Tag Archives: Marvel SNAP

Marvel Snap March 2024: Avengers vs. X-Men

Introduction

For some reason, my comics have been coming later the last couple of months. I still receive them, just a week later than before. Therefore, my usual schedule of comics reviews on the first week of the month no longer works. Thankfully, Marvel SNAP updates their new season during the first week of the month. So, I have at least one article for this week. I forgot what Marvel SNAP March 2024 was, but then I looked it up and we get Avengers vs. X-Men this month.

We started Mario in March last year. I plan to continue this year. I need to make the banner for Mario in March and plan out the rest of the month. A switch to Marvel in March was considered, but I think that might work better in May (closer to Deadpool release), so Maro in March, it remains. Keep coming back this month for quality Mario content!

New Locations

Utopia looks like a misprint from the data mine. Sure enough, I looked it up. It should say that 3 and 4 cards cost 1 less. Average cost savings that really helps certain decks. Certainly, every time I encounter the location, my opponent will be running nothing but 3 and 4 cost cards in their deck. I love Krakoa. Anything that adds power is a good thing in my mind. yes, I’ve become a Marvel SNAP size queen ever since Skaar released.

New Characters

Mockingbird

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Costs 1 less for each card you have in play that didn’t start in your deck.

I love my energy generation. Those of you around when the Djinn released know I thought they might end up having to nerf the location. Never happened, but I know that I giggle every time it shows up in game. So, Hope will make it into several of my decks. Cannonball can be very powerful against an aggro deck. Also, I think that his ability is just about the most flavorful lore wise that I’ve seen. Pixie just feels like chaos to me. I don’t see myself playing her very much. Likewise, I don’t play many decks that add cards, so Mockingbird will most likely only get played if I need to for a quest. War Machine, on the other hand, costs 4, so he gets the Utopia bump. Plus, it always annoys me when I can’t play a card and I paint myself into a corner late game. He gives my dumb ass an out.

The Verdict

After a great January and a so-so February, Marvel SNAP March 2024 continues the slight downward trend of the seasons. Heck I don’t even care all that much about the special Conquest variant this month. However, without giving too much away, next month looks fun. I mean, you can Google it yourself if you want. Until then, see you in game, fellow SNAPers.

Images SNAPped from Marvel SNAP Zone.

Marvel SNAP February 2024: Black Order

Introduction

Let me get this out of the way and diminish my nerd cred further. I have no idea who or what the Black Order is. Even after a quick look at the Wikipedia page, I have no idea. Oh well, it won’t stop me from bringing you my thoughts on the latest update in the game Chris once called “War with additional features.”

New Locations

Neither of these locations wow me as much as some others in the past. I do like the idea of getting a random 6-cost card from my “Ones” deck, so that will be nice when I play that one. Independently, the Infinity Stones can either be game changing or a complete whiff. Like the actual stones, their real power comes from playing all of them and getting the buff on Thanos as a result. So, I will most likely curse that location when it shows.

New Characters

Proxima Midnight

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When this is discarded, jumps to your lowest-Power location. (that isn’t full)

Nope. Not even seeing the cards brings any recognition. I have no idea who any of these people are. Luckily, I don’t need to know who they are in order to play the cards. And, I will play Black Swan and Cull Obsidian without a doubt in my “Ones” deck. I don’t play discard very much, as I mentioned in the previous article about Marvel SNAP. So, I doubt that I will prioritize Corvus Glaive or Proxima Midnight unless I get a quest for discards. I like the idea of Supergiant in an reveal deck and it also sets up a pretty cool Hela in the right discard deck.

The Verdict

I’m not as excited about the Black Order update as I was Planet Hulk. Granted, not knowing the characters or story diminishes my enjoyment some. But, also, the cards and locations aren’t as much fun, either. Plus, next month is X-Men vs. Avengers and I’ll be looking forward to that. I still plan on playing enough to get all of the goodies. See you in game, SNAPers.

