Jump to content
NEurope

Leaderboard


Popular Content

Showing most liked content since 09/16/05 in all areas

  1. 23 points
    It's taken two years, 4 cancellations, more than I care to think about re-bookings and countless emails, only 6 people and social distancing. But we did it.
  2. 18 points
    N-Europe Turns Twenty-Two Yes, we nearly forgot again, but it's basically tradition at this point. Anyway... that's not all, we also wanted to let everyone know about the future of N-Europe. The site isn't going anywhere but @Ashley is stepping down as Editor-in-Chief in order to focus on personal things. He's not going anywhere either, as everyone knows that you N-Ever truly leave N-E and we wouldn't want him to either, the place wouldn't be the same. But he has asked me if I wanted to take on the role of Editor-in-Chief so that he can take the time he needs and I'm honoured to accept the role. I hope you'll all join me in saying Thank You to Ashley for all that he has put into the site over the years though and wish him the very best. If anyone deserves a break then it's definitely him and I'm happy to do my very best to help by keeping N-Europe running and trying my best not to break anything. Thank you to everyone involved with N-Europe and the forums, to every staff member, forum member and reader, plus thank you to our N-E Supporters. (and thanks once again to @RedShell for that fantastic banner which I'm very happy with and especially at very short notice) Here's to N-Europe in 2020 and beyond. I'd say more but there's a fair bit in the article and I really don't know what else to say except thank you to the best community and site I've ever known on the internet. It's a joy to be part of N-Europe and I wouldn't have it N-E other way.
  3. 18 points
  4. 15 points
    We're really sorry for the downtime over the last couple of days. Automatic payment for the hosting didn't proceed as it should, leading to a short downtime a few days ago, which I quickly resolved. Then, 24 hours later, the hosts demanded payment again. Since our generous Patreon supporters keep the server alive, I didn't want to just throw their money at the problem to make it go away. But, unable to get ahold of them to determine why I needed to pay a second time, I couldn't get the forum to come back up. With the looming threat of the account being deleted if payment wasn't made within 72 hours, and still no response from the host, I gave in and paid again. Now to chase them and make passive-aggressive comments about them on Twitter.
  5. 15 points
    So my wife gave birth! Woohoo!
  6. 15 points
    Wait what, the Nivea anti-perspirant spray is now confirmed for Smash??
  7. 15 points
    Recently, I have been reading more and more requests for the Virtual Console to be on the Switch but has the absence of the service been a big miss for the Switch eShop? This is a question I have been asking myself over the past few weeks. After thinking about it I think the answer is not only no but also that the eShop and many developers/publishers have benefitted by the absence of the Virtual Console on the Nintendo hybrid system. Inti Systems have shown great support for their games with free DLC The Virtual Console launched back during the Wii era and was a great way for fans to buy digital versions of the games they used to play in their childhood. It was also a good way for new fans to play the games that inspired the ones that they play today. I think a lot of people would agree that the Wii era of the virtual console was when the service was at its peak, due to the range of consoles that the service offered. Fast forward a generation and the virtual console returned on both the Wii U and 3DS. While the 3DS got some offerings from Sega, the Wii U VC was left wanting and as such the lineup was severely lacking. There was also the issue of players having to wait months for games they wanted, as Nintendo continued to drip feed the games to its fanbase. While the VC in this generation did offer new features like save states, the lack of support from 3rd parties and the rate at which games were being released really killed off any excitement. When the Switch was confirmed to be a hybrid myself and others were thinking of the possibilities of finally having a Nintendo machine that could play all of the classic games at home and on the go. The games on the service would look fantastic on the Switch’s screen and having a library of games to play wherever you went would be a dream come true. Sadly, this has yet to happen but is this a bad thing? It was Kamiko, not BOTW, that pushed me to buy a Switch Whether the no show of the virtual console on Switch has been by design, problems with getting the system up and running on the Switch or even Nintendo just simply not wanting to do this kind of thing anymore, the fact is that this has been a blessing in disguise for the smaller developers/publishers that have put their games on the Switch. You look at the sales of some of the eShop games on the Switch and you can see a trend happening with the developers/publishers who are putting the time and effort into the service. We are starting to hear more and more success stories from these developers. Just yesterday we heard from the developers of Wonder Boy (Lizard Cube) saying how the Switch version of the game sold more copies on Nintendo’s console than the 3 other platforms combined. Mixed Bag Games, who developed Forma.8, quickly followed up also stating that the Switch version of the game had been the most successful. Today we heard from