There’s always been an issue with finding Vikings and Norse mythology cool; at least, ever since a few bad eggs went and ruined it for everyone. Symbols corrupted, myths manipulated, and even now Gods are consistently reduced to one dimensional caricatures or pop culture himbos.

Assassin’s Creed is the best series to deal with this subject matter without veering into dodgy territory. And, luckily, it’s come out well; we have a Norse Assassin’s Creed game.

Valhallelujah, Eivor is boss

Our protagonist Eivor is a freakin’ legend. She fights well, fucks better, and is an oddly temperate voice in an otherwise bloodthirsty world. Not that she’s a pushover; again, she can be an absolute beast when she wants to.

Storywise, AC has Yggdrastill got it. Family murdered in front of you, quest for vengeance resolved fast but leads into wider conspiracy, meeting some cool history friends along the way; it’s ll par for the course, but if it ain’t brokedon’t fix it right?

This time, we don’t have a Piece of Eden in our back pocket, so Eivor is a much more grounded protagonist. Unfortunately, she’s also not as interesting as Odyssey’s Kassandra. That’s a high bar, granted, and in terms of AC Eivor is definitely more interesting than Altair or Bayek. Just that the Greeks are a hard act to follow, ya know?

As a side note, the mini story inserted via partaking in some recreational herbs is also pretty damn entertaining. Incongrous and ridiculous, yes, but still fun. Seems Ubisoft has taken the more outlandish elemnts from older games to heart, and that’s always nice.

Fighting like a Viking

In contract, combat doesn’t feel quite so fantastic this time around. Eivor is, for all intents and purposes, just a human, and as a result the rough and tumble is a lot more, well, rough. Even the fastest weapons feel sluggish, while the enemy timing windows for parry and dodge are razor sharp. Admittedly I was fiddling around in the difficulty settings (which allow fine tuning of various aspects of difficulty independently), so mileage may indeed vary.

The pacing also leaves something to be desired. Level scaling has been removed, for some reason, so engaging in the sidequests that litter England can make your character a little overpowered. Not enough to be gamebreaking, mind, but enough that the challenge gets dwindled a bit below what you were aiming for with those nice sliders.

Furthermore naval combat is gone, even though the game still wants you to spend a lot of time in a boat. After a while, there’s no real reason to get on the water, except to see your cat.

I got a boat cat. She is vicious and chonky. I love her.

Njord a bad looking game

But hey, onto the techy stuff. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla makes England actually look like a green and pleasant land; the water especially is pretty damn nice, seeing all the little fishies flapping their flappers in the rivers and lakes. The soundtrack is also mostly Ragnarockin’, fusing drums and chanting with church bells and some good old AC indecipherable vocals. I like it, but then again, I’ve never disliked an Assassin’s Creed soundtrack. So, ya know, hope you like cool junk like this.

As an aside, there’s a shameful joy in invading a country that spend a millenia invading others. Yeah, the Vikings weren’t exactly nice to the Irish either, but damned if it isn’t satisfying to be the one setting torch to someone rather than the other way around. 800 years, friends. And although the DLC promises I’ll get to invade my own homeland in early 2021, I’m still enjoying a bit of turnabout and fair play.

(No, obviously I’m being facetious, but c’mon let me have this).

Asgard as it gets

All in all, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is a huge, unwieldy, but very enjoyable experience. You may not like what happens (pour some out for best pupper Fenrir), but the whole package is a Helheim of a good time.

The post Assassin’s Creed Valhalla review; come take a Jormundgandr appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

Greta Gerwig showed us in 2017 that she knows how to make a moving, powerful, and most importantly, realistic female coming of age story when she delivered Lady Bird. So it comes as no surprise that she was called upon to screen write and direct one of the most well known female coming of age stories out there. Translated into more than fifty languages, there are few places that Little Women hasn’t landed and fewer still people who haven’t been moved by some part of it. I know I was. I cried four times, and I’m still not sure if I’m embarrassed by that or not.

Jo’s gonna be ok, right?

The March sisters Jo (Saoirse Ronan), Meg (Emma Watson), Amy (Florence Pugh), and Beth (Eliza Scanlen), are our main characters with Jo being the narrative lead. Each actor takes to the role perfectly, embodying their characters, and bringing them to life. Even Amy, generally considered the least likeable sister is well played, and relatable. Joining these wonderful actors are Meryl Streep, Laura Dern, and Timothée Chalamet who all bring their best, and make even the unlikeable Aunt march (Meryl Streep) a delight to watch (even as you not so secretly disagree with her ruthlessness).

