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APIXELATED TECHNOLOGY AND MAGAZINE Vol. VIII - NO 01 - Winter 2019

Super Bros. 2018’s Ultimate Switch Essential CONTENT

4 6 The Model 3 Cross Platform Gaming by Lorenzo Hess by Arden Chen

PIXELATED TECHNOLOGY Andre Dang 8 New iPhones by Siddiq Nanabawa Libby Mather Editors-In-Chief 10 U vs. Switch by Jayer Yang

Ryan Eastep GAMING Managing Editor 14 Competitive by Ryan Eastep & Chris Ha 16 Game Worlds Pratham Gandhi by Spencer Kahn Ryan Leung Design Editors 18 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate by Ryan Leung 22 Pokemon Go Lorenzo Hess by Ernesto Marks Mark Fernandez 23 Pokemon Let’s Go Victor Dimitrov by Ryan Eastep Content Editors 24 NBA 2K19 by Mark Fernandez Keith Renner Faculty Advisor

-2- PIXELATED 12 20 Spider-Man PS4 Red Dead Redemption by Mark Fernandez by Victor Dimitrov

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

Dear Readers,

Thanks for picking up our first issue of Pixelated this year! We and our writers have put a lot of work into this issue, and we couldn’t be more excited to finally showcase our work with all of you guys. We’re very proud of what we’ve done and are really happy that we can share it with all of you, and hope that you enjoy every minute reading this edition. If any reader is inspired by what they see here feel free to contact either of us if you want to write for us in the next issue! We can use what we learned this season to make things even better for next time, and we would love others to join the ride. Special thanks goes to our Design Editors, who have the credit for the awesome layout you’re looking at right now. We hope you have as much fun reading this as we did making it!

Your EICs, Andre Dang Libby Mather Editors-in-Chief, Volume VIII

PIXELATED -3- THE MODEL 3

by Lorenzo Hess

esla Motors looks to accelerate similarly priced to the Model S. Both the largely due to the Model 3 of the 83,500 the world’s shift towardsModel S and Model X were produced at mid vehicles produced in that quarter, 53,239 sustainable technologies. They volume, and are more available compared were Model 3. While this profit has only aimT to create fully electric cars that are to the low-volume Roadster. The next been for one quarter, it serves as a sign that “better, quicker and more fun to drive than major step, which has already begun and once productioW kinks are worked out, it is gasoline cars.” During the decades before is arguably more than halfway complete, is possible to profit by selling a mass-market Tesla was founded, electric cars did not to produce the Model 3, an electric sedan. electric car. offer any particular advantage over gasoline Produced at high volume for a low price, cars, other than, of course, being zero it will be even more affordable than the “The Master Plan tailpipe emission vehicles. Other than their Model S and X. For reference, the Roadster environmental appeal, there was little reason was originally sold for around $110,00, started with a proof to opt for them: electric cars had much less while current base prices for the Model range than gasoline vehicles and took much S and Model X are $78,000 and $84,000, of concept, then longer to charge than a gasoline car took to respectively. The cheapest version of the refuel. For electric cars to become appealing Model 3 is $35,00W0, less than half of the progressed by to consumers they would have to at least price of the S and X, although this version is increasing the have a competent range and low charging not yet in production. time. Tesla made sure to check off both of The Master Plan started with a proof of production volume these boxes, and then went even further. concept, then progressed by increasing the Their self-driving , sleek aesthetic, production volume while decreasing the while decreasing the and a host of other factors make them price of the vehicle with each model. As price of the vehicle cheaper and more appealing than gasoline production volume is increased, the risk vehicles. Along with a longer-lasting involved and resources needed to produce with each model.” battery, Tesla offers its drivers access to its the vehicles increases. Tesla started with own Supercharger network, a network of a low risk car that did not require many Tesla has shown that there is a huge fast battery charging stations. The chargers, resources to produce. As more people market surrounding electric vehicle known as “Superchargers,” can charge Teslas bought Teslas, the company’s resources and their related technologies, from the to approximately 80% battery capacity in increased, allowing it to produce the Model production of lithium-ion batteries and to 30 minutes. The Highway Traffic S and Model X. Consumers liked these the seamless integration of a car’s software Safety Administration has given Teslas cars, and with revenue from the S and X and hardware. The Model 3 production has 5-star safety ratings in every category. Tesla could begin producing the Model 3. ramped up over the past year and Tesla’s To achieve its ambitious goals, Tesla Because the Model 3 is a mass market car third quarter profits have put pressure on has followed CEO and Co-founder Elon and will dramatically increase revenue for other car companies to begin electrifying Musk’s Master Plan, which outlines Tesla, it essential to Tesla’s business model. their fleet or else risk losing a crucial spot necessary steps and milestones for the A successful Model 3 will allow Tesla will to in the electric vehicle market. In September company. Musk’s Master Plan began with further expand and start production of the 2017, Mercedes-Benz announced a $1 producing the Tesla Roadster, a high-end Model Y, the Tesla Semi truck, and the Tesla billion investment to ramp up production car manufactured at a low volume and sold pickup truck. of electric cars in the US. In January 2018, for a high price. The Roadster served (and In addition to being important to Tesla Ford announced it would increase its still serves) as proof that an electric car with as a business, the Model 3 is crucial to the electric vehicle investment to $11 billion both competent range and great aesthetics survival of electric cars in general. If Tesla by 2022 and would plan to have 40 hybrid could be produced. The Master Plan went can demonstrate that it can profit from and fully electric vehicles available by then. on to include the production of an four- an appealing, affordable, mass-produced Volkswagen plans to invest a staggering €44 door electric sedan more affordable than electric car, it will ensure that electric billion ($50 billion) into the production the Roadster, the Model S. Tesla eventually vehicles are recognized as viable products. of electric vehicles and self-driving added another step to the plan and produced Tesla’s 3rd quarter of 2018 was its third most technologies by 2023. the Model X, an electric SUV which is profitable quarter since 2013 and 2016,

