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[Taking the Trails series down an action-RPG path.]

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TalkBack / The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails (Switch) Review

« on: September 15, 2023, 05:58:02 AM »

Taking the Trails series down an action-RPG path.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/64872/the-legend-of-nayuta-boundless-trails-switch-review

Originally a Japan-only PSP game, The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails is a Nihon Falcom developed action-RPG that feels like an Ys game set in the Trails/Legend of Heroes universe. Those who enjoyed the deep turn-based RPG mechanics and sprawling world of Trails of Cold Steel 3 and 4 will find a much different experience in Boundless Trails, with level-based gameplay, platforming, and a significantly smaller scope. That said, there’s still that signature Falcom charm in the characters and interactions, in addition to challenging but fun gameplay and a graphical style that really shines on Switch.

At the outset, we meet protagonist Nayuta, a plucky researcher in-training who is back on Remnant Island for his summer break away from school. With his friend Cygna, he stops in on his sister Eartha before a massive tower crash lands beside the island, on which we meet two of the central villains and witness their stealing of a special gear from a fairy-like creature named Noi. Nayuta and Noi end up working together to recover this gear and others in Noi’s homeworld of Terra, and so the game ends up taking place on both Remnant Island–where most of the sidequests and characters reside–and Terra where the action-style gameplay occurs.

Speaking of action, Nayuta runs, jumps, double jumps, and slashes his way through 3D stages that offer both horizontal and vertical gameplay. Noi accompanies him and can cast magic spells, and as you make your way through the story you’ll earn additional spells of different elements, some as treasures in stages and others as rewards for defeating minibosses. Her spells work on a charge system, with charges replenishing over time, and you’ll need a mix of magic and sword attacks given that certain enemies are immune to one or the other; this includes bosses as well. There’s also a fair amount of platforming, especially in later or more vertical stages, so you’ll want to have an aptitude for that type of gameplay as well since pitfalls will drain your health meter in a hurry.

Across six or so chapters, you'll jump back and forth between worlds, completing tasks in one and then getting a bit of a respite in the other. At Nayuta's home, Eartha can prepare lunchboxes of food that you can take with you and use to restore your health and gain experience points. You'll want to head out with all your lunchbox slots filled, too, as enemies can pack a punch and health pick-ups are rare. Defeating enemies and destroying crates, barrels, and debris will yield ingredients for Eartha to cook with and bugs and other specimens for the museum to store (which rewards you with money and items). There's a really satisfying loop of playing a few stages, going back home to grab some lunch, upgrading your gear at the shops in town, and then teleporting yourself back into the action.

Terra is divided into five areas: a small story-centric hub and four different continents. The continents each have their own biome and consist of four or five stages to complete, but after progressing through each one, you gain the ability to switch their season, and this allows you to replay the stages in their new seasonal splendor. The suggested level increases with the season shift, and different enemies and treasures appear, so there’s good reason to return for another go. That said, Boundless Trails seems to place less emphasis on gaining experience points through the individual stages and enemies and instead balances it with the experience derived from consuming the food you prepare. The two systems complement each other quite well, leading to a light and breezy feeling that carries through the 15 to 20-hour experience.

Boss encounters at the end of each continent are tough and require specific strategies that you may not have employed as much in the individual levels. These bouts involve multiple stages and form changes, giving a nice sense of spectacle to the culmination of each major area of the game. It’s sound strategy to ensure your lunchbox slots are filled up with meals that will fully restore your health meter or raise your strength, for example, so you have an opportunity to recover from a few different attacks and deal more damage as you work out the best way to take down your opponent.

Even though the world of Boundless Trails isn’t particularly large, it undergoes enough small changes that it feels very much alive. In each chapter, townsfolk move to different locations and have different things to say; almost everyone will be involved in a sidequest or two during your playthrough. Remnant Island mostly stays the same from a visual standpoint, but as continents and seasons change, Terra starts to feel fuller and more fleshed out. You can earn up to three stars from each stage through finding every mira crystal (the local currency), completing a special objective–such as killing 40 enemies–and making it to the end goal, so there’s some replay value built in here. The stars can add up to milestones that award new sword techniques for Nayuta, taught by one of his mentors, Orbus. This is all in addition to dedicated in-game achievements. Falcom ends up squeezing a fair bit of juice out of what initially appears to be a more constrained island setting.

In terms of presentation and performance, the menus are really easy to navigate, and the whole game just looks and plays incredibly well on Switch. I was particularly impressed with the visual fidelity in Handheld mode. Even though the PSP roots do shine through in terms of how the characters, enemies, and objects look, there’s an effective use of color to distinguish between the seasonal changes that Terra undergoes. In terms of music, the soundtrack is a strong one, with a peaceful and serene theme for Remnant Island and some bumping, upbeat tracks for a number of the stages themselves.

Finishing Boundless Trails, I’m still reminded so much of Ys VIII and its island setting but also a little of Ys Origins as well; both of those titles feel, look, and play similar to The Legend of Nayuta, and so fans of them will likely enjoy this Trails game as well. Even in High Speed Mode, which I make a habit of turning on quite often, performance never faltered. I will, however, criticize the localization to a small extent, as the dialogue features some awkward vocabulary choices from time to time.

With a fairly enjoyable main narrative that plays second fiddle to engaging gameplay and effective presentation, The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails may be slight in terms of length when compared to other Trails games, but it’s a spinoff that matches them in quality and enjoyment. There’s something compelling about its relative simplicity and all of the small things you can do from moment to moment that all complement each other and help your character progress, both in terms of story and capability. With Ys and the Trails games typically being separated into action and turn-based combat, respectively, I’d love to see either series experiment with the other form given how well it comes off in Boundless Trails. Young Nayuta’s adventure is well worth experiencing for yourself; just don’t forget to pack a lunch.

[The puzzle-platformer series that originated on Game Boy Advance arrives early in the new year.]

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TalkBack / Mario vs. Donkey Kong Remake Scampers onto Switch This February

« on: September 14, 2023, 07:07:47 AM »

The puzzle-platformer series that originated on Game Boy Advance arrives early in the new year.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/64845/mario-vs-donkey-kong-remake-scampers-onto-switch-this-february

One of the first announcements during today's Nintendo Direct was for a remake of the first Mario vs. Donkey Kong game, a series that originally debuted in 2004 on Game Boy Advance. 20 years later, Donkey Kong is back to his mischief-making ways and it's up to Mario to foil his plan to steal all of the Mini-Mario toys. In each stage, you'll need to run, climb, and avoid obstacles to retrieve the key and unlock the main door so that you can move on to the next level. The trailer showed off lava, jungle, and city-themed areas, and there's also a local co-op feature with the second player controlling Toad.

Pre-orders are available today on the eShop, with Mario vs. Donkey Kong arriving on February 16, 2024.

[Classic SNES F-ZERO racing meets last-person standing gameplay.]

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TalkBack / F-ZERO Returns Today as the Next 99-player Title

« on: September 14, 2023, 06:56:00 AM »

Classic SNES F-ZERO racing meets last-person standing gameplay.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/64842/f-zero-returns-today-as-the-next-99-player-title

During this morning's Nintendo Direct presentation, the next 99-player online game was revealed as F-ZERO 99, featuring SNES-style visuals. The game is exclusive to Nintendo Switch Online members, and it sees new gameplay mechanics added to enhance the experience. These include a Power Meter that not only represents your health but also can be used to offer a temporary boost of speed. Collisions between cars will generate Super Sparks that can be collected to create a path to the Skyway, a special shortcut above the track that can give you the time and space to get ahead of the pack.

F-ZERO 99 is launching today on the Switch eShop, but you may want to enjoy it while it lasts. As we've seen with Pac-Man 99 and Super Mario Bros. 35, these types of online games don't seem to have an overly long shelf life.

[Now I want my own Gunbrella, ella-ella, ayy, ayy, ayy.]

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TalkBack / Gunbrella (Switch) Review

« on: September 13, 2023, 12:31:26 PM »

Now I want my own Gunbrella, ella-ella, ayy, ayy, ayy.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/64840/gunbrella-switch-review

Doinksoft, makers of Gato Roboto, are back again with another Devolver published title in Gunbrella. You play a gruff, cloaked individual who totes the titular Gunbrella on a quest for revenge, after coming home to find his wife murdered in cold blood. The gritty, dark setting of the game works well for the detective noir-style story, and twists in the story make for a fairly exciting playthrough, even if the gunplay itself can be a little sparing. Solid gameplay overall, a variety of sidequests, and some humorous dialogue exchanges anchor the experience, but there are some frustrating softlock bugs that hinder enjoyment of the 6 to 8-hour playthrough.

As you pursue your wife’s killer, you’ll come across a cult, a group of scrappers, a variety of common folk, and a sect of religious zealots, all of whom function as friends or foes on your adventure. Many different people will offer you tasks to complete that can reward you with coins to spend on items, gears to upgrade your weapon, or even heart pieces to increase your health meter. The minute-to-minute gameplay blends adventure game trappings of completing sidequests while working towards the evolving main quest of learning more about the Gunbrella and discovering the culprit responsible for destroying your happy family. Dungeon-like spaces outside of the handful of towns offer platforming challenges and a smattering of minor enemies to blast into oblivions; on occasion, you’ll encounter tough boss fights that may require you to pull out different ammo types you can collect, such as rifle bullets and grenades, or quickly whip out consumable items like apples and bandages.

Movement in Gunbrella is a noticeable strength; in addition to walking and jumping, you can press the R button to open your Gunbrella for blocking projectiles or to perform a dash in any direction. The combination of wall jumping and dashing is used throughout the game to scale mine shafts, avoid acid pools, and leap from mountain ledge to mountain ledge. Throw in a dash of shooting at turrets, tentacles, and even supernatural entities, and you’ve got a recipe for a good time. That said, you shouldn’t expect Gunbrella (even with its title) to be heavy on the gunplay; there’s just as much talking to strangers and exploring 2D spaces as there are shotgun blasts. Fortunately, you have a lot of opportunities to make meaningful decisions; sparing someone’s life can lead to rewards down the road, so it’s best to think carefully before pulling the trigger with reckless abandon.