Gerwig took the story that Louisa May Allcott wrote, and mixed in a healthy dose of reality. Taking inspiration from Allcot’s life, Gerwig brought Little Women into a more modern time, not in setting, but in feeling, and this comes from the fact that the Allcott’s were an extraordinary modern family for their time. Described as an “intellectual hippie family” by Gerwig, the Allcott’s encouraged all of their children to see themselves as equals to men when that was not the given assumption, and while that is not as big an issues as it used to be, there is a universality to Jo March’s need to both find her place, and refuse to settle just because others tell her to.

They were no longer little girls, they were little women

As with any adaptation, a certain amount of love for the original text must be packaged into the work. Gerwig shows that love for Little Women in a variety of ways. Filing with 35mm film, rather than digitally, filming in Concord, and working closely with the Orchard House so that both she and her set designer could get a feel for the March/Allcott house.

What really set Gerwig’s Little Women apart is the mixed up timeline. Rather than telling the story chronologically, Gerwig jumps around, clearly linking the past and present, and showing the coming of age aspect of Little Women in a different light. Instead of the gradual change of characters as they grow, you are given up front the start and the end. Both ways show you the character journey, and the importance of it, but by telling it out of order the direct links between childhood and adulthood become so much clearer. It’s hard to stay mad at a bratty Amy, when in the next scene she is doing her best to marry well to provide for her family, and struggling with her own doubts and inadequacies.

Not so little extras

The Blu-ray release also comes with several features, all of which are rather delightful to watch, and definitely give an appreciation for how much work and care went into this retelling of Little Women.

• A New Generation of Little Women, A dive into the characters and the actors playing them, as well as Gerwig’s changes to the story and her inclusion of Allcott’s history into Jo’s character.
• Making a Modern Classic. A look into the process of making Little Women with a focus on the importance of the Allcott house, costumes, and using 35mm film in production.
• Greta Gerwig: Women Making Art. A deep dive into Gerwig’s process during filming, as well as her personal connection to Little Women.
• Hair & Make-Up Test Sequence. A glimpse of raw footage and pre-production design tests.
• Little Women Behind the Scenes. A ‘making of’ about the film, mostly repeating content front he other features, just to a lesser extent.
• Orchard House, Home of Louisa May Alcott. A look around the house Louisa May Allcott grew up in with her sisters, the personality embedded in it, and how small parts of the real house made it into the movie, along with some of the house’s history.

The post Little Women (2019) Blu-ray Review appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

It’s with a heavy heart that I publish this review. It means that, finally, I have to bite back tears and return the best damn phone I’ve ever used.

I mean, it goes with the reviewing territory, I guess. Review units are by their nature fleeting, but this one really hurts. The Oppo Find X2 Pro is a phenomenal phone, so strap yourself in for an excessively long and in-depth review from the month I spent with this damn near perfect device.

OPPOtunity of a lifetime

If you’re someone who likes a flashy phone, you probably haven’t considered an Oppo device before. Despite having been in New Zealand for years now, the brand recognition still isn’t up to par with the likes of Apple or Samsung, where most of the big spenders go. And hey, I’m not going to say the Find X 2 Pro is better than an iPhone or a Galaxy.

I mean, it is, but that’s not what I’m here to say.

First things first. The Oppo Find X2 Pro isn’t just pretty, it’s gorgeous. Admittedly, any device you hand me with a sweet curved screen, a glossy black chassis, and a big ol’ bank of cameras at the back will be in my good books, But it all comes together in the Find X2 Pro, and it’s easily the rival of any A-List phone out there.

OPPO ed

It also feels good to use, This isn’t something a lot of people talk about with phones, but we’ve all gotten used to doing the exact same thing with a new device. Whether that’s good or bad is debatable, but the point is we want to be able to pick up a new phone, and make it do what the old one did, but better.

The Clone Phone feature continues to perform admirably; I transferred about 8GB of cat pictures from my everyday use phone to the Find X 2 Pro in about ten minutes, which is impressive considering how many hundreds of photos of my cats I have on that phone. I also brought over my settings and preferences, always a pain to set up.

But it’s not all sunshine and light I guess. Let’s get started with the fact that this is a slippery little thing. Even with the protruding camera bank and complimentary gel case, the phone slides all over the place. It’s also prone to flopping off couches, sliding off armchairs, falling down the side of car seats, and wiggling out of hoody pockets.

