Saturday, May 4

Author: Jay Armstrong

Found as TheManMountain on every major gaming platform. I play a wide range of games across a variety of platforms, enjoying RPGs, action games and platformers. You’ll find me frequenting the podcast and hijacking the Twitch channel. In the real world, I’m a software developer by trade and spend a lot of time 3D printing and streaming.
Pikmin 3 Deluxe – A Very Juicy Upgrade
11Nov By Jay ArmstrongNo Comments
Uncategorised

Pikmin 3 Deluxe – A Very Juicy Upgrade

Pikmin 3 has returned from its WiiU limbo. Now I loved the WiiU; I am definitely a WiiU apologist and a big fan of Nintendo in general. Let's be honest though, the console flopped and as a result, the games went largely unseen by a lot of gamers. Seeing all of these games make a welcome return to the Switch is brilliant and Pikmin 3 Deluxe highlights this. Hopefully, Nintendo continues this trend with the likes of Windwaker and Twilight Princess. Pikmin first debuted on GameCube and whilst I did dabble in it, I never really played much of it. In fact, hearing the phrase "real-time strategy on console" is enough to make most gamers cower in fear. The series, however, has a huge following and there is even a much-anticipated Pikmin 4 in the works. Gameplay As I say, Pikmin 3 Deluxe ...
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QPAD QH-700 Pro Gaming Stereo Headset – A Sound Solution
11Nov By Jay ArmstrongNo Comments
Hardware & Tech

QPAD QH-700 Pro Gaming Stereo Headset – A Sound Solution

You may have heard of QPAD. A Swedish company that was founded in 1992, but if you haven't I wouldn't blame you. It was only when they relaunched last year, in 2019, that they really came to my attention. As the self-proclaimed legends of eSports hardware, does the new QH-700 stereo headset deliver? Design Straight out of the box I could see this was a good quality piece of kit. Featuring a soft-to-the-touch matt black design throughout, with a gloss finish on their logo it looks very sleek. In fact I've been using this headset quite a lot when streaming and it's likely that people didn't really notice because of that stealth aesthetic. It's very slimline, compared to the chunkiness of my Razer Kraken and well padded for comfort. It features a removable mic; ultimately connect...
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Transformers: Battlegrounds – Not Much More Than Meets The Eye…
23Oct By Jay ArmstrongNo Comments
Uncategorised

Transformers: Battlegrounds – Not Much More Than Meets The Eye…

The Transformers are back! After a turbulent modern-history, the Transformers have returned to the video game world with Transformers: Battlegrounds. Creating a new Transformers video game franchise is tricky; Activision nailed the franchise with the incredible War for Cybertron and the follow-up Fall of Cybertron. We don't talk about part 3. After they butchered that franchise by tying it into the incredibly polarising movie franchise they did give the Generation 1 Transformers a go in the 2015 game Transformers: Devastation. Historically this licence is a tricky one to get right in video game form, but there has been success over the years. This is now the first major Transformers game since Activision lost the licence. What Coatsink has done with Transformers: Battlegrounds is ta...
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Cloud Gardens – This is Art-A-Stack…
7Oct By Jay ArmstrongNo Comments
PC Reviews, Previews & Early Access

Cloud Gardens – This is Art-A-Stack…

Cloud Gardens is an incredibly relaxing, diorama creating puzzle game from Noio Games. Their first game since the excellent Kingdom franchise debuted; Cloud Gardens is what I like to call a seed 'em up. It's an incredibly different pace compared to their more roguelite, tower defence style of the Kingdom games. Giving you small urban wastelands, that you can manipulate and grow plants in. Your goal is to populate and produce a diorama. That is until you achieve a certain level of foliage and you're able to progress. You quickly realise Cloud Gardens is just an incredibly relaxing puzzle game, with some clever engine design too. Gameplay Cloud Gardens starts up and you're just given a voxelised space to examine; it is up to you to work out how to play the game. In fact the first level is ...
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Microsoft Dropped A Ton Of News Today – Xbox Game Pass, Series X And More…
9Sep By Jay ArmstrongNo Comments
News & Updates

Microsoft Dropped A Ton Of News Today – Xbox Game Pass, Series X And More…

We've been in an annoyingly quiet patch for next-gen news as of late. Sony and Microsoft have been playing a game of chicken leading to some frustration from gamers around the globe. That is until yesterday when an unfortunate leak led to Microsoft having to commit to the news of the Xbox Series S. They've followed that up twofold today though with some genuinely amazing announcements. Not only has the price and date of the Xbox Series X been confirmed, but we've also had news about Xbox Game Pass and some of the launch titles on the horizon. The Xbox Series X... First revealed during the Video Game Awards in December 2019, news trickled out at a decent pace for the Xbox Series X. That is until lately when things had become eerily quiet; likely exacerbated by the delay of Halo Inf...
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A Leak Forced Microsoft’s Hand – The Xbox Series S Lands 10th November!
8Sep By Jay ArmstrongNo Comments
Hardware & Tech, News & Updates

A Leak Forced Microsoft’s Hand – The Xbox Series S Lands 10th November!

