Messages

76

TalkBack / Re: Nintendo Downloads - July 25, 2013

« on: July 25, 2013, 11:46:17 AM »

More Picross. Yessssssssssss.

77

TalkBack / Re: Picross e Review

« on: June 26, 2013, 04:53:03 PM »

I'm on the 15x15 puzzles and the squares are still so small I accidentally tap the wrong block all the time, so I had to switch to button controls, which is lame.  Also, I don't like that there is only 1 BGM, you dont get to select. Overall I think the U.I. is a step backwards from picross DS. 

There are multiple BGMs. Just hit the pause menu and the option is right there at the bottom. I used the button controls for the same reason. It's just too darn easy to slip and hit the wrong block, especially on a regular 3DS. I imagine it'd be harder to screw up on an XL. Also, I most played in bed so I found using the buttons more comfortable.

Is it true there are no large 20x25 puzzles in this?  I feel spoiled after Picross DS.

True. Apparently Picross e2 and e3 feature some new types of puzzles. I'm very eager for them to come out here in the states.

[Picross e offers more of the same, but that might be okay.]

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TalkBack / Picross e Review

« on: June 25, 2013, 04:12:02 PM »

Picross e offers more of the same, but that might be okay.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/34773

Picross e, the new entry in Jupiter’s long standing puzzle game series, is now available on the 3DS eShop in North America. And, it's certainly Picross.

With the notable exception of Picross 3D (which is actually a DS game developed by Intelligent Systems), the Picross Nintendo games have changed little over the years. For those unfamiliar to the series, players must uncover a hidden image by chiseling away at a grid of squares ranging from an introductory size of 5x5 up to a challenging 15x15. A series of numbers to the left or above the grid's rows and columns informs the player of how many blocks in that line are to be chiseled away, and in what sequence they appear. For example, a puzzle with a line labeled "1 5 3" has a single block, followed by a row of 5, and then followed by a row of 3. As for which spaces that specifically need to be chiseled, that is left for the player to figure out. When solved correctly, a pixel-art image will be revealed.

For better or worse, Picross e does nothing to change up the classic formula. The game also makes next to no use of the 3DS hardware, as even your finished puzzles appear as flat 2D sprites floating in a barren 3D room. Furthermore, the background music is inoffensive and unmemorable. It would have been nice to see the developers try a little harder to dress things up a bit.

Despite the formulaic nature of this entry into the series, the game's 150 puzzles are just as fun as they have ever been, providing hours of geometric brain racking enjoyment. It's the perfect game for a portable system, as most puzzles can be solved within five to 20 minutes depending on their difficulty and your skill level. The game's various puzzle collections have two different rule sets.

Under the "Normal" rules, which are used in the first two collections,  time penalties are given for mistakes. The "Free" rules are used in the second two collections, and have no such time penalties, with the trade-off being that you are not informed of you when you have made a mistake, making this ruleset slightly more challenging. Hint settings are available on most puzzles (a few challenge you to do without them), which is very handy for learning the ropes of Picross, or for when you are stuck and need a nudge in the right direction.

The option of either stylus or button controls is welcome, as players will definitely have a preference. Using stylus controls to chisel away works well enough, but requires you to hold the system with one hand. I found myself sticking with the buttons, as they were more comfortable in most situations and also made it easier to avoid selecting the wrong tile (as compared to the stylus mode).

For a low price, you'll get hours of content to enjoy. And while seasoned Picrossers won't find a wealth of new features in Picross e, that doesn't take away from the fun to be had; it just leaves you wanting more. 

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Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 90: A Little More Didactic

« on: June 24, 2013, 09:09:01 PM »

D'oh, thanks for pointing that out! I've fixed it and re-uploaded the episode with the intro music added.

80

TalkBack / Re: North American Retail Practices Are Why There Are Fewer 3DS Colors

« on: June 20, 2013, 02:13:47 PM »

Here's hoping for a sweet Link Between Worlds 3DS XL. I've been looking for a reason to upgrade.

81

TalkBack / Re: 3DS System Update Brings Save Data Backup and New Camera Features

« on: June 19, 2013, 11:44:49 AM »

I'm a bit upset because Animal Crossing is the save I would want to backup the most and it doesn't work.

Yep, the ONE GAME that would be most important to back up your save data for, and of course you cannot. This has been a recurring theme with almost every Animal Crossing game. Why is Nintendo so concerned with keeping this save data safe and far away from the hands of the player? It was one of the few games where the save data couldn't be transferred between Wii consoles either (I got a new Wii and had to hack it to move the save data over).

If I lost months of Animal Crossing save data, I would be pissed and would probably never play the game again. So of course, I can't back it up. Good fucking job, Nintendo. Thanks for that. Glad to see that the security of this save data is somehow more important than all the progress the players have made in their towns.

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TalkBack / Re: Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate Impressions

« on: June 14, 2013, 08:24:40 AM »

Jonny says this is a good Metroidvania? I'm listening.

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TalkBack / Re: The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds Impressions

« on: June 11, 2013, 11:02:19 PM »

I'm very excited for this game, and assuming it has a special 3DS XL bundle, it'll be why I upgrade to an XL.

