact means it fits nicely into the hands and is really comfortable to hold and use as well:  the shoulder buttons and triggers are larger, and the joysticks are taller, bigger around, and textured, making  the buttons are tactile and the joystick experience seamless to execute precise movements far. Additionally, there is Turbo button on each grip that can automatically, rapidly repeat an input while a button is held down. 


At the back of each grip, there are two buttons which can be mapped to any of the face buttons on the corresponding grip. It can be useful but unfortunately it means that you cannot map any of the ABXY buttons onto the left grip’s back button, or D-pad buttons onto the right grip’s.


Overall, the Hori Split Pad Compact has a competent set of controls which offers a performance upgrade over the standard Nintendo joycons. But I was underwhelmed even though it was cheaper than the standard Nintendo joycons and slightly more ergonomic and comfortable to use. 


It was not the lack of Motion Controls, HD Rumble, NFC, IR camera, or the fact that is can only be played in handheld mode and does not have it's own battery, but the odd design if including a small piece of plastic that extends to overlap with the back of the Switch itself and bumps out from the back. It's probably there to reduce the likelihood of damaging the Switch’s controller rails with the extra leverage the larger controllers provide, but it does not factor for those who are using a Switch case. 


It's so troublesome to remove the case each time to attach the Hori Split Pad Compact, that I've just left it. Not to mention which them attached to your Switch, it cannot even fits the standard carry case (you'd have to spend more money to get a bigger carry case).


Have you gotten the Hori Split Pad Compact? If yes what are your thoughts about it? Let us know in the comments below!


For around the same price I would recommended getting an OEM (non-Nintendo) joypad or joycon instead. I saw this from IINE and could not pass it up as it was a Splatoon Design. It's now been checked out and making it's way to me. Stay tuned for the review!

Monday, April 11, 2022

Episode 1: Getting Started Townleaf Town

April 11, 2022 0 Comments

Getting started on my Pokemon Shining Pearl! Join me as I bring you along my adventure and maybe get you to start playing as well. 


In Episode 1, we get to meet the characters and start the adventure from Townleaf Town...


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Monday, March 21, 2022

Pokemon for a Newbie

March 21, 2022 0 Comments

If you like to collect cute little critters, fight them occasionally to level them up and evolve them with a simple storyline like with no major plot twists like your daily soap drama, welcome to the world of Pokemon!

There are plenty of versions from Pokemon Go and Pokemon Unite on your mobile phone, to the Let’s Go (Eevee / Pickachu), Sword / Shield, Brilliant Diamond / Shining Pearl and the latest Legends of Arceus.


If you want to follow all the different regions and history, that’s cool but if you’re like me who knew nothing about Pokemon except Pickchu then all that matters when playing is having fun.

 There are 18 different types of Pokemon and each of them has its own individual strengths and weakness. And let’s not even go with the dual typing of Pokemon, and the hundreds of different variations there are. There are cute looking Pokemon and the not so cute looking ones. 

Check out this table below for the various types, along with their strengths and weaknesses.

If you are just starting out and not competitive or anything, there’s no real need to memorize or study the different types that or their strengths and weaknesses. You can learn along the way at your own pace. 

It’s a game targeted at kids primarily so it’s not that hard. Some of it can be common sense. For example, a Water Type Pokemon would have an advantage over Ground, Rock and Fire Types, and a Fire Type is strong against Bug, Grass, Ice  and Steel Types.

 

Objective

The main objective for Pokemon has always been to catch them all and completing the Pokedex, which is similar to an Encyclopedia or sorts, where some professor will be research for the betterment of the Pokemon World

Catching and fighting Pokemon helps to level up the Pokemon on your team (those which you catch use in the game). There are also boxes where you can keep your forgotten other Pokemon, which can be used for trades or alternated with your team throughout the game. There’s berry picking and cooking for your Pokemon too.

Once you are all done with catching Pokemon for your Pokedex, or even while you are taking a break from catching and training your team, you fight in game trainers to get badges and money to allow you to handle higher level Pokemon. 

You can also breed them to create your own nursery or be competitive and try to win every online battle with trainers around the world. You might even be lucky enough to find Shiny Pokemon (just a rare and different colored Pokemon). There’s a little piece of something for everyone so you won’t get bored playing.

Playing a Pokemon game on Nintendo Switch is non-stressing too, fights are turn-based so controls are simple (no continuously pressing multiple different buttons to get a particular move). Navigation is also was and you can always revisit an area to see if you’ve missed anything or discover some potions and moves lying around on the ground. Who doesn’t love freebies?

Speaking of freebies, in games like Sword / Shield and Brilliant Diamond / Shining Pearl, there is an Online Mystery Gift option where there will be occasional freebies like status, clothes or Pokemon. If you are thinking if you should try playing, I would say go for it and enjoy the ride. 

If you are afraid you might not like it, there is always the option of getting it physically second hand or selling the physical game cartridge away when you are done with it and no longer want to play.

Have you played a Pokemon game? 
If no, would you want to pick it up? 
If yes, which is your favorite Pokemon game? 
Let me know in the comments below!

