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[Clever classic indie 2D Puzzle platformer with a fresh coat of paint.]

26

TalkBack / Teslagrad Remastered (Switch) Review

« on: August 01, 2023, 12:01:24 PM »

Clever classic indie 2D Puzzle platformer with a fresh coat of paint.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/64438/teslagrad-remastered-switch-review

In this April’s Indie World Showcase we received a one-two punch same day release of Teslagrad Remastered and Teslagrad 2.  Teslagrad Remastered, a re-release of the lauded 2D puzzle platformer with a graphical overhaul, seems like a smart way to give those who missed the original 2013 release an easy point of entry for those who are curious but needed a less dated look.  Rain Games’ releasing Teslagrad Remastered is a laudable decision, as it breathes new life into a quality indie classic that some (like myself) missed the first time around.

Teslagrad follows the story of a young boy who finds himself lost in Elektropia, a kingdom run by a tyrant who is in a struggle with wizards using electromagnetic power to keep him at bay.  The boy is chased by the king’s guards into the tower where the wizards reside, forcing him to explore and find the way out while using magnetic abilities to navigate and fend off traps and enemies along the way.  The game deftly interlaces a wordless story with occasional vignettes told via small stage plays with old-fashioned string puppets.  It’s an effective storytelling device that retains the quiet, lonely tone the world is going for.

The new visual overhaul wonderfully retains the original’s artistic sensibilities while converting it to a look that pops.  More specifically, the remaster’s lighting is much more dynamic - the bright shining lights illuminate rooms that aren’t quite as striking in the original.  Explosions seem more expressive and genuinely punctuate the dramatic scenes.  Everything has a more clearly defined outline, helping to clean out some muddiness of the original.  The changes are meaningful, and my eyes appreciated them immensely.  

Teslagrad Remastered’s shining achievement still has to be its gameplay and puzzle solving.  The core function is utilizing the color-coded electromagnetic powers of the wizards to navigate the world.  Each acts as one pole from a magnet as matching colors will repel and opposite colors will attract.  Starting out, I used them to open simple doors and switches.  Diving deeper, added layers on the mechanics created longer sequences of having to use the poles with dash abilities and an electro wand to navigate sequences of jumping, dashing through grates, using oppositional polarity to grapple along a pit, using same polarity to launch across a chasm, and hitting a switch to launch over an empty space.  It’s that balance of challenging but approachable that limits frustration but makes clearing each room feel rewarding.  Bosses also fit that mold, although some of them have a looseness in the waves that didn’t always feel like the kill was skillful.  For example, the first one you’ll encounter is a T-Rex looking trash compactor that needs polarized boxes to reach his mouth to deal damage.  With the way the poles worked and the limited tools available in your kit, the experience felt unwieldy and scattershot in a way that doesn’t fit the rest of the experience.

The main character also has a healthy sense of gravity - his jumps don’t have any float, but I didn’t feel weighed down.  Compared to something like Limbo, Teslagrad’s protagonist jumps might slightly higher.  His walking speed feels just right, fitting the surrounding space and preventing exploration from feeling plodding.  The animation deserves a lot of credit here, making his movements fluid and natural in a way that gives a feeling of momentum.  His abilities to use magnetization have this great whiplash feeling when matching the same polarity that’s a bit cumbersome but exciting to work with.  

Teslagrad Remastered is an accomplished 2D platformer with a unique magnetic-based ability that shines while traversing the tower and being a puzzle-solving tool.  Though the boss battles sometimes feel a little less tight an experience, that’s a small blemish on an otherwise fantastic gameplay experience.  With a fresh coat of paint and sharing the same price point as the original, this is an easy recommendation for those who enjoy older feeling indie platforms or as a primer to Teslagrad 2.

[And the premier of Playstation 5 coverage on Connectivity]

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Podcast Discussion / Episode 373: A Festival of One or More Games

« on: June 30, 2023, 09:51:11 AM »

And the premier of Playstation 5 coverage on Connectivity

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/connectivity/64158/episode-373-a-festival-of-one-or-more-games

NWR's Summer Game(s) Fest team of Alex Orona and Joel DeWitte join John to discuss our first in-person experience with not E3. But before that we hear Joel's thoughts on Tears of the Kingdom and Alex's expiriences with Final Fantasy XVI on something called a Playstation 5.

This episode is brought to you in part by Wongo Puzzles.Use our special link https://zen.ai/nwrconnectivity to save 10% at wongopuzzles.com. The discount will be applied at checkout!

[The indie cat sim sandbox features a city littered with things to do.]

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TalkBack / Summer Game Fest Preview: Little Kitty, Big City

« on: June 29, 2023, 07:26:16 AM »

The indie cat sim sandbox features a city littered with things to do.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/preview/63976/summer-game-fest-preview-little-kitty-big-city

Little Kitty, Big City by Double Dagger was featured in a recent announcement in a Nintendo Indie World event, and we had the opportunity to sit down and get a hands-on preview of the feline-focused platformer.  You are a house cat who was dozing too close to an open window ledge and tumbles onto the ground, needing to find their way back home.  The introduction had some great expressive moments backed by a jazz piano piece reminiscent of the sounds you’d expect over the New York City skyline.

The cat has a move set that has the function and means to cause trouble.  Swiping can do things like knocking over pots or cans as well as tapping a person.  The kitty can also pick up things with its mouth, crouch, run, and jump.  The jump button can be held down to create an arc which gives a view of where the jump should land.  Double Door knows what makes a cat feel like a cat in terms of how its body can curve, claw its way up a wall, and run along narrow walkways.  

Tying that fun cat feel with the open city is where the magic happens.  The city acts as a big sandbox, with little direction given beyond the starting tutorials.  Littered around town are small missions to tackle, among them activities like “knock down 10 plants” or collect 25 shinies” (shinies in this case being coins, nuts, bolts, etc.).  These missions encourage a lot of exploration, which inevitably leads to new discoveries that distract you from the objectives, like following someone’s path, finding a new animal character to talk to, or pouncing on birds.

