I got the first Professor Layton Christmas Day of the year it released. Wanted it so badly but was unsure my parents would be able to nab a copy as it was sold out continuously here in the uk when it came out.
I have very fond memories of sitting in the living room until late at night with all the lights off bar my DS screen and the Christmas tree lights flickering. It was downright magical and I remember telling my friends at the time it was my new favourite game of all time, surpassing even OoT (which, funnily enough, I don’t think I’d even put in my top 5 these days).
While I don’t think QUITE so highly of it these days, I do still think the first four were wonderful titles, particularly the third. Two and four I kind of liked at the time (I’ve replayed them all since and have warmed to those two a lot more and don’t think there’s a great deal of quality difference between the first four) but Village and Future hold a very, very special place in my heart.
Having said that, Miracle Mask was the weakest of the original six and after feeling very lukewarm on it and Azran Legacy (even after a replay), I kind of fell off the series. It would be a long time until I returned for PLvsPW and LMJ.
Long story long, I really didn’t like either. I felt the puzzles were lame and the stories in both were so lacking. Sure, the former had an interesting narrative hook but that reveal at the end threw a bucket of cold water over the whole game, while it was already on shaky ground.
So, would I like more Layton? Yeah!!!! Despite not having enjoyed the last four titles (I did like the very tangentially related app game though), I’m a sucker for pining for the past. Would I rather a future without Layton or a future with a Layton that’s a husk of what it was? I’ll always go the latter because, no matter how unlikely, there’s always the anticipatory promise that the magic could be back
Matt Stone did an interview a while back when they signed that deal with Paramount and said they were currently working on a 3D South Park game. I imagine this is that
So I played XC 1 a couple years back to completion (took me 126 hours!!) and really enjoyed it.
Really keen to play XC3 but know for certain I’m gonna do 2 beforehand. My question is - does X fit into the story at all aside from a few nods (such as Monado hair clips)? Or is it safe to skip that one, as I’ve heard it’s longer than 1 and I already have a 100-150 hour game between me and 3!
@Friscobay i mean, if you read the article, they clearly say:
“At this point in time, there doesn't really seem to be any reviews for the game online - with a lot of outlets only receiving codes now.”
Seems like the game might be a tad dodgy if critics are just now receiving their review codes (never a good sign). You surely can’t expect NLife to review a game that they haven’t had the chance to play yet? I feel you’re looking into motives too much when all the answers are in the body of the text and pretty cut and dry
@Not_Soos funny you say that - I only saved up for my first non-Nintendo console this year and splashed on a Series S! Psychonauts was one of my first to go to after having heard so much about it, but It Takes Two was actually the very first! I played it with my partner and it was honestly one of my greatest gaming memories in recent years. Happy gaming to you and have fun jumping into all sorts of new worlds when you get that PS5!
@Not_Soos not sure if you’ve played Psychonauts but that game has a brilliant level inspired by reminiscent Spanish culture called Black Velvetopia. It’s also a 3D platformer and, at least from your mention of Odyssey, I assume you enjoy those!
Shouldn’t the sub-header here be ‘Well, not JUST like wine. You can't drink a game’, as opposed to ‘book’, since the game is the substitute for the wine here?
@IronMan30 how are you finding Psychonauts 2? I just finished Psychonauts for the first time after wanting to play it for years and I found it good but not up to all of the hype it’s received over the years.
I’m about 10 hours into the sequel now and have been enjoying it immensely. For my money, at least so far, it seems to have fixed every gripe I had with the original and seems to be unquestionably a better game
@LinkSword thank you for this response, you saved me a reply (at least a less friendly one), as elitism does bother me quite a bit
@Nancyboy it’s so mad to me the comments this article seems to be getting. Over the years I’ve found the Nintendolife community has managed to make itself quite toxic and able to make an issue out of absolutely anything. You could have an article titled ‘Breath of the Wild 2 to Shadow Drop TOMORROW!!!!!’ and there would be countless comments ‘they didn’t give me time to prepare!’ and ‘what, no OoT HD remake to tide us over then?!’
Glad to have people speaking sense in these otherwise baffling comment sections
@ReaperMelia oh for sure, apologies if I came across any way confrontational, I was sort of just thinking out loud about it haha. I swear there have been instances before where ‘gameplay’ was shown in promotional material that turned out to be scripted but didn’t declare it and ultimately proved controversial? Something like Aliens: Colonial Marines or No Mans Sky or something.
Anyway, thanks for being cool! Just thought it was interesting 😊
@ReaperMelia I feel that but I also wonder if a HUD need be applied to show off a new mechanic? I think if they had just shown the trailer as was without it, audiences would for sure still notice Sora slinging a hook shot about and say ‘oh, I guess we get a hook shot in this one’
@ReaperMelia yeah I guess I was perhaps stating the obvious, maybe why I haven’t seen anybody else mention it. Not too familiar with the series so wasn’t aware they’d done it before. Just seems weirdly disingenuous and pointless to add when it’s so blatant but hey ho!
I haven’t seen anybody mention that that gameplay is almost definitely not gameplay. That’s for sure just more cutscene with a HUD slapped over the top. I know graphics are pretty great these days but everything about it felt far too meticulously fluid for me to even entertain that that was gameplay footage
Very recently got a side hustle writing for a publication about film and video games (finally doing something with that degree 4 years out of uni) so my days off from my main job shall be spent pitching and writing articles over there. I feel my gaming time is therefore going to become much more limited hereon out but I have recently played through the first two Oddworld games and am now on Strangers Wrath, so will be playing that when I get the chance.
