Messages

1251

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Nintendo Switch/Wii U Indie Game Review Thread

« on: January 24, 2017, 11:46:30 AM »

-Shovel Knight- Do you like Mega Man games and whimsical dialogue, but hate yourself? THEN BOY DO I HAVE THE GAME FOR YOU!

Curious: why say it would appeal if you "hate yourself"?  Did you find the difficulty too high?  I mean, you've already said it's for people who like Mega Man games so this seems like an unnecessary qualifier.


(I was skeptical of Shovel Knight, but upon playing really enjoyed the game and think it's totally worth recommending. If you have the chance, definitely give co-operative play a shot too - they did a great job implementing and balancing that mode. Until co-operative mode was ported to other systems, it made the Wii U version the best available. Oh, and don't forget the new modes that get unlocked post-campaign where you can play as the bad guys... so no lack of content available. Actually, I think you've talked me into going back and playing it some more.)

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Let's talk about the Wii library, a very underrated library imo!

« on: January 24, 2017, 11:14:09 AM »

...
Otherwise, there aren't many third party games that stand out.  Zack & Wiki was one of the more memorable.

See, this sounds like the mainstream opinion voiced by people who didn't invest much time playing the interesting niche games on the system.  When I talk to people who actually played Wii games before judging them, they usually have a handful of "...but Game X was awesome!" anecdotes.


When Wii came out, roguelike games weren't in fashion the way they are now so it was great to play games like Baroque, Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon, and Shiren the Wanderer on the console. Also notable that those three games have such different target audiences, really making the genre accessible to anyone.  Of course now indie roguelikes are a dime a dozen - but those three games are still excellent titles worth playing for newbies or gamers experienced with the genre.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Let's talk about the Wii library, a very underrated library imo!

« on: January 22, 2017, 01:45:29 PM »

I'm a huge fan of the Wii library- there are still games I'm trying to hunt down. ...

What games are you still looking for?

... A decent action-RPG with mediocre story and solid, Pokemon-esque gameplay is Spectrobes: Origins.

This is one of the remaining holes in my collection - would like to grab a copy eventually because it looks like a solid title, but it's not really a pressing need due to having a massive shelf of games already.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Let's talk about the Wii library, a very underrated library imo!

« on: January 21, 2017, 10:11:07 PM »

Third-party support was odd on Wii - there were many games released, but support always seemed kind of half-hearted from the big publishing studios. Instead of full, triple-A development a lot of my favorite games feel almost like "indie" releases because they were developed by smaller or secondary teams who wanted to create something interesting and unique instead of following the paint-by-numbers of a major release.

The games mentioned already are great, but I would like to add a few that I really enjoyed and played a lot:

Dragon Quest Swords - Didn't review that well, but what do you expect from a hack'n slash-based, on-rails, RPG? It's a weird genre mash-up and the motion controls take some effort to master... but it's also surprisingly cool once you can consistently (or at least usually) attack the way you intend to. With so many Dragon Quest remakes available on DS now, this game is one that I'm keen to back to and play through again.


Blast Works - Let's get past the rough part quickly: yes, this is essentially a remake of the free PC game, Tumiki Fighters. But Blast Works included a ton of additional content and polish, including four unlockable Kenta Cho games hidden and a full suite of tools for creating and sharing* your own awesome shmups. This is an unorthodox game to be sure, but one that enjoyed for many hours...

*Pretty sure that level sharing tools are no longer active, since all Wii online stuff was shut down a long time ago. When you try to go to the website where it was hosted, you get a "couldn't connect to database" error. But it was awesome while it lasted!


Endless Ocean - This series is incredible, although I spent a lot more time with the first game than the second. Sure, the graphics aren't HD and things look pretty rough when you aren't underwater... but the game world was absolutely packed with things to see and discover. This game was so peaceful and relaxing, but always leaving you wanting to see just a little bit more. The soundtrack was also great (and if not to your liking, could be replaced using MP3s on the SD card - try putting Echoes by Pink Floyd on and taking a dive).


Honorable mentions: Fluidity (WiiWare), Dawn of Discovery

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Let's talk about Nintendo Switch's online service...

« on: January 14, 2017, 03:49:43 PM »

I feel like this online subscription fee is just a reaction to Splatoon's success. Nintendo feels like they can make some extra coin, and so they are going for it. I don't blame them, but online play for a Nintendo console isn't worth bupkis to me.

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TalkBack / Re: Switch Hardware Hands-On

« on: January 14, 2017, 09:46:16 AM »

What about the HD rumble. Is it that good/cool/interesting?
Is it even worth mentioning?

Also very curious about this.


