Messages

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General Gaming / Re: Shocktober VI: Curse of NWR

« on: October 17, 2025, 09:42:01 AM »

I'm trying to work through ZombiU and am being reminded why my previous two efforts ended quickly.  The controls are very stiff and the move stuff around with your finger on the gamepad screen is not accurate enough (for me at least).  I don't know if that was intentional to make it more "horror-y" like the tank controls in early RE games or just poor design, but the frequent "cheap" deaths quickly sap my will to play it.  My gaming resolution for 2025 was to finally get some of the over 10-year-old games off my backlog so I'll keep at it.  For reference to anyone who has played it, my first two attempts stopped before getting to the supermarket.  I have gotten farther than that this time at least.

I haven't played any of the games mentioned so far, but it's interesting reading about them.

And all your weapons are breakable, so you're heavily encouraged to not even engage in combat until the game forces you to, as it pretty much does the entire second half of the game. And the game's 2nd half introduces an (I kid you not) honest to god Devil Trigger/Rage of the Gods mechanic that feels REALLY out of place in a horror game like this.

Good to know since I did have some interest in this game.  I've never played a Silent Hill game so the lack of connection to the rest of the series wouldn't bother me, but weapon degradation/breaking is one of my biggest gaming turnoffs.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Will you be willing to buy Virtual Game Cards, or would go all digital instead?

« on: October 17, 2025, 09:24:54 AM »

Yes.  The main reason I buy physical is so I can sell the games later which key cards still allow me to do.

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General Gaming / Re: Shocktober VI: Curse of NWR

« on: October 04, 2025, 09:12:22 PM »

The only horror related game I have on my backlog is Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles.  It's not really a "backlog" game since I beat it on the Wii, but I have it on the Wii U and haven't really touched it.  My current Wii U backlog game is Axiom Verge but I think I'm done with it so there is a free slot.  Oh wait, while I'm typing this and checking things I have ZombiU on my Wii U backlog, so I'll go with that.

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Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 936: Jon Lindemann - In the Fire

« on: August 07, 2025, 11:20:09 AM »

I've heard and read a lot of discussion about the key cards and you guys were one of the only ones that mentioned the beneficial difference between key cards and code-in-a-box, you can sell or trade them.

The Wii Shop does still work for redownloading (most) games BTW.  I finally did a Wii to Wii U transfer last week, which was a fun 3 hours of individually deleting and redownloading ~60 games.

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Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 931: F-Zero GuiX

« on: June 30, 2025, 02:10:44 PM »

Jon mentioning how in the past people moved on from consoles once the next one came out reminds me of when I bought an NES as a kid in late 1993.  I had gotten the itch to play the original Zelda so when Funcoland had something like a used NES and a game for $20 I had to get one.  I walked in and asked the 20-something clerk for a Nintendo and Zelda.  I remember him pausing and giving me a funny look.  He asked me if I meant a Super Nintendo and A Link to the Past.  I said no, an original Nintendo and the first Zelda please.  He continued giving me a perplexed look and again asked me if I was sure.  I said yes.  He said alright in an “it’s your funeral pal” tone and went and got them for me.  My friends were also surprised I “wasted” $20 on an old game like that.

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Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 928: Ultra-Italian Luigi

« on: June 12, 2025, 12:37:05 PM »

I don't have any issue with Welcome Tour being $10 because yeah, less than a tip on a meal or delivery these days.  I also agree that business side of it is up for grabs at the moment.  I wonder, though, if it could have been an advertising vector for Nintendo if it had been installed on all Switch 2s.  Hey, did you know there are extra peripherals worth $95 available?  Why, here is what they do and how they work!  Now you need to own one to go in-depth and play the demos to get all of your Welcome Tour Achievements!  Then, update it every time a new peripheral like ring fit or labo comes out and notify Switch 2 owners.  Rinse and repeat.

We have two dogs & two elderly cats.  We have no carpet in the house & it is such a relief.

I haven't found dogs (well 6 months+) too much of a problem, but cats man, cats.

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Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 919: Your Number 5 Podcast for 16-bit Koei Games According to Robots

« on: March 25, 2025, 08:55:59 AM »

I wholeheartedly endorse trying out Uncharted Waters 2, and not just because it is one of my favorite games.  It’s not too difficult to get into with understandable concepts like buy low sell high, death and taxes, sail the seven seas and without much in the way of weird language to learn.  The most difficult part of it is figuring out how often to save since you can easily lose an hour or more, leave yourself in a bad situation, or outright soft-lock your game, but save states eliminate that.  Guides are available now which should flatten what learning curve it does have.