Note: Images taken from Marvel SNAP Zone.

Marvel SNAP January 2024: Planet Hulk

Introduction

I saw last month that they planned to bring Planet Hulk to Marvel SNAP January 2024. This made me incredibly excited. Planet Hulk is my favorite story in comics, maybe ever. I loved the entire Greg Pak run of Hulk and Planet Hulk especially.

Yes, Immortal Hulk brought the Green Goliath back to his former heights after some lean years. But, I still think I prefer Pak’s take on Hulk and it bore the “Incredible” modifier instead of the new “Immortal” tagline. I mean, honestly, I’m just splitting hairs at this point. So, let’s take a look at the update.

New Locations

The Great Portal plays right into the Skaar deck. By giving you another 10 cost card to play, you reduce his cost even more. But, we’ll discuss that in the next section. Crown City, too, favors a powerful deck, as +4 to adjacent locations is pretty damn good in a game that sometimes comes down to every point of power. That thing is gonna set off some intense battles in the middle.

New Cards

Caiera

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Ongoing: Your 1 and 6-Cost cards can’t be destroyed.

Wow. I say. Wow. I already played Skaar to finish up the weekend quest and that card is powerful in the right shell. Who doesn’t want a zero cost 11 power card? Throw in Shuri and Taskmaster and the numbers get big quick in that deck. If I ever pull Caiera, I’m putting her in my “Ones” deck because screw your Killmonger, Bud. Herc is fun, but expensive, so unless you put him with Zabu, you only get a couple of moves to take advantage of. As previously mentioned, I don’t play much disco except to finish quests, so Miek isn’t a priority. Beta Ray Bill, as in the comics, is just another version of Thor. But, the Grandmaster opens up a whole new realm of possibilities that I hope I get a chance to discover. Overall, a strong batch of cards that I’ll have a ton of fun with, I think.

The Verdict

I think that I’m going to enjoy Marvel SNAP January 2024 more than I did last month. And, honestly, that’s saying something. I branched out to play some Conquest last month and got the Thor Hellfire Gala variant. I pushed at the end of the month up to Gold in the main play mode. That’s probably my ceiling, but I already played a ton this weekend to finish the Skaar quest and I’m planning my Conquest, uh, conquest to get that Ghost Rider variant.

2023 Mobile Game of the Year Contenders

Introduction

I searched earlier in the week back to last year to see if I wrote preview articles for the new year. I did, but I wrote them in January as part of “New Year, New Games”. Next year, our 10th, the theme is “New Decade, New Games”, so I the previews come then. Therefore, I needed a Wednesday article for my look back series. Enter 2023 Mobile Game of the Year Contenders.

This article almost makes us look official like. While merely a web page run essentially by two guys as a hobby, I like to dip my toe into the professional writing scene every now and then. So, while I already picked the mobile game of the year for this year, I can pretend for the sake of this article.

Candy Crush/Soda Saga

I played these games regularly several years ago. I worked ridiculous hours and spent what down time I had with the games on my phone. For whatever reason, even though I enjoy Magic the Gathering and Marvel more, I played these match 3 games and spent more money that I’m comfortable admitting on boosters and extended levels.

More recently, I picked both games up again. I spend less time with some of the other games that I like. Plus, I can’t find a new time sink that satisfies me the same as these games. So, I’m back to logging in on a daily basis to try to finish the next level. Once in a while, I get inspired to keep playing for a streak or other bonus.

Hearthstone

Likewise, I spent a good amount of time on this game at the beginning of the year. Mostly, I played Battlegrounds, but I always tried to finish quests in the main mode, too, in order to advance on the rewards track. Over the last few months, as I mentioned, I spent less time playing. I finished the Battlegrounds rewards track pretty early this time and they only recently released a new one. So, I might find some recency bias and choose Hearthstone as my game of the year. Hey, there’s precedent. I picked Marvel SNAP last year in spite of only having played it for a couple of months.