Is this my fault? Almost definitely. But it’s still worth knowing, because you know you’re at least half as clumsy as I am.

Not just my OPPOinion

You might think these are just the ramblings of a shill, or someone really, REALLY into Oppo. And, I mean, yeah, the second one is pretty accurate. I’ve never used an Oppo device I didn’t love, but this is something special. I’ve handed this device to half a dozen people who have all agreed that it’s pretty sleek. And, of course, our other Editor Blair has reviewed the Lite version here, and was also blown away by what fit in the package.

Wake me up before you OPPO

The battery, always the crown jewel of an Oppo, doesn’t seem to be as robust as previous phones. This is probably because of the increased processing power of the Find X2 Pro, which is considerably faster and snappier than any of the previous models.

This is mitigated by the insanely fast charging. Like, seriously ludicrous. I plugged it in at 20%, went to make a cup of tea, and came back to 58%. You can actually rely on that 5-minute charge while brushing your teeth in the morning or whatever if you, like me, literally cannot survive without Spotify while outside.

Get to the OPPOint

But I’m having such a great time with the headings!

Are you OPPOsitive?

I’m OPPsolutely certain… Ah I lost it. Oh well.

Ultimately, I may not have found X, but I did find one of the best phones on the market. Do I know what that sentence means? No. But it sounds cool right?

Not as cool as the Find X 2 Pro, I bet.

The post Oppo Find X 2 Pro – Find A Great Device appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

Supergiant Games are like the Lernean Hydra. Every time they come back, they come back with more, and stronger than ever. Hades proves this, and we didn’t even have to decapitate anyone.

As a practicing Hellenic Polytheist for over a decade, I’m normally pretty wary with reimaginings of the Gods in media, and approach them with caution. God of War’s original trilogy, for example, was extraordinarily fun as a gamer, but deeply upsetting in its depiction of the Theoi.

Luckily, Supergiant Games have done things differently with Hades.

Styx it to the Man

You play as Zagreus, Prince of the Underworld and only son of Hades, God of the Dead. Zag’s not a huge fan of spending eternity as what amounts to a soul accountant, and decides to head up to Olympus to meet the rest of the family.

Hades himself is deeply against the idea, and musters the full might of the dead to prevent his son from reaching the surface. So your journey begins; hack and slash your way through the legions of the dead to escape your overbearing father.

A Family Affair

The rest of your extended family, the Gods of Olympus, have recently become aware of your existence, and want to help you come party on the mountaintop. The Gods grant various boons that modify and enhance your abilities, and make each run unique. Figuring out how Boons mesh with your playstyle and interact with each other is a treat; some are synergistic dreams, while others are counterproductive as rolling a boulder up a hill.

Those who the Gods seek to punish they first make mad, I guess.

It’s also refreshing to see diversity of race among the Olympians. Athena, Ares, and Dionysus are all depicted as Gods of Colour, a refreshing change from most modern depictions of the Olympians despite the fact that they were originally worshipped in, ya know, Greece.

My main complaint is the distressing lack of certain Gods. Explained in games as some Gods just not caring about Zagreus, I’m a little put out by the exclusion of my boy Apollon, as well as several other Olympian and Chthonic Gods respectively. Some, like Nemesis and Eris, are referenced in other ways, which is cool.

Look, I know I can’t have it all. But I WANT it all.

Rock and Roll and Roll and Roll

It’s not just family aiding you in your quest to break free of your father’s shadowy realm. Along the way you meet several notable figures from Greek myth, such as legendary musician Orpheus, greatest of the Greeks Achilles, and a Stockholm syndrome afflicted Sisyphus. Heroes and kings, monsters and Gods, all feel unique and satisfying to interact with.

The characterisation of these allies and enemies is truly glorious. Not only is the dialogue well-acted and all but infinite (seriously, 50+ runs in I’m still hearing new lines), Hades also delves into topics like loss, betrayal, forbidden love, and redemption in ways you rarely see in any media, let alone gaming.

I’m trying my best to avoid spoiling the plot and some more intricate details that you should discover for yourself. Being as vague as possible, the bosses are fantastic, the secrets revealed at the end of each run are juicy as a delicious pomegranate, and the side-stories will fill or break your heart respectively.

Team Patrochilles. That’s all I’m saying.