-4- | TECHNOLOGY PIXELATED by Lorenzo Hess

PIXELATED TECHNOLOGY | -5- ideo games date back to the in their games- cross platform gaming. and so if players matched against each 1950s, when the simplest video Major companies like , other in a first person shooter, for example, games were being developed and are looking to expand their it would be very unfair - using keyboard on punchV cards with the earliest computer scope in video games without coming up and mouse on a high-functioning device systems. Fast forward thirty years, and with brand new games. At this point, most is simply faster and more accurate than dedicated video consoles are made non-exclusive games have been ported to having to swipe on a small screen, with and used publically. From the 80s to the other platforms, usually the consoles or its limited control capabilities. Games like current day, video game consoles have PC, as they are the largest platforms. The avoid this problem, as their constantly evolving and improving. issue for developers is the optimization game is based solely on clicking/touching Companies such as Apple, IBM, , and of their games, as different devices have - because of this, Blizzard Entertainment later Nintendo and , have been major different control setups, different graphics allows players to match up cross-platform. players in the development of video game capabilities, and different software However, on their other title Overwatch, systems. Today, the major platforms on systems than their native device. Right which is available for both console and which video games are made and played now, most games can[A6] successfully be PC, they do not implement cross-platform are the personal computers, the dedicated ported onto separate devices; however, capabilities. Some console companies do consoles, and the mobile devices, though intercommunication between devices has not allow cross-platform communication, they are less common than the computer been limited. which is part of the reason why many or console. Video game consoles fill a The main issue with games do not have this capability. Also, long list of various devices optimized intercommunication is that certain as a first-person shooter, the mouse can specifically for gaming, while PCs and devices have an intrinsic disadvantage simply turn faster than the controller’s mobile devices have video games as one against others, which is a problem , giving it an advantage. Console of their many functions. especially for competitive games. players and PC players have also each Recently, as more and more platforms Generally, mobile devices have a lot less developed a separate community, and have been added, developers have been capability in graphics, processing power senior designer Jeremy Craig has stated looking to incorporate a new feature and control than the console or the PC, that Blizzard wishes to keep it this way.

-6- | TECHNOLOGY PIXELATED CROSS PLATFORM by Arden Chen

This example is true of most other first- and the communications capability. In all both platforms anyways, with a small person shooter games. of these fields small devices are severely minority of players playing with keyboard Because of these advantages and weaker than computers, simply due to and mouse on the PC, playing with a slight communities, for most games, cross their size and the necessary sizes of their disadvantage. As the controller better platform gaming becomes limited to components. Many times, storage also emulates the sensation of driving and having multiple versions of one game becomes an issue, as games can use up a flying, that is the system most popular available on different devices. The hit lot of disk space, which smaller devices for the game, allowing the game to one of single player game , cannot have. a few that successfully implement cross originally released for the PC through The competitive game platform gaming competitively. Steam, was ported to mobile devices in Cross platform gaming is a relatively mid-October 2018, as a separate game. “The main issue with new technology that has its advantages The developer is planning for players intercommunication is that and its disadvantages. Many developers to be able to import and export saves certain devices have an use it to expand their user base without between platforms, which is a nice feature having to create an entirely new game, available to single player games. intrinsic disadvantage and spread their game out to reach more The PC and console host the largest against others” customers. However, its limitations communities of gaming, as they have mean that it is unusable competitively, stronger capabilities than other smaller is another example of a game which has and connection between platforms relies devices, and some are even built gained success with strong cross-platform on the style of the game itself. Cross specifically for this purpose. Therefore, capabilities. Originally released for platform gaming is a feature that will many games are simply ported between both PC and console platforms, players be experimented more by developers in these two systems, without hitting mobile regularly play against opponents on other order to find better uses for it, and has a devices. The main reasons for this are devices. The main reason this works is lot of potential in the future of gaming. the control setup, the graphics potential, that most players use the controller on

PIXELATED TECHNOLOGY | -7- -8- | TECHNOLOGY PIXELATED NEW IPHONES

by Siddiq Nanabawa

he iPhone XS, XS Max and XR their exposure and puts them all together more than 10 minutes. Although, there are were the latest iPhones to be in order to make the image as detailed some minor differences between the XS/XS released in October of this year. as possible. Another new feature that the Max and the XR, the XR makes up for it as ManyT people claim that they are a major iPhone XS and XS Max have is that they it costs almost $200 less. improvement from the iPhone X and that contain the new A12 Bionic chip. The chip The iPhone XS is available in three they are worth every penny. One of the allows the phones to be up to 15% faster different colors which are silver, gold and newest features is the screen display, which than the iPhone X, while using less battery space gray and it is also available with can range from 5.8 inches up to 6.5 inches. power. Lastly, the iPhone XS and XS Max 64GB, 256GB or 512GB, each costing $999, In addition to the increased screen display, is rated IP68 water resistant, which means $1,149 or $1,349 respectively. The iPhone the new iPhones also contain many new that we can leave these phones in up to 7 XS Max is also available in the same colors features that make them stand out from the feet of water for approximately 30 minutes. as well as the same amount of GB, however iPhone X which was released in November, Although the new features of the XS and the it costs $100 more due to its larger 2017. Now join me, and let’s see if the XS max may justify buying a $1000 phone, display. The iPhone XR on the other hand iPhone XS, XS Max and XR really are an the iPhone XR isn’t much different is available in a multitude of different colors improvement and if they are worth every One of the differences is that the iPhone which consist of white, black, blue, yellow, penny. XR has a pixel density of 326 ppi and its coral and red. The XR is also available with One of the most important features display is only 6.1 inches, which is larger 64GB for $748, 128GB for $799 and 256GB of the iPhone XS and XS Max is their than the XS but smaller than the XS Max. for $899. amazing displays. The iPhone XS has the The display makes up for some of the XR’s Overall, the iPhone XS, XS Max and same display as the original iPhone X, shortcomings, however it is not as sharp or XR all have significant changes from the which was 5.8 inches, and the iPhone XS color-accurate as its peers. On top of the iPhone X. These changes range from an Max has a display of 6.5 inches. These difference in pixel density, the iPhone XR improvement in the cameras all the way iPhones have the most color-accurate has a ram of 3GB compared to the 4GB to a change in the phones processor. The and brightest displays out of all of Apple’s ram of the XS and XS Max. Compared new processor is responsible for making , due to the fact that they both to the 12 mega-pixel cameras of the the phone significantly faster while using have a pixel density of 480 ppi. In addition XS and XS Max, the XR’s is not quite as less battery power and there is also a vast to the displays, the iPhone XS and XS Max impressive, but it is still able to use the improvement in the camera. In the end, both contain dual 12-megapixel cameras same photography tricks as the XS and XS the new iPhones are much better than the which provide the phones with 2 times Max, such as Smart HDR. The XR is also iPhone X, however if you don’t want to optical zoom as well as 10 times digital more vulnerable to water damage, being spend $1,000 on a phone, the iPhone XR zoom. The phones also contain Smart rated rated IP67 rather than IP68 water is the way to go as it isn’t much different HDR which will increase the detail and resistant. However, this isn’t such a major than the XS and Xs Max and is significantly color in your pictures. The Smart HDR difference as it’s very unlikely that someone cheaper. works by taking several photos that vary in is going to leave their phone in water for