All of the pieces meld together really well, and the experience is very low-key and lighthearted.  The toy-filled playground of a city seems like a lot of fun to play in, with the potential for a special experience if everything comes together.  Little Kitty, Big City by Double Dagger Studios will release on the Nintendo Switch next year.

29

TalkBack / Re: A Warriors Warrior Warriors for Warriors' Warriors.

« on: June 26, 2023, 04:15:08 PM »

You can't make F-Zero fans angry if they're already defeated.

[The cute pixie life sim is a breezy entry point to the world of farming, exploring, dungeon crawling, and more.]

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TalkBack / Summer Game Fest Preview: Fae Farm

« on: June 26, 2023, 11:59:21 AM »

The cute pixie life sim is a breezy entry point to the world of farming, exploring, dungeon crawling, and more.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/preview/63977/summer-game-fest-preview-fae-farm

Phoenix Labs shared with us a playable demo of Fae Farm during Summer Games Fest.  The life sim looks to toe a line between farm management, relationship building, and dungeon crawling with a cutesy art style that suits the whimsical nature of the game.

In some ways, the word “farm” in the title is a bit of a misnomer.  In our time playing the demo, very little farming was done, and it seemed mostly in service of other things.  The crops were in square grids, and tending them required a spell that shot water in an area-of-effect spread.  Doing your chores yields experience points.  

The three dungeons are lighthearted affairs with enemies called Jumbles that, within the playtest session, were not difficult to handle.  Dungeons have many, many floors with not only Jumbles but also minerals and other resources that can be collected.  Some smart features include auto selecting the right tool needed for the action you’re trying to perform.  For example, no scrolling between items is necessary, and it’ll change over to the pickaxe if mining a resource or the magic staff if fending off Jumbles. This feature keeps players from having to pause the action, which can interrupt the flow of dungeon crawling.  Each floor also has a signpost displaying the resources you can find and the likelihood of them dropping.  Most of the systems at play do serve the dungeon-crawling aspect of the experience, but fans of farming, home customization, and exploration will find something to do.

Another big piece of the experience is customizing and decorating your homes.  Players can have up to three abodes to fashion with decorations and furniture.  Each piece of furniture has several sections which can be individually color coded.  This also serves the dungeon crawling, as the decorations each have a stat boost attached to them.  For your primary house, a limited number of slots can be filled to affix those boosts.  You can also find recipes along the way for furniture to decorate your home with or consumable items that can assist in combat.  For example, you can make an invisibility potion that grants stealth if fighting isn’t your cup of tea.

Like any good farm sim, there’s a hefty bit of relationship building and romance options.  You can also date and marry any of the folks in town.  Small missions like finding certain items are scattered through a larger map, encouraging exploration.  Fast travel locations cut down the time it takes to get across the map, and you can pin NPCs if, for instance, you’re wanting to know where the quest giver is.

Fae Farm is focused on easing in the player to the life sim genre in a way that is approachable to just about anyone, and seems to have the systems revolve largely around fashion design and dungeon crawling.  This cozy game sprouts up on Nintendo Switch on September 8.

[The brutal fighting franchise reboots again with a re-imagined roster and a set of Kameos.]

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TalkBack / Summer Game Fest Preview: Mortal Kombat 1

« on: June 20, 2023, 08:56:00 AM »

The brutal fighting franchise reboots again with a re-imagined roster and a set of Kameos.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/preview/63975/summer-game-fest-preview-mortal-kombat-1

Disclaimer: Mortal Kombat 1 was previewed on a Playstation 5 build.

Mortal Kombat’s newest entry turns the mayhem into a party with a new partner system called Kameos, a tag-in assist characters system that has legacy Mortal Kombat characters jump in to throw out some of their patented special moves. The playable demo at Summer Game Fest featured Kano, Sonya Blade, and Jax Kameo characters, each dressed in their MK 1 & 2 attire.  The moves vary with directional inputs and allow for anti-air attacks, projectiles or regular attacks. When used mid combo, they can prove to be incredibly deadly and visually stunning.

Anyone who's played Mortal Kombat 11 will know largely what they’re getting otherwise.  The fighter still feels heavy, but is a sliver more quick feeling than MK11.  The rest of the toolkit returns, including the match-ending fatal blow special moves, and the incredibly gruesome fatalities.  Everyone gets drenched in blood each match, and the fatalities continue to feel like an ongoing escalation of violence that defies logic in the best way possible.

The new slate of characters in the playtest were (the now God of Fire) Liu Kang, razor sharp fan wielding Kitana, the perennial iceman Sub Zero, and blind telekinetic swordsman Kenshi. Their new physical outfits are true to their characters roots but have minor adjustments that feel fresh.  The levels have depth and little details that you can get a glimpse of through the matches.  The bit of audio we heard in the hands-off portion of the demo was well designed, matching every impact with a kind of booming thud that is part of what gives the game its heft.  The voice acting is well done, with writing that’s largely serious in tone but carries just a bit of humor to keep the scenes from feeling campy.

While we did not have access to the Switch version, representatives confirmed it will release day-and-date with the other platforms on September 19 and targets performance on-par with them.  The new Kameo system promises to add a new wrinkle to the series, but it remains to be seen how cleanly you can see Kano blowing a snot rocket out his nose on Switch.

[The newly announced 2D platformer takes an "everything and the kitchen sink" approach.]

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TalkBack / Summer Game Fest Preview: Sonic Superstars

« on: June 16, 2023, 06:56:54 AM »

The newly announced 2D platformer takes an "everything and the kitchen sink" approach.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/preview/63974/summer-game-fest-preview-sonic-superstars

Disclaimer: This preview of Sonic Superstars was run on a PlayStation 5 build.

In Sonic Superstars, you can choose from four playable characters: Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy.  The story of each character starts with them split apart, with Sonic & Tails humming along in the air on the iconic aero plane and Amy & Knuckles seeing them from ground level and following suit.

The four protagonists have distinct powers: Sonic goes fast, Knuckles can glide and climb, Amy can double jump, and Tails can fly for a limited time, with a sliver of mid-air control. In addition there are new powers granted with the chaos emeralds collected. The ones on display were a water power that allows the player to swim up waterfalls, and an avatar power that floods the screen with clones of your character all attacking forward at once. These allow for alternate paths in the stages and expand your options on how to approach different obstacles.  