The first game is a damn masterpiece and rocketed it’s way into my top ten of all time. Munch’s Oddysee was very... repetitive and, honestly, a bit of a slog (not that kind). From something like a 9/10 to maybe a 5 or 4/10.
Having only played an hour, Strangers Wrath seems really great, though. I could see Munch’s Oddysee straining to make itself work in trying to adapt the mechanics of the 2D title into 3D and it just didn’t really happen. I’m really glad they went in a completely different and genuinely original direction for the next one
@Silly_G good comment, I guess my lack of empathy with regards to the hate people hold for the company made me swing the complete other way and resulted in me omitting a lot of the less-than-great factors.
Yeah, I don’t think they’re perfect and I think you brought up a lot of good points in a way that I wish was more common in these dialogues.
Anyway, that’s about it. I’m not going to be changing my name to Limited Run James anytime soon (my name’s Alex, besides) but I also just don’t get the rampant loathing the company garners. I mean the following in utter sincerity and in no way trying to provoke: can anybody give me some good reasons why people hate these guys so much?
@Wexter you’re doing gods work, my friend. I’m not even this huge advocate for them, I’ve only ever used their service twice (Yooka-Laylee and Bug Fables) but I knew exactly what I was getting in to and it came when expected with no dodgy business or hidden costs.
I think people have this misconception, I see a lot people talking about ‘you have to be there at the first second and if you miss out, that’s it’ but that’s just not how the business works on a fundamental level. As you know, there are order windows.
I just find it difficult to understand what exactly it is that rubs people up the wrong way about the company cos I knew this comment section would be a negative one before I even clicked. They do exactly what they say they’ll do and they get games out that otherwise wouldn’t have physical. “But they offer collectors editions that are ridiculously priced and offer little!” Buy the regular edition. “You say some games wouldn’t get a chance at physical but they’ve published some pretty high profile games that could’ve been otherwise funded!” Hey, if you were them and a big name came to you to publish their game, wouldn’t you?
Anyway, I didn’t realise it bugged me this much til I started writing this. I’ve yet to see a good reason why anybody would wish for their collapse
@Solomon_Rambling you’re welcome! Honestly, Running Shine is great and I don’t see anyone talking about the guy. He just released an OoT review and it’s equally entertaining and interesting
@Mikmoomamimocki I would imagine Parker and Stone wouldn’t be too keen on representing South Park in Fortnite anyway, being the contrarian, anti-establishment folks they are.
While I’m with you on South Park characters possibly never being able to transition pleasingly to 3D, the guys are currently working on a new 3D South Park game with that sweet, sweet Paramount money so it’ll be interesting to see how that pans out
@Dimey I did indeed, it was my first time with the DLC this time around! I definitely wouldn’t have been able to find all those Korok seeds without the Hero’s Path/Korok Mask!
Thoroughly enjoyed both packs, it was really nice to have a new set of shrines in The Champions Ballad. Good luck hunting!
I finally did it! 4 years later and after 7 months of my year, I saw all that BotW had to offer (relatively speaking). I really, truly loved it and now I’m ready for Nintendo to take however long they want to finish the sequel off cos I don’t want to step foot in Hyrule again for quite a long time.
For anyone interested in some pics/thoughts I did make a Reddit post:
After that, I played through Blue Fire to 130%, which was a nice little palate cleanser (very janky and very clearly low budget but the movement was super fun and the first half was really engaging with its dungeons) and have now put 10 hours into my much-awaited copy of Bug Fables, which I am ADORING.
@Bolt_Strike yeah, it’s a poor comparison to make. Klonoa is nothing like Kirby and, in my opinion, a much tighter and more fun experience. Saying having a double jump makes Klonoa inferior in comparison to Kirby’s infinite float could be used against literally any other platformer ever made. And the game is designed around clever use of the double jump that is only afforded to you when holding an enemy.
It makes for some super clever platforming puzzles, interesting hidden goodies and really satisfying bounce chain combos. When I first grabbed an enemy and bounced off of him to reach a high up gem in the first level I fell in love with how intuitive and pure fun it felt to control. The games only build themselves around that mechanic from there.
If you’re not a fan of Klonoa, that’s fine, but to say it’s a poor mans Kirby just seems very ill informed
@BabyYoda71 depends how 100% you’re talking. If you don’t have a full roster of pals, you have to do everything in that game, at worst, 5 times. I did it with a friend a while back and had to fully do everything three times to get those shiny five gold stars on my file and now I never want to so much as look at that game again
I finished off Vah Medoh last night and did a couple side quests around Rito Village before going to beddy byes. One section of the map left uncharted (the top left, Hebra - yay, snow, my favourite, dark and mountainous) and I’m very much doubting there will be nearly 200 seeds in one section so I’m guessing I missed some - most likely pre-Korok Mask.
Will start exploring that area tonight and when I’m finished up, I’ll head to Hyrule Castle to gather some more seeds, find my last memory and kill Ganon, which will trigger a bunch of things like the monster medallions and percentage on the map screen. The plan then is to go take down all the boss monsters (I’ve marked most on my map over the course of my game), getting any extra Koroks along the way and, finally, succumbing to the inevitable guide for the final touches.
It’s been a journey but I believe I’m only about one month away from having this thing bested. Woohoo!
@kducky11 I was 22 when it released (jeez, now I’m hurtling towards 30) and I liked it but didn’t feel too strongly about it. I think it’s because Zelda is my favourite series of all time and I missed the tighter structure and puzzle design of some of my favourites. Plus, delay after delay led to stratospheric hype that would’ve always struggled to be met.