Speaking of 2D spaces, there’s a wonderful sense of layering to the backgrounds in Gunbrella, as you roam its dingy, almost post-apocalyptic environments, you’ll notice multiple elements in the background moving along with you. The detailed pixel art is attractive on its own, but the way in which foreground and back play off each other makes for a very pleasant aesthetic experience. The audio experience, on the other hand, is a bit lacking: the sound effects work well, but there’s almost nothing in the way of memorable music, unless you would classify foreboding and atmospheric silence as an earworm.

Unfortunately, my pre-launch playthrough was hampered by a variety of bugs. The worst among them was a softlock that occurred at the final boss, where its death animation never ended. I was happy to learn that a patch was released to fix this particular bug. Another such issue arose earlier on, but it was solved by simply restarting from my last save point, and thankfully there is a frequent auto-save in addition to a generous amount of manual, health-restoring rest points.

Having played both Gato Roboto and Gunbrella, I’d say that the former is the stronger overall experience, edging out the latter because of its progress-halting bugs (which may be mostly hammered out during the game's launch). The atmosphere and movement abilities of Gunbrella are excellent, but the lack of enemies and opportunities to use the titular weapon are a bit disappointing. If you prefer more of an adventure-game bent to your action-platformer, then Gunbrella is definitely worth a look, even if its rain-shielding, double-barreled frame could use a little more polish and a lot more target practice.

[Faster Than Light + deckbuilding = A run-based moonshot.]

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TalkBack / Cobalt Core - Our PAX West 2023 Game of the Show

« on: September 11, 2023, 05:00:00 AM »

Faster Than Light + deckbuilding = A run-based moonshot.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/preview/64789/cobalt-core-our-pax-west-2023-game-of-the-show

I pride myself on not announcing my “game of the show” too early, but in only my third appointment of the PAX West weekend, I loudly made that proclamation (and fortunately it stayed true). At the booth of publisher Brace Yourself Games, I had the pleasure of demoing a little game called Cobalt Core, and to that point I had seen almost nothing about it, outside of a few images attached to an email. Within minutes I knew that what I was experiencing was both unexpected and amazing. While it reminds me of FTL: Faster Than Light, I found Cobalt Core’s combat and well-explained mechanics a refreshing breath of run-based air.

The demo took me through an abbreviated map of about 15 destinations (which is less than the standard 20-30 spaces in the full game). At each one, there are events like combat encounters, item or treasure discoveries, or opportunities to heal your ship. The objective is to take your crew of three through a trio of maps to reach the end of a run. Along the way, you can unlock new characters (all of whom are cute animals with cuter names) and new ships that can be chosen in future sessions. Finishing a run unlocks a small amount of backstory for these amnesiac characters and their time-looping world, but there’s immense satisfaction to be had in just playing around with the different crew and craft permutations.

Each character has a different specialization that leads into the types of cards they bring into your deck. Combat encounters make use of these cards to function as your ship’s moves; shooting, dodging, and raising shields are all tied to specific cards that are drawn from your deck and splayed in front of you on each turn. You have three energy points to spend on cards, and you have the advantage of seeing what the opposing ship will be doing on their turn. This means you’ll know how you need to dodge to evade their fire or how many shield points you’ll need to negate it. In many situations you’ll be given the opportunity to expand your deck with new cards, and these offer more advanced abilities, like adding one attack power to every shot fired during that turn. In other spots, enemies will put garbage cards into your deck–you might even generate some of these yourself–and you’ll need to find ways of neutralizing such disadvantages to keep yourself in the fight.

There’s a comfort to the unfamiliar in Cobalt Core that other roguelike titles tend to stray from. While trial-and-error can be enjoyable to an extent, I myself get more out of being shown how things work and then acting upon that knowledge. Moving the cursor onto new cards, new visual effects, and different objects explains clearly what you’re looking at; there’s much less guess work going on, and I’m definitely here for it. There’s already so much mystery involved with the cards you’re dealt each round and the spaces you visit on the map, so it’s refreshing to see gameplay that stays away from the obtuse and embraces transparency.

Even though a full run of Cobalt Core can be completed in an hour or two, unlocking all of the story content will take upwards of 20 hours. Because of the variety of ways that each run can play out, though, there are hundreds of hours of new experiences waiting to be had here. It ultimately feels like a more approachable space-themed roguelike, with deckbuilding elements that feel like a natural complement rather than something that’s just shoe-horned in. With a Steam release coming first in November, those who want to get their furry paws on Cobalt Core as soon as possible can do so there. While there’s been no formal announcement of a Switch version just yet, it sure seems like a release on Nintendo’s hybrid device could be written in the stars.

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TalkBack / Re: What You Need To Know About The METAL GEAR SOLID: MASTER COLLECTION Vol 1.

« on: September 08, 2023, 10:48:55 PM »

It would have been nice if the version of Metal Gear Solid was the GameCube version (The Twin Snakes) since that had so many improvements.

Definitely. I think they went with the PSX version since they had already ported it with the previous HD and Legacy Collections.

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TalkBack / Re: What You Need To Know About The METAL GEAR SOLID: MASTER COLLECTION Vol 1.

« on: September 08, 2023, 05:04:33 PM »

I recently saw a similar PS3 collection of some of these games. Does anyone know how these compare?

The versions of Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 in the Master Collection are those from the HD Collection you're referring to. That earlier compilation also had Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, a PSP game, which isn't in the Master Collection coming next month.

The Master Collection has Metal Gear Solid from PSX, which the HD Collection doesn't. That's the main difference: Peace Walker being swapped for Metal Gear Solid.

There was a later version on PS3 called The Metal Gear Solid Legacy Collection, which I believe had Metal Gear Solid 4 and codes for Metal Gear Solid 1 and MGS1 VR Missions, in addition to all of the HD Collection titles, so that was the biggest package of games. The Master Collection does seem to have more non-game bonus materials, though!

[Here’s your comprehensive rundown, Snake!]

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TalkBack / What You Need To Know About The METAL GEAR SOLID: MASTER COLLECTION Vol 1.

« on: September 08, 2023, 05:00:00 AM »

Here’s your comprehensive rundown, Snake!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/preview/64763/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-metal-gear-solid-master-collection-vol-1

On October 24th, 2023, Konami will be releasing METAL GEAR SOLID: MASTER COLLECTION Vol 1., a compilation of multiple Metal Gear and Metal Gear Solid titles, but there’s also a veritable treasure trove of bonus materials included in the package. In this video, I’ll be detailing the ways you can purchase these titles physically and digitally, in addition to clarifying everything that’s bundled for each configuration.

To start off with, Konami is making Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater available for purchase separately at an expected retail price of $19.99. Each of these comes with a digital screenplay book–with “A comprehensive collection of cutscene dialogue, briefing files, and scripts for every single one of the series' characteristic Codec calls”–and a digital master book–with “juicy tidbits and notable quotes from characters throughout the Metal Gear saga—plus useful strategy guide info such as maps, hidden item locations, and more.” No other bonus content or material will be available for those who purchase these games separately from the larger MASTER COLLECTION package. These are digital versions that will be available on the Nintendo Switch eShop.

At a retail price of $59.99 is the entire METAL GEAR SOLID: MASTER COLLECTION Vol 1., which is already available for pre-order on the eShop. Strap yourselves in because there’s a whole heap of content on offer for this version of the games, which includes:

• Metal Gear
• Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
• Metal Gear Solid (Including VR Missions/Special Missions)
• Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (HD Collection version)
• Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (HD Collection version)
• Metal Gear (NES/FC version)
• Snake's Revenge

In terms of non-game content, the MASTER COLLECTION also features:

Animated Video Content

• Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel
• Metal Gear Solid 2: Digital Graphic Novel

Digital Books (many of which do come when purchasing the Metal Gear Solid games separately)

• Metal Gear Solid: Screenplay Book
• Metal Gear Solid: Master Book
• Metal Gear Solid 2: Screenplay Book
• Metal Gear Solid 2: Master Book
• Metal Gear Solid 3: Screenplay Book
• Metal Gear Solid 3: Master Book
• Metal Gear & Metal Gear 2: Screenplay Book
• Metal Gear & Metal Gear 2: Master Book

Soundtrack

• Metal Gear Solid: Digital Soundtrack

Those eager to go physical with their Switch games will be disappointed (but perhaps not surprised) to learn that the retail boxed version of METAL GEAR SOLID: MASTER COLLECTION Vol 1. comes with some hefty required downloads. In fact, it would appear that none of the games from the package are actually playable on the cart without a download. Stand by for some specifics on download sizes:

• Physical Version: 24.1GB ( *Front loaded onto cartridge 2.4GB )
• METAL GEAR SOLID - Master Collection Version: 4.8GB (3.4GB if you don't include METAL GEAR and METAL GEAR 2: Solid Snake
• METAL GEAR SOLID 2: Sons of Liberty - Master Collection Version: 8.0GB
• METAL GEAR SOLID 3: Snake Eater - Master Collection Version: 12.2GB
• Bonus Content: 1.0GB + 30 GB for bonus videos

Finally, in terms of performance, I had an opportunity to go hands-on with each of the Metal Gear Solid titles during a Konami preview event, and while every version of them is targeting 1080p (except for the Switch in Portable Mode at 720p), the Switch releases are capped at 30FPS in both docked and handheld configurations. Those looking for a 60FPS framerate may want to pick up these games on a different platform.

All in all, the sheer amount of bonus content on offer makes METAL GEAR SOLID: MASTER COLLECTION Vol 1. a fairly interesting value proposition, especially for those who want to start the series from the beginning. That said, the Switch version may not be the best place to do so for anyone concerned about performance or anyone who wants to pick up the boxed edition. There have been some clear sacrifices made to get the Metal Gear Solid titles running on Nintendo’s platform, but if that’s your only or preferred option, then the eShop version of the MASTER COLLECTION looks like the best way to go. We’ll have a full review of the entire package closer to launch, so hide under a box if you must, but keep your binoculars trained on NWRTV!

[There’s nothing hollow about the upcoming banger from the makers of Shovel Knight.]