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TalkBack / Re: E3 Best Buy Demo Locations Revealed

« on: June 10, 2013, 10:26:39 AM »

So now not even FIVE PERCENT of Best Buy's will have this promotion going on. And I thought it was pathetic before...


Also, from what the rumor mill says, the demos will be for games that are almost finished and will be out this summer (Super Luigi U, Pikmin 3, Wonderful 101, Wind Waker HD). If that's the case, it eliminates the argument that the demos must be tightly controlled because the games are in an early, unstable state. All four of those will be out within months, which means most of them should be quite polished at this point.

85

TalkBack / Re: Animal Crossing: New Leaf Review

« on: June 04, 2013, 01:34:12 PM »

Should have called it Animal Crossing: Socialist Nightmare

Thanks a lot, Obama.

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TalkBack / Re: Nintendo to Release Official Wii Remote Battery Pack and Charger

« on: May 30, 2013, 11:48:38 AM »

I wish they would bundle this with a Wii Remote.

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TalkBack / Re: E3 eShop Demos Will Always Be Unlikely

« on: May 30, 2013, 08:46:56 AM »

Neal's spot on with his blog, except that Nintendo could easily put date-limits on the demos to have them expire after E3 ends (or they could just set the number of plays to like 5 or 10).


I feel like this is a botched communication job. They go out and tell the entire nation that you can go to Best Buy and play the demos, but then they only put the demos in 8% of Best Buy stores. They're not throwing enough money at this promotion, plain and simple. They should have allocated more funds to get their representatives out to more stores. Expectations were set and then not met.

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TalkBack / Re: E3 Best Buy Demo Locations Revealed

« on: May 29, 2013, 11:36:17 AM »

Pathetic initiative. Couldn't even get demos into 10% of Best Buy's 1,100 stores in North America.

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TalkBack / Re: Super Metroid Review Mini

« on: May 21, 2013, 07:51:07 AM »

I've mapped speed-booster to the Lz button. That makes it much easier to shinespark, and to run and shoot/jump simultaneously.

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TalkBack / Re: Three Kirby SNES Games are Coming to the Wii U Virtual Console Next Week in North America

« on: May 17, 2013, 08:13:27 AM »

Kirby's Dream Course is so good. Very hard, but a really cool idea for a "golf" game.

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TalkBack / Re: Super Metroid Live on Wii U eShop

« on: May 15, 2013, 04:56:48 PM »

Best game of all time in my opinion. Don't miss this, especially for 30 freaking cents.

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TalkBack / Re: Thursday a Bumper Crop Day for North American Wii U Virtual Console Releases 

« on: May 13, 2013, 04:53:16 PM »

SUPER METROID. THAT IS ALL.

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TalkBack / Re: Extended Wii U eShop Maintenance Suggests System Update Late Tonight

« on: April 25, 2013, 12:06:17 PM »

Not holding my breath this time. Knowing Nintendo, there will be yet more maintenance tomorrow.

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TalkBack / Re: Satoru Iwata Named CEO of Nintendo of America

« on: April 24, 2013, 08:38:16 AM »

I'm no expert on matters at NCL, but it sounds like the move of Iwata to NOA's CEO means he wants to have more direct control over the branch, which makes perfect sense as they definitely need some better guidance right now.

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TalkBack / Re: Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Impressions

« on: April 18, 2013, 01:58:06 PM »

Pi'ilow, darkstone, dreamstone, Eldream, Dream's Deep, nightmare chunks, Luigination/Luiginary. This game is just chock full of RPG nonsense-terms. Very surprised they didn't sneak bafmodads in there somewhere.

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TalkBack / Re: EarthBound & Down: Why This Quirky JRPG Is Still Important

« on: April 18, 2013, 10:21:36 AM »

I'm almost famous for my distaste of this game, but I think I will re-buy it and give it one more shot when it comes out on virtual console. Truth be told, I have never been able to stomach it for more than a few hours, so perhaps I am missing something that lies beyond them.

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TalkBack / Re: Shovelware: An Interview with Yacht Club Games About Shovel Knight, the Art of Jumping, and Work

« on: April 12, 2013, 09:09:43 AM »

This game looks crazy fun.

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TalkBack / Re: Need For Speed: Most Wanted Review

« on: April 11, 2013, 08:15:33 AM »

You nailed it Tyler. This game is downright blissful.

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TalkBack / Re: Batman: Arkham Origins Coming to Wii U, 3DS

« on: April 09, 2013, 12:14:11 PM »

If Arkham Origins stays open-world I'll probably pass. Asylum is the far superior game due to it basically being a Metroidvania game. I am super excited for the Armature game though. That sounds awesome.

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TalkBack / Re: Miiverse Coming to Smartphones and PCs by May, 3DS at a Later Date

« on: March 28, 2013, 12:39:28 PM »

Lame that it's a web-app and not a proper iOS/Android app. Web apps are fine and function great (check out the just-launched http://forecast.io for a brilliant example) but they can't access all the OS-level functions like saving state when you leave the app. They need to launch from scratch every time.