Show Me How to Die

This is a roguelike, of course, and so you’re going to die. A lot. Some deaths will be epic, facing a powerful boss or insurmountable odds. Others are less heroic, like walking onto a trap in the last area because you weren’t paying attention.

Death is not the end because, you know, you’re an immortal. It also gives you a chance to head back home and upgrade your abilities, enhance your weapons, and make friends with the various denizens of your father’s realm.

Your arsenal of legendary weapons also makes every jaunt through the Underworld a treat. From the Stygian Blade to the Shield of Chaos, each offers a unique playstyle for whatever suits you. You like close combat, prefer ranged attacks, or a mix of the two? You’re covered regardless; there’s really something for everyone.

You calling me a Lyre?

It’s almost unfair of me to talk about Hades art style, because I love it so much it hurts. Character and level design, weapons and symbols, all are just gorgeous.

Each of the four main biomes of Hades has a unique feeling and atmosphere. From the depths of Tartarus and the burning fields of Asphodel, to dreamy Elysium and the infested Temple of Styx, each area has its own challenges and obstacles to face, overcome, or run away from while desperately trying to stay alive.

It’s pretty fun.

The music of Hades is, in a word, legendary. It’s so perfectly matched to the gameplay itself that it’s not a stretch to say that Apollon himself may have inspired Darren Korb in his composition of heavy guitars, strumming harps, and the occasional lyrical poetry. Hyperbole? Probably. But it’s damn good.

Keeps you Erebusy

Once you get the hang of things and start winning runs, Papa Hades ramps things up a notch with the Pact of Punishment. This optional set of difficulty-enhancing settings allows you to earn more rewards in exchange for a variety of self-imposed restrictions. These serve to not only challenge the hardcore players, but also to add replayability and variety to what could potentially become a slightly samey experience.

Admittedly, I’ve played over 60 runs at this point and I’m not even close to bored. But it’s theoretically possible, I guess.

An Asphodel Field Day

Hades is a story of forging your own path, of repairing a broken family, and patting an extremely good three-headed boy. Add to this a varied, enthralling, and challenging roguelike gameplay loop to that, and you’ve got the makings of a magnum opus.

This is, to me, a modern hymn to the Gods. The team at Supergiant Games may not worship the Theoi, but their seal of approval is all over it.

Hades is one hell of a great game.

The post Hades review – One Hell of a Game appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

 Ah, Melbourne. The coffee capital of the world. Also the city of my birth, but you’re not here to read about me. 

Route 59 Games, a Melbourne-based developer, has drawn inspiration from what is regularly voted as the world’s most livable city to create a 3D visual novel about death and necromancy. And coffee. 

Necrobarista is available now on PC, and is coming soon to Playstation 4 and Switch. I received the PC version for review.

Decaf soy latte with an extra shot and whipped cream

It’s better to walk into it without spoilers, but basically Necrobarista follows the trials and tribulations of Maddy, a young Melburnian running a café where the dead spend their last night on Earth. The team grapples with letting go of loved ones, almost entirely through the use of puns and meme-language. Like all the best people in hospo, Maddy and her staff are dripping in sass and consume dangerous amounts of coffee.

And hey, historical bad boy Ned Kelly is a main supporting character, which is great. He’s also wearing shorts, which I don’t know how I feel about.

It’s important to go into Necrobarista with the right expectations, as it does exactly what it says on the box. This is a visual novel. It’s like a reading a book on the screen, accompanied by pretty visuals. However, unlike many examples of the visual novel genre, Necrobarista’s storyline doesn’t branch. You’ll find no choices to be made, and no alternative endings to discover. But, to be honest, the story is interesting enough that I didn’t mind the lack of choices so much.

The more unusual element of interaction are the collectible highlighted words. These words each signify a theme or character. Icons relating to each can then be used to unlock further text-only side stories. These side stories can then be accessed during the sections between chapters where you can move around the café building. I’ve made this sound more complicated than necessary, because it is. I couldn’t help but think that the side-stories could have been better served by an unlockable menu codex, as old-fashioned as that would be.

Visually novel

Necrobarista is incredibly innovative visually. While it’s not the only anime/anime-inspired visual novel on the market, it’s done in a way that feels both anime and not anime simultaneously. Ain’t no anime tropes here.

It’s downright amazing what Route 59 Games have managed with the cinematography. Every shot is arranged with the care of a film director. It’s like watching the 3D equivalent of a storyboard, with movement peppered throughout for maximum impact. 

