Messages

26

TalkBack / Re: Hype and 3DS eShop Games: A Fickle Mistress

« on: August 21, 2013, 12:41:21 AM »

Count me among those who were pretty disappointed with Mutant Mudds. After hearing so much about it from people on NWR, I was expecting great things from it. It ended up being a pretty average game as far as I'm concerned. It's certainly not bad, but it wasn't special in ANY way. Mentioning it in the same breath as Super Metroid is, to be quite honest, pretty insulting to Super Metroid. Same goes for the comparisons to classic Mega Man games, which I feel are superficial at best. Not trying to pick a fight here, but it was certainly on my mind after reading this article.

Another huge disappointment for me was Skyrim. After the collective fellating the industry gave that game, I was expecting it to basically be the second coming of the messiah. What I ended up playing was a decent and fairly enjoyable RPG with more than a handful of SERIOUS flaws. The amount of attention it gets to this day is kind of unbelievable, with people commonly nominating it for "Game of the Generation" discussions. This is simply ludicrous to me, as it wouldn't have even cracked my top 10 games of 2011.

On a much happier note, Xenoblade not only lived up to the hype, it surpassed it. I can't remember the last time a game left such an impression on me. The thought of giving it a place in my top 10 games of all time keeps creeping into my mind. Sure it has its flaws, but its virtues far outweigh them. There are a lot of things about it that just resonate very strongly with me personally as well - things that many other people will not appreciate nearly as much. People always talk about their dream game, a game made specifically for them. Well, the more I think about it, I think Xenoblade is pretty damn close to that for me.

I'm sure I could come up with more examples if I thought about it for a while, but this diatribe should suffice for now. XD

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Podcast Discussion / Re: RFN RetroActive #28: Pandora's Tower

« on: August 20, 2013, 12:39:56 AM »

I took advantage of the Gamestop deal as well, and the game just showed up today.

I'm about 2 hours in right now, and I've finished the first 2 towers. I like that the game is briskly paced so far, a welcome change from Zelda games of late. The story is pretty throwaway, and the voice acting kind of bothers me.

A pet peeve of mine is when voice actors deliver their lines in such a limp and feeble way that I can only tell what they're saying because of the subtitles. This is exacerbated by the lack of lip syncing as well, and it really breaks the illusion that it's actually the character talking. Mavda doesn't have that problem, but the stereotypical old lady voice gets pretty tedious to sit through.  I'm usually the type of person who will always sit through the voice acting, even if I can read the text faster, but I find myself skipping through a lot of that in this game.

The scenes where Elena is transforming into the monster and has to eat the beast flesh are very unsettling, and I felt uncomfortable watching them. But I think that's exactly what they were going for, so I feel they succeeded in that regard.



As for the gameplay, I am very pleasantly surprised. I wasn't expecting much from this game, and back when The Last Story was announced for localization, I remember telling my friend: "The Wii library is now complete as far as I'm concerned, because I really couldn't care less about Pandora's Tower." I'm glad I gave it a chance, though, because I'm having a good time with it so far.

I have some more specific thoughts about the gameplay and controls, but I want to get a bit farther into the game before I comment on those, so I'll come back soon when I've played a bit more.

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TalkBack / Re: Xenoblade Chronicles Reappears at GameStop, Being Sold Used for $90

« on: August 15, 2013, 04:04:41 AM »

Did everyone just put off the purchase until it was too late?

I think that's a major reason. If it weren't for the RFN crew's heaping of praise upon the game, I might have decided to hold off on the game, even though I was well aware of OpRainfall at the time.

Also, while probably not a major contributor, word of mouth might be playing a factor. I know when I go back to school in a week or so, I'm going to evangelize the hell out of this game to anyone who will listen. I guarantee you that NONE of my school friends (despite being fairly knowledgeable gamers) know about OpRainfall or Xenoblade.

Also in "Greatest RPGs of this generation" topics these days, Xenoblade is very frequently mentioned, which could pique the interest of someone who had merely heard of it but previously had no interest.

There are plenty of reasons that a bunch of people would be looking for Xenoblade now. I think assuming that anyone who is interested in the game bought it at launch would be far from the truth.

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TalkBack / Re: Xenoblade Chronicles Reappears at GameStop, is Being Sold Used for $90 

« on: August 14, 2013, 03:39:02 PM »

It's true that Gamestop is just capitalizing on unmet demand, but it's also kind of stupid because it won't expand the current market for Xenoblade at all. People have no incentive to buy it from Gamestop rather than Amazon or Ebay. If they had gone for a price of $60-70, they could still capitalize on the situation but also undercut their competitors by a significant enough margin to draw in extra sales.