Any meaningful innovation in force feedback would be great - surely we are capable of more than a generic rumble at this point?  That said, I will have a very hard time thinking of this as anything more than a gimmick until feeling it first-hand.

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TalkBack / Re: In Defense Of Small Launch Lineups

« on: January 14, 2017, 09:08:47 AM »

Original article really hits home. I haven't been sold on Switch yet. Despite being somewhat intrigued, the current state of Canadian currency makes it a very tough sell.  $400 CAD for a console is simply more than I can shell out right now - especially when I'd need to spend even more for games and (optionally) extra controllers.

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General Gaming / Re: Nintendo has disappointed me.

« on: January 14, 2017, 09:00:55 AM »

I'm not against a paid service if the cost is justified. But Nintendo's current track record for online content doesn't suggest (to me) they deserve any benefit of the doubt on whether this service will be worthwhile.

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TalkBack / Re: Shovel Knight Adds Switch To Platform List

« on: January 11, 2017, 08:09:43 PM »

The co-op mode is pretty fantastic if you have the chance to try it.  Although that was a compelling exclusive for the Wii U version, and totally justified the Amiibo purchase in my opinion, I'm glad that (almost) everyone will get to try out this mode soon.


Very impressed with how Yacht Club Games has handled their business.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: NES Classic and Nintendo's futility trying to meet demand.

« on: January 09, 2017, 07:23:08 PM »

I'm now almost certain that we'll be adding the Switch to this thread on Friday...

https://twitter.com/DonaldMick/status/818598044505673729

As disappointing and ugly as this would be, it's hard to act surprised given how Nintendo has handled supply for big ticket items over the past... what is it now, decade?  Stop the train, I'd like to get off please.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: What Small/Niche Game/Genre Would Excite (Only) You at Switch Launch?

« on: January 06, 2017, 01:51:54 PM »

I'd love to see another sequel for Fluidity (aka: Hydroventure) on any platform - but one that stays more true to the WiiWare original with large open worlds filled with puzzles instead small and specific challenges like we got with the (disappointing, but still decent) 3DS release.

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

« on: January 06, 2017, 09:03:48 AM »

The holiday season hasn't been particularly good. Not horrible, but busy in a way that simply hasn't been enjoyable or fulfilling.  But I did manage to play video games for 3 or 4 hours, which was enough to see the credits of And Yet It Moves (WiiWare).


So this was one of those indie titles that generated some buzz many years ago and has since been almost totally forgotten. It's also a game where the WiiWare version is likely the definitive version.


The goal is simple: get your little man to the end of the level. What makes the game interesting are the controls. Using your Wii remote as an NES-style controller, you can run and jump like in many platform games - but the novelty is being able to push the 1 button, pause all movement, and rotate the controller until you have a new screen orientation that suits you better. Ceilings become floors and vice versa, but in the WiiWare version you can also stop rotation at any point you desire (unlike the strict 90-degree rotations of the original release). All momentum you might have had prior to spinning the world is carried over, which can be dangerous or benefiical depending on what you are trying to do.


Did I like the game?  Yes, or else I would write so much about it. The design is interesting and it was enjoyable to play through to the end credits. The main game is quite short, and the difficulty low enough that you will always make steady progress towards that goal, but the game doesn't end there. A list of achievements encourages you to try new things, extra levels get unlocked for you to explore, while time trials urge you to revisit levels looking for short-cuts and efficiencies (if that's your thing). There are other modes also, although I haven't explored them yet.


Nothing here is going to blow you away, but it's a pleasant experience and offers plenty of content. Anyone interested in physics-based platformers would do well to check this game out - either on WiiWare or via other platforms.

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General Gaming / Re: What are you playing?

« on: January 03, 2017, 11:58:12 AM »

Still working at it. Don't think I'm too far in right now...Have Power Bombs, Dash, Ice Beam...

Playing both Link to the Past and Super Metroid for the first time over the holidays makes me envious - definitely a lot of great gaming there!

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

« on: January 01, 2017, 11:43:19 AM »

Grabbed Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure (Wii) for the kids. We have more than enough figures that are backwards compatible, and for $5 it gave them another "new to us" game to enjoy over the holidays.

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TalkBack / Re: NWR's End of the Year Awards 2016

« on: December 31, 2016, 09:36:50 AM »

Wow.  Would have never guessed the NWR Top 5 of 2016 in a million years. It's wildly different than what I would have picked and none of the games selected would have made my list at all, even though the number one game isn't a surprise.

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

« on: December 30, 2016, 08:08:28 AM »

...
- Bravely Second + Hyrule Warriors Legends for $30 ea on a Amazon Canada deal
...

Nice! When did that happen?  My wallet is happy that I didn't know...