the developers of Oceanhorn telling a similar story, that the Switch version of their game has seen the most success. This isn’t a new trend either. Earlier in the year we heard from Skipmore and they were also pleased with the sales of Kamiko, saying that the game sold over 110k worldwide. A similar story was posted by Inti Creates who have been happy with the performance of both Blaster Master Zero and Mighty Gunvolt Burst. Hamster Corporation has also found success on the platform, with many of their Neo Geo games selling very well on the Switch. The common theme is that small developers and publishers are seeing the Switch as a great platform for their games. Graceful Explosion Machine is a great game that launched soon after the Switch had hit the market So, what does this have to do with the Virtual Console? A couple of points come to mind. Nostalgia is a hell of a drug, especially when it comes to Nintendo products. I know myself that Nintendo has a strong pull on me and I’m sure it’s the same for others, as well. The Virtual Console is nostalgia in digital form. It can send you back to your childhood and remind you of a better and simpler time. When it comes to making a choice between a game that you've never played or one that you have fond memories of, it is easier to select something that is safe and you know you’ll enjoy, despite playing it a thousand times over. Secondly, in my experience many Nintendo only gamers just stick to what they know. This is backed up by 3rd parties in past generations talking about how Nintendo only gamers tend to just buy Nintendo games and this is one of the reasons why the big AAA 3rd parties haven’t bothered with Nintendo consoles in the past. Nintendo games are kind of like a safety net or a comfort blanket for a lot gamers. Of course, it’s not always as cut and dry as that. Not everyone can buy every game that they want and certain people have to be selective with both their money and how they spend their time. It’s easy to see why people would gravitate more to what is familiar. Also, Nintendo are well known for the amount of polish that they bring to the table when it comes to making their games and this was true even back during the early days. When time and money are limited, again, it’s easy to see why people would choose the safe, but very polished, option of a Nintendo game . Craving a Mega Man game? Why wait for the VC when you can play Mighty Gunvolt Burst With the Virtual Console not being on the Switch, many Nintendo gamers are trying out these alternative games. These are games that I imagine many would not have tried if something like Super Metroid or Link to the Past had been available to buy, but because these games aren’t available yet, smaller developers/publishers are having their chance to shine and are making a name for themselves. Many have compared the Switch to the Vita and I think it’s a very good comparison to make. The Vita struggled to get any big support from 3rd parties or even Sony themselves. This left the door open for many indie developers to push their games on the platform and carve a niche audience out for themselves. The same is happening on the Switch. Without the Virtual Console games hogging the spotlight and taking the money away from the fanbase, the indies are thriving on Nintendo’s hybrid. Conclusion I’m not here to say that the Virtual Console is a bad thing, nor will I be upset once the service finally arrives on the Switch. I’m very much looking forward to seeing the classic games of my childhood on my Switch screen. What I will say is that there are over 100 titles on the eShop at the moment, with more on the way, and a lot of them are highly rated and amazing games. Instead of wishing what was on the Switch, take a look around a see what is already on offer. The Virtual Console service will come but in the meantime there are a host of quality titles waiting to be played. Instead of pining after games that you have already played, take a chance on something new and create some new memories.
  8. 14 points
    Hello, everyone, It is I, Mr. Sproukurai. A couple of weeks ago I noticed on the Switch's News Channel that there was a contest to make the best screenshot in Smash using Min Min as the theme, followed by a second snapshot contest the week after with no set theme. I figured that I would give it a go and try to win me that £50 eShop credit, and spent my free time over the past couple of weeks taking a bunch of photos. I thought I would share them here too on the off chance someone might enjoy them. I took... quite a few, so apologies in advance to any mobile users. At least I restrained myself and left the descriptions tweet-sized for you! Week One: Min Min Sluuurp! This snap uses Piranha Plant's side special to appear as if it's slurping on Min Min's noodle arm. A common technique I used in these snaps was to play in team battle so that attacks wouldn't hit fighters I was taking snaps with. Superspicy Curry provides Min Min's pained face. Dragon got your Tongue? What I originally had in mind was Yoshi's tongue and the Dragon ARM's "tongue" touching, but when taking things one frame at a time, I encountered this situation which looked far better, so I ended up using it instead. Go! MegaPac-ARM! I wanted to "create" an ARM, and turned to Pac-Man due to his similarity to the Megawatt ARM. Pac-Man's side taunt has a single frame where he's missing his arms and legs, which was great for the purpose of this image. Wouldn't you like to use this in ARMS, too? Go! MegaWakkARM! This was the originally