May, 2019 - Softonic English

Tickets, please: Rotten Tomatoes wants to see proof of purchase before you review

Internet trolls beware, Rotten Tomatoes has your number!

Rotten Tomatoes now needs you to prove you bought a movie ticket before your review is reflected in the “Audience Score.”

The site also recently replaced the “Want to See” percentage with a “Want to See” tally for upcoming films. Basically, rather than a percentage score for whether or not audience members want to see a film, there is now more of a “like count” for whether or not users want to see a movie.

Combating review bombing

This is an effort to reduce the amount of users engaging in “review bombing.” Basically, users have been trolling the site and leaving harsh reviews for movies they haven’t seen.

For example, before “Captain Marvel” hit theaters, users bombarded the film on Rotten Tomatoes with comments about their hatred for Brie Larson and the movie’s “agenda.”

The review bombing brought the “Want to See” score down to about 28%.

Verified ratings

All users can still leave a review for a film whether or not they have seen it. However, Rotten Tomatoes will be differentiating reviews based on whether or not users can provide a ticket stub from the movie.

Users who provide a ticket stub will be thrown into a “Verified Audience” tab on the review page. As stated before, only these scores will be reflected in the “Audience Score.”

Verifying your ticket

When submitting a review, there is a new box that asks you where you bought your ticket. From there, the site guides you through the verification process.

Fandango, AMC Theaters, Regal Cinemas, and Cinemark have all signed up for the verification process.

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Will this make a difference?

Unless users can figure out how to trick Rotten Tomatoes into thinking they bought a ticket, this should be a significant change.

Only viewing reviews from people who actually saw the movie seems like common sense, so it’s a nice addition to the site. If an internet troll just wants to hate a movie for the sake of hating it, they will first have to pay that movie’s filmmakers. Most likely, these folks will just take to their blogs, and hate on the movie from there.

Movie trailers: what works and what fails with today’s blockbusters?

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Sure, sometimes we can make a good judgment call on whether we want to see a movie before we see it. However, our judgments should be based on the film and not our own gripes.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic movie in the works

It’s happening! It’s really happening!!!

Disney is working on a movie derived from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, according to a report from Buzzfeed.

The movie is being written by Laeta Kalogridis. She’s known for writing good movies like “Shutter Island” as well as stinkers like “Terminator: Genisys.”

What is Knights of the Old Republic?

For those that do not know, Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) is the holy grail of Star Wars video games. In 2004, it won Game of the Year from the Game Developer’s Choice Awards.

It’s an action RPG with turn-based combat. The game takes place thousands of years before the events of “Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope.” In it, you play as Darth Revan, a Sith lord who has had his memory wiped by the Jedi. It is up to you to decide whether or not to join the light side, or go back to your roots on the dark side.

Along the way, you are confronted by Darth Malak, Revan’s old apprentice who betrays his master to become the new Sith lord.

From the story to the gameplay, it is one of the best video games ever created, let alone one of the best Star Wars games.

We’re excited but cautious

When it comes to Disney’s Star Wars side movies, they’re batting .500.

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” was okay, but “Solo: A Star Wars Story” was extremely forgettable.

To be fair, we wanted to see Rogue One’s story, but nobody really wanted a standalone Han Solo flick. If Disney holds true to the story with the KOTOR film, we’ll be excited, but we are going to need a good cast to make this really work.

(Hey Disney, you should totally cast Michael Fassbender as Revan. Just saying!)

Fans have been wanting a KOTOR movie since the game came out in 2003. Since Disney bought Star Wars, fans have wanted more movies that show the history of the Jedi and Sith. This could potentially be the best of both worlds, but we will have to wait and see.

How to become a power shopper with Wish

Wish could save you a ton of money. What’s the catch?

Originally designed as a simple app that allowed users to save items they liked to a list, Wish has steadily grown since 2010 to become a powerful online shopping portal. The site allows individual merchants, overwhelmingly based in China, to sell products directly to consumers. Without the middlemen, this means exceptionally low prices for users. Looking for a $6 watch? Check. A $2 necklace? You got it. An $81 refurbished Chromebook. Sure thing.

Of course, with prices this low, quality sometimes suffers and delivery times can exceed three weeks. But if you know how to work Wish, it can be a good tool for getting fun gadgets, interesting fashion and other items without crushing your credit card.

Here’s what you need to know to shop successfully with Wish.

Pick A Platform

Wish’s photo-based interface makes the phone shopping experience very appealing, and the app is available for both iOS and Android platforms. It is also possible – and pleasant – to shop through Wish’s app for Windows or the company’s web-based storefront, which is what we will focus on in this article. All of the same functionality exists in the app, so the lessons here apply to mobile shopping as well.

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Sign Up

The Wish site and app require that you sign up, which consists of providing your name and email address, or using your Facebook or Google accounts to log on. Once you satisfy this requirement, you are free to get shopping.

After logging in, you are frequently greeted with an announcement offering some kind of discount. While these discounts don’t often amount to much savings, it’s worth jotting down the code you are given to shave a little more of your grand total when you are ready to check out (although the code will likely also appear as a banner as you shop).

Shop

The main Wish screen will show you a random selection of items in which the AI thinks you might be interested. As you use the platform more, the selection will become tailored to your apparent interests. If that selection doesn’t appeal, or you’re looking for something specific, use the search box at the top of the screen.

