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Messages - Evan_B

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76
Circling back to this, I’m not surprised that the majority of this podcast was dedicated to outrageous things that happened in Xenoblade 2 that unfortunately found their way into Xenoblade 3. The repercussions of that game are unfortunately still being felt.

Very light discussion of mechanics, but I can’t agree that Xenoblade 3’s combat is an evolution of 2. It takes no positive steps forward from Torna- but I’ve already stated that, so I won’t beat a dead horse. It is evolved in that it is markedly more coherent, but that’s just about it.

Again, I can respect this game’s narrative decisions, even if I was rather dissatisfied to realize it’s Matrix similarities. But I do agree that Chapter 5’s prison sequence is a bold decision, and one that pays off in the first run through. I also appreciated the music discussion- this soundtrack is the best of the three Xenoblade games, no question.

A minor correction, though: in what world was Xenoblade 2’s expansion pass more than 29.99? I was honestly baffled by this claim and had to double check myself. The reason Torna was marketed at a similar price point as a separate title was because you could transfer its DLC content to a copy of base Xenoblade 2. We can and should expect a similarly-sized story installment in Xenoblade 3’s pass.

77
This game sucks so bad.

Will respond with my thoughts on the episode after I’ve listened.

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There might be a bit more to it. Considering “health and safety” definitely has a broad connotation, there have been some recent “safety” violations and a pretty dedicated Twitter campaign organized by banned community members that might have also contributed to Nintendo wanting to distance themselves from both sides of this narrative.

79
Nintendo Gaming / Re: Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet
« on: December 05, 2022, 11:22:42 AM »
So, the raid this weekend was… something.

I went from scraping by in the first night to absolutely steamrolling Charizards in the second- a pretty insane power creep. Flutter Mane is pretty nasty against Charizard, as it activates Protosynthesis when Charizard uses Sunny Day, and nulls his Dragon attacks. I had tried using a Dachbun and and Azumarill earlier, but the former lacks decent support options in spite of strong abilities and typing, while the latter’s ability causes the Raids to completely glitch and read incorrectly. It’s a shame, because Huge Power and Belly Drum make for an insane combo.

I like raiding very much, but the system Game Freak has created is pretty flawed. You can reset your system clock multiple times in order to get more raids during the scheduled period, so I have about 10-12 Charizards’ worth EXP candies, Large and Extra Large. This means I can level up a good 10-12 Raid-captured Pokémon with ease. Ah, well. I’m not much for competitive battling, so I can just start setting up new Pokémon for future raids.

80
Nintendo Gaming / Re: 2022 NWR Forum Awards - Best Nintendo Game
« on: December 04, 2022, 12:36:26 PM »
Regrettably, I have to say Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

81
TalkBack / Re: Pokemon Scarlet And Violet (Switch) Review
« on: November 30, 2022, 07:10:31 PM »
I’m not going to throw around death threats or anything about the score, but a 6.5 seems pretty unreasonably low, based on my experience with the game. And this is coming from a Pokémon h8r.

82
Nintendo Gaming / Re: Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet
« on: November 26, 2022, 12:11:16 PM »
I think asking a massive entertainment company to develop a stable product isn’t too much, but we have all been fine with the embarrassing state of Skyrim for over a decade and across different editions. The people demanding refunds for this game are a bit… detached from reality. Admittedly, I’m not going out of my way to try to break the game, but I’ve encountered two, maybe three weird bugs in my 50+ hours of playtime.

As the world’s biggest Pokémon skeptic, 2022 has surprised me in many ways. I enjoyed Arceus a great deal and am enjoying Scarlet as well. It’s still a bit bare bones and definitely not the prettiest/most stable Switch game, but the freedom to explore and avoid much of the flat writing is a big plus. I’m heading to take on the final bosses of each respective Path at the moment, and I’ve been pleased with the difficulty scaling. It’s not a huge difficult game but it often requires dedicated team building for some of its later-game challenges. Highlights have been the Normal Type Gym, the Fighting and Fairy Starfall Street challenges, and just, well, four and five star raids.

I can’t say enough how having Pokémon roam without random encounters has drastically increased my desire to catch them. No more running back and forth in tall grass, hoping for the right encounter. It’s so refreshing.

83
63000 words.
82 pages of text.
4 years of writing.

...And we still have a DLC expansion pass to cover, BAYBEE.

But for now...

We rest.