PIXELATED TECHNOLOGY | -9- -10- | TECHNOLOGY PIXELATED VS. SWITCH

Jayer Yang

ver since the was for the Wii U over its five-year lifespan. Nintendo, who offered a free repair service, introduced on March 3, 2017, under In fact, the Switch, as of October 2018, has provided the Switch was in its warranty period, the codename Nintendo NX, an sold close to 23 million total units, compared of course. The Switch is enjoying constant eternalE question has remained: Is it truly to the 13.5 million total units of the Wii U. updates to its software compared to the Wii better than its predecessor, the Wii U? Now, The two console’s respective prices were U, where major software patches came only after over a year since the Switch’s debut, the also the same, so the price wasn’t a deciding once or twice a year at best, leaving glaring time has come to resolve it once and for all. factor in the sales. What really helped make problems in its UI, and eventually, technical A key point of comparison is between the difference between the two were the specs. support slowed dramatically towards the end the games library and the amount of content The Wii U’s introduced us to the of the Wii U’s run. The Switch’s ongoing live released for each console. One of the factors possibility of a true handheld console but was service is faring much better than that of the most attributed to the poor initial sales of limited by the fact that it couldn’t go more than Wii U, which means a much more enjoyable the Wii U was the weak lineup of games that a couple of feet away from the main console. gaming experience on the Switch overall. were offered at launch, the most notable ones The Switch built on that possibility by creating In conclusion, is the Switch better than being New Super Bros. U, , a console that could double as a handheld the Wii U? Yes. Obviously. But to compare and FIFA. A total of 30 titles shipping with the device and a traditional home console. two consoles released so far apart as equals system in the US didn’t make the splash it was Functionality was not impeded by having wouldn’t be fair. The Wii U wasn’t a complete intended to, especially with the lack of original a dual-purpose system, either. The Switch dunce of a console. Without the and games as opposed to simple ports or minor features a 6.2-inch, 1280 × 720p LCD screen, concepts introduced by the Wii U, the Switch updates. Even after launch, content releases same as the Wii U’s gamepad, but offers the as a console wouldn’t exist as we know it for the Wii U were slow. Original games were ability to operate entirely independent of its today. And for perspective, the Wii U had released sparsely throughout the Wii U’s dock. The resolution can also be increased up 20 times the amount of memory the original lifespan. On the other hand, the Switch has to 1080p when the system is hooked up to an Wii did, and at the time, was a huge step up had a steady flow of content, quickly building HDMI cable, the same as any HD video and for Nintendo’s consoles. To say one’s “better up an array of iconic games like Breath of The matching the resolution of the Wii U. The than the other” doesn’t make sense when Wild, , , and Switch’s battery is impressive, its 3.7 volt considering when they were made, so it Odyssey. Nintendo has been much quicker lithium ion battery offering up to 6 hours of makes more sense to say each of Nintendo’s to release content for the Switch, having new gameplay before recharge. In addition, many successive consoles show a logical progression releases almost every month with still even glitches in the Switch’s software present at and make steps in the right direction to create more content on the way, including the heavily launch have since been patched in its regular gaming experience possible. With anticipated Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. This updates, and problems with the hardware much content planned for the future, the results in the Switch arguably already having a have been offered to be fixed by Nintendo future of the Switch looks bright with no end still-expanding games library that could rival themselves. For example, an issue with the in sight. or even surpass that of the Wii U in its one- functionality of the left joy-con that was very year tenure compared to the games released present at the launch was compensated by

www.gettyimages.com

PIXELATED TECHNOLOGY | -11- arvel’s Spider-Man is a game pears in the game is the Green Goblin himself, teracts with his surroundings. Instead of a that easily go down as the best Norman Osborn. Osborn plays a pivotal role regular dodge maneuver, Spider-Man will go Spider-Man game of all time. in the game as he is mayor and also because under a bad ’s legs or flip over him which As aM fan and an avid video game of his ties with everything happening in Pe- leads him to his next attack without a stop player, Marvel’s Spider-Man pleased me ter’s life. Osborn delivers a creepy essence that in his motion. Throughout the game, you on every . For the first time in any Spi- crawls down your back whenever he enters a also have the choice of upgrading the webs der-Man game, I finally felt that I could relate scene as you can feel how evil he is in every that Spider-Man can use in his fights. These to Peter Parker and the everyday struggles he speaks. As Norman is close to Peter, webs vary from electrical webs, web bombs, that he deals with being Spider-Man. Wheth- Mary Jane Watson is as well, but her relation- web mine trippers, and more. These differ- er it’s failing to pay rent or weaving through ship with Peter has been severed at the start ent webs can help in a fight by dealing extra his relationship with Mary Jane through of the game. While it was severed, they cross damage to villains or as a crowd control de- risky texts, you related to Peter Parker as you paths once more at the start of the storyline vice to space out the villains surrounding you. realize he is just a good guy trying to get by. as they are both tracking down leads on Mr. When not fighting, you must travel through Story-wise, we pick up with Peter af- Negative. Mary Jane and Peter’s relationship the vast playground that is City. ter he has been Spider-Man for seven years is one of the most human arcs on any super- The map is ginormous and outdoes Arkham showing us an experienced Spider-Man. hero game I have ever played as we follow Knight easily. This makes for the game to feel Most of his ’s gallery has been created Peter reading into every text that each other less repetitive as I found myself traveling to and his relationship with people like Captain sends as well as the awkwardness of needing new parts of the map 10 hours into the game. Yuri Watanabe has been established. Besides to sleep on her coach as he has been evict- Whether you are playing the main story or the story aspect, the more experienced Spi- ed from his house. It’s scenes like these that roaming around NYC, there are a plethora of der-Man let game developers dabble in more made the game for me as I felt the writing costumes that you can wear that range from sophisticated gameplay. We see web swing- and thought from the writers shine through. the vast corners of the Spider-Man mythos. ing and fighting like never before in this The suits are earned through doing side game. The web swinging is the smoothest it “Web-slinging isn’t missions like finding old backpacks of Peter has ever been as spinning each web is effort- which are left around the city, stopping a car less and the combinations of spins, backflips, chase, or fixing the communication towers and hops from building to building is per- the only part of the on the map for the police. These suits are in fect, making travel feel not like a chore and the best that a spider-man game has ever had, more like another amazing part of the game. gameplay that had me they range from well-known ones like the Ben While swinging around the city is exhil- Reilly Scarlet Spider Suit to a lesser known al- arating, I was mainly focused on the story coming back for more; ternate dimension suit where Spider-Man is throughout the game as each mission lead to ghost rider.Personally, my favorite suits are the another clue and step towards defeating Mr. the fighting resem- Big Time Spider-Man suit and the DLC Iron Negative. Mr. Negative was a strange choice Spider suit. These suits set themselves apart to make the cover villain for the game as he bles only the for me as they were my favorite suits from has never been portrayed on the big screen the comics and they look exactly the same in or in any other video game before. Mr. Neg- Arkham series in its the game. With each suit, a new power is un- ative’s alter ego Martin Li also appears in the locked as well. For example, when you unlock story as he is Aunt May’s at F.E.A.S.T fluidity” the Scarlet Spider Suit, you can then make (a homeless shelter). This fits perfectly into image decoys of yourself which tricks villains. the story as it directly tied Peter’s life to Spi- These powers also come in handy when you der-Man’s which makes for great storytelling. The only negative with Mary Jane get into battles with enemies as they are a ma- The game itself contains a main story that throughout the game is the awkwardly placed jor power upgrade and can change the tide of lasts around 20 hours. It starts off at a very stealth missions that place the player in her the battle in your favor. familiar spot with Peter attempting to take position. These missions while heart pound- Once you finish the game, there are DLC’s down Wilson Fisk. This is pivotal for the sto- ing at some moments were usually placed at for you to continue the story. These DLCs ry as Fisk being taken down leave a vacuum awkward times in the game and stopped the build off of the main story and the rami- in the criminal underground for other vil- flow of the story. Besides Mary Jane’s missions, fications of what happened. They also get lains to try and grasp. Through his battle with the story does space out boss battles and big to go deeper into the Spider-Man mythos Fisk, Peter ruins his suit and is forced to fix it events pretty well in the story throughout the by using other characters like at his job. He is then caught by his boss the first two acts of the game. When the third and Hammerhead. These DLCs provide one and only Otto Octavius, who is Peter’s act hits, the game felt a sense of overdrive 9 more hours of fun and interesting story. mentor. He believes that Parker is designing as Peter is pushed in so many directions in Lastly, this game wouldn’t have the Spider-Man’s gear and actually helps Peter in such a short time. While this feels rushed, it same feel if it wasn’t for the great voice act- creating the main suit of the game, The Ad- also correctly represents what would actu- ing that is done by the cast. Yuri Lowen- vanced Suit. The boss of Peter Parker was a ally be happening for Peter in the situation. thal delivers a great Peter Parker as his hidden surprise coming into the release and Web-slinging isn’t the only part of the voice brings out an honest, pure, yet ma- fans were theorizing it could be Tony Stark. To gameplay that had me coming back for more; ture version that fits the game perfectly. go to Dr. Octopus himself as Peter’s boss again the fighting resembles only the Batman This game was easily one of the best helps the story as every player knows that at Arkham series in its fluidity. I found myself games of 2018 and should be played by some point they would see the transforma- enjoying this fighting more than the Arkham anyone looking for 20 hours of heartfelt, tion into the villain we all know and love. series as Spider-Man has so many more op- thrilling, and visually stunning gameplay. Another soon to be turned villain that ap- tions with the way he moves and how he in-