intended version of the ARM I desired to create. Min Min is standing a little further back compared to the previous snap because she's using the Ramram ARM, which has detached and is flying off camera. Had I used the Megawatt it would appear in his mouth. I choose you! Mechazard! I hope its power cord is long enough... Min Min has taken a Super Mushroom for this snap, because otherwise her Dragon ARM wouldn't be able to cover Charizard's head. Charizard has grabbed a Smash Ball to make itself look more intimidating. With those flashes in Mechazard's "mouth", what do you think its true face is? Dragon vs Dragon This was taken within the Rayquaza spirit battle to make it easier to get photo opportunities with Rayquaza. Still, trying to take a photo whilst fending off a CPU Ridley was a pain. Strong winds are in effect in this spirit battle, which made for a nice bonus visual. Year of the Rat 2020: A Tiny Tag Along Did you remember about Munchie in Eight's pocket? To get Min Min at eye level with Munchie, I had to have someone perform a footstool jump on her. The fact that she makes a face that alludes curiosity was a fortunate bonus. Year of the Rat 2020: Resting Rodents. Min Min is just waking up in this snap, thus explaining her expression and position. The bubbles coming from Pikachu and Pichu could just as easily be interpreted as coming from the Dragon ARM's nostrils. Don't you hate it when your arm falls asleep on you? That's quite a reach. This can't happen of course, but because of the stage I think it makes you believe it could for a moment. I took this in tourney mode, which allows you to have fighters that use the same outfit in the same match. That allowed me to use Min Min's dragon arm transformation here. You're your own worst enemy. Once again tourney mode was used so I could use Min Min's dragon arm transformation for this snap. Min Min is using her ability to use both her ARMS at once to turn around to face the Dragon ARM, and Superspicy Curry is used again to give her a shocked looking expression. Nooo! Such range does not belong in this world! Richter is standing on a platform to the right of the stage, whilst Min Min is positioned to the left of the stage. Thanks to Wii Fit Studio's mirrors, she looks like she's directly behind him, or perhaps a mental image. Don't feel too bad, Richter! Your range is still not bad! Mega Man's Mega-What?! This time, I wanted the appearance of someone other than Min Min using an ARM. Mega Man was perfect thanks to his Mega Buster and ability to use the techniques of others in his games. Min Min's pose is the result of her slipping on a Banana Peel. Balance is the Key When you think or martial arts, one image you may think of is that of someone balancing on a tall and thin object or structure. Thankfully Garden of Hope provided me with such a structure for this snap. I'm also glad I could include Min Min's ramen buddies Kirby and Falcon here. The Snake that's a Rope and the Dragon that's an ARM I thought that the Dragon ARM and Lucas' Rope Snake shared a few similarities, so figured I'd make a snap including them both. Getting the distance between Lucas and Min Min just right so I could get as much of Rope Snake in the shot as possible without Lucas' arm took some time. Hey, name's Rope Snake. Lemme guess: Dragon Strap? During the process of taking the previous snap, I remembered the dragon on Min Min's back, and thought Rope Snake attempting to interact with it under the impression that it too was sentient would be amusing. The fighters are giant here, allowing me to get "closer" to them. Da na na naaa~! ...Am I doing this right? Min Min takes on the classic pose from the Zelda series by holding a Special Flag above her head. For the chest, Kirby's down special attack was used. The chest didn't actually cover the entire Special Flag, so I had to angle the camera in such a way to hide it from view. Da na na naaa~! Ahh, so that's how you do it. This version has Min Min pull up some Grass to create the same pose, but with a freshly plucked Heart Container instead. Min Min's hat reminded me of Link, which was the inspiration for this and the previous snap. Naturally, I simply had to include a Link in at least one of them. Whoa... The Sandbags in Smash are... so cute! Upon looking at Min Min holding Sandbag, it almost looked as if she was hugging it. One portion of Superspicy Curry to make her blush and this image is the result. Sandbag is certainly cute, and if Nintendo were to release Sandbag plushies, I think I'd want to give one a hug, too. C'mon, Mac, this distance is nothing! What is Doc even teaching you?! This snap came about when coming up with ways to force Mac to fight from a distance whilst training with Min Min. New Donk City Hall was great not only for its long falls, but also its similarity to New York, where Little Mac can often be seen training with his coach, Doc Louis. I want my item! I wanted a snap involving the ARMS Drone, but my initial idea of Snake riding it didn't pan out, so strapped for time, I settled for a snap of Min Min giving it a good thwack. I guess it is what you do to the poor thing in ARMS, but I feel the snap kinda lacks creativity... Ah, so that's where you were all hiding. I wanted a snap with the ARMS Mii Fighter costumes, but I wanted it to look like it was actually the fighters from ARMS. This was the solution I came up with. Min Min's head is smaller than a Mii Fighter, so I had her chow down on a Super Mushroom to minimise the difference. The Ramen Bomber "The Ramen Bomber" is the title given to Min Min in