Thursday, 23 July 2015
WWE Battleground 2015.
This event was broadcast live on the WWE Network on Sunday July 19th, 2015.
1) Randy Orton pinned Sheamus.
The opening contest was physical as you’d expect from these two. Nothing extraordinary but still a solid effort with plenty of signature moves and counters. In the final moments, Sheamus hit a Brogue Kick but didn’t make the cover. He applied the Cloverleaf but Orton made it to the ropes and hit a classic “RKO out of nowhere!” for a hometown victory.
2) Tag Team Championship.
Prime Time Players beat New Day.
My partner and I don’t like the Prime Time Players new trunks. Copper with blue stars, seriously they are horrible. The match was decent, if slightly formulaic. Darren Young took most of the heat and Titus received a hot tag and won with the spinebuster. I like both teams but don’t want to see round three at Summerslam.
3) Bray Wyatt defeated Roman Reigns.
Wyatt dominated early on and Reigns lacked his usual intensity. Was Roman selling the storyline mind games or is his offence becoming stale? Hard to tell but the quality improved throughout 20 minutes of good action. Neither could afford to lose clean. Luke Harper’s interference in disguise was the reasonable solution and Bray hit Sister Abigail for the win.
4) Triple threat match.
Charlotte beat Brie Bella and Sasha Banks via submission.
Finally some new faces in the ladies division! I’ve been waiting for a change since blogging my concerns in the Payback review (back in May). Charlotte, Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch made their RAW debut before this show. Overall, an entertaining triple threat that effectively introduced Charlotte and ‘The Boss’ to viewers who don’t watch NXT. Charlotte won with the painful looking figure-eight.
5) United States Championship.
John Cena defeated Kevin Owens via submission.
Cena/Owens III began quickly compared to their two epics at Elimination Chamber and Money in the Bank. Due to familiarity, most near falls lost their impact and it couldn’t match the high standard set by those former wars of attrition. Regardless, this was hopefully a conclusive blow off to their feud helped along by new counter moves. Wrestling done right makes the loser look good. Owens was unbelievably strong in defeat so this trilogy can certainly be considered a success. The follow up will be interesting.
Short promo before main event.
Miz insulted the crowd and said he should be awarded the title if Ryback is injured. Big Show came out and hit Miz with a KO punch. Not bad, it keeps the Intercontinental storyline going.
6) WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Seth Rollins vs. Brock Lesnar (non-finish).
It was great to see Lesnar get his hands on Rollins. ‘The Beast’ sent Seth to ‘Suplex City’ thirteen times. He was about to become champion with an F5 when the lights went out accompanied by a gong. Lights back on and Undertaker was standing in the ring. ‘The Dead Man’ kicked Lesnar low and hit a choke slam and two tombstones before walking up the stage for an inconclusive finish.
Judged as an individual event, the Undertaker interaction with Lesnar at Battleground was an unsatisfying ending. However, their wild pull-apart brawl the following night on RAW was a highlight of the year made this development more than worthwhile.
See you next time wrestling fans.
Wednesday, 17 June 2015
Nintendo Direct at E3 2015: Hits and Misses.
The E3 Nintendo
Direct was broadcast on Tuesday May 16th, 2015 at 5pm (BST).
Nintendo Direct Hits
Starfox Zero: The interview with Shigeru Miyamoto in the shrine was informative. We finally got details about vehicle transformations, cast members and a vague release date. Graphically, it wasn’t astonishing but they have five months to add polish and tighten the interesting controls. Barring a surprise announcement, Starfox will likely be the major swansong on Wii U so fingers crossed it doesn’t disappoint.
Yoshi’s Woolly World: Another developer interview, except this one was a touch overlong. Regardless, my partner and I can’t wait to play this fluffy 2d platformer together. The gameplay and colourful, woollen art style are expertly blended. With different difficulty levels and modes this is sure to offer hours of fun, whatever your skill level.
Mario Maker: I can’t believe that in the 1980’s Miyamoto designed the original Mario levels on graph paper. Technology has progressed at an alarming rate; we will soon have a course editor in the palm of our hands. With endless creative possibilities and four game palettes, this should have been released earlier in the Wii U lifespan. A bittersweet hit, can Mario Maker get the recognition and support it deserves?
Nintendo Charm: Puppets? Check. In-jokes? Check. Nostalgia over substance ending? Moving on …
Nintendo Direct Misses
Lack of surprises: Nobody realistically expected news on ‘Nintendo NX’, Nintendo’s mobile developments or Legend of Zelda. Even so, with no major shocks it feels like they’re treading water until the make or break announcements of E3 2016. Which leads me onto …
Filler games: Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival, Mario Tennis and Metroid Prime Federation Force were the worst offenders. The first one annoyed my partner immensely. She lamented, “Why did they make a stupid board game instead of a proper Animal Crossing!” My cynical head reckons it’ll be a shameless cash in like Mario Party. We’ll probably have to wait until NX now for a proper Animal Crossing along with countless other franchises. What a waste.
