Friday, April 8, 2016

What’s Up?  Where have I been? What are you all doing?

So, how is my Nerd Bacon family doing?  It may seem like I’ve disappeared, but I can assure you that I haven’t.  I’m alive (not sure about well, but more on that later) and still hanging around the Bacon.  I’ve been keeping up with the site’s reviews, news, and articles.  I’ve got to say that we’ve posted some really great stuff here recently.  So, how has everyone been?

What have I been doing?  Where have my reviews, or blog updates been?  Well, there are two reasons really.  The first one is….surgery.  Ugh.  Yup, I had some surgery back in February, that I thought, was going to be minor but turned out to take much more out of me than I had projected.  I mean who the hell knew surgery could be so traumatic to the mind, body, and human spirit?  I sure didn’t.  I do now though.  So, that’s my first “reason”.

The second?  Gaming burnout.  What is that exactly?  Well, quite frankly I’m sick of video games.  Well, that’s not true at all, I actually still love them and they are near and dear to me.  It’s just that most of the new games coming out are all….meh…and the games in my backlog aren’t really appealing to me either.  I need a good palate cleanse.  Something that will re-ignite my passion for video games.  Something fresh.  Something that doesn’t cater to genre standards or try “to hard” to be the “next big” thing.  Any suggestions?

I’ve thought about going back and playing some of my favorite games of all time, and perhaps I will.  I mean what’s a better dose of medicine for gamer burnout then replaying some of the best games ever! Games, that got me passionate about the industry in the first place?  I don’t have a good excuse as to why I haven’t started doing that yet. Sigh….

I’ve been playing Hitman Go recently, and added some new titles to my PS Vita collection in hopes that this “drought” goes away.  Nothing like a “legacy” console to get you in the right spirits!

I’m also eagerly awaiting the release of Uncharted 4.  Even if i’m still experiencing “gamer burnout” I wouldn’t be able to resist Naughty Dog’s latest game.  I’ve thought about getting some of the newer games out there like, The Division, Quantum Break, Pokken Tournament, or Trackmania Turbo.  But then I watch a few videos of those games, read articles and players’ thoughts and just get totally turned off.  I don’t know….but I’m just looking for something to play that feels different.  I know that’s a super generic statement, but hell it is what it is.

Hope everyone else is doing well!

Sunday, November 22, 2015

I’ve been meaning to update this page for awhile, but man sometimes life can really fly by.  Anyway, I’ll just cut to the chase.  Several weeks ago I was out picking up my copy of Yoshi’s Woolly World and got some amiibo to go along with it.  I could hear my doctor’s voice inside my head.  Yelling at me.  Swearing at me to not fall prey to the money-draining Amiibo.   Sadly, my doctor’s voice wasn’t enough.  I’m not sure what the next step is going to be for me, and frankly I don’t care.  The Amiibo.  They make me….They make me….well satisfied.   Their magical allure is absolutely mystifying to me.  I just can’t help it.

After I picked up my new Yoshi pals I headed over to Best Buy and found some re-stocked Amiibo.  Some of which included Dark Pit and Marth.  I also saw a copy of Onechanbara Z2 Chaos.  It was the Limited “Banana Split” Edition.  I didn’t really know anything about the game, but thanks to Nerd Bacon’s ChronoSloth  and his review I decided to pick this game up.  I haven’t had a chance to play it yet, but if your wandering what the Banana Split edition is then check out these pics.

 

 

And here are a few pics of the Yoshi and other select Amiibos I picked up.

MARIO CHALLENGE!!

Our Mario challenge is already underway at Nerd Bacon.com.  Some reviews have been popping up like crazy.  I haven’t gotten in on the challenge but don’t worry.  I’m not too far off.  Sadly, most of the games I own have already been reviewed for the site.  Here at the bacon opinions are more than welcome and that’s including seconds or even thirds.

There have been quite a few games that I started, but for some reason never finished them so I might start there.  This is a very “guessing” list.  I could end up reviewing these selections or I might just avoid them all together.  Here we goooooo!