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

« on: December 25, 2016, 04:14:44 PM »

Christmas gift from my wife:  8Bitdo NES30 Pro controller.  This is pretty cool, and I have a pc-on-a-chip that includes some games that would benefit from a real controller.  (Also opens the door for Mednafen. Not sure if I'll bother trying to get that installed and running... but it's an option.)


Very impressed with the controller. I had read good things from reviews, but this is the first I've seen one firsthand. Feels great, but I haven't had time to actually set it up yet to test.


Hope others enjoyed some Christmas gaming goods too. 

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TalkBack / Re: Diving Into The North American Holiday eShop Sales

« on: December 23, 2016, 07:34:11 PM »

Nice picks - the games all sound good, and most are under-the-radar enough that I hasn't tried them yet.


I really really don't need more games, but will probably grab one of Pirate Pop Plus! or Race the Sun anyway. But they are so different that I can't choose which to grab yet.  Hmm...

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TalkBack / Re: Nintendo Downloads - December 22, 2016

« on: December 23, 2016, 05:20:21 PM »

Wow - those are some sweet digital deals for the holidays!


My picks for hot deals (even though some games are older):
* Book of Unwritten Tales 2
* Mega Man Legacy Collection
* Pirate Pop Plus
* Resident Evil Revelations
* SteamWorld Dig

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Do You Expect Third Parties to Support the Switch?

« on: December 21, 2016, 07:15:54 AM »

Much like Spak-Spang, I don't expect any meaningful support from major developers outside of Japan. Indie developers will probably provide the usual digital-only games as long as porting is easy, but even there it's hardly a sure bet.

Before Nintendo can attract third parties to Switch they need to prove that the system:
* allows porting code from XBox and PlayStation with very little effort,
* has a massive install base,
* has an audience that will buy third-party games, essentially without any regard for quality

If any one of those points misses then it will be the same old excuses about support not really being worth their while. Even if all of the points come true, I think that most third parties will be skeptical about supporting Switch and not make it part of their core business plan.

Can't really blame them though: the bridges between Nintendo and third-party developers have long been shaky (and often alight).  It's easy to say: "this time it will be better," but why would third parties bother making a change unless their success is a sure thing? It doesn't, and they won't.

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TalkBack / Re: Yooka-Laylee Making Platform Switch, Wii U Version Cancelled

« on: December 15, 2016, 08:29:37 AM »

Was hoping for this to happen. Sure most of the backers hoping for Wii U will be more pleased with this than not.

Is that because you believe most Wii U backers will be buying a Switch at launch?
(Wouldn't be shocking... assuming Nintendo makes enough stock available to make that a possibility. Most Nintendo fans seem to buy in automatically, and if you own a Wii U then you must be a Nintendo fan.)

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

« on: December 14, 2016, 06:37:20 PM »

Oh hey!  Shantae: Half-Genie Hero (Wii U) is "out" for anyone who backed early.  Just logged into my account at the WayForward website and found a code waiting to be redeemed.

Despite my reluctance to pay for games that haven't been developed yet, this was one project I really wanted to see fund successfully - and unlike other games that got massively overfunded and had everything unlocked without my support, Shantae isn't a big enough series to get that same treatment so every pledge helped.

My daughter loved the previous games in this series and is excited to hear a new one is coming.  Should be a fun holiday game to burn through. 

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TalkBack / Re: Yooka-Laylee Making Platform Switch: Wii U Version Cancelled

« on: December 13, 2016, 01:57:45 PM »

The refunds would have to be on Playtonic's end. I understand people might be angry at both devs for switching(heh) platforms so late in the game, but considering Nintendo unofficially ended support for Wii U in October with Paper Mario, it seems unfair to hold indie devs' feet to fire when they make smart business decisions.

True, it might be a smart business decision to move to a new platform.


But making changes extremely late in the release cycle about which platforms the game is coming to - after you've already collected money from people based on promises that no longer make sense - seems like a lousy business model.


To be clear, my complaint is that KickStarter isn't a particularly safe or smart platform for backing video games. I have no ill will towards the developers or their choice in this case - it just sucks for a subset of KickStarter backers.

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

« on: December 13, 2016, 08:19:25 AM »

It's called skype or discord!

Not the same at all, and especially not on Nintendo consoles (which is what I own).


I don't consider a video chat with my folks over supper to be the same as a shared Christmas dinner. It's a workable compromise in a pinch, but clearly not a preferred situation.
 

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TalkBack / Re: Yooka-Laylee Making Platform Switch: Wii U Version Cancelled

« on: December 13, 2016, 08:00:11 AM »

Ouch.  If I had backed the KickStarter, I'd be really unhappy with this news as none of the other platforms are viable options for me... would definitely be looking for a refund.