Personally, I wish they would lower the price so more people would be willing to play this game. Having just played through it, I can say that it would have absolutely been worth $90 to me, but I never would have paid that much for it, given that I'm a poor college student and need to be frugal with my money. I know there are MANY people in a similar situation or state of mind.

It's such a shame that the best Wii game is so inaccessible to people. More people need to play this game.

30

Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 345: Conditional Decisioning

« on: August 05, 2013, 11:47:00 PM »

Glad to hear Jonny liked Rogue Legacy. Discussion of the game piqued my interest, but I was a bit skeptical, as members of the gaming press are wont to gloss over certain glaring flaws in design and gameplay if the concept enamors them enough. I was especially worried considering it's ostensibly a roguelike, but I trust Jonny would have been the first to jump on the game if it suffered from the undesirable hallmarks of that genre.

In short, Jonny's seal of approval has made me all the more interested in the game, I'll probably pick it up at some point.

Also, I have to agree with James regarding Mario 3D World. Even though I liked 3D Land quite a bit (I 100%'d it for god's sake), I couldn't help but feel that it was a pretty big step down from the Galaxy games. It just didn't instill me with the same sense of wonderment that they did. I was willing to give it a pass considering it was a handheld game, and those typically aren't as epic and sweeping as console games. But now World comes along and it looks just as bland and abstract. It's a huge wasted opportunity, as the Galaxy style would also really benefit from the jump to HD.

Also, the addition of multiplayer gives it more of a New Super Mario Bros. vibe, which is troubling to me. Seeing 3D World at E3 was the first time I've ever been truly scared of what the future holds for Mario. Before this, I could always point to the Galaxy games for reassurance, but now the homogeneity of the NSMB series is creeping into EAD Tokyo's games as well. I'll reserve judgement for when I actually play the game, but I can't help but have reservations.

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Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 343: Steam Punk'd

« on: July 24, 2013, 04:40:46 AM »

I'm playing through Link's Awakening right now, and I've run into the same problem that Jonny described in the Oracle games. There are some "guide dang it" moments between the dungeons that I needed to consult a walkthrough for. The game gave me no indication that I was supposed to get the Yoshi doll from the shop and go on some stupid trading quest just so I could get in the castle. All it told me was to go to the castle.

I've not played the Oracle games yet, so I can't compare them myself, but I find it funny that Jonny seems to think more highly of Link's Awakening, when it commits the exact same sins that he described in the Oracle games.

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Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 341: Breaking the Fifth Wall

« on: July 02, 2013, 01:23:01 AM »

Having also just played Kid Icarus, I also have to disagree with most of what was said about it on the show. While I agree that the controls are awkward and unwieldy (which I really think everyone agrees on) it didn't significantly diminish my experience. I think the reasons I enjoy this game are exactly the same reasons somebody else might dislike it.

For example, the goofy dialogue and the chatter among the characters gave the universe a very unique (and in my opinion charming) flavor. However, I am fully aware that this style of humor is not for everyone and I will admit that it did get a BIT excessive at times, but I vastly prefer the constant conversation to dead silence. Because let's be honest, the gameplay is pretty repetitive and doesn't require THAT much strategy or concentration, so the banter between the cast (and the pretty environments) is truly what make each level unique and memorable.

I also disagree that the majority of the level design of the on foot sections is "bad." A few levels (such as Pandora's Labyrinth and that tower with all the wind currents) are very frustrating and I did not enjoy those very much, but those cases all have one thing in common: they try to shoehorn platforming into this game, where it really doesn't belong. Other than that, I really can't think of an on-foot level that I disliked.

saying it should have stuck with being a rail shooter is a stab in the heart.

Also this. Nintendo already has Sin and Punishment and Star Fox as their pure rail shooter series. In my mind, the inclusion of the on-foot sections really justifies this game's existence. Otherwise it really is just a Sin and Punishment reskin. And as someone who is largely indifferent towards that genre, I think I would have enjoyed the game significantly less if that was all it had to offer.

[/size] i got stuck on [/size]Dark Pit chapter[/color][/size], i forgot what to do here (i originally played it a year ago and i vaguely think i got lost the first time as well) and just roamed it back and forth.