-12- | GAMING PIXELATED SPIDER-MAN PS4 by Mark Fernandez

PIXELATED GAMING | -13- 2019 LEAGUE OF LEGENDS by Ryan Eastep & Chris Ha

1. Korea 2. North America Team Solomid: SK Telecom : : Similar to SKT, Team SoloMid (TSM) Coming off a historically awful Team Liquid (TL) had a breakout also felt it was time for drastic changes year for the 3-time world champions year in the LCS. Having never won an after failing to make worlds for the first in which they failed to make the world LCS split, they closed the year with back time ever. The team decided to cut ties championships for just the second time to back split titles. This run was headed with former MVP candidate, top laner ever, SK Telecom (SKT) decided that by arguably the best ad carry in North Kevin “Hauntzer” Yarnell, and brought in it was time for a change and to start a American history, Yiliang “” an explosive mechanical beast in Turkish new era. They went into the offseason Peng. However, North American titles 18-year old Sergen “BrokenBlade” looking to rebuild around their star, the were not enough for Team Liquid as Çelik. Complimenting their star mid undisputed greatest player to ever play they look to make their case for a World laner in Søren “” Bjerg, TSM League of Legends, mid laner Lee “Faker” Championship. To do so, they had to hopes that BrokenBlade will provide a Sang-hyeok. SKT’s goal was to acquire the upgrade their weak points in the roster. similar impact to Bjergsen when he first best mechanical players to compliment Mid Laner Eugene “Pobelter” Park and arrived at the age of 18 and dominated Faker for the 2019 season and assembled a Support Joo Sung “Olleh” Kim, while the scene. Longtime botlane duo of 4 roster beyond anything imaginable. They fantastic in the LCS, could not produce years Jesper “” Svenningsen and replaced their notoriously weak top side results on the international stage. To Alfonso “” Rodríguez split up after with former Kingzone DragonX top laner reach the next level, TL signed Mid Laner experiencing major struggles during the Kim “Khan” Dong-ha and Kim “Clid” Nicolaj “Jensen” Jensen and Support Yong 2018 Summer Split, as TSM made the Tae-min, two players with astronomical In “CoreJJ” Jo. Jensen is one of the most decision to replace Mithy with Andy potential given their mechanical prowess. talented aggressive Mid Laners in the LCS “Smoothie” Ta. Given Smoothie’s history SKT also replaced their longtime botlane and has repeatedly shown his dominance as an in-game shotcaller, TSM is looking of Bang of Wolf with Park “Teddy” in consecutive strong splits for Cloud 9. to add more vocal presence to their roster Jin-seong, an incredible talent stuck Jo also boasts an impressive resumé as he and Smoothie seems to be the perfect fit. previously surrounded with a lack of was on the 2017 World Championship Overall, TSM added significant firepower support around him, and Cho “Mata” winning team Samsung Galaxy. Both to an already solid roster, proving that Se-hyeong, a seasoned veteran widely of these players provide a huge upgrade they only want to add to their legacy considered to be the greatest to ever in what were the weakest points of TL’s as North America’s most successful play support. This new superteam has roster. The upcoming year looks very organization ever. extraordinary expectations and looks to promising for TL who are already the Golden Gaurdians: help Faker with his redemption arc as he front runners for the LCS and could even After back-to-back dead last finishes looks to reclaim his rightful place at the become a dark horse to become the first in their debut year, , top of competitive League of Legends. world champions from North America. (GGS) a team owned by the NBA powerhouse Golden State Warriors, completely wiped their roster in hopes

