Minecraft Server Reviews - ArcadeMania

On the website mineshafter.info, you'll find a HUGE list of Cracked Minecraft servers. These servers are specifically made for players who can't or are unable to afford a Premium Minecraft account, like me. This means I can't go onto SkythekidRS's server if I even wanted to (which I don't). Some of these Cracked servers are just flat-out trash, with nothing to actually do and no players to help support it. But there is one server that is so astounding with a community so awesome, some players can't believe that it's Cracked. This server is ArcadeMania.

ArcadeMania is a fairly large server, hosting an average of five to twenty player daily. Most of their players come for one thing: KitPVP. ArcadeMania has by far the coolest KitPVP Minigame on record, with over fifty kits available for purchase, along with special ones just for Donators. But ArcadeMania is not just about slaughtering of your enemies. They also have a wide range of other Minigames: QuakeCraft, Skyblock, Parkour, Mob Arena, and the newly added TNT Run. ArcadeMania also hosts Creative Plots, in which players can earn a special "Builder" ranking and a second plot if their creativity astounds the community. Other than Minigames, the server also has a PVP/Factions and Economy Server. Both servers play out very similiarly: Players play in Survival Mode and can begin their own Factions, recruiting players and dominating their enemies. But unlike PVP/Factions, Eco lets you sell and purchase items and blocks to help you with your journey.

Speaking of factions, if you do decide to join the server, join my faction, AirRaiders!

(I have no shame, what can I say?)

Through playing Minigames and brutally murdering one-another, it's safe to say that members of the AradeMania server actually bond and have formed a small community, which is something I don't see in many servers. That is the reason I keep going back: the community. Never in my year-long membership on this server have I enjoyed playing with such awesome and amazing people. I've seen the server change and as it has gained more and more players, I say that it has evolved from being just a Cracked server to an experience. ArcadeMania has become one of the greatest multiplayer experiences I've ever had and I'm sure you'd say the same.

I give ArcadeMania 4.75 Diamonds out 5.

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Server IP: mania.aracdemc.com

Server Website: www.arcademc.com

Head Admin/Owner: HavocMasterChief
Co-Owner: 2MuchDrama

Super Smash Bros. For Wii U/3DS - My Opinions On The Newcomers

Ever since it was announced back at E3 2013, Nintendo has barraged us with new information on their latest installment in the Super Smash Bros. franchise. From new game modes to new items, we just can't escape the excitement. But if there is anything that gets fans more excited about any SSB, it's obviously the fighters. Move aside, Mario and Kirby. Time to give the new guys the spotlight.

Today, I'll be giving you my personal opinions of each of the brand new fighters that we currently know about: Villager, Wii Fit Trainer, Mega Man, Little Mac, Rosalina & Luma, Charizard and Greninja. I will not count non-transforming characters such as Sheik and Zero-Suit Samus as Newcomers due to their inclusion in previous SSB games. Please remember that this article is just opinion.

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"Super Smash Bros. -Villager" by vaness96

Fighter: Villager - Animal Crossing Franchise

Okay, be honest: You didn't expect this guy to be in Smash. Sure, he'd be a cool Assist Trophy but a Newcomer? That's ludicrous. But, by what I've seen, Animal Crossing's iconic character may actually be a worthy opponent. His moves are cute and very home-driven, using items like the shovel to bury his opponents. Literally. If that doesn't impress you, how about his ability to steal opponent's moves and redirect them back at an opponent? Yep, Animal Crossing's Villager will be able to take Lucario's Aura Sphere and redirect it back at him. If that isn't scandalous enough, well, at least  his cuteness will melt the heart of your opponents.

Final Rating: 3 out of 5 Smash Orbs. Sure, he may just be there for looks but I believe that with his attack-stealing ability, he'll be able to take on the toughest of Veterans.

"Exercise Is Fun" by drakithu

Fighter: Wii Fit Trainer - Wii Fit Series

Every Smash has a "gag character." In the Melee, it was Dr. Mario. In Brawl, it was Rob. Ladies and gentlemen, your "gag character" of Super Smash Bros. For Wii U/3DS is... actually pretty awesome. Sure, the Wii Fit Trainer is kind of an amusing chose for a fighter but so was the idea to put the Ice Climbers in Brawl. The Wii Fit Trainer, much like Little Mac, is practically BORN to be in SSB. Her moves are entirely based on different yoga move and exercises, not to mention her Final Smash is a rainbow-colored explosion of Yoga poses that will mow down all your opponents. Sound cool enough for you?

Final Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Smash Orbs. Yes, Wii Fit Trainer is the LAST character anybody would want in Smash but to be honest, this choice is pretty awesome.