Too many Amiibo: A fool and his money are easily parted. Unless you’re a dedicated toy collector Amiibo are useless because their only function is unlocking features unfairly trapped behind paywalls. With new Smash Bros, Animal Crossing and Skylanders Amiibo announced this fad will unfortunately continue.
Thanks for reading. Any thoughts on this article? Get in touch on Twitter (@philipregan1986)
Nintendo Direct Hits
Starfox Zero: The interview with Shigeru Miyamoto in the shrine was informative. We finally got details about vehicle transformations, cast members and a vague release date. Graphically, it wasn’t astonishing but they have five months to add polish and tighten the interesting controls. Barring a surprise announcement, Starfox will likely be the major swansong on Wii U so fingers crossed it doesn’t disappoint.
Yoshi’s Woolly World: Another developer interview, except this one was a touch overlong. Regardless, my partner and I can’t wait to play this fluffy 2d platformer together. The gameplay and colourful, woollen art style are expertly blended. With different difficulty levels and modes this is sure to offer hours of fun, whatever your skill level.
Mario Maker: I can’t believe that in the 1980’s Miyamoto designed the original Mario levels on graph paper. Technology has progressed at an alarming rate; we will soon have a course editor in the palm of our hands. With endless creative possibilities and four game palettes, this should have been released earlier in the Wii U lifespan. A bittersweet hit, can Mario Maker get the recognition and support it deserves?
Nintendo Charm: Puppets? Check. In-jokes? Check. Nostalgia over substance ending? Moving on …
Nintendo Direct Misses
Lack of surprises: Nobody realistically expected news on ‘Nintendo NX’, Nintendo’s mobile developments or Legend of Zelda. Even so, with no major shocks it feels like they’re treading water until the make or break announcements of E3 2016. Which leads me onto …
Filler games: Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival, Mario Tennis and Metroid Prime Federation Force were the worst offenders. The first one annoyed my partner immensely. She lamented, “Why did they make a stupid board game instead of a proper Animal Crossing!” My cynical head reckons it’ll be a shameless cash in like Mario Party. We’ll probably have to wait until NX now for a proper Animal Crossing along with countless other franchises. What a waste.
Too many Amiibo: A fool and his money are easily parted. Unless you’re a dedicated toy collector Amiibo are useless because their only function is unlocking features unfairly trapped behind paywalls. With new Smash Bros, Animal Crossing and Skylanders Amiibo announced this fad will unfortunately continue.
Thanks for reading. Any thoughts on this article? Get in touch on Twitter (@philipregan1986)
WWE Money in the Bank 2015.
This event was broadcast live on the WWE
Network on Sunday June 14th, 2015.
Money in the Bank (ladder match).
Sheamus defeated Roman Reigns, Dolph Ziggler, Neville, Randy Orton, Kane and Kofi Kingston.
My partner and I make predictions before watching WWE network shows. We couldn’t look past Reigns winning this entertaining spectacle; good to see WWE can still be unpredictable. Can Sheamus as ‘Mr Money in the Bank’ produce better drama than if Reigns had won? I’m not convinced yet but future developments may make this odd result seem logical.
On the positive side, Roman Reigns looked strong in defeat. As he was about to win, the lights went off and Bray Wyatt interfered. This means Roman may be diverted from seeking championship glory for a few months. Once he’s done with Wyatt the chase can resume, possibly against a new foe.
Divas Championship.
Nikki Bella beat Paige.
This went over ten minutes and was better than Nikki Bella’s usual efforts. Towards the end, Paige reversed Nikki’s Rack Attack into the Cradle DDT and I honestly believed it was over. The action continued and after a double turnbuckle bump the Bella’s attempted a tiresome, twin magic switch.
In a refreshing moment of progression, Paige had the roll up scouted and reversed Brie for the 1-2-3. Brie admitted cheating and unstuffed her bra to show she wasn’t Nikki. At this point the ref should have disqualified Brie for interference. Instead he let the match continue and Nikki won with a cheap shot. My head hurts, that was a rough ending.
Intercontinental Championship.
Big Show won via disqualification. Ryback retains his championship.
The Miz insulted his home state fans pre-match and remained at ringside. That severely reduced the likelihood of a clean finish. Ryback showed off his strength by suplexing Big Show and also wore the giant down with a Goldberg style arm submission. Show gave Ryback a KO punch and ‘The Big Guy’ rolled to ringside. After a confrontation with Big Show, Miz attacked with a microphone causing the DQ and set up a triple threat down the road.
John Cena pinned Kevin Owens.
At Elimination Chamber, these two arguably had the match of the night. Their rematch earned that honour without dispute and was another four star war of attrition. Cena came out on top this time but Owens regained his heat immediately with a powerbomb onto the ring apron.
Without spoiling the specifics there were many memorable moments. Owens copied Cena’s signature moves. Cena appeared vulnerable and tried new things which is admirable and showcased his desire to win. With a quality similar to the first, this is once again highly recommended.
Tag Team Championship.
