PURCHASES

1. Fire Emblem Fates DLC: Ghostly Gold (3DS): $2.49

YTD Total: $436.47

PLAYTIME

1. Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright: 16hr 30m
2. Zelda: Twilight Princess: 1h 22m
3. The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes: 60m
4. The Order: 1886: 42m
5. Super Mario World: 31m

THOUGHTS

This week, I was totally absorbed by Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright (3DS). I love the cadence of the battles. I love the unexpected ways that characters bounce off of one another – you’ll be trying to get two characters to fall for in love, but sometimes, their affections go in a different direction. And once characters are married, and have kids, they become indispensable. I have officially gotten to a point where I restart more matches than I finish. I’m fine with that. No character with a family is allowed to die in my game. Simple as that. Incrementally, my strategy gets tuned by restarting. If a match is too tough to do without large losses, I grind, come back, and then feel great when I can get through it without losing any of my core team. But since the gameplay is so fun, tense, and strategic, it never feels like I am just grinding.

I unlocked Marth with the Amiibo. I love that you don’t just get him. You must defeat him in battle to get him to join your team, something I still have not been able to swing. But man, it’ll feel good to have him in the group. It will happen this week – it must.

I did buy the “Ghostly Gold” DLC. I just love their pricing structure for this stuff. They tell you it’s $2.49, and don’t force hard currency on you to get it. So easy, intuitive, and easy to track.

I played a bit more Zelda: Twilight Princess HD (WiiU), and have continued to enjoy it. It’s been a very busy week, and I haven’t been home much, so any game that requires me to be home has gotten little attention for the past seven days. Not much more to say than I did last week – the fetch quests continue to annoy, and the dungeons continue to impress. I’m about to head to the Gorgon mountain, which I’ve been looking forward to.

I got some great Daddy/Daughter time playing Zelda: Tri-Force Heroes (3DS). I love the art style, and it’s a really great multiplayer experience, but I wish it did not require three players. I understand that there’s no real way around that, given that all of the puzzles, enemies and traps are built around the idea of a trio of heroes. But it’s so hit and miss bringing a stranger into the game. I wish my son was old enough to play with us… maybe in two years. If you have been playing this game, please let me know, I’d be happy to set up an online match.

The Order: 1886 (PS4) continued to get some love. Man, lots of cut scenes in that game, but I really am liking the characters more and more, and so that doesn’t bother me. The visuals continue to blow me away. It’s not a game I’d necessarily prioritizing playing, but if you’re looking for something to fill the time between now and Uncharted 4, this would be a good one to consider, especially if you can still get it for only ten bucks.

On the retro front, Super Mario World (SNES) got about a half hour of my time. I’d have played more, but the lure of Fire Emblem tends to be too strong. I just beat Morton Koopa Jr. I’m not looking to get all of the Yoshi coins (not even sure what happens if you do) – I’m just aiming to do a straight play through.