Video Game of the Month:
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp
Boy, have I missed Animal Crossing. This mobile app game does scratch an itch. It is fun, funny, and very nice to look at, though Pocket Camp is much more “gamey” than a real Animal Crossing title. Goals are much more clear-cut, including things like leveling-up and timed goals and stretch goals. You don’t just wander around doing whatever you feel like; there are things you’re supposed to be doing. The crafting system is an intriguing addition to Animal Crossing that I actually quite like, and I’m curious if that will carry over into the next full-fledged title. Also, be my friend:
It me!
Show of the Month:
Marvel’s Runaways
One of the single greatest comic book runs of the current century, Brian K. Vaughan’s Runaways from Marvel Comics had a jaw-droppingly engaging blend of teen angst, comedy, and comic book superheroics. I am sometimes still shocked at just how good it was. This adaptation keeps the core characters but changes the storytelling from a frenetic, straight-ahead adventure to a slow-burn, laterally-expanding mystery. It works best when it focuses on the kids and their interactions. All the actors are great in their parts, even all 10 parents (geez that’s a lot). Ariela Barer is a particular standout as Gert, full of bluster and snark but also awkwardness and hope. The first few episodes have me intrigued enough to keep watching.
Tabletop Game of the Month:
The Oregon Trail
A shockingly-accurate transformation of the classic schoolhouse video game into card format, you and your cooperative team have the unenviable task of trying to survive the Oregon Trail with limited resources and oh-so-many rivers you have to cross. The way the cards form the actual trail is an ingenious mechanic. The only thing this game is really missing is a recreation of trying to shoot a buffalo or bear to get the 100lbs of meat as you could carry (but there’s a hunting expansion, so maybe that handles it). Spoiler: you’re probably all going to die before you can play the 50 trail cards you need to win. Oh, also: You have died of Dysentery.
Categories: Of the Month.