Magic the Gathering Arena

In spite of my recent decrease in play time, I still play MTGA as often as ever. I found a new joy with the game through my play group with Chris and Jason, so I use the game as a way to keep my brain and plays fresh during the in between times. They also offer cool midweek Magic events to get packs and other cosmetics. This week they introduce the new “Vintage” format for the game, Timeless. I tried to make a deck but didn’t have all of the cards or wild cards. So, I just submitted my elf tribal deck.

Marvel SNAP

As mentioned, Marvel SNAP won game of the year last year in spite of the fact that it took me several months to play the game. I probably played it more this year than many other games. My play time might not be as great as MTGA or Hearthstone, but that’s only because games only take 3-5 minutes tops to finish. Though, I recently discovered Conquest mode and I’m trying to get the Hellfire Gala Thor variant from that.

The Verdict

You get the true verdict for the 2023 Mobile Game of the Year Contenders on Friday. We here at 2 Generations Gaming already know the results. But, unlike much of what we do here, we promise no spoilers for this one. Come back Friday to find out.

Mobile Gaming is a Gift 2023

Introduction

Last year, I finally came through on an idea I had at least 5 years ago. I decided to come up with a theme for each month and focus the page on that theme. The first one I implemented was for October (the very first theme I came up with) and then I moved on to December. What better theme than gifts? And, so, welcome to the first article of the second installment, Mobile Gaming is a Gift 2023.

I use this as a way to look back on the year that was and all the mobile games I played. Also, I just got the idea to look at my “look ahead” article from earlier in the year. Provide an update on all the games I played and (more likely looking at the list) that I completely forgot.

So, About That List?

Of these three games, the only one I played was Mighty Doom. It was fun for about 10 minutes and then I quickly grew bored. Looking at the reviews of the other two, I won’t be trying MK: Onslaught any time soon. Sounds like a money sink with a decent story. I can watch that on YouTube. Dark Alliance sounds fun, but it’s 10 bucks, so we’ll see if I end up downloading that. Cheaper than the Steam version, though.

The Warhammer game looks like vaporware after a quick search. Apparently, the GTA series got incorporated into Netflix somehow because that’s the only story that I can find right now. Reviews of Ever Crisis describe it as an annoying grind fest with little pay off. So, one for six and I’m not even going to go into the cluster that the Warcraft Rumble game looks like.

Any New Games, Then?

Well, in addition to Marvel SNAP, Hearthstone (with less frequency than before), and Magic the Gathering: Arena, I also played Candy Crush and Candy Crush Soda Saga on a daily basis. Magic the Gathering Puzzle Quest is a daily login just for the freebie, as I theorized. I played a few times to finish quests, but not enough to consider it a regular. Even though the other Warhammer game looks imaginary or perpetually in the developing stage, I played Tacticus, a Warhammer 40k game. While repetitive, I still have fun playing it.

Additionally, sparked by conversation with colleagues, I downloaded the NYT word puzzle app again. I loved doing the small crosswords and got my Wordle streak to 75 before losing it. Good news! I’m almost to 20 again. They also have a game called Connections or something that took me a few tries to figure out. The last is Spelling Bee. Well, all of this nerdy fun led me to download Wordscapes.

It’s, uh, not great. I played for a few days, maybe a week. I paid to get rid of the ads because they annoyed the shit out of me. Then, today, I just stopped playing and uninstalled. It’s just too easy and there’s not enough variety in the levels to make it interesting. I thought it was cool to see what words used the same letters but just rearranged. Other than that, the game just became a time waster.

The Verdict

While the claim that mobile gaming is a gift 2023 isn’t completely false, it does feel empty after sitting down and reflecting back. Really, the only two games that brought me any joy were Magic the Gathering Arena and Marvel SNAP. Oh, I also dug out my tablet and played some Teamfight Tactics a few times. I don’t like it on the phone, but it plays nicely on the tablet. So, overall, not a total loss. But, definitely not the golden age of mobile gaming right now.

