Messages

1

General Gaming / Re: What are you playing?

« on: August 08, 2014, 01:36:45 PM »

Super Mario Deluxe (3DS):
Ridiculously small screen is a big problem, so you have to be very cautious or just memorize all the levels.

Got to 5-1 on one life, i guess i am now trying to to beat it on one continue then. I might even try to do the same with Lost Levels when i will unlock it (yeah no, fat chance of that without grinding 1ups).

Extra modes in this game are as much if not more fun than actual game:
 

• collectathon levels where they hide special coins and yoshi egg all over standard SMB levels and you need to find them AND hit the score.

• boo races with all new levels[/l][/l][/l][/l]

I missed this one, this game sounds awesome. 3DS eShop, I assume?

Etrian Oddysey Untold: The Millennium Girl

I'm playing through the story mode of Etrian Odyssey for the first time. A unique hook is that you use the touch screen to map out the labyrinth levels where the game's RPG combat takes place. There are lots of little quests to take for extra XP, but the combat tends to fall somewhere between grinding and tedious. I'm not sure how far into the game I am, but I've already sunk hours going back and forth between the first 8 similar levels and the village. The anime is cool and there's more voice acting than I expected.
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TalkBack / Re: Mario Kart 8 Update Coming August 27

« on: August 07, 2014, 10:08:26 AM »

I think this is a nice way for Nintendo to make a touch more money, which they need, and for me, it's kind of a novel way to add to the Mario Kart experience. Real life cars, I think that's cool.

Can we get the Burger King as a Smash Bros. character, or is that going too far?

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TalkBack / Re: Best Buy Offering Buy One, Get One Free Deal on Select 3DS Games

« on: July 28, 2014, 02:44:57 PM »

Bravely Default (and everything else) is still out of stock all over my state. Best Buy does not issue rainchecks for its promotions.

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TalkBack / Re: Best Buy Offering Buy One, Get One Free Deal On Select 3DS Games

« on: July 25, 2014, 08:58:30 AM »

I've been checking my online shopping cart every day since Sunday to see if Bravely Default and Mario Golf was re-stocked at any stores near me. Today, Best Buy had this notification for me:

We're sorry! Due to high demand, the status of one or more of your items has changed.

    Sold Out: Bravely Default - Nintendo 3DS This item has been removed from your order.
    Sold Out: Mario Golf: World Tour - Nintendo 3DS This item has been removed from your order.

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TalkBack / Re: Best Buy Offering Buy One, Get One Free Deal On Select 3DS Games

« on: July 21, 2014, 10:55:40 AM »

So this sale has been a challenge for me. The stores near me only had the Pokemon games, and even for those I had to ask someone to find them in the back. So, I purchased Pokemon X and my salesperson actually came through with a gift card I could use to pick up Bravely Default for free later on. It's sold out everywhere near me - and everywhere not even remotely near me. Bestbuy.com says it can't be shipped, and it also can't be picked up in any stores, so I wrote to them to see how I can buy the game from them. To be continued...

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TalkBack / Re: Best Buy Offering Buy One, Get One Free Deal On Select 3DS Games

« on: July 18, 2014, 02:49:14 PM »

Can someone explain to me why it is that everyone wants Pokemon X and no body wants Pokemon Y? I've thought about getting the game, but if I do I'm planning on Y. Is there some up side to X that I don't see?

I did a Google search on this topic to help me decide. And there are only a few cosmetic differences between the two, so it's probably just the name that seems catchier to consumers.

Here's the Kotaku breakdown: http://kotaku.com/which-version-should-you-buy-pokemon-x-or-pokemon-y-1444397068

People will ask you what version you got; it's like picking a sports team. That's part of what makes it all so fun, even if there aren't too many differences between the versions. UPDATE: Based purely on anecdotal evidence, if you want to be a cool kid, you should pick Pokemon Y...most people seem to be getting Pokemon X.
...
Personally, I think Pokemon X has most of the cooler Pokemon, but hey. That's just like, my opinion, man.

7

Nintendo Gaming / Re: 2014 E3 Impressions

« on: July 17, 2014, 03:20:33 PM »

That sounds about right to me. The controller hook just didn't click with people like the motion sensitive controller did. Remember how shocking it was that it was one-handed? It demanded your attention.

Now, Nintendo is seeing some more success for Wii U and it's coming on the heels of this good E3 showing. It's the first-party software that's creating interest, not the controller. The Wii was a huge hit, but it was an anomaly because it caught on in the mainstream. With Wii U and consoles in the foreseeable future, Nintendo is going to have to carve out its marketshare the old fashioned way, with compelling software.

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TalkBack / Re: Club Nintendo Elite Status Gifts Now Available

« on: July 16, 2014, 01:20:25 PM »

I looked at the list and figured I'd try Earthbound for the first time. Or, if I didn't reach Platinum, I'd pick Wario Land 2 or maybe Ice Climber. And that'd be nice, because it's free.

