Maybe it's hard to find Halloween games on Nintendo platforms, but that won't stop us!
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/35872
This episode may start out with Wii U Party (which Gui actually likes plenty), but the dominant topic of New Business is Phoenix Wright: Dual Destinies, a.k.a. Ace Attorney 5. James has already beaten the game and leads the discussion, but you'll also get less complete reactions from Jonny and guest Michael Cole. We learn how the game reinvents investigation scenes (complete with a comparison to Zork... friggin' Zork!) and that it may be a surprisingly sharp commentary on the Japanese legal system. Jonny tacks on the short version of why he pre-ordered a PS4 launch bundle, and even picked up a Dual Shock 4 controller before launch.
After the break, we lost TYP to more important website business, but the remaining trio return to discuss some Halloween-themed games available on Nintendo systems. We may not have the same array of M-rated horror fests that you'll find on PC or even other consoles, but there are still plenty of opportunities to celebrate the spookiest holiday. Case in point -- we expected this to be a 15-minute mini-feature, but it kept us occupied for the entire second half of the show! Each of us played one or two extra games for the occasion, so it starts as kind of supplement to New Business and later develops into a discussion of the larger concept of Halloween-related gaming.
Do you have any favorite Halloween (or Thanksgiving...) games? Send in your ideas, plus any other questions for the podcast crew. And don't forget that the NWR Telethon for Child's Play, including TYP's Live Radio Trivia, is coming up in just three weeks!
I didn't buy Fortune Street because I didn't want Fortune Street, especially with the hoop-jumping of playing any Wii game online. A first-party, refined sequel on the far superior Wii U platform with voice chat integrated into the controller is a totally different proposition!
Did i hear Now Playing twice?
Did i hear Now Playing twice?
Indeed. I guess Gui really enjoys my writing.
I didn't buy Fortune Street because I didn't want Fortune Street, especially with the hoop-jumping of playing any Wii game online. A first-party, refined sequel on the far superior Wii U platform with voice chat integrated into the controller is a totally different proposition!
Jonny - we should play Fortune Street at PAX East. I totally get what you mean regarding playing it online, but if you've got a few people together, it's the best version of Monopoly ever. And there's a Slime from Dragon Quest in it.
- Even worse to hear was Gui dismissing Silent Hill 1. That game is side by side with Silent Hill 2 as the best in the entire series in my opinion, and a genuine classic. Why on earth would you stand around shooting the winged enemies in the street when it's completely unnecessary? And silly too - they're difficult to kill, it's takes ages to kill them and there's another one waiting for you in the next street. They probably respawn too. All you have to do is run away. They're a bit annoying but the street sections are such a tiny part of the game.
The school is the introductory level and then after that the game really starts hitting its stride in the hospital. From there on out I found the experience completely engrossing and creepy as hell. Not in the RE jump-shock way but scary in a psychological sense. Silent Hill 2 is just as compelling although it has a slower start than the first game, and has more jump scares than the first game.
Shattered Memories has a brilliant story but I think it's sorely lacking in the gameplay and the fear department. The split between the normal world and the ice world means that neither world is particularly interesting. The normal world is utterly devoid of threat, and the ice world alternates between frustrating (when enemies pile on you) to boring (when you're running round in circles, hopelessly lost). Wherever you are, the gameplay is totally predictable with no surprises. I appreciate there's a lot of care and detail in the normal world but I wish they had given the player more to do in it.
I felt I gave the game a good try. I did learn to just run past those flying creatures after a while, but then the dogs showed up and they aren't so easy to avoid.
The school is basically where I stopped playing, because I felt the puzzles were really unintuive. At that point, I asked myself why I was playing the game and whether it was worth going on, but the answer I arrived at was "No". Maybe I'll get back to it one day, but it's doubtful.
You are correct, however, in saying James is wrong about Resident Evil.