Really? And here I thought one of the major complaints about the level design was going to be that it was too linear. I mean, there are glowing green arrows pointing you in the right direction all the time. Although I believe there is an option to turn that off in the options, so maybe you did that and forgot about it?

Some other random thoughts:

There is a control option to use ABXY to aim the cursor during the on foot sections, which I found a bit more manageable, as it eliminated the whole "spinning a globe" concept that I couldn't quite wrap my head around. It's still slow, clunky and certainly not ideal, but I found it ever so slightly more intuitive than the stylus controls.

Ultimately, I've come to the conclusion that the reasons I like this game really have nothing to do with the gameplay. I think this game has certain intangible qualities that make it more than the sum of its parts (in my opinion at least). To me, it was about a goofy, quirky, lighthearted ride that was just an enjoyable experience.

I know as Nintendo fans, we're drawn to games that put an emphasis on gameplay, and we jump all over people who praise games like Heavy Rain and say "It's a GAME isn't it? Shouldn't it be gameplay first, everything else later?" Although such games may not be my favorites, I can still enjoy them for the things they do bring to the table. But again, it's all a matter of taste, and those same qualities that I enjoy may turn somebody else off.




BUT ANYWAY, I really enjoyed your appearance on Weekend Confirmed, Jonny. When I saw the picture on Facebook of you with the crew, I immediately downloaded the episode and started listening. A crossover between my two favorite podcasts?! HELL YES.

I hope they invite you back sometime, but with fewer other guests so you can be on the whole show. I also couldn't help but feel that their ignorance of Nintendo held you back from your full potential. Conversation on this show is the best when you guys can bounce off of each other and get into the minutiae, whereas on that episode, I couldn't help but feel you were almost educating the others on Nintendo.

Regardless, I thought you did well and I thought you were very composed. I was surprised at the end when you said that you were really nervous. I hope that you have convinced some Weekend Confirmed fans to listen to RFN now, so they can hear some really good, meaty, passionate Nintendo discussion.

33

Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 310: Relax, It's Only Surgery

« on: October 14, 2012, 01:21:02 AM »

Well, I guess I'll just have to listen for myself then.

I'm glad we finally have another rant from James! The last one I can remember was HAWX 2, which was back in the 230s iirc. That's more than 18 months ago! Where does the time go...

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Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 310: Relax, It's Only Surgery

« on: October 13, 2012, 11:59:28 PM »

Whoa, whoa, whoa. The worst game James has ever reviewed?! Worse than Pokemon Mystery Dungeon? Worse than Miami Nights? Worse than King of Clubs?! I... but... that's... WHAT.

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Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 309: James vs The Gaping Dragon

« on: October 13, 2012, 03:10:38 PM »

I think the Demon's Souls servers are still up. I can't check for sure because I don't have my PS3 with me at college, but based on some quick googling, it seems that they haven't been shut down yet.

Demon's Souls is hands down one of my favorite games of this generation. It is fantastically rewarding and addictive once you get over the initial learning curve. I really suggest reading about some of the mechanics on the wiki though, as someone else in this thread suggested. There are things like world tendencies and stat requirements for equipment that the game never really explains to you, but if you take the time to understand them it makes the game so much easier.


It is a LONG ASS game though. My first playthrough was about 60 hours. I realize most people won't be as addicted as I was, but that time was all concentrated in a 3 week period, so it didn't consume my whole life for very long.

I've been wanting to play Dark Souls for a long time now, and it's finally cheap enough that I might be able to get it.... might want to wait until after finals though.

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TalkBack / Re: Nintendo of America, Xseed Comment on Xenoblade, The Last Story Sales

« on: October 06, 2012, 08:55:52 PM »

ITT: Good news? More reason to BAAAAAAWWWWWW about OpRainfall.

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Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 308: Bathe in the Spicy RPG Sauce

« on: October 03, 2012, 12:15:07 AM »

Pssssh, you guys. I have a backlog of 275 games currently. I'm sure there are others who can blow me away in that category, but man...I only WISH I had 82 to go!

You still have more than me, but you seem to have missed the part where I said that was ONLY PC games. Across all platforms it's closer to 160, and that's disregarding games I don't intend to beat. Add ~ 80 games to that and you have my true backlog, about 250 games.