Marvel SNAP December 2023: Hellfire Gala

Introduction

The first week of the month generally means time for comic reviews. I promise that they’re coming. The comics arrived in the mail. I sorted them. I need to read them and review them. Before the end of the week. Besides, when I logged in earlier, the game reminded me of the Marvel SNAP December 2023 update.

They went with the Hellfire Gala this time. Without a major TV or movie release, I suppose they decided to take a cue from the comics this time. Though, I think the Hellfire Gala was a couple of months ago because right now they’re doing the “Fall of X” story line in the books. I forgot to order my comics for December, so maybe next month I finally get caught up on X-Men then.

New Locations

Neither of these locations wows me a ton. I like the idea of extra energy but rarely feel like I get to use it regularly. Perhaps by exploiting that imbalance each turn, I can play cards a turn earlier. Feels like a “win more” strategy. The white palace gives you a copy of an expensive card. Big deal.

New Cards

Selene

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On Reveal: Afflict the lowest-Power card in each player’s hand with -3 Power.

None of these cards speaks to me like the ones from the previous month. I generally don’t play buff decks, so Shaw and Havok won’t see much play from me. I like the idea of Blob as a troll card at the end of the game. I see no utility in Selene at all. She just feels really underpowered. Maybe late game if you haven’t played either of your Gobbys and you hit one of their bigger cards with it. So, some utility, I suppose.

The Verdict

The previous month interested me more than Marvel SNAP December 2023. I will still spend cash on the rewards track because I always finish it and it feels like good value. But, I doubt that I’ll play any of the cards other that to complete the special quests that they give you monthly to entice you to play the cards. Hey, I don’t mind the treadmill.

Pictures SNAPed from Marvel SNAP Zone.

Higher Further Faster: Marvel SNAP

Introduction

Just like the new Marvels movie, Marvel SNAP challenges us to go “Higher Further Faster”. Somehow I missed the last two updates for the game. But, I remember in time for this one. The update releases in a couple of days. I must say. It looks fun.

In one of my previous updates, I said that X-23 might alone bring me back to the game. While I played enough over the last two months to finish the rewards track and get her card, I have yet to play her in any one of my decks. Oh well, however it happened, I came back to the game.

New Locations

The Djinn also gives you +2 energy next turn.

This feels like a location that people will rush. Me, a filthy casual, already have the idea of Quicksilver and Domino and you’re off to the races. I have a hunch that we might see some sort of nerf on this one in the first few days. Maybe you only get a Djinn the first time you play a card or something along those lines.

I’m sure there’s some utility to this location that I’m missing. But, it just feels like one of those annoying locations that will reward my opponent and punish me. Yes, I’m one of those players who sees conspiracy in these types of games. 200 cards in your Magic deck and you still draw every removal and your stupid Agony whatever. FOH.

New Cards

Martyr

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At the end of the game, move to a location that LOSES you the game (if possible)

Wow.

Seriously. I see only utility and almost no draw back for all of these cards. I’m putting Martyr in my “Ones” deck. I fill all of my locations with that deck regularly, so there’s no place for it to move. Annihilus is perfect tech against the goblins and also The Hood and that stupid location that takes one power away each turn. Ms. Marvel belongs in my “Ongoing” deck. The only one that will probably end up screwing with me is Gladiator. With my luck, he’s guaranteed to pull their highest power card every time.

The Verdict

This update lives up to its “Higher Further Faster” motto. I love every one of the new cards introduced. I’m not sure about the location that transforms, but the other one seems very exploitable. See you in a couple of days, SNAPers!

Loki For All Time Preview

Introduction

I wrote in my Marvel SNAP article last month that I lost interest in the game for a bit. At the time, I theorized then that it might end up as one of the many games that came out with great promise but then ended up in the scrap heap of previously loved games. I think I also wrote that a card like X-23 alone could get me to play the game more. Well, with this Loki for All Time preview, I can confidently say that none of that is true.