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Tuesday, March 15, 2022

Starting the Gaming Journey with Nintendo Switch

March 15, 2022 0 Comments

The journey began with Animal Crossing New Horizons and the Nintendo Switch Lite. It expanded from just 3 games to 29 games in one year: Fitness Boxing 2, Pokemon Snap, Pokemon Shield, Pokemon Unite, Mario Odessey, Mario Origami King, Mario Rabbids, Just Dance 2021, Overcooked 2, Toki Tori etc….

If you haven’t guessed it by now, I enjoy games that are “friendly”, and easy to play and follow through. Easy in the sense that the mechanics and gameplay are easy to follow through: the animals, I mean Pokemon just faint and not die when you beat them and you take turns to fight, my Animal Crossing neighbors do not die of starvation if I haven’t visited them in a long while, and you don’t have to stress much about reaching a game objective. After all one plays to enjoy the process and relax, not get stressed out playing (some games do that to you)… or maybe that’s just me.

So what is the Nintendo Switch? It is a hybrid video game console, consisting of a console unit, a dock, and two Joy-Con controllers. Although it is a hybrid console, Nintendo classifies it as "a home console that you can take with you on the go".



You get the best of both worlds – when you want to play on a big screen or when you just want to laze in bed or play when you are out.

When playing on the big screen, you can invite friends over or have a family game night where everyone focuses on the same screen and plays together. Many multiplayer Switch games, such as Just Dance, support up to four players, while others like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate even support up to eight players.

For the portability part of it, the Switch has two removable oy-Cons, which, when turned sideways, become their own controllers. How neat is that! This makes it easy to hand over one of the Joy-Cons a friend when you are out on-the-go or at-home for some multiplayer fun (think Mario Kart 8).

The detachable Joy-Cons

Besides portability, the price is more friendly on the wallet than the Xbox or Playstation, and the Nintendo exclusives such as Pokemon and the Mario games (just to name a few) are fun to play (in a non-bloody kinda way). 

Of course if you want an even more budget friendly option and you don’t fancy playing on a big screen (at times), then the Nintendo Switch Lite might be the one for you. Or if you want better graphics while playing on the go, then the Nintendo OLED might be something which would interest you instead. It doesn’t make much difference when you are playing it docked to the TV, but apparently the graphics with that OLED screen are amazing when you are playing on the go.

Tip: If you want to get a Nintendo Switch / Lite / OLED cheaper do check out the double date sales or any sales for that matter. Shopee and Lazada are 2 good places to look at, where you can stack vouchers with bank card promotions and/or Shop vouchers. I managed to get my Nintendo Switch for less than S$350.



Which is your favorite gaming device? 


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Thursday, March 10, 2022

Has Pokemon really lost its way, or it’s time to grow up and move on?

March 10, 2022 0 Comments

After receiving my very own copy of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, I was super excited and happy as well. For someone new to the Pokemon world and experience, the chibi characters add a cute little touch to it and gameplay is fuss free and straight forward enough.

I think it’s a pretty solid game for players new to the Pokemon-verse and want to try their hands at something which has been refreshed. Or those who simply want to go down nostalgia lane. For the those who have played it before and are complaining that it is lackluster, which as this review puts it – they are safe remakes (meaning nothing new or that exciting to appeal to those gamers looking for a totally new game).

But it seems that people will never be happy with what they have and are always comparing (and complaining) it with the older / earlier versions which were not made for the Nintendo Switch.

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are remakes of the Pokemon series’ fourth generation games and the first mainline games in the franchise since 2018. Some reviewers say that the design and gameplay is underwhelming, but they have been players of the original makes since the beginning. So maybe these games are not meant for them?

Besides the current “older” experienced players who have been exposed to the games since they were kids, there is a vast number of players who have not yet encountered the Pokemon-verse or totally new to it and interested to play. That’s what being and staying relevant means, re-inventing the games on other platforms such as mobile (e.g. Pokemon Go), including micro-transactions for those who want to upgrade, can afford it and want it to reach more people and “stay alive”.

There are some good games which so-called “experienced” fans seem to love to hate or hate to love such as Pokemon Snap, but for the rest who are complaining about something not being worth their time… maybe it’s not meant for them who have already experienced it all? They should just spend their money elsewhere... just saying. 

With the expansion to so many platforms and the new games for Pokemon on the Nintendo Switch, such Legends: Arceus, there’s a game for everyone. The demographics are expanding, to a wider audience (non-pokemon players, kids, parents who played and want their kids to experience the fun, old and young alike etc,,,) who want to get into the Pokemon-verse and start the first adventure.

What’s wrong with your grandpa and random neighbors talking and playing Pokemon Go? It just means that it’s a success to get old people to play, and an accomplishment at that given how many of them are not tech-savvy and prefer non-techy hobbies. Shouldn’t it be an accomplishment to reach across all age groups and divides to unite (both young and old) people playing a common game such as Pokemon Go

If you think it’s too passe and downhill for Pokemon that it might lead to its demise, the fact that it can reach a vast demographic and be relevant to a large audience while generating income, then that's called evolving and trying to keep up with the times.