You can also use the “filter” option on the right side of the screen (or by tapping the slider icon in the app) to sort products according to star rating, price and shipping speed.

Once you find an item you like, click it and you’ll be able to choose your size and color (if applicable). Oddly enough, the Wish interface doesn’t allow you to choose your quantity from this page. To do that you first have to click the “buy” button, and then visit your cart to adjust quantities.

First thing to note here is your shipping cost. It’s a figure that can often be as much or more than the product itself, so pay close attention. This field also shows you how long the product will take to arrive.

After determining the shipping cost, you’ll want to take a few moments and research your product. Particularly helpful here are the reviews, which you can access by clicking on the blue stars at the top of the screen or on the “show more” link further down. Once in the reviews section, you can sort by star rating or you can see only the reviews featuring photos. Because quality can vary wildly on Wish, the reviews are key to helping you make a good purchasing decision.

If you scroll down a bit on the product screen, you’ll also find the “Description” category.

Click into this to get more details about the item. This is where you’ll find out what material a piece of clothing or an accessory is made from and also get a sizing chart if you’re shopping for clothes. Here’s where you can also see what condition electronics are in (refurbished, scratched, etc) and find out if accessories like power cables and other cords will be included in your purchase. The description field is hidden until you click on “Show More,” so it’s easy to miss this step – and important not to.

Lastly, the product screen will occasionally show you a “Buy With Other Shoppers” field.

This is a feature that gives you a slightly better price on some items if someone else is shopping for it at the same time as you. To get the savings, be sure to click the buy button in this field instead of the main buy button. This feature is limited by a countdown clock, so to get the deal you need to complete your purchase in the time shown. The timer will also appear next to the item in your cart. Is it a gimmick? Sure. But it can save you some cash.

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Other ways to shop on Wish

Blitz Buy

At the top of the main screen, you’ll see a golden wheel (which is also labeled “Blitz Buy” on the web store). Clicking here will bring up a game that allows you to spin a wheel to see products that are discounted for one day only. The wheel determines how many of these products you can view by somewhat counterintuitively clicking “Play Now.” The whole thing is pretty much a gimmick and in a recent test, the products revealed after spinning the wheel were no cheaper than they were in the standard store interface, so you might just want to skip the whole thing.

Express

Clicking the orange truck at the top of the screen (labeled “Express” on the web store) will result in a list of products that will arrive in 3-7 business days, which can be a helpful way to sort the products if you are in a hurry to receive something.

Outlet

Clicking on the word “Outlet” on the web shopping page or on the shopping bag icon in the app will bring you to the Wish Outlet. Unlike many of the products in the main store, all products featured here are from popular brands, so shopping through this interface improves your chances of getting higher quality items still at impressive prices.

Cart and check out

The shopping cart interface on Wish is clean and simple to understand and is accessed by clicking the cart icon at the top of the page. It’s where you can adjust quantities, or set them to “0” if you want to remove something. It also shows you any countdown clocks or group buy deals you might be involved in which ostensibly pushes you to make your purchase decision a little faster, but can also save you a bit of coin.

After clicking “checkout,” you’ll be taken to the payment page where you can enter your payment details. Here is where you can also enter that code we discussed earlier to take a few more percentage points off your total sale. On the app, you can find the box to input the code by scrolling down, while on the website, you simply click “Apply a coupon.”

Also, be on the lookout on this screen for any last-minute promotions. Sometimes you are given a free gift for purchasing a certain amount, and the gift actually is free – you don’t even need to pay shipping, so it’s worth tossing in to your order.

Slide the orange bar on the app to pay, or click the red “Place Order” button on the web store and you’ll be all set.

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Post Order

After placing your order, the company does a good job of keeping you up-to-date on its progress via email alerts or, if you choose the option when you check out, text messages. If you decide that your purchase was a mistake within 8 hours of placing it, you are free to cancel and receive a store credit known as Wish Cash. If your item arrives damaged (not uncommon) or the wrong item is shipped, you can apply for a refund within 30 days of receiving it. You can also apply for a refund if your item never arrives.

Happy bargain hunting!

Facebook deletes 2.2 billion fake accounts

Facebook deleted more than 2 billion accounts. Here’s why you should care.

From January through March of this year, Facebook deleted about 2.2 billion fake accounts from the platform. That’s twice the normal number of accounts they delete in a three-month span. Facebook released this data in a recent blog post.

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What are these fake accounts even used for?

Facebook VP of Analytics Alex Schultz wrote about the prevalence of the fake accounts.

“The number for fake accounts actioned is very skewed by simplistic attacks, which don’t represent real harm or even a real risk of harm,” Schultz writes. “If an unsophisticated, bad actor tries to mount an attack and create 100 million fake accounts — and we remove them as soon as they are created — that’s 100 million fake accounts actioned. But no one is exposed to these accounts and, hence, we haven’t prevented any harm to our users. Because we remove these accounts so quickly, they are never considered active and we don’t count them as monthly active users.”

The vast majority of the deleted accounts were ones for boosting likes. The idea is that if your page has a high amount of likes, they are more believable and influential.

However, the problems with fake accounts are much more serious than Schultz would have us believe. There were still about 18 million fake accounts that violated policy for toxic behavior that Facebook deleted after an appeal. The violations include:

Spam
Adult nudity/sexual activity
Hate speech
Bullying/harassment
Violent/graphic content
Inappropriate use of drugs
Inappropriate use of firearms
Terrorist propaganda
Child pornography

Counting those that were appealed, Facebook deleted about 4 million posts that promoted hate speech.

