Forte

Ah well, as I said, Nintendo doesn't have download services for their games, and it isn't available for PC, so downloading it isn't really possible without doing something illegal.

I did get around to purchasing it, so I have quite a bit to say about it, now. For one, the controls are amazingly smooth. The music is terrific and the new tracks are pretty much the best in the series. A new type of track has been introduced that doesn't function on laps, but instead functions on splitting the track into three sections. This is done for two Wii Sports Resort based tracks and Rainbow Road, which I think Rainbow Road should have been a three lap deal just because it's always supposed to be the longest track in the game.

The returning tracks are some of the best picks Nintendo has ever put into a Mario Kart game, and while there are some past tracks I would have liked to see return, I can't really complain about the choices.

The items are a lot less unfair than they started to be in Mario Kart Double Dash, and now you are allowed to keep the item you're holding if you're hit by a leader shell, to avoid the scenario that always happened in Mario Kart Wii, where a leader shell would leave you unable to defend your position in first. Unfortunately, Lightning still makes you drop your item.

The coins you collect during the race have a cap at ten, and according to the instruction manual, make your kart faster the more you have, but I haven't really noticed that much of a difference, and I think they only provide a temporary speed boost when you grab one. The unlocking parts thing doesn't work by buying things like I expected, but instead the more total coins you have (which is saved after every Grand Prix) unlocks a part. The parts are unlocked after every 50 coins, which means that before you can unlock a single part, you'll have to play through two different Grand Prix modes (Luckily, since 40 + 40 = 80, and then 80 + 40 = 120, 160 etc, you'll get one part for the next three Grand Prix modes you play through).

The 3DS's online mode is wonderful, and has all but done away with friend codes for games. The 3DS itself has a personal friend code for the console (much like the Wii did) and having someone added as a console friend also adds them as a friend in any online enabled game, even if your friend doesn't have the game yet. You are also able to create communities that people can join, so that an entire group of people can always play together and not have to worry about the random match making system of the Nintendo Wifi Connection.

Overall, I think this game beats any other Mario Kart game ever made, and I hope it continues to impress me that much as I go through the game, unlocking things in preparation to play online.

Unfortunately, Nintendo vary rarely has download services, and if they do, it's through local wireless communications between two 3DS systems. The game can be purchased at any major retailer (Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy), their websites(walmart.com ,target.com, bestbuy.com), or game specialty stores such as Gamestop or EB Games.


Related to the game itself, it brings new characters to the table as well, and the kart customization is based around collecting coins in the races you play in, so that you can buy new kart pieces. The game can also be played in first person mode, if you so choose, which makes use of the 3DS's gyroscope to deliver a realistic driving experience (kind of).

I personally think steam is a great platform for managing PC games. Needless to say, I don't really play many games on it outside of games published by Valve, but there are certain indie games that I play on it, too. Steam, like anything else, does have its flaws, and the biggest issue I have with it is how unstable it seems to be sometimes. Recently, Valve fixed an alt-tabbing error in TF2 and other Source Based games so that minimizing your game goes very smoothly now, and I really enjoy that, since I end up doing tons of things outside of game while I'm still playing (music most of the time).

I hear a lot of complaints about steam, but I never really understand why people would complain. I guess that's just one of those things that matters on people's opinion of something.

Well, I can do my best to explain how it works and how the market in TF2 works (an FPS with an MMORPG-esque market... welp)

For one, free to play users cannot trade with other people, they can only recieve items. If you didn't buy the game, then unless you purchase an item from the Mann Co. store, you can't trade with another user.

Since the Sniper vs. Spy update, users have been able to craft the extra items they find, and for a long time, Valve had promised the advent of trading items. The item crafting system works like this:

Two items used by the same class = 1 scrap
Three items used by the same class = 1 class token
Three items used in the same loadout slot = 1 slot token

3 scrap = 1 reclaimed metal
3 reclaimed metal = 1 refined metal

Metal, in all of its forms, are the basic building blocks of the TF2 economy, and can be considered "money". Since it takes 9 scrap to make 1 refined metal, scrap is considered .11 of a refined. Likewise, a reclaimed is considered .33 of a refined.

Since weapons are typically very common, they are the least commonly sold things. Some people may want a weapon enough to buy it, but most people will wait until they find it. Hats, on the other hand, are uncommon, and as such, are a very busy market. The majority of the game's hats are classified as "craft hats", which means they sell for cheap and are used to craft other hats according to the rebuild headgear recipie: Hat+Hat = Hat.