Here's my backlog, but keep in mind that I have about 50 games nulled (because I either don't intend to beat them, or they're high score games that don't end): http://backloggery.com/nintengineer

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TalkBack / Re: Best of the Wii: Our Top 10 First-Party Wii Games

« on: October 02, 2012, 07:16:05 PM »

I also know that some of our staff feel Twilight Princess is a GameCube game, and do not rate it as highly as a Wii game (if they rate it as a Wii game at all).

This is EXACTLY how I feel. I owned the Gamecube version, so I always think of it as a Gamecube game. I've played the Wii version, and the controls were kinda awkward. Also, the whole mirrored world thing is really stupid, and it's really a pet peeve of mine for some reason.

With Gamecube controls, TP would have made my Top 10. With Wii controls, it doesn't.

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Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 308: Bathe in the Spicy RPG Sauce

« on: October 02, 2012, 06:02:33 PM »

It's about 15 games that I actually want to play.[/size]

You classify that as a lot? Wow, I must have a problem. XD

I knew my backlog was reaching Lindemann-esque proportions, but I have the issue that I intend to play almost all the games I have....

My current backlog for PC alone (games that I actually intend to play) is 82 games.
Total of games I intend to play is somewhere around 160.


And it's growing faster than it's shrinking because I've played maybe 10 hours of games in the last 6 weeks (because college), and deals keep popping up that I can't ignore.

I have no self control and no time! It's an awful combination. D:

40

TalkBack / Re: Best of the Wii: Our Top 10 First-Party Wii Games

« on: October 02, 2012, 05:37:25 PM »

I personally think Galaxy 2 is the superior game but the original has the edge in terms of innovation, so I can see why that would give it the top spot.

That's pretty much how I feel. Galaxy 2's refinements make it a slightly better game, but it didn't "wow" me as much as Galaxy 1 did. I have fonder memories of Galaxy 1, and I got really addicted to it (242 stars). Galaxy 2 I just remember as a really good game, but I never bothered to do the green star quest.

41

Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 308: Bathe in the Spicy RPG Sauce

« on: October 02, 2012, 11:08:13 AM »

Just out of curiosity Jonny, how big is your Steam backlog?

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TalkBack / Re: Best of the Wii: Our Top 10 First-Party Wii Games

« on: October 02, 2012, 11:05:11 AM »

I REGRET NOTHING!

Lol but seriously, I should issue the caveat that Wario Land: Shake It and Fluidity were too overlooked to be overrated by the majority of the industry, and I was thinking more along the lines of the general opinon on NWR (which is the only site where I trust people to know anything about Nintendo anyway).

As for Kirby's Epic Yarn, that game got PLENTY of love from damn near everyone. I found the game to be irredeemably boring. It was way too slow, had next to no challenge, and lacked everything that makes me love the Kirby series.

Overated? No, definitely not. Not to your liking? Entirely possible.

Yeah, but the term overrated is inherently subjective. It's the disparity between my opinion (subjective) and my perception of the popular opinion (subjective). To ME, those games are overrated. To you, they may not be. I just find it a waste of time saying "In my opinion" because if I say something then obviously it is my opinion, unless I explicitly state otherwise.

I disagree with everything you stand for

Whoa, hey there! I'm a big Nintendo fan too, but that doesn't mean I'm obligated to enjoy everything they make. At least I PLAY the games I hate on, unlike most gamer trolls these days. >_>

I also disagree with the popular opinion in the other direction too. I loved Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn despite all the hate for it, and I even enjoyed Metroid: Other M! *gasp*

43

TalkBack / Re: Best of the Wii: Our Top 10 First-Party Wii Games

« on: September 29, 2012, 04:33:30 PM »

When I was looking over my Wii collection, I realized I've barely played enough first party Wii games to even make this list. And a few of those I actually really dislike, so that narrows it down even further. Despite all that, I can STILL find 10 games I'd put higher than Wii Sports. Screw the "importance vote," it's not a very fun game. Anyway, here's my best attempt at a top 10:

1. Metroid Prime Trilogy
2. Super Mario Galaxy
3. Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
4. Super Mario Galaxy 2
5. Super Smash Bros. Brawl
6. Mario Kart Wii
7. Super Paper Mario
8. New Super Mario Bros. Wii
9. Metroid: Other M
10. Punch Out!!


Honorable Mention: Kirby's Return to Dreamland

If only Metroid Prime 3 counted, rather than all 3 Metroid Prime games, it would fall all the way behind Super Paper Mario. The first two games (Particularly MP1) with Wii controls vault it all the way up to #1.

