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Episode 47 - ANNUAL GIFT MAN'S REVENGE

by Danny Bivens, James Charlton, Ty Shughart, and Matt Walker - December 22, 2014, 3:06 am EST
Total comments: 10

Join the Famicrew as they all get together for a bumper episode to ring in the festive season, and fight the evil Christmas robot overlord.

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Here it is, the last Famicast of the year, and boy do we have a good one for you! This bumper episode spans 3 hours with a full 4-man crew!

New business fill sup the first hour; JC shares his feelings on finally getting his brand new Wii U set up, including his favorite features of the system. This leads into more Smash Wii U talk from the other guys, including some choice words on the online mode from Ty. Danny has a very Japanese 3DS game to discuss, the Japan eShop exclusive crane game simulator also known as Home Menu Kazareru Badge Torēru Center. Find out just what the hell is this "game" is, and if it’s something you’d like to come to the West. Ty wraps up with talk of his Smash 8 player setup. Spoiler alert, it involves a lot of cables and multiple TVs.

The second hour runs down all the latest releases in Japan due over the winter holidays. Anyone ever heard of Rickman Battle Network? If that doesn’t entice you then there’s plenty of other great games coming out like Attack on Titan, Sega 3D Archives and…Fremium Wars? Our newly titled segment "Japanews" (see what we did there?) runs down the most exciting stories coming out of Japan including the Bravely Second special edition, Theatrhythm Dragon Quest and the Super Mario Bros movie (no, not that one).

The third and final hour starts with Life in Japan, all about our best and worst Christmas gaming memories in Japan. Learn about Danny’s tantrums, JC’ and Matt’s depressing work stories, balanced out with great stories of hot dates in Tokyo Disney Land, Christmas cakes, and our favorite winter games!

The Famicrew would like to thank all our listeners, new and old, for sticking with us this long. We really appreciate all the folks who followed us to our new stand-alone feed, and continue to listen to our now biweekly ramblings about Nintendo in Japan!

Here’s to an awesome new year, from your friends in Japan, Danny, James, Ty, Matt, and the spirit of Minoru!

Talkback

To fill in the gaps in my snarky email: My local Jusco, or at least the grocery store level, played a straight cover of Jingle Bell Rock on a continuous loop for all of December. It's fairly common to hear things on short loops when shopping in Japan, but not a familiar song sung in English. I frequented Jusco for groceries and the food court since it was a mere block from my apartment. I used to like that song. Boy, I sure don't any more.

I wonder if Jingle Bell rock is more well known in Okinawa than elsewhere in Japan due to the US military presence.

famicomplicatedJames Charlton, Associate Editor (Japan)December 24, 2014

Was it a midi orchestral version, or the original one with lyrics?
The thing that irritates me most about shopping mall music in Japan isn't really their choice of songs, it's more that they're butt-rock or synthesised versions of (what I once considered) good songs!

It was a "real" version with lyrics. I couldn't tell you if it was the original or a vanilla cover. It wouldn't surprise me if that song selection was inspired by Jingle All the Way.

on Catdrugs talking aobut Smash 4;

I'd say the revision to the Ledge Mechanics is pretty huge. control of the ledge was a HUGE focal point of high level smash bros. play with the invincibility frames it offered, and the ability to steal the ledge from opponents, specially those using a teather recovery. now that the ledge only offers you invinciblity the first time you hit it before planting your feet as well as the fact that you can grab the ledge and shove folks off is a HUGE game changer. for one thing, fast falling off the ledge or falling of the ledge is not nearly as powerful of an option because grabbing on for more invincibility is not an option; you have to deal with your opponent immediately in your bid for getting back on the stage and it changes the whole dynamic of that interaction. The fact that you can grab the ledge from someone also is very important for many reasons, namely that you actually have to use offense and learn to spike if you're going to keep your opponent off instead of just taking the ledge from them.

in addition, they have entirely revised the DI system, as well as created new techniques such as Perfect Pivots. also, you can map tilts to the C-stick, which has done WONDERS to improve my play where I often get smash attacks on the spot instead of tilts when I want them.