Coming back to it four years down the line, though, playing it and appreciating it for what it is instead of what it’s not and I feel like I finally ‘get’ it. It may not be my favourite Zelda, or even my second, but it’s a really fun, engaging and absorbing experience and it plays unlike anything I’ve played before in terms of sheer freedom. So yeah, it’s a pretty special game
@Krull I picked up both Limbo and Inside last night, having never played them before. I had to at their current prices (got both for free after applying Nintendo points!) and I’ve heard nothing but great things, especially about Inside
I’m creeping towards getting all the shrines knocked out now and I know in the grand scheme of things I’m well on my way to all the seeds (over two thirds now) but it’s hard to get too excited about the prospect of still having to find around 300 of the little turds (literally).
But hey, I’ve been having a blast! I’m making my way towards the Rito tribe, scouring every inch of the map as I go. I’ve even been finding things I never found in my initial 115 hour play through such as a foot race which was super easy and offered almost no reward - but it was fun and reminded me of Il Piantissimo which is only ever a good thing.
I’ll throw my hands up and admit I was wrong about this game all those years ago. It truly is something special and I don’t think I’ve ever played a game that I’ve put more than 100 hours into and not felt super burnt out by. I still get excited thinking about playing it while I’m at work which is no small feat considering it’s consumed the last 5 months of my gaming time.
Anyway, happy gaming all and I may or may not update you next week but I’ll definitely update you in 2031 when I do get that elusive 100%
@SwitchVogel @Mountain_Man thank you very much for your replies. I think I’ll be skipping this one then.
A bit of a shame, I always had envy over these games back in the day when people spoke about how great they were but I had no way to play them. As I’ve grown older, things like continuity, lore, characters, all those things have come to matter a whole lot more to me, to the extent I watched South Park from season 1 to 16 to play SoT and then through to 21 for FBW.
Anyway, I digress. Not being a fan of Star Wars, it looks like I’ll be feeling the sense I’m missing out on a greater understanding/appreciation from what you guys have said. So thank you again for your advice!
It let me set up an account but then it just closes the app when it gets towards the end of the loading screen
I’ve tried countless times to fire the app up and it just keeps closing itself in the final stretch of the loading bar. I’ve uninstalled and reinstalled, no luck. A real shame as I was looking forward to having something to spruce up my mandatory walks
I came close to tackling Vah Naboris recently but decided to explore the whole of Gerudo Desert first. Of course, to do that I needed the sand boots to make traversal of the sand less painful. So, off I went to the Gerudo Highlands tower with snow boots in hand, uncovered that part of the map and proceeded to explore every inch of it. It was quite the hefty detour.
Back in the desert now though, with boots in hand (on foot?) and looking forward to exploring that new vastness. This game is wonderful and I’m now nearly at the same hour count I was when I originally finished the game with 4 divine beasts, 120 shrines and 200 odd seeds (115 hours)
I have a question. I do love a good RPG with a rich world and characters but I’ve never been a fan of Star Wars. I only ever hear good things about this game, though.
Is it worth picking up to enjoy just as a stand-alone gaming experience or will I lose a lot by not being already invested in the universe?
@dugan hey, I know you weren’t talking to me BUT I thought I’d jump in anyway.
Immortals is a pretty good game, if you’ve played any modern Ubisoft game, you’ve played it. It’s a big old map with a bunch of tiny icons that you can chase after which all get pretty repetitive pretty fast. The vaults (or this game’s shrines) are quite good fun and some of the puzzles had me stumped for a little while and some of the challenges therein can be tricky. One even pushed me to take a break before coming back to it.
The combat is also a huge victim of ‘dominant strategy’ in that it’s fun and tough to begin with but you’ll soon identify the heavy hitting attacks and as you upgrade, enemies start to just become punching bags.
The story is alright though and the character interactions (while not funny at all IMO) are pretty well realised and adapt well to previous progress. Overall, I’d say it’s a short bursts kinda game. It took me about 50 hours to 100% and most of that was really enjoying myself for thirty minutes of a session and then just trying to tick boxes for the next hour or so before putting it down.
I’d say if you find it cheap and you’re after an open world game, it’s a safe bet. It’s just not gonna set your world on fire and you might struggle to see it through
Been a crazy couple weeks for me so progress has been slow on BotW.
I’m now at 95 hours, 458 seeds, 77 shrines and 2 divine beasts. Slowly getting there but I must say, now Hestu has fully upgraded my slots (not loving that sentence), the excitement of finding a seed has died down significantly. Still going for everything though and I truly believe I’ll have this game 100%’d in time to give me some breathing space before the sequel.
I’ve really fallen head over heels for this game in a way that I didn’t come even close to in 2017. I’ve been sort of indifferent about the sequel but now the idea of having new areas to explore within this framework with some new mechanics is just stupidly exciting.
Have a good weekend, all, I’ll be continuing to fool nobody in Gerudo Town of my vai status
Started my second playthrough of BotW a few months ago. Last time I played it was at launch where I put 115 hours into it, finished it with all shrines complete but not all korok seeds.
This time I’m going for EVERYTHING. So far I’m 85 hours in, I’ve done 2 divine beasts, 71 shrines, 430-odd korok seeds. No walkthrough used yet but I’m under no illusion I won’t use one when it comes to mopping up the remaining seeds when I’m done. For now though, the hero’s path in tandem with the korok mask are proving invaluable in my scouting every inch of the map.
My views on the game originally were that it was great but not so much for me. Zelda being my favourite series, though, I stuck it out. This time around, I’m having such a whale of a time. I’ve learned to play by the game’s rhythm rather than the game I wanted it to be and now it’s become a much more tranquil, relaxed and explorative experience. And I love it.