Prime Time Players beat New Day (Big E and Xavier Woods).
With all the heels coming out on top, a feel good moment was urgently needed. Unfortunately this wasn’t it. Muted crowd celebrations meant the change felt flat and underwhelming. It built up to Titus receiving the hot tag. He went wild with his running tackle and won with a spinebuster. I like the Prime Time Players but New Day had plenty of mileage left. For now though, the ‘Players’ can have fun belt warming.
WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Ladder match.
Seth Rollins won against Dean Ambrose to retain his championship.
HHH gave Rollins a pep talk before the match and yelled “SHOW THEM!” repeatedly. After his speech, the scene was set for a contest without interference. Rollins wanted to prove to ‘The Authority’, “I can get the job done, by myself.”
In less than five minutes, Rollins hit Ambrose on the knee with a steel chair. Rollins took advantage and worked the injury with a ring post figure four. Plucky underdog Ambrose eventually made a spirited comeback. His highlights included backdropping Rollins out of the ring through a ladder bridge and hitting Dirty Deeds on the announcers table.
Rollins eventually regained control and dished out an insane amount of punishment to Ambrose, whose selling was excellent. If they’d ended it there, nobody would have complained. Instead ‘The Lunatic Fringe’ made another comeback. After a tug of war, both men fell down with the belt in hand but Rollins held on tighter for the victory.
In conclusion, Money in the Bank was a three match show and these lived up to the hype. The undercard also offered more enjoyment than anticipated. Looking forward to Battleground (on July 19th) we can expect a Reigns/Wyatt grudge match, more developments in the Cena/Owens feud and BROCK LESNAR versus Seth Rollins. As always, I’ll be covering it all for another instalment of philreganreviews.
See you then wrestling fans.
Money in the Bank (ladder match).
Sheamus defeated Roman Reigns, Dolph Ziggler, Neville, Randy Orton, Kane and Kofi Kingston.
My partner and I make predictions before watching WWE network shows. We couldn’t look past Reigns winning this entertaining spectacle; good to see WWE can still be unpredictable. Can Sheamus as ‘Mr Money in the Bank’ produce better drama than if Reigns had won? I’m not convinced yet but future developments may make this odd result seem logical.
On the positive side, Roman Reigns looked strong in defeat. As he was about to win, the lights went off and Bray Wyatt interfered. This means Roman may be diverted from seeking championship glory for a few months. Once he’s done with Wyatt the chase can resume, possibly against a new foe.
Divas Championship.
Nikki Bella beat Paige.
This went over ten minutes and was better than Nikki Bella’s usual efforts. Towards the end, Paige reversed Nikki’s Rack Attack into the Cradle DDT and I honestly believed it was over. The action continued and after a double turnbuckle bump the Bella’s attempted a tiresome, twin magic switch.
In a refreshing moment of progression, Paige had the roll up scouted and reversed Brie for the 1-2-3. Brie admitted cheating and unstuffed her bra to show she wasn’t Nikki. At this point the ref should have disqualified Brie for interference. Instead he let the match continue and Nikki won with a cheap shot. My head hurts, that was a rough ending.
Intercontinental Championship.
Big Show won via disqualification. Ryback retains his championship.
The Miz insulted his home state fans pre-match and remained at ringside. That severely reduced the likelihood of a clean finish. Ryback showed off his strength by suplexing Big Show and also wore the giant down with a Goldberg style arm submission. Show gave Ryback a KO punch and ‘The Big Guy’ rolled to ringside. After a confrontation with Big Show, Miz attacked with a microphone causing the DQ and set up a triple threat down the road.
John Cena pinned Kevin Owens.
At Elimination Chamber, these two arguably had the match of the night. Their rematch earned that honour without dispute and was another four star war of attrition. Cena came out on top this time but Owens regained his heat immediately with a powerbomb onto the ring apron.
Without spoiling the specifics there were many memorable moments. Owens copied Cena’s signature moves. Cena appeared vulnerable and tried new things which is admirable and showcased his desire to win. With a quality similar to the first, this is once again highly recommended.
Tag Team Championship.
Prime Time Players beat New Day (Big E and Xavier Woods).
With all the heels coming out on top, a feel good moment was urgently needed. Unfortunately this wasn’t it. Muted crowd celebrations meant the change felt flat and underwhelming. It built up to Titus receiving the hot tag. He went wild with his running tackle and won with a spinebuster. I like the Prime Time Players but New Day had plenty of mileage left. For now though, the ‘Players’ can have fun belt warming.
WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Ladder match.
Seth Rollins won against Dean Ambrose to retain his championship.
HHH gave Rollins a pep talk before the match and yelled “SHOW THEM!” repeatedly. After his speech, the scene was set for a contest without interference. Rollins wanted to prove to ‘The Authority’, “I can get the job done, by myself.”
In less than five minutes, Rollins hit Ambrose on the knee with a steel chair. Rollins took advantage and worked the injury with a ring post figure four. Plucky underdog Ambrose eventually made a spirited comeback. His highlights included backdropping Rollins out of the ring through a ladder bridge and hitting Dirty Deeds on the announcers table.