Other hats, due to popular opinion, general rarity, or how new they are, sell for more, on the order of 3 to 4 refined. Very few hats really go above the 4 refined range, but some Misc. items go for much more, on the order of 7-8 reclaimed.

May as well keep this updated with the Scout's new weapons.

Second Community Update/Promo Items/Australian Christmas:

-The Boston Basher: A strange new bat for the Scout, based on a community made custom skin. Following suit with the Tribalman's Shiv, it allows the Scout to deal bleeding damage (Kind of like burn damage) to any enemy that is struck by it. The downside is that if you miss a swing and simply hit nothing, you hit yourself, causing both bat damage AND bleed damage. It is considered by the community to be one of the worst Scout items, and possibly even one of the worst items in the game, but it is an effective killer if you time your hits correctly. Many people choose to use this weapon just to constantly kill themselves. If you wish to make one, it is easily crafted by combining a Sandman with a Tribalman's Shiv.

-The Sun-on-a-Stick: A new bat that more resembles a mace than a stick, part of the RIFT promotional items. Unlike other Scout weapons, it tends to support another class - The Pyro. It does 25% less damage than the normal bat, but crits a burning player, much like the Axtinguisher. On the upside, it also looks incredibly badass, so if you want to look cool while swinging a bat, there's your method. The crafting ingredients for it are a bit hefty, and since it's been added to the drop system, it's probably not worth it, but if you wish to make one, it's 2 reclaimed metal + The Boston Basher.

-The Fan-o-War: A promotional item from the Total War: Shogun 2 game. It is a Japanese styled fan-like weapon, that deals 90% less damage than the normal bat, but upon hitting someone, they are "marked for death" for ten seconds. Of course, being marked for death means they take mini-crits from anything that hits them, which means all of your teammates can come in and start making kills while you run around wildly hitting people once and running away. The 90% damage falloff almost guarantees that you cannot kill anything with this weapon, unless it just stands there and LETS you kill it, but on the upside, you can hit something with it once and switch over to another, more potent weapon to deal amazing damage. It can be crafted by combining the Mad Milk with a Scrap Metal.

-The Candy Cane: A festive little candy cane bat that was released as part of the Christmas update. It fits nicely with the theme. The upside to this bat is that while you're using it, even if it wasn't the weapon that you made the kill with, your victim will drop a small health pack, which normally heals the scout for about 25 hp. The downside is that explosions do 25% more damage to the Scout, making fighting Soldiers and Demomen, classes that a good Scout should have no problems with, a bit more of a challenge. On a side note, though it's probably a bug, anyone killing the Scout that's using the Candy Cane will be rewarded with a small health pack. It can be crafted using a Kritzkreig and a Pain train, which is a pretty strange combination.


~The UBER Update~

We've waited a long time for Valve to create "Meet the Medic". We'll be waiting an even longer time for Valve to create "Meet the Pyro". But man oh man, when they made "Meet the Medic", they knew how to celebrate it. The game got a new set of updated weapons for EVERY CLASS except the Engineer and Pyro, so of course, the Scout got a new set. Sponsored by BONK! Energy Drink, these weapons all incorporate the drink's famous logo and Hazard Symbols into their design, and the entire set is considered an item set, just like the Polycount update, however, using all the items at once does nothing for you.

-The Soda Popper: A new scatter gun that takes a few notes from the Force-a-Nature. It loads two shots, but reloads 25% faster than the Force-a-Nature. The real change begins at its new special ability, to add a "Hype" bar to your HUD which increases while you run or jump. Finally, when it reaches maximum, it automatically discharges, and allows you to fire constant minicrits with every weapon you have until the bar runs empty again. A good scout can use this to his advantage many times in one life. Taking after the weapon's appearance, the crafting recipe is One reclaimed metal, a Bonk! Atomic Punch, and a Force-a-Nature.

-The Winger: A new pistol, something that Scout fans have been looking forward to since the Scout's class update. The clip size is 60% smaller, but it does 15% more damage on each successful hit. There isn't much to talk about, since it's a weapon that rewards accuracy. It can be crafted by using one Reclaimed Metal and a Shortstop.

-The Atomizer: A new bat for the scout, and the first one since the Sandman to have the "Home run" taunt kill. It grants the user an extra jump, making the scout's jumps total in at three, but every time you use this third jump, you take 10 damage. It also has the distinct disadvantages of doing 20% less damage to enemy players, and swinging 30% slower. Needless to say, the only true upside to it is the third jump. Interestingly enough, a Scout can perform a fourth jump by using it in conjunction with the Force-a-Nature's air knockback. It can be crafted by combining a Bonk! Atomic Punch with a Sandman and a Reclaimed Metal.