The game itself is a mix of trading simulation, exploration/strategy, and a little Age of Sail naval combat.  While I wouldn’t rank it as best in field in any of them, I think the game is a prime example of one that is greater, much greater, than the sum of its parts.  If it happens that one of the elements doesn’t jibe with someone, they can drop it and still have a great time.  I think you can even have a good time focusing on trading or exploration exclusively.  This doesn’t mean as much today as it did in the pre-internet days, but there is also a lot to learn about the world (though much of it is grossly unhistorical being in the time period).  I could easily get manifesto-ish on how significant the game is and why people should play it so I’ll leave it here.

I wouldn’t say Nobunaga’s Ambition is impossible or inscrutable since I beat the campaign when I was 12, on a weekend rental, without a manual, and as my first Koei game of the type (Aerobiz Supersonic was my first but it doesn’t do much to prepare you for NA).  That being said, in my defense:

• It was pre-smart phone so before the annihilation of the attention spans of people in general and kids in particular.  I pretty much played it nonstop over the weekend.
• Strategy and war games have been my favorite genre since beating adults at Risk when I was 7.  I was also already familiar with a good deal of the terminology and concepts from books.

It is certainly very difficult or very, very difficult (maybe very, very, very difficult) without a manual or guide.  That being said, there's no reason to play it even with a guide except for nostalgia or as a historical curiosity given Shogun 2 exists.

Koei has a few more games than the Aerobizes to put on the service though not much reason to.  I've played all of their SNES games except the RPGs Inindo and Brandish.  Gemfire and Genghis Khan are NA/RotTK in a different setting.  PTO 1&2 were great at the time but any modern Pacific War game is a better choice.  Operation Europe was trash as a wargame even at the time.  Civilization was published by Koei, it would be cool to me for nostalgia reasons but I doubt they still have the license and FreeCiv is available and, well, free. Liberty or Death is the only good choice as there aren't many AWI games, oddly, and it is actually still one of the best AWI games I've played.   

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TalkBack / Re: My Nintendo Gold Points To Be Discontinued, Game Voucher Program Will Not Support Switch 2 Games

« on: February 19, 2025, 09:01:23 PM »

I am Error.

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TalkBack / Re: My Nintendo Gold Points To Be Discontinued, Game Voucher Program Will Not Support Switch 2 Games

« on: February 19, 2025, 08:56:19 PM »

Hopefully these are replaced with similar systems once Switch 2 gets up and running.

I hope so but I'm not sure. Confident Nintendo is overly conservative Nintendo, and Nintendo is run by an accountant these days.

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Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 914: EAT MY NUANCE

« on: February 19, 2025, 09:34:54 AM »

Hey, I use a spreadsheet to figure out which game in my backlog to play next. 

I liked the backlog discussion. in 2023 and 2024 I slowly worked through my 3DS and DS backlog. Most of it were games I had bought when the 3DS eShop was closing down and some other DS games I had bought at retro game shops.

This included games like The Starship Damrey, Dillon's Rolling Western, Severed, Weapon Shop de Omasse, Senran Kagura Burst, Super Princess Peach, 3D Space tank/X-scape, Chibi Robo Park patrol and more.

My method was basically just start whatever game I was most interested in at the time. Give it at least a good go to really work out if I liked it or not. If I do like it, keep playing and try to finish it. If I dont like it, quit it and move onto whatever games most interests me next.

I think it worked out very well and the backlog has now been cleared.
Soon, I intend to start on the Wii/Wii U backlog of stuff I bought when the eShop was closing.

That's pretty much how I'm doing it.  I have a 3DS, Wii U, and Switch game I'm working on from the backlog (presently Ace Attorney collections, SteamWorld Heist, and Dragon Quest Builders 2 respectively) and play until I've had my fill or beat it if I'm enjoying it.  I don't really have any rules, I just try to mix it up so I'm not doing three of the same genre at the same time.  The big shift for me lately was removing games I'm not enjoying from the backlog list.  I used to put them back on it since I felt bad not completing them.  I've cleared 23 of 52 games from the list in the last year and added 11.  Eh, still the first time the backlog decreased in many years at the very least.  That's good because my backlog is about to have 15 PC games I've purchased that my current laptop can't play dropped on it (such as Total War: Rome II, Halo: MC Collection, Civ VI, XCOM 2).  And the cycle will start anew.