ARMS as well as on the Boxing Ring stage, and I wanted to create a snap that as evocative of that title. I decided on a snap with her dancing elegantly through an explosion (which was fittingly provided by a Bomber item). Mini Min Min The caption came before the snap for this one. The taunting Ken and Terry are both using a Max Brass spirit to make them super giant, whilst Min Min has been hit by a Lightning Bolt to make her tiny. Positioning them all just right before transformations wore off took many tries! Week Two: Anything Goes Hiii~! In the process of setting up this snap, I realised that there is a cooldown period before you're allowed to reenter a pipe (this also applies to the pipes that can appear in Pictochat 2). Kinda defeats the fun of the stage if you ask me, but I understand why it was made this way. You wouldn't know a good game if you were in it! We never had any of this fancy 3-D stuff! Oh no, we had to survive on what we had! And what little we did have, we were happy with! I'm using a giant Mii Fighter (wearing a Monkey Suit and Vince's Hat) to depict Cranky Kong. Truth be told, I secretly wanted Cranky in Ultimate... That's one cool bear, over there I had a different version of this snap with Banjo using his polar bear alternate colours, but I felt it made for an image with too much white in it, so stuck with the bear and bird's usual look for some added colour. Hmm... maybe the Polar Bear and Condor should team up, too... Uwahhh! Since when did you have those?! A leftover Sandbag idea from when I was creating snaps themed on Min Min, that makes use of Snake's unique grab. I imagine Snake has some trouble employing a chokehold on something which doesn't have a neck, but it looks like Sandbag is enjoying whatever he's doing here. Mother's behind me? Don't be ridiculous, I've been VERY quiet. Now let me return to beating my Balloon Fight high score... I wanted to use the Gamer stage to take a snap or two, though it was a bit of a pain trying to get a version of the stage with the game device. The Artist minigame in Game & Wario got a lot of play time with my family, but Gamer was certainly one of the standout solo minigames. Red & Blue I thought of using Charmander on Saffron City as well, but ultimately decided on a snap with the two Pokémon that appeared on the boxart of the first Pokémon games. Pokémon Red & Blue remain very dear to me, so I was very grateful that Pokémon Trainer returned in Ultimate. That's a nice pot you got there. It would be a shame if something happened to it... Another snap inspired by a classic part of The Legend of Zelda: smashing pots that clearly do not belong to you. I went through a lot of stages when trying to get Link to look as dark as possible with the shadow filter. If you can't guess, this was taken on Unova Pokémon League. Argh! This Headache is DeDeDetestable! ...To be honest, this was actually taken in 2019, but I figured I would throw it in anyway. I remember having to be quick to hit pause, as you can't alter the camera angle of finishing blows when they initially land, so it had to be done the very moment afterwards. Gooray! Another Goosom Buddy to Play With! Another snap making use of a Mii Fighter without actually showing the Mii Fighter. This time it was a giant Mii Brawler with a Slime Hat. I really like the jiggling this hat can do, but, uh, more so when playing the game and less so when trying to take pictures... Stay still! GYAAAHHH! Don't surprise me like that! I really wanted to take a snap with a boss. I opted for Marx as he has the best facial expressions of the bosses. The extra sparkles Isabelle has is due to the Great Autoheal effect of the Celebi spirit. She's going to need it, since Marx is firing his laser one frame later! This is Snake. I think I may have been spotted. Another snap with 5-Volt, this time with Snake as her soon-to-be victim. If this picture made you curious, then, no, the box doesn't save Snake from her intimidating glare. Such tactics may work against professional soldiers, but never against a mother who wants you to go to bed. The Class of Smash are quite a handful... One of them doesn't even know how to read! An idea that developed from Pit's "I never learned how to read!" line. Because I needed Robin's tomes, this is the only snap where there are five characters involved. That said, I only needed to control three simultaneously. Joker in particular was hard to position for this one. We Dreamed of Creating the World's Strongest Pokémon... and we Succeeded. The opening scenes of Pokémon: The First Movie was the basis of this snap. I wanted to do one last snap with some characters clipping, and who doesn't enjoy giving someone a Kirby head? Kinda reminds me of the old days when Mewtwo was depicted with unnaturally large head... Kindred Spirits A simple snap taken on the WarioWare, Inc. stage. Wish I could play this up by saying how I only had seconds to take the snap due to the nature of microgames, but compared to snaps that require a single frame, this was easy. But easy is good! It requires far less effort from me! Gotcha this time An idea that made use of Snake's butterfly-shaped C3 explosive. Not too happy with this one personally, but in the end it was the best I could think of. I sure wound up using Snake and the Animal Crossing characters a lot for week two... And speaking of characters I used a lot- This crude image... does it depict a destroyer of worlds? Or an ally to the stars? This is a combination of Kirby with Mr. Game & Watch's copy ability and one of Pictochat 2's transformations. Considering