'Trial' and Error

Before work piled up alongside my collection, I was looking forward to taking a break from Splatoon and finally checking out the free games and demos on my Switch.  But mostly I was blowing my time on YouTube videos.  And before I knew it, I was thrust back into the battlefield.

Advance Wars (GBA)

Not crazy about carrying my $300 console along with a sack of clothes to the laundromat, I took my GBA instead and started this game again.  Still stuck on the same level and with no reference on hand, the only option was to play on my character's strengths while working as slowly and carefully as possible.

With no real game plan, I tried securing as many bases as possible, ranking up enough money to keep deploying ground units and wear down the enemy in close combat.  Being Laundry Day--the busiest day of the week--this literally took hours.  And this was supposed to be easy--my opponent didn't use his special Power.

The next and final battle pitted Huey (Andy), Dewey (Max) and Louie (Drake) against Sturm, who held nothing back.  Even with 3 armies under my command, it took 83 days of deadlock to break through Sturm's defenses, though I still couldn't capture his HQ.  On both occasions, I resorted to the same stratagem: Simply placing my tanks and whatnot over the enemy factories so they can't produce more units, allowing me to wipe out those on the field.

So the main campaign ended and the credits rolled, without much else to scratch that tactical itch, except . . .

Fire Emblem: Awakening (3DS)

Here, I was stuck on the story's 16th paralogue, navigating a maze full of enemies while protecting a little girl.  My crew couldn't make it past the mages and their long-range magic until I realized two can play that game.  So I used my own mage to attack the enemy leader from the other side of a wall.  This took a while, since the character hasn't leveled up enough.  So begins the grinding of our low-tier heroes for the next mission.

I'm also trying to hook up my main Frederick with a woman, since Chrom's already taken.

Mario Tennis Aces (Switch)

The first of what will hopefully be a regular perk for Nintendo's online subscribers, the full game was available to play for free for a week, but I didn't get in a lot of playtime.  Then again, tennis was never my racket.

Of course, you learn the basics in Story Mode.  And you first face off against Dry Bones, a personal favorite from the Mario franchise.

I lost count of how many times I got creamed by Donkey Kong.  Only won after breaking his racket.

Mini games, such as deflecting fireballs from Piranha Plants, further diversify the challenge.

Tetris 99 (Switch)

To wrap up this post, I checked out Nintendo Switch Online's other perk, mainly to hoard enough points to keep this theme from Fire Emblem: Three Houses.  That one's getting added to my collection eventually, but already owning 2 other FE titles, it won't be anytime soon.

And that about does it.  Join me again as I continue to grind my way to the TOP OF THE HEAP.  See you next time.