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TalkBack / Why Mina the Hollower Might Be 2024's GOTY

« on: September 06, 2023, 05:00:00 AM »

There’s nothing hollow about the upcoming banger from the makers of Shovel Knight.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/preview/64755/why-mina-the-hollower-might-be-2024s-goty

At a closed-door media appointment at PAX West, I had an opportunity to play an updated demo for Mina the Hollower, and my already sky-high expectations were taken to a new level. A top-down action platformer in the art style of Link’s Awakening, Mina the Hollower has a lot to live up to in following up the smash hit that was Shovel Knight, but I’m very comfortable in saying that we have absolutely nothing to worry about. Its sublime blend of classic presentation and aesthetic run headlong into modern gameplay stylings; we might just be looking at 2024’s game of the year.

It took about 10 or 15 minutes for the muscle memory to kick in, but after that all of what I had learned about how to control Mina felt like second nature again. The 2023 game slice took me through Bone Beach, a series of mines by the seashore that culminated in entering the gullet of a giant beast (think Jabu-Jabu’s belly from Ocarina of Time, yet another call back to Zelda games of old). Most of my time was spent navigating the giant creature’s insides, with rooms that were padded with what looked like intestines or drowned in stomach acids. Treasure rooms, hidden NPCs, and checkpoints were my rewards for exploring thoroughly, but such rewards came only after overcoming significant challenges. These came in the form of combining platforming and stout foes, with nearly all enemies taking five or more hits to take down. Add to that having to jump across moving platforms and avoid pits, and it’s not hard to see that playing Mina can make for a harrowing set of trials.

Before the demo began, I had the opportunity to choose from three different weapons: the Nightstar whip, the slow but thundering maul, and the double daggers. I opted for the speedy strikes of the latter. One of the daggers can be thrown by holding down the attack button, which helps when you’re out of charges for your sidearm weapon (think classic Castlevania subweapons). The downfall of the daggers is that you need to get into close quarters to deal damage, but even though you’re more prone to take hits, fighting back allows you to restore that missing health. Mina has a set of five flasks that can restore the part of your health meter made yellow, which occurs after you take damage and lose health and then earn yellow health by striking enemies. It really is a satisfying mechanic that rewards aggression and allows you to keep pushing onward rather than wanting to double back to a checkpoint burrow.

So what exactly makes Mina the Hollower a potential game of the year contender for 2024? It’s the culmination of an incredible soundtrack, retro-styled visuals, and the fact that we don’t often see games like this that ask so much of the player. There’s no question that Mina demands a level of precision and skill that no 2D Zelda game ever has. That said, there’s so much room for skillful play and tricky decision-making; I get the sense that the game is continually going to be pushing that type of introspection about which sidearms to carry, which buff-granting artifacts to equip, and even how to deal with the enemy and obstacle layout of each room.

Having spent a couple hours with the game across two different demos, it’s easy for me to say that Mina the Hollower is something special. It’s scratching a particular itch that I’ve had since the Game Boy and Game Boy Color days, one that contemporary top-down action games have only tickled or nicked. The release may still be a ways off, but there’s no need to rush something that could end up being one of the brightest highlights of next year. Mina the Hollower has all of the Yacht Club Games magic that made Shovel Knight a household name, and this new game might just supplant their original mascot–for Shovelry no longer. I’m ready to drop any other game I might be playing at the time when we do finally get our hands on the full version of Mina’s adventure. So a preemptive apology to the games of 2024; I’ve got a date with a whip-wielding, dagger-throwing, maul-smashing mouse.

[A varied and colorful follow-up to Taito’s original Milestones collection]

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TalkBack / Taito Milestones 2 (Switch) Review

« on: August 31, 2023, 06:00:00 AM »

A varied and colorful follow-up to Taito’s original Milestones collection

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/64704/taito-milestones-2-switch-review

I never shy away from looking back at the origins of a company synonymous with the rise of video games, and Taito’s Milestones 2 compilation delivers another ten-pack of arcade games for the historically inclined. Given the lack of bonus features and the Arcade Archives shell that houses the ten games, I’ve decided to divide them into five that I want to “Play More” and five that I want to “Play Less,” in no particular order. Before getting into that breakdown, here are the candidates:

• Ben Bero Beh (1984)
• The Legend of Kage (1985)
• Kiki Kaikai (1986)
• The NewZealand Story (1988
• Darius II (3 Screen Arcade Version) (1989)
• Gun Frontier (1990)
• Liquid Kids (Mizubaku Adventure) (1990)
• Solitary Fighter (1991)
• Metal Black (1991)
• Dinorex (1992)

Let’s deal with the more forgettable games first. I want to play less of:

Ben Bero Beh (1984)

Ben Bero Beh reminds me a little of Elevator Action, except it’s more janky and overall less enjoyable. The premise is that you need to rescue the damsel in distress at the bottom of each stage by jumping over gaps, climbing down stairs or ladders, and putting out fires with your trusty fire extinguisher. Everything moves pretty slowly, and the controls don’t feel super precise. To get the obvious joke out of the way, it’s safe to call this Ben Bero meh.

Dinorex (1992)

Primal Rage this ain’t, and that’s saying something. Dinorex has the largest gap between how interesting its premise is and how unenjoyable its gameplay is. It’s a 2D fighting game that uses digitized dinosaur sprites for combatants, but the extremely grating and repetitive sound effects, coupled with slow and frustrating controls, make this a very tough game to recommend. Given that Dinorex is the most recent title in the Milestones 2 bundle, my expectations for it were a little bit higher, but I can’t say there’s a ton of fun to be had here.

The Legend of Kage (1985)

Action-platformer The Legend of Kage might be the best of the “Play Less” group, but that doesn’t stop it from being repetitive and visually unappealing. The bounding leaps you can make and the ability to throw out an unending supply of shuriken are fun enough for a time, but once the stages start to repeat and the same enemies keep showing up over and over, the experience grows old fast.

Liquid Kids (Mizubaku Adventure) (1990)

Reminiscent of Bubble Bobble but with larger stages, Liquid Kids is incredibly colorful and filled with all sorts of enemies and items to collect to boost your high score. The gameplay loop sees your hippopotamus main character throwing water bombs to soak enemies so that you can kick them over to destroy them.  What makes me less inclined to go back to this one is that the movement just doesn’t feel very good; even though the water bombs are fun to spam, the side to side walking is slow and jumping doesn’t feel great either. Overall, it’s fine, but I’d leave it near the top of the lesser tier.

Solitary Fighter (1991)

Imagine a fighting game that plays like a brawler in a tightly-confined arena: that’s Solitary Fighter (also known as Violence Fight). After choosing from one of four playable fighters, you take on another combatant in a best-of-three series, like any standard fighting game. Bystanders can hop into the fight to distract you, and objects like boxes can be picked up and thrown at your opponent. It’s an interesting idea, but ultimately the lack of characters and the stiff controls make for a fleeting experience.

Let’s tackle the more satisfying set of titles now. I want to play more of:

Metal Black (1991)

One of two horizontal shooters in the collection, Metal Black features a power-up system where pick-ups slowly build up your weapon capability and can be cashed in at any time to unleash a devastating beam attack. The variety of enemies, neat-looking bosses, and solid shoot-’em-up gameplay put this in the upper tier, but it’s not too different from other genre examples.

Kiki Kaikai (1986)

As a fan of the Pocky & Rocky series, seeing where it started in Kiki Kaikai was exciting, even if the games that come after improve on the original in a multitude of ways. Pocky, or Sayo-chan, can shoot in eight directions or use her purifying rod to attack enemies or find hidden items. At the end of each brief stage is a boss encounter, and these are pretty entertaining, if less of a challenge than some of the enemy swarms that besiege you beforehand. There’s a unique mechanic where you can gain an extra life after death if your score matches with a number that appear on screen, but other than that it’s just a fine shooter game that sits near the bottom of the upper tier.

Gun Frontier (1990)

The only vertical shooter of the bunch, Gun Frontier offers a decent but familiar experience, with a Western and Sci-fi mixed setting. Across six total stages, you can collect pick ups to acquire more bomb attacks and upgrade their standard machine, and you’ll definitely need all the firepower you can get. I found this to be one of the more challenging titles in the collection, and it’s teetering on the edge of play more/less, but as an enjoyer of the genre, I put it up here.

The NewZealand Story (1988)

Of the ten titles in Taito Milestones 2, The NewZealand Story surprised me the most. It’s a genuinely great platformer that also shares DNA with Bubble Bobble, unsurprisingly. The objective in each stage is to help Tiki the kiwi rescue his kiwi friend at the end of the level. By defeating enemies you can pick up their weapons, like bombs and laser guns, and even commandeer their transportation methods, like floating pads and UFOs. And you’ll need all the tools you can get to make it through the sprawling, maze-like stages. With solid controls and satisfying gameplay, I’d put New Zealand Story at the top of list for Milestones 2.

Darius II (3 Screen Arcade Version) (1989)

While Darius II does appear on Switch in the Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade, the 3 Screen Arcade Version does not; that collection only includes the more common dual-screen version. For this reason, I’ve been thrilled to play more of the extremely horizontal Darius II in this second Milestones compilation. Having so much screen real estate to work with adds an extra challenge to the game, but a welcome one for any who consider themselves a veteran of the genre.

Should you possess a particular affinity for Taito’s arcade past and the shooters, platformers, and fighters from their heyday, then a second Milestones collection is probably right up your alley. The online leaderboards offered by the Arcade Archives versions here add to the replay value, but it’s again a little disappointing to see a noticeable lack of bonus features, extra content, or presentation elements. The two Taito Milestones compilations are fairly barebones compared to some of the offerings from Capcom and Konami, but I can still appreciate having the opportunity to revisit–or experience for the first time–a back catalog of offerings from a historic developer.

[An unforgettable experience that blends the best of the past and present.]

36

TalkBack / Sea of Stars (Switch) Review

« on: August 28, 2023, 06:01:00 AM »

An unforgettable experience that blends the best of the past and present.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/64700/sea-of-stars-switch-review

Many, many video games attempt to recreate the feeling and experiences offered by classic titles. Sabotage, makers of action-platformer The Messenger, decided to try their hand at a turn-based RPG, and the end result is nothing short of greatness. With clear inspiration from beloved games like Chrono Trigger and Super Mario RPG, Sea of Stars more than lives up to its forebearers; in a number of ways, it surpasses them.