1. Super Mario 64 – Wii (from eshop)
2. Captain Toad Treasure Tracker -Wii U
3. Yoshi’s Woolly World – Wii U
4. Yoshi’s NEW island – 3DS
5. Mario Party Island Tour – 3DS
6. Mario Kart 7 -3DS
7. Various Mario Party games (I own almost all of them, missing 10 and the DS one) So now would be a good time to pump out some board game reviews.
8. Mario Golf Toadstool Tour – 3DS
9. Super Mario Maker – Wii U

Those aren’t in any particular order either.  Honestly, I might also start to scour ebay for some good deals on older Mario games that I’ve never had a chance to play.  Who knows?  Does anybody have a preference on which games I should play for the challenge?  If so, let me know down below.  Who knows maybe I’ll review your game suggestion and give you kudos for it on the website.

I’ve got some more Amiibo info coming, but I think I’m being watched….better keep my head down and be quiet.

Saturday, October 17, 2015

So, it’s official.  I’ve been  poisoned.  I went and saw my doctor and he said that I’d been poisoned, no doubt. Treatment will begin soon for my Amiibo poison. Got to get in front of this thing before it gets worse.  At least that’s what my doctor told me.

Last Saturday I had a bunch of errands to run.  Things like getting toothpaste, more razors, and that sort of stuff.  So, I decided to do some general Amiibo hunting while I was out.  There is also a local Toy Store that is in the middle of nowhere.  Like, seriously this place is always deserted.  Yet, there stock is always filled like crazy!  I remember as a kid that my mom would take me to this Toy Store when I wanted to go shopping because they always had a bigger selection of Toys.

I wasn’t expecting a whole lot, but holy cow I hit the JACKPOT!!  This place was an Amiibo heaven!  Little Mac, Shulk, Lucario, Star Fox and more.  This place was gushing out in Amiibo stock.  I know some Amiibo have been restocked, but I’m not sure which ones have and which ones have not.  I mean I thought Little Mac was rare.  Isn’t Shulk going for 30+ dollars on ebay?

The biggest shock of my Amiibo adventure was how many of each kind there were.  Probably at least 10 Shulks, 15 Little Macs, 40 Star Foxes, and 50 Greninjas.  I mean this place was a gold mine.  Or perhaps these Amiibo have just been restocked and I wasn’t as lucky as I thought.  Nonetheless, I couldn’t help myself and went Amiibo crazy.

Check below for all the pics of the Amiibo’s I picked up last week.  I know some of the pictures aren’t that clear so here is a full list.

• Ganondorf
• Bowser Jr.
• Pac-man
• Bowser
• Charizard
• Lucario
• Greninja
• Chibi-Robo
• Little Mac
• Star Fox
• Peach (super smash bros)
• Link
• Olimar
• Luigi (super smash bros)
• Diddy Kong
• Donkey Kong
• Captain Falcon
• Zero Suit Samus
• Bowser (super mario)
• Yoshi (super mario)
• Peach (super mario)
• Luigi (super mario)
• Sonic
• Shulk
• Retro Super Mario

I also picked up a cool Amiibo display case.  So, overall it was a pretty sweet day for Amiibo shopping.  I still haven’t opened any of them yet. Ha Ha.  Still can’t decide on slicing those bad boys open or not.

On another note, my credit cards, checking account, and wallet have all gone AWOL on me.  I was left a ton of voice mails from my wallet yelling at me for leaving it out to dry.  My credit cards have gone missing and told me to screw myself.  What’s up with that?  I think I’m facing a mutiny here.

When I got home there was a message on my garage door.  It read “how could you do this to us? We are your friends. You will pay!”  I’m not sure what to make of that?  Could it be some kind of prank?

Anyways, enjoy the pictures.

Friday, October 9, 2015

Happy October!!  Nerd Bacon is in full force with our spooky theme.  I’ve already dug into several survival horror games myself.  I recently played through all of The Evil Within’s DLC.  I’m working on reviewing all three of them at the moment, as well as working/playing a few other creepy games.  Here’s a hint as to one that you should be seeing soon:  This game is foggy in more ways than one, and can leave your mind and body sore.