Rollins eventually regained control and dished out an insane amount of punishment to Ambrose, whose selling was excellent. If they’d ended it there, nobody would have complained. Instead ‘The Lunatic Fringe’ made another comeback. After a tug of war, both men fell down with the belt in hand but Rollins held on tighter for the victory.
In conclusion, Money in the Bank was a three match show and these lived up to the hype. The undercard also offered more enjoyment than anticipated. Looking forward to Battleground (on July 19th) we can expect a Reigns/Wyatt grudge match, more developments in the Cena/Owens feud and BROCK LESNAR versus Seth Rollins. As always, I’ll be covering it all for another instalment of philreganreviews.
See you then wrestling fans.
Thursday, 4 June 2015
WWE Elimination Chamber 2015.
This event was broadcast live on the WWE Network on Sunday May 31st, 2015.
WWE Tag Team Championship.
Elimination Chamber.
New Day beat Prime Time Players, Cesaro & Tyson Kidd, The Ascension, The Lucha Dragons and Los Matadors to retain their championship.
If the primary goal of this opening contest was to increase heat on New Day then mission accomplished. During the introductions, we were told all three members were legal. New Day cheated from inside the pod early on and received “New Day Sucks!” chants.
If the second goal of the match was crowd warming this was also achieved thanks to wild dives from the cage roof and additional high spots. Eventually it came down to New Day vs Prime Time Players who had a good showing. Titus rallied with his power moves but the numbers game was too much to overcome as ‘The Players’ were pile on pinned for the loss.
Divas Championship.
Triple Threat Match.
Nikki Bella defeated Naomi and Paige to retain her championship.
The ladies tried hard but this was a sloppy effort. They hit a tower of doom but the impact was diluted because we saw a similar move in the first match. Nikki won with the Rack Attack. My complaints from Payback remain here. New blood from NXT and better storylines are urgently required.
Kevin Owens pinned John Cena.
This was thrilling, four-stars and an instant classic with a shocking ending. Logical booking made Owens a genuine star in one night. Abbey Arthur, wrote this article for Pro Wrestling Mania before the event. I thought her points were valid but didn’t believe WWE creative would have the balls to pull the trigger.
Fortunately they did. Kevin Owens pinned John Cena clean, without any interference or cheating after a back and forth war of attrition. A heavily invested crowd enhanced the drama and a post-match promo by Owens cemented his newfound superstar aura. The undisputed highlight of the show. Go out of your way to watch this, you won’t be disappointed.
Neville beat Bo Dallas.
What a comedown after the previous epic. No wrestlers want to be in that slot. It told a simple but effective story. Bo used his technical wrestling ability to keep Neville grounded and take away his speed. Neville made a comeback and hit the spectacular Red Arrow for the victory. They may have longer NXT style matches again down the road but this wasn’t their time.
Intercontinental Championship.
Elimination Chamber.
Ryback beat Sheamus, Dolph Ziggler, Mark Henry (replacement for Rusev), R-Truth and King Barrett to win the vacant championship (formerly held by Daniel Bryan).
The second chamber outing was the weaker of the two by some margin. This match was cursed by Rusev’s withdrawal (due to a foot injury), a snoozing crowd and the announcers who failed to highlight the door cheating antics of Sheamus. In the end, Ryback eliminated ‘The Celtic Warrior’ and won his first championship. Fresh storylines are possible now, even if ‘The Big Guy’ is arguably keeping the belt warm until the injured Rusev returns.
WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Dean Ambrose beat Seth Rollins via disqualification, Rollins retains his championship.
The return of the Dusty finish was a satisfying conclusion to the worthy main event. Backstage earlier on the show, Triple H told Roman Reigns his interference would cause a disqualification for Dean Ambrose. That removed the likelihood of Reigns getting involved and inadvertently costing Ambrose his championship opportunity.
Cowardly champion Rollins had his usual entourage of Kane and J & J security at ringside. Inevitably, they interfered and Ambrose took a lot of punishment to demonstrate his fighting spirit. After hitting an elbow drop onto Kane and J & J, the emotional rollercoaster began.
Ambrose went for another elbow drop but Rollins pushed the referee, who took a full force bump. Ambrose hit Dirty Deeds but nobody was present to make the count. Suddenly, a second official ran down for the 1-2-3! I couldn’t believe it and neither could the crowd who suddenly woke up with roars of approval. With the decision reversed, “Bullshit!” chants rained down and The Authority prepared their ambush. Reigns made the save, he and Ambrose then took off with the championship.
Overall, Elimination Chamber was wildly inconsistent but still exceeded expectations with two high level matches. WWE tested the waters for Ambrose becoming champion in the not-so-distant future. Will he make it to the top before his buddy Reigns? We’ll get those developments, Cena/Owens II and much more at Money in the Bank. I’ll be covering it all for another instalment of philreganreviews.
See you then wrestling fans.
WWE Tag Team Championship.