Smash Tour is awful. it's confusing and hectic and it's impossible to teach my friends. it's especially bad if you play with custom move sets on because they will just give you random customized fighters. the stock battle is actually a time battle you can get eliminated from, and it's AWFUL for farming stuff. for that reason, I've been playing more of the 3DS version to get custom sets and equips...!


I don't think with items flying about and stage hazards that GGPO would work. Also, Japanese companies like their in-house netcode rather than licensing that sort of thing. also, I'd say Smash 4's Netcode is on par with UMVC3 or Tekken Tag 2's. just keep in mind you're playing an online game on a game that natively has a wireless internet connection. >_>

pokepal148Spencer Johnson, Contributing WriterDecember 24, 2014

I like Smash Tour

S-U-P-E-RTy Shughart, Staff AlumnusDecember 25, 2014

Quote from: ClexYoshi

on Catdrugs talking aobut Smash 4;

I'd say the revision to the Ledge Mechanics is pretty huge. control of the ledge was a HUGE focal point of high level smash bros. play with the invincibility frames it offered, and the ability to steal the ledge from opponents, specially those using a teather recovery. now that the ledge only offers you invinciblity the first time you hit it before planting your feet as well as the fact that you can grab the ledge and shove folks off is a HUGE game changer. for one thing, fast falling off the ledge or falling of the ledge is not nearly as powerful of an option because grabbing on for more invincibility is not an option; you have to deal with your opponent immediately in your bid for getting back on the stage and it changes the whole dynamic of that interaction. The fact that you can grab the ledge from someone also is very important for many reasons, namely that you actually have to use offense and learn to spike if you're going to keep your opponent off instead of just taking the ledge from them.

Yeah, thinking about it more, I like it better. Or do I? Should things really be made easier for the player who allowed themselves to be put in that bad situation? I guess I'm still undecided.

Quote:

in addition, they have entirely revised the DI system, as well as created new techniques such as Perfect Pivots.

Are these really meaningful changes, though? I mean, they might be, but I was hoping for some more novel changes.

Don't get me started on controls. Or do! Maybe I'll talk about it on the next episode. >:)
Actually, ep#5 on the Sirlin podcast about covers it. Check it out: http://www.sirlin.net/

Quote:

I don't think with items flying about and stage hazards that GGPO would work. Also, Japanese companies like their in-house netcode rather than licensing that sort of thing. also, I'd say Smash 4's Netcode is on par with UMVC3 or Tekken Tag 2's. just keep in mind you're playing an online game on a game that natively has a wireless internet connection. >_>

Rollback-based netcode would absolutely work, and item/stage stuff has nothing to do with it. Also, since recording, I've had a lot of input from a certain game designer regarding how companies (both US and JPN) choose and implement their netcode and it's.... really depressing. For Japanese companies, it's like they don't even know that they're doing a bad job. At least Capcom/dimps used rollback code for SFxT, so maybe there's hope for the future?

Smash is still worse netcode that UMVC3 and TTT2, even before you consider the wireless-only player base ;_;

pokepal148Spencer Johnson, Contributing WriterDecember 25, 2014

Smash netcode is mostly fine for the more casual userbase which is more then I expected.

Alas, you do have to make some sacrifices when you Git Gud.

S-U-P-E-RTy Shughart, Staff AlumnusDecember 25, 2014

Quote from: pokepal148

Smash netcode is mostly fine for the more casual userbase which is more then I expected.

No, it isn't. There's no excuse for it being as bad as it is.

So I went to the Japanese supermarket's food court for lunch today because most places were closed for Christmas. Is that, like, the contrapositive of a westerner working on Christmas in Japan?

famicomplicatedJames Charlton, Associate Editor (Japan)December 26, 2014

Quote from: TheYoungerPlumber

So I went to the Japanese supermarket's food court for lunch today because most places were closed for Christmas. Is that, like, the contrapositive of a westerner working on Christmas in Japan?

Yeah, I think you found the perfect symmetry of a gaijin working at an English conversation school at Christmas!

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