I played more in this last month than the previous two combined. That much is true. But, I never opened X-23, so it had nothing to do with that card. I just remembered how much fun the game can be and also how quickly games go. I finish my quests in a game or two and it rarely takes more than 10 minutes.

Why a Preview?

Due to circumstances completely within my control, I moved some things around and rearranged my writing schedule for this month and next. I planned to do Dungeons and Dragons last week and then moved it to this week. I further moved it to next week because we took full advantage of the end of summer. Quinn and I never sat down to play either Roll Player Adventures or D&D, so I have no updates there. My DCBS order arrived the other day and when I sat down with my planner this afternoon, I decided to slot comics into this week. I mean, Marvel SNAP always has a new update every month.

While true, the updates don’t release precisely at the beginning of each month. Last month, for example, the article that I used as a resource for my Marvel SNAP article came out on August 9th. So, the official word for next month won’t come for another couple of days. I sort of painted myself into a corner here. Luckily, some information got data mined and I can at least talk about the new cards. Maybe when the other information releases, I can write an update talking about the stuff I missed.

The Trickster

On Reveal: Replace your hand with cards from your opponent’s starting deck. Give them -1 cost.

Our Loki for All Time preview starts, predictably, with the man of the hour, Loki. While not generally a fan of theft decks in any card game, I might make an exception with this card. I like that you are replacing your hand with their cards. Also, my “no fun police” sense tingles with the chance to beat those disco and destro decks at their own game. I never played Daken. I intend to play Loki day 1.

The Other Cards

Ongoing: Your cards with 1 or less Power cost 1 less. (minimum 1)

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If I’m being honest, none of these cards interest me very much. I can think of much more interesting things to do on turn 6 besides destroying my opponents cards played at a certain location on that turn. Maybe I see some utility with the location that destroys all the others, but that feels far too limited for my game play style. I play a “Ones” deck sometimes to finish the quest, but I think they all have more than one power. Besides, they can’t have their cost reduced below one. I suppose she allows for quicker Gobby and Hobby shenanigans. Some other utility. I might try a deck for a game or two with her if I end up opening her card. The only time I ever see a card that increases the cost of my cards is Iceman. I suppose that Wave gets hit by this one and that’s sometimes a popular play to lock you out of playing multiple cards later in the game. So, I might put Mobius in my Ongoing deck if I can find a slot for him.

The Verdict

The only card that looks remotely interesting to me is Loki. The others have limited (or almost no) functionality for my play style. When I come back in a couple of weeks with all of the information from the update, including the locations, I can give an update on my thoughts here in this Loki for All Time preview.

Note: Images snapped from Marvel SNAP Zone.

Marvel SNAP August 2023

Introduction

This game’s entry into “Games I Once Loved But Now Lie in the Trash Heap Forgotten” looms large. After once calling it my Mobile Game of the Year all the way in December, I played it less and less over time. To my credit, I gave it more of a chance than Chris, who stopped playing months ago. Funny because he first introduced me to the game. Well, join me to see if the Marvel SNAP August 2023 update brings me back from the brink.

I played so little last month that I didn’t even receive the level 50 reward from the rewards track. I bought the pass and then only played maybe once a day while over in Germany. Then, back in the States, I never got back into the habit of completing my daily quests to let them refresh every time. I will admit, though, that at least one card caught my eye this month.

New Locations

Every month brings a new seaons and a new update. Those updates introduce new cards and locations into the game. This month’s focus appears to be destruction.

I rarely play destruction decks. I play against them often. They don’t usually frustrate me as much as discard decks for some reason. However, a destruction deck with this location on the board opens the door for some shenanigans. You can replay cards that give a bonus when destroyed and then destroy them all over again. Fun!

