I spent the past weekend doing two things: One, playing Axiom Verge for review. It’s really good. Like, really good. In fact, it was just what I needed after the gorgeous banality of Ori and the Blind Forest. I’m afraid my write up for USgamer doesn’t do Axiom Verge proper justice, but much of the joy in the game comes from the act of discovery and from the surprises it offers along the way. Even weapons and powers are so unconventional that I feel that discussing them does a disservice to the game. So… I will write about it much greater depth in a few weeks, once people have had the opportunity to experience it fresh for themselves.
Two: My other project over the weekend was the pull together the long-overdue Game Boy World compilation book. I haven’t self-published book in ages, thanks to all my life upheavals; this past weekend was the first chance I’ve had in about four months to just sit down and concentrate on a project like this. It was quite satisfying, and I must say the book is shaping up to be absolutely gorgeous, with tons of photos and a clean internal design. I’ve had to wrestle with the impulse to clutter it up with lots of images, but ultimately a more minimalist approach has prevailed, and the result will definitely be enjoying a place of honor on my coffee table even if no one else wants a copy. I still need to write roughly six pages’ worth of text (most likely next weekend) and do some revisions and editing, but the layout, photography, and all but a few screenshots are together and looking goooood. You can get a sense of the no-nonsense approach I’m taking with the design from the cover layout above: Photography, some bold text (though never nearly that bold, or large, inside), and some less intrusive supplemental text alongside.
I also threw together an experiment for USgamer last week: A video companion piece to the latest Virtual Spotlight column. Doesn’t seem to have garnered much interest, though. I’ll try again this week and see if that has any better luck. It may not have been the best idea to try this experiment about a game and series that no one cares about. Or maybe the column was destined to be a text-only joint. Who knows.
Anyway. Axiom Verge. Prrrretty great.
I can’t wait for that book!! That cover photo is pretty cool too. I like how dinged up the gameboy is.
Right? I thought about retouching the photos, but I feel like the wear-and-tear gives it more authenticity. Like the velveteen rabbit.
Very good point about the authenticity. Completely agree. It draws in the viewer’s eye with its wear-and-tear, and reinforces the nature of the Game Boy as a hardy little piece of equipment.
… and now with Dream Champ you’ve recently re-sold me on *two* GBA carts I have lying around that I really need to dust off the DS Lite for and play through.
Keep up with the video content; I think it’s some of your best work. I think your broader videos (like the Metroidvania series, or talking about a group of related games) and your deeper videos (like the sadly-abandoned Final Fantasy 6 Anatomy videos) are really what set you apart. I’d love to see something comparable for new games; why not do a deep video dive into Axiom Verge, for example? Text is fine, and has its place, but I would think discussing weapons while seeing them in action would work better than writing about them and attaching screenshots, for example.
On a kind-of related note, I’d also consider dropping USGamer streaming entirely; I can get streamers everywhere. High-quality, curated videos about interesting games, mechanics, or trends? Not so common.
Thanks. In-depth pieces on Axiom Verge and Shovel Knight are definitely in the cards. I’ve been recording my playthroughs. And I’m only streaming when I have something worthwhile to contribute.
Looking forward to that book and giving you my money for said book. I always enjoy your work and it gets me through the monotony of the work-week. Keep it up!