I have zero doubt in my mind that I won’t be starting anything else until a decent way into 2022 and that’s alright. Just want this thing done and dusted before the sequel!
Is every article about any new game now gonna have comments about the KH cloud versions? I’d prefer if not, I’ve read my fill of them on a couple other articles already. There definitely exists places to express your discontent that aren’t unrelated articles
@Dpullam I’m in much the same boat, I’ve played my share of Kirby games and I’ve never been able to get into them, outside of Kirby’s Epic Yarn which was great but, as we all know by now, wasn’t even originally a Kirby title.
I tried Star Allies briefly and really didn’t enjoy how mindless it was. This, however, looks great. In fact, it’s the first Kirby game I can ever say I’m genuinely excited for. Love the aesthetic, love 3D platformers and the trailer totally sold me. Looking forward to seeing more of it and hearing some critical opinions later down the road
@jello64 thank you so much! We’re going for a meal and then a couple of drinks later, followed by some no doubt tipsy Warioware when get home haha. Thanks again, all the best!
My partner and I put three hours into the demo alone, just trying to beat our joint score (we managed 59 in the end). We had such a blast playing together and it just so happens to be our second anniversary today. She may or may not have confirmed that she’s bought it for us to play together when I get home from work. Very excited!
@Deady I saw on the eshop that Baldo was going for tree fitty. I was about to enter my card info before I paused for thought... I checked some google images of NAPS, the dev team, and who do I see is the ceo? Not some hard-working, passionate game designer but a 16 foot tall monster from the paleozoic era
New Timesplitters, be it remaster or sequel, will for sure be shown. They confirmed not long ago in an official statement that they were working on a new Timesplitters.
The ‘hope you are ready, kids’ is definitely a Spongebob reference (‘are ya ready, kids’), so considering they released Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated, I’m guessing there’s a sequel of sorts to that coming or a remake of another old Spongebob, maybe the movie game.
My last takeaway is that there will most certainly be a timely video game tie in of The Mighty Boosh, as evidenced by the reference to the shows intro quote
@BloodNinja you just awakened a memory in me that has been long dormant. It was the Official Nintendo Magazine for Skyward Sword. I remember they awarded the game a 98% (I think that’s right) but the whole review seemed to be skimming around any info outside of what was already common knowledge, no sort of incidental info. Even at the time, when I was so excited for both the game and their review, I felt the article was so lacking and light. I wonder if this is a thing, outlets putting out their reviews without having actually touched the game.
@Silly_G I don’t see Trey and Matt ever putting anything out for a quick buck. Parker has been worth at least $500 mil for a good few years and Stone not far behind. Can’t imagine money would have all that much meaning at that point.
Plus, the Six Days to Air doc showed just how passionate Trey is about the show, essentially spiralling into a mini breakdown when he released an episode that he didn’t feel was up to snuff. On top of nearly killing himself voicing Fractured but Whole when seriously ill and the funk they both got themselves into when they saw the quality of the 64/psone game.
But hey, I’m a massive fan of these two and of course I wanna believe that. As you say, time will tell!
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Re: Feature: 8 Unanswered Questions We Have About Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
I don’t get the ‘Palida’ joke? Could somebody explain please??
Re: Talking Point: Professor Layton And The Lost Franchise: Where Did The Beloved Puzzle Series Go?
I got the first Professor Layton Christmas Day of the year it released. Wanted it so badly but was unsure my parents would be able to nab a copy as it was sold out continuously here in the uk when it came out.
I have very fond memories of sitting in the living room until late at night with all the lights off bar my DS screen and the Christmas tree lights flickering. It was downright magical and I remember telling my friends at the time it was my new favourite game of all time, surpassing even OoT (which, funnily enough, I don’t think I’d even put in my top 5 these days).
While I don’t think QUITE so highly of it these days, I do still think the first four were wonderful titles, particularly the third. Two and four I kind of liked at the time (I’ve replayed them all since and have warmed to those two a lot more and don’t think there’s a great deal of quality difference between the first four) but Village and Future hold a very, very special place in my heart.
Having said that, Miracle Mask was the weakest of the original six and after feeling very lukewarm on it and Azran Legacy (even after a replay), I kind of fell off the series. It would be a long time until I returned for PLvsPW and LMJ.
Long story long, I really didn’t like either. I felt the puzzles were lame and the stories in both were so lacking. Sure, the former had an interesting narrative hook but that reveal at the end threw a bucket of cold water over the whole game, while it was already on shaky ground.
So, would I like more Layton? Yeah!!!! Despite not having enjoyed the last four titles (I did like the very tangentially related app game though), I’m a sucker for pining for the past. Would I rather a future without Layton or a future with a Layton that’s a husk of what it was? I’ll always go the latter because, no matter how unlikely, there’s always the anticipatory promise that the magic could be back
Re: Beacon Pines Combines Woodland Critters And Twin Peaks On Switch This September
@Astral-Grain that gum you like is going to come back in style
Re: A New South Park Game Has Been Teased
Matt Stone did an interview a while back when they signed that deal with Paramount and said they were currently working on a 3D South Park game. I imagine this is that
Re: Random: Xenoblade Chronicles' Shulk Cutscene Was Originally 'A Little Creepy'
So I played XC 1 a couple years back to completion (took me 126 hours!!) and really enjoyed it.