The two zones displayed were absolutely littered with things to do, often to their own detriment.  There are segments of half pipe along the way which characters run along from the side.  It’s an interesting looking hook and a neat idea, but the speed gets throttled back the moment you hit the obstacle. All the neat new touches or ways to traverse the levels, generally seemed built to kill your momentum. This is something hopefully worked out before launch.

Several different side levels include ones that play like Sonic the Hedgehog 1’s emerald levels with a collectible medal at the end goal.  The gameplay feels right, but the music has been changed from a kind of dreamy soundscape to something akin to elevator music.  Another special bonus level is simply being glided along a vertical space and floating to catch rings for mere seconds.  The emerald collection levels found at checkpoints consist of using a web-swinging motion system to propel Sonic toward a slow-moving emerald.  Given how integral the powers tied to them are, I don’t expect the quest for seven Chaos Emeralds to be a challenging one.

Sega did themselves no favors with the start of their announcement trailer.  The split screen view of sonic running back and forth both between classic era and Superstars made this game appear both slower than the original games and like Sonic the Hedgehog 4 in comparison.  It’s unfortunate because in action the movement doesn’t feel so slow, and Sonic and his friends actually have been translated to this style adorably.  Everything is polished and smoothly shaped, with little details like tails having furry outlines when spinning into a ball, or Amy swinging with a hammer in hand when jumping.  These details are different but not necessarily bad.  

That said, Sonic Superstars seems to be a plethora of ideas spit out all at once as if the development team had a hard time letting go of all the concepts they had, which in practice doesn’t always land.  Being on the cusp of its fall 2023 release window, fans of the series will soon be able to determine whether this new shift is for the better.

[The escape room extravaganza comes complete with DLC in the palm of your hand.]

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TalkBack / Summer Game Fest Preview: Escape Academy: The Complete Edition

« on: June 15, 2023, 09:18:11 AM »

The escape room extravaganza comes complete with DLC in the palm of your hand.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/preview/63973/summer-game-fest-preview-escape-academy-the-complete-edition

Escape Academy, the escape room adventure, has been a staple with my partner ever since it arrived on Xbox Game Pass.  The multi-layered puzzles across a university campus rife with humor and characters brimming with personality are making their way to Nintendo Switch this year, and we had the opportunity for a hands-on experience at Summer Games Fest, along with upcoming DLC titled Escape to the Past.

Escape to the Past takes place in a 1950s diner, jukebox and all.  Beyond the familiar friendly atmosphere, the diner features all the window dressings like old-fashioned booths, brightly lit signs, and patterned tiles.  The level has you playing chef, feeding the familiar cast of school staff in their youth and delivering it via a small train on its tracks.  In keeping with the rest of the game, the problem solving has a clear logic to it that guides with baby-steps and bite-sized puzzles, which chain together to open the next door.

In the ten minutes with iam8bit’s preview on the Switch after playing it on PC, it is easy to spot some of the compromises.  Some of it may be due to it running on a Switch lite, but the visuals seemed a tad less crisp.  Additionally, frame rate performance is meaningfully slower but holds stable, which is a mercy given how each level is timed.  That said, it’s translated to the Switch in a state that should be perfectly playable.

Escape Academy: The Complete Edition arrives on the Nintendo Switch Q4 2023.  Anyone who likes puzzle solving, enjoys escape rooms, or has played Escape Academy on other platforms should dig both the Escape to the Past DLC and The Complete Edition.

[Two new updates meant to keep trainers connected in battle and travel]

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TalkBack / Summer Game Fest Preview: Pokemon Go Pokéstop Showcase & Routes Updates

« on: June 14, 2023, 09:17:00 AM »

Two new updates meant to keep trainers connected in battle and travel

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/preview/63969/summer-game-fest-preview-pokemon-go-pokestop-showcase-n-routes-updates

On Friday we met with representatives from Niantic’s Pokémon Go team, who were very excited to share two upcoming updates to the hit mobile game.  They shared with us the details of the added experiences which represent a large shift in how Pokémon Go can be played.

The first feature is called the “Pokéstop Showcase”.  This is a limited-time contest hosted at Pokéstops that is initiated by a player against others who own the same Pokémon.  An example they provided was with the inclusion of Pokémon sizes last year, you could have a contest for biggest Pikachu.  At the end of the contest the winner gets a medal for their achievement.  A cool wrinkle in the contest is once you enter it, as long as it’s still open, you can try and collect a bigger Pokémon and re-enter from any distance.  It’s great for those who’d want to enter a contest while traveling, and something akin to a micro leaderboard.  The representatives have told us they are considering additional cosmetic or other rewards for contest winners in the future.

The representatives were especially excited for their second feature: Routes.  Routes will be player-created geolocated paths that players themselves and others can then follow.  The player will choose a starting Pokéstop location, select the start path, provide descriptions for the path, give it categories such as wheelchair accessible/art/casual, and then walk the trail they want to make.  Routes can be up to 12 miles in length.  Special Pokémon and items will be exclusive to player-made paths.  Some examples of how paths could be used are to create trails of not often walked paths, string together a bunch of landmarks, or create a bar hopping path.  They especially were excited at the possibility of gaining more engagement from rural players who can make more individualized community content.  Niantic will continue improving upon the service with potential features like landmark pinning and human & AI developed content moderation, not only for inappropriate phrases but also blocking routes through restricted areas or those meant only for trolling.  

The latest Pokémon Go updates will be in Early Access within the coming weeks.  We’re excited to give them a try in the wild and know fans of the series will be too.

[Cocoon shows a lot of premise for Summer Game Fest]

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TalkBack / Summer Game Fest Preview: Cocoon

« on: June 13, 2023, 01:35:00 PM »

Cocoon shows a lot of premise for Summer Game Fest

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/preview/63924/summer-game-fest-preview-cocoon

Cocoon from Annapurna Interactive is an isometric puzzle game featuring a quiet and barren world.  The game features a bipedal beetle-looking main character that jumps between worlds scattered with techno bugs.  Its fascinating hook is the world turns into a carry-able orb you jump out of that turns into a key for most of what you do.

