Nicolas Hamel

Hi! I'm Nicolas. Gamer, blogger, reviewing stuff is my hobby! Planned All Along, my blog, exists since 2013 and I reviewed over 400 games on it so far. And I'm always planning to do more! Link's down here, check out the Archive or the Index! I prefer positivity but am fair on what I cover.

Something I wish more people would realize.

The Wii has been taken to the repair shop. I really hope this won't cost too much. Hopefully it's just a cleanup, a bit of a hceck-up, and no damaged piece. Either way, I think trying to review another Wii game this year is a wash.

And it's not like companies spamming garbage games didn't exist prior; Data Design Interactive, Phoenix Games, or Digital Homicide, to name a few. There's a precedent. But those "companies" did not have the extreme speed of garbage creation that AI enables today. Current shovelware shovelers DO.

I wish I was exaggerating, 16 games from one dev, all AI slop, all clones of something else, all pumped out in the space of months. That's my experience of what AI tools are enabling, not creativity, not anyone's dream game, but spam. Constant, low effort, neverending, AI generated spam.

That Halloween Fanta ad on Twitch... It's freaking AI too, isn't it?

In Stories: The Path of Destinies, your choices change the game radically. So much so, that there are 23 ways in which the adventure can go horribly wrong... and one where things end well. You'll have to play many bad paths in order to find the best route. Clever concept, brilliantly narrated.

Disabled people and trans people were also part of the Nazis’ eugenics (up til 1933, trans healthcare and rights were well advanced in Germany.) Where one group is deemed “lesser”, it empowers the lessening of more. It happened so recently we are refusing to see it happening again across the world.

Nothing quite like playing a run in Balatro, having about three Jokers you needed to Gold Sticker still, and then the Ante 8 boss is the Verdant Leaf, you are too reliant on your cards being recognized for what they are, and your other, Gold-stickered Jokers are all unsellable Eternals. Ugh.

One more pic! This one was made by @cautiontail.bsky.social (I believe that's the correct account). Another commission at Canfurence, this was a laminated badge with the year's theme ("MarOwOned"), hence the summer garb and falling into the sea. Also, it was entirely drawn and colored with markers!

Another pic from this year's #Canfurence! This is a watercolor piece by @jaspersvault.art! It's also the pic that made me realize I had never had Malum wearing anything else than his stage magician garb. It also feels weird to see different clothes on him. The whole piece is so damn fun, really.

More art share! I realize I hadn't shared on here my commissions from #Canfurence 2026. I have very few art pieces of my coyote cop Alexis, who was heavily inspired by David Bouchard of the Bon Cop Bad Cop movies. This picture was the work of @nicnak044.bsky.social, who always does amazing work.

Canada's province of Alberta has rejected a plan to hold a binding independence referendum, results show, a setback for separatists backed by allies of US President Donald Trump u.afp.com/SCah

The Albertan referendum for separation lost, with only 24% of people voting Yes to it. Smith, and the other interests, would have had to convince double that, and then some. Too bad for the Americans who wanted to take over a Canadian province! You know which type I'm talking about.

Bought my first Queen album recently! It's A Night at the Opera. Bit of an obvious choice, but hey, it's a classic for a reason. Everybody loves Bohemian Rhapsody, but not enough people talk about The Prophet's Song. That track goes to incredible places.

There are many Sonic racing games, and I own three on Steam. Okay, this one reaches wider by adding representation across SEGA's history, so it's not just a Sonic game. Expect the usual from a mascot racer - powerups, themed tracks, unlockable characters... and a few surprises here and there.

Okay, fine, while I've still got Prime, might as well see what Helluva Boss is like in French Canadian too.

Unfortunately, that's a fail. No review of Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles this year. I'll have to buy a whole new copy, 'cause now that I've started, I'll definitely want to finish it either way. Oh well, it happens. Such are the risks with flea market purchases.

Shovel Knight is one of the most famous indie franchises out there, so I was quite happy to finally experience it! A tough platformer with modern sensibilities, a fun tone, and plenty of additional challenge for those who seek it! Oh, and the Treasure Trove edition contains 5 games instead of one!

Well! A year late, but I'm finally starting Hazbin Hotel Season 2. Why a year late? As I said many times before, I try to stay away from streaming services. Especially Amazon... ...But someone in my family needed something on that platform, so screw it, Prime for two months to go with it.

Parti Québécois finally finds minority it likes

Amazing movie. Not entirely inaccurate to say that it isn't for the faint of heart; you gotta know you're gonna watch some pretty intense body horror. The climax is best described as going so over-the-top it circles back to being hilarious... if you like really, really dark humor.

Road 96 is a narrative-driven roguelite. How does that work? Every run is divided into story segments encountered in a random order! Thus, as you play through and either lose or win runs, you see the world and its characters develop towards the conclusion... however dark it may get.

Finished adding images on my Friday review. Time to start a new game! I do enjoy this system I've made up. It allows me to play lots of my games through the year, it's near. I can feel the backlog getting smaller... Not fast enough, but still! Steps are taken!

The game I'll be covering this Friday is Road 96. It is currently on sale at 75% discount on Steam! The offer ends right on October 1st, the day before I publish. Therefore, if you're interested, here's the link, and you can check it out in advance, maybe even buy it if you are interested!

Laura Shigihara's Rakuen, is an emotional journey. A boy in a hospital meets the other patients on his floor. Then, he and his mother discover doors to a fantasy world where people of the hospital have equivalents - and through those, we learn everyone's greater stories. Yes, tears will be shed.

@Cozycononline.com Commission done for @Hamelnico.bsky.social! She's such a cute birdie! #myart #anotelart

Tonight, I finished the game I'll be talking about next Friday! It's Rakuen. The RPG Maker game. If I tell you how it's left me, it will be saying too much. Too early, anyway; gotta leave some stuff for the article.

As others have pointed out, this all boils down to a core tenet that is often forgotten about the character. "If you cannot picture your Batman comforting a crying child, you haven't written Batman." Not my words (I likely paraphrased), and I forget who first said it, but it is entirely accurate.

Is Hellblade a puzzle-based walking sim? An action game? A horror game? Well, it's got all three. All with an excellent story about a young woman with a traumatic past and her own mental struggles, facing deities of Norse mythology on a possibly futile quest. It's dark, yet beautiful. And excellent.