-14- | GAMING PIXELATED TSM 2019: Team SoloMid’s brand new roster

of making significant strides as an deep run at worlds. Europe and internationally. Even with that organization. Keeping a couple of their 3. Europe success, when a opportunity came solid pieces intact, GGS shook up the : their way, they pounced immediately. In NA LCS by adding veteran mid laner and Hailed as the Korean-slayers after what was undoubtedly the biggest shock Worlds semifinalist Henrik “Froggen” almost dethroning SKT at Worlds of the offseason, G2 signed Europe’s Hansen. They also added Hauntzer quarterfinals in 2017, Misfits came Summer 2018 MVP, ’s Rasmus from TSM in addition to Olleh from TL, into 2018 with high expectations, as “Caps” Winther, moving their own star rounding out what appears to be a solid many expected the European squad to midlaner Luka “” Perkovic to the AD roster capable of making a deep run in go further at worlds in 2018 than the Carry role. The amount of raw talent on playoffs. There is no shortage of veterans, previous year. They failed to even qualify G2 considering that they kept their strong as the new additions have a combined for the tournament, showing that their topside in Martin “Wunder” Hansen and 6 LCS titles across Europe and North 2017-2018 roster had peaked, and it was Marcin “Jankos” Jankowski makes G2 the America. time for a change. Keeping key players biggest hit or miss team for the upcoming 100 Theives: in AD Carry Steven “Hans Sama” Liv 2019 season. The risk they’re taking by (100T) made a significant and jungler Nubar “Maxlore” Sarafian. running two star mid laners on the same statement in their first year in the NA They managed to acquire star Korean starting roster could prove to be either the LCS, making it all to finals in Spring and support Kang “GorillA” Beom-hyeon best decision the made - or quite possibly eventually qualifying for the 2018 World from Kingzone DragonX, adding a much the worst. Championships, where, in a valiant effort, needed veteran with years of experience took third in their group but missed the on the international stage. They got even knockout stage. That being said, 100T more veterans in top laner Paul “sOAZ” were plagued with inside issues and Boyer and Fabian “Febiven” Diepstraten, desperately needed a change of scenery two players who are past their primes, yet within the team dynamic. They upgraded still have managed to stay relevant even struggling mid laner with Choi “huhi” in their declines. This Misfits roster on Jae-hyun and also added 2 time world paper is one of the strongest Europe has champion Bang from SKT, strengthening even seen, and expectations will be high what was already a formidable roster as they look to claim their first European with perennial All-Pro top laner Kim title and perform internationally. “Ssumday” Chan-ho and 2018 Summer : World Chamption CoreJJ Split MVP Zaqueri “aphromoo” Black. One of the underdogs of the 2018 returns to NA to bolster 100T is looking to prove that their trip to World Championship, G2 eSports (G2) worlds last year wasn’t a fluke, and that upset tournament favorites Royal Never Team Liquid’s chances at this year they can finally make an extra Give Up in their semifinal run, cementing worlds push towards an LCS title and make a themselves as a legitimate threat both in

PIXELATED GAMING | -15- GAME WORLDS

by Spencer Kahn

he Game Awards for 2018 has real world and made it playable. A real, upon further inspection it’s revealed you officially announced their living and breathing game environment can’t quite enter any store you feel like. lineup of nominees for this year’s that you can roam around in freely. Who Spider-Man’s may take more celebration.T Arguably the most popular of wouldn’t want to at least mess around in creative liberties with the borough, but the various video game award ceremonies, that world for a while? With the game this results in a more appealing game from being nominated for anything in this being so hyper-realistic, and becoming a design perspective. Similarly, almost all event is an achievement in and of itself. a critical and commercial success, why players of Spider-Man don’t seem to care Looking at all the nominees, God of War would any game come out with less about the fact that the world isn’t hyper and Red Dead Redemption 2 seem to be meticulously crafted details? realistic- the other aspects of the game the front-runners, with eight nominations Game criticism from any angle is purely draw them in. each. Beyond just the prestigious Game of subjective, everyone is allowed their own The same can be said about Celeste, the Year award, the two games also share opinion. There are people out there, like a pixelated platformer that hit PC and every other one of their nominations with me, who aren’t personally bursting at the Switch in January, with releases on other each other, like Best Game Direction, Best seams to play Red Dead. Every single consoles following soon. It’s extremely Action/Adventure Game, and Best Score. gaming outlet is basically shoving a giant difficult but never feels impossible, with While some may worry that “recency glowing sign in my face telling me to play each attempt at a level fueling the ever- bias” will lean most votes towards Red it, and yet I don’t feel compelled to. This growing desire to beat it. Combined with Dead Redemption 2, it’s important to note is due to how a game uses its world in a lovely story about dealing with anxiety why people gravitate towards the game combination with its gameplay. and hypnotically great music, and you in general. What about Red Dead makes Games are made up of many parts, and get a delightfully complete package of a it so appealing to consumers? And how how well some game is executed is game. The game gets its name from the do other games even stand a chance in related to how well each component works titular Celeste Mountain, which the main comparison? in tandem. For example, let me compare character, Madeline, is forcing herself I would say that what draws people into the way the world is used in two other to climb despite the horror stories she’s that game is the world it is set in. The entire Game of the Year nominees that I played, heard about it. The locale of the game may game is modeled to be a painstakingly real Spider-Man and Celeste (Which are also seem to be the main attraction, being the adaption of the American West in 1899. currently my picks for favorite game I’ve title and all, but it actually plays second- It’s almost absurd how detailed the game played this year). fiddle to almost all other game is, with thousands of unique animations In Spider-Man, you play as, well, in execution. What sets this game apart, that go unnoticed by many people, audio Spider-Man, and swing around Manhattan according to reviews, is the combination design that takes into effect distances beating up the thugs that run amok on the of its tight controls, gripping story, and between characters, and a world that can streets. While the world may seem like a fantastic music. No mention of a realistic seem real to the human eye, with no prior completely faithful recreation of the city, world to be found. And yet, it’s being knowledge that it’s a game. Visual effects, many elements are missing, like most regarded as a masterpiece on the same like glare off of snow, and how slow every streets and buildings. However, Every level as both Spider-Man and Red Dead 2. action feels only adds to this sense of major Manhattan landmark is included, So, I’ll repeat a question I posed realism. When the game launched, it was and each function as part of an ongoing earlier, “why play anything that isn’t a met with criticism due to it likely being a photography side quest through the game. meticulously detailed depiction of the prime of example of the toxic “crunch-time Because of this, it seems incredibly real real world?” The answer, I hope, now culture” that the current game industry to the common Twitch viewer or couch- is obvious, because that isn’t the only is made of. Each little detail can end up sharer watching someone else play the thing players want. We want places and being hundreds of excessively long work game. The miniature Manhattan is used as worlds to get lost in, sure, but we also days, with many developers feeling burnt a means of movement, Spider-Man needs want unforgettable experiences. A game out on the project. Even so, their work has to use the skyscrapers to swing around. is only as good as its components, like I received almost nothing but pure affection The real Manhattan is much more linear mentioned before. With enough time and and praise, and the current review scores in practice, and that would make the game effort put into every separate part of game, make this game seem nothing less than a more confusing to traverse, with many developers can create an experience just as masterpiece. streets blending together and avenues interesting and appealing as the world we So why play something else? This game looking similar at a glance. You’re also live in, without the need to mimic it. is almost as if you took a snapshot of the limited to viewing the city from the sky,