The showcased demo started with a dry, adobe rock landscape with a fairly linear path to follow.  Starting puzzles began with triggering timed switches in order to create bridges.  There’s also a type of puzzle with black beacons on the ground that lit up as they’re walked across.  Slowly the puzzles develop into a coordinated sequence of events.  One was a series of pipes with switches along the path that’d rotate a curved piece from one section to the next.  Placing an orb on the top, you race to hit each switch in time to make sure it continues along the right path, eventually reaching a trigger that makes a walkway to the next path.  Another was a reprisal of the black beacons with different symbols that needed to be touched in the right order.  The progression of the puzzles feel like a natural difficulty curve with a few “aha!” moments along the way.

A boss battle was featured at the end, which is a huge wasp I was stuck with on an island.  They’d shoot a string of golden spikes in sequences.  Eventually I was able to dig out a bomb bug roaming underneath the ground, making it explode in the wasp’s face.  The second wave of the boss was a string of rotating spikes you have to walk across without touching.  The patterns in which they moved have an ebb and flow almost like it was breathing.  Mercifully, if you get hit and die, rather than getting a game over screen it spits you out of the level and just have to jump right in.  

Cocoon from Annapurna Interactive comes out 2023.

[More of what we loved with Oxenfree]

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TalkBack / Summer Games Fest Preview: Oxenfree II: Lost Signals

« on: June 13, 2023, 01:35:10 PM »

More of what we loved with Oxenfree

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/preview/63925/summer-games-fest-preview-oxenfree-ii-lost-signals

Picking up directly from the end of Oxenfree 1, Riley is now a paranormal researcher exploring Camena bay. Looking into the past via portal glimpses. These act as clues to the past leading to larger story moments. This mechanic seems to be expanded since the previous game with each one leading to bigger moments or crazier twists.  

The Oxenfree series has always been narrative focused with dialogue options to lead the story in varying directions. Moving across a sizable map with lots of spooky locales  to explore. Feels like a natural expansion of the first game with new exciting lore and a bigger map.

Mini game mechanics play into finding signals for ghostly visions or measuring frequencies for radio communications Graphically the game looks fantastic in its cartoony style but also shifts to old CRT cable static and channel changing circumstances that occur in striking story moments.

There’s still a lot of mystery to the story but we can’t wait to see where it goes on July12th.

[Illusion Island brings the couch co-op with a Disney style]

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TalkBack / Summer Game Fest Preview: Disney Illusion Island

« on: June 12, 2023, 09:32:00 AM »

Illusion Island brings the couch co-op with a Disney style

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/preview/63923/summer-game-fest-preview-disney-illusion-island

Disney Illusion Island is a fully couch co-op. self-described Mickeyvania that has a floaty, slippery feel. Walk jumps and double jumps are the norm with new ability unlocks that allow for level progression. When members of your party die, they are regenerated at generous checkpoints around the open world. Speaking of open worlds, there are three biomes along a sprawling map reminiscent of Symphony of the Night.

Collectibles include token cards that provide deep Disney history or lore about the world around you. It’s apparent the deep love of all things Disney is represented here. Those hardcore fans should know Mickey is in good hands here.

The cooperative features of the game include allowing a rope for your partners to climb up or giving hugs for additional hearts. Also at the character select screen, you can adjust your difficulty which in turn adjusts your health heart pool, so really anyone can play.

Abilities like ground pounds and grapple hooks will be unlocked through exploration, leading to easier level progression and new areas to explore.

The animation is fluid with high levels of details in everything from the running and jumping to even just idle animations. The developer also promises a Disneyland quality soundtrack featuring a complete orchestral composition.  While at first blush it may remind you of the current run of Mickey cartoons, it’s actually a brand new take, pulling in influences from everything from Steamboat Willie to the current run of shows.

Disney Illusion Island from Dlala Studios and Disney Interactive comes to Nintendo Switch on July 28th.

38

General Gaming / Re: What are you playing?

« on: May 05, 2023, 08:59:54 AM »

Loop Hero quickly captured me, and i'm chewing through it quickly.  A hero whose lost their memories comes across a small outpost of fellow people trying to piece together their memories and how they break this cycle has just the right amount of mystery and keeps the story engaging so far.  The overarching goal is to get through enough loops of the action to unlock a final boss and finish them off.

I'd almost describe it as a Macro RPG.  You don't directionally control the hero, instead they run across a randomly generated loop, with a camp that acts as the "go" tile from Monopoly (pass go, get health refilled).  Battling is all auto generated when bumping into monsters in that loop.  The map is constructed of tiles, and you receive cards randomly as those monsters are killed, as well as armor/weapons/equipment.  The cards themselves are things like vampire mansions, spider nests, graveyards, etc that when placed on the loop will generate more challenging monsters, but will yield higher rewards when beat.  Other land or structure cards will yield things like higher health max, regenerative health.  There is a good push/pull of trying to decide when to place down cards, because making a loop too hard could prematurely kill you.

There is also a base building portion between loops.  Resources you obtain during the action will allow structures to be built that can add permanent buffs, open up new kinds of resources, and some permanent buffs.  In doing so, the game also meters-out conversations that gives a broader picture of the world you're stuck into.  Like the loops, it's very passive but satisfying.

Having a great time with it, can't recommend it enough, and fortunately it won't take long before you can decide whether it's for you or not.

[Fire’ll be here for a good time, not for a long time.]

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TalkBack / Nuclear Blaze (Switch) Review

« on: May 02, 2023, 07:56:30 AM »

Fire’ll be here for a good time, not for a long time.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/63613/nuclear-blaze-switch-review

As a kid you’re asked what you want to be when you grow up.  Today, like clockwork, the answers range from police officers, doctors, YouTubers, and firefighters.  In a naive sense, it’s heartening to know that the youths want to choose roles that are helpers (or in the case of YouTubers, entertainers).  It’s in that spirit Nuclear Blaze comes from, connecting your inner child to a 2D platformer with all the fun of blasting water at fires and the weirdness of inserting it into a broader, darker story.