"Super Smash Bros. Wii U/3DS -
 Bienvenido, Megaman" by emiyaforterko

Fighter: Mega Man - Mega Man Franchise

He's the character everybody was hoping for. He's the one and only... most exaggerated character in the Smash. 

whole roster. Yes, I understand Nintendo might have wanted to give fans the one character they wanted more than Ripley and Little Mac and I completely understand that. I just think they are over-doing Capcom's blue bomber by giving him the largest and most difficult move-set in all of Smash history. Don't believe me? Watch the Super Smash Direct and you tell me. I think pros will even have a difficult time using Mega Man but it's worth bringing another video game icon into

Final Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Smash Orbs. I feel Mega Man will be too difficult to use and is completely over-powered because of it. I understand you are trying to do him justice but I'll just wait till I can master the nunchuck before even attempting to use him.

"Big Mac and Little Mac" by heartstringsxiii

Fighter: Little Mac - Punch Out! Series

Possibly the mostly requested Smash character to date, Nintendo finally gave up and gave the fans what they wanted: the most epic fighter of all time going against video game icons in a battle royal to the death. Luckily, SSB. oh, did I forget to mention Giga Mac? Good luck, Mario.

Mike Tyson won't be taking anyone's ears in this game because Little Mac will be too busy beating the competition down. Though he isn't so great in the air, his on-the-ground, beat-'em-down boxing skills make him the toughest and strongest fighter in all of

Final Rating: 6 out of 5 Smash Orbs. Finally, we have an experienced fighter in the ring. Both literally and figuratively. Little Mac will finally get the spotlight he deserves. Nintendo is finally doing us fans proud.


Fighter: Rosalina & Luma - Super Mario Franchise

"Rosalina and Luma - Luma Shot" by ishmam

How can Nintendo squeeze out the success of the Super Mario Galaxy series? By putting Rosalina in EVERYTHING. First it was Mario Kart 7. Then it was Super Mario 3D World. Now it's Smash and I've had enough of it. Rosalina, I don't hate you. You are an amazing character. But you honestly got to stop showing up on every Mario game. You only exist in Galaxy and that's it. Sure, your moves are cool but please for the love of God, just stop showing up! you are gonna make Mario look like some kind of womanizer in front of Peach!

Final Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Smash Orbs. I honestly think Rosalina is better off as a side character. Guess we'll just have to wait and see what Nintendo throws at us again.

"Greninja and Charizard GIF" by Not-Quite-Normal

Fighters: Charizard and Greninja - Pokemon Franchise

I know, I know. Why am I putting them together? Well, I have the same opinion on both of them: they aren't exactly "fighters." Yes, technically, they do fight each other in battles but they don't, in my opinion, need to be in the fight. Most fans were really hoping for the Pokemon Trainer to make his return but to play as just Charizard and Greninja just won't be as fun to me. There are already a LOT of Pokemon in SSB, counting all the Pokeballs, Master Balls, Pikachu and Lucario. We don't really need anymore solo Pokemon brawlers. The only way I would choose to play as either of them is if they Mega Evolve like Lucario.

Final Rating: 2.6 out of 5 Smash Orbs. The Pokemon franchise is one of Nintendo's largest cash cow so it's no surprise they want to constantly shove this down our throats by integrating them everywhere. I feel as if these two will end up like Rosalina & Luma: Clumsy and annoying. I don't care how cool they are, to be honest. There are too many Pokemon. Next time, just stay with 150.

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And there you guys go! My opinions of all the current Newcomers. Do you agree or disagree? Leave your opinions of the Newcomers in the Comments below.

Thank you for reading and as always, Gamers of the Nations, RAGE ON! I'll see you next time :)

FOLLOW ME EVERYWHERE!
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Twitter: N4U2016
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Oculus Rift Sells Out and Minecraft Goes Next-Gen - BREAKING NEWS #2

Yet again, I'm providing you all a step away from the barrage of Super Smash Bros. content to give you some other video game news. Much like last time, these stories aren't exactly current but are still relevant so please keep this in mind with open eyes.

The first of your two stories is that Facebook has purchased the virtual reality headset, Oculus Rift, for $2 billion. According to Business Insider, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg said that Facebook plans to take Oculus VR's newest piece of tech to the next level. "After games, we're going to make Oculus a platform for many other experiences. Imagine enjoying a court side seat at a game, studying in a classroom of students and teachers all over the world or consulting with a doctor face-to-face -- just by putting on goggles in your home."

Now, you have to remember that there is no actual Oculus Rift  for the general public right now. The only version that is out now is the Developer Kit. Maybe Zuckerburg plans to quicken production on the public model of the headset so that those who want to enter into the next generation of games can do so sooner. That, or he just wants to make a 3D version of Farmville, complete with ads. Yea, no likes for that.

