The Joys of New Hardware

For most of my time as a gamer, any PC gaming I did was either on the family computer as a child or old business-class computers that I modded as a young adult (see my zombie rig for example). However, back in 2015, I built my first ever dedicated gaming PC (specs) and it quickly became my go-to device for home gaming. While this was a budget build, it smoothly ran pretty much anything I threw at it on moderate settings until recently. Unfortunately, as 2018 was coming to a close, some of the discount parts I had put into this PC were starting to struggle with current releases, particularly the graphics card.

Thanks to Black Friday sales, I was able to make the sizable but still affordable upgrade from my original starter GPU, a Sapphire AMD Radeon R9 270x (1 GHz, 2GB VRAM), up to the superior Sapphire AMD Radeon RX 580 ( 1.4 GHz, 8 GB VRAM). This new card was massive and cramming it into my case was a challenge. Here you can see the card unboxed and then as-installed:

Radeon RX 580 kind of looks like a VHS tape

New GPU as-installed. Even though I have a large boxy case, it proved to be a fairly tight fit.

A second image to show off the LED "Sapphire" logo changes colors. I find it far more entertaining than I should watching it cycle through the whole color spectrum.

Model numbers and specs aside, what this upgrade really amounted to was that on newer releases I could jump straight from the Low settings, that I was previously stuck with, to the High or Ultra settings. As far as PC gamers go, I'm not much of a resolution or frame rate snob, but I was still stunned by the profound difference this upgrade made. So far that games I've tried out with the new graphics card are Hitman 2, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and Just Cause 4. See below for some screenshots:

Hitman 2

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

Just Cause 4

Just Cause 4

For a more objective comparison of the performance I ran the Final Fantasy 15 benchmark with my old GPU and my current one, here are the results:
Before Upgrade

After Upgrade

I'm pretty happy to have doubled the results! With my newly upgraded rig, I'm pretty excited about getting into a new year of PC gaming! 

Note: While I was at it, I also upgraded to 16 GB of RAM to the computer to help with streaming

Horipad Review

Even though it’s less than a year old, the Switch already has a great selection of local multiplayer games. The problem this presents is that Switch controllers are expensive. Since I already have a Pro Controller and a pair of Joy-con, I decided to look at low-cost options for the seldom used 4^th player’s controller. While I considered the 8bitdo controller I mentioned in my previous accessory post, I wanted to see if I could go even cheaper. That’s when I found Hori’s Switch controller, the Horipad, on sale for $20 (marked down from $30). Since I’ve had good experiences with Hori products in the past, I decided to jump on the opportunity to get a spare controller for almost a quarter the price of the official models.

Right off the bat, I should mention that this controller is cheap for a reason; it’s a wired controller and it excludes most of the special features of the Joy-con and Pro-con. The Horipad has no amiibo scanner, no motion sensors, and no rumble motor. Thus, what you end up with is a very old-school basic controller hooked up to your futuristic hybrid console. The Horipad has a similar size and button layout to the Pro Controller but feels much lighter. The buttons have a nice springy response and the distinct shapes of the plus/minus buttons compared to the home and screenshot buttons make them easier to tell apart by feel when compared to the Pro-con. The analog sticks are taller than those of the Pro Controller and have a little less resistance. For the D-pad, Hori made a strange compromise between the Joy-con and Pro-con design: the traditional-looking D-pad can be popped off of the controller to reveal four individual directional buttons underneath.

To test out the Horipad, I ran it through a gauntlet of games of different genres. Here’s how it fared in each:

• Fast RMX (racing) – The Horipad was more than up to the task with this lightning-fast racer. My future space car driving was about the same as it was with the Pro-con.
• Kamiko (hack-n-slash) – While the buttons felt good, I could tell the D-pad was a little off. When using Kamiko’s dash, it was easy to veer slightly diagonally when trying to go straight. Detaching the D-pad to use the underlying buttons wasn’t particularly comfortable. I probably could have gotten used to the more sensitive diagonal inputs, but I would probably just play with the analog sticks instead.
• Mario Odyssey (3D platformer) – Much to my surprise, the Horipad worked quite well for this game. I ran through a few of the post-game platforming challenges with little issue. The lack of motion sensors and amiibo scanner are definitely felt the most in this game though.
• Zelda: Breath of the Wild (action/adventure) - Exploring the expansive land of Hyrule was very comfortable with this controller. Despite the analog sticks feeling a little loose when compared to the Pro-con, I was able to line up shots with the bow and arrow much better I could with the Joy-con.
• Nine Parchments (shoot-'em-up) - I could tell joysticks are not quite as accurate as the Pro Controller's but after playing with it for a few minutes, I adapted pretty well. This was the controller I was using when my wife and I beat the final boss during our first playthrough and I didn't feel like it hampered me at all.