This one requires a bit more strategery and finesse than the other one. It destroys the last card to “get” here, I assume by either playing or moving. Few cards give bonuses for both moving and destruction. But, an opponent can try to frustrate you by playing or moving a card later in the game and destroying that card instead. Oh, you could set up a combo with a card, then move it with another card and get the bonus. Yes, definitely more of a thinking man’s location.

New Cards

On Reveal: Destroy each card here with less Power than this.

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Silver Samurai feels out of place in this update. Especially when you consider that discarding a card does not destroy it. Lady Deathstrike feels underpowered for the cost. 5 energy to destroy cards with 2 or less power. Granted, it has some utility and combos with some of the cards in the destro decks. I’d have to play it more. Daken gives you a shard that doubles his power when it’s destroyed or discarded, so maybe that’s how you work Samurai into the deck. Finally, my favorite character ever since Logan and I discovered her solo comic book, X-23. She also causes all kinds of havoc on the board. I think this one single card might bring me back to playing the game with more consistency.

The Verdict

Overall, I like what I see in the Marvel SNAP August 2023 update. X-23 looks to single handedly bring me back into the game and build a destro deck. Plus, she has some pretty sweet variants. Okay, just like with my history in Hearthstone, every time I think I’m out, they pull me right back in. See you in game, SNAPers!

Images SNAPshotted from Marvel Snap Zone.

Marvel SNAP in the Spider-Verse

Introduction

I last wrote one of these articles in February. I think I knew at the time that they planned to release a new “season” every month. Somehow, March, April, and May went by without me writing anything about the game that last year I called the mobile game of the year. Well, better late than never. And, honestly, what better time to rejoin the game than Marvel SNAP in the Spider-Verse?

Heck, my wife just texted us all in the group chat not to make any plans for Friday because she wants to go to the movies as a family. I felt bad reminding her that I got invited to one last Conant graduation for the seniors this year. Aiden also wrote that he made plans with friends for Friday. Oh well, she said, there’s always Saturday. The movie she wanted to watch? Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

New Locations

I wrote a quick blurb about the four new locations in Quantumania. Since they only released two new locations this time, I have some more room to discuss each one. As we will see with the card release, movement is the theme of this season. This location fits right in with that. I have a move deck that I play for fun sometimes. Hitting this location with a Multiple Man gives me the warm and fuzzies all over.

Now, this thing just looks bananas. If you get this one as the first location, that’s five turns of things getting moved. I suppose you can play around it by focus firing on this location, but that leaves the other two wide open unless you have cards that make cards like Sinister. I get the feeling that before long, unless I’m playing my move deck, this will be one of those locations that I grumble about when I see it.

New Cards

Spider-Ham

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On Reveal: Transform the highest-cost card in your opponent’s hand into a Pig, keeping its Power and Cost.

Okay, I admit to not understanding the functionality of the Spider-Ham card. Does it remove all effects from the card and just retain the power and cost? If so, then it acts like a polymorph of sorts and I can see that being a fun way to mess with your opponent. Silk plays like a reverse Juggernaut and can work to free up some space if you painted yourself into a corner by placing too many cards in one location. Ghost Spider is going right into my move deck for sure. And Spider-Man 2099 feels a bit too expensive, but with Ghost Spider can really put a crimp on your opponent’s late game.

The Verdict

Marvel SNAP in the Spider-Verse feels a bit less than previous updates. Four new cards matches up with what we’ve seen in the past. But, as I said to a friend, unless they start releasing different versions of cards, they have to be running out of characters to add to the game. Then again, I just Googled “How many Marvel heroes are there?” and it gave me the answer of over 80,000. So, there’s that.

The update only provides two new locations compared to the four from Quantumania and three from the Nimrod seasons. However, the last two updates only gave two as well, so maybe they run out of locations far before characters. One big update that I don’t care all that much about but other players do according to this article, is the Conquest mode. Who knows? Before long, I’m sure I will join you all there, SNAPers.