Played Twilight Princess on Gamecube, so I don't really count that. Wario Land Shake It, Kirby's Epic Yarn and Fluidity are all overrated as hell. Did not like any of them. Animal Crossing: City Folk was too much like the DS game, which I had already played to death. Pokemon Battle Revolution was the biggest waste of money I made this gen.


My wishlist/list of shame: Xenoblade, Skyward Sword, Last Story, Sin & Punishment 2, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Rhythm Heaven Fever, Excitebots, Excite Truck

44

Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 307: Don't Let Your Kids Huff the Warm Mushroom Cookies

« on: September 27, 2012, 01:18:28 PM »

Yes, the backtracking is slightly obnoxious at times (especially in that part near the end where you have to go to EVERY TOWN in the game. Ugghghgg)

Haha yeah that's the most egregious example in the game. Dunno who thought that would be a good idea. >_>

Like you guys I much prefer the 3D Marios. Mario 64 and Galaxy are my favorites.

Actually, I'd say I like the older games more, overall. Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World, in particular. I actually think Super Mario 64 is pretty overrated. Sunshine gets a lot of hate, but its not totally unwarranted. I had a few issues with that game... mostly in the polish department, which was far below the standards I expect from a Mario game. Galaxy, on the other hand is amazing. Galaxy 2 is almost as good, but it just didn't have the same wow factor that the first one did.

So Retro Teens - it seems like you two know you JRPGs, can you recommend any recent portable titles that AREN'T Radiant Historia (which is on my Lindy pile)?

Recent portable JRPGs? Damn... that might be tough. I've been trying to catch up on older stuff, so I'm right in the midst of FF9 on PSP right now. I would agree that all of the Mario & Luigi games are very good (Partners in Time is the weakest, but it's not NEARLY as bad as people make it out to be). I never got into DQ9. Just not my thing.

And Radiant Historia has an excellent plot and the dual timeline stuff is really cool, but I feel that the battles are just too hard and even random encounters are very prolonged and actually taxing on your characters. It kinda ruins the pacing, IMO and I only got about 15 hours into the game. Gotta get back to that eventually.

Of course, Pokemon games are always a good option. Black and White were very good, and I expect B&W2 will be as well.

If you count strategy rpgs like Fire Emblem, I can sort of recommend Shadow Dragon, although that game feels really bare-bones compared to the ones on GBA, GC, and Wii. Not my favorite in the series, but it's alright. Also, Final Fantasy Tactics A2 was very good. It fixed a lot of the off-putting mechanics of the first Tactics Advance (like the stupid judge system, accuracy based on orientation of characters, characters being able to permanently die in Jagds, etc.).

If you have a PSP, FF4: The Complete Collection was pretty nice, and it includes The After Years, which were decent, but not great. My friend is also a complete PSP fanatic, so he recommended a bunch of JRPGs to me. Can't vouch for the quality of them, but I trust his taste enough. The ones he recommended were:

Riviera: The Promised Land
Hexyz Force
Yggdra Union
Knights in the Nightmare
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky
Ys 1, 2, 3, 6, and, 7
Final Fantasy 1&2 (Played the GBA versions, which these are up-ports of. Liked both quite a bit.)
Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep
Persona 3 Portable
Half-Minute Hero (Played the demo of this, it was AMAZING)

Other than that, there are tons of great RPGs on PS1 classics that you could get on your PSP.

JRPGs are kinda my thing. I'm still educating myself on some of the more obscure stuff, but I'm moderately knowledgeable about the genre.

45

Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 307: Don't Let Your Kids Huff the Warm Mushroom Cookies

« on: September 26, 2012, 09:02:21 PM »

Question, Glad0s. Are you playing the SNES version of FF6, or the GBA version? I played the GBA version first, and have played a bit of the SNES version since. I think the retranslation and presentation upgrades in the GBA version really helped draw me into the world. But I was honestly drawn into the game LONG before the opera scene (Which, by the way, is not all that special. It was impressive for the time, but as with all technical marvels, it has become dated). I can't really put my finger on why I love it so much. Part of it is the battle system, with each character contributing a unique skillset, but also the customization available through espers and relics. Finding effective relic combinations is very fun in a tactical sort of way, and I think the relic system is the unsung hero of FF6. Also, Kefka was just hilarious and evil and unpredictable throughout. He IS the Joker, and he is awesome.