EDIT: Well, as of me looking at the thread, we're now at 111121 views. I was hoping to screenshot 111111, darn it. I don't know how many of those are mine- I can't imagine it's a very high number. But if you have visited and read this insane rant, I thank you for your time.

84
Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 797: Careful, Thwimps Can Still Hurt You
« on: November 14, 2022, 12:45:41 PM »
I must say, I’m impressed that, after James attempted to dissuade the podcast from talking about Visual Novels, Greg and Gui retaliated by bringing Visual Novels to their new business. Now we only need Jon to take the plunge.

85
You know, I hate myself quite a bit.

But I also hate Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

86
I will not let the first topic on this forum feature Pokepal slandering me. I will be updating this topic over the next two weeks with more of my analysis of Xenoblade 3. The introduction has been posted.

87
Nintendo Gaming / Re: Switch Top Ten
« on: September 05, 2022, 08:05:46 PM »
Neither of those games added anywhere near as much content as Bowser's Fury, which is a borderline full new Mario game. I was in the staff meetings for this, Bowser's Fury is what made the top 10 list, with 3D World along for the ride.
Sounds like the staff didn't play New Funky Mode...

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Switch Top Ten
« on: September 05, 2022, 07:29:32 PM »
Quote
(3D World? A Wii U game? Really?)

It’s not just a Wii U game, it also includes a very substantial and very good new Mario game, which is what got it on the list.
It also made running speed faster for 3D World, which is arguably a downgrade!

If we are considering anything with an addition to it a full-on Switch game, I think Pikmin 3 Deluxe and/or Tropical Freeze could easily take that spot. New Funky Mode is practically an entire new, funky mode.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Switch Top Ten
« on: September 05, 2022, 04:51:45 PM »
As an occasional visitor and the definition of a contrarian, not only did I have to stop by to denounce NWR's list as absolute bullshit (3D World? A Wii U game? Really?), but I felt it was my civic duty to share my own top ten with you plebeians. No, no. Please. There is no need to thank me!

First of all, yeah, it's hard to be a Switch game in this day and age, especially since you're competing with ports from across gaming history. So I'll be sticking to games developed for the Switch and/or during its lifespan. I feel like that's as fair as you can get with nomenclature. Without further adieu:

10- Pokemon Legends: Arceus When I think of the Switch, I like to celebrate the times when its releases aren't simply competent, like Mario Party Superstars, Mario Kart, Mario Tennis, Mario Golf... jeez, there's a trend forming here... but I truly think its best games are new twists on prized genres and IPs. Pokemon Legends is this. If you were to view it from "the larger perspective," it might not seem all that expansive or ambitious, but it is a different and very satisfying standalone release from a franchise that seemed all too determined to never take meaningful steps forward.
9- Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Wait until you read my retrospective on it! It's the best Switch-exclusive RPG by a fair margin, and that includes stacking it up against its predecessor.
8- Potato Flowers in Full Bloom It wouldn't be fair to honor the Switch without giving several nods to the indie scene. Potato Flowers in Full Bloom is the first dungeon-crawling RPG I have enjoyed playing on the Switch, as it features so many staggeringly great ideas that it's almost frustrating to see larger developers that never thought of them. Even if you aren't a fan of the genre, this is perhaps the best and most accessible title you could play simultaneously.
7- Anodyne 2: Return to Dust Some games attempt to embrace the aesthetics and novelty of older titles without attempting to progress beyond them, but Anodyne 2 is an exception. Amazing visuals, music, and a heartfelt story wrapped in gameplay that never overstays its welcome or over-complicates itself. A gem.
6- Mario+Rabbids Kingdom Battle Although it narrowly bests Into the Breach in terms of accessibility and addictive quality, this release deserves to be championed if only because it takes a miserable genre like the tactics RPG and makes it fun. But the blending of Rabbids, the madness of its unique gameplay elements, and smart design choices show that an impassioned dev team working with treasured IP can truly make something special. Might be overthrown by its sequel. Who knows?
5- Black Book/Griftlands It's impossible to understate how deck-building RPGs and roguelike design have impacted the current landscape of gaming, which is why the way these respective elements are used to enhance the two listed titles is worth mentioning. If you want a mature, compelling, and culturally rich role-playing game, definitely consider Black Book. If you're looking for a more straightforward rouglite experience, you'll find it in Griftlands. Both use the elements of their genres so well, it's tough to pick one over the other for this slot.
4- UNSIGHTED In the vein of celebrating indie developers, it would be cruel to overlook the incredible design and accessibility options offered in UNSIGHTED. Yes, it is a game about racing against the clock, but you can turn that element off if you are worried about missing content. Yes, it is a Zelda/Metroid-inspired action title, but the design aspects are so thoughtfully integrated that it stands toe to toe with those series. If platformers are more your bag, then perhaps Celeste would exist in this slot. But I like this game more, so screw you.
3- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate This is a celebration of video games on a scale never seen before, and honestly, it likely won't ever happen again. Yes, you have Fortnite with all of its stupid film and pop culture crossovers, but Sakurai and his team have taken time to carefully craft the different fighters in Ultimate, whether they are accurate representations of the games the come from or not. It also has one of the most insane soundtracks in all of video gaming. Respect.
2- Metroid Dread Remember how I said I appreciate when Switch games aren't just competent? Metroid Dread isn't. It's hard, it's brisk, it's forward-thinking. It is an incredible Metroid game that proves that this genre is often imitated for a good reason, but rarely matches the quality on display in the series itself for equally good reasons. Metroid Dread is not only one of the best Metroidvania games ever made, it's one of the best games on the Switch.
1- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild I do think that, even with a sequel on the way, Nintendo might not be able to recapture the unbridled sense of discovery and freedom that Breath of the Wild offers. Yes, it has weapon durability. Yes, it has an inventory where you can eat fifty apples after getting your ass handed to you. Yes, it has lots of empty space and limited enemy variety. And it's still a damn great game. It was a glimpse at the freedom we might expect from the Nintendo Switch upon its release, and in many ways, its go-anywhere attitude is evocative of the system itself. Part-revitalization of Zelda's identity, part-statement piece from Nintendo, it will age much like Ocarina of Time itself, but like that game, it will always be special.