Also genius is the treatment of text. The text isn’t constrained to old-fashioned text boxes, but rather floats across the action, with its own aesthetic value beyond the delivery of meaning. 

The nuanced soundtrack composed by BAFTA-nominated Kevin Penkin also adds an extra layer of cool, with no songs that I disliked. I can’t stress how important this is in visual novels where music repeats on loop.  

Life’s too short to always be serious

I was stoked to see that Necrobarista is set in Melbourne, and while Necorbarista doesn’t beat you over the heading with its setting beyond the odd reference, what better expression of Melbourne culture than the café scene? Never having worked in a café, I can’t judge how the experiences of these necromancer baristas align with the real deal (baristas I mean, not necromancy. Unless?). Most however will be able to strongly relate to the shared human experience of mortality and internet memes.

As you would expect, Necrobarista spends much of its five hour-ish runtime wrestling with death, with a surprising amount of humour. What comes after death? What would I sacrifice for more time? Should I be judged for my choice in coffee? 

The characters are all funny and likeable, but continue with their quips throughout the runtime. This meant that some of the heavy moments didn’t pack the punch that they might have done otherwise. If I had to provide an analogy, Necrobarista is like talking with friends who use humour and memes to avoid directly expressly their feelings. 

Perhaps it’s a more realistic representation of how we millennials express our feelings than I have given it credit for. 

Drink it up

There’s so much supernatural mystery to unpack here, particularly around the rules of Necrobarista’s world and its treatment of the afterlife. Some of these mysteries are answered, but definitely not all, so it’s encouraging that there is more Necrobarista on the way. Some of the engaging minor characters, like the sultry Samantha who is introduced and never heard from again, will also feature in future chapters to be released to owners of the base game for free.

Another fact about me that you didn’t ask for – I don’t like coffee. I’m a hot chocolate kind o’ gal. 

But I do like Necrobarista, and I want to see more of it. 

The post Necrobarista – Coffee with a double dash of corpses appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

Carrion is a Metroidvania game that, while not reinventing the genre, does turn it on its head. Instead of playing the muscle bound, scantily clad hunk, you play as the amorphous, fleshy blob of a monster. You know, the sort of monster you get three or four levels into a Metroid game that you try to kill as quickly as possible because it makes you slightly uncomfortable just by existing. Carrion is about as slimy as it sounds, and twice as fun. Humans, prepare to get wrecked.

Grr, aargh

You take control of the monster trying to escape an underground science laboratory. An appropriate setting, and one that is done very well. Carrion manages to capture that creeping horror feeling with a well managed combination of sound effects, violence and tense atmosphere. That’s not even touching on the music, which is one of the best things about the whole game. Eerie, screechy string instruments make up the soundtrack, and it is delightful to rampage to.

Part of this is down to the delightful pixel art style. The game looks stunning, and more often than not your red, fleshy monster contrasts starkly with the level, making you both noticeable and very clearly an outsider. This design lets the monster look visceral and leave gross bits everywhere without looking horrendous and gory. It’s less about being gross, and more about being fun, which is a definite plus because it’s no fun thinking about morality when you’re the monster. 

Bloody hell

There is a plot, a deeper narrative of some sort, but it’s up to you to piece it together. There are a few flashbacks to help, but most of your clues are environmental, such as the LED banners warning the human lab workers that you’ve escaped. It’s easy to miss, but that’s okay, because the real fun doesn’t come from plot, but from being an unholy menace to the humans who captured you. Really, if scientists didn’t want to be dripped on, flung around and eaten, they shouldn’t have combined gooey flesh, tentacles and teeth into one creature. Until you play Carrion, you will never truly know how many mouths one creature can have.

Carrion doesn’t need an in-depth story though, it’s a game where you play a murderous 1980s horror movie monster on a rampage. What you need is a satisfying rampage. Your fleshy blob of teeth and tentacles moves fluidly around the screen, wreaking havoc with the flick of both joysticks. It’s chaotic, messy and incredibly satisfying, which is exactly what you’d hope for. Once again the pixel art is a huge bonus here, because it allows for a smooth frame rate. Even in handheld mode on the Nintendo Switch

A game with heart

Carrion doesn’t just settle for satisfying though. Flinging yourself and enemies around is great, but if you want a little more finesse, you can also roar, shoot webs and possess enemies. If you want to try playing through with a bit of a stealthier approach, you can take out lights, fling the environment around, or creep around in water or on the ceiling. Levels are often designed to allow you to do horror movie level rampages. Like hiding in a pool of water, hijacking a mech to gun everyone down, and finishing off by rising out of the water to consume the lone survivor. Hollywood pay attention.