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Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 913: Mario Is Curious, if You Will

« on: February 11, 2025, 12:54:08 PM »

I second getting Liberty or Death on NSO.  My family didn’t have a PC when I was a kid so Koei’s line of PC-style strategy, exploration, and business games made them one of my favorite developers at the time.  Liberty or Death is easily one of the best of their strategy games.  I liked P.T.O. more at the time, but I’ve replayed most Koei SNES games as an adult and P.T.O. was the only one I found unplayable from a user experience post-2000 (others, like RotTK and Nobunaga, are simply not fun anymore). 

Liberty or Death is still the best strategy game about the American Revolution that I’ve played whether in video/computer game form or board game form.  It’s also the only Koei strategy game I’ve played where the battles hold up to board or miniature wargames (Uncharted Waters 2 as well, though I don't place it in the strategy genre, just one of the reasons it's one of my favorite games).

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Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 874: Announcement World Championships: Switch Edition

« on: May 16, 2024, 07:40:27 PM »

This is perhaps the most professional and well put together that I've heard this podcast sound in quite some time. I wonder what the difference is....

Lovely to have Syrenne back and bringing her much needed insights.

Yeah, three of the crew were basically missing.

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Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 861: Planet of the Apes - Kountry of the Kongs

« on: February 16, 2024, 08:49:05 AM »

Japan's bifurcated electrical system is due to Osaka and Tokyo choosing different suppliers in the late 19th Century, not due to the post-WW2 Occupation Authority.  Osaka bought from Europe causing Western Japan to build off of its 50 HZ, while Tokyo bought from America giving Eastern Japan 60 Hz.  It remains today due to the difficulty of changing electrical systems.

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Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 859: Switch U Marketing

« on: January 30, 2024, 09:11:34 AM »

I view Endless Ocean 1 vs 2 like Luigi's Mansion.  Sure the second is more of a "game", has more of a story and so forth, but there is something about exploring one large area versus exploring several different and smaller areas per a story.

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Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 817: Logically, It Makes Sense Guillaume Knows the Email Address

« on: April 11, 2023, 08:27:14 PM »

By "your" e-Shop hauls you apparently meant "Dave's" e-shop hauls.  Why do I bother.

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Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 816: They Should Have Let Us Sink the Boat

« on: April 04, 2023, 12:18:01 PM »

I’m definitely one who had hoped Tears would have hewed back to the traditional Zelda line.  Weapon degradation made BotW a distinctly unpleasant experience for me.  I don’t mind it existing, but give a moderately powered weapon for those who don’t care for it.   Make it expensive and/or need special whetstones to recover until a worthless level that requires taking it to an armorer.  It’d be like Monster Hunter, there’d still be friction but not so much on a game already filled to the brim with it.  Those who like weapon degradation could just ignore it.  Zelda has been my favorite franchise since I first played the original game when it came out when I was 8.  This is the third new Zelda that doesn’t interest me (I thought rent-a-weapon was the worst new thing until I saw required weapon degradation), I probably just have to accept the franchise has moved on without me.

You know that… you can buy the weapons in A Link Between Worlds, right? Or does the non-linear structure not gel with you?

Either way, fuse is made for you. Allows you to revive weapon durability with new materials. I will never understand the dislike of weapon degradation but I do feel that this new game is attempting to cater to you.

I mentioned "rent-a-weapon" being my first break with the series so yes I am aware.  I want a return of dungeons, story, and not worrying about my weapon.  The problem with weapon degradation is that causes unnecessary friction, though for those who love it there are ways to do it while I can just have a sword to march through the world.  Part of it is also I am 41, I was 6 when the first game came out and loved it, I barely have time to write this much less learn and remember 9 different combos I'll use next January.

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General Gaming / Re: What is the last game you beat? Thoughts/impressions?

« on: April 03, 2023, 05:53:23 PM »

Paper Mario Origami King.  A game I liked a lot more than I thought I would.