Really keen to play XC3 but know for certain I’m gonna do 2 beforehand. My question is - does X fit into the story at all aside from a few nods (such as Monado hair clips)? Or is it safe to skip that one, as I’ve heard it’s longer than 1 and I already have a 100-150 hour game between me and 3!
Re: Poll: Digimon Survive Is Finally Available, Will You Be Getting It?
@Friscobay i mean, if you read the article, they clearly say:
“At this point in time, there doesn't really seem to be any reviews for the game online - with a lot of outlets only receiving codes now.”
Seems like the game might be a tad dodgy if critics are just now receiving their review codes (never a good sign). You surely can’t expect NLife to review a game that they haven’t had the chance to play yet? I feel you’re looking into motives too much when all the answers are in the body of the text and pretty cut and dry
Re: Rumour: Immortals Fenyx Rising Spin-Off Will Be "Less Of A Copy Of Breath Of The Wild"
@Not_Soos funny you say that - I only saved up for my first non-Nintendo console this year and splashed on a Series S! Psychonauts was one of my first to go to after having heard so much about it, but It Takes Two was actually the very first! I played it with my partner and it was honestly one of my greatest gaming memories in recent years. Happy gaming to you and have fun jumping into all sorts of new worlds when you get that PS5!
Re: Rumour: Immortals Fenyx Rising Spin-Off Will Be "Less Of A Copy Of Breath Of The Wild"
@Not_Soos not sure if you’ve played Psychonauts but that game has a brilliant level inspired by reminiscent Spanish culture called Black Velvetopia. It’s also a 3D platformer and, at least from your mention of Odyssey, I assume you enjoy those!
Re: Soapbox: Games Go Down Better When Paired With Books, Movies, And TV, Just Like Wine
Shouldn’t the sub-header here be ‘Well, not JUST like wine. You can't drink a game’, as opposed to ‘book’, since the game is the substitute for the wine here?
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (June 25th)
@IronMan30 how are you finding Psychonauts 2? I just finished Psychonauts for the first time after wanting to play it for years and I found it good but not up to all of the hype it’s received over the years.
I’m about 10 hours into the sequel now and have been enjoying it immensely. For my money, at least so far, it seems to have fixed every gripe I had with the original and seems to be unquestionably a better game
Re: Random: Nintendo Switch Sports Contains A Neat Easter Egg In Its Credits
Removed
Re: Random: Of Course "This Is Miyamoto" Has Become A Meme
@LinkSword thank you for this response, you saved me a reply (at least a less friendly one), as elitism does bother me quite a bit
@Nancyboy it’s so mad to me the comments this article seems to be getting. Over the years I’ve found the Nintendolife community has managed to make itself quite toxic and able to make an issue out of absolutely anything. You could have an article titled ‘Breath of the Wild 2 to Shadow Drop TOMORROW!!!!!’ and there would be countless comments ‘they didn’t give me time to prepare!’ and ‘what, no OoT HD remake to tide us over then?!’
Glad to have people speaking sense in these otherwise baffling comment sections
Re: Sam & Max: Beyond Time And Space Gets Demo And Physical Release
@Silly_G just chipping in - I have a DVD player that I use and no means of playing blu-ray!
Re: Square Enix Officially Announces Kingdom Hearts IV
@ReaperMelia oh for sure, apologies if I came across any way confrontational, I was sort of just thinking out loud about it haha. I swear there have been instances before where ‘gameplay’ was shown in promotional material that turned out to be scripted but didn’t declare it and ultimately proved controversial? Something like Aliens: Colonial Marines or No Mans Sky or something.
Anyway, thanks for being cool! Just thought it was interesting 😊
Re: Square Enix Officially Announces Kingdom Hearts IV
@ReaperMelia I feel that but I also wonder if a HUD need be applied to show off a new mechanic? I think if they had just shown the trailer as was without it, audiences would for sure still notice Sora slinging a hook shot about and say ‘oh, I guess we get a hook shot in this one’
Re: Square Enix Officially Announces Kingdom Hearts IV
@ReaperMelia yeah I guess I was perhaps stating the obvious, maybe why I haven’t seen anybody else mention it. Not too familiar with the series so wasn’t aware they’d done it before. Just seems weirdly disingenuous and pointless to add when it’s so blatant but hey ho!
Re: Square Enix Officially Announces Kingdom Hearts IV
I haven’t seen anybody mention that that gameplay is almost definitely not gameplay. That’s for sure just more cutscene with a HUD slapped over the top. I know graphics are pretty great these days but everything about it felt far too meticulously fluid for me to even entertain that that was gameplay footage
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (February 5th)
Very recently got a side hustle writing for a publication about film and video games (finally doing something with that degree 4 years out of uni) so my days off from my main job shall be spent pitching and writing articles over there. I feel my gaming time is therefore going to become much more limited hereon out but I have recently played through the first two Oddworld games and am now on Strangers Wrath, so will be playing that when I get the chance.
The first game is a damn masterpiece and rocketed it’s way into my top ten of all time. Munch’s Oddysee was very... repetitive and, honestly, a bit of a slog (not that kind). From something like a 9/10 to maybe a 5 or 4/10.
Having only played an hour, Strangers Wrath seems really great, though. I could see Munch’s Oddysee straining to make itself work in trying to adapt the mechanics of the 2D title into 3D and it just didn’t really happen. I’m really glad they went in a completely different and genuinely original direction for the next one
Re: Limited Run Games Is Opening Its First Physical Store In Spring
@Silly_G good comment, I guess my lack of empathy with regards to the hate people hold for the company made me swing the complete other way and resulted in me omitting a lot of the less-than-great factors.