 

More importantly I have some exciting news to share with Nerd Bacon.  I got a PS4!!  Naturally, anytime I spend a big amount of money I always feel guilty about it, but I’m having a blast with the PS4 so far.  I even have a few pictures for you.

As you can see I picked up the PS4 Last of Us bundle.  Sadly, I bought this before the recently announced price drop!! YIKES!!  I’m totally kicking myself right now for not waiting another 2 weeks.  But how was I supposed to know a price drop was coming?  I also picked up a red Dualshock 4.  I always like having a second controller handy for my consoles.  Never know when it will come in handy.  Maybe a friend comes over, the black controller loses its charge, or sometimes having two controllers can help you “cheat” in certain games.

Games

So, what am I going to be playing on my new system?  Take a look.

Those are the current five games that I have for the system.  I already know what I’m going to be playing first, but think you can guess?  Hint:  What month is it?

Additionally, are there any games you’d like to see me review in particular over the other?  Or do you have any suggestions on games to add to my collection?  Let me know down below.

I upgraded my hard drive to a 2TB HDD, so I’m going to have more than enough space to “game” this gen.  It was actually a really easy process.  I can’t believe how accessible Sony has made it.  I know the Xbox One doesn’t support an internal hard drive swap, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Microsoft changed that in the future.

Amiibo

Okay, this is directly for The Cubist.  I have been avoiding Amiibo’s for EVER!! I could go on for days as to why, but I’ll skip past that part and go straight for the meat.  That’s the Nerd Bacon way afterall.  So, I’m…..well I don’t know how I feel just yet, but I finally bought some Amiibo!

Those are the seven Amiibo’s I picked up.  I still haven’t opened them and since I bought those pictured above. I also picked up a Super Smash Bros Mario, Super Mario Series Yoshi, and Super Mario Series Toad.  Those are all still sealed as well.  I’m going to open at least one of them, but since I still don’t know how I feel about Amiibo and the “collection vs. gameplay” purpose that they serve, I’m holding off opening some for a bit.  I’m not a scalper, but I’d like to get something back if I decided to resell them.

I’m not fully committed to trying to collect them all yet, which is partially why I haven’t opened them yet.  The thing for me is do I want to start a collection?  Yes, or no?  If, yes then I need to commit and go for it 100%.  It’s just the way I am.  If no, then I’ll just keep an eye out for some of the cooler Amiibo’s I spot in the wild.  We’ll see what the future brings but I’ve been bitten by the Amiibo bug.  I just don’t know if it’s poison has any effect on me or not.

Saturday, September 12, 2015

Yo, what’s going on Baconeers?  Welcome to my very first blog post.  I’m not quite 100% sure what to do with this space yet, but I’ll figure it out as the time goes.  There are two things I’d like to cover here.  The Future of Gaming (related to me) and Sports.   If some of you don’t know who the hell I am I strongly suggest taking a quick glance at my author/about page.

Now, let’s get started.

 

PlayStation 4

So I plan on buying myself one of these very soon, by the end of October I hope.   I find myself stuck between a rock and a hard place.  You see, I’m not really sure what to do about my hard drive.  I know the 500GB won’t even come close to being enough space so, initially, I was just going to upgrade to a 1TB hard drive.  However, the more I thought it over the more I got to thinking that 1TB might not be enough!!  Based on last gen, I preferred the PS3 to the 360 for all my multi-plats/third party games, and my PS3 library far exceeds that of my 360 collection.  So, I’m going of the assumption that the PS4 will be my primary system while the Xbox One will be my secondary console.  If this turns out to be the case and this current gen last somewhere around 8 years, I’m going to need a shit ton of memory.

Past experience from last gen has taught me that it’s no fun to “upgrade” your hard drive after the older one has gotten full.  Transferring all that data….it takes far too long, and I always worry I’ll screw something up and delete important info by mistake.  So, this time I decided to just upgrade the hard drive from the get go but that has presented some problems.