I didn’t have any 2D platformers or fighting games on Switch to test out this controller with, so I plugged it into my PC in order to touch on these two genres. The Horipad is detected as a direct-input controller in Windows, so it works with many games but has nowhere near the plug-and-play support of an X-input (i.e. Xbox) controller. For many X-input-only games, keymapping software would be needed to use the Horipad. (This is also the case when connecting a Pro-con to a PC).

• Shin Megami Tensei Synchronicity Prologue (2D platformer) - After my issues with Kamiko, I was concerned about how this game would control with the D-pad. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it worked out just fine. The issues with the D-pad only seem to come up in 8-directional situations and most 2D platformers are only 4-directional.
• Skullgirls (fighting) -  Everything felt pretty good except I had a hard time reliably pulling off specials that required circular inputs with the D-pad. To be fair, I generally do better with these kinds of moves using an analog stick anyway, but I suspect the D-pad on the Horipad was partially to blame.

The one genre I wasn't able to test was first-person shooter. Based on playing around with Link's bow in Breath of the Wild, I'm thinking this controller would fair decently in an FPS but players using a Pro-controller would have an accuracy advantage.

Overall, I was pretty satisfied with this budget controller and would consider purchasing one as a spare controller to be a no-brainer. For use as a primary controller, your mileage will vary based on your situation and game preferences. The 10-foot (3 meters) USB cord will be a deal breaker for many (I used a USB extension cord to give myself enough slack when sitting on the couch). I would also say this controller is a no-go for people who primarily play games that require 8-directional D-pad input or motion controls. For everyone else, the Horipad is a very cost-effective upgrade from using the Joy-con but it doesn't quite reach the Pro Controller's level of excellence. If you want the best possible experience and can spare $70, the Pro Controller is still the way to go, but it's hard to deny the bang-for-the-buck factor of the $20-$30 Horipad.

CAUTION (maybe): When testing this controller I found that my cat could not resist attacking and biting this it. She's never shown any interest in biting my Xbox 360 controller, Wii U gamepad, or other Switch controllers. It may just be that I have a weird cat (highly probable), or perhaps Horipads are manufactured in a facility that also processes catnip... who knows? Just don't say I didn't warn you.

Nintendo Switch Accessory Recommendations

Like any Nintendo console, the Switch has an overwhelming amount of accessories and other plastic odds and ends to clutter up your home. If you're one of the thousands of people who received Nintendo's new hybrid device, there are two things that I recommend picking up as soon as possible: a case and a Pro Controller.


Off-brand cases:

Since the Switch is too large to fit in most clothing pockets and doesn't feature a clam shell design to cover its screen, a case is essential if you intend to travel with the device. While I generally prefer to buy gaming hardware and accessories from established companies, I decided to take a chance on an obscure case I found on Amazon and I've been really pleased with it over the past nine months. It's just big enough to fit the console, the USB-C cable, and 10 cartridges without being too bulky. It also offers limited water resistance (but is definitely not water-proof) and comes with a screen protector.

The case I have: http://a.co/fv6GeGT
A nearly identical one (in case the other one is out of stock): http://a.co/5Xqn2uj


Pro Controller:

Initially I planned on just sticking with the included Joy-con controllers and balked at the high price of the official Pro Controller. However, after enough long play sessions of Breath of Wild, I eventually caved in and ponied up the $70 (US). It was totally worth it. The comfort and precision of the Pro Controller can't be beat. The Joy-con in their grip will get you by for a while, but if you're going to be primarily playing in docked mode, the Pro Controller is a must-have accessory. As an added bonus, the Pro Controller also makes switching between portable and docked mode even more effortless because you'll no longer have to go through process of attaching and detaching the Joy-con. Recently a 3rd party Pro Controller option has become available from 8bitdo. I haven't had a chance to get my hands on one yet, but I've been hearing good things about it. Both the official and 3rd party Pro Controllers can be used as controllers for PCs as well, though compatibility seems to vary from game to game.