Yeah, I don’t think they’re perfect and I think you brought up a lot of good points in a way that I wish was more common in these dialogues.
Anyway, that’s about it. I’m not going to be changing my name to Limited Run James anytime soon (my name’s Alex, besides) but I also just don’t get the rampant loathing the company garners. I mean the following in utter sincerity and in no way trying to provoke: can anybody give me some good reasons why people hate these guys so much?
Re: Limited Run Games Is Opening Its First Physical Store In Spring
@Wexter you’re doing gods work, my friend. I’m not even this huge advocate for them, I’ve only ever used their service twice (Yooka-Laylee and Bug Fables) but I knew exactly what I was getting in to and it came when expected with no dodgy business or hidden costs.
I think people have this misconception, I see a lot people talking about ‘you have to be there at the first second and if you miss out, that’s it’ but that’s just not how the business works on a fundamental level. As you know, there are order windows.
I just find it difficult to understand what exactly it is that rubs people up the wrong way about the company cos I knew this comment section would be a negative one before I even clicked. They do exactly what they say they’ll do and they get games out that otherwise wouldn’t have physical. “But they offer collectors editions that are ridiculously priced and offer little!” Buy the regular edition. “You say some games wouldn’t get a chance at physical but they’ve published some pretty high profile games that could’ve been otherwise funded!” Hey, if you were them and a big name came to you to publish their game, wouldn’t you?
Anyway, I didn’t realise it bugged me this much til I started writing this. I’ve yet to see a good reason why anybody would wish for their collapse
Re: 'YIIK: A Post-Modern RPG' To Receive Free Definitive Edition Update This Year
@Solomon_Rambling you’re welcome! Honestly, Running Shine is great and I don’t see anyone talking about the guy. He just released an OoT review and it’s equally entertaining and interesting
Re: 'YIIK: A Post-Modern RPG' To Receive Free Definitive Edition Update This Year
The best thing this game did was provide us with one of the best OneyPlays series in recent memory and a brilliant review from Running Shine
Re: Rumour: Epic Working With Paramount, Opening The Door For TMNT In Fortnite
@Mikmoomamimocki I would imagine Parker and Stone wouldn’t be too keen on representing South Park in Fortnite anyway, being the contrarian, anti-establishment folks they are.
While I’m with you on South Park characters possibly never being able to transition pleasingly to 3D, the guys are currently working on a new 3D South Park game with that sweet, sweet Paramount money so it’ll be interesting to see how that pans out
Re: Rumour: Epic Working With Paramount, Opening The Door For TMNT In Fortnite
@CharlieGirl it’s the easiest way to improve something - put a Shrek in it
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (January 8th)
@Dimey I did indeed, it was my first time with the DLC this time around! I definitely wouldn’t have been able to find all those Korok seeds without the Hero’s Path/Korok Mask!
Thoroughly enjoyed both packs, it was really nice to have a new set of shrines in The Champions Ballad. Good luck hunting!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (January 8th)
BotW 100% Semi-Weekly Update
4 Divine Beasts
120 Shrines
900 Korok Seeds
180 hours
I finally did it! 4 years later and after 7 months of my year, I saw all that BotW had to offer (relatively speaking). I really, truly loved it and now I’m ready for Nintendo to take however long they want to finish the sequel off cos I don’t want to step foot in Hyrule again for quite a long time.
For anyone interested in some pics/thoughts I did make a Reddit post:
https://www.reddit.com/r/botw/comments/ruw2st/finally_100d_botw_my_thoughts_and_advice_for/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
After that, I played through Blue Fire to 130%, which was a nice little palate cleanser (very janky and very clearly low budget but the movement was super fun and the first half was really engaging with its dungeons) and have now put 10 hours into my much-awaited copy of Bug Fables, which I am ADORING.
Have a good weekend, all!
Re: Another Klonoa Trademark Has Surfaced Online
@Bolt_Strike yeah, it’s a poor comparison to make. Klonoa is nothing like Kirby and, in my opinion, a much tighter and more fun experience. Saying having a double jump makes Klonoa inferior in comparison to Kirby’s infinite float could be used against literally any other platformer ever made. And the game is designed around clever use of the double jump that is only afforded to you when holding an enemy.
It makes for some super clever platforming puzzles, interesting hidden goodies and really satisfying bounce chain combos. When I first grabbed an enemy and bounced off of him to reach a high up gem in the first level I fell in love with how intuitive and pure fun it felt to control. The games only build themselves around that mechanic from there.
If you’re not a fan of Klonoa, that’s fine, but to say it’s a poor mans Kirby just seems very ill informed
Re: Poll: What's The Best Switch Game Of 2021? It's Time To Rate Your Favourites
@BabyYoda71 depends how 100% you’re talking. If you don’t have a full roster of pals, you have to do everything in that game, at worst, 5 times. I did it with a friend a while back and had to fully do everything three times to get those shiny five gold stars on my file and now I never want to so much as look at that game again
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (December 11th)
BotW 100% Semi-Weekly Update
4 Divine Beasts
105 shrines
708 seeds
140 hours
I finished off Vah Medoh last night and did a couple side quests around Rito Village before going to beddy byes. One section of the map left uncharted (the top left, Hebra - yay, snow, my favourite, dark and mountainous) and I’m very much doubting there will be nearly 200 seeds in one section so I’m guessing I missed some - most likely pre-Korok Mask.
Will start exploring that area tonight and when I’m finished up, I’ll head to Hyrule Castle to gather some more seeds, find my last memory and kill Ganon, which will trigger a bunch of things like the monster medallions and percentage on the map screen. The plan then is to go take down all the boss monsters (I’ve marked most on my map over the course of my game), getting any extra Koroks along the way and, finally, succumbing to the inevitable guide for the final touches.