There is always a downside though. Apparently monsters don’t read maps, because Carrion doesn’t have one at all. With a windy series of tunnels as your main play area, one is very much needed. It is so easy to get lost, or to miss something because you can’t easily backtrack to where you saw a previously locked door. Suddenly the fact that the monsters in horror movies never seem to win makes a lot more sense. If you watched Alien from the xenomorph’s perspective it’s probably mostly backtracking and squinting at signs in the vain hope that maybe, just maybe, it’s going the right way.

This is made all the harder by the lack of clear mission objectives. While it’s easy to say you always know you’re trying to escape the facility and generally reek havoc, the specifics of what you’re doing in each area is pretty loosely explained. It’s easy to forget where you’ve been, hard to tell where you need to go, and if you do die and revert to an older save point, good luck getting back to where you died. At least getting around is still a lot of fun.

Carrion my wayward son

Carrion is a wonderfully unique game that creates both a lovely (the term is used loosely) horror universe, and a satisfying to play game. Fling yourself through life, and eat humans to your (and their) hearts content. Just don’t get lost, because no one takes a tentacle monster seriously if he has to stop and ask for directions.

The post Carrion review appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

Got a Dad? Specifically, one you like? Well, Father’s Day is this Sunday, so get him something that says “There is a monetary value placed on my love, Father.”

Or something less weird, I dunno, write your own card.

Why is Father’s Day in August instead of June? I don’t know. But hey, here’s some stuff that he’ll definitely pretend to like, and probably genuinely enjoy.

FitBit for Father

Is your Dad fat, skinny, or an in-between? Well then, a FitBit is a great idea, because one size fits all!

Not only a snazzy watch for keeping track of Father Time’s machinations, but also maintaining that dad bod so many of us live with. Including me, and my children are cats. They cannot buy me a FitBit.

The Fitbit Charge 4 is available for the low $229.95.

There’s also the option of the Fitbit Versa 2, or even a 3 if he doesn’t mind waiting until next month. And in that case, if price isn’t an issue, you can give your dad a receipt for a preorder of the new Fitbit Sense which is to be released in September. For a cool $579.95, this feature packed watch would be worth the wait for Dad.

Oppo for Poppo

Hey Dad, why don’t you call? Is it because you disapprove of my life choices? Or because you don’t have a decent phone? No more will you have to ponder this question if you get him an Oppo Find X2. Available in Lite and Pro versions and a variety of stylish colours, you’ll know that technology isn’t a barrier for communication with its user-friendly interface and long-lasting charge.

Also he’ll think of you every time he uses his phone. Aww…

Headset for Himself

For the dad that’s still a kid at heart, the ultimate in gaming gear certainly won’t go amiss. Treat him to some playtime and a shiny new headset from Astro; there’s a model to suit every skill level. For noobs the A10 is an entry level set, and for the self-professed pro, the A50 is the only way to go. 

Plus with all the Zoom meetings and working from home these days, a decent headset is remarkably practical this time around. Logitech G also have some excellent options, like this lad, the Logitech G Pro X.

Peripherals for Padre

Got a creative dad on your hands? Why not help him upgrade his office set up with the LogitechMX Master 3 – designed for creatives and engineered for coders, this epic mouse comes with customisations for nearly any app. Featuring An ergonomic design and the fastest, smoothest scroll wheel experience, he’ll never want to use another mouse again. 

Unless of course he’s a big gamer. Then ya know what, something like a Logitech G could be good.

OK so I know that a gaming keyboard sounds crazy, but as someone who’s worked in offices for quite a while, let me tell you that nothing beats a decent gaming setup for everyday use. From a good keyboard’s mechanical switches to the extra buttons on a gaming mouse, everyday work becomes significantly more user-friendly if you can get past the G in the name.

And if your Dad likes games? DOUBLE PRESENT. You can’t lose here, buds.

Gift Card for… Your Dad

Unsure about what Daddy-Bear wants? Want to ensure I’ll never use the phrase Daddy-Bear again? Then a gift card is the way to go.

This isn’t an attempt at extortion; seriously, people don’t like being given specific games unless they’ve explicitly asked for them. Safe bet is a gift card, so he can get The Last of Us Part 2, or some ridiculous Fall Guys skins.

Not a gamer? Also cool. Because Acorn TV exists and they’ve got a ton of shows your Dad is bound to enjoy.