1. Will this void my warranty?  I know Sony has made exchanging out the PS4’s hard drive very easy, but I have no clue as to if this would void out any sort of warranty that would come with the system.  I hope not.
2. Should I go with the 1TB or 2TB?  Obviously, that 2TB is going to cost a HUGE chunk of change, and I hate to over do it and by more storage space than I’m ever really going to need.  At the same time I don’t want to bother with upgrading my hard drive half-way through the generation.  You see my dilemma?
3. Finally, what brand should I get?  There are hundreds of manufactures out there that make hard drives for a PS4, but which one should I choose?  I want it to be 100% reliable with no chance of ever “accidentally” wiping out all the data on it.  Sadly, I think my lack of hard drive manufacturers knowledge is going to lead me to reading a bunch of online reviews.  This is good and bad.  It can be hard sometimes to filter the “legit” customers vs the ones who just want to rage about something they caused themselves.

Either way, what does this mean for you?  Well, it means more reviews from me that will be coming straight from the PS4!!

 

Sports

So, you may or may not know that I’m a pretty big sports fan, and with the NFL getting started I wanted to do something fun with this space.  I love the NFL and can’t wait for Sunday’s games to get here.  I’ve got my fantasy leagues started and my own predictions for how the season will turn out.  Every year it seems like all these so called “experts” put out their predictions on Super Bowl matchups and divisional winners etc.  I’m not much for calling the playoffs so early, but I figured what the heck!  I’ll write up my own NFL 2015 preview.  So here it goes.

(a few quick notes.   I didn’t look 100% through each team’s schedule so some record predictions could be slightly “off” as they may be mathematically impossible.  Also, I won’t go into a long paragraph for each team.  Just a few notes and that’s about it. )

 

NFC WEST

Seahawks  (11-5)

There is no doubt how good this team is going to be.  Back to back NFC Champions, adding TE Jimmy Graham, and bringing back most of the core team from last year. Most of their losses will be to divisional opponents and probably a game or two against a team they “should” beat.

Cardinals  (10-6)

I love Bruce Arians as a coach, but I’m not the biggest fan of QB Carson Palmer.  That offense has plenty of weapons and Arizona has a heck of a scary defense.  This team is going to rely heavily on that D, and hope that Palmer can stay healthy for a full 16 games.

Rams  (8-8)

Jeff Fischer is a great coach, their Defense is phenomenal (a trend in the NFC West), and they got a new, average, QB Nick Foles.  The Rams’s don’t suck, but they still lack some key players to get them over  the tough NFC West.

49ers  (5-11)

The ‘Niners are my second favorite team in the league, so this is a tough one for me.  A new head coach, drastical offseason overhaul (how many players retired/left the team?), and Kap is still leading that team behind center.  Alex Smith would have one the Niners the Super Bowl 2 seasons ago if he had started over Kaepernick.  Sorry, Niners faithful but Colin just doesn’t have the brains to take this team anywhere special.

 

NFC EAST

Giants (11-5)

Don’t forget that QB and Head Coach duo of Manning-Coughlin have already won two Super Bowls together.  Add in a healthy Victor Cruz and the insane Odell Beckham Jr. and Eli is bound to get this team to the postseason.

Cowboys (9-7)

Everybody seems to be high on the ‘Boys, but not me.  Romo chokes in pressure situations and that amazing offensive line has nobody to run behind it now that DeMarco Murray left town.  The ‘Boys will win some games against tough opponents and lose some games against some awful opponents.  Inconsistency is their kryptonite.

Eagles (7-9)

Chip Kelly is not a God.   He might disagree, but I don’t care.  You kick your Pro Bowl Running Back, Wide Receiver (two years in a row), and trade away a proven QB for an injured one.  Yup, I’d be surprised if Philly isn’t calling for Kelly’s head by mid-season.

