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Episode 463: Feel the Magic User

by James Jones, Greg Leahy, Jon Lindemann, and Guillaume Veillette - February 14, 2016, 7:34 am EST
Total comments: 11

My boy Hector once axed 40 guys in a single day; do you really think he's going to be shy about me touching his face?

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Radio Free Nintendo is a little bit abbreviated this week; due to some schedule conflicts, Jon, Gui, Greg, and James set the relatively restrained goal of producing a Listener Mail-only episode. Of course, this means the single-segment show turns into one of the longest Listener Mail segments in years. Topics covered include: picking RPGs on the 3DS for a fan of Western RPGs, a "touch" of censorship in Nintendo's localization efforts, the difficulty of making a new maker, and Nintendo's recent messaging strategies. You can question our messaging strategy via our mailbag.

It's last call for our next Retroactive; we will be talking about Viewtiful Joe next week. Comments can be placed in the discussion thread or sent via the mailbag. We've got some great comments for our Xenoblade Chronicles X spoilercast, so keep them coming.

This episode was edited by Guillaume Veillette. The "Men of Leisure" theme song was produced exclusively for Radio Free Nintendo by Perry Burkum. Hear more at Bluffs Custom Music.

This episode's ending music is Those That Slay and Fall, from Etrian Odyssey III: The Drowned City. All rights reserved by Atlus.

Talkback

TOPHATANT123February 14, 2016

If you come from a background of western RPGs and have a new 3ds definitely go for Xenoblade. Starting with Bravely Default might turn you off the genre altogether.

EnnerFebruary 14, 2016

E-mails! Good show.


I enjoyed the RPG talk and the deft dance with the scuttlebutt over Nintendo's recent localization decisions. I do hope Genei Ibun Roku #FE makes it outside of Japan wholly without drastic edits. As far as I know, there are minimal instances in #FE that involve dressing a 13-year-old girl in very skimpy attire (Xenoblade Chronicles X, loosely related to Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water), questionable uses of magic powder (Fire Emblem Fates), or gratuitous face touching of minor acquaintances (Fire Emblem Fates). The only thing that I'm aware of that is most likely on the edit bay is a story arc involving dressing in bikinis as a distraction for a lecherous antagonist. As for any more possible costume edits in the future, I always keep in mind that Nintendo thought Nowi's attire in Fire Emblem Awakening was fine. That has yet to change even with what happened to Lin and Fatal Frame V due to my reasoning with the tone of respective characters (Nowi don't give damn and won't let you either!).

KobeskillzFebruary 15, 2016

Nintendo leaving the face touching for marriage is a happy medium for the west. Not sure why hate on his decision. Everyone and I mean everyone knew the face thing was coming out for the west. Being able to get all the conversations and still do the face touching in some form in a way that make sense is as best as we can hope for.

Nintendo localization team really is in a damn if you do and damn if you don't here.

EnnerFebruary 15, 2016

Quote from: Kobeskillz

Nintendo localization team really is in a damn if you do and damn if you don't here.

The "purity" pushers would argue that if the content was localized intact, the most probable outcome is that it would reach its intended audience with no fuss. That is something that I can at least partially agree with as a consumer.

However, Nintendo and its subsidiaries are a business, and I understand and respect that they have to be sensitive to the real possibilities of improbable and terrible things happening due to their products and services. Due to the exceptionally child-friendly image Nintendo cultivates combined with the wildly differing cultures in the markets they operate in, it's just a realty that Nintendo would be more sensitive with how their wares present themselves.

I'd like to point out a surprisingly excelent little series that's a Playstation exclusive series called ModNation Racers. that was something I got a HELL of a lot more enjoyment out of than even LBP on the Playstation 3. that game's whole Sthick was that it was purely made with it's track and terrain editor in mind!

KDR_11kFebruary 15, 2016

A big reason why Mario Maker works while other creation tools don't is that there's no scripting. There's only stuffing objects into blocks/cannons/pipes, connecting pipes and doors. In a Zelda Maker you'd need an invisible layer of scripting to implement puzzle solutions. And you'd lose the ability to have the surprise of new items, plus there's a huge risk of levels becoming Sokoban. Nobody wants Sokoban.


Also Mario works with very recognizable enemies and little to no focus on boss battles. E.g. a Mega Man Maker would require some way to make your own robot masters and weapons because they're a big part of the gameplay and just making those a single prefab you can slap into your level would quickly get repetitive. Or e.g. a Sonic Maker might work on the level elements but what about the enemies? What are the iconic mooks of Sonic games? Who would immediately recognize their behavior by sight?


Yet Mario also has a lot of room for skill as the physics are more complex than you'd have in a top down game (yet still predictable) so there's room for movement skill. E.g. the crazy Panga Levels can exist in this environment.

KobeskillzFebruary 15, 2016

Quote from: Enner

Quote from: Kobeskillz

Nintendo localization team really is in a damn if you do and damn if you don't here.

The "purity" pushers would argue that if the content was localized intact, the most probable outcome is that it would reach its intended audience with no fuss. That is something that I can at least partially agree with as a consumer.

However, Nintendo and its subsidiaries are a business, and I understand and respect that they have to be sensitive to the real possibilities of improbable and terrible things happening due to their products and services. Due to the exceptionally child-friendly image Nintendo cultivates combined with the wildly differing cultures in the markets they operate in, it's just a realty that Nintendo would be more sensitive with how their wares present themselves.

Yeah I mean it’s well known that Japan has something (lots) that wouldn’t fly in the west. Honestly the silly thing here is that we all love to death games from our childhood and those were probably even more heavily concord for the west or just by a stricter Nintendo at the time.

We didn’t know or care at the time and we played the game and loved it to death. Now all of a sudden that the internet is here and we have news that face touching has been taken out or a 13 year old digital girl has been covered up we have people up in arms.
If we didn’t know about these changes it wouldn’t have mattered and none of these changes would take away from the enjoyment of the actual game.


rygarFebruary 16, 2016

Thank you gentlemen (I wrote the first email).  I'll pick up Xenoblade Chronicles, Retro Challenge, and Crimson Shroud soon.  I'll wait for Bravely Second to get started with that franchise.

Since I got the New 3DS in August, I've been mostly playing New Leaf, Legend of Zelda, Ghost & Goblins, Castlevania, and Metroid.  But, I have about 30 games so far (a mixture of old and new), and I'll have more time to play in the spring and summer.

Also, good advice on the Vita. I should put that money towards a PC and play western RPGs and shooters on that.  I'll keep my handheld gaming with Nintendo.

gojiraFebruary 18, 2016

I can't believe a Donkey Kong (the original not Country) Maker was never even mentioned. 

I almost did mention a Donkey Kong 94 maker, but then changed my mind, plus it reminded me of Mario vs DK series and I mentioned the level editor in those games instead.

Evan_BFebruary 20, 2016

Genei Ibun Roku #FE (I can't believe I can spell that with relative ease now) must play itself as close to the original version as possible if they want to really capture the spirit of that lifestyle. That's the only game I'll be legitimately rustled about if it's censored.

Great answers this episode. So excited for the Spoilercast of XCX!

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