Official Pro Controller: http://a.co/eeaPKjE
3rd Party Pro Controller: http://a.co/1VRS5gf 

Note: None of the links on this page are affiliate links. Feel free to buy these things from whatever source you see fit. If this blog every features affiliate links or sponsored content, I will be sure to disclose it.

DragonCon 2017

This past labor day weekend, my wife and I attended DragonCon for the first time and really enjoyed it. While the Con covers a huge variety of fandom topics and doesn't really focus on gaming, when you get over 80,000 nerds together in one place, you can pretty much guarantee there will be video gaming happening somewhere. Here's a synopsis of the gaming-related things we saw at the Con:

Japanese Arcade

One of the exhibit halls was set up as an arcade stocked with imported (and mostly untranslated) Japanese arcade games. Best of all, the cabinets were all set to free play mode. I worked in Japan for several months a few years ago and found the selection at this DragonCon exhibit to be a pretty good representation of the modern Japanese arcade scene. In my experience, non-redemption Japanese arcade games generally fall into 4 categories: fighting, rhythm, mech battle, and button-mash/novelty. I’ve included some photos and brief description of the games I was able to try.

Reflec Beat – A touchscreen-based rhythm battle game. Notes are fired as projectiles downward by an enemy at the top of the screen and they must be tapped in time with the music to reflect them back.

Gundam Pod – A first person mecha battle arena with enclosed cockpits. Each cockpit features a panoramic curved screen and controls with a combination of joysticks and foot pedals. The screen between the pods allow spectators to watch the battle in 3rd person. The game is 100% in Japanese (which I can’t read a word of), so I had to make educated guesses when navigating menus and monitoring the HUD. I was most excited to be able to play this game at DragonCon. I played it briefly when I was in Tokyo, but at ~$10/play, my prior experience was fairly limited. That being said, my limited background knowledge was enough to give me an edge and wreck most of the other players during the match.

Upend The Tea Table – This is where things get weird. The player pounds on the table until a meter fills and then flips the table over (it’s attached to the cabinet with a hinge). On the screen, the table is sitting at home plate in a baseball diamond and then gets launched into the air. Players compete to see who can launch the table furthest.

The Bishibashi – A collection of competitive minigames that are all based on button-mashing. Each minigame features cute animations and objectives such as trying to hit the button exactly 100 times within a time limit.

Cosplay

I saw a lot of fantastic cosplay at DragonCon. The most popular game used as cosplay inspiration was definitely Overwatch. I’m generally not into competitive multi-player games, but seeing the passion people have for the characters definitely has me more interested in trying it. One of the top-ranked cosplayers in the DragonCon masquerade contest was dressed as D.Va:

Photo credit: Crescent City Cosplay

However, my personal favorite video game cosplayer, was this dedicated gentleman cosplaying as Beedle, the shopkeeper from The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker. “Oh, thank you!”

Accessible Gaming Demonstration
We attended an interesting panel about the inovations and challenges involved with creating specialized gaming equipment for players with physical disabilites. We saw everything from controllers meant to be used with one hand to those that could be controlled with the tongue. This panel really gave me an appreciation for how gaming can be an important recreational and social outlet for people with disabilities. For more information about this topic, check out Able Gamers.

Hololens Demonstration
This panel was hosted by some developers that are working on software for the upcoming Microsoft Hololens augmented reality (AR) platform. While the tech definitely has some cool applications, it was very clear from the live demonstration that we're still in the very early stages of AR. I didn't get a chance to try on the headset myself, but from what I was able to observe watching the developers use it, the performance of the equipment looked rough compared to the heavily produced presentations seen at events like E3.

Nintendo Switch Impressions

I picked up a Nintendo Switch, Zelda, and Bomberman at a midnight launch event last week, and playing with these new purchases has pretty much been all I’ve wanted to do with every second of my free time ever since. I did manage to pry myself kicking and screaming from the new console to type up some quick impressions of the hardware:

• The Switch console itself definitely feels like a sleek yet sturdy premium electronic gadget which contrasts with the chunkier toy-like designs of previous generations of Nintendo hardware.