the stage has 20+ transformations, the night transformation has four versions, and the full moon only appears for a short moment, this took a while to take. No one knows from whence he came, only that he has existed for aeons, unchanging and unrelenting. Perpetually roaming the cosmos, he has finally arrived. And now, he has begun to feel. To desire. To think. Within the void, there lurks… a Soul! I tried to use Smash's shock filter here, which inverts colours. Following from the previous snap, I decided on using Game & Watch Kirby again, inspired by the final boss fight from Kirby Star Allies. Did anyone else beat him in The Ultimate Choice on Soul Melter EX difficulty? I beat him using four Ricks. May the Goddess of Light Shine Upon You For the final snap, Final Destination was the only fitting choice. If you're wondering how Pit is enveloped in a beam of light, the answer is that it's coming not from the Goddess of Light, but one of Crazy Hand's attacks. Pit should probably be getting out of the way of that... ...And that's it ! I didn't wind up making a winning entry in the end, but overall, I'd say I enjoyed spending time coming up with ideas for these contests. I used to take a lot of snapshots back in the Smash Bros. Brawl days, so dedicating time to do so once more felt somewhat nostalgic, and was a nice reminder that Smash can be more than just a fighting game. That said, as enjoyable as it was, it was also rather exhausting taking so many snapshots in the span of two weeks, so I probably won't be doing it again anytime soon (unless someone wants to give me fifty quid), but I hope you liked something from this collection nonetheless. Here's four more I took last year to finish off this post, based on the theme of movie posters. Bonus: A Smashing Movie Poster . "It ain't over til it's over." Two Brothers, Two Genres: Superhero Two Brothers, Two Genres: Horror "Thanks for the adventure."
  9. 14 points
    With Pokemon Crystal recently coming out on the 3DS Virtual Console and the Pokemon Switch game looming on the horizon, @Dcubed and I started talking about how the mechanics of Pokemon have changed since way back in 1996. Because we're super cool like that. A criticism of the Pokemon games you see thrown around is that they're "just the same game over and over again" These people know nothing and you should discount their opinions immediately, while the basic gameplay follows the traditional "Catch loads of different monsters and battle them in Turn Based RPG battles" format. It's the underlying mechanics that distinguish each entry. And these mechanics have changed many times over the seven generations of Pokemon. So I'm gonna go look through them and see just how influential each gen was. Generation 1 - Red/Blue/Yellow While there's no denying that Red and Blue will probably forever be the most important game in the franchise (I mean, it started the craze). The mechanics and features that make up the game are almost entirely gone from more modern games. Gen 1 is a very different beast to what you can play these days. That said, Red and Blue introduced a few things that have managed to stick around. And to better understand how things have changed, it would be a good idea to acknowledge these. Version Exclusive Pokemon is a term that most players use to describe a Pokemon that can only be caught in one version of Pokemon. For example, Scyther could only be caught in Pokemon Red while Pokemon Blue had Pinsir instead. Be as cynical as you like, but this was designed to encourage players to trade Pokemon with another person who has the opposite version. (Not to encourage people to buy both versions, only nutjobs do that) It bloody well worked, I remember bringing my Game Boy to my Primary School and trading Pokemon with other kids. Which brings me nicely to... The Multiplayer features are the main selling point of the Pokemon series. Using the Game Boy Link Cable, there were two things that you could do with a friend. Trading and battling, it's pretty obvious what they do, so I won't go into too much detail here. Technical Machines (Commonly known as "TM's") are items that you could find in the game that can teach a specific move to one of your Pokemon. Some Pokemon could use these to learn moves that they would otherwise be unable to use. They were one-time usage, with many of them being unable to be obtained again without starting a new game. Making them very valuable items. Well, except Water Gun, no-one cares about Water Gun. There were 50 TM's in Gen 1. There were also 5 Hidden Machines (HM's) which taught Pokemon a move that could actually be used outside of battles. Most of them were needed to complete the game (Except Flash) and once a Pokemon learned a HM move, it could not be forgotten. Effort Values (Also known in Gen 1 as Stat Experience) are more of a hidden mechanic that has also stuck around in modern day Pokemon. (Well, sorta, more on that later) For example, say you have a Charizard that you've trained to Level 50. If you compared the stats of that Charizard to a different level 50 Charizard, chances are they'd be different. That's because of Stat Experience. In Gen 1, whenever you beat a Pokemon, the Pokemon you used would get Stat Experience. These were completely invisible to the player. As an example, beating a Blastoise would net you... 79 HP 83 Attack 100 Defense 85 Special 78 Speed After a calculation that I won't bother going into, your Stat Experience will be added to the base stats of your Pokemon, which makes for the fluctuations of stats between