Facebook determined that for every 10,000 views, 25 of those views saw violent/graphic material. Also, 11-14 views saw sexual content or adult nudity.

For a better understanding where those numbers come from, check out chart from Facebook:

What’s the significance of this?

Although Schultz claims that the fake accounts were used to boost likes for “bad actors,” more specifically, these fake likes are also used to boost influence for politicians.

Last year, Facebook deleted 32 accounts across Instagram and Facebook that used fake accounts to boost likes. These accounts were used to help politically influence Facebook users during midterm elections.

That was 32 accounts, but with today’s news of 2.2 billion deleted accounts, we can actually see just how prevalent this was.

Next-gen political manipulation: Altered videos of Nancy Pelosi spread online

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Facebook is technically doing better at detecting harassment and fake accounts

Facebook wrote in the same blog post that about 95% of the fake accounts they found were discovered proactively. This means that they were deleted before they could cause any sort of harm.

When it comes to deleting users and pages that promote hate speech, Facebook now detects 65% of the problematic pages. That number is up from an abysmal 24%. For a better idea of how it has improved, check out this infographic from Facebook.

Facebook is also doing a better job of detecting accounts that are inappropriately posting about drugs and firearms. However, here the difference is less significant.

How does this affect you?

If you are being harassed on Facebook, the social media platform has plenty of tools to help you.

However, the cause for the concern comes from the fake accounts used to boost a page’s influence. The number of likes a page has should not dictate how they influence you.

If you are looking at an influencer’s Facebook page, you should judge them from their actions and not from their like count.

Facebook steals information about your menstrual cycles, home buying, more

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Hear the Game of Thrones cast sing ‘Ice Ice Baby’

New video supercut recreates “Ice Ice Baby” with dialogue from the show.

The fire from the “Game of Thrones” may be dying down, but what is dead may never die. For the foreseeable future, we’re going to be treated to memes and remixes and supercuts. We just discovered this gem, where clips from the series have been woven together to recreate Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby.” Check out the hook while our DJ revolves it:

Word to your mother of dragons.

Next-gen political manipulation: Altered videos of Nancy Pelosi spread online

Truth is taking a beating online.

With each successive political campaign, we see new tools being used to spread misinformation. In 2016, social networks were used to target certain groups. After seeing a constant stream of mistruths and outright lies, many voters made their choice without an accurate picture of the candidates and policies on both sides.

Today, the misinformation war is becoming even more heated. Doctored videos of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are being shared on social media:

The doctored video has been viewed on Facebook more than 2.4 million times. We don’t know whether these videos are being produced by a single person, a group, or as part of some kind of larger campaign, but the effects can be devastating.

Political misinformation is nothing new, but we’re now seeing extraordinary amplification of these stories thanks to actual politicians and their social media accounts. Last night, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani (President Trump’s personal attorney) shared the altered video on Twitter with the message, “What is wrong with Nancy Pelosi? Her speech pattern is bizarre.” Giuliani later deleted the tweet.

The President himself shared a highly edited video to push his chosen narrative of Speaker Pelosi.

“PELOSI STAMMERS THROUGH NEWS CONFERENCE” pic.twitter.com/1OyCyqRTuk

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 24, 2019

Any amount of editing can change the slant of a story. We often hear complex conversations summarized in one brief soundbite on the news. Even the selection of a specific photo can paint a positive or negative picture of a candidate. In 2004, Howard Dean’s political campaign was completely derailed because of a scream caught by a microphone:

But the thing is, the people in the room couldn’t hear Dean’s scream. It was incredibly loud in the venue. But because TV networks had access to Dean’s isolated microphone, we didn’t hear the sound in context. It didn’t matter. The die was cast.

So political narratives have been shaped from an out-of-context scream and now, doctored videos. The biggest threat, however, is yet to come. Deepfake videos can make anyone appear to say or do anything. AI can generate fake humans. Just as the computer graphics in Hollywood blockbusters become more convincing, we are quickly closing in on an era when we won’t be able to believe our eyes. And that leads us to a very dangerous place.

George Orwell called it in “1984:”

“The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”

Except in this case, the evidence being presented to our eyes and ears is being manipulated. Politicians have always lied and mischaracterized their opponents. But we are quickly moving into an era where those lies can be backed up with faked video evidence, then amplified across social media until the damage is too great to overcome.

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A quote often misattributed to Mark Twain says, “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.” And that’s been true since before the days when everyone in the world had immediate access to an audience of billions.

The social networks themselves aren’t helping. YouTube took down the altered Pelosi after Axios got in touch with them. Facebook said it would only reduce the video’s reach if they felt it was misleading, but they wouldn’t remove it. Twitter is allowing the altered clip to remain online. How do you fight back against global platforms and itchy clicking fingers?

It’s up to all of us to slow down before retweeting or sharing something shocking. Today, and in the years to come, the faked videos will become even more sophisticated. It’s up to our vigilance and reliable news organizations to make sure the truth isn’t twisted.

6 ways to level up your Instagram captions

Become an insta-sensation with these tips and tricks!

Sure, Instagram’s bread and butter is its focus on pretty pictures. It has been the case since 2010 when the app still had a reverse chronological timeline, well before Facebook entered the mix.