I played through all the Metroid Prime games on the Trilogy collection, with the pointer controls, and they are AWESOME. I tried the Gamcube version of Prime 1 at my friend's house and found it exceedingly unintuitive. Wii controls or bust! : P

The first time I played Super Metroid, I got pretty mad at the invisible passages, breakable walls, etc. I had no idea I was supposed to be on the lookout for that kind of stuff, so I got lost A LOT. However, I played through the game a second time about a week later and beat it in one sitting, and THAT was a great experience. I think Metroidvania games get better on subsequent playthroughs, because you already have an idea of how to get past all the roadblocks that frustrate you the first time. When you're blasting through the game at a breakneck pace, you feel like a total badass and it's sooooooo much fun.

I don't understand the hate on the Paper Mario games, especially from the RFN crew and TYP. Simple =/= bad. In fact, there's a very Fire Emblem-esque (which makes sense because both are made by Intelligent Systems) strategy to knowing exactly how much damage you'll deal to an enemy. Also, people tend to overlook how much action commands add to the game. Also, in The Thousand Year Door, there's more complexity, with the Stylish! opportunities which boost your star gauge. Also, you can really spice up the battle system with the use of badges, which add quite a bit of variation to your fighting style. Sure the game is easy, but so are most RPGs in my opinion.

It may seem a strange choice to some, but my favorite game of all time is Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. I don't know if I could really explain why I love it so much, but I've played through it 12 times, 2 of which were 100% complete files (Including pit of 100 trials beaten, complete Tattle Log, all badges, all recipies, all star pieces, all shines, all troubles solved, all grifty tales heard, all wonky tales heard, all Luigi's books bought, reclaimed the Glitz Pit champ belt; only thing I don't have is level 99, but I am over level 60 in my best file. It's just soooo tedious to level up at that point).

It just never gets old to me. It just has the perfect Mario feel, a good sense of humor, great use of the paper aesthetic, and a great soundtrack. The one big complaint that I will concede to is the TONS of backtracking in the game. It's not great, but I didn't feel like it ruined the experience for me.

Ahhh... writing this makes me want to go back and play it now... I've been planning to do a "masochist run" for a while now: Level up only BP, no badges, no upgraded partners, no superguarding..... : D

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Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 307: Don't Let Your Kids Huff the Warm Mushroom Cookies

« on: September 26, 2012, 02:46:15 PM »

I feel that that the SNES is like a perfected NES  and that the GameCube like a perfected N64.

This kind of resonates with me as well. There are a handful of NES games that hold up really well, but for the most part, I don't really like the early stuff. For the life of me, I can't get into the original Legend of Zelda, and I had to print out a map in order to play the original Metroid. I liked it at the time, but after playing Super Metroid, I will never go back.

As for the N64, I have higher opinions of those games, but that may just be nostalgia from when I grew up with them. My first console game ever was Kirby 64. However, games I've played more recently, like Goldeneye and DK64, I hold in lesser regard. Whether that's because they just happen to hold up more poorly than the ones I played in my childhood or whether I just have nostalgia, I don't know. But it's true that games from the Gamecube (and PS2) are far more memorable to me. Many, if not all, of my other "favorite games of all time" are from the 6th generation.

 

I never really enjoyed Ocarina of Time until the recent 3DS remake. I played it after Wind Waker, and I found it to be pretty painfully dated, having never played it before. I feel somewhat similarly about Majora, though it's different enough from other Zeldas that it's still somewhat novel.

See, my first Zelda game was OoT, and that may be why I VASTLY prefer the 3D Zeldas to the 2D ones. However, OoT is not my favorite. #1 goes to Wind Waker while #2 goes to Majora's Mask. I played WW when I was about 10 or 11, and MM when I was 14 or so. Played through OoT when I was 9.

Also, this may be blasphemous to some, but I think A Link to the Past is a middling Zelda game. I think the beginning of the game is TERRIBLE (i.e. the first 3 dungeons), and the swordplay is frustrating and not enjoyable. The game picks up by the end, but I was never fully drawn into it. On the other hand, Minish Cap is my 3rd favorite Zelda game. I think that's probably because the format of the game is much more similar to the 3D games than the 2D ones.

Dear Teenage Retro Gamers,Please keep talking. I am really enjoying reading your posts!

A few other scattered thoughts I have:

I really enjoy old school style games as well, mostly in terms of difficulty. I guess I'm kinda a masochist. I loved the pure platforming brutality of Super Meat Boy, and Demon's Souls is one of my favorite games this generation. Also, the harder the Fire Emblem game, the better.