different Pokemon of the same species. Every single stat can effectively be "Maximized" using this making for an extra 64 points in each stat for a level 100 Pokemon. Event Pokemon also saw it's first implementation here with the Mythical Pokemon Mew. Way back then, players had to go to a special event organised by Nintendo with their copy of the game where staff would plug their cartridge into, effectively, a glorified Super Game Boy which would then put the Mew into their party. There's one more mechanic that has stuck around, but it's quite a bit different in how it's implemented. The Third Version is a term that most players use to refer to a Pokemon game that is similar to another set of Pokemon games. These games tend to be enhanced versions of another game. So let me ask you something, what was the first Third Version Game released? While the Third Version is still kicking with Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, it's not in every generation. But I won't get into that yet. Pokemon Yellow is also notable for having the first instance of a Pokemon following you outside of battles. This only applied to Pikachu though, and it's not a feature that is around these days, one of many things that got dropped in future generations, but I'll cover that when I get to them. Anyway, time for me to take a break, next up, I'll be talking about Generation 2, where things start changing and getting interesting. But before I go, I'd like to give my personal thoughts on the mechanics of Gen 1. As a game, I enjoy Gen 1, truly, I do. But the mechanics behind it are incredibly dated, which make gong back to it these days a bit difficult. It was a huge, influential game that would help popularize the Turn Based RPG genre in the west. And I will forever acknowledge it for that. But everything about it has since been improved in future installments. Which is a good thing. But for the love of God, Game Freak. Stop advertising Pokemon games using nothing but stuff that was seen in this Gen. The majority of people who want this kind of stuff stopped playing Pokemon years ago!
  10. 14 points
    YES!!!!!! I got an email from the airport this morning saying they have it!! So fucking happy!! My hori stand was here too when I came back to taunt me, but now I can't wait to try some vertical Namco games!
  11. 13 points
    We're with Alder Hey He was born earlier today, doing really well.
  12. 13 points
    Given that we’ve been trapped inside for the better part of a year and it doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon I thought it would be a good time to pick up a new hobby. I’ve always had an interest console modding but never done any myself. I thought now might be the time to give it a go and see what I can do. I posted in the “What Have You Bought” thread that I’d recently picked up a few tools to get started and @Happenstance suggested I make a thread to document my progress, so here it is! I have a few projects in mind and will document my progress, any ideas or suggestions are very welcome! Project #1: My Japanese GameCube I bought this GameCube back when I lived in Japan and haven’t used it in years. Given the simple nature of the console and the quite nice quick work you can do on it I thought it would be a good place to start. I have a few plans for things to do with this. Mod #1: Region Switch The first mod is a simple one, a US/JP region switch. I don’t actually have any US games here but this is a simple enough project to get started with and very easy to test the success of. I’ve ordered a pack of switches and some cable and hope this one will be pretty easy to get done. Mod #2: Region Identifying Power LED Linked to Mod #1 is installing multiple LED lights such that the power light will be a different colour dependent on the region selected. This is a little trickier than the first but should be easy to test and not cause me too many issues. The LEDs I need for this have also been ordered Mod #3: Controller Port LEDs This is a little trickier than the first two as it will require some gaps be made in the existing body. The idea is to make the controller ports light up when the console is powered on. I need to acquire a glue gun to help with this one but otherwise everything is ready for it. Mod #4: HDMI Output Currently I have to use this mess of bad quality to get my GameCube on my TV: Luckily, the GameCube I have has got the digital output which means there is a kit available that will turn this into and HDMI port. It seems I have a few options on this one so will be doing a bit of investigation into the best way to do this before I take the plunge. Whatever I go with this will be a challenging mod. Mod #5: USB-C Power There are a few parts to this one. A couple of years ago I totally forgot about power differences and managed to blow up... something. I bought a new power supply so the first thing to do was test everything actually works: Great, I have a working GameCube! Being more sensible I now have a step-down transformer but my god does it take up a lot of space: It also weighs a ton. So that I can avoid all of this in the future and not worry about power issues I’ve found a USB-C power board that matches the GameCube power adapter output that I will attempt to install into the console. This one is completely self-created so I have no clue if it will actually work. Based on my research it should do, but it’s untested. So that’s the plan for my first project. Looking forward to getting started on it. Have any of you tried anything similar? Any thoughts or tips?