It’s been a journey but I believe I’m only about one month away from having this thing bested. Woohoo!
Re: Upcoming Nintendo Switch Games And Accessories For December 2021 And January 2022
@nevillebamshew Hey Neville! How's the wife?
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (November 27th)
@kducky11 I was 22 when it released (jeez, now I’m hurtling towards 30) and I liked it but didn’t feel too strongly about it. I think it’s because Zelda is my favourite series of all time and I missed the tighter structure and puzzle design of some of my favourites. Plus, delay after delay led to stratospheric hype that would’ve always struggled to be met.
Coming back to it four years down the line, though, playing it and appreciating it for what it is instead of what it’s not and I feel like I finally ‘get’ it. It may not be my favourite Zelda, or even my second, but it’s a really fun, engaging and absorbing experience and it plays unlike anything I’ve played before in terms of sheer freedom. So yeah, it’s a pretty special game
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (November 27th)
@Krull I picked up both Limbo and Inside last night, having never played them before. I had to at their current prices (got both for free after applying Nintendo points!) and I’ve heard nothing but great things, especially about Inside
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (November 27th)
Breath of the Wild 100% semi-weekly update
3 Divine Beasts
97 shrines
619 korok seeds
125 hours
I’m creeping towards getting all the shrines knocked out now and I know in the grand scheme of things I’m well on my way to all the seeds (over two thirds now) but it’s hard to get too excited about the prospect of still having to find around 300 of the little turds (literally).
But hey, I’ve been having a blast! I’m making my way towards the Rito tribe, scouring every inch of the map as I go. I’ve even been finding things I never found in my initial 115 hour play through such as a foot race which was super easy and offered almost no reward - but it was fun and reminded me of Il Piantissimo which is only ever a good thing.
I’ll throw my hands up and admit I was wrong about this game all those years ago. It truly is something special and I don’t think I’ve ever played a game that I’ve put more than 100 hours into and not felt super burnt out by. I still get excited thinking about playing it while I’m at work which is no small feat considering it’s consumed the last 5 months of my gaming time.
Anyway, happy gaming all and I may or may not update you next week but I’ll definitely update you in 2031 when I do get that elusive 100%
Re: Random: Did You Know That Link Can Get Sunburned In Zelda: Breath Of The Wild?
Spf 100? I hope it’s in stock 🎶
Re: Review: STAR WARS: Knights Of The Old Republic - Still Strong With The Force Despite Dated Design
@SwitchVogel @Mountain_Man thank you very much for your replies. I think I’ll be skipping this one then.
A bit of a shame, I always had envy over these games back in the day when people spoke about how great they were but I had no way to play them. As I’ve grown older, things like continuity, lore, characters, all those things have come to matter a whole lot more to me, to the extent I watched South Park from season 1 to 16 to play SoT and then through to 21 for FBW.
Anyway, I digress. Not being a fan of Star Wars, it looks like I’ll be feeling the sense I’m missing out on a greater understanding/appreciation from what you guys have said. So thank you again for your advice!
Re: Niantic's New Pikmin Game Has Been Downloaded 2 Million Times In Two Weeks
It let me set up an account but then it just closes the app when it gets towards the end of the loading screen
I’ve tried countless times to fire the app up and it just keeps closing itself in the final stretch of the loading bar. I’ve uninstalled and reinstalled, no luck. A real shame as I was looking forward to having something to spruce up my mandatory walks
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (November 13th)
Weekly BotW 100% update
2 divine beasts
84 shrines
489 korok seeds
100 hours
I came close to tackling Vah Naboris recently but decided to explore the whole of Gerudo Desert first. Of course, to do that I needed the sand boots to make traversal of the sand less painful. So, off I went to the Gerudo Highlands tower with snow boots in hand, uncovered that part of the map and proceeded to explore every inch of it. It was quite the hefty detour.
Back in the desert now though, with boots in hand (on foot?) and looking forward to exploring that new vastness. This game is wonderful and I’m now nearly at the same hour count I was when I originally finished the game with 4 divine beasts, 120 shrines and 200 odd seeds (115 hours)
Re: Review: STAR WARS: Knights Of The Old Republic - Still Strong With The Force Despite Dated Design
I have a question. I do love a good RPG with a rich world and characters but I’ve never been a fan of Star Wars. I only ever hear good things about this game, though.
Is it worth picking up to enjoy just as a stand-alone gaming experience or will I lose a lot by not being already invested in the universe?
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (November 6th)
@dugan hey, I know you weren’t talking to me BUT I thought I’d jump in anyway.
Immortals is a pretty good game, if you’ve played any modern Ubisoft game, you’ve played it. It’s a big old map with a bunch of tiny icons that you can chase after which all get pretty repetitive pretty fast. The vaults (or this game’s shrines) are quite good fun and some of the puzzles had me stumped for a little while and some of the challenges therein can be tricky. One even pushed me to take a break before coming back to it.
The combat is also a huge victim of ‘dominant strategy’ in that it’s fun and tough to begin with but you’ll soon identify the heavy hitting attacks and as you upgrade, enemies start to just become punching bags.
The story is alright though and the character interactions (while not funny at all IMO) are pretty well realised and adapt well to previous progress. Overall, I’d say it’s a short bursts kinda game. It took me about 50 hours to 100% and most of that was really enjoying myself for thirty minutes of a session and then just trying to tick boxes for the next hour or so before putting it down.
