[Game Review] Minit

Kris P. Game Reviews, Home, Kris & Rachel, PC Games , , , , , , ,

Game Review: Minit | PC Games | Video Games | Gaming | DoublexJump.com

Title: Minit
Developer: Vlambeer
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Platform: Steam, Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, Xbox One
Category: Single player adventure, puzzle, arcade
Release Date: April 3, 2018 (Steam, Playstation 4, Xbox One); August 9, 2018 (Nintendo Switch)
How we got the game: Bought it on Steam

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Minit is quirky little game where you play it in intervals of sixty seconds, or a minute. The idea seemed intriguing, prompting us to download it for steam, then lo and behold, it was announced as being released for the Nintendo Switch.

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Even though we got it a little while ago, we finally got the chance to try it out. We weren’t disappointed.

gameplay

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Minit is simple in gameplay and concept, but challenging to pull off. You move around as a little character that we had dubbed Bill due to Rachel believing he looked like he had a duck bill. You have a key to use whatever item you’re holding, which is usually a sword, and you navigate through the world and trying to progress while only living for sixty seconds.

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The sword is used to hit enemies, trees, and bushes around you in order to progress. You can eventually throw your sword like a boomerang once you get a certain item. There are a few items throughout the world you can collect, though we didn’t get to them all.

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The gameplay is fairly open-ended like that. While there are certain items — such as coffee to give you a little strength boost and flippers to allow you to swim — that we felt were needed to progress, other items were more optional. It truly gives you different ways to explore and challenge yourself to solve the game’s plot.

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Right. There are faster shoes you can buy if you can find seven coins. We couldn’t find the coins so we never got the shoes. Sure, we could have gotten more done in our minute, but we still beat the game anyway. There are many different areas you can explore and you can add a couple of “houses” to you home. So, when you die, you’ll start at the home again which is handy to have so you don’t have to backtrack again.

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With the fact that you only have a minute to progress, the different houses as your save points certainly come in handy. Along with that, elements of the gameplay stay put as well from minute to minute, so you don’t have to rush through too many puzzles during each life.

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While the gameplay is repetitive, the developers did a great job making it so it’s not too frustrating.

graphics-music

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Minit is adorned in black and white, simple graphics with more sound effects rather than music. It worked with the arcade style of the game, and we were definitely move focused on doing as much as we could in sixty seconds rather than admiring the graphics and music.

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The graphics definitely worked well for the game though. They were simple and I feel like the black and white helped our focus. Since the time is so limited you don’t really want to spend a lot of time exploring and staring at the colorful backgrounds in awe. So it worked.

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One of the best parts about the graphics and sound effects, in my opinion, were the slight differences when the life clock was ticking down to zero. As the clock started from ten seconds, little sweat drops jumped off of Bill and the sound of a pounding heart was a subtle sound effect, ramping up the tension for the last few seconds of Bill’s current run.

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I agree with that. It really added some tension to it even though you know you’re going to come right back. I did enjoy the sound effects of the sword when you hit things. I don’t know why, but that was satisfying for me.
story

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Minit is about an unfortunate soul who picked up a cursed sword. With this cursed sword, he is doomed to live only a minute at a time. He must progress as far as he can with every minute to reach the sword factory and lift the curse from the sword.

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It’s up to your protagonist to push past the constant death screen and continue his quest from his home, finding shortcuts, items, and solving simple puzzles.

replay-value

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Minit is a fun little game that is easy to pick up and keeps you going with testing you on how far you can get with each minute. Aside from multiple items to find throughout the runs, there is also a harder mode after you beat it the first time, cutting your time from sixty seconds to forty seconds.

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We missed a lot of the items our first time around. I wouldn’t mind going back to try to get them just to see how “easier” the game would be. I also wouldn’t mind trying it on hard mode, especially now we know what to do.

Minit gets…
4 out of 5 lives.

Have you played this game? What did you think? Let us know in the comments! 