The story of Sea of Stars revolves around fledgling Solstice Warriors Valere and Zale. As the game begins, the pair are just completing their initiation, and this serves as a tutorial for the primary combat mechanics. As the plot moves along, exploration mechanics are added that allow you to solve sliding block puzzles and hook-shot across gaps. Not to be outdone, combat evolves, too, with ways to add elemental energy to attacks and even dole out heaps of damage through individual ultimate abilities. Whenever the story or gameplay might be approaching anything resembling monotony, a new twist serves to keep the experience fresh on multiple levels.

Combat ends up being one of the most compelling aspects of Sea of Stars. It takes the familiar turn-based approach and adds timed attacks, defences, and abilities. You can swap turns between active party members and even those in reserve, which makes it easier to prevent enemies from casting their own spells. When your foes are channeling an ability, a lockset appears above their head, and successfully nullifying each lock negates the spell/ability, which essentially means that opponent doesn't get to take a turn. A countdown always appears above every enemy's head, so you know when they're going to do a basic attack or when they're prepping a special move.

To give an example, if you're fighting a zombie that has a number "2" above its head in addition to four sword icon locks, you'll have two turns to hit the zombie with four slashing attacks to stop them from performing a special move, in this case a life draining bite attack. You can use Zale's basic attack to take out a single sword lock, and you'll remove two locks if you successfully press the action button in time to deliver a second blow (and deal more damage). You can then switch out Valere on your next turn–with the zombie's countdown now at "1"--to put in Seraï and use her dagger swiping attack to take out the final two locks. Accomplishing all of this allows you to whittle down the zombie's life while keeping your team healthy.

Battles involve an engaging balance between using basic attacks and special moves that consume magic points (MP). Every time you do a regular attack, you restore 3 MP, so it's worth expending MP at the beginning of a fight and then building it back up on subsequent turns. A handful of hours in, your basic attacks start to generate little orbs of energy that can be sucked up by any of your party members to imbue their next attack with elemental power. This leads to even more strategy as you may want to leave behind these orbs for future turns and the random locksets your foes will have while channeling their own stronger abilities.

Shifting over to the minute-to-minute exploration, moving around the individual towns, dungeons, caves, swamps, and jungles is a treat both visually and mechanically. You'll need to climb up vines, leap across platforms, and jump and pull yourself up to higher ground throughout your travels, and this gives Sea of Stars a more dynamic and energetic feel. Rather than just running back and forth across flat surfaces, the movement in the game creates a sense of verticality and fullness to the different physical spaces you encounter. There's no mechanical challenge to it, but like a game of I Spy, you have to peruse your surroundings carefully to spot a crevice, crack, or cliff that will lead you to the next area. And when you need a break from all of the fighting and the wayfinding, you can stop at one of many fishing spots and see what's biting.

While the overarching plot involves Valere and Zale's quest to destroy the monsters created by The Fleshmancer–and then ultimately take on that villain himself-the smaller stories that come from the places and people you meet along the way are just as captivating. Given the world-ending destruction caused by The Fleshmancer and his minions, there's no lack of gravity and tension in pursuing him, but moments like the hero pair losing their Headmaster, the citizens of a town coming together to rebuild, and the commandeering of a ghostly pirate ship fill Sea of Stars with heart and charm in equal measure.

However, nowhere is this beating heart more evident than in the words and deeds of childhood companion Garl, the self-proclaimed Warrior Cook. In many of their encounters with would-be-friends, oversized deities, and dastardly denizens, Garl is the one who speaks first; his forthrightness, courage, and kindness take center stage as much, if not more, than similar qualities in Valere and Zale. In fact, he very often does the talking for them, especially in the first half of the story. He's also the chef of the group, taking ingredients found in every biome and environment to create health and stamina-restoring dishes when the group finds a campfire at which to rest. It's impossible not to be captivated by Garl's heroism and personality, and no one who plays Sea of Stars through to completion is likely to forget him any time soon.

It would be a real Sophie's choice to argue for the music or visuals of Sea of Stars being better than the other. The entire soundtrack is magical, and it encapsulates the joy, struggle, triumph, and desperation of the party and their world at every moment. Fans of The Messenger will be delighted to hear remixed versions of some of its stellar tracks. And don’t forget that famed composer Yasanori Mitsuda lends his talent to the soundtrack as well.  On the other side, you have an art style brimming with vibrant colors, lush vegetation, and impeccable lighting effects: all of these serve to create a world that truly feels alive and lived in. In the same way that Chrono Trigger brought us to so many different places with their own unique identity, Sea of Stars pulls off the same trick with a modern flair. The overall aesthetic is one that elicits both nostalgia and familiarity, but also feels modern and fresh.

There are a host of in-game options are available to make the game easier, if you prefer, but I found the adventure to be fairly light and breezy in terms of difficulty. End game content steps up the challenge and offers players extra goals to work towards, ones that will force you to scour the world for clues, secrets, and treasure. It's nice to see that you can purchase relics that adjust the combat, in particular, to suit your playstyle. Ultimately, it's clear that the developers wanted players of all skill and experience levels to be able to enjoy their game.

There's a lot about Sea of Stars that I want to shout from the rooftops about. Were I to do that here, though, I'd be robbing you of the joy of discovering an RPG experience for the ages. I've come across a miniscule number of video games I have the urge to immediately replay after finishing, and almost none that take 20-30 hours to roll credits on. Sea of Stars, though, is a near flawless take on the turn-based RPG. At times it wears its SNES inspirations on its sleeves (and proudly), but it evolves the combat to a level of perfection. Every aspect of the game is fun, or emotional, or tantalizingly brain-teasing, and I haven't been able to put it down even after rolling credits a dozen hours of playtime earlier. You'll smile, laugh, and maybe even cry as you help Valere and Zale complete their mission, but there's one thing for certain: you'll never forget it.

[A Shotgun wedding between Chess and a firing squad.]

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TalkBack / Shotgun King (Switch) Review

« on: August 24, 2023, 05:00:00 AM »

A Shotgun wedding between Chess and a firing squad.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/64499/shotgun-king-switch-review

Shotgun King is a roguelike that uses the classic game of Chess as its base, but takes that turn-based gameplay, then adds a shotgun and double-edged progression to the mix. The end result is a delightfully simple and addictive load of buckshot that fans of "just one more run" will definitely want to "checkmate" out.

After a brief tutorial, you hop right into the game's main mode, a 12-level sequence that will more often than not end in failure. With many run-based experiences, that's the name of the game: trial and error until you get better. Equipped with a shotgun, you play as the black King, and your objective is to destroy the white King. Standing in your way are pawns, rooks, knights, and bishops. After level 3, a single queen joins the fray, and that's when the difficulty takes a noticeable jump.

Following loose Chess rules, the enemy pieces take turns coming after your king, with their speed ratings determining when each will make a move. Shotgun King does an amazing job of showing who's moving next and giving the player chances to make a couple mistakes along the way. Specifically, the default setting allows you to be blocked from making two moves that would end your run, and these two "shield" icons replenish after every success escape from danger. The balance between wanting to shoot down enemies while avoiding danger is thoroughly compelling, and I had a tough time putting the game down before finally making it through all 12 stages.

Between stages, you have to choose between a pair of double-edged swords: you get one black card that provides a buff to your side, and one white card that benefits their side. You must choose a pair to continue, and this makes every stage slightly different from the last. More enemy pieces might enter the fray, they could be stronger or faster, or they could become empowered in a variety of situations that occur mid-stage. Fortunately, you’ll also gain an advantage, like a more powerful shotgun blast or a wider spread, more shells in the chamber, or even magic wands that can be used to deal damage to specific–possibly distant or sheltered–enemies. In some circumstances, cards on either side will be deactivated, to your benefit or detriment, and so that’s another wrinkle to contend with. These card mechanics go a long way towards making each run feel unique.

Completing the standard 12-stage Throne Mode unlocks a couple things. First, you attain “Rank 1” and can attempt “Rank 2,” which adds an extra challenge at the beginning of your next run. Second, you unlock Endless Mode, which lets you see just how many stages you can make it through before succumbing to the army of white pieces on the other side of the board. Completing at least 15 stages in Endless Mode opens up Chase Mode, and here you’re positioned in the center of the board and must defeat waves of enemies that gradually appear from all corners of the screen. Dozens of achievements to seek out add even more replay value, making for an unexpectedly robust experience.

Shotgun King has a surprising amount of depth hidden under its fairly basic premise. It puts an entertaining roguelike spin on a well-worn board game, and the result is a match made in checkerboard heaven (not to be confused with Checkers itself). Without a doubt, there’s frustration to be found in drawing cards that don’t really synergize with each other, putting you into seemingly unwinnable scenarios. That said, runs are generally quite short, under 20 minutes in most cases, and so it’s easy enough to start right back up again after a loss. The presentation is quite clean and straightforward, but there’s a strong flash of light that accompanies the defeat of the enemy king–not something that normally affects me, but I did turn it off in the settings menu. It might not be a certain checkmate, but Shotgun King kept me in check more often than not, and it’s a pleasant and worthwhile distraction that deserves a spot among the higher tiers of run-based Switch games.

[Designing your own Castle and then bombing it to smithereens.]

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TalkBack / Super Bomberman R 2 (Switch) Hands-on Preview

« on: August 20, 2023, 11:22:00 PM »

Designing your own Castle and then bombing it to smithereens.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/preview/64604/super-bomberman-r-2-switch-hands-on-preview

At a private preview event hosted by Konami, I had the opportunity to check out the multiplayer Battle Modes and Stage Editor coming to Super Bomberman R 2, a sequel to 2017’s Super Bomberman R. As one of the longest running franchises in video games, Bomberman holds a special place in my heart, and there’s only a handful of entries I’ve never had a chance to play. Do the changes in this follow-up make it stand out among its many historical releases?

Bomberman as a series has never strayed too far from its tried-and-true formula, and the same goes for Super Bomberman R 2. While I can’t speak to the Story Mode in much detail, we were told that the brand new Castle Mode would feature prominently in it, in addition to the types of boss battles seen in Super Bomberman R. I did run through a few Castle matches during the event and found it to be fairly promising.