You play as an unnamed firefighter dropped into a raging inferno who finds themselves separated from his team and forced to explore the underbelly of a mysterious facility.Nuclear Blaze’s action is uncomplicated, clearing the way to focus on the firefighting action.   Each chapter is a series of rooms with uncontrolled fires, typically with the objective to put out the flames before being able to move on.  Some will also have a timed element, needing to keep explosion areas cooled off to avoid time running out and eradicating everything until you can tamp down the fires around it.  The little blaze-trailer has a water cannon that shoots at a modest distance.  Water tanks are intermittently scattered through the game, just far enough in distance between each other to be a challenge but returnable for infinite refills. Sprinkled throughout are sprinklers that can be enabled at a push of the button, permanently keeping those sections of the map cool.  Deeper into the experience additional abilities and challenges add just enough of a layering of difficulty to keep the gameplay fresh and fun.  

I have to hand it to Deepnight Games - they went above and beyond my expectations on their modular approach to difficulty.  Rather than parsing it by “Easy, Medium, Hard”, difficulty is measured in a gauge with options to increase health, extra water capacity, stronger water stream, and the fire spreading speed.  On top of that, there’s a kid-friendly mode which has the little firefighter saving cats from a burning building.  In this mode jumping is done automatically between ledges and holding the water button acts as an auto aim.  The developer even states it was inspired by his three year old, which is very cute.

The story is minimalistic but the gist is that it follows your little firefighter exploring an abandoned research facility they’ve tumbled into looking for a potential escape point.  Small reports are strewn about in office spaces, with minimal information that the protagonist seems more confused about than anything.  Occasionally they’ll try to call into their walkie talkie and connect with their partners above.  While the game never takes itself too seriously, the environments are dark and music is a quiet chiptune that increases in tempo and drama in pivotal action moments.

Nuclear Blaze is a brisk experience, but one that will give just enough timing and puzzle challenges to keep you engaged through the entire run.  Its simplicity is its strength, focusing on the action first and foremost and using those limited toolsets to approach each flame.  An impressive approach to difficulty and an appropriate amount of mystery puts this game into a neat package that is approachable and as challenging as you’d prefer.  Nuclear Blaze is short, sweet, and definitely worth a look.

[A quality collection for a confusingly named series.]

40

TalkBack / Wonder Boy Anniversary Collection (Switch) Review

« on: March 15, 2023, 11:34:24 AM »

A quality collection for a confusingly named series.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/63157/wonder-boy-anniversary-collection-switch-review

In recent memory we’ve been blessed with a treasure trove of classic game compilations.  The TMNT: Cowabunga Collection not only compiled a nearly complete history of the “heroes in a half shell” but also piled-on a dump truck’s worth of artwork, box art, music, and an animated series overview.  Regardless of how well you think the games have held up, Atari 50: The Anniversary Collection is the most comprehensive historical telling of the grandfather of gaming’s history and is worth the price of entry for that alone.  We’ve come a long way from the Capcom Beat-Em-Up Bundle days of dumping a handful of roms, and it’s with that context we have to view The Wonder Boy Anniversary Collection.

The Wonder Boy Collection includes six titles across the series: Wonder Boy (Adventure Island for those in the US), Wonder Boy in Monster Land, Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair, Monster World II, Monster World III, and Monster World IV.  My only exposure to the series was Adventure Island on the Nintendo Entertainment System.  Not knowing its arcade origins, I was struck by how crisp and detailed the animation was, how vibrant the music was by comparison, and oddly enough how more forgiving it felt.  The foundational gameplay is very basic - run on screen, avoid pits and obstacles, throw a tomahawk, and collect fruit along the way to keep your health from depleting over time.  By today's standards it’s rudimentary, but I was pleased to revisit it and explore the other five titles.

The other games hew closely to that 2D action side-scroller formula, but there’s a clear division in direction.  On one hand, Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair feels like a direct continuation of Wonder Boy with that side-scrolling platforming and combat, but it’s expanded upon to include side-scrolling shoot-em-up levels and up to two players.  There is more than one weapon, including spread fire shots and one which surrounds you like a barrier that is dropped by enemies and used as a temporary power up.  The levels are forced-movement which adds a bit of extra pressure, but never insurmountable.  It’s a refinement of Wonder Boy that is natural and comfortable for fans of the original.

Then there’s the Monster World portion of the series which lean more towards a 2D side-scrolling dungeon crawler a la Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.  These titles also show the threadline starting from the almost painfully simplistic Wonder Boy in Monster Land up to the colorful and fun Monster World IV.  Wonder Boy in Monster Land, while cute, has a painfully slow pace, with a stiffness in movement and jumping that just feels like walking through mud.  To its credit, the boss battles are interesting enough and there are upgrades via items you can buy in shops, but it’s still a bit threadbare.  Monster World II (or Wonder Boy III) is an iterative improvement - structurally very similar, but with a much crisper animation, a camera that’s much more focused on a smaller space, and a nice brisk movement.  Monster World III (or Wonder Boy in Monster World) feels like a weird middle ground - it retains the more vibrant, detailed look of Monster World II, but backpedals by re-committing to that stiff, plodding movement.  Monster World IV is the clear winner of these games. The protagonist Asha has been balanced, not quite as fast as Monster World II, but a motion that’s fluid and satisfying to navigate with.  Visually it’s the most vibrant and expressive animation yet.  Going in with the expectation that these are a product of their time, most of the games are fun and all of them are worth checking out from a historical perspective.

Like any good collection, Wonder Boy Anniversary includes a healthy dose of extra features and content.  There are several different language options at the outset.  Each game includes versions that were released, ranging from arcade to Sega Master System and Game Gear.  Some versions don’t hold up well and act as more of a fun curiosity than anything else, but they’re still a nice feature to include.  Each game has a save state/load option, quick rewind, and quick fast-forward.   Some of these games are slow in places, so that’s a godsend.  Mercifully, each game includes level maps that can be accessed at any time.  All these make for a   For any fan of the series, the gallery includes concept art, character sketches, soundtracks that you can play while perusing the menus, box art, and game instructions.