If you've been following my articles you'll know I am getting quite frustrated with the Microsoft's and Sony's game of chicken. Unfortunately for Microsoft they've had to suddenly confirm the existence of the Xbox Series S after an unfortunate leak. Now the cynic in me does wonder if this was a genuine leak, or part of the messaging... but that's a conversation for another day. Either way we now have our first details about a date and price for one of these next gen machines! What was announced... The Lockhart has finally been revealed, with the name Xbox Series S. This comes after many leaks, rumours and even official packaging claiming there is an Xbox Series S. It's also launching at $299/£250, which is an incredibly good price. Whilst specifications aren't fully know just yet it'...
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Sony, Microsoft – You Know It’s September Right? Any Next Gen News?
2Sep By Jay Armstrong2 Comments
News & Updates

Sony, Microsoft – You Know It’s September Right? Any Next Gen News?

When will we hear more about the next generation? You may have seen me summarise the next-gen news for 2020 recently. If not please go check out my post comparing what we know about the 2 next gen machines... At the time of writing it is the 1st September 2020. It is very much now 2-3 months from when some of us will be expecting to lay down a still as of yet undetermined amount of money to buy some new machines. My previous feature talked about the different approaches for each company; Microsoft adopting more of a drip feed of information, whilst Sony adopted the more traditional big bang of news. Now however, we're another major gaming event down (Gamescom 2020) and we're still no closer to finding out anything about the launch of these machines. I am the type of person that g...
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Battletoads – Toadally Rad!
28Aug By Jay ArmstrongNo Comments
Xbox Reviews

Battletoads – Toadally Rad!

Every review I seem to write these days leaves me rattling on about nostalgia; and here I am reviewing Battletoads. Rare's IP has been brought back to life by Dlala Studios, acting as both a sequel and a reboot to the series which has been absent since 1994. So here we are 26 years later, a new animation style and a whole range of mechanics crammed into 1 tidy package. Battletoads puts you back in control of one of the titular heroes; Pimple, Rash or Zitz. Harkening back to the 90's series, Battletoads main focus is that of a side-scrolling beat 'em up. Unlike the older games though there is a lot of other modes scattered throughout the campaign. Utilising the self-aware comedy and a modern animated style Dlala Studios has revived the IP with great success. Gameplay Each of the 3 ...
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Carrion – Will There Be Peace When You Are Done?
21Aug By Jay ArmstrongNo Comments
Xbox Reviews

Carrion – Will There Be Peace When You Are Done?

Carrion is deemed as an important food source for scavengers and stems from the Latin caro; which directly translates to meat. Meat is quite an accurate description seeing as the protagonist is a gristly, fleshy tentacle monster. In Carrion, you start as this mysterious creature who is escaping from a lab and lost in a Metroidvaniaesque labyrinth as you try and seek out your freedom. Carrion is the sophomore game from Phobia Game Studio and is described as a reverse-horror game. Whilst their debut game, Butcher, flew under the radar back in 2016 Carrion has been thrust into the spotlight with a multi-platform release and even launching as part of Xbox Game Pass. Gameplay Carrion starts off in an eerie and dark lab but as soon as you break free from containment you immediately gain...
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PlayStation 5 vs Xbox Series X? Apples vs Oranges? What Does The Next Gen Bring…
19Aug By Jay Armstrong2 Comments
Features

PlayStation 5 vs Xbox Series X? Apples vs Oranges? What Does The Next Gen Bring…

We're now pretty deep into 2020 and with that we've had some news on the next generation of console gaming, however we still don't actually know much about the launches themselves. What we do know however is that both Microsoft and Sony are adopting very different approaches to the next generation and as a multi-platform owner I find that exciting. Often during these times it's interesting following the hype and the build up of the new machines and that's something I personally follow quite closely. What I aim to do here is summarising some key facts that differentiate the 2 companies and speculate about what this could mean moving forward; but by no means is this meant to be a comprehensive list. With events expected in August from both Sony and Microsoft as part of GamesCom it's in...
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