I’d say if you find it cheap and you’re after an open world game, it’s a safe bet. It’s just not gonna set your world on fire and you might struggle to see it through
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (November 6th)
Been a crazy couple weeks for me so progress has been slow on BotW.
I’m now at 95 hours, 458 seeds, 77 shrines and 2 divine beasts. Slowly getting there but I must say, now Hestu has fully upgraded my slots (not loving that sentence), the excitement of finding a seed has died down significantly. Still going for everything though and I truly believe I’ll have this game 100%’d in time to give me some breathing space before the sequel.
I’ve really fallen head over heels for this game in a way that I didn’t come even close to in 2017. I’ve been sort of indifferent about the sequel but now the idea of having new areas to explore within this framework with some new mechanics is just stupidly exciting.
Have a good weekend, all, I’ll be continuing to fool nobody in Gerudo Town of my vai status
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (October 23rd)
Started my second playthrough of BotW a few months ago. Last time I played it was at launch where I put 115 hours into it, finished it with all shrines complete but not all korok seeds.
This time I’m going for EVERYTHING. So far I’m 85 hours in, I’ve done 2 divine beasts, 71 shrines, 430-odd korok seeds. No walkthrough used yet but I’m under no illusion I won’t use one when it comes to mopping up the remaining seeds when I’m done. For now though, the hero’s path in tandem with the korok mask are proving invaluable in my scouting every inch of the map.
My views on the game originally were that it was great but not so much for me. Zelda being my favourite series, though, I stuck it out. This time around, I’m having such a whale of a time. I’ve learned to play by the game’s rhythm rather than the game I wanted it to be and now it’s become a much more tranquil, relaxed and explorative experience. And I love it.
I have zero doubt in my mind that I won’t be starting anything else until a decent way into 2022 and that’s alright. Just want this thing done and dusted before the sequel!
Re: We Take A Peek At Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp's Hype Cards And Story
Is every article about any new game now gonna have comments about the KH cloud versions? I’d prefer if not, I’ve read my fill of them on a couple other articles already. There definitely exists places to express your discontent that aren’t unrelated articles
Re: Here's Your First Look At The Switch Box Art For Kirby And The Forgotten Land
@Dpullam I’m in much the same boat, I’ve played my share of Kirby games and I’ve never been able to get into them, outside of Kirby’s Epic Yarn which was great but, as we all know by now, wasn’t even originally a Kirby title.
I tried Star Allies briefly and really didn’t enjoy how mindless it was. This, however, looks great. In fact, it’s the first Kirby game I can ever say I’m genuinely excited for. Love the aesthetic, love 3D platformers and the trailer totally sold me. Looking forward to seeing more of it and hearing some critical opinions later down the road
Re: Random: IGN's 'Best Video Game Of All Time' Tournament Is Getting WILD
Removed
Re: Poll: WarioWare: Get It Together! Is Out Today On Switch, Are You Getting It?
@jello64 thank you so much! We’re going for a meal and then a couple of drinks later, followed by some no doubt tipsy Warioware when get home haha. Thanks again, all the best!
Re: Poll: WarioWare: Get It Together! Is Out Today On Switch, Are You Getting It?
My partner and I put three hours into the demo alone, just trying to beat our joint score (we managed 59 in the end). We had such a blast playing together and it just so happens to be our second anniversary today. She may or may not have confirmed that she’s bought it for us to play together when I get home from work. Very excited!
Re: Review: Baldo: The Guardian Owls - Exquisite Ghibli-Esque Art Can't Hide Tortuous Gameplay
@Deady I saw on the eshop that Baldo was going for tree fitty. I was about to enter my card info before I paused for thought... I checked some google images of NAPS, the dev team, and who do I see is the ceo? Not some hard-working, passionate game designer but a 16 foot tall monster from the paleozoic era
Re: THQ Nordic Teases Six New Game Announcements In Geoff Keighley-Hosted Showcase
New Timesplitters, be it remaster or sequel, will for sure be shown. They confirmed not long ago in an official statement that they were working on a new Timesplitters.
The ‘hope you are ready, kids’ is definitely a Spongebob reference (‘are ya ready, kids’), so considering they released Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated, I’m guessing there’s a sequel of sorts to that coming or a remake of another old Spongebob, maybe the movie game.
My last takeaway is that there will most certainly be a timely video game tie in of The Mighty Boosh, as evidenced by the reference to the shows intro quote
Re: Review: Axiom Verge 2 - A Fantastic Follow-Up To A Classic Metroidvania
@BloodNinja you just awakened a memory in me that has been long dormant. It was the Official Nintendo Magazine for Skyward Sword. I remember they awarded the game a 98% (I think that’s right) but the whole review seemed to be skimming around any info outside of what was already common knowledge, no sort of incidental info. Even at the time, when I was so excited for both the game and their review, I felt the article was so lacking and light. I wonder if this is a thing, outlets putting out their reviews without having actually touched the game.
Re: A New 3D South Park Game Is Reportedly In The Works
@Silly_G I don’t see Trey and Matt ever putting anything out for a quick buck. Parker has been worth at least $500 mil for a good few years and Stone not far behind. Can’t imagine money would have all that much meaning at that point.
Plus, the Six Days to Air doc showed just how passionate Trey is about the show, essentially spiralling into a mini breakdown when he released an episode that he didn’t feel was up to snuff. On top of nearly killing himself voicing Fractured but Whole when seriously ill and the funk they both got themselves into when they saw the quality of the 64/psone game.
But hey, I’m a massive fan of these two and of course I wanna believe that. As you say, time will tell!