Jason Jiang

God of Oar – The Final Update

May 1, 2019 by Jason Jiang Leave a Comment

God of Oar is a single player, side-scrolling, RPG, beat-em-up style game set on the high seas. Players play as Bob the Pirate defending his treasure from a horde of lily-livered bilge rats that want a piece of the pie. Using his trusty oar, Bob must defeat the onslaught of enemies in order to keep the booty safe while keeping himself alive. Points are racked up based on how many enemies are defeated, and the game ends when either the treasure is breached or Bob gets himself killed. Go for that high score matey!

As a one level mini-game in its current stage, God of Oar is marketed towards quick and fun gameplay. This is ideal for the current wave of time killing mini-games that are flooding the online app stores. The game is currently only available for PC.

Download Link (.zip): https://osf.io/g8p5y/

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A Hat in Time – Critical Analysis

April 17, 2019 by Jason Jiang 3 Comments

The self-claimed cute-as-heck 3D platformer, A Hat in Time, was released on October 5, 2017, for PC, MacOS, and consoles. Taking inspiration from Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie and similar in style to Spyro and Mario Odyssey, this 3D adventure sees the protagonist Hat Kid trying to retrieve Time Pieces from each act and chapter after losing them in a raid on her spaceship. Using her trusty hats and badges, Hat Kid brings her cool attitude and cuteness wherever she goes. Sporting a variety of dazzling environments, engaging puzzles, and unique characters, there’s something here for everyone. At the time of writing, A Hat in Time is rated 10/10 on Steam.

Furthermore, on September 13, 2018, A Hat in Time: Seal the Deal, was made available for players to download and install a mod-like chapter to their game repertoire. Though only getting a 6/10 on Steam, Seal the Deal also introduce the Death Wish mode where players can test their skills in a checklist-based challenge. This mode ultimately targets the hardcore players as causals may find it almost impossible to complete these levels without relying on the easy mode where they can be activated by using in Pons (in-game currency). A Hat in Time also supports fan-made mods thus further increasing the game’s replay value and customization.

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God of Oar – Midterm Update

March 28, 2019 by Jason Jiang Leave a Comment

Peggy the Pirate

Progress has been slow as time and other obligations being a big constraint amongst our team. Nevertheless, now with all hands on deck, the expected release date will still be on target. Hope ye be ready for a swashbuckling good time in the final release.

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Etrian Odyssey: Nexus (2019) vs. The Original (2007)

March 15, 2019 by Jason Jiang 1 Comment

The long-anticipated game Etrian Odyssey Nexus (2019) was released earlier this year in North America and PAL regions on February 5, 2019 for the 3DS. This dungeon crawler RPG gained a niche following and never really went mainstream, but its use of events, quests, engaging adventure, and unique exploration bring back players time and time again. Not to mention the cute and cool character designs. Nexus is the final successor of the original Etrian Odyssey (2007), released on January 18, 2007 for the DS, and will be the last of its IP on the DS/3DS family. Even for the Nintendo Switch, no plans are currently being made by Altus on the future of the franchise.

Over the course of 12 years and multiple sequels and spinoffs since the release of Etrian Odyssey, it’s not hard to believe that changes have been made for better or for worse. With the upgraded hardware of the 3DS compared to the DS, Nexus has all the added benefits of a joystick and better internals that Etrian Odyssey lacks. Even on the software side, Nexus beats out Etrian Odyssey on features and controls the player has access to which shouldn’t come as a surprise. Today we’ll take a look at how far Etrian Odyssey Nexus has come compared to its original predecessor and whether or not it lives up to the series’ standards.

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God of Oar – Initial Pitch

February 24, 2019 by Jason Jiang Leave a Comment

You are Peggy the Pirate. You have traced a map all the way to the treasure and found it yourself. Now everybody wants a share of your hard work but you will have none of it. Enemies will try to board your ship, take your treasure, and even attack you. Fight off the enemies for as long as you can…

Peggy the Pirate

Ahoy there matey! I hope ye got what it takes to take on the seven seas and protect your treasure from those lily-livered bilge rats looking to plunder your hard earned loot! No God of War will be born here, but a God of Oar will be echoed throughout the ages!

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