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Undertale Is Available For Preorder

Rachel Gaming News, Home, Nintendo, Nintendo Switch, Rachel , , , , , ,

Rachel Mii | DoubleJump.comHappy Tuesday!

I had forgotten that Undertale was coming to some consoles, the Nintendo Switch included, and apparently, its release is right around the corner.

Undertale Preorder | Nintendo Switch | Video Games | Gaming | DoublexJump.com

Kris had played Undertale fairly recently for the PC and now it’s going to be available for the Nintendo Switch. I have never played the game, but I’ve seen Kris play a little and I’ve also watched a couple Let’s Plays on YouTube about it.

It’s definitely a good game and one I want to try myself. Since we have it for the PC, I’m not sure if I’ll get it for the Switch though it does look like it’d be a great game on the big screen.

There’s a collector’s edition coming out for the game as well. You get a physical copy of it as well as a heart-shaped musical locket and a music sheet booklet.

I’m not a hard-core Undertale fan, but I would love to have that. I love collecting things and it looks so pretty.

Of course, it’s expensive. Plus, even if I do get it for the Switch, I’d probably get it digitally anyway. Still, I think it’s pretty cool.

Will you be getting a physical copy of Undertale? Have you played the game before? Let me know in the comments below!

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Gris and Gameplay Style

Kris P. Gaming News, Home, indie games, Kristen, Nintendo, PC Games , , , , , , ,

Double Jump Kris MiiHappy Monday, everyone!

Lately, I’ve been finding myself more and more drawn to games that have unique art styles, something that is different from the norm. The graphics of Cuphead were what drew me to that game, the imagery of Octopath Traveler was what piqued my interest, and there’s another game that I just found out about that looks amazing…

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‘Gris’

So, there’s this game that I recently heard about — from the article linked in the caption of that beautiful game image above — and that I’m gearing up for come December, presuming Smash Bros. Ultimate doesn’t take over my life.

The game is called Gris. It’s a 2D platformer with one of the most gorgeous and unique art styles I’ve seen in a long time. Catalan artist Conrad Roset, a freelancer whose clients include Disney, is credited with the game’s watercolor and Indian ink style, and the screenshots I’ve seen just look so damn pretty.

Aside from the art of the game, the other aspect that intrigued me was the article detailing how the game was supposed to be a smooth experience. Someone looking for a challenging platform may not find Gris to be their type of game. Instead, Gris has light puzzles and emphasizes the art and wordless story of loss and grief more than fancy jump combos.

It just got me thinking about the different types of video games out there. Certainly, a majority of gamers enjoy the challenges, saving the world, testing their skills and knowledge. On the other hand, there are more casual games, games that tend to make one think or just relax, and with these games comes the stigma of the players not being “true gamers.”

I personally believe that gamers are gamers — it doesn’t matter what kind of games you enjoy, be they hardcore or casual or somewhere in between. We all have our different reasons for wanting to play games and we all like what we like.

What do you think of the initial information on Gris? What kind of games do you prefer — challenging, casual, or somewhere in between?

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Sonic Mania Shorts [Review]

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Sonic Mania, if you haven’t heard, is the hit Sonic the Hedgehog game that checks off all the right boxes for old-school Sonic fans. It’s nostalgic-inducing fast-paced side scrolling levels are exactly the kind of game that the fans, new and old alike, have wanted for Sonic for years. With the Sonic Mania Plus DLC, introducing fan favorite characters Mighty and Ray, the game has continued to deliver. Along with the game, a few short animation videos were created to help promote the game, and we finally sat down to watch them.

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The shorts are… well, short. And pretty sweet. We found a video that showed all the episodes in one and it was a little over 11 minutes long. So we, of course, watched it all in one sitting.

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Back when I was a kid, I used to have a VHS — remember those? — of a few episodes of The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, so seeing that there was a little cartoon to go along with Sonic Mania was a treat. We found ourselves laughing out loud at parts of the animation. There was no voice acting. Rather, the animations were perfectly timed with music and sound effects.