Alongside the returning multiplayer options–Standard, Grand Prix, and Battle 64–Castle Mode is reminiscent of Capture the Flag or Fort Knox. Up to eight players are divided into two teams: one defends three treasure chests (this number is adjustable), and the other must retrieve keys scattered about to then seek out and unlock all the chests. To keep things balanced, the defending team would generally consist of a smaller number of members (one or two, maybe three), while the team on offense would have the greater numbers, and for good reason.

The chest protectors are imbued with one of three special abilities: a sword slash, a laser shot, or a defensive shield. Collecting power-ups around the map charges up these abilities, which incentivizes both sides to scour the map for pick-ups. As well, little elemental beings called Ellons spawn on the map to further torment the key-seekers, and if that wasn’t enough, the treasure chest locations are generally well fortified with cannons, conveyor belts, and other obstacles and dangers. Unlocking all the chests is by no means an easy task, but there’s an odd mechanic at play for the offensive team. Anyone who successfully unlocks a chest is removed from the match, which is something I truly hope ends up being optional as having to spectate while your teammates play on–rather than continuing to work with them–is a bit of a drag.

I also messed around with the Stage Editor feature, which seems to pair quite well with the Castle Mode. While it will be fun to design your own levels for standard Bomberman multiplayer, coming up with particularly devilish set-ups for defending the treasure chests seems to be the ultimate objective of this creative addition to the package. Personally, I’m hoping we see an expanded assortment of stages for Battle 64, especially given the shutting down of free-to-play Super Bomberman R Online. It was a pleasant surprise to see that the editing tools are fairly intuitive, even if there wasn’t an overabundance of objects and tiles to use in the process, at least at the preview event.

Supposing that you already enjoy Bomberman gameplay and want the newest and latest that the series has to offer, you’ll probably dig what Konami has done here. The multiplayer upgrades that come with Super Bomberman R 2 are definitely intriguing, and even though it can be sometimes seen as an afterthought, Story Mode’s use of the Castle variation has me genuinely curious. I also found the new music in this sequel to be an upbeat and energetic upgrade over that of the original. Super Bomberman R 2 releases physically on September 12 and digitally on September 13, so we don’t have long to wait before this lit fuse goes kaboom.

[A brief narrative experience about cooking for the love of it.]

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TalkBack / Venba (Switch) Review

« on: July 31, 2023, 05:00:00 AM »

A brief narrative experience about cooking for the love of it.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/64435/venba-switch-review

Venba is a heartfelt narrative game about an Indian family who moves to Canada and tries to make a life for themselves, despite cultural barriers and other challenges involved with immigrating to a new country. At its center is a simple cooking mini-game that functions like a puzzle; you need to figure out from a well-loved recipe book how to prepare certain Tamil dishes passed down by protagonist Venba’s mother. In spite of its powerful message and approachable presentation, its short length, lack of replay value, and an odd plot omission hold Venba back from a surefire recommendation.

Set in the 1980s and then onward, Venba portrays the struggles of an immigrant couple, Venba and her husband Paavalan, who have come to Canada but find it difficult to secure meaningful, permanent employment. Each of the game’s seven chapters takes place in a different year, which showcases the changes (having their son Kavin) and the similarities (Venba’s employment woes) in their lives. Players can make dialogue choices, but these don’t seem to impact the responses received. Other than that, it’s the cooking segments that offer Venba’s only gameplay, but fortunately they do offer neat little puzzles to solve.

It may not be clear right away after looking at the recipe what you need to do with the ingredients laid out before you. The order of operations is often a vital aspect of successfully preparing each dish. In the first scenario, you need to place a towel between layers of cooking plates to avoid the batter spilling everywhere, but at the same time you need to rotate the plates such that steam can rise from the bottom of the pot to the top, thus allowing each batter-filled plate to cook through. Later recipes add to the complexity somewhat, but there’s a hint option if you get stuck. Given how interesting it was to complete the recipes, I would have liked to see more cooking segments pop up throughout Venba’s 1 or 2-hour runtime.

The 2D watercolor-cartoon aesthetic works well for a game where its touching narrative is meant to shine through. There are moments where Venba genuinely tugs on the heartstrings, doubly so for anyone who has ever had to leave family behind to start a new life in an unfamiliar place. With a soundtrack reminiscent of Indian musicals, Venba does a great job of transporting you into the home (and the kitchen) of its main characters. I empathized with each family member in turn as they encountered their own trials and tribulations and especially as the parents tried to reconcile with their son growing older and more distant.

Venba reminds me of the Annapurna-published Florence in the way that it takes a familiar, contemporary experience and highlights the pivotal emotional moments that make it both memorable and uncomfortable. Where Florence’s brevity is a strength (in that it tells a fairly complete story), Venba on the other hand leaves questions begging to be answered. Its use of time skips allows us to see the family in a variety of life stages, but because we aren’t picking up right where the game left us, trying to figure out exactly what happened in the missing years can be frustrating. One particular (and I’d say important) plot detail is seemingly glossed over entirely; others are left to the audience’s imagination. In other cases, I’d think this was fine, but not with something that already feels like it’s over too soon.

Venba packs an emotional punch, but it also pulls its punches a little bit, too. There’s more to this narrative and this family that deserves to be included in the experience, and while the cooking segments definitely sing, I’m ultimately left feeling like I’ve been served an appetizer rather than a main course. It’s beautiful in its colorful but minimalistic presentation and has a fitting musical score. I’m just longing to spend more time in Venba’s charming kitchen and to be invited to share in more of the moments in her life.

[Billy and Jimmy kick back, but does this franchise really need to drag-on?]

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TalkBack / Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons (Switch) Review

« on: July 26, 2023, 11:01:00 PM »

Billy and Jimmy kick back, but does this franchise really need to drag-on?

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/64378/double-dragon-gaiden-rise-of-the-dragons-switch-review

Double Dragon is one of the earliest brawlers I remember playing on NES. Its hearty difficulty meant I probably never finished it as a child, but I would end up playing its 8-bit sequels and later their team-up adventure with the Battletoads. In the years since, there have been sequels and spinoffs released to a generally mixed reception, but publisher Modus Games has thrown their bandana in the ring in an attempt to keep the Dragons alive. Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons brings back the familiar side-scrolling beat-'em-up gameplay while offering dozens of unlockables to keep players coming back. Even though it's short on stage variety, the action and customization options contribute to a decent overall experience.

With gangs running amok in the city, the mayor enlists the aid of Billy and Jimmy Lee (the titular Double Dragons), Marian, and Uncle Matin. After selecting your two characters, with a tag-team set up in single-player, you can choose from four stages to complete in any order. Where Rise of the Dragons adds some variety to the standard brawler mix is that depending on the order you pursue the four bosses, their stages grow in length depending on how long you wait to confront them. Your first opponent will only offer a single area to conquer before you encounter them; the second will take you through two areas (including a mini-boss); and the third and fourth gang leaders will throw three areas worth of lackeys and mini-bosses at you before showing themselves. It's an interesting wrinkle that makes additional playthroughs worthwhile.

The minute-to-minute gameplay will be familiar to Double Dragon fans and beat-'em-up veterans. Each character has a standard attack that combos multiple times for extra damage, and a jumping variation to come at opponents from a different angle. Through a stamina meter that gradually refills, you have access to special moves that pile on the punishment. More than that, if you defeat three or more opponents with a single special attack, you'll earn health-replenishing food. The caveat is that such an event brings with it a full-screen SPECIAL KO! announcement stopping the action for a second or two, which gets annoying after you've seen it a few dozen times.

Each of the four initial characters have a unique moveset, with Marian and Uncle Matin feeling particularly distinct. Billy and Jimmy deal in the business of punches and kicks, whereas Uncle Matin has a more bruiser-type style with his giant riot shield. Marian actually uses a pistol for her primary attack, which may seem unfair for a character in this genre, but her attack power is reduced to compensate for her significant range advantage. Her special move, which involves whipping out a rocket launcher, is extremely helpful against some of the late boss fights, so she's good to have as your tag character for such occasions.

Replay value comes in the form of tokens that are earned by cashing in the money you earn during each playthrough. This in-game cash actually serves multiple purposes, including paying for continues when both your characters get knocked out. You can also purchase upgrades for each character between areas, like upgrading your health, boosting your damage output, or increasing your stamina regeneration rate. The aforementioned tokens can be used to purchase new characters, music tracks, artwork, and game tips. Local co-op is available at launch, with online co-op planned for later in the year.

It's not all sunshine and elbow drops, though. On multiple occasions I had my characters stuck off screen where I couldn't see them or get back to the boss arena where I needed to be. Enemies can also shoot you from off screen, making the edges of stage especially precarious. While the unlockable characters do have their own individual movesets, it still feels like a few more bosses and stages would flesh out the package in a meaningful way. Online leaderboards or different game modes would be welcome, too.

After throwing my share of punches and delivering a healthy dose of kicks, I can safely say that I did enjoy my time with Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons. This latest entry in the brawling brothers series employs some sound tactics to keep the gameplay feeling good across multiple playthroughs. Its lack of staying power holds me back from offering a full-throated recommendation, but beat-'em-up fans will definitely be able to squeeze some juice out of this muscle-bound orange. Even if I'll always prefer Bimmy to Billy, Double Dragon Gaiden has enough moves to make it worth a look.

[Every puzzle has an answer, however grisly it may be.]

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TalkBack / Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE (Switch) Review

« on: July 17, 2023, 08:45:52 AM »

Every puzzle has an answer, however grisly it may be.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/64270/master-detective-archives-rain-code-switch-review

In 2017, Kazutaka Kodaka and others who worked on the Danganronpa trilogy split off from Spike Chunsoft to form Too Kyo Games. One of the notable releases from this departure was World's End Club, a title for which I had a great deal of anticipation. While that game failed to live up to the greatness of Kodaka's earlier works, in teaming back up with Spike Chunsoft to create Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE, Too Kyo Games have created a lengthy but entertaining dark adventure that feels deserving of being its own series.