-16- | GAMING PIXELATED PIXELATED GAMING | -17- SUPER SMASH BROS. ULTIMATE by Ryan Leung

he newest addition to the stage hazards off. In the past, lots of stages back, though there is a noticeable lack Smash Bros franchise, Super were deemed not legal in competitive play of the iconic target and challenge mode. Smash Bros. Ultimate, is because of their respective stage hazards, Smashdown and Squad Strike are the two finallyT here after a long four-year wait. leaving many smash games with untapped new modes that have been introduced. In Boasting a sizeable cast of 74, Ultimate potential. In Ultimate, these stages are Smashdown when a character is chosen includes every character that has ever now legal in competitive play, with the and played in a game, in the next game been in any iteration of Smash, hailing stage hazard option being the reason characters that were chosen become from the classic Nintendo games as well why. A prime example of this is Pokemon unavailable to play again and players play as other fan favorites like Stadium 2, which in the past was not until all the characters are gone. Squad and Solid. In addition, allowed in competitive play, but is now Strike allows players to choose up to Ultimate also has 103 unique stages, even tournament legal and extremely popular. five different fighters to play in the same more impressive when considering that Possibly the most underappreciated match. After your first fighter loses all of each can be shaped to player preference change in Ultimate is how rulesets can be its lives you then start fighting with the with options to modify stage hazards saved. This facilitates the ability to change second fighter you choose. and omega/battlefield mode. It is truly the rules to how you feel like playing When you first get the game you only the full package, bringing back a robust in that particular moment. So instead have 11 characters unlocked. The original single-player mode in World of Light of having to go through all the rules 8 characters and the 3 (if you choose that offers over 20 hours of gameplay changing them to how you want to play to create them). To unlock the rest of the as well as a spirits mode with over 1300 at that moment, you can now just select cast you can either play in versus mode characters to collect. From a content one of your premade sets. There are some or World of Light. In addition to the 74 standpoint, Smash Ultimate exceeds every other more minor changes like enhancing characters that are currently in the cast, expectation despite being one of the most sudden death so that the screen can there are two confirmed DLC characters highly anticipated games of the year. shrink and the game will drop bob-ombs that will be released later this year - There are many new and unique too. The Smash Bros franchise has always Piranha plant and from 5. mechanics in Smash Ultimate, with the been hard-pressed to please two types of The cast offers a wide variety of possible first being smash meter. While final people who play Smash - those who play playstyles, from zoning with projectiles smashes have been in the game before, the Smash casually and enjoy the chaos of to a more aggressive rush down style. smash meter is a new way of integrating it items, 8-player smash, stage hazards, and Some of the more notable new characters into standard gameplay. It functions very final smashes, and those who compete are Simon and Richter Belmont from the similarly to super combo gauge in street professionally and prefer to eliminate the series, K Rool from fighter - as you give and receive damage, randomness of the game. Smash Ultimate , from , and your smash meter will charge. Once it’s is so far the most accommodating for Isabelle from . charged you unlock a weaker version of both groups of players. The new features Even though multiplayer is the your final smash. Another new feature can make an already chaotic and random most popular feature of Super Smash is the stage morph, allowing players to game even crazier, while the ability to Bros Ultimate, there is also a big single- choose two stages instead of one and turn all these rules and stage hazards off player draw called Spirits. There are over throughout the battle. When enabled, the gives the competitive scene even more 1300 collectible spirits in Super Smash stage will morph back and forth between stages to play on. Bros Ultimate ranging from instantly the two that were selected, making games In addition to the new rules, there recognizable characters like Mario both fun and somewhat unpredictable. are many other single player game modes. to completely obscure characters like Smash Ultimate are now players to select Classic Mode makes a return but has DeMille from Tomato Adventure, a - any stage in Battlefield or Omega modes, been slightly tweaked. Every fighter only RPG for the Gameboy Advance. The keeping the theme but making it legal now has their own customized gauntlet most impressive component of Spirits is for competitive play. Although, the most of six opponents. 100-man Smash, All- that Nintendo has created a fun challenge important new feature is the ability to turn Star mode, and Cruel Smash are all that you need to complete to get each

-18- | GAMING PIXELATED individual spirit. Each battle is also Another way to upgrade your character online I would highly recommend getting tailored to characteristics of the spirit in World of Light is to upgrade your an ethernet adaptor for your Switch to you are collecting. ’s spirit, for skill tree. Between the spirits that can be make sure you have the best connection example, is a giant King K Rool which upgraded and the skill tree, I found that on your end at least. Winning online doesn’t move. Spirits are equippable grant even though it took me around twenty games will give you Global Smash Power, the player buffs when playing World of hours to complete the story, and that by or GSP, for the character you win with. Light. You equip a primary spirit as well the tenth hour I was able to find the right As you collect more and more GSP on as three support spirits. You can also level spirits and upgrade my skill tree enough a character eventually you will unlock a up your spirits by feeding them various so that every battle I entered was relatively mode in online called Elite Smash. Elite items so that they give yourself an even easy. With that, there was no need to try Smash is a way for more skilled players greater buff. and unlock new spirits or upgrade my skill in the game to play each other instead of In the new adventure mode, tree. I ended up using the same strategy having to play people who play the game titled World of Light, Galeem and his in every game I played and the last ten or more casually. Players in Elite Smash will army of master hands have captured all so hours, and eventually it became super mostly play a more consistent ruleset that of the spirits and characters, except for repetitive. most people who play the game seriously , who managed to escape. Galeem The only mode that has some serious prefer and by playing people who are also then engulfs the world in his light and problems is the online multiplayer mode. very good at the game you can improve creates puppet fighters that are clones First thing first, before you are even quicker. of the fighters that he controls. These able to play online you have to pay for Smash Ultimate is the most fighters are created with the sole purpose Nintendo’s online services, priced at ambitious addition to the Super Smash of stopping Kirby from freeing his friends. twenty dollars a year. Even once you start Bros Franchise to date because of it’s World of Light features a navigable world playing online, you immediately notice extremely long and content filled single map which is somewhat similar to the the often poor connection that you and player mode, huge amounts of characters Classic Mode on the Smash 3DS. Spirits your opponent have. Not only will your and stages to play, new rules and game and imprisoned fighters are stationed game lag and sometimes crash because it, modes, and accessibility for all types around the map as rendered figures, and but oftentimes you will not even play with of players. Although it may fall short when you approach one of them, you start your preferred rules. Even though you can in some aspects like online multiplayer a fight to unlock the spirit of fighter that indicate which set of rules and stages you and an unnecessarily long campaign again has a related theme. If you win the would like to play with if you get paired mode, Smash Ultimate lives up to the battle, you unlock the fighter or spirit to up with someone who has a different set expectations of a Smash Bros game and use in your quest to defeat Galeem. The of rules and stages that they would prefer further refines the balance between main goal is to unlock all of the spirits to play with, you could end up playing on a chaotic, random, party game and a and fighters, and eventually defeat the Pac-Land on stamina mode with items competitive, high skillcap . Galeem and the later revealed and final smash meter on, when you Dharkon, to win back control of the really just wanted to play Battlefield with world and keep light and dark in balance. 3 stocks. If you plan on playing seriously