Second, and finally, 4J Studios, the developers of the Xbox 360 and PS3 Versions of Mojang's hit title Minecraft, released an image of what appears to be Minecraft for Sony's Vita. This could mean that the blocky title may officially be ready to go next-gen since Sony has had a great history with games like this so
far. Remember when Sony announced that the Vita would be able to connect to the PS3 and you'd be able to continue games away from your home console, much like the Wii U's game tablet? Well, with the success of the PS3 version of Minecraft, we could expect crafters to be able to use this feature. But, none can say for sure, considering no official details were announced.

With that, this will be the end of your new news.
And as always, Gamers of the Nations, RAGE ON and I'll see you next time :)

Super Smash Bros. For Wii U/3DS - Smash Bros. Direct in Review

On April 8, 2014, Shigeru Miyamoto went online in a special Super Smash Bros. Edition of Nintendo Direct to finally answer some questions about the latest installments in the franchise. If you didn't watch it or are too lazy to, I will provide a recap of all the newly-released aspects and concepts for SSB4.

• Release: To many fans' surprise, the Nintendo 3DS version will be coming out BEFORE the Wii U counterpart. No exact date was in place, though, leaving some fans disappointed. But still, expect the Nintendo 3DS version to release worldwide Summer 2014 and the Wii U version Winter 2014.
• Technical Aspects: 
• All fighters will be running at a beautiful 60 fps. To make sure the gameplay isn't slowed, Assists Trophies will only be running at 30 fps. 
• Not only that, but both consoles will be able to interact with each other but Miyamoto shared no details on how.
• Differences Between Versions:
• As we all were aware, both consoles will be featuring stages unique to each game. Other than that, no really new information was released.
• Stages:
• As previously mentioned, both consoles will have different stages so if you are somebody who is looking for a new kind of challenge, try playing both games.
• Stage Bosses will return once more. But one that got everybody excited was a certain shadow of a specific character that was seen. Who? Well, all I'll say was the stage seemed very Metroid-y. You'll have to figure it out from there.
• For the new game mode For Glory (talked about later on), all stages will have a Final Destination-inspired design.
• Assist Trophies: 
• Plenty of Assist Trophies were shown in a montage during Direct, not only ones that were previously announced such as Waluigi from Mario Tennis, Ashley from WarioWare, and Skull Kid from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. Assist Trophies haven't made many changes but still expect a lot chaos to ensue.
• Items:
• Plenty of items new and old were shown, such as the famous Bumper showcasing its new design. 
• Pokeballs also make their return with a new inclusion: The Master Ball. These new items from the Pokemon universe have the same concept of their red and white brethren but hold more legendary Pokemon, such as Reshiram, Palkia and Arceus.
• Online Play:
• Nintendo has decided that for online play, you will no longer be anonymous and instead have your Nintendo Network ID visible to other players. No only that, but you can now be reported and even banned temporarily from play, much like Miiverse. The reason for this is to make online play easier and more fun for everyone.
• Also included for Online Play are three brand-new game modes: For Fun, For Glory and Smash Run.
• For Fun: A simple and easy multiplayer battle royale. All stages are available for choosing, all items are on and only your wins are recorded.
• For Glory: A tough multiplayer mode for only the veterans. This mode pits you against anywhere between one to three other fighters on Final Destination or a Final Destination-inspired arena with no items and only your wits. both wins and losses will be recorded.
• Smash Run: Exclusive for the Nintendo 3DS, this game mode pits you against three other players to gather up power-ups to improve your fighter in a certain time limit before going head-to-head-to-head-to-head. These power-ups are similar to those found in Kid Icarus: Uprising.
• Fighters:
• Concepts:
• If you enjoyed turning from Zelda to Sheik in Brawl, well no longer will you be able to transform. Sorry, guys.
• Returning:
• Yoshi: Back with a straighter spine, his dinosaur is ready to fight once more.
• Zero-Suit Samus: Out to prove that you don't need a suit to be powerful, she's been equipped with jet boots and a new move-set.
• Sheik: Everyone's favorite ninja is back and awesomer than ever.
• Samus: New Final Smash
• Lucario: As he takes more damage, his attacks will be more powerful. Also, MEGA LUCARIO!!!!! OMG!!!! 
• Captain Olimar: You will only be able to summon three Pikmin at a time and it will follow a color-based system. Also a new move.
• New:
• Mega Man: Finally, players see all of his moves and his Final Smash: 5 generations of Mega Mans coming in for a MEGA KILL.
• Little Mac: After much speculation, it's revealed that Little Mac's Final Smash will be him turning into Giga Mac, much like Bowser transforms into... Giga... Bowser... Wow, so creative... Also, an alternate skin was announced.
• Charizard: The most famous Pokemon of all time has finally ditched the Pokemom trainer for his own spot in the roster. Expect a move-set much similar to Bowser and cross your fingers for a Mega Charizard X Final Smash.
• Greninja: The most unexpected pick of fighters, Greninja leaves the Kalos region for the brawl. Bringing in his water moves and his stealth, look out, Sheik. There's a new ninja in town.