RAIN CODE follows the exploits of Yuma Kokohead, a trainee detective with the World Detective Organization (WDO). Yuma is sent to rainy Kanai Ward to help solve a global mystery, but his amnesia means he doesn't fully understand his task and purpose. Throughout the story Yuma is followed and mentored by the death god Shinigami, who facilitates many of the game mechanics and offers up much of its humor. Whether she's berating Yuma or acting jealous about him giving attention to another girl, Shinigami adds a nice levity to balance out the dark, drizzly setting and the murder and macabre of each chapter. Her transformation from a small ghostly tag along to a chesty and uninhibited woman is a perfect example of how RAIN CODE juxtaposes a playful mood with tension and death.

Across each of its six chapters, RAIN CODE follows a similar structure. The first third involves the set up of a story and some light exploration. Yuma also has a chance to complete brief sidequests here to earn Detective Points that can unlock a variety of perks. The second part sees Yuma and Shinigami conducting an investigation of the murder scene and other areas of interest. The pair are typically joined by a fellow detective character who has joined Yuma in Kanai Ward, and these moments offer fun dialogue exchanges that show off the game's excellent writing and voice acting. Looking over elements of the crime scene and collecting "keys" to use in the final phase is straightforward but remains engaging throughout.

The third and generally longest segment of every chapter focuses on putting all the clues together to solve the central murder/mystery that has taken place. Enter the Mystery Labyrinth, a supernatural representation of the world wherein Yuma does battle with the culprit or anyone standing in the way of the truth being uncovered. While long walking segments in the Labyrinth do offer a chance for exposition to take place, they also feel like padding that can drag down the experience. Fortunately, there are a variety of mini-game type segments that are very much inspired by Danganronpa. The most common one is the Reasoning Death Match where Yuma squares off against a phantom intent on refuting the facts of the case. Here, Yuma uses the clues acquired through his investigation to slice through the phantom's incorrect assertions in a dodge-'em-up style action sequence. Other events include a Hangman-like game with a bikini-clad Shinigami, an assortment of quick-time events, and a comic book with panels to fill in.

There's no ignoring the fact that the theme of death is ever-present in RAIN CODE. From the opening, tutorial-style chapter and its multiple homicides and the fact that solving each crime results in a punishment of death for those responsible, Yuma's detective exploits are shrouded in darkness, matching the game's shadowy setting. While you do have a chance to explore different districts of the city, there isn't a lot of visual variety to the environments. In fact, the minute-to-minute look is actually quite muddy and washed out; the character art and some of the cutscenes are the lone aesthetic highlights. The Switch performance is largely fine except for the copious number of loading screens, which end up dragging down the pacing as they frequently pop up.

Like with any good mystery story, the real joy comes from the unraveling of the main plot, and RAIN CODE does not disappoint in this regard. The way in which each chapter drops minor hints about the setting, introduces new and exciting characters, and then wraps up its own smaller mystery culminates in a satisfying loop. Getting to the end of the story is worthwhile, and I'm hopeful we'll see Kodaka and his team consider further Master Detective Archives entries.

As we present final arguments to a court overseen by a busty death god, the detective gameplay, captivating characters, and enticing plot serve as compelling evidence for recommending Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE. Pacing and loading issues aside, the signature brand of storytelling that made the Danganronpa trilogy so refreshing is on full display here. I genuinely grew to adore the pairing of Yuma and Shinigami by the game's end, and that’s a testament to how well both characters are written and voiced. There are some rough patches in this murder-filled mystery adventure, but it's a ride well worth experiencing.

[With a hefty launch discount until July 12.]

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TalkBack / Co-op Puzzle Adventure The Past Within Materializes Today on the eShop

« on: July 06, 2023, 03:00:00 AM »

With a hefty launch discount until July 12.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/64209/co-op-puzzle-adventure-the-past-within-materializes-today-on-the-eshop

An asynchronous co-op experience, The Past Within requires two players to work together to solve point-and-click style puzzles. The cross-platform title from developer Rusty Lake launches today on the Switch eShop, and players who pick it up by July 12 will be able to do so at a tidy 40 percent discount. The Past Within has already sold over a million copies across mobile and Steam, and you can check out a trailer below for a look at how the game plays.

[A reunion 20 years in the making.]

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TalkBack / The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie (Switch) Review

« on: June 30, 2023, 05:00:00 AM »

A reunion 20 years in the making.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/64154/the-legend-of-heroes-trails-into-reverie-switch-review

Bringing together characters from Nihon Falcom’s Trails in the Sky trilogy, Trails from Zero and to Azure, and the four Trails of Cold Steel games, Trails into Reverie serves as a dream-like bookend to nearly two decades of incredible turn-based RPGs. It’s worth highlighting that given all of the history and familiar faces that inform Trails into Reverie, you’ll be likely to derive more enjoyment based on how many of the aforementioned titles you’ve already completed. Reverie represents a wonderful send off for its endearing and expansive cast. Its use of a unique three-pronged narrative outweighs the lack of sidequests, but there’s no ignoring the performance hiccups that regularly crop up, which make the Switch version a clear compromise.

The story takes place after the events of Cold Steel IV and begins with the liberation of Crossbell, the home of protagonist Lloyd Bannings and his Special Support Section squadmates. As the people of Crossbell are about to celebrate their independence, former governor Rufus Albarea marches in with an army at his back and pronounces himself Supreme Leader, with the aim of unifying the entire world under his–and Crossbell’s–rule.  

What makes Trails into Reverie distinct from its predecessors is the way in which you play from the perspective of three separate protagonists and can switch between them more or less at will. At times, you’ll be forced to swap among Rean Schwarzer, Lloyd, and a masked figure known only as “C”. Seeing the same plot unfold from a different point of view adds a welcome flavor to the story, and despite some uneven pacing, the end result is a satisfying journey that fans of the series are sure to love. I found the runtime a little shorter compared to many of the earlier games, but fortunately there is a decent amount of extra content to play around with.

Each protagonist has a dark mirror in their possession that transports them to a place called the Reverie Corridor, a multi-floor dungeon that houses most of that extra content. Within the dungeon you can collect orbs from defeated enemies that can be exchanged for mini-games, special cutscenes, in-game items, and even new characters to support you in battle. The floors of the dungeon can also be rearranged to provide a new challenge; missions attached to your time in the Corridor but also your achievements in the main story award shards that can be cashed in for benefits both in and out of the Reverie Corridor. Trial keys can be picked up within the dungeon and allow set groups of characters to take on challenging bouts that can supercharge their abilities. All in all, there’s lots of distraction to be found here, but you can finish the game without partaking in everything the Corridor has to offer.

The combat and presentation of the four Trails of Cold Steel titles are adopted for Trails into Reverie, and there’s plenty of welcome English voicework after the recent pair of Crossbell games launched on Switch without it. Given the sizable cast–including over 50 playable characters–the massive script getting English voices at all was wonderful to hear. One minor addition to combat is the United Fronts mechanic, which allows you to bring in both your current party and back-up members for a major attack that damages foes and provides an assortment of buffs. Otherwise, this top-of-the-line battle system remains essentially (and fortunately) unchanged, and it definitely ain’t broke.

An aspect of Trails into Reverie that really stands out is just how it rewards those who have stuck with the series from the beginning. Seeing bracers from Trails in the Sky’s Liberl Kingdom, Class VII and other classmates from Cold Steel’s Thors Military Academy, and so many of the charming folks in and around Crossbell makes for an experience that feels very much like a high school reunion. Nary an hour passes without an old friend popping up to say hello or join your ever-expanding roster of heroes, and before long members from different groups are amalgamating and heading off to complete separate missions, which offers players the opportunity to outfit a new party and master their unique Craft and S-Craft moves.

It’s no secret that the Nintendo Switch is starting to show its age, and after reviewing Cold Steel III, VI, and Trails from Zero on the platform, I can safely say that Trails into Reverie outdoes them all in terms of performance issues. Overly frequent loading screens occurring between cutscenes–sometimes lasting longer than the scenes themselves–really put a damper on one’s enjoyment of the story, particularly in the final hours of the game. In more populated outdoor spaces, like the capital city of Heimdallr, the framerate dips so much that there’s essentially no difference between how your character runs in normal mode or the toggleable “High-Speed Mode”. When exploration of these city spaces (or really any area filled with NPCs or enemies) is so hampered by the Switch hardware, it’s impossible not to long for a more powerful piece of tech. It should be noted, though, that these issues are much more prominent in handheld mode compared to docked mode.

While it may not be my favorite Trails game, Reverie is still a fantastic conclusion to the adventures of Rean, Lloyd, and the rest of their comrades and confidants. While the pseudo replacement of sidequests with side stories discovered in the Reverie Corridor doesn’t quite offer the same fulfillment, there’s no denying the sheer amount of things to do within this central hub area. It’s also very enjoyable to spend a couple hours with one group in one area of the continent and then shift over to a different group to catch up on how their mission is going. The stopping points where the game forces you to pick up another protagonist’s journey are natural and work well, and the combat and music are as engaging as ever. Any RPG fan who hasn’t played a Trails game needs to find time to remedy that glaring oversight, and know that you’ll have a captivating reunion-like experience waiting for you with Trails into Reverie. Even if it takes finishing a collection of 40-plus hour RPGs to get there.

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TalkBack / Re: Pikmin 1 and 2 Sprouting Up on the eShop Today

« on: June 21, 2023, 03:14:18 PM »

I haven't watched the direct yet, but are these based on the GameCube versions or the Wii New Play Control versions? I liked the Wii controls for the games

The press release from Nintendo refers to the games "originally released on the Nintendo GameCube," so my guess is they are based on those versions. We'll have a review up for both games soon!

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TalkBack / Re: Baten Kaitos Remasters Aiming For Mid-September Release

« on: June 19, 2023, 10:31:10 PM »

Those added features are music to my ears. Might actually finish one or both of these games now.

[How do these originally dual-screen dungeon crawlers turn out on Switch?]

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TalkBack / Etrian Odyssey III HD (Switch) Review

« on: June 01, 2023, 09:00:00 AM »

How do these originally dual-screen dungeon crawlers turn out on Switch?