There are a few things about old games that I just can't stand though. Having to start a world over if you get a game over in SMB or Castlevania is really annoying. I've never fully beaten Mega Man 2 either, because I got fed up with having to fight all the robot masters again if I lost to Wily (without any E tanks at that).

Cryptic **** also turns me off *COUGHORIGINALLOZCOUGH* as well as lack of direction in nonlinear games. I HATE aimlessly exploring just to find my next objective. Exploration should be voluntary, and maybe if I were able to get to the place I needed to go unimpeded, I would have the patience and curiosity to explore the world of my own volition later on.

Pokemon Red/Blue are not good games. They are broken as hell and people only enjoy them because of nostalgia. Gold and Silver are well made, but I simply don't enjoy the progression in those games. I never even beat SoulSilver, despite all its fancy bells and whistles. The 3rd generation is my favorite, but that may be because of nostalgia, since Sapphire was my first Pokemon game.

Can't stand RPGs older than SNES era. Even the original FF4 is kind of unplayable in my opinon. The early Ultima games are painful to play, both physically and mentally.

I REALLY liked all the Super Mario Advance remakes (except Yoshi's Island, which I'm not a huge fan of), but I don't think I could play Mario 2 or 3 on the NES. The presentation upgrades and the ability to save make all the difference in the world.

Uhh... I can't really think of anything else. I'd be happy to answer questions though. XD I like talking about this. It's interesting for me to examine the games I like and analyze the reasons for my opinions on them.

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Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 307: Don't Let Your Kids Huff the Warm Mushroom Cookies

« on: September 24, 2012, 04:37:00 PM »

Considering I belonged to the 15-17 demographic until about a month ago, I'd say I'm qualified to weigh in on the "young gamers" topic.

As far as my tastes go, I love old games. Chrono Trigger and FF6 are both in my top 5 games of all time, Super Metroid is tied with Prime as my favorite Metroid game, Super Mario World is my favorite Mario game, Kirby 64 (which is not THAT old, but w/e) is my favorite Kirby game, etc.

I think that might have something to do with the games I was raised on. My first ever video game was Duck Tales for the GBC, which I played and beat as a 5 year old. My second game ever was GBC Tetris, which is my favorite version of Tetris. Then, after that I played Super Mario Bros. Deluxe.

Funny story about that: My parents used to host a Bible study at our house, and the kids would all play upstairs while that was going on. The first time I ever saw Super Mario Bros. was when one of the kids brought it in his GBC. I watched him play and instantly became entranced. After a while, he set the Gameboy down somewhere and we did something else. When everyone went home, I noticed he forgot his Gameboy, but I intentionally neglected to tell him, because I wanted to play SMB! I think it's a testament to the quality of that game, and the true genius of its design that transcends time. I did return both the game and his Gameboy, by the way, but not before getting my own copy!

But anyway, for all intents and purposes, I was raised on NES games, which probably contributed to my love of old games. Honestly, I'd say the SNES probably has my favorite library of any system.

I continue to play old games regularly to this day. Just this summer, I played Megaman 1-6, DK 64, and the FF7&8. I even have a functioning NES (which is 9 years older than me, by the way) that I use from time to time.

To be fair, I am a huge exception among people my age. I have a handful of friends with similarly esoteric/niche taste in games, but the majority of the people I know only know about CoD, Halo, GTA, Skyrim, Pokemon, Mario, or Zelda. I get the occasional mention of League of Legends, Team Fortress 2, or Portal, but those are uncommon.

Also, I would say that, in my experience, people who play nothing but iPhone games don't consider themselves gamers, and none of the avid gamers I know would really call playing iPhone games "gaming." I think James is on the right track by saying that people don't really consider them as video games.

48

TalkBack / Re: The High Barriers to Entry in Competitive Pokémon

« on: September 06, 2012, 07:51:15 PM »

Let me just say off the bat that I'm sorry that my last post was so rude and angry. I get caught up in the debate and I get very belligerent. : / Thank you for responding calmly... if this were any other forum, my opponent would have exploded right back at me. Thanks for being the better man.

Anyway, SUPER covered your first question pretty well. Time is valuable.