PIXELATED GAMING | -19- RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2 by Victor Dimitrov

y just looking at the game you to life on the run. With federal agents player to decide what type of person they can tell that Rockstar’s game hunting the gang the members must rob, want to be. makers have poured a lot of steal and fight their way across the rugged Each choice results in a gain or loss effortB into Red Dead Redemption 2 and American terrain to survive. Deepening of Honor that shifts the meter on your the fruits of their labor truly show. A internal divisions threaten to destroy the morality system—impacting how other hundred hours wandering through this gan and Arthur has to choose his loyalty people react to you, how much money M-rated digital wild will still leave you to the gang who raised him and his own you’ll earn, and more. As in real life, wanting more. Red Dead is an action- morality. the choices you make can come back adventure game that combines an open to haunt you months or years later. For world with RPG to create an incredible instance, running into the widow whose experience. “After a failed life you devastated when you murdered play as Arthur Morgan, the her husband long ago can be a difficult trusted right-hand man to Dutch Van der interaction and an perfect example of how Linde, himself the leader of the infamous robbery in the your choices will impact future game play. Van der Linde gang. As the story begins, An additional feature of Red Dead the gang flees from a heist in Blackwater western town Redemption 2 is online. Having just been after the job goes wrong. They enter the released, there is a lot of work left to be mountains, on the run and on done, but the online promises co-op and of starvation. The gang is barely surviving of Blackwater, competitive play with others, allowing due to the ravages of a swirling, deadly you to do missions and complete tasks and snowstorm around them. It’s a struggle challenges by yourself or with a group. just to stay alive as they hunt, fight for Arthur Morgan This lets players enjoy the game with food, battle surrounding gangs and look their friends as well, and even though the for ways to keep moving to the next town, online is not very good right now, because or the next bank robbery. and the Van der of how amazing this game was to play, I Arthur Morgan has some good-guy still have hope that through updates, the attributes, however, he is a criminal, an Linde gang are online will improve. antihero. Even if a tries to choose Red Dead Redemption 2 is all about the straight and narrow, Arthur will the experiences of the game, featuring still find himself in scores of fist fights condemned to difficult and gritty experiences that and gun battles. In-game slow-motion crowd in on you. Of course, it’s all those effects highlight well-placed headshots real-feeling, real-sounding and slowly and critical wounds as blood spouts and life on the run.” seeping-in adventures that will inevitably sprays and spills. produce a really good play-through of In the game’s initial mission tutorials, The game is full of intense moral the game. These characteristics make players learn about the general mechanics choices to consider. As you might expect this Red Dead more than just a good of gameplay, which range from gunfights in this often amoral Western setting, there game but a true masterpiece. The wide to horseback riding, from hunting to are scores of choices to make that impact range of experiences within the game fishing, and all of the other actions and you. Do you stop and help that stranded adds significantly to the game’s charm duties that you might expect to fulfill if guy with the broken wagon wheel or aid and appeal. With amazing features and you were physically plopped down into the fellow keeling over from a snakebite? an incredible amount of gameplay time, that savagely Wild West world. Do you threaten someone who witnessed I would highly recommend this game to After a failed robbery in the western a crime? Do you ride out and kill just anyone. town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and because it suits your fancy. The game is the Van der Linde gang are condemned full of these choices, and it is up to the

-20- | GAMING PIXELATED PIXELATED GAMING | -21- POKEMON GO REBOOT

by Ernesto Marks

ans of the Pokemon franchise a crowd of almost 20,000 people. Despite finally providing a replacement to the old were incredibly excited during the apparent success, was not steps system. Raid battles have also been the months leading up to prepared to handle so many active players added to the game. In Raids, groups of theF launch of the waited in the same place. People who had spent up to 20 people fight one ultra powerful Pokemon Go. The first trailer which hundreds of dollars for tickets, travel, legendary Pokémon for a chance to was revealed in September of 2015 and and board were incredibly disappointed catch it, reminiscent of the fight against a sparked they hype that surrounded the to see the game crashing left and right, in the original launch trailer. games launch. Pokémon Go launched on with some unable to even launch the app Each addition has brought players back July 6, 2016. Its release was met with mass at all. Crowds chanted “we can’t play” and to the community. popularity, hitting 100 million downloads jeered at the Niantic CEO, John Hanke, as While the community is about half by the end of August. The app brought a he stepped out to make a public statement the size of the 130 million player peak dream to reality for the massive Pokémon on the quality of gameplay. Pokémon Go it is still as strong as ever in terms of fanbase. Everyone wants to capture and fest 2017 was the lowest point in terms of interaction. Active players have formed train Pokémon in the real world, and for for Pokémon Go. groups in order to meet up and play many Pokémon Go was a way to live that More than a year later, where is the together, discord servers, such as the dream. Entire neighborhoods of people community now? Does anyone still play? NYC channel with over 8,500 members, traveled with friends and family looking Is Pokémon Go dead? Despite a loss in organize meetups in all Boroughs for to catch every Pokémon they could find. faith, the game is back on the incline, trading, battles, rare sightings and in- However, it didn’t take long for this with 60-65 million active players in the game events. They keep players up to date popularity to die out. Unfixed bugs in summer of 2018. This growth stems from with all Pokémon Go news and share the the game such as the three step glitch, the the resolution of many of the problems top strategies to in-game success. Their constant crashing of the game caused by that plagued the game during its 2016 meetups are well organized and well incredibly high server traffic, and a lack peak as well as the announcement of the attended. I personally attended a meet up of updates slowly turned away previously companion games Let’s Go and in Manhattan for an Articuno event and dedicated players. In particular, the three Let’s Go on the Nintendo Switch. was surprised to see a group of about 100 step glitch in particular was a major These companion games directly interact people ready to battle in raids together. problem that prevented people from with pokemon go and incentivised players Through the game’s lifespan it had seeing how near or far Pokemon were and of either of the Let’s Go titles to play many highs and lows. We saw errors on never got fixed. Instead the step system Pokemon Go. Most glitches in the game Niantics end shrink the player base, and was removed completely leaving people have been patched, and a steady stream of then corrections and improvement from with no way to track Pokemon leaving updates to the game add fresh context and Niantic raise the player base back up. players even more frustrated. Despite the events to maintain player interest. Since With the steady rate of improvement to game’s imperfections, Pokémon Go was the launch of Pokémon Go the number of the game, Pokemon Go could easily reach able to maintain a player base. The event Pokémon in the game has gone from 151 new heights. Despite Pokemon Go’s low which many say truly “killed” Pokémon to 398, and long awaited features such has points, I can confidently say that the game go was the first Pokémon Go Fest in trading have been added. A new tracking is nowhere near dead. Lincoln Park, . This event sold system that gives you the exact location of out near instantly and managed to draw in a nearby Pokémon has been implemented,