Elimination Chamber.
New Day beat Prime Time Players, Cesaro & Tyson Kidd, The Ascension, The Lucha Dragons and Los Matadors to retain their championship.
If the primary goal of this opening contest was to increase heat on New Day then mission accomplished. During the introductions, we were told all three members were legal. New Day cheated from inside the pod early on and received “New Day Sucks!” chants.
If the second goal of the match was crowd warming this was also achieved thanks to wild dives from the cage roof and additional high spots. Eventually it came down to New Day vs Prime Time Players who had a good showing. Titus rallied with his power moves but the numbers game was too much to overcome as ‘The Players’ were pile on pinned for the loss.
Divas Championship.
Triple Threat Match.
Nikki Bella defeated Naomi and Paige to retain her championship.
The ladies tried hard but this was a sloppy effort. They hit a tower of doom but the impact was diluted because we saw a similar move in the first match. Nikki won with the Rack Attack. My complaints from Payback remain here. New blood from NXT and better storylines are urgently required.
Kevin Owens pinned John Cena.
This was thrilling, four-stars and an instant classic with a shocking ending. Logical booking made Owens a genuine star in one night. Abbey Arthur, wrote this article for Pro Wrestling Mania before the event. I thought her points were valid but didn’t believe WWE creative would have the balls to pull the trigger.
Fortunately they did. Kevin Owens pinned John Cena clean, without any interference or cheating after a back and forth war of attrition. A heavily invested crowd enhanced the drama and a post-match promo by Owens cemented his newfound superstar aura. The undisputed highlight of the show. Go out of your way to watch this, you won’t be disappointed.
Neville beat Bo Dallas.
What a comedown after the previous epic. No wrestlers want to be in that slot. It told a simple but effective story. Bo used his technical wrestling ability to keep Neville grounded and take away his speed. Neville made a comeback and hit the spectacular Red Arrow for the victory. They may have longer NXT style matches again down the road but this wasn’t their time.
Intercontinental Championship.
Elimination Chamber.
Ryback beat Sheamus, Dolph Ziggler, Mark Henry (replacement for Rusev), R-Truth and King Barrett to win the vacant championship (formerly held by Daniel Bryan).
The second chamber outing was the weaker of the two by some margin. This match was cursed by Rusev’s withdrawal (due to a foot injury), a snoozing crowd and the announcers who failed to highlight the door cheating antics of Sheamus. In the end, Ryback eliminated ‘The Celtic Warrior’ and won his first championship. Fresh storylines are possible now, even if ‘The Big Guy’ is arguably keeping the belt warm until the injured Rusev returns.
WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Dean Ambrose beat Seth Rollins via disqualification, Rollins retains his championship.
The return of the Dusty finish was a satisfying conclusion to the worthy main event. Backstage earlier on the show, Triple H told Roman Reigns his interference would cause a disqualification for Dean Ambrose. That removed the likelihood of Reigns getting involved and inadvertently costing Ambrose his championship opportunity.
Cowardly champion Rollins had his usual entourage of Kane and J & J security at ringside. Inevitably, they interfered and Ambrose took a lot of punishment to demonstrate his fighting spirit. After hitting an elbow drop onto Kane and J & J, the emotional rollercoaster began.
Ambrose went for another elbow drop but Rollins pushed the referee, who took a full force bump. Ambrose hit Dirty Deeds but nobody was present to make the count. Suddenly, a second official ran down for the 1-2-3! I couldn’t believe it and neither could the crowd who suddenly woke up with roars of approval. With the decision reversed, “Bullshit!” chants rained down and The Authority prepared their ambush. Reigns made the save, he and Ambrose then took off with the championship.
Overall, Elimination Chamber was wildly inconsistent but still exceeded expectations with two high level matches. WWE tested the waters for Ambrose becoming champion in the not-so-distant future. Will he make it to the top before his buddy Reigns? We’ll get those developments, Cena/Owens II and much more at Money in the Bank. I’ll be covering it all for another instalment of philreganreviews.
See you then wrestling fans.
Thursday, 28 May 2015
Splatoon Global Testfire
This demo began at
11pm (BST) on Saturday 23rd May, 2015.
Throughout their history, Nintendo have created games covering numerous categories. Platforming (Mario), real-time strategy (Pikmin) and community simulation (Animal Crossing) to name a few examples. However, they’ve never attempted an online multiplayer shooter. With the release of Splatoon tomorrow, that is about to change.
When watching the trailers, Splatoon looked very much like alien teenagers playing paintball on steroids. It didn’t make much sense to look at. Fortunately, the Global Testfire gave Wii U owners hands on playtime with an intriguing and genuinely innovative take on the genre.
First impressions were positive. The demo application loaded quickly with no problems. I was then asked to create a basic character, referred to as Inklings. Gender, eye colour and skin tone were the only options. Nothing fancy but the final version will apparently contain clothing stores that offer more possibilities for customisation.