Initially, Instagram was designed as a platform for pics and pics alone. However, the founders quickly realized that something was missing… Enter the likes, comments, and yes, captions.

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Compelling captions do a lot for a post. They tell people what your photo is all about, prompt them to take action, and make sharing worthwhile.

Still, it’s hard to come up with the perfect combination of funny and thoughtful. How do you be descriptive but not too long? How many emoji should you use? What about hashtags? How many is too many?

Don’t make yourself crazy over captions. Here are some ways to drum up that coveted follower engagement without driving yourself nuts:

6 ways to level up your Instagram captions

1. Consider who you’re writing to… and why

First things first. Let’s talk goals.

Who are your followers? How old are they? If you add a reference will they get it?

Instagram has an inherently lighthearted tone. Think about it, you’ve got your pink walls and latte art, inspirational quotes, sunsets, and self-care. On a general level, you’ll likely see the best results from keeping things light.

Beyond understanding the platform, you do want to be in touch with the audience. Ask yourself what kind of language do they use?

2. Lead with the best stuff

This is the Instagram equivalent of “above the fold.” Captions are cut off after a few lines of text. So, if you want to attract interest, you need to front load the information so that people might happen upon it while scanning through their feed.

Sure, you have 2,200 characters to say your peace. However, if you’re looking to max out your space you’ll want to treat the first part of your caption like a headline. After that, you can then dive into the rest for those care to click.

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A note about caption length: The common wisdom is that shorter tends to be better, but it kind of depends on your profile personality. Some users approach their Instagram account as if it were a mini-blog while others go for brevity. They relish that expertly-selected emoji or slick one-liner. It’s all about finding what’s best for you.

3. Ask a question, make a call for action

If you are a brand or you just work for one, you know better than to leave a social media post without listing a “next step” for your reader. The next step, otherwise known as your “call-to-action” or CTA for short invites readers to go, “Hey, I will click over to that website” or “check out that shop.”

Again, this brings us back to this idea of setting a goal. Think about what you want your post to accomplish — comments, likes, engagement, or website visits.

If you’re a typical user that just wants more engagement, try asking a question to get more people to comment. It doesn’t need to be complicated. You can ask people what they think about a new look or invite them to comment on a personal experience.

4. Formatting matters here

Yes, formatting counts when it comes to crafting the perfect post. Spaced out sentences are much easier to read than a big old wall of text. That’s blogging 101. However, you might not realize that avoiding the old text wall translates to social, too.

See this post from The Instagram Expert’s account

View this post on Instagram

– WHAT A DIFFERENCE 365 DAYS CAN MAKE IN YOUR BUSINESS (GO AHEAD, DREAM A LITTLE BIT) ⏡⏡ Meet @shannonleestrategy she has been a small business owner, like many of you, for the past 20 yrs. Shannon had been using online marketing for a while but she told me she felt like she was running on 1 cylinder when she wanted so badly to be at full throttle. Can you relate? – Because she knew she was missing something in her business, she joined Marie Forleo’s B-School last year. Shannon wanted to understand the FOUNDATION of what it takes to build a business online today using modern marketing. – After she took her leap into B-School and invested in her business she’s done some pretty tough work and she’s seen impressive results in her biz. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Including… ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ – How to tell stories on social and in her emails that emotionally connected to her ideal clients – She learned how to focus on always leading with giving value to her clients – She rebranded in a way that aligns with her marketing message – She started on Instagram with 300 followers and after going thru B-School and incorporating what she learned from my Instagram tactics in Ready Set Gram she now how 1,044 highly targeted followers -Since B-School & our in person B-School retreat in Boston, Shannon has… ✔️Gained confidence ✔️Made a mindset shift ✔️:Got Laser focused in her niche ✔️Has clear content that attracts her paying customer ✔️Has grown her email list from 0 to 200 ✔️Launched a website that converts to clients. Resulting in 1K views and several leads a week for her strategy and coaching business – She works less hours because of her systems in place and uses automation to work smarter. Her business has increased 800% giving her thousands and thousands of dollars a month to her household. Annnnnd this only took 1 year! 365 days! – Imagine where you could be one year from now if you invested in your business from someone Who has the step-by-step process to do what you need it?

A post shared by Sue B. Zimmerman IG Educator (@theinstagramexpert) on Feb 13, 2019 at 5:45pm PST

It’s crazy long, but she’s done a nice job making this approachable through the power of white space.

5. Include some emoji

Well-crafted emoji captions are a real treat, and they’re more versatile than you think. These days even more serious brands are getting in on the action.

You can use emojis in a few different ways. For example, you can use them at the beginning of a post to catch people’s eye.

Or, make like Starbucks and tie your emoji back to the focal point in your photo.

View this post on Instagram

Ooo cozy. Just a few more days to share your Cozy up to Red Cups photo using #RedCupContest. Thanks @ktnewms for the beautiful photo. ❤️ For more cozy moments see our story.

A post shared by Starbucks Coffee ☕ (@starbucks) on Nov 22, 2016 at 2:25pm PST

Another idea is to use the “eyes” or the “finger pointing” emoji to draw the eye toward your link or CTA. It’s a nice visual trick for breaking up space, and it serves a practical purpose.