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General Gaming / Re: 3rd Annual NWR Four on Four

« on: April 03, 2023, 05:50:42 PM »

I struggle to play games these days but first on my goal is:

Luigi's Mansion 3

Next I hope to play through the Metal Games

I'm debating between Metroid Dread and Alien Isolation.

Like I said, I'm a bit delayed.

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Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 816: They Should Have Let Us Sink the Boat

« on: April 03, 2023, 02:06:02 PM »

I’m definitely one who had hoped Tears would have hewed back to the traditional Zelda line.  Weapon degradation made BotW a distinctly unpleasant experience for me.  I don’t mind it existing, but give a moderately powered weapon for those who don’t care for it.   Make it expensive and/or need special whetstones to recover until a worthless level that requires taking it to an armorer.  It’d be like Monster Hunter, there’d still be friction but not so much on a game already filled to the brim with it.  Those who like weapon degradation could just ignore it.  Zelda has been my favorite franchise since I first played the original game when it came out when I was 8.  This is the third new Zelda that doesn’t interest me (I thought rent-a-weapon was the worst new thing until I saw required weapon degradation), I probably just have to accept the franchise has moved on without me.

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TalkBack / Re: E3 2023 Officially Cancelled

« on: April 03, 2023, 01:42:17 PM »

I miss the days of skipping college classes or taking the day off work to watch Nintendo's E3, but time moves on.  I still miss the days of the developers not just speaking to only "favored outlets" and avoiding uncomfortable questions.

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Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 358: The Star Fox 30th Anniversary Episode

« on: February 28, 2023, 12:54:23 PM »

Great episode, I really enjoy documentary-style Connectivity.  I figured I’d toss in my experience, despite being a bit long, since Star Fox is one of my favorite games and, largely because of it, a franchise I still hold in some regard.  I was 11 when Star Fox came out and had followed it as closely as kid could in the early 90s due to the Super FX chip and slick 3D graphics (I played Hard Drivin’ every chance I got in arcades and on the SNES, which meant I was well aware the system could not handle 3D itself). 

I’ve always preferred the original to 64 since it was the fast frenetic action and endearing weirdness that I loved about the original.  I probably would have liked 2 better, especially with the strategy aspect, had I played it at the time.  Playing it a couple years ago is too far removed for me to say with absolute certainty.  I didn’t care for Adventures and wouldn’t place it anywhere near Twilight Princess (though TP is my favorite 3D Zelda, I’ve played through it 6 times).  Assault is pretty good and underrated while Command is good but repetitive.  I hated Zero due to the controls, and no, not because they didn’t click.  I had no issue playing the game with them, I just really didn’t like them.  Anyhoo, I always get excited when a new Star Fox is announced and will when the next one is.

Stunt Race FX is a guilty pleasure of mine.  I was drawn to the quirky graphics and odd charm of the game (the Star Fox crew buzz you!).  Now I know how bad the frame rate is and, though I knew it was low at the time, it was an era when my friends and I thought a low frame rate or a game chugging was just the console choking of how awesomely amazing the game was.  I agree that the impact Star Fox had on Nintendo’s 3D evolution is understated.  Not just game development from what I understand, but also things like controls and what a controller needed to have.  Not saying they nailed it going from 2 control pads to the single-sticked trident and then to, well let’s just say it got them closer earlier than Sony or Sega.

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Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 796: I'm a Tantric Man

« on: November 14, 2022, 03:49:59 PM »

Sweet, despite sending in my choices after the deadline (was moving out of state and fell behind listening to podcasts so I didn't know when it was) my top three were the first three mentioned.  Kirby would have been my pick as well.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Official Sales Thread

« on: November 14, 2022, 03:39:09 PM »

It's been years, since my NeoGAF days, since I've seen Japanese sales figures.  Pretty interesting, but looking over them it just reminds me how much that market has declined.

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Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 788: Bullets Are for Demons, Not for Walls

« on: September 13, 2022, 02:26:42 PM »

I would want a more all-encompassing Koei collection than James.  I thought there was one series but there are several, the Rekoeition Series, the Historical Series, the World War Series.  I loved Aerobiz as a kid btw, nothing like buying the museum and the grand hotel in Rome and moving flights from the East through it to maximize profits.

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TalkBack / Re: Nintendo Direct To Air September 13

« on: September 13, 2022, 02:15:07 PM »

I wonder if it's been long enough for them to finally release Advance Wars. It could be something easy to slot into late winter.

I hope so.