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I’ll admit, I missed hearing their voices a little bit but it was so well done that I don’t mind. The facial expressions through the characters along with the sound effects were spot on. It wasn’t something I was expecting, so it was a pleasant surprise because, yeah, we got some good laughs out of it.

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The animation was smooth and clean, with lots of throw backs to elements of the earlier Sonic games and cartoons. It made me miss the times when I would wake up early Saturday morning for my favorite cartoons. I wouldn’t mind a show starring this version of Sonic and friends, especially Knuckles and his protective nature over the Master Emerald!

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Exactly! I miss watching the old school cartoons and it was great to revisit this case of characters without having them be changed or butchered in any way. The whole animation was light-hearted and funny and I feel as though they captured the classic characters perfectly.

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Considering there is a Sonic the Hedgehog live-action hybrid movie in the works, and I really don’t know how to feel about that just yet, seeing these animations was just refreshing. The animations did their job wonderfully, bringing both excitement and feel-good nostalgia with them to help the hype of Sonic Mania.

Did you watch these shorts? Let us know in the comments below!

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Friday Favorites: Smash Direct

Kris P. Friday Favorites, Home, Kristen, Nintendo, nintendo direct , , , , , ,

Double Jump Kris MiiHappy Friday everyone!

The Super Smash Bros Direct this past Wednesday was filled to the brim with exciting information on the development of Smash Bros. Ultimate. While my greatest wish for the game hasn’t been granted yet, I’m still pretty damn pleased with what we have seen!

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Chrom

He’s finally in the lineup! Sure, he’s an echo character, but he still finally made it in the lineup! Awakening is one of my favorite Fire Emblem titles so, while I don’t believe we need another swordsman or Fire Emblem lord, it is a nice treat to see Chrom make an appearance other than be in Robin’s Final Smash (which actually begs the question… will Chrom still be part of Robin’s Final Smash? Or will Robin appear as Grima?).

Stages

The stage mechanics seemed to have gotten a nice overhaul, and all the effort looks as if it’ll pay off. All the stages having omega forms? Throwback stages to the original N64 installment? Stages morphing into others? Having the option to turn the hazards on and off? Yes, please!

Music

I don’t listen to the radio much these days. My coworkers and cousins talk about concerts and random country singers and I have no idea what they’re saying other than a vague recollection of, “Yes, I think I’ve heard of that guy before.” My Spotify playlists are made up of video game soundtracks and covers, so when I saw the music collection that is going to be in Smash Ultimate, I loved it! Not sure if I’ll ever have the courage to take the Switch with me for a portable player, but being able to have my own playlist filled with Nintendo tunes on in the background while I’m working will be great.

New Assists and Pokemon

It’s great to see Knuckles and Krystal there for assist trophy cameos! I would have loved to see them as echo characters, if not fighters in their own right, but I’ll take them as assist trophies. Abra looks like a deliciously fun Pokemon to unleash on the stage, and it wasn’t a surprise to see the Alolan legendaries. Seeing Mimikyu made us go, “Awww!” to “OH GOD!” very quickly, haha!

What were your favorite parts of the Smash direct? Anything you were hoping to see?

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What I’m Looking Forward To The Most In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

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Rachel Mii | DoubleJump.comHappy Thursday!

There was a lot of hype yesterday over the latest Nintendo Direct. I don’t know about you, but my heart was racing for a good chunk of the afternoon. Ultimate is going to be a great game.

There’s a lot of great things coming to the game, but here’s what I’m looking forward to the most.

Smashdown Mode & Tournament Mode

I was always a huge fan of the competition-like styles of gameplay. I remember putting Melee on in the background while I worked, the tournament mode with all computer characters and just watched them all duke it out.

In fact, I still do that now with the Wii U version of the game, but I create my own tournaments and just remember which characters I already used and such.