-22- | GAMING PIXELATED POKEMON LET’S GO EEVEE/PICKACHU

by Ryan Eastep

ith the release of the everyone, is a welcome change for many, Whether its the dozens of monotone Nintendo Switch back in especially those unfamiliar with previous Team Rocket members or gruelingly March 2017, one question Pokemon games. trying to walk north of Cerulean City, wasW on everyone’s minds: When was Unlike the original, Let’s Go lacks the sheer amount of unnecessary battles Pokemon going to release, and how Hidden Machines, or HMs for short. can end up leaving players quite drained. would it function on the new console? HMs, up until Generation and the Even worse, many battles usually end up That question is finally answered with release of Sun & Moon, were a staple to with multiple one-hit KOs in the player’s Pokemon Let’s Go Eevee and Pokemon any traditional Pokemon game. Similar to favor, given that the starter granted at Let’s Go Pikachu, released in November Sun & Moon, Let’s Go fulfills the concept the beginning of the story has extremely 2018. But how does it stack up versus of moves that can interact with the overloaded stats and a versatile moveset. previous iterations of the game? Was it , just not in the form of HMs. Also, if it wasn’t easy enough, players worth the wait? Not having to support the use of HMs, the can “call” for an ally trainer (using an Although Let’s Go is essentially a game feels much less restricted and feels additional Joycon), effectively turning remake of the beloved Pokemon Yellow like a change most players, both new and any battle into a one-sided 2 versus 1. for the Nintendo Gameboy, there are some experienced, are happy with. The combination of both the length in notable deviations from the original. For Visually, the game is stunning. Let’s addition to the non-interactive nature of starters, it’s very clear right from the get- Go perfectly encapsulates how a Pokemon the battles results in an experience very go that Let’s Go is a beginner-friendly game should look on the Switch, and the lackluster when considering the standard game. Usually a staple in the series, wild user interface feels great on a single screen. for a Pokemon game, and is one of the Pokemon encounters were drastically Transitions, as the story progresses, major flaws present in Let’s Go. changed in Let’s Go in favor of a more are incredibly smooth, as it rarely feels Overall, while Let’s Go lays a solid simplified system. Not only was the awkward compared to the generations of foundation for how a Switch Pokemon random aspect of tall grass removed, but dual-screen gameplay in the past. Frame game should feel and look, and while you no longer battle wild Pokemon if you lag is almost never an issue, as Let’s Go it does provide a good start for new choose to start an encounter. To make runs quite solidly at 30 frames per second, players, its flaws seem to overshadow its up for this, the catching system functions which isn’t all that bad when considering benefits, especially in the eyes of veteran similarly to that of Pokemon Go through the outstanding visuals. Eevee + Pikachu players. The changes to both capture the use of berries and motion control. are incredibly well executed, with their mechanics, difficulty, and battling tarnish Overall, it creates a simple yet satisfying adorable facial expressions and actions an outstanding game visually and left replacement for the traditional system making the story even more enjoyable to many disappointed. That isn’t to say that which although it doesn’t appeal to progress. Visuals as a whole represent a there isn’t hope for when the Generation positive step forward for both Nintendo VIII Pokemon game releases next, and Pokemon games in the future and however. Although Let’s Go released prove to be one of the biggest pros of the rather recently, players are already hyped game. up for the next game, considering that we Battling is key to any Pokemon know it will stay truer to the philosophy experience - it’s the core element of of standard Pokemon games. But until gameplay alongside exploring the region, then, Pokemon Let’s Go Eevee and Let’s and Let’s Go makes sure that it stayed true Go Pikachu will remain as nothing more to this idea. That being said, the battling than a disappointing placeholder, lacking experience is the game is significantly less what many came to love about the series rewarding and interactive than that of its in the first place. predecessors. First of all, there are way Rating: 8/10 too many battles as you explore the region.

PIXELATED GAMING | -23- NBA 2K19

by Mark Fernandez

he NBA 2K series is back with has added a shot meter for layups to make it not help it much. I found myself wanting to NBA 2K19 which brings a load more realistic. Instead of having it be auto- skip through the scenes as all I wanted to of adjustments to the already es- matic, the game has given the players more do was get to the NBA and Neighborhood. tablishedT game. Backing off the cover ath- power over how good they can finish at the Once you get to the NBA, the lete Lebron James, NBA 2K19 tries to be the rim. This addition was smart as it doesn’t seem to diminish and all that is left is just greatest game in the series to date. The game guarantee the layup and lets you make sense playing the games. It is still a fun game is the most realistic to date, but is that the of why you either missed or made a layup, mode, but different in some ways. best for the game? another example of the realism in this game. Another change to 2K is that to play Pro- Overall the gameplay is very similar A place where you notice all of these Am with your friends you need 5 players in- with all the buttons still relating to their gameplay additions is in the “my career” stead of 3. This was a horrible change as it respective movements, but once again 2K mode, which has multiple changes to it as stops some players from playing as getting 5 throws away the prior year’s shot meter to well. The big change is the story which takes players is very difficult for the average play- show a new and improved version. While a different course this year as it takes your er. Pro-Am is personally my favorite mode this could be a improvement, it also become player overseas. This is interesting, as the as my friends and I have always played to- annoying for players to relearn it every year. journey for your “my player” has always gether, but by needing 5 players we only can The biggest improvement to the game is been one that stays in the states. The begin- play at certain times which ruins it for us. the adjustment of not letting players auto- ning of the story is also much longer than it Hopefully, this can get patched through up- matically drive past each other, especially has been in the past as you go from overseas dates, but it will probably stay the same. with guards going against big men. This ad- to the G league and finally to the NBA. The Overall, 2K is still a great game that justment makes it so that to drive by play- whole thing takes about 45 minutes before brings basketball to life for players, but it ers more skill is required. This adjustment you can go to the neighborhood. The neigh- tries to be to perfect which leads to some frankly makes the game much harder when borhood (the free roam part of my career) errors in adjustments. The game’s charm is starting off as player’s game styles can com- has changed as well with it being in a square still there, allowing people to play as their pletely change because of this. Instead of formation and the playground courts are in favorite players and teams, which is a part of isolating and right away getting to the bas- the middle of the square. NBA 2K tried to the experience that is still amazing. Hope- ket, players have to use energy on their team make the my career more interesting by hir- fully as the year goes on, 2K will fix these by making moves to finally get to the basket. ing Anthony Mackie and Michael Rapaport problems and firmly grasp the title of the Speaking of getting to the basket, 2K to play characters in the game, yet it does best in the series.

-24- | GAMING PIXELATED NBA 2K19 SPACEX

PIXELATED TECHNOLOGY | -25- SOURCES FOR IMAGES

Covers: Spider-Man: Red Dead Redemp- pintrest.com arstechnica.com tion 2: businesswire.com syfy.com rockstargames.com .com Tesla Model 3: League of Leg- insidermedia.com ends: Pokemon Go: teslarati.com dotesports.com theverge.com Cross Platfrom Pokemon Let’s Go: Gaming: Video Game pastemaganize.com redbull.com Worlds: wired.com memecenter.com NBA 2K19 ebgames.ca iPhones: Super Smash Bros wired.com Ultimate: nintendo.co.uk Wii U vs. Switch: wired.com

-26- | GAMING PIXELATED FAIR USE NOTICE Pixelated is a student publication. The opinions represented are those of the writers. The Horace Mann School is not responsible for the accuracy and contents of Pixelated, and is not liable for any claims based on the contents or views expressed herein. All editorial decisions regarding grammar, content, and layout are made by the Editorial Board. All queries and complaints should be directed to the Editors-In-Chief. This publication contains or may contain copyrighted material, the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of issues of ecological and humanitarian significance. We believe this constitutes a “fair use” of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this publication is distributed without profit for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this publication for purposes of your own that go beyond “fair use,” you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. COME WRITE FOR PIXELATED!

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