For the dad that deserves some couch time, a subscription to Acorn TV is the gift that keeps on giving. Let him pop his feet up and delve into a world of drama, mystery and comedy with Acorn TV’s father-friendly favourites like Jack Irish with Guy Pearce (not to be confused with Jack London, starring that awesome guy who played the baddie in the first Tomb Raider movie). Subscriptions are just $7.99 per month or $79.99 for a year and AcornTV is offering Kiwis a 30 day free trial by using the code ACORN TV Z30 here.

My Dad is all golf and bridge, at least the rest of you have options besides cards and socks.

Happy Father’s Day, y’all!

The post Happy Father's Day, ya filthy animals: Dope Stuff For Your Dad – A Father’s Day Guide appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

When I was first told about the Ultimate Ears Hyperboom, I thought it was just going to be another version of a Bluetooth speaker. You know, sweet sounds, good battery life, and not a whole lot else going on. 

When a giant box arrived to my office and we struggled to lift it, I realised I had made a slight misjudgement.

In many ways, the Hyperboom is the culmination of what Ultimate Ears is capable of. This isn’t a little speaker that you take into the shower, or bring along to the office on a quiet day. This is the Big Daddy, the goddam Colossus of speakers, and it came here to PARTY.

Hyper is right

The Ultimate Ears Hyperboom weighs about as much as a small child, although admittedly it’s probably cheaper than one. And I’m gonna say it now, it’s not for everyone. But there are certain use cases that make it an absolute necessity for certain people. What people? Well, I’ll get to that.

Because oh boy does it have power. The battery life took me a solid week to wear down. Ultimate Ears says that the battery will last about 24 hours of continuous play but, as a human, I wasn’t going to do that. But I did use the Hyperboom for a few hours a day, and honestly I was surprised when it said the battery was getting low because I just wasn’t used to hearing it. In my week of solid use I have charged the Hyperboom a grand total of once, and I have no doubt that it would survive at least 24 hours of continuous play. So, if you’ve got an inexplicable day-long winter beach party coming up, here you go.

I’ve said before that the Ultimate Ears series have exquisite sound quality. They can pack so much into such a tiny little package that it just blows me away. Now, quadruple that, and you’ve got the Hyperboom. It was at about 20% when I brought it home, and I was genuinely afraid to turn it up any higher. The thing was pounding out sounds at such high quality that you would think you’re at a concert full stop, and I’m in an apartment where I don’t hate my neighbours, so I’m not gonna do that to them. This is the first real use case for the Hyperboom; if you are going somewhere where you need loud, high-quality music but don’t have access to a power source, this is the speaker for you.

Loud noises

This is not your everyday portable speaker; this is a miniature concert coming with you. To be honest, while the Hyperboom is touted as being a portable speaker, it’s about as portable as a leather sofa. Sure, you could bring an armchair to the beach if you want it too, but why would you? It makes no sense with easier options available, with about the same payoff.

And that’s where we come to the Hyperboom. This speaker, for all its wonders, weighs so much and is so bulky as to be damn near impossible to bring anywhere without dedicated transport. As someone who doesn’t drive and therefore relies on public transport, this would be catastrophic for me. Even getting it home from the office was an absolute mission, requiring a suitcase and that little luggage rack at the front of a bus. 

Good thing I had the suitcase, really.

Boom boom boom boom, it’s too big for my room

Being able to pair multiple phones to the speaker at once it is a good idea, and I tried it out. I can imagine at an actual party it’d be a bit of a tug of war between some people who decide to play an absolute banger halfway through your favourite ballad. I don’t know if your friends are calmer than mine, but I doubt it’d go ok here.

The drawbacks of the Hyperboom are mostly related to its size, weight, and cost. With the Boom 3 and the Megablast I’ve reviewed previously, I’ve never felt the need for anything larger than that within my home; as I said, I don’t hate my neighbours, nor do I want my neighbours to hate me. Sure I’ve got a party flat across the road who insist on screaming The Cranberries at 2 a.m., but that’s only on Saturdays and that’s (relatively) fine. 

But I’m more of a ‘listen to Viking metal while doing the washing up’ kind of guy, or even a ‘listen to Viking metal while having a shower’ kind of guy. This means that the smaller Ultimate Ears speakers are much more suited to my own personal needs.