As for the steroid analogy, think of it this way. Athletes who use steroids end up being able to perform better in a match of their sport. I'm not an expert on anabolic steroids and their biological effects, but from what I understand, they increase protein production and synthesis in your body. Protein is the building block of muscle, and after working out, your tired, broken down muscles are flooded with protein to rebuild them. Because of their effects, steroids allow athletes' muscles to rebuild more quickly, and to gain more muscle mass in less time. This means that steroid using athletes are simply stronger and more muscular than their peers. Also, as steroids are based on testosterone, they increase the agressiveness of the athletes (AKA roid rage), which is also beneficial in the context of a sports match.

In pokemon, both the (legal) hackers and the legit trainers' pokemon end up in the same place. They both have the same IVs, EVs, Nature, Moveset, etc. If these two pokemon were to face each other, the legit one has just as much of a chance against the hacked one as it would against a legit one. The ONLY difference is the amount of time spent on them. And that's completely irrelevant to the outcome of the match.

In short, the difference is that steroids enhance performance (which got them their apt name: performance enhancing drugs). Hacking does not enhance performance, it saves time. If I may try my hand at an analogy, hacking is like a sports team taking an airplane to their match, and breeding/training is taking the horse and buggy.

Ok, so let me define two terms here for clarity's sake:

A "legal" pokemon is one whose stats are allowed within the confines of a game. Serebii/Bulbapedia/Smogon etc. have charts that show the maximum stats a pokemon can achieve through in-game means. Any pokemon whose stats are within that range is legal.

A "legit" pokemon is one that was actually obtained within the confines of the game - no AR, no pokesav, etc.

All legit pokemon are legal, but not all legal pokemon are legit. The entire point of a legal pokemon is that it's supposed to be indistinguishable from a legal one. An ILLEGAL hack, on the other hand, is a pokemon that could not possibly be made within the limits of the game (ie an Arceus with 999 in all stats, or with moves it can't learn). I don't support illegal hacks, because that really is an unfair advantage.

As far as your last statement, I wasn't really aiming the "preaching" comment at you, but there's a few people in this thread, and many, many more elsewhere *COUGHGAMEFAQSCOUGH* who do that, and it does kinda piss me off when people get all high and mighty over the morals and ethics of A VIDEO GAME.

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TalkBack / Re: The High Barriers to Entry in Competitive Pokémon

« on: September 06, 2012, 03:56:25 PM »

I like the competitive scene, but I've only gone as far as #3. I made a brief foray into #4 and #5, but it was so soul crushingly tedious that I stopped. I suppose I'm more into "theorymoning." I like to understand the complex mechanics and strategies, and figure out what a balanced team might look like, what the advantages and disadvantages of movesets and builds are, etc.

But for some reason, the actual battling isn't that fun to me. Even on battle simulators like Shoddy Battle, where there's no busywork required, I don't find it all that stimulating.

And don't get me started on legit training. I have a life to live, I can't spend that much time hatching dozens of the same pokemon just to get good IVs. I have no problem with legal hacks. It's not as if it takes skill to ride up and down route 3 on a bike for a few hundred hours. Knowledge is the only differentiator between a good build and a bad one, and legal hacks just eliminate the RNG bullshit that you would otherwise have to endure.

Also, the analogy to steroids is really stupid. The whole reason it's a LEGAL hack is that it doesn't give you any advantage over your opponent. Steroids give an unfair advantage. They are not the same.

Also lol @ calling breeding "work." You know, the other day I spent hours flipping a coin until it landed on heads 100 times in a row. When I did it, I felt so accomplished because I worked so hard doing it! 
Seriously, like SUPER said, the real "work" being done is formulating strategies and getting used to the flow of a battle, predicting an opponent's moves, etc. Both competitors are doing that regardless of where their pokemon came from or how long they spent creating them.

I don't like being preached at just because I don't want to spend the amount of time equivalent of a part time job doing repetitive, tedious ****. I play games to have fun. If you find the breeding/training process fun, then more power to you. But don't whine at other people who don't feel the same and tell them that they aren't allowed to play unless they slog through the same boring dreck.

50

Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 304: Don't Blame Games

« on: September 04, 2012, 12:31:21 AM »

which is why one of the first things I did in Metroid Prime 3 was turn the lock-on aiming back on, where it belongs

Hmm, I dunno. I played through all 3 Prime games in the trilogy collection for Wii. I played all of them with lock on turned off. It felt very restrictive to me. I preferred the freedom to be able to quickly aim elsewhere in my view without having to take the time to fumble with disengaging the target from the enemy you were attacking. I never really had a problem with accuracy either.