Redskins (2-14)

There is always that “one” team each year who just flat out suck.  Nothing positive to say here.   Okay, that’s not entirely true.  Redskins fans can look forward to the 2016 1st round overall draft pick!

NFC SOUTH

Buccaneers (9-7)

One of the hardest divisions to predict and not because the teams are so good, but because they all are mediocre.  It’s really a toss-up.  I’m going with the Bucs because every year a team goes from rags to riches.  With Winston behind center why not the Bucs?

Falcons (9-7)

Ryan, White, and Jones are still a great offensive duo and with a new head coach that will focus on the Defense you’ve got to believe things are headed in the right direction.  Still though, I think they lose out on the division crown due to a tie-breaker.

Panthers (7-9)

Cam Newton is a beast, but a beast can only do so much solo.  It’s a shame that WR Kelvin Benjamin is out for the year because Newton has nothing on offense to help him now.  TE Olson is on the tail end of his career and while that Defense will still be stout, Carolina’s offense will hold them back from taking the division for the third straight year.

Saints (5-11)

I really feel bad for Brees and the city of New Orleans.  They both deserve so much better.  It couldn’t have been more obvious this offseason that the Saints were having a fire sale.  Unfortunately, for them that fire is still blazing.

 

NFC NORTH

Packers (11-5)

I would give them some more wins, but with Jordy Nelson out for the year, and WR Cobb heading into the season not quite 100% is going to cause Green Bay some struggles.   Still, they have Rodgers so he’ll find a way to get this team into playing far beyond December.

Vikings (10-6)

This seems to be the “hot pick” by a lot of people this year and I can’t argue.  Teddy Bridgewater got all his rookie bumps out of the way last season and All-Pro RB Adrian Peterson is coming back.  Peterson may be a year older age wise, but his “football” body took a year off last year and those legs have more room to run.  Don’t forget about Cordarrelle Patterson and the once Steeler stud WR Mike Wallace.  This offense is more loaded than people realize.

Lions (9-7)

Another inconsistent team.  Last year looked liked they were headed up, but with Rodgers still around in Green Bay and the Vikings on the uprise, Detroit is in for a tough battle for a playoff spot, and I just don’t think Stafford is the guy to carry this team through those rough patches.

Bears (4-12)

Cutler will be Cutler.  He’s going to cost the Bears a lot of games and he’ll probably win them a few.  No offense to Head Coach John Fox, but this was the wrong team to go to.

AFC WEST

Broncos (11-5)

Peyton has gotten older, but his brain is just as sharp.  I’m not buying into the “old-(man)ning” hype.  They won’t look as pretty as past seasons, but they still get the job done.

Chiefs (10-6)

If this team had a solid Offensive line I’d probably declare them Super Bowl champs now.  QB Alex Smith won’t make careless mistakes and he’s surrounded by one of the best offensive trios in football with Charles, Kelce, and Maclin.  This defense was also ranked #2 last season in fewest pass yards allowed so they’ve got plenty of potential.

Chargers (8-8)

This is probably the one pick I’m not so confident in.  You just never know which Chargers team is going to show up on Sunday.  They have enough talent to make a post-season run, but the team also lacks veteran leadership and loses far too many games because of stupid penalties.

Raiders (7-9)

This team will lose the moniker “laughing stock of the league” this season.   However, there division has WAY too much veteran presence at QB and Head Coach for me to give Oakland the nod here.  New Coach Jack Del Rio can get things turned around, but not this quickly.

NFC EAST

Patriots (12-4)

They are the defending champs.  Brady and Belichick are still a duo.   These guys don’t miss the playoffs unless a crucial injury hits their team.

Dolphins (9-7)

One of two things will happen with Miami this year.  They will either start out hot and go 6-2 to begin the season then flame out towards the end, or do the exact opposite.  Start out cold and heat up once winter football arrives.  Either way it won’t be enough to get them into the postseason.

Bills (6-10)

I love the Bills Defense and under Rex Ryan it could be the #1 defense in football.  I’m also more than aware at their above average O-line, new RB LeSean Mccoy, and Sammy Watkins playing wideout.  The Bills still don’t have a QB, so those weapons will end up going useless.