Also, you can’t bring the Hyperboom into the shower… Well, I suppose you could, but you really shouldn’t. It’s not as waterproof as the other speakers, being touted as water and splash resistant rather than waterproof. You’d probably ruin it. But whatever. I’m a reviewer, not a cop.

Hullabalooza here we come

The Hyperboom is also quite expensive, and while I feel it’s definitely worth the price if you’re going to be using it for its intended purpose of Day-Long-Forest-Party 2K20, if you aren’t then there is no real reason to buy this over a smaller, more portable, and frankly more versatile speaker.

The Ultimate Ears Hyperboom is what it is; a phenomenally powerful, long-lasting speaker that can be transported if you need it to be. If you’re more social than I am, and don’t fear the outdoors quite so much, you and this thing are a match made in acoustic heaven. However, for the everyday user, I don’t think this will be for you.

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Ah JBL, you’ve done it again. You’ve surprised me with a sound device that performs not just better than expected, but better than the things I already had to do the same thing.

Touche.

The JBL Link Music seems initially like just another home speaker… and yeah, alright, that’s exactly what it is. But there are key differences that could make the Link Music a solid choice for you over the next competing brand.

You know the one I mean.

Google vs Alexa; The Eternal Struggle

Thinking back, I probably began my commitment to the Amazon ecosystem in 2010, when I was given a Kindle 3 for my birthday. This is back in the times where I still thought physical keyboards were vital to doing anything correctly (and I still think that, fight me).

Why am I talking about a Kindle I got a decade ago? Because when it came time to start converting into a smart home, I figured that I’d already started on the Amazon route, so my default has always been Alexa and the Echo. Whether or not this was wise has recently been thrown in question for me though.

As the JBL Link Music has revealed to me, this was possibly not my best move. Even though the Link Music is a little pricier than an Echo Plus, there seems to be a reason for this. Sound quality is very similar, but the fact that Google Assistant can understand me with minimal prompting gives me serious pangs.

I never put much stock in the Assistant, and damn do I regret that now. She’s not as connectable as Alexa, but for what I was doing (music, lights, Keep) she was easier to use by a significant amount. Honestly, being able to loudly dictate parts of this review to a speaker and have it show up in my phone? Nothing short of miraculous for those of us with memories like sieves.

Beauty is in the eye and ear of the beholder and… belistener

The JBL Link Music isn’t the prettiest speaker, at least not for my taste. I tend towards the tall, dark, and sleek in terms of tech, and the Link is a bit more on the short and stout side of that. However, as I learned when one of my cats decided the shelf was PartyClub 2020, this does make the Link more stable and secure. Always a plus.

The sound quality is excellent as well; my new testing playlist on Spotify has really come in handy, flowing through eras and genres to fully test the range of the device. From black metal to J-Pop, the Link Music handled the highs and lows of the various tracks with aplomb. Yeah it’s a little bass-heavy, but that’s what the kids like these days, right? It’s cool.

Are kids still saying that? Cool?

I’m trying to not let this become a Google Assistant review, but honestly it was a big plus. Google handled my requests to skip songs, pause, explain, and all the usual shenanigans. When your speaker has like 2 buttons, this is useful.

Now you’re speaking Smart

There are other Google support smart speakers, sure. Similarly, there are other options for speakers in general. The only downside to the JBL Link Music is its immovable nature, requiring AC power, but are we really so spoiled by wireless tech that we can’t leave an appliance in one place on the regular?

I don’t think so. I think we’re good.

In summary, I approve of the JBL Link Music. It’s got all the trimmings you want and, while it’s not as fancy as it could maybe be, you definitely get what you pay for.

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According to new data insights from the fully impartial price and product comparison site, PriceSpy, popularity for Nintendo Switch games are skyrocketing – with Nintendo Ring Fit Adventure claiming the overall top spot as most clicked-on game for the second month in a row.

PriceSpy have noticed more of a presence from Nintendo Switch games placing amongst the top three spots on their popularity board.

“Whilst price drops can often attract gamers to click more on older game releases, we believe this not to be the case for the rise in popularity for Nintendo Ring Fit Adventure, as the price point has remained fairly static since it first launched.

“Instead, a big contributing factor that may have led to the rise in popularity for this particular game is Covid-19 and lockdown, as people had to stay in and they wanted to stay active and feel motivated.

The good news is Nintendo Ring Fit Adventure is now back in stock but before shoppers rush out to buy a copy, we still encourage consumers to conduct important price research before they buy, as this important buying step can help save hundreds of dollars in the long run.

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