6. Hashtags

Hashtags exist as a means for classifying photos, but they also help you cast a wider net. They help you reach people who might never come into contact with your page. This Hootsuite report breaks down the stats:

For best results, the goal is to keep your hashtags relevant first. The purpose is to help other users find content that corresponds with their interests. Essentially, save the jokes, memes, and emoji for the body of the caption.

7. Keep captions consistent

Finally, consistency is the backbone of branding whether you’re trying to build a business or turn yourself into an influencer.

In either case, people will remember your account when you deliver a high-end experience day in and day out.

How to become a micro-influencer on Instagram

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Wrapping up

Instagram can be a great tool for building your own brand or your business’s brand. With these tips, you can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.

10 best GameCube games

What games made the Nintendo GameCube legendary?

The early 2000s was a monumental turning point in video game history. Sony began the new millennium with the PlayStation 2, and Microsoft ended 2001 with the Xbox. These two systems were pillars in video game history.

However, we’re not here to talk about those two consoles. We are here to discuss the one that came out between these two, the Nintendo GameCube.

During this time, Nintendo was going through a weird era. Sure, they were definitely still doing well. The Nintendo 64 left a great legacy and the Game Boy Advance came out earlier that year and had phenomenal sales. Unfortunately, the Gamecube did not sell as well as the Xbox, and not nearly as well as the PlayStation 2.

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From: Roblox

With that being said, that doesn’t mean the GameCube didn’t have great games. The GameCube had a rich library of games that set it up for success. The Xbox and PS2 just had a leg-up with revolutionary first-person shooters like Halo and regularly updating franchises like Ratchet and Clank and Jak and Daxter.

For this list, we looked for the games that still made the GameCube worth buying. They didn’t win the console war, but they did win over the fans.

Top 10 GameCube games

10. Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness

A lot of the reason why people buy Nintendo’s mobile consoles like the Nintendo DS and the Game Boy Advance is so that they can play Pokémon games. While fans wanted Pokémon games on Nintendo’s home consoles, we never expected them.

Not only did the GameCube get a Pokémon game, but it got the best home console Pokémon game ever made. Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness has some of the same mechanics as your typical Pokémon game, but it focuses more on the story rather than collecting mons and badges.

It’s also a much harder Pokémon game than what we were used to seeing. The final boss is so hard it just seems cruel. Also, rather than you getting the opportunity to hunt in the wild for whatever mons you want, you are at the mercy of using only the mons you snagged from other trainers.

If you’re a Pokémon fan, you can’t go wrong with this classic.

9. Soul Calibur 2

Soul Calibur 2 was on the PS2 and Xbox as well as the GameCube. However, what made it better on the GameCube was the inclusion of our favorite sword-wielding fairy boy, Link. Each game had its exclusive character depending on what console you played. Xbox got the comic book character Spawn, and the PS2 got Mishima from Tekken.

Both of those characters were fun, but they’re no Link.

Soul Calibur 2 is a tournament fighter game where the characters fight with swords, staffs, axes, nunchaku, and even magic. Sure, you can mash buttons and do fairly well, but the more experienced player plays the game like a chess match.

8. Mario Kart: Double Dash

If you were to ask the average Mario Kart fan which game in the series is their favorite, you probably wouldn’t hear anyone mention Mario Kart: Double Dash. However, the game is still a lot of fun.

Double Dash had a unique mechanic where you picked two characters instead of one. One character sits up front driving the kart while the other one sits in back throwing items at other drivers.

This made for some interesting decisions. Maybe you want to have a lighter character up front like Toad, and then throw a heavy character like Donkey Kong on the back to help balance it out.

This might not be our favorite Mario Kart game, but we can pop this one in any day of the week.

7. Sonic Adventure 2 Battle

First, let’s start this off right:

Ahh, if only Sonic’s transition to film went over as well as his transition to Nintendo.

After the demise of the Sega Dreamcast, Sonic the Hedgehog made his way over to the Nintendo GameCube. His stay had… mixed results. Sonic Heroes was a decent title, but the original Sonic Adventure had quite possibly the ugliest talking animation ever.

That said, the crown jewel was Sonic Adventure 2 Battle. The game was animated well for the time, and the gameplay had actual 3D platforming mechanics fitting for the blue hedgehog.

This was the first Sonic title to get the 3D formula right. It wasn’t buggy and game-breaking like future titles, and it was more polished and clean than its predecessor.

The game also introduced us to Shadow the Hedgehog who would go on to be a major anti-hero in the series. The game was divided into a hero and villain side where you could choose to play on the side of good or evil. Each side had three different types of levels. Sonic and Shadow had fast-paced 3D platforming levels. Knuckles and Rouge were treasure hunters in a race to collect all the pieces of the Master Emerald. Tails and Dr. Eggman drove their mechs through levels, shooting down everything in their paths.

One of the things that really makes this game stick out is the Chao Garden. Chao are blue fairy-like creatures that also look like onions.

In the game, you raise them from the moment they hatch. You feed them, train them, and take care of them. It definitely is not enough to merit its own game, but it’s definitely a fun break from the main game.

6. Super Mario Sunshine

Super Mario 64 for the Nintendo 64 set the course for every 3D platformer thereafter. The essence of the game is in its control. Mario feels like he can move wherever you want him to go. His limits are not set by the game, but by your own limitations as a gamer.

That game set such a high standard that Super Mario Sunshine, unfortunately, did not entirely meet. However, that doesn’t mean that this game isn’t fun.