90
I’m gonna say “no” to summoning mounts in BotW when in the field. Let some games have a sense of realism.

91
Updated with Xenoblade Chronicles Part DE1 and DE2. We rest, for now...

92
Nintendo Gaming / Re: What will Nintendo release in 2022?
« on: March 29, 2022, 02:06:10 PM »
Thanks for contributing all your negative energy into this thread, everyone. You normalized Aonuma relaying BotW2 and now you got your wish. I hope you’re happy.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: What will Nintendo release in 2022?
« on: February 15, 2022, 03:42:33 PM »
Y’all are wild.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: What will Nintendo release in 2022?
« on: February 09, 2022, 08:42:08 PM »
Did Breath of the Wild and Xenoblade 2 not come out in the same year? Am I misremembering things?

There's not necessarily a great deal of crossover between these fanbases.

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...

...Please let me rest.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: What will Nintendo release in 2022?
« on: January 21, 2022, 12:50:31 AM »
This is the second time I’ve heard someone speculate that the Bayonetta in the Bayonetta 3 trailer is not Bayonetta. I mean, I’m sure that Platinum could make this happen with their crack team of expert writers, but I cannot fathom how anyone could come to this conclusion based on a reveal trailer. Care to enlighten me?

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: What will Nintendo release in 2022?
« on: January 11, 2022, 09:50:03 PM »
8.  A new 2D Zelda using the Links Awakening remake engine will be revealed, but will have a 2013 release date.

9.  A new 2D Mario will be revealed this year and will be their big Spring 2013 game.  Nintendo is probably hoping the Mario movie at the end of this year will be a huge hit, and will want the first new 2D Mario in a decade to come out shortly after in March of 2013.
Damn, I didn't know this was the year Nintendo releases time travel.

Breath of the Wild 2 is 2022. It happens. The world is changed for the better.
Xenoblade 3 is announced for 2023.
Metroid Prime gets a trailer but no release year/date. Make us suffer.
Some stupid platformer gets made that is very milquetoast.
Nintendo experiments with roguelike design, or at the very least, Pokemon releases a Rumble game using the mechanics.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Metroid Dread
« on: January 09, 2022, 04:39:27 PM »
Anyone who says Metroid Dread is too hard is wrong. This is coming from someone who capped at a 9 hour first run.

This game is great and I love it.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Nintendo Switch Wishlist Game Recommendations
« on: August 18, 2021, 02:32:30 PM »
Baba Is You is one of the best puzzle games I have ever played. So, there's that.

100
Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 732: The Blaster Master Bombshell
« on: August 08, 2021, 10:28:20 AM »
What a depressing episode.

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