Jets (4-11)

With or without Geno Smith I didn’t think this team was going very far.  Coach Todd Bowles and his defensive toys Revis and Cromartie will make the Jets D more respectable, but that offense can only rely on so much “fitzmagic” from their Harvard grad journey-man QB Ryan Fitzpatrick.

NFC SOUTH

Colts (13-3)

Andrew Luck gets two veteran players with Frank Gore and Andre Johnson.  Each year this team has taken a step closer to the Super Bowl.   Add in the fact they play in the AFC’s weakest division and you get a team running away with this one.

Texans (7-9)

If these guys had a QB and some offensive weapons I’d probably put them in the postseason no doubt.  J.J. Watt is a freak of nature, but a defense can only carry a team so much.  This team struggles until RB Arian Foster returns and they start to make a late season push for the playoffs.  I’m guessing it will be too little too late.

Titans (5-11)

Mariota goes through his rookie bumps as an NFL starting QB.  Overall, the team will look better than last season but their schedule is to tough and there team to inexperienced to make substantial progress this season.  It’s all about building for next year for the Titans.

Jaguars (4-12)

These guys take a step back from last year.  Honestly, there really isn’t a single threat on offense or defense for this team.  There No. 1 draft choice is hurt and key free agent acquisition TE Julius Thomas is also nursing an injury.  Maybe the Jags will end up in L.A. next year?

AFC NORTH

Ravens (11-5)

Hard to believe this team nearly beat the Super Bowl Champion Patriots in the playoffs last year.  Flacco and company build on last year’s success and win the Division.

Bengals (10-6)

I don’t know what it is with the Bengals but they can play football during the regular season.  Come playoff time is an entirely different story.  They get into the post-season but not much farther, which will probably call for Dalton to be kicked to the curb.

Steelers (8-8)

This may shock some people due to the Steelers’ offensive weapons.   I’m not worried about their offense, it’s their defense that scares me.  Polamalu retired and the rest of that D is just too old to keep up, or too young to know what is left from right.  That explosive Steelers offense goes wasted this season because of a cruddy D.

Browns (3-13)

I don’t care who plays QB for this team they’re just spinning in circles at this point.  They had a horrendous offseason bringing in free agent WR Dwayne Bowe and signing him to a 9m dollar contract (for a guy who scored ZERO touchdowns last season). Plus your QB options are an ageing McCown or a playboy in Johnny Manziel?  Cleveland is already looking forward to next season.

 

As I mentioned earlier I’m not the biggest fan of predicting the Super Bowl and playoffs so early.  However, I figured I might as well go along with it here since I’ve already done half the work.

Round 1

AFC

1 seed- Colts–Bye

2 seed – Patriots — Bye

3 seed Broncos vs.  6 seed Bengals

4 seed Ravens vs. 5 seed Chiefs

NFC

1 seed- Seahawks– Bye

2 seed- Giants–Bye

3 seed Packers vs. 6 seed Cardinals

4 Seed Bucs vs 5 seed Vikings

Round 2

AFC

seed 1 Colts vs seed 5 Chiefs

seed 2 Patriots vs seed 3 Broncos

NFC

seed 1 Seahawks vs seed 5 Vikings

seed 2 Giants vs seed 3 Packers

Round 3

AFC Championship

1 seed Colts vs 2 seed Patriots

NFC Championship

2 seed Giants vs 5 seed Vikings

Final Round

Super Bowl

2 seed Giants vs 1 seed Colts

Winner:  New York Giants.  They may be a dark horse, but hey, if we’ve learned anything from the Pats the last couple of years it’s that a great QB/Coach combo can go a long way.  Manning and Coughlin get there third this year…….maybe….

 

Until next time, Baconeers that’s all I’ve got.  Let me know what you think I should do about my PS4 hard drive.  Or comment on my NFL picks.  Am I a complete idiot?  Or an utter genius? Let me know and take care.