To me, a free game is always the best prize because the thing I enjoy the most about video games are, get this, the games.

So count me out of the complaining group. I can see if you've already got these that it's disappointing, but then you could spend your rewards points on other prizes instead.

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TalkBack / Re: Best Buy Offering Buy One, Get One Free Deal On Select 3DS Games

« on: July 15, 2014, 10:21:30 AM »

This is pretty irresistible. Of these, I only have Zelda, so I'm thinking of trying Bravely Default and Pokemon.

I have never played a Pokemon game and always want to give it a go. Kirby is tempting but reportedly pretty easy, and Yoshi has underwhelmed reviewers. Tomodachi is tempting, but I just played Animal Crossing not long ago, and the NWR review didn't make it sound appealing to me. I'm not that invested in my Miis. So, Pokemon and Bravely Default!

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TalkBack / Re: Miyamoto Explains Upcoming Wii U Zelda's 'Open World'

« on: July 15, 2014, 10:15:21 AM »

Sadly this description of the "open world" concept doesn't sound as exciting to me.  It sounds more like A Link Between Worlds applied to a console game rather than a Nintendo's unique take on Elder Scrolls or GTA.  Miyamoto's description just sounds so much more subdued than the more vague E3 description.

A Link Between Worlds is a bizarre game.  On one hand they wanted to do something different with the item rental but then they reused the world from A Link to the Past.  One element is incredibly original and the other is incredibly derivative.

If you think about what really makes a modern, open world game, Link Between Worlds is close, right? E3 talked about having multiple entrances to different locations, Miyamoto talks about exploring levels out of order, but Link Between Worlds also had collect-a-thons, minigames, a few fetch quests and lots of hidden items/locations.

Ramp up on these, add a few more minigames and side quest varieties and maybe some that get you out in the world, say, delivering between villages on horseback or whatever, and we'd really be getting somewhere with just a few additions.

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TalkBack / Re: Miyamoto Explains Upcoming Wii U Zelda's 'Open World'

« on: July 14, 2014, 12:35:49 PM »

IThis is where I feel a Link Between Worlds shines, as it provides you with items that are all helpful and different at combat, and at doing things that aren't so context sensitive. yeah, there are bummers like the sand Rod that's only non sand patch application is to stun enemies in a line, but you also get things like the Tornado rod working as an awesome crowd control tool that also happens to let you dodge attacks for a few scant seconds...! Not to mention you're playing total disservice to the most organically implemented thing in the whole of a Link Between Worlds, which is the wall merging mechanic, which shocked me at how well and natural it felt and how it changed my perspective on how traversal and some combat occurs.

Wow, I agree with that completely, even the part about the Sand Rod. Pretty well thought out. Nice post.

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General Gaming / Re: What are you playing?

« on: July 14, 2014, 12:20:46 PM »

I'm taking my time with Shovel Knight for 3DS. I thought it might be too challenging, but infinite lives and a fair number of continue points keep things balanced. The platforming is reminiscent of Castlevania, but toned down a bit on the action and stepped up a bit more with the jumping. The levels are laid out on an overworld and some village areas are a lot like Zelda II. Another fun thing is when random battles appear on the overworld map, the icon for that character slides around between the levels a bit before settling on a space, just like the enemy overworld encounters from Super Mario Bros. 3.



I spent the rest of my eShop money on Monster Manor for the StreetPass plaza. It's hard to explain, but it's more involved than Find Mii. It works fair just using play coins, so you don't really need a lot of StreetPass activity to try it. Each character you meet gives you a colored shape that you plug into the floorplan of the manor. This lets you explore that space, and you're looking to find stairs to the top floors, build rooms to get treasures, battle ghosts and upgrade your character with the rewards you find. Pretty involved for StreetPass.

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TalkBack / Re: Miyamoto Explains Upcoming Wii U Zelda's 'Open World'

« on: July 13, 2014, 11:19:07 AM »

I think this i great. I loved how they changed it up for the 3DS and thought it'd be a different team working on Wii U. That the one game will lead into changes for the other is great news to me, and gives me hope that the new Zelda U will stand out.

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

« on: July 11, 2014, 12:57:01 PM »

I just finished up Legend of Zelda: Link Between Worlds for 3DS. This has been my favorite Zelda game in a while, though I skipped Skyward Sword. The world is pretty open with lots of actions and sidequests available, and a lot of the weapons are doled out early with some surprises later on that made this one unique compared to other Zelda games.



It borrowed a lot of its layout from Link to the Past, but I wasn't so familiar with that game that it bothered me. The dungeons were clever and the new wall-flattening technique is much more interesting than things like trains in the recent DS games.

The storyline was more thought out than usual, falling maybe third below Ocarina of Time and Link's Awakening for me.