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/63844/etrian-odyssey-iii-hd-switch-review

The dungeon-crawler subset of RPGs was formative in establishing the genre as a whole, and when Atlus added cartography to the mix with its Etrian Odyssey series, it was a match made in Heaven. Originally released in 2010 on the Nintendo DS, Etrian Odyssey III: The Drowned City is being given a new lease on HD life as part of the Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection, even though each of the three titles in that package can be purchased separately. While the first two games saw story-enhanced re-releases on the 3DS in their Untold versions, Etrian Odyssey III HD marks the first time this particular entry has been available in over a decade. How does it fare moving from Nintendo's first dual-screen handheld to its home-portable hybrid? Let's just say it may be worth keeping a stylus handy.

Like with other Etrian titles, you play as a band of customizable explorers, who venture to the city of Armoroad to uncover the secrets of the nearby undersea labyrinth. From the outset, you create your own guild and recruit up to 5 party members from the 12 available job classes. I've always appreciated the uniqueness and variety of warriors, healers, and mages you can enlist in this series, and the offerings of EO3 are certainly interesting. Selecting from the berzerker-like Gladiator and unarmed healing Monk to the battle-inept Farmer and the follow-up ace Buccaneer, it's both challenging and satisfying to devise an effective group to take on the foes and obstacles of the multi-floor dungeon. One class I was particularly drawn to was the Sovereign, who would automatically heal the party if they were at full HP, alive at the end of combat, or even just by taking steps around each floor.

Major story missions are acquired from the Via Senatus area in town, but there’s also an inn to rest and revive your squadmates, a store to buy, sell, and forge items and equipment, and a tavern to collect info and pick up sidequests. EO3 also features a sailing-centered mini game in which you attempt to fill out an ocean map by acquiring new rations that let you go on longer voyages; here you'll also encounter events, battles, and NPCs much like you do in the undersea labyrinth itself.

What separates Etrian-style RPGs from other dungeon-crawlers is how they encourage players to draw their own map of each floor as they progress. While there are some handy auto-mapping features, it's still up to the player to mark out doors, treasure chests, renewable harvesting spots, and other points of interest. On the DS and 3DS systems, this was a much easier task given that the second screen was dedicated to the floor map and there was a stylus attached to the console. On Switch, while you can still use the touchscreen feature (and I did), the implementation of button/stick controls for mapping are clunky and never felt quite right. They involve a combination of the right stick and the ZL/ZR buttons; the result may work well enough for some, but the touch controls felt infinitely superior. In terms of the single-screen display, you can choose between a zoomed-in view of the map that divides the right half of the screen into a full shot of the entire floor up and then the zoomed-in mini-map below, or else you can relegate the mini-map to just the top-right corner and have more screen real estate for the first-person dungeon exploration.

The classic turn-based combat is fairly straightforward, with a couple neat features. The first is the Reference tab, which allows you to view enemy stats, weaknesses, skills, and item drops. The second is the LIMIT ability, which enables a high-powered attack, boosted stats, or other special move. What’s unremarkable about the combat is that it’s not overly impressive from a visual standpoint, which can happen with first-person dungeon crawlers in particular. The different dungeon strata themselves are also fairly lackluster looks-wise, but the character art has a certain flair that makes it appealing.

For those unfamiliar with the Etrian series, you don’t actually earn any gold or money from combat; instead, you’ll need to sell the items dropped by defeated monsters to the store in town, and this earns you currency to spend while also adding new equipment to the stock. Another wrinkle to combat and progression is that depending on how you defeat an enemy, you can pick up different items from them. If you bind their arms first or defeat them with fire or ice, you may earn a rare item drop, which can translate to a special weapon or helmet becoming available for purchase at the store.

On the topic of difficulty, it’s no secret that the Etrian Odyssey titles have been largely meant for veteran RPG fans. Rolling credits on EO3 requires grinding, strategizing, and patience, but the inclusion of three difficulty settings, which can be adjusted any time you’re in town, is very much welcome. What’s unfortunate is that the Basic and Expert options are vastly more challenging than the easy Picnic option, with the latter essentially a cake walk in comparison. It’s nice being able to switch between these three settings–like using the Picnic option for grinding experience and items–but it’s worth knowing that Picnic is as leisurely as its name suggests.

The final title in the Origins Collection, Etrian Odyssey III HD offers a stout RPG challenge with some minor visual, audio, and quality-of-life upgrades. While all three titles are a welcome addition to the Switch’s growing stable of turn-based affairs, they don’t feel quite as at home as they did on two-screens. Mapping out your way through the 20-plus floors of EO3 was just better with a stylus in hand and a single screen dedicated to map-making; the HD shine of this re-release on Switch doesn’t quite do enough to push this third game into must-play territory. That said, if you’re already an Etrian fan and never played EO3 (especially since it didn’t get a 3DS Untold release like the first two titles), then the multiple endings, varied character classes, and nautical theming are more than enough to warrant a look.

[Bubble Bobbles everywhere, so let's all Bust a Move!]

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TalkBack / Puzzle Bobble EveryBubble (Switch) Review

« on: May 22, 2023, 06:00:00 AM »

Bubble Bobbles everywhere, so let's all Bust a Move!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/63793/puzzle-bobble-everybubble-switch-review

From my first encounter with Puzzle Bobble in a small-town movie theater arcade, I'd become hooked on its cute presentation and addictive bubble clearing gameplay. While I originally knew it as Bust-a-Move, its odd international title, the various Puzzle Bobble entries have spanned almost every Nintendo platform, from the SNES and N64 to the GBA and 3DS. The most recent game, Puzzle Bobble EveryBubble, adds a four-person co-op play to its story mode, in addition to over 700 stages, a couple competitive multiplayer modes, and a Space Invaders cross-over minigame. The result is a robust package that should serve both veteran puzzle bobblers and amateur bust-a-movers alike.

The world and characters of Puzzle Bobble come from the Taito-developed Bubble Bobble, which came to arcades in 1986 and the NES in 1988. Coincidentally, the puzzle spinoff ended up becoming more popular than the single-screen arcade platformer. The premise of EveryBubble is that the setting of Rainbow Islands has become enveloped in bubbles as a result of a small dragon named Miniroon being given the ability to blow endless bubbles. It’s up to the stars of Puzzle Bobble–Bub, Bob, Peb and Pab–to help the neighbors clean up various regions of the map by popping bubbles in that signature Puzzle Bobble fashion.

The basic gameplay centers on using a bubble cannon at the bottom of the screen to line up vertical or ricochetting shots to clear bubbles at the top of the screen. When three or more bubbles of the same color are shot with one from the cannon, they pop and fall off the screen. Early levels do a good job of teaching the basics and introducing new mechanics and bubble types that later levels will employ in some fiendishly tricky ways, but overall the difficulty curve is nicely sloped. Eventually you’ll start coming across bombs, paint balls, rocks, crates, and other elements that force you to not only aim accurately but also strategize about the order in which you clear the bubble stacks.

Each of the eight regions on the overworld map contains 15 normal stages and 15 EX-stages. Within these stages you can earn up to three stars based on how fast you complete them, with the time limits for 1, 2, and 3-star ratings indicated before the level starts. To unlock the much more challenging EX versions, you need to score a 3-star rating in every normal stage within a given region, which is no easy task after the first couple areas. What’s unique to Puzzle Bobble EveryBubble is that you can bring up to four total players into each level, including a combination of human players and computers. The most interesting thing is that the stages change dimensions and even bubble arrangement based on how many players there are, which means a different experience depending on your group size.

While the story mode cutscenes are mostly window-dressing, there are a few other ways to burst your bubble. Baron’s Tower in the middle of the world map offers a high-score challenge with unlockable difficulty levels and online leaderboards. In the VS section, there are options for online play against random global opponents (with a rating system) or you can use a password system to match with someone specific. In local play, there are 1-on-1 and 2-on-2 options where you can select any of the characters you’ve unlocked in story mode. Another addition is called Puzzle Bobble vs Space Invaders, which is as you would imagine; it’s also playable with up to four players. It oddly doesn’t feature a leaderboard or any kind of high score keeping, so it’s more of a light distraction from the standard Puzzle Bobble fare.

In the Memory Album section of the main menu, you can see the characters and buddies you’ve unlocked, and listen to some of the music tracks you’ve opened up. While the soundtrack is largely pleasant, I found some of the high-pitched sound effects to skew more annoying than cutesy. The brightly colored world, characters, and bubbles make for a vibrant visual experience, but there is some stuttering between screen transitions.

Puzzle Bobble EveryBubble emphasizes cooperative multiplayer but that doesn’t detract from it as a solo experience. The variety of levels and mechanics make each stage feel like its own puzzle, and the unlockable EX stages offer a stout challenge for those so inclined. The amount of content within the story mode in particular and the way EveryBubble scales based on the number of players lead me to give it a hearty recommendation. It could use a few more options in VS mode and extras in the main menu, but overall this is a puzzler well worth busting a move to.

[An approachable way to play a lesser known Final Fantasy.]

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TalkBack / Final Fantasy III Pixel Remaster (Switch) Review

« on: May 02, 2023, 11:18:00 AM »

An approachable way to play a lesser known Final Fantasy.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/63615/final-fantasy-iii-pixel-remaster-switch-review

It probably doesn’t bear repeating at this point, but the Final Fantasy 3 for the SNES that came to the West in 1994 wasn’t the same Final Fantasy 3 released in Japan on the Famicom in 1990. The SNES actually got Final Fantasy 6, and it wouldn’t be until a 2006 Nintendo DS remake that North America would actually have their own localized version of the third mainline Final Fantasy. What makes the Pixel Remaster of Final Fantasy 3 so interesting is that it’s essentially the first localized version of the original Famicom release, in all its pixelated glory. As someone who started and restarted the DS version multiple times over the years, the Pixel Remaster ended up allowing me to roll credits on the game for the very first time. What I found was an enjoyable experience that benefits greatly from the added features to the Remaster, but one that falls noticeably short of being a must-play.