Super Mario Sunshine is an absolute jam. The same feeling of control from Super Mario 64 is still present here. Also, this time Mario has a water hose/water-powered jetpack called FLUDD. This tool gives Mario a whole new dimension to how he can maneuver through the world.

You might be thinking, “Okay, so why isn’t this game as good as Super Mario 64?” Its shortcoming lies in its level designs. When you think of Mario 64, your mind jumps to Bomb-Omb Battlefield, Shifting Sands Land, or Wet-Dry World. Mario Sunshine just doesn’t have the same memorable worlds.

Mario Sunshine is a great game, but it is far from being a legend.

5. Metroid Prime

Nobody thought this game was going to work out as well as it did.

While Link and Mario had 3D incarnations on the Nintendo 64, our favorite bounty-hunting baddie Samus did not get a game. Our thought process was that we couldn’t get a Metroid game was because a 3D Metroid game wasn’t possible. Thank God we were wrong.

Metroid Prime didn’t have the online multiplayer of the Halo franchise, but it had the best alien-hunting campaign of its time. The labyrinth of the original Metroid games is back in a 3D environment that translated so well to the GameCube.

You get to use Samus’s power-ups like the Morph Ball and Grapple Beam to navigate the 3D environment. Eventually, you get to take down some of the most challenging bosses in video game history.

4. Resident Evil 4

The video game era of the early 2000s was defined by graphics.

Nobody thought that the GameCube had the same graphics capabilities of the Xbox or the PS2. People thought GameCube games had such cartoonish graphics because they couldn’t make characters look realistic. Resident Evil 4 was the game that shut them all up.

Resident Evil 4 is about an agent named Leon who is sent into essentially a cultist’s dystopia where he needs to find and rescue the president’s daughter. While there, Leon encounters humans infected with a parasite that takes over their mind and makes them stronger.

Throughout the game, the bosses get harder as your arsenal of guns gets larger. The game isn’t about bringing the biggest, baddest gun to the fight, but bringing the right equipment for the job. Plug in this game, and you’re in for arguably the best Resident Evil game in the entire franchise.

3. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker

After the success of Ocarina of Time and Majora Mask, fans of the Zelda franchise were expecting another fantastic title just as dark as its predecessors. We were also expecting more realistic graphics. What we got wasn’t exactly dark:

So many fans wrote off “The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker” based on the graphics alone. Those fans missed out on an incredible game.

Wind Waker has some of the best sword-fighting mechanics in any video game. Link moves around like a Jedi, parrying blows while flipping through the air.

The story is also great. Link is on a journey to rescue his sister who was kidnapped by a giant albatross. From there, he gets roped into a mission by a talking boat to defeat the evil Ganondorf while unlocking secrets from Hyrule’s past.

Along the way, you meet a colorful cast of characters while you sail the high seas in one of the best adventures in the series.

2. The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess feels like the Zelda game fans wanted for the GameCube. The game is dark and abysmal. Everywhere you go, you encounter characters who just seem to have zero joy left in them. However, once you get to know them, they inspire you, even more, to conquer evil and save the land of Hyrule.

Also, we finally got the graphics we wanted:

Speaking of characters, Twilight Princess introduced us to Midna who is, without a doubt, the best companion to journey alongside Link in any Zelda game. Midna is charismatic, sassy, and, most importantly, flawed. Throughout the game, we see the chinks in her armor as she lets her guard down more and more to the player. By the end, you care about her making it out alive more than Link.

The game was released as a launch title for the Nintendo Wii as well as one of the final titles for the GameCube. Although the game is pretty fun on the Wii, the GameCube was the console that not only deserved it but made it a legend.

1. Super Smash Bros. Melee

The more we thought about it, the more we realized that there simply is not another GameCube game worth of this spot.

Super Smash Bros Melee is not only the best Smash Bros. game and the best GameCube game, but it’s quite possibly the best platforming fighting game ever created.

Three Super Smash Bros. games have been released since Melee, and yet this is the one you still see at tournaments.

The fighting is fast-paced and fluid in a way that Nintendo hasn’t been able to capture since. When you plug this in, hours fly by without you noticing.

Melee showed truly what the GameCube could be. It showed that it could have you and three friends huddle on a cramped couch that smelled like Cheetos and stale Dr. Pepper, and you’d be fine with it.

Wrapping up

Yeah, Pikmin didn’t make the list. We’re sorry, there just wasn’t enough room. What games do you think should have made the list? Let us know in the comments below? As for us, we have to go 1v1 Fox only on Final Destination.

Top online services for influencers

These influencer tools can help you get the products you love in front of your audience!

What does the term “influencer” make you think of?

Technically, influencers are those who convince others to try a product by voicing their opinion.

However, modern social media influencers go above and beyond by putting the definition into action. They use an online presence to guide followers with product and service reviews while businesses offer free products as a marketing tactic. It’s a potential win-win-win situation.

If you’re trying to break into the world of influence and discover your crowd, or if you already have the platform and want to extend your reach, we have a few tools that might help!

They are our…

Top influencer services

Rep

Rep, an iOS exclusive, performs exactly what one might expect from an influencer app. It helps users connect with brands and other influencers for collaboration.

The app works directly with Instagram, so be prepared to sign in with your information and link an account. From there, you can choose your main area of expertise, whether that be fashion, gaming, pets, etc.