Having the tournament mode back made me so happy. I can’t wait to watch the computer players as I work or play with my friends and cousins and beat each other up.

I’m also excited for Smashdown Mode. I have just a handful of characters I use all the time. I always say I’ll try someone else and then never do. Also, my cousin uses the same character as me so when we play it’s usually just two clones fighting.

I’m looking forward to trying Smashdown Mode so we can fight over who gets to grab Zelda first and then it forces us to try out new characters.

Overall, I’m super excited for the game and I can’t wait to give it a try. There’s 3 months left and I feel like it’ll take forever to get here… then again, it’ll be here before we know it.

At least we have Super Mario Party and Pokemon to tie us over until then.

What are you looking forward to the most in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate? Let me know in the comments below!

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Our Thoughts During The Super Smash Bros Ultimate Nintendo Direct

Rachel Gaming News, Home, Kris & Rachel, Nintendo, nintendo direct , , , , ,

For once, we were able to watch a Nintendo Direct live! We’ve been looking forward to know more about Super Smash Brothers Ultimate since it was first announced.

This is just a bulleted list of what our thoughts were as we were watching the Nintendo Direct. Keep in mind, this obviously contains spoilers. So, if you didn’t watch the Direct, do not read on.

Introduction

First, that intro was dope. They definitely couldn’t have done that better if they tried. Throwing Luigi into the new Dracula’s Castle stage was perfect. The introduction of Simon and his echo character, Richter, from Castlevania was well done.

We’ve never played Castlevania before, but do have a few games with the Nintendo NES and SNES mini, so we’ll have to try those games out soon.

New Characters

Simon and Ritcher look like amazing characters. Both seem so smooth and powerful and we’re eager to give them a try.

Chrom from Fire Emblem and Dark Samus were also announced as echo characters. We’re excited for Chrom and having another Samus thrown into the mix is great as well.

Lastly, they announced King K. Rool at the very end of the direct. This is a character we’ve hoped for – or at least thought would be cool to have – so we’re surprised he’s actually part of the roster now. We’re excited!

Stages

We have a feeling this game is going to take up a lot of space on the Switch, but that’s fine. We’re going to be able to revisit old stages from as far back as the original Super Smash Bros. game for the Nintendo 64. Not to mention brand new stages such as Dracula’s Castle announced in the beginning of the direct, which looks like an amazing stage.

Stage Perks

All the stages are available from the very beginning of the game and they’re all available for 8-player matches, which is amazing. We no longer have to limit ourselves to certain stages if we have more than 3 friends (rare, but it does happen).

The stages can also morph, which means you can play on two stages at once. You can pick which two stages you want and throughout the match, the stages with morph from one to the next adding a little more variety and challenge to the match.

Music

We’ve always wanted to have soundtracks to every video game we play. Though when games have the tracks listed in the settings that we can listen to, we never do. We can’t bring it with us. Well, now we can. We can bring over 800 gaming tracks with us as long as we have our Switch with us. And we’re excited about that.

Items & Assist Trophies

They’ve added quite a few new things in this department. They’ve added new Pokemon for the Pokeball item, two new swords, a bomb, and Rachel’s personally favorite – a banana. Why that hasn’t been a thing before, who knows?

The assist trophies all look great as well. Though, we’ll admit, we would have loved to have Knuckles as an echo character to Sonic, if not his own character. The moon from Majora’s Mask though is so clever and definitely should have been added long ago.

Modes & Such

They talked about the Classic mode as well as the Tournament mode. They’ve added a new Smashdown mode which eliminates characters after you’ve played as them. This allows you to try out different characters and, if you’re playing with others, allows you to rush over to certain characters before your friend does.

Overall

We were pleased with the direct overall. We’re looking forward to Super Smash Brothers Ultimate to come out now more than ever. We’re eager to test out the new characters, check out the awesome new modes, and play on the various stages.

What did you think of the latest Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Nintendo Direct? Let us know in the comments below!

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