Loved the combat, enemies and bosses. Bosses tended to be a bit on the easy side and Link probably gets too overpowered once you start really collecting hearts and health items.

Gives me hope for Zelda on Wii U.

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TalkBack / Re: Tecmo Koei Changes Name in US and UK

« on: July 09, 2014, 10:40:20 AM »

How do we pronounce Koei?

Co-ay.

No kidding? In that case, it's the first time I've ever said it correctly. With both names being fresh, I like Koei Tecmo better.

The statement from the KT website is confusing since they seemed to have a universal name beforehand, or do they have a Japanese branch that has always been called Koei Tecmo? I wonder why Koei was given top billing.

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TalkBack / Re: Tecmo Koei Changes Name in US and UK

« on: July 08, 2014, 12:33:57 PM »

How do we pronounce Koei?

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TalkBack / Re: Mario Kart 8-Themed Games Available Through McPlay App

« on: July 08, 2014, 09:25:57 AM »

And Nintendo goes third party!

This is a good move, really. If young kids are being introduced to games on smart phones, Nintendo probably wants to connect with them there if it hopes to turn them into more traditional customers later (or, right away).

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General Gaming / Re: Getting Old and Gaming

« on: July 07, 2014, 04:24:26 PM »

I'm married without kids, but I've got a full time job and any time I'm home, I'm spending it with my wife. We've been able to find good co-op games or even single player games that we play together, but it's really hard for me to find the time to get into a single player game like I used to, especially when I use my spare time for other things like working out or, you know, sleep.

I dropped out of Xenoblade Chronicles after a few hours. I have a Japanese role playing game for Xbox 360 called Infinite Undiscovery that I never played more than five minutes of. I still regret that and want to give it a chance. I'd love to finish GTA4 and Bioshock: Infinite.

I commute to work on the public train, though, so I've been able to get a lot more gaming done on my 3DS. On the train, the 3DS only has to compete with books for my attention, and I tend to go back and forth.

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TalkBack / Re: NWR's Top Ten Least Desirable Amiibo Figurines

« on: July 02, 2014, 02:10:18 PM »

Reggie as Purple Pikmin is a day one purchase, obviously.

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General Gaming / Re: What is your most recent gaming purchase?

« on: July 01, 2014, 12:51:24 PM »

I just purchased a Wii U with Nintendo Land and picked up Mario Kart 8. Once the Wii U is repaired, I can start!



Also grabbed a copy of Too Human for three bucks at GameStop. It's supposed to be bad, but I got it for the development history and my appreciation of Silicon Knights and Denis Dyack. Based on all the reviews, I downloaded Shovel Knight for 3DS, too. Going to try that one soon!

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

« on: July 01, 2014, 12:45:37 PM »

I just wrapped up Gears of War 3 last week. Played on co-op. I like couch co-op, and Gears does it better than most, so I got what I expected here. The storyline was tired and the game didn't do anything new, so I'm not surprised Cliff got out at this point. Final boss fight was ridiculous. Still, fun enough for what it is.

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General Gaming / Re: What are you playing?

« on: July 01, 2014, 12:39:50 PM »

On Xbox 360, I'm currently playing through Dead Island. Playing with my wife, who's hooked even more than I am. It's a lot like Far Cry 3, which we loved, but with more uneven difficulty, and less developed storyline/characters.



On Nintendo 3DS, I'm roughly less than half way through Zelda: Link Between Worlds which is a much more open world environment than I expected, so I'm really enjoying it. I also never finished Link to the Past (tried twice!) so I don't even notice much of the lifted environments.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Amazing Deals!

« on: July 01, 2014, 12:25:38 PM »

I don't own any other HDMI cables. I could've done what you said, but not worth the money or effort from my perspective. Personally, I can wait.

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TalkBack / Re: First Cross-Buy Title for Nintendo Coming to EU eShop

« on: July 01, 2014, 09:10:45 AM »

If Nintendo wants to merge their handheld and home console platforms, this is the first step. Virtual Console should have already been unified.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Amazing Deals!

« on: July 01, 2014, 08:51:41 AM »

Nintendo's online store has refurb Wii U systems packed with Nintendo Land (console cannot be used with Club Nintendo) for just $200: https://store.nintendo.com/ng3/us/po/browse/productDetailColorSizePicker.jsp?productId=prod150200

Update: About a week after I ordered, I was surprised to see my system arrived already. The website still said "Order Processing", but if I clicked through, there was a UPS tracking number that showed it shipped pretty much right away.

Unfortunately, I plugged it all in and booted the system up and the image on screen was a flickering mess. Probably a bad HDMI cable, but maybe the system. After a call to Nintendo, both those things will be back on their way to Redmond (actually East Syracuse, NY) today. I can try again in one to two weeks when my repaired refurbed system comes back to me. Disappointing.