Instagram Download Now ►

After that, scroll through the main page (which is designed like Instagram’s interface for ease of use) and check out the offers.

The downside? Rep users generally have a large number of subscribers, often upwards of 10k. If you’re starting out, you may have a difficult time connecting with brands. However, there’s no reason to shy away from contacting other users. You may find a few friends!

Rep Download Free ►

CreatorDen

CreatorDen works much the same way as Rep. In fact, it’s simpler. The navigation menu only has four links: profile, projects, proposals, and notifications. It’s much simpler to find brands and make offers.

CreatorDen is not an app, but an online service. Its headquarters is in Istanbul, and their English support services are limited compared to some of the other options.

There is a unique issue: whereas Rep allows all users to join immediately, CreatorDen requires any social media account to have 3k subscribers before signing on. Budding influencers beware!

On the plus side, CreatorDen works with Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. So, if you have 3k followers on any account, you will get in the game!

Collabor8

Collabor8 focuses on connecting influencers directly to brands, easy and simple.

Collabor8 will help you create a profile, connect social media accounts, and choose your area of influence to begin working with brands.

The app looks great! Just remember when going in that there’s no way to scroll vertically. If you’re prepared for that, you’ll be fine!

Ripl

Ripl begins our section on auxiliary apps. It doesn’t connect influencers, but it does provide something they can use: great video editing!

Let’s be honest, photos are easier to work with because you can take 1,000, pick the perfect one, and then edit it to stellar quality. Videos, in comparison, are time-consuming and difficult to manage.

Say goodbye to Photoshop: Meet the 5 best online photo editing alternative

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If you’re looking to develop video content (a makeup tutorial or tech review, perhaps), Ripl helps create flashy videos tailored to your needs. It also supplies you with editing tools, designer templates, and multi-platform sharing functions. Take it above and beyond with scheduled posting and improved designs with their Pro account, which costs $15 monthly or $120 per year.

You never know; it may be worth the price.

Ripl Download now ►

Buffer

Buffer helps with social media management in a unique way, which probably won’t be for everyone but will be a game changer for some.

The idea: why not control all social media accounts with one app?

Create content, choose platforms for the post, and schedule your updates ahead of time for consistent messages to your followers. After, use a tried-and-tested analytics system to gauge the success of your posts.

Oh, and if that sounds like business, you’re right; Buffer tailors itself to users with multiple, monetized accounts across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. In fact, it requires business accounts and costs $15 dollars a month for their Pro subscription.

But again, if you’re looking for a central social media hub for organization purposes, this may be a game changer.

Buffer Download Now ►

Bonus: Influenster

Influenster suggests products and offers a large number of reviews, acting as an informative middle man for purchases. Essentially, the app tries to fulfill the role of an influencer itself!

This is why we included it as a bonus.

If you’re looking for brands to review when starting out, this app may give you an idea of what’s new and “happening.” It has suggestions and reviews for products ranging from cosmetics to dog toys, along with articles for each category.

If not directly applicable, it may be a great source of information!

Influenster Download Now ►

Conclusion

Becoming an influencer requires work and dedication, but may result in business opportunity and the chance to change lives recommending useful products to followers. We hope these apps are useful on your journey and we wish you the best of luck!

5 great RPG games for fans of Undertale

From the world of Mother to the depths of Yume Nikki, these RPGs will win you over!

When Undertale came out in 2015, it quickly became a sleeper candidate for game of the year. The postmodern RPG, made almost singlehandedly by Toby Fox, featured quirky characters, a bizarre battle system, and a fantastic soundtrack.

What truly got people talking about Undertale, however, was the game’s emphasis on sparing enemies over killing them. In Undertale, every enemy and boss can be spared by talking to them or performing actions with them.

Undertale Download now ►

Killing or sparing certain enemies can drastically change the course of your playthrough, and Undertale features several different endings to highlight this.

Undertale somehow nailed its morality system on the first try, as it avoids becoming shallow, cheesy, preachy, or even pretentious over time.

FREE

Roblox

From: Roblox

Do you want more weird RPG goodness after Undertale? Can’t wait for Deltarune to be completed? Here are some similar games that’ll slake your appetite.

Deltarune Download now ►

5. The MOTHER series

Let’s get the most obvious answer out of the way first. Without the MOTHER series, there would be no Undertale, and Toby Fox has made that explicitly clear.

The series was notable when it first released for deconstructing the JRPG genre. Instead of taking place in a fantasy world with swords, wizards, and dragons, Earthbound takes place in the country of Eagleland on a dystopian Earth. Baseball bats replace swords, suburban children replace legendary heroes, and cheeseburgers replace health potions.

Don’t let this fool you into thinking Earthbound is anything normal, however.

The game embraces the surreal, having battles against Salvadore Dali paintings, taxis, blue cultists, and other foes take place in psychedelic arenas. The game is multilayered. It masks the deep existential dread of growing up with childlike innocence. It’s so surreal and ultimately culminating into one of the most powerful and life-affirming coming-of-age stories ever created for a video game.

Earthbound’s sequel – Mother 3 – strays from the familiar settings of previous entries to create a nonsensical and unfriendly world. Primarily focused on the price of modernity and the ties that bind family members together, Mother 3 tells a heartbreaking story. It makes the player want to put down the controller and hug their loved ones.

The offbeat humor, fantastical settings, and fresh spin on JRPG conventions make picking up the series a no-brainer for any Undertale fan.