The Wonder Boy Anniversary Collection is the definitive way to experience the series, with all six titles wrapped in a package that seems to look for every way that a fan can explore the content.  There are a few games that are tough to go back to, but when they’re good, they’re really good.  The worst I can say is that it doesn’t reach the heights of fan service some of the aforementioned collections do, but comparing Wonder Boy to those standard bearers might be a bit unfair.  If you enjoy 2D platformers, liked a game in the series and want to explore more, or just have a curiosity for lesser known classic games, then The Wonder Boy Anniversary Collection is something worth looking up.

[An arcade fighter from its time for better and worse]

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TalkBack / The Rumble Fish 2 (Switch) Review

« on: March 01, 2023, 06:50:00 AM »

An arcade fighter from its time for better and worse

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/63019/the-rumble-fish-2-switch-review

The fighting game genre is one of the tentpoles in my upbringing.  Back in the day, you could find an arcade at your local mall next to the food court, squeeze a few bucks from your parents’ wallet while they go shopping, and play Street Fighter II until someone older came along and bodied you.  Despite that and a lifetime of quarter-circle plus punches, this was the first opportunity to try The Rumble Fish series.  Dimps, arguably a developer with the most robust history of producing fighting games, has ported the title to modern platforms amidst a genre that has branched out into a more diverse offering than ever before.  

Rumble Fish 2’s biggest asset is at the foundation which everything else is built upon - the core combat mechanics.  Fighting is weighty and slower on the spectrum, and that heft plus a nice bit of visual flash & flair makes each impact feel powerful.  Character combo moves skew toward Street Fighter, with plenty of semi-circle + punch as well as hold + release inputs to boot.  The super move system is clever - there are both defensive and offensive power meters which can be used for their respective moves, but when both are full can be combined to a critical art or super move.  This creates a dynamic, modular system that let me play creatively within those heavy confines.

If the foundation is strong, it’s the structures around it which show cracks.  Rumble Fish’s biggest omission is some form of tutorial that would step-by-step teach the basics, combos, and supers.  Rather, you will need to be self-taught through the training mode.  This tracks with its contemporaries, but it would have been a helpful addition.  In fact, the only direct instruction given is through loading screens between matches, but it’s so quick that they’re tough to catch.  The additional modes are considerably bare minimum - arcade, time attack, survival, vs mode (with no online matchmaking), and a gallery.  It’s a perfunctory offering that checks the boxes but doesn’t excite.

Stylistically the game makes use of its anime influences to mixed results.  The character designs are cool and diverse, a necessity to keep the game feeling fresh, but the characters have a fuzziness around them in motion.  In the case of something like Street Fighter III, that matched the grainy feel of the backdrops.  With the clean/crisp level backgrounds, its inconsistency is glaring and disappointing.  The back tracks of music are mostly within the rock genre, high paced tempos and crunchy guitar riffs.  Nothing stands out but it sets the tone well.

The Rumble Fish 2 is a product of its time, warts and all.  It nailed the heavier 2D fighter feel with the proper weight to the punch.  The crisp anime art style works for the backdrops and character designs, but loses something in translation when the characters are in motion.  Despite what grievances I have, The Rumble Fish 2 is a foundationally strong fighter which makes it easy for me to overlook the blemishes to enjoy what lies underneath.  This won’t grab the casual fighter fan, but the devotees should give it a look.

[I know kung-fu.]

42

TalkBack / Sifu (Switch) Review

« on: November 08, 2022, 05:59:00 AM »

I know kung-fu.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/62084/sifu-switch-review

Sloclap, developer of Sifu and Absolver, have already started to build a profile of what to expect when starting one of their games.  Snappy hand-to-hand combat that’s accentuated by a loud thud for each punch or kick landed.  Complex combat systems mated with a world where difficult enemies start from the get-go.  Distinct styles that are consistent throughout the experience.  Absorber is the foundation for what has become Sifu - a single player 3rd person brawler with a modern-day, China backdropped revenge story.

You, Lee, are the child son of Sifu - martial artist master who has been betrayed and murdered by former pupil Yang and his four co-conspirators.  Once you’re pulled from hiding, one of them slits your throat and a talisman saves you from death.  This magical golden talisman can revive the dead at the cost of years of aging.  Years later when Lee turns twenty, he sets out on a mission to avenge his father.  The story is compelling enough to keep you engaged thanks to a strong core plot and good performances by several voice cast members.

Lee has been training for this day, and it shows.  The low attack, high attack, parry/dodge, and run all work in concert - to succeed, you need to integrate the entire toolkit given and be quick to adjust when hitting a wall.  A focus meter that fills through successfully defeating enemies lets you slow the action and choose special stun attacks that can start turning the tide in your favor.  A healthy number of weapons littered throughout that are fun toys to pummel people with.  

Sifu’s structurally sound combat is back-ended by progression systems that give it its own distinct flavor.  Totems placed in different spots along the game offer upgrades that can be paid via experience points, score points, or how many lives you’ve used at that point.  These include things like how much you get healed after a successful takedown of an enemy, weapon durability, and how quickly your focus meter regenerates.  Experience points can be spent to add additional combat moves, including special ones tied to weapons.  Each has an unlock cost for use during that specific run, afterward it can be unlocked for five times the cost (broken down into five separate, zero interest payments!).  

This feeds directly into the most unique feature - the lives system.  Rather than a number count, lives are built throughout the main character’s age.  Starting at twenty, each death ticks up your age, increasing your attack power but reducing your health bar.  Each loss of life results in a larger span of life, with the first death going just from twenty to twenty one, and subsequent ones increasing until you’re passing decades.  A cool added wrinkle is that as Lee ages, his appearance does to coincide with it.  There are ways to reduce that total death counter, but they are limited.  Through five levels, each notes the age you die at, which is where you start the following level.  If you go back, replay the level, and complete it with a younger age, the next level will start with that number.  This is a run-based game: you’ll be working to drive-down that starting age so the next level has an improved starting point.