  13. 13 points
    This would be so amazing <3 <3 <3
  14. 13 points
    You already have. I was repeating your quote to me after I repeatedly mentioned my disappointment about the Shovel Knight DLC campaigns
  15. 13 points
  16. 13 points
    I say we all pick 10 games. We then divide that up by the number of siblings we have. Once that's done, the games that remain will get put into several brackets. Finally, on the next full moon, we will decide on a voting order by reading the entrails of a sacrificed lamb. Simples.
  17. 12 points
    So I was half-watching, half-listening to this video after logging off for the day and getting some grub together. I nearly choked when I glimpsed this Mii out of the corner of my eye, which quite frankly, I'd recognise anywhere: @Mokong @Vileplume2000 @matty_gibbon @Tellyn N-Europe has been cited in this video for Gamecube games that were upgraded (?) with motion controls for the Wii! The sites coverage for New Play Control! must have been killer for the search engine algorithm to have seen fit to shine some light on this corner of the Internet. N-E woz 'ere. Game Japan [10] Europe [8][11][12][13] North America [14][15][16] Australia [5][17][18][19][20] Chibi-Robo! June 11, 2009 Unreleased Donkey Kong Jungle Beat December 11, 2008 June 5, 2009 May 4, 2009 June 18, 2009 Mario Power Tennis [note 1] January 15, 2009 March 6, 2009 March 9, 2009 March 26, 2009 Metroid Prime [note 2] February 19, 2009 September 4, 2009[8] August 24, 2009 October 15, 2009 Metroid Prime 2: Echoes [note 2] June 11, 2009 September 4, 2009 August 24, 2009 October 15, 2009 Pikmin December 25, 2008 February 6, 2009 March 9, 2009 February 26, 2009 Pikmin 2 [note 3] March 12, 2009 April 24, 2009 June 10, 2012 May 14, 2009 Me, I only played Pikmin from this series (which I believe I got off you, @Hero-of-Time?) and it worked pretty well with the pointer. Hard to believe it took so long for them to get Pikmin 3 out the door since it seemed like they were gearing up to have it follow the New Play Control! release of the first two entries. Anyone got any lasting memories of these games from N-Es heyday?
  18. 12 points
    So, after playing through the story mode on easy and then playing it again on normal and in co-op (online) I can safely say the game is legit. Here are my thoughts after playing through it. As someone who was born in the 80's, I had the pleasure on being around when the beat-em-up genre was in its prime. The arcade scene was full of games from this genre and each of them were fantastic experiences. Final Fight, Double Dragon, Captain Commando, The Simpsons, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, X-Men...the list goes on. The home market didn't get left out of all the fun. Sega created Streets of Rage, a game series that brought the thrills of the arcade beat-em-ups to the home console. Sadly, when the 3D era of gaming hit, this genre seemed to fade away into obscurity. Sure, they were attempts to bring the genre back in 3D with games such as Spikeout but they never were able to recapture the feeling from those games from the 2D era. Fast forward to today and Sega have allowed another development team to have a crack at bringing the genre back to modern consoles. Have they succeeded or is this a genre that was a product of its time? I'll start off by saying that even though I do enjoy the Streets of Rage series, I have never been the biggest fan of it. Many thought it as the pinnacle of the genre for home consoles but I was always in the corner of Final Fight. However, I do have fond memories of SoR, especially the second game. I tell you this mainly to show that there will be no nostalgia clouding my judgement as a write about the game. The game is set 10 years after the events of Streets of Rage 3. The city is once again under siege from a criminal underworld and it's up to the heroes from the past games to come out of retirement and try and put an end to the crime spree that is plaguing the city. The story is told by using still images, although a few of them do feature some movement. I found these to be a welcome break in between stages. They all look great and they manage to tell the story of the game without ever being intrusive. A lot of games that have tried to tackle this genre in recent times have went a little overboard with such things and it got in the way of the gameplay. Here, the scenes are short, get to the point and then you are straight back into the action. Anyone who doesn't want to watch them can easily skip them with the press of a button. This is a welcome option for those who have already played through the game but I do think they are certainly worth a watch during your first time through the game. The story is told through some fantastic images There are a choice of 4 characters to start off with, with another unlocked once the game has been completed. During my first run through the game I picked Axel and I immediately felt right at home with the game. Pressing Y performs a standard attack and by doing a double tap forward while pressing Y executes Axel's famous fire uppercut. The X button is used for pulling off a special move which is best