Why Earthbound is Nintendo’s most personal game

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4. LISA

If you’re in the mood for something with darker comedy than Earthbound or Undertale, LISA is the game for you. Set in a post-apocalyptic world where an event called the White Flash killed all women, you play as Brad, a disillusioned man hellbent on rescuing the last known baby girl.

The game is chock full of blood and gore, but the game successfully avoids becoming over-the-top. Brad’s stoic disgruntlement provides a humorous contrast to the violent and bleak world you travel. The visual gags and witty dialogue skew the line between “dark humor” and “soul-crushing emptiness.”

LISA’s overworld takes place on a sidescrolling 2D plane. This was a unique choice considering nearly every RPG takes place from a top-down perspective. Combat in LISA resembles the Mario RPG games, as it is turn-based. It requires timed button presses to deal more damage.

What makes LISA’s battle system unique is that there are more than 30 recruitable party members, each with their own special abilities. You must be careful, however, as every character not named Brad is permanently killed if they fall in battle. To add to this stress, Brad and many other characters are addicted to a drug called “Joy.” Joy greatly improves battle prowess, but the withdrawal symptoms are severe. Battles in LISA are tense, sometimes tragic, and always brutal.

While Undertale and the MOTHER games have plenty of depressing moments, LISA is all dark. If you’re looking for a unique RPG with an edge, LISA’s got you covered.

LISA: The Pointless Download now ►

3. Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass

The disgustingly named Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass is one of the newest Mother-like RPG’s to hit Steam. You play as Jimmy, an eight-year-old boy with an active and whimsical imagination. As you travel through his dream, you encounter all kinds of wacky creatures and colorful environments. Talking animals, bouncing numbers, and other friends tell Jimmy how much they love him.

One day, all of Jimmy’s dream friends start acting meaner toward him, telling him how much they hate him. As a scared and confused Jimmy further explores his world, he realizes that a force called the Pulsating Mass is corrupting everything that he loves and holds dear.

The Mass is a giant, shifting blob of flesh and veins that grows larger and spreads hate and discomfort. Once blue rivers fill with blood, formerly friendly NPC’s set out to brutally kill Jimmy. It begs the question, “What is happening in Jimmy’s life that created the Pulsating Mass?”

While Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass features plenty of horror elements, it isn’t a horror game itself. There are plenty of awful pretentious indie games that solely rely on shock value and gore to get a reaction from the player, but Jimmy isn’t one of them.

10 most terrifying survival horror games

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At its core, the game is about the confusing, stressful, and often terrifying emotions that come with growing up. The game isn’t all negative emotions either. You see plenty of uplifting interactions between Jimmy and his family as the young boy uses every support system he can find to help him fight off the evil in his mind. The game does a fantastic job of keeping you emotionally invested in Jimmy, and expect to laugh, cry, and scream with him.

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2. YIIK: A Postmodern RPG

According to people ancient enough to remember Y2K, it was a time of both excitement and anxiety. While people were afraid of mass societal collapse, they were also pumped at the idea of a brand new millennium. The year 2000 always sounded so far away and futuristic, but now it was finally here. What would it bring?

Y2K is central to the plot of YIIK: a Postmodern RPG. You play as Alex, a whiny, pretentious, and entitled hipster who seeks to rescue an internet star with the help of his message board friends. He has to do so before the world supposedly ends. On the way, he explores a series of extremely surreal environments. The game’s low-poly art style and expressive color palette make for a visually mesmerizing game. Combined with delightfully weird enemy designs, the game is among the most visually stimulating RPG’s to come out in years.

The game’s battle system relies on timed button press minigames, similar to Paper Mario. These minigames change based on what weapons you have equipped or what character you’re using. The battle system also lets you manipulate the flow of time, making certain minigames easier to complete or speeding past lengthy animations.

If you can stomach hipster pretentiousness, YIIK is a highly stylized game that’s worth a playthrough for fans of offbeat RPGs.

YIIK: A Postmodern RPG Download now ►

1. Yume Nikki

Yume Nikki is the OG weird indie RPG. First released in 2004, the game has been free to download ever since and has won numerous accolades.

Players take control of a young hikikomori (a Japanese term for antisocial, agoraphobic people who refuse to leave their rooms). They explore their own subconscious. While awake, the protagonist Madotsuki can only explore her room, which features few interactive objects or notable features.

At any time, the player can choose to go to sleep, allowing Madotsuki to explore her dreams. Her dreams are a labyrinth of geometric shapes, clashing colors, and increasingly abstract objects and beings. The sole object of the game is to collect 24 objects called “effects.” At any point, Madotsuki can pinch her cheek to leave the dream world and return to her room, preventing players from getting inescapably lost. There is no way to get a game over, and the only enemies are these weird bird creatures that occasionally pop up to awaken you.

Yume Nikki is less of a game and more of an interactive artistic experience. While that may sound like pretentious nonsense, Yume Nikki succeeds in filling you with feelings of wonder, dread, and hope as good as any movie or book could.

Despite featuring no dialogue, the atmosphere of the game is fantastic at instilling a creeping sense of anxiety. The game’s simple graphics and minimalist but emotive soundtrack don’t hurt either. The game is amazing and it’s free, so there is no excuse not to try it out.

Yume Nikki Download now ►

Are there any offbeat RPGs that we missed? Let us know!