• The Joy-Con controllers are incredibly tiny and there’s definitely an adjustment period involved with learning the button/stick layout and determining the best way of holding them. However, as my hours of playtime can attest at this point, once I got used to them, they’re pretty comfortable. The short travel on the analog sticks does somewhat lessen the precision of aiming weapons, but at least in Zelda, it hasn’t really presented an issue. For games that require a lot of quick aiming  (like first-person shooters), using a Pro Controller would probably be best.
  
  

• Other accessories that come in the box are a mixed bag. The Joy-Con grip doesn’t instantly transform the Joy-Con into an Xbox controller-caliber device, but it definitely helps give the Joy-Con more substance for those whose hands are more used to traditional controllers. I’ve spent most of my time playing Zelda using the grip.
  
  

• My wife and I have both found that the Joy-Con strap attachments are a largely useless addition to the package. While they do give a nice rounded edge to the rail portion of each Joy-Con, they make the SR and SL shoulder buttons feel mushy and unresponsive. They’re also a pain to attach and remove. We probably won’t bother with them in our next co-op session.
  
  

• At first, placing the Switch in the dock and removing the Joy-Con felt a little awkward to me, such that I was wondering if I was doing it right. I’ve since gotten used to it, but it’s not quite as effortless of a process as is depicted in marketing materials for the console. The various buttons, latches, and rails may have a break-in period after which they’ll feel smoother over time, however. I should also note that I put a screen protector on the Switch day one to ensure I didn’t scratch the screen clumsily placing it in the dock (or just being clumsy in general).
  
  

• Some people have had issues with their left Joy-Con desyncing from their Switch. While it hasn’t been a major problem for me, I have had a few isolated instances of it happening. It seems that the Joy-Con require essentially unobstructed direct line-of-sight to the console to maintain their connection. For me, the fix was as simple as using the Joy-Con grip rather than playing with my hands separated and adjusting how I was sitting on the couch. For others, this issue has been more severe, so hopefully, a proper fix will be available soon. If you’re interested in some of the technical details of this Joy-Con bug, check out this article on Motherboard.
  
  

• The screenshot button on the controller is really useful. I like that I can edit the image and post to Twitter quickly without having to exit the game I’m playing. As an added bonus, the Switch supports USB keyboards for expedient tweeting.
  
  

• During one late-night gaming session on the couch, I decided that I wasn’t quite ready to put the game down for the night, but should probably at least be getting in bed. Immediately after attaching the Joy-Con and lifting the system out of the dock, it transitioned to portable mode. I spent another hour or two (whoops!) continuing my Zelda quest in bed and the experience was just as good on handheld as it was on the couch. I didn’t feel like I was making much of a sacrifice switching between the two modes at all. That is the true magic of this device.
  
  

• Bottom line: After a brief adjustment period, the Switch is simultaneously a good console and an amazing handheld. Some of the accessories could use some refinement, however.

As I spend more time with the Switch and use it in a greater variety of settings, I may be posting some updated thoughts on it, but probably won’t be writing a full review with a score. In the meantime, look forward to my upcoming impressions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild!

Quick Thoughts & Updates

I've been jumping around between a lot of different games over the past few weeks, but no one thing has warranted a full-length post yet. For the time being, here's a quick collection of thoughts and updates on what I've been playing:

• Lara Croft Go: This is one of the first mobile games I've played all the way through. It's a clever little puzzle game that was a pleasant activity to chip away at on my tablet before bed. Toward the end, a few of the puzzles began to feel a little repetitive, but overall it was a joy from start to finish.
  Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


• Chrono Trigger: I'm probably about 2/3 of the way through the game and it's still great. However I'm definitely experiencing the third act slog typical of old-school RPGs as the dungeons are getting longer and battles much more frequent. I should also mention that at this point the Android version has become pretty buggy (largely due to the rather obtrusive DRM Square Enix added to this port), and thus I'd very strongly recommend playing one of the other versions of the game instead. I've heard especially good things about the Nintendo DS version.


• Nintendo Switch: While lately my PC and tablet have been getting a lot of attention, I'll always be a Nintendo fan at heart, so of course I pre-ordered a Nintendo Switch as soon as they became available. Though I'm a little concerned about some of the seemingly over-priced peripherals and muddled marketing messages (especially regarding gimmicky motion controls), I'm still counting down the days until the system and the new Zelda game arrive. A Nintendo handheld that can also be played on a TV is something I've been wanting since the Gameboy days, so the Switch seems like it'll be right up my ally.