That life system tied to some brutally difficult enemies makes for a steep learning curve.  Each enemy’s attacks have a wind-up to plan a counter against, but the movements are so sharp that it can be challenging to time your parry or dodges with accuracy.  The enemies capitalize quickly on that first hit, chaining together punches and kicks that get you stuck in a combo until Lee drops to the floor.  Completing finisher moves on them gives-back some health, but it takes several to refill the life bar, and when they connect it’s devastating to your health, especially if getting caught in the middle of a mob.  Another sticking point is occasional dips in framerate in gameplay.  While it’s mostly constrained to walking along between skirmishes, there were a few times where it chugged in the middle of a large mob.  It’s a rare occurrence, but in a game where there’s a tight window to keep your offense flowing, those few times acted as a brick wall.  Mercifully, there’s an easy mode that retains this difficult combat but gives a much larger life bar and changes the lives system to one life lost per death.  If the experience sounds too daunting in normal mode, this will give you some crutches that can let you experience the core of what makes SIFU’s combat great.

All of this is draped in a style that’s distinctly its own.  The music has tonal changes for each level that have accents/crescendos during particularly cinematic moments and bosses.  Those thematic moments are cinematic moments, clearly inspired by popular cinema.  One trick they use especially well is shifting the perspective from behind-the-back to a pulled-out side view through a hallway.  Another one is a dark room with a few brightly colored illuminated walls that pop and tint everything in a tonally bright light.  Unsurprisingly, there have been some visual compromises for the Nintendo Switch version that are more apparent in areas where the lighting and environment are more naturally visible, but it’s not offensively so and those more movie-like moments hide that beautifully.

Let me be clear - Sifu is a beat-em-up that is going to challenge you.  Structurally its aim is to throw you in the fire to either temper your steel or melt.  The Easy mode is a welcome reprieve, giving several more lifeboats before letting your drown, but even that has the ethos of “you will be testing your limits”.   But if ready to climb that mountain, players will be rewarded with some of the most refreshing hand-to-hand combat out there with inspired stylistic flair.  If you enjoy the struggle, SIFU is in the upper echelon of video game fighting.

[Like a lamb to the slaughter]

43

TalkBack / Cult of the Lamb (Switch) Review

« on: November 05, 2022, 06:31:00 PM »

Like a lamb to the slaughter

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/62020/cult-of-the-lamb-switch-review

Massive Monster’s Cult of the Lamb is striking from the start menu.  The main character is a lamb who's been sacrificed at the altar and has been resurrected by an imprisoned god called The One Who Waits, who tasked him with killing the gods who trapped him.  The lamb levitates over a pentagram surrounded by candles, possessed by a black and red hat with blood-filled eyes amongst a grainy cream-colored backdrop.  This is a dark looking game - if you are sensitive to religious iconography and the occult, Cult of the Lamb is not for you.  This theme and tone are so intense that it became disturbing, something that I got accustomed to but has left an impression on me.  

You, a lamb, ironically are the shepherd of simple followers who devote themselves to you and the cult of the red hat.  They make up a small community slavishly taking on tasks like gathering wood or stone, praying to a statue of The One Who Waits, cleaning, or tending farmland.  Managing the townspeople is fairly simple - gather resources, build structures, and maintain the happiness of your flock.  This is done by maintaining their spiritual and physical health.  Feeding them proper meals, giving a bed or tent to rest, and keeping a clean landscape are the plates you’ll spin to keep health up.  You can boost faith by holding sermons, performing unlockable rituals (like sacrifices or declaring a holy day of rest), and completing expeditions successfully without dying.  Those rituals are unlocked through the sermons, the faith gained there is used to unlock them via doctrines.  Conversely, dying during an expedition reduces their faith.  Losing enough faith makes a cult member revolt, not reverting back to normal unless they’re put in jail and re-indoctrinated.  Each cult member provides devotion through prayer at a statue in the town center.

The expeditions are a string of mini dungeon crawling maps across four domains of the gods.  At the start you’re equipped with a weapon and curse - the curse acts like a magic spell which costs fervor - a resource collected from fallen enemies.  Most rooms will be filled with monsters, but some include a seer who offers the choice of tarot cards with perks that support your exploring and shops to swap out weapons.  Each level is structured like branching paths that are followed up to the level boss.  Some are another round of combat, shops, health refill pit-stops, and zones where you can rescue and indoctrinate new followers by defeating waves of monsters to save them.  The final area boasts a large monster, often littering the screen with projectiles.  Each zone requires completing a minimum of four times before fighting the god, and once defeated they turn into a follower.  This ends up being the most effective way to increase the headcount of your cult which becomes a critical resource to get better starting weapons, more curse and tarot card options, and new items to upgrade the village with.

The two halves separately aren’t outstanding, but it’s the marriage of the combat and activities tied to town building that help keep the game fresh.  You spend just enough time in raids before having to go back to town and tend to your flock’s needs.  After spending a handful of minutes making sure they’re well-fed in mind, body, & soul, you’ll have spent just enough time before it grows stale.  There’s also various spots on a world map to visit that have charming characters with fun side quests or stores.  A personal favorite is Crossbones - a minigame that is about matching up 3 dice in lanes while trying to prevent your opponent from doing so.  It’s a simple ruleset with a surprisingly difficult set of adversaries that I might have found a lot of joy in.  The most fun is when you have to spin all these plates equally, which the game encourages you to do until hitting later hours.

Cult of the Lamb’s greatest sin is its technical woes on Switch.  Out the gate there were small lags/framerate dips when first transporting to either the cult or starting an expedition, and an occasional dip when combat gets frantic.  The longer I played, the worse it got.  Stuttering and freezing screens happened persistently, even bleeding into the most mundane tasks at your campsite.  Late game, as I worked to grow my population, the game got stuck in a screen meant to let you pick attributes of an incoming convert, left watching them pray endlessly with no corrective action other than to restart the game.  It’d be hilarious if not so blood boiling, and is either a measure of the game being pushed out before it’s fully baked or a sign that the Switch is long-in-the-tooth and can’t keep up.  The outlook of these problems being fixed is not encouraging now removed five months from its initial release, and it cripples the entire experience.