It began with a single player tutorial stage. Dual thumbsticks controlled movement and turning, very familiar to anyone who’s played a modern third-person shooter. The only difference was the use of motion tilt for aiming. At first, I thought this was going to be another gimmick but it works very well with a few minutes of practice. By comparison, the control stick aiming was wild and surprisingly imprecise.
The Wii U GamePad triggers are well-used. The right trigger and shoulder button fires the weapon/sub-weapon respectively. My sub weapon was an ink grenade but others are available. The left trigger transforms your Inkling into a squid. Being in this form has many advantages if you are in ink matching your team colour. Movement speed is doubled, ink (ammunition) is regenerated and your squid can even travel under gates and up walls.
With the tutorial stage completed I was very impressed and excited for more. The GamePad screen even had an arcade style game to play whilst waiting for multiplayer to load. It was a reasonable time filler and much better than looking at a loading screen. Unfortunately, after having my fill of squid jumper the connection problems started.
Twitter was full of players having similar issues. #SplatoonGlobalMisfire and other sarcastic hashtags became popular. I even thought about cancelling this blog because it wouldn’t have been fair without experiencing multiplayer. Eventually an announcement was made about a one hour extension. I managed to log back in about 12:40am.
With these delays, three games of ‘Turf War’ was my meagre reward but this four-versus-four mode was honestly like nothing I have ever played before. After choosing from four weapons, it’s straight into the action. The focus is on marking territory with ink rather than ‘kills’. Regeneration is instantaneous; a fast travel mechanic only adds to the chaos. Whichever team makes more of a mess is the winner. A remarkably simple concept with excellent execution.
Weapons are suitably wacky, in tune with the colourful graphics that ran crisply without any sign of slowdown. The giant paint roller was popular, probably because it is effective at covering ground surfaces. Other choices fell into the machine gun and sniper rifle types, each with their own strengths, sub-weapons and special moves.
Teamwork is very fun and almost mandatory for success. Whilst using the roller, I was unable to wall climb because it was covered in opposition colours. A teammate armed with a Splatter shot noticed my difficulty and created a path that assisted my squid climb up the vertical surface. Strategically all bases are covered including stealth, aggression and sniping. Those intricate details will only evolve throughout the games lifespan.
A few words of caution before considering a purchase, not including the potential server problems. The lack of single-player modes may be a negative. Campaign is estimated at 4-6 hours so if you’re not playing online it isn’t worth the price (£25-£35). Also, Splatoon is not yet ‘complete’ with only a limited selection of multiplayer options. Free updates and a major upgrade in August are scheduled so it might be best to hold back until then. If you played the demo and loved it, Nintendo will knock 10% off the digital download price for one week after release.
Splatoon deserves to be a hit but it is far too soon to say if the unique gameplay will catch on. If that happens, Nintendo fans may look back on this title like The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Mario 64 or Metroid Prime. It is no exaggeration to say Splatoon could be the start of a franchise; one that is the standard bearer for generations to come.
Throughout their history, Nintendo have created games covering numerous categories. Platforming (Mario), real-time strategy (Pikmin) and community simulation (Animal Crossing) to name a few examples. However, they’ve never attempted an online multiplayer shooter. With the release of Splatoon tomorrow, that is about to change.
When watching the trailers, Splatoon looked very much like alien teenagers playing paintball on steroids. It didn’t make much sense to look at. Fortunately, the Global Testfire gave Wii U owners hands on playtime with an intriguing and genuinely innovative take on the genre.
First impressions were positive. The demo application loaded quickly with no problems. I was then asked to create a basic character, referred to as Inklings. Gender, eye colour and skin tone were the only options. Nothing fancy but the final version will apparently contain clothing stores that offer more possibilities for customisation.
It began with a single player tutorial stage. Dual thumbsticks controlled movement and turning, very familiar to anyone who’s played a modern third-person shooter. The only difference was the use of motion tilt for aiming. At first, I thought this was going to be another gimmick but it works very well with a few minutes of practice. By comparison, the control stick aiming was wild and surprisingly imprecise.
The Wii U GamePad triggers are well-used. The right trigger and shoulder button fires the weapon/sub-weapon respectively. My sub weapon was an ink grenade but others are available. The left trigger transforms your Inkling into a squid. Being in this form has many advantages if you are in ink matching your team colour. Movement speed is doubled, ink (ammunition) is regenerated and your squid can even travel under gates and up walls.
With the tutorial stage completed I was very impressed and excited for more. The GamePad screen even had an arcade style game to play whilst waiting for multiplayer to load. It was a reasonable time filler and much better than looking at a loading screen. Unfortunately, after having my fill of squid jumper the connection problems started.
Twitter was full of players having similar issues. #SplatoonGlobalMisfire and other sarcastic hashtags became popular. I even thought about cancelling this blog because it wouldn’t have been fair without experiencing multiplayer. Eventually an announcement was made about a one hour extension. I managed to log back in about 12:40am.