Final Fantasy 3 follows four orphans who come into contact with a crystal that implores them to set the world to rights. As in the first Final Fantasy, the heroes here are also referred to as The Light Warriors, and as they explore both the initial floating continent and the larger world outside of it, new job classes are bestowed upon them directly after discovering one of the elemental crystals. From the familiar Warrior, Black Mage, and White Mage to the Geomancer, Ranger, and Dragoon, a total of over two dozen classes are available to unlock and switch between at will. The heroes’ story sees them piloting multiple airships, a boat, and even a submersible on their quest to take down a corrupt apprentice of a legendary Archmage. The narrative doesn’t venture too far outside of typical Final Fantasy fare, and even though the game suggests that some of your NPC companions are closer to your team than it seems, there are nonetheless some fun character moments sprinkled throughout.

The job class system is both the distinct centerpiece and the half-baked addition to Final Fantasy 3. Each class essentially has one unique ability, such as the Dragoon’s jump or the Ninja’s throw, and so the game pushes you to experiment with different classes for different situations. Specific bosses may be much easier to take down when you’ve switched half of your party over to one class or another. One particular boss constantly shifts its weaknesses around, so you’re encouraged to have one party member as the Scholar class to identify that weakness and then target it in the next round of combat. That said, gaining job levels could stand to have a clearer impact on your characters’ effectiveness. You also can’t really discover the abilities and special traits of different classes from the Job menu; you’ll need to use trial and error or refer to a guide. Is job level important? Yes, but I wish it were more obvious how.

What works greatly in the Pixel Remaster version is the Boost, sprint, and no encounters options. Being able to turn off random battles and run constantly makes exploring each dungeon and collecting the numerous treasures within a breeze. There are frequent hidden passages and switches to activate, and it’s always more of a drag to look for them when you’re constantly getting into fights. When you do need to bulk up your team ahead of a boss fight, the Boost menu has toggles to increase experience points and money earned by up to 4x, a very welcome addition. This is especially true when it comes to conquering the game’s final dungeon, which is notoriously lengthy and challenging.

The other major upgrade comes in the form of visual and audio enhancements: the re-drawn 2D pixel art and the new soundtrack arrangements (the theme for the village of Canaan is wonderful in the arranged version). The spell and summon effects are incredible and really bring Final Fantasy to life; aesthetically, it’s hard to argue against the Pixel Remaster being the best version of the game. Sure, there needs to be more font options–in addition to more sizes–but it really did feel like I was playing a new “old” game for the first time, and I relished being able to see it all the way through.

Having regular access to some form of airship really opens up the world to you, but the freedom you have doesn’t mean it’s a major challenge to figure out your next destination. Talking to villagers provides you with all the tips you need to keep making progress, and a handy map can be pulled out in the overworld that shows a list of landmarks and actually points them out on your map. The mini-map that appears in the corner of the screen at all times is also very helpful.

Had I played Final Fantasy 3 in 1990, I probably would have been more impressed with it, but the job class system as an RPG mechanic has improved immeasurably in the intervening years. At the end of the day, FF3 does more interesting things with its run-time than does the original Final Fantasy, and I might even recommend it over that one. Taking full advantage of the quality-of-life features built into the Pixel Remaster series is a great way to enjoy one of the lesser played entries in this storied Square Enix franchise. While it shouldn’t be the only or the first Final Fantasy you play, it’s still worth a look for any RPG enthusiast.

[The best way to play an all-time classic RPG?]

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TalkBack / Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster (Switch) Review-in-Progress

« on: April 19, 2023, 07:00:00 AM »

The best way to play an all-time classic RPG?

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/63467/final-fantasy-vi-pixel-remaster-switch-review-in-progress

Score and conclusion added on November 18

The announcement of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters for mobile and Steam was met with immediate disappointment and surprise that consoles were seemingly left out of the equation. Many speculated that eventually, surely Square Enix would at least bring the six games to Switch, given that they all originally came to Nintendo platforms once upon a time. Fortunately, April showers have brought pixelated RPG flowers with Final Fantasy 1 through 6 launching today on the eShop. I’ve spent a couple hours with a title that needs no introduction, Final Fantasy VI, and I’m pleased to share a handful of impressions here ahead of a full review in the near future.

After launching the game, with each Final Fantasy title having a separate icon on the Switch’s home menu, one of my first reactions was one of disgust. The so-called “Modernized” font seen immediately in the introductory cutscene is unpleasant to say the least. Fortunately, the console launch of the Pixel Remasters includes a “Classic” font option that is much more palatable, if not perfect. As I had anticipated, the beloved Magitek Armor march to Narshe that takes place just before the player gains control is resplendent and an early indication of how an already gorgeous scene can be made all the more beautiful in a remastered version. I noticed that cutscenes can also be skipped for those that want to get right into the gameplay.

The tutorial-like Magitek Armor battles with Terra, Biggs, and Wedge introduce more of the visual changes made to the Pixel Remaster version of FF6. There’s a vibrancy and vitality to spell and attack effects, as seen in the elemental beams of the Magitek Armors. The explosion from the Magitek Missile and the poison cloud from Terra’s Bio Blast showcase further improvements to the look of the game. These are all in addition to more detailed and animated backgrounds, like those from Narshe and even more pronounced during the river raft segment with Banon after escaping The Returners’ hideout. As well, a detailed minimap makes navigating towns all the easier by indicating points of interest like weapon shops and inns.

The upgrades of the Pixel Remaster series aren’t limited to the cosmetic, though. Opening up the Configuration tab of the main in-game menu reveals a Brightness setting, a Graphic Display option to add scanlines, the aforementioned Font Style options, a choice between the arranged soundtrack and the original, and perhaps most importantly, a Boost section to toggle encounters on and off and multiply experience, gil, and magic AP by up to four times. Auto-dashing and encounters can even be toggled outside of the menu by clicking the left or right stick in. These quality of life additions certainly make it feel like the Pixel Remaster version represents an excellent, contemporary option for those wanting to relive classic Final Fantasy experiences or dive into them for the first time.

For all the good it does, there are some aspects of this re-release that leave me wanting. In menus and during combat, certain text fields can be hard to read given their small size. It would be nice to see an option for larger text or perhaps a few more fonts to choose from. The party member sprites themselves are fine, but it’s hard to see them as a clear upgrade over the original NES and SNES ones. There’s also some odd hitching that happens during screen scrolling, particularly when multiple characters are on screen. If I can nitpick a little bit further, the dissipation of boss sprites when they’re defeated in battle doesn’t quite look right; there’s a jaggedness to their pixels that contrasts with the rest of what you see on screen.

Ultimately, the Pixel Remaster version of Final Fantasy VI is a compelling release of a sublime RPG, and it's an easy recommendation for anyone who has never played it or who wants to revisit it. The eye-catching Esper effects are a perfect example of how Square Enix focused on creating an exceptionally pretty version of an all-time classic rather than a definitive, fully complete one, and so YMMV whether there's value for you in that choice. For my money, having the opportunity to revisit one of my favorite SNES titles on Switch is worth the price of admission.

[I still want to talk about this coffee!]

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TalkBack / Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly (Switch) Review

« on: April 19, 2023, 06:16:59 AM »

I still want to talk about this coffee!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/63460/coffee-talk-episode-2-hibiscus-n-butterfly-switch-review

Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly is a direct follow-up to 2020’s Coffee Talk (i.e. Episode 1), a story-driven experience that takes place entirely in a humble Seattle cafe. Developer Toge Productions has brought back many familiar characters and a few new ones to share more of their stories and to see new relationships take shape. The elevator pitch is that if you enjoyed the original, you’ll dig this second chapter. That said, aside from a few new ingredients at your disposal as the cafe’s proprietor and the ability to give an item or possession alongside the beverage you’re serving up, the familiar Pacific Northwest weather isn’t the only thing that you’re getting more of here.

As the owner and sole employee of the Coffee Talk establishment, the player-named protagonist serves as a sounding board for old friends from the first game and a handful of new characters that pop in for a warm beverage on a rainy evening. In some rare moments, a customer will drop a remark that sheds some light about the proprietor’s background, but it’s generally left a mystery, which is part of the charm. Given that I very much fell in love with the original game (whose mechanics are explained in more detail here), I was excited to see familiar faces like Baileys and Lua, police officer Jorji, and even vampire model Hyde. Picking up where those relationships left off gives this sequel a wonderful sense of continuity, and the effective writing makes many of the conversations ones where you’ll hang on every word.

The drink making “gameplay” returns and really hasn’t undergone much of a transformation. There are a few new ingredients, namely the blue pea tea leaves and hibiscus, which blend into vibrant blue and red drinks to soothe the weary souls of your patrons. You’re still tasked with deciphering what beverage each customer is looking for based on a brief description: something sweet with milk, or maybe a hibiscus with some warm spice. At times you’ll need to remember what you served up during someone’s previous visit, and you’re generally rewarded with extended dialogue, unique story paths, and more detailed character descriptions by concocting the right brew and sliding it over the counter. A variety of in-game achievements are tied to both successfully and unsuccessfully meeting your customers’ requests.

While Freya from Episode 1 represented the beating heart of its narrative, the new characters in Episode 2 don’t quite reach the same highs. The first one you meet is a satyr named Lucas, who works as a social media influencer. His enthusiasm and tendency to stick his foot in his mouth can make him endearing, but I rarely found him as captivating as Freya. That said, given how well written the cast is as a whole, it’s more than likely that players will still find at least one or two of them relatable and easy to connect with.

With how much of a role story plays in this genre, I’d say the anecdotes and tales spun by the characters of Episode 2 are slightly less captivating than those of Episode 1; that might be less of an indictment of the sequel and more praise of the original. Fortunately, the incredible lo-fi soundtrack that befits the dark and stormy nights of Coffee Talk’s setting is again a major highlight of the experience. There’s nothing finer than hearing the rain beating down outside your window as you breathe in the steam from a cup of hot chocolate or matcha while a banshee named Riona pours her heart out to you and her fellow cafe patrons about her struggles as a singer.

Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly refuses to fix what isn’t broken, and it adds a few new mechanics that freshen up the gameplay just enough. While elements of its narrative aren’t quite as strong as those of the first Coffee Talk, it remains an incredibly chill and peaceful experience, and I’d gladly play through as many episodes as the developers choose to bless us with. Catching up with old friends is one of my favorite pastimes, and being able to do it in video game form is something I can definitely raise a glass to.