Well, there you guys go! A quick recap of Super Smash Bros. Direct. If I missed anything important, please let me know in the Comments below.

And as always, Gamers of the Nations, RAGE ON! I'll see you guys next time :)

FOLLOW ME EVERYWHERE!
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Game Changers: The Top 5 Games That Changed How We Play

Every now and then, there comes a video game that sets a higher standard to a genre. Sometimes they even make a new genre. Even so, these 5 video games redefined the video game industry and helped make it was it is today. These are my Top 5 Game Changers.

5) Minecraft - PC, Xbox 360, PS3 - Mojang:

Minecraft is also known for its amazing community

The sandbox title truly proved one thing: gameplay is more important than graphics. The quirkyness of every item being cubical and returning to the roots of the old-school survival game, Minecraft truly proves this point. Minecraft is not just about looks though: the Single Player survival campaign is long and brutal, meaning you must dedicate hundreds of hours to fight the terrifying Ender Dragon, only to then sit through a poetic 10 minute end credits. Then, you can replay the game from right where you left off, no restarting and no questions asked. Not only that, this game reinvigorated the Independent (indie) genre of video games. From having a cult following to becoming one of the most popular games of all time with, as of September 2013, over 33 million registered users. In the end, Minecraft is a great game with an interesting look at how a game as simple as Survival can be so... fun.

Keep on spinning, Mario...

4) Super Mario 64 - Nintendo 64 - Nintendo:

Admit it: you knew the famous red plumber would make it somewhere on this list. Well, truth be told, he did make a giant impact on the video game industry. Created by Shigeru Miyamoto back when Nintendo crafted the infamous arcade title, Donkey Kong, then known as only Jumpman because of his ability to, well, jump. After the success of the Donkey Kong franchise, Miyamoto decided to give our buddy the star treatment he deserved: a new name and a new series. Now known as Mario, he became gaming's largest and most recognizable icon. Even people who don't play video games know of Mario! But how did he impact the video game world? Mario reinvented 3-Dimensional gaming. Super Mario 64 was one of Nintendo's first attempts at 3D Platforming and it was a success. In fact, it was such a success that franchises like Legend of Zelda and Star Fox began using this technology also, spawning some of the greatest games of all time.

3) The Last of Us - PS3, PS4 - Naughty Dogs:

Just a look at some of the scores The Last of Us has gotten.

What is there left to be said about The Last of Us? The game is action-packed, the cinematics of the cutscenes are superb and the gameplay is so smooth that it's difficult to even compare. But despite it being a Sony exclusive, this game is worth the playthrough. The game has a dark tone, telling Joel and Ellie's story of survival in a post-apocalyptic United States. But the real reason this game is such a hit is because of the way the game play affects the player. In the game, you not only have to fight waves of infected zombie-like creatures but you are forced to also kill other survivors. Yes, sometimes you will have to kill innocent people so you can live longer. The game presents this in a matter it's almost disturbing and the game itself re-imagines the survival/horror genre of video games.

2) Super Smash Bros. Franchise - Multiple Consoles - Nintendo:

Current characters for SSB4, coming later this year.

Back in the days of the Nintendo 64, there was a game that would change the fighting genre and that game is Smash. Yes, Smash didn't exactly create the fighting genre. Games like Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter were WAY out before Smash was even being fleshed out but the game introduced the concept of a "multiverse fighting game," or a fighting game in which characters and entities from different universes would come together in a battle royal. Without Smash, games like Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe and Marvel vs Capcom probably wouldn't exist. Plus, it became Nintendo's second biggest cash cow, with the first obviously being anything with the name Mario in it.

1) Mega Man Franchise - Multiple Consoles - Capcom:

Mega Man Comics.... YUSH :D

Released for the NES in 1987, Capcom's Blue Bomber is truly special in the hearts of many gamers. With over 50 games under his name, Mega Man changed the Platforming genre with the simplistic controls and the surprisingly difficult levels, all of which leading up to an epic Boss Battle. The controls were easy and the gameplay was fun but the truly amazing thing about the Mega Man games were how easy a player could adapt. Most games were programmed to have a Tutorial or have little text boxes saying how you should play but with Mega Man, you learn how to play as you play. The games grew a cult following and simple became a part of pop culture. Sadly, all good things come to an end and Capcom stopped releasing Mega Man games. LUCKILY WE GOT MIGHTY NUMBER 9 COMING SOON SO HURRAY!

So, there you have it: My personal opinion of the games that changed... games. Tell me what you guys think and what games changed gaming for you in the Comment section below!

AND AS ALWAYS, GAMERS OF THE NATIONS, RAGE ON and I'll see you next time :)