With these delays, three games of ‘Turf War’ was my meagre reward but this four-versus-four mode was honestly like nothing I have ever played before. After choosing from four weapons, it’s straight into the action. The focus is on marking territory with ink rather than ‘kills’. Regeneration is instantaneous; a fast travel mechanic only adds to the chaos. Whichever team makes more of a mess is the winner. A remarkably simple concept with excellent execution.
Weapons are suitably wacky, in tune with the colourful graphics that ran crisply without any sign of slowdown. The giant paint roller was popular, probably because it is effective at covering ground surfaces. Other choices fell into the machine gun and sniper rifle types, each with their own strengths, sub-weapons and special moves.
Teamwork is very fun and almost mandatory for success. Whilst using the roller, I was unable to wall climb because it was covered in opposition colours. A teammate armed with a Splatter shot noticed my difficulty and created a path that assisted my squid climb up the vertical surface. Strategically all bases are covered including stealth, aggression and sniping. Those intricate details will only evolve throughout the games lifespan.
A few words of caution before considering a purchase, not including the potential server problems. The lack of single-player modes may be a negative. Campaign is estimated at 4-6 hours so if you’re not playing online it isn’t worth the price (£25-£35). Also, Splatoon is not yet ‘complete’ with only a limited selection of multiplayer options. Free updates and a major upgrade in August are scheduled so it might be best to hold back until then. If you played the demo and loved it, Nintendo will knock 10% off the digital download price for one week after release.
Splatoon deserves to be a hit but it is far too soon to say if the unique gameplay will catch on. If that happens, Nintendo fans may look back on this title like The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Mario 64 or Metroid Prime. It is no exaggeration to say Splatoon could be the start of a franchise; one that is the standard bearer for generations to come.
Thursday, 21 May 2015
WWE Payback 2015.
Broadcast live on 17/05/15 (USA timezone).
Overall, my partner and I were thoroughly entertained by most of the matches on the card. An impressive achievement considering the B-show nature of this event. Highlight of the night was either the fatal four way finale or Cena/Rusev depending on your preferences. Ladies tag and King Barrett/Neville were the only disappointments.
Without further delay, it’s time to review the show in greater detail.
Sheamus pinned Dolph Ziggler.
This was a solid opening contest that took a while to get going. It gradually shifted through the gears and had some decent near falls down the final stretch. Dolph got his ‘payback’ from Extreme Rules by smearing his arse cheek in Sheamus’s face. Glad that’s over and done with. Eventually, Ziggler came up bleeding after an ill-advised headbutt and fell victim to the Brogue Kick.
WWE Tag Team Championship.
Two out of three falls. New Day beat Cesaro & Tyson Kidd two falls to one.
Cesaro and Kidd took a 1-0 lead after their big swing into a dropkick combination. After this Kidd took a lengthy beating and Big E speared Cesaro through the ropes and onto the floor. That spot always looks impressive in replays. New Day levelled up after a botched double team move. In the last portion numerous false finishes thrilled the crowd, they chanted “this is awesome”. Then came the Xavier Woods switcheroo pin out of nowhere. My partner admonished the heels very loudly, some commentators criticised the ‘they look alike’ elements. I wasn’t bothered in the slightest, great match.
Bray Wyatt pinned Ryback.
Ryback’s ribs took a hammering. Wyatt performed an impactful senton to the outside that seemed to cause his opponent great discomfort. Later on Ryback unexpectedly hit a big splash from the top rope. Those arsenal additions should be saved for bigger shows in my opinion. After a finisher reversal sequence, Bray drove the ‘Big Guy’ into the exposed turnbuckle and hit Sister Abigail for the victory.
United States Championship.
I Quit match. John Cena won after Lana gave up on behalf of Rusev.
Their forth match was a stunt-filled brawl and fitting feud-ender that protected Rusev’s toughness. The Russian hero dominated from the start but Cena recovered and they fought into the crowd. A security barrier, guardrail and even pyrotechnics were used as weapons. Back in the ring, Cena attempted to power out of the Accolade but failed and passed out. The referee didn’t stop the match so Rusev removed the ropes and revived Cena with water, big mistake! Super Cena locked in the STF (using the ropes for extra punishment), Rusev screamed in his mother tongue and sympathetic Lana (presumably able to translate) said: “He quits”.
Naomi & Tamina def. Bella Twins.
This wasn’t technically bad by any means. The major problem is how stale the Diva’s division has become; fresh talent from NXT is urgently required along with better storylines. Naomi won with the Rear View.
Neville beat King Barrett via count out.
Disappointing, it felt like they were holding back for a rematch. Predictably, that’s what happened the following night on Raw (Barrett won by taking advantage of Neville’s knee injury).In this glorified preview, Barrett deliberately got himself counted out then went back for a sneak attack. Neville countered with a suplex and hit Red Arrow for the ‘visual revenge’. Call me old fashioned but I like wrestling when television promotes PPV, not the other way round.
WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Fatal Four Way. Seth Rollins retained against Randy Orton, Roman Reigns & Dean Ambrose.