At its best, Cult of the Lamb is a smart balancing act of dungeon crawling and base building that has just enough meat on the bones to keep the game from becoming stale.  The same could be said of its style, a mixture of overly cutesy characters against the backdrop of a downright evil, darkness stained world that holds a vein of morbid humor throughout.  It’s that coagulation that makes the experience so unique, if a little shallow.  That said, the Switch version is so tainted by the oppressively bad technical performance that it tanks the entire experience.  Don’t play it here unless it’s your only option or Massive Monster resurrects it with a patch.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Bayonetta 3 - Switch Exclusive (Internet Salt sold here)

« on: October 18, 2022, 10:02:58 AM »

Pure speculation, but in my line of work, when a business doesn't want to outright reject our request but has no interest, they'll quote us a price that's incredibly out of bounds for what the material cost & labor being done.  My guess is that they didn't really want her, let her audition, then offered her that $4k that'd force her to decline. 

Not any less unsavory than other speculation, but just an educated guess about the inner workings of what actually happened in the process.

[A Pikmin By Any Other Name]

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TalkBack / Tinykin (Switch) Review

« on: October 03, 2022, 05:44:31 AM »

A Pikmin By Any Other Name

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/61689/tinykin-switch-review

Tinykin didn’t hit my radar until after it released in August.  The title developed by Splashteam and published by tinyBuild centers around a tiny man named Milo.  Milo is an explorer who has crash landed into a house trapped in the ‘90s (including Polaroid cameras and VHS tapes) and devoid of people, but with a thriving community of bugs.  To make it back home he’ll employ the aid of Ridmi, an elder bug, to assemble a spacecraft using items strewn across several sections of the house.  

It’s a bit reductive, but I can see why the comparisons to Pikmin exist.  You’re a captain who comes across tiny minions that follow you around and have different types and abilities.  The purple ones pick things up, red ones explode on certain structures, green ones stack on top of each other, etc.  That’s where the comparisons end.  Beyond environmental hazards, there are no antagonistic forces; all characters beside you are there either as a quest giver or to give dialogue that helps flesh out the world. The environment is low pressure and easygoing.

That tone is Tinykin’s biggest strength.  There is no sense of urgency, as nothing is time sensitive or fraught with danger.  Primary objectives include such tasks as baking a cake and finding all the ingredients strewn about a messy kitchen.  Each area also has side quests like finding letters to put in a mailbox, locating jewelry, and collecting nectar drops littered around the map.  Each map has a lot of verticality to it, with lots of climbing up to counters or tabletops and across narrow ledges.  Even without the small but mighty Tinykin on hand, Milo is equipped with a glide that can be upgraded throughout the game and is a critical tool to bridge those gaps.  Movement is crisp, and you have a soap bar that lets you slide across the map with ease and a nice sense of momentum.

This world is a joy to explore thanks to a level design that has clear enough direction to mainline the primary objective but also encourages wandering.  Never once did I start by focusing on the objectives.  Why would I when I can just start exploring and let the wind blow me in a direction that piqued my curiosity?  The nectar drops are the perfect kind of bread crumbs that lead you in a direction without pigeonholing what you can explore.  I am a person who naturally moves by line of best fit, but even I ended up choosing the path of a wanderer.

Tinykin is a “stop and smell the roses'' kind of game that is brief in a way that gives a meaningful experience without overstaying its welcome.  Its charming world and endearing characters are a pleasant window dressing to this safe, mellow bit of fun, and that’s all it needs to be.  Splashteam’s singular focus on exploration and charm runs deep, and the end result is laudable for their Sophomore outing.

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NWR Mafia Games / Re: Mafia XC: Xenoblade Chronicles 1 - Definitive Mafia Edition. Sign-up Thread.

« on: September 30, 2022, 12:10:33 PM »

At risk of being spoiled on Xenoblade Chronicles 1 while I'm in the middle of playing it, count me in.

47

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Happy 20th Birthday Eternal Darkness

« on: July 22, 2022, 11:46:28 AM »

For you Eternal Darkness fans - are there any spiritual successors that come to mind? 

48

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

« on: July 22, 2022, 10:26:10 AM »

Last game I beat is Norco (it's free on Xbox gamepass, but also on PC).

It's a point and click adventure game set in a bleak Southern Louisiana dying town overtaken by an oil rig operation called Shield.  You're a woman returning home after the death of her mother, and find an abandoned home with your brother missing.  The feeling of returning home after a long way away is depicted perfectly here - your character will run across several people they knew from growing up.  Some of them are worse for the wear and will bristle you, some will know your brother and your family.  There's a history that informs the characters relationship with you.  There's dialogue options, but in most cases there's an option that the NPCs see as the truthful one, and one which your character might have a rosy view of, and their responses to you reflect that.  It's a neat wrinkle and shows how people can have different recollections about what took place.

The gameplay mostly is standard faire - click at the background where there's icons, glean information from it, sometimes pick-up items that can be used to solve puzzles or unlock additional dialogue options from NPCs.  A few neat wrinkles - there are sections of actual turn-based battles.  Your party members each have different attacks - one might be a QTE sequence, another might have to complete a game of Simon for a successful attack.  It's simple enough to be unchallenging while being a nice break-up to diversify the gameplay.  They also add some interesting layers on top of solving puzzles that work well to flesh things out that I won't share since they were a neat surprise.  As you gather more information, there's actually a separate screen that has different icons representing key characters/location which'll be tied together by threads in how they're connected.  You're able to click on them as new info is gathered, and the depth of detail is impressive.

I won't expand on the story itself other than to say I was satisfied with it.  There are unanswered threads or questions that I wish would have been resolved, but even if they didn't, they inform or flesh out the world in a way which I think makes it better off than if they didn't create them at all.  The broader thrust of the story gets abstract/escalates beyond the original framework, but it's bread-crummed in a way which makes logical sense. 

Overall, I'm pretty satisfied with the experience.  I'm not a big point-and-click adventure player, but this game was approachable while still offering some challenge.  Highly recommend.

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NWR Mafia Games / Re: Mafia 89: RECVMake Neighbor Day 5

« on: May 05, 2022, 10:34:55 AM »

Vote Stevey

50

General Gaming / Re: 2nd Annual NWR Four on Four

« on: May 05, 2022, 10:31:30 AM »

2. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Switch)

Is this via the Switch online expansion pack Genesis games? I wasn't sure if there was a Sega ages release or not.

Sega Ages release.  I didn't notice an appreciable difference between the two options though.