It was too soon to realistically believe a title change was on the cards but everything in-between exceeded expectations. Kane’s drama was quickly resolved as he showed loyalty to The Authority. That left room for the memorable moments to breathe.
For a brief time, Rollins, Reigns and Ambrose reunited (as The Shield) to triple powerbomb Orton through the announcers table. Their unity didn’t last long. Ambrose and Reigns got revenge on their backstabbing ex-teammate by powerbombing Kane to squash the ‘sell-out’ who was laid out on the Spanish announcers table. Ambrose’s expressions during this portion were top class throughout especially during the “loser buys the beers” face-off with Reigns.
After lots of shenanigans and false endings, Rollins pinned Orton with a sloppy looking Pedigree. This was the right call; Orton won’t lose anything taking the fall and it keeps Reigns and Ambrose strong for future title opportunities. As for Rollins, will he get too big for his boots and start claiming to be better than Triple H in the near future? Watch this space.
Overall, my partner and I were thoroughly entertained by most of the matches on the card. An impressive achievement considering the B-show nature of this event. Highlight of the night was either the fatal four way finale or Cena/Rusev depending on your preferences. Ladies tag and King Barrett/Neville were the only disappointments.
Without further delay, it’s time to review the show in greater detail.
Sheamus pinned Dolph Ziggler.
This was a solid opening contest that took a while to get going. It gradually shifted through the gears and had some decent near falls down the final stretch. Dolph got his ‘payback’ from Extreme Rules by smearing his arse cheek in Sheamus’s face. Glad that’s over and done with. Eventually, Ziggler came up bleeding after an ill-advised headbutt and fell victim to the Brogue Kick.
WWE Tag Team Championship.
Two out of three falls. New Day beat Cesaro & Tyson Kidd two falls to one.
Cesaro and Kidd took a 1-0 lead after their big swing into a dropkick combination. After this Kidd took a lengthy beating and Big E speared Cesaro through the ropes and onto the floor. That spot always looks impressive in replays. New Day levelled up after a botched double team move. In the last portion numerous false finishes thrilled the crowd, they chanted “this is awesome”. Then came the Xavier Woods switcheroo pin out of nowhere. My partner admonished the heels very loudly, some commentators criticised the ‘they look alike’ elements. I wasn’t bothered in the slightest, great match.
Bray Wyatt pinned Ryback.
Ryback’s ribs took a hammering. Wyatt performed an impactful senton to the outside that seemed to cause his opponent great discomfort. Later on Ryback unexpectedly hit a big splash from the top rope. Those arsenal additions should be saved for bigger shows in my opinion. After a finisher reversal sequence, Bray drove the ‘Big Guy’ into the exposed turnbuckle and hit Sister Abigail for the victory.
United States Championship.
I Quit match. John Cena won after Lana gave up on behalf of Rusev.
Their forth match was a stunt-filled brawl and fitting feud-ender that protected Rusev’s toughness. The Russian hero dominated from the start but Cena recovered and they fought into the crowd. A security barrier, guardrail and even pyrotechnics were used as weapons. Back in the ring, Cena attempted to power out of the Accolade but failed and passed out. The referee didn’t stop the match so Rusev removed the ropes and revived Cena with water, big mistake! Super Cena locked in the STF (using the ropes for extra punishment), Rusev screamed in his mother tongue and sympathetic Lana (presumably able to translate) said: “He quits”.
Naomi & Tamina def. Bella Twins.
This wasn’t technically bad by any means. The major problem is how stale the Diva’s division has become; fresh talent from NXT is urgently required along with better storylines. Naomi won with the Rear View.
Neville beat King Barrett via count out.
Disappointing, it felt like they were holding back for a rematch. Predictably, that’s what happened the following night on Raw (Barrett won by taking advantage of Neville’s knee injury).In this glorified preview, Barrett deliberately got himself counted out then went back for a sneak attack. Neville countered with a suplex and hit Red Arrow for the ‘visual revenge’. Call me old fashioned but I like wrestling when television promotes PPV, not the other way round.
WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Fatal Four Way. Seth Rollins retained against Randy Orton, Roman Reigns & Dean Ambrose.
It was too soon to realistically believe a title change was on the cards but everything in-between exceeded expectations. Kane’s drama was quickly resolved as he showed loyalty to The Authority. That left room for the memorable moments to breathe.
For a brief time, Rollins, Reigns and Ambrose reunited (as The Shield) to triple powerbomb Orton through the announcers table. Their unity didn’t last long. Ambrose and Reigns got revenge on their backstabbing ex-teammate by powerbombing Kane to squash the ‘sell-out’ who was laid out on the Spanish announcers table. Ambrose’s expressions during this portion were top class throughout especially during the “loser buys the beers” face-off with Reigns.
After lots of shenanigans and false endings, Rollins pinned Orton with a sloppy looking Pedigree. This was the right call; Orton won’t lose anything taking the fall and it keeps Reigns and Ambrose strong for future title opportunities. As for Rollins, will he get too big for his boots and start claiming to be better than Triple H in the near future? Watch this space.
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