used for crowd control. Like the original games, you need to be wary when using this move because it will deplete some of your health when you use it. Back attacks can also be used and switching between enemies that are standing either side of you and taking each of them out in quick succession is very satisfying. New to this entry of the series are star moves. These come in limited quantities but by pressing both X and A together you can pull of some flashy moves that can cause a massive amount of damage to anyone that it hits. I found it best to try and preserve these for boss fights but they do come in handy when in a pinch during standard fights. If you search the levels thoroughly you will be able to find extra stars to use. Most of them are in plain sight but there are one or two that are cheekily hidden away. The trusty pipe makes its welcome return Speaking of items, lots of the fan favourites make a return here. Weapons have always been a big part of this genre and SoR4 is no different. Baseball bats, batons, knives, bottles and swords can all be found scattered throughout each of the levels. If you come across one then simply press the A button to pick them up. You can then use them to attack by using the Y button but you can also throw them at enemies by once again pressing the A button. You can actually juggle a thrown item if you are clever enough. Throw an item at an enemy and it will bounce back at you. If you are quick enough you can press the A button again and catch the item, ready for another use. There's not just weapons to be found. Keeping you health fully stocked up is an important part of the game and the apples and chickens make a welcome return. Like any other item, just press the A button when standing over them and you will replenish your health. Gaining high scores was a big part of the arcade scene. It wasn't enough to just finish the game but many also wanted to top the leaderboards. Gaining a high score in this game plays an important role for a couple of reasons. If you get a high enough score during normal play then you will be awarded an extra life. This is something you obviously want to aim for, especially on the higher difficulties. This entry of the series adds to the standard scoring system by adding a combo system on top of hit. When you hit an enemy a combo will start. Keep hitting them and the combo will obviously go up and if you get hit the combo will be lost. The higher the combo, the higher the score you will get and a high score means more lives. It's a great little incentive to try and not get hit and quickly move from enemy to enemy in order to keep the combo going. When you finish the stage you will be graded on how well you've done, with the highest grade being an S rank. Your score is then added to a total score throughout all of your play throughs of the game. This total score has milestones to reach and upon reaching them you will receive hidden goodies. So far these have been extra character skins for each of the original cast members but I still have plenty more to unlock. This doesn't seem like a fair fight One of the things that Streets of Rage is well known for is it's soundtrack and SoR4 lives up to the legacy of the other games. There are some fantastic tunes in the game, some of which are remixes from the original games. I love how the music seems to slowly build up in some of the stages. It can start off quite slow but with each new area that you get to the music slowly starts to pump up. I find it amazing the balance that has been struck here. The music feels fresh and new but at the same time it somehow manages to feel like the original games. It helps that a lot of the themes, such as rock, jazz techno are revisited here, not to mention that the original composers helped out with the game. Visually the game is stunning. Absolutely stunning. I suppose this comes as no surprise to anyone who played Lizardcube's Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap. That game also featured beautiful hand-drawn artwork and I feel that they've taken it to another level with this. Looking at stills, while beautiful, don't really do the game justice. The amount of care and attention that has gone into creating the animations for the characters, both friendly and enemy, is astounding. The background images are also beautiful to look at and the lighting used just enhances the overall visual look of the game. There's a level where you are in the sewers and there is green goo lying on the floor. This goo lights up the darkened area and the lighting effects used look amazing. There are other examples of this scattered throughout the game. Lizardcube have really managed to bring the world alive with the style they've used. It's paid off in a big way. This is just one of the many beautiful locations you will see on your journey Making you way through all 12 stages of the game will take around 2 hours play time. During this time you will see areas such as the sewers, police station, tower and the standard elevator level. It wouldn't be a beat-em-up with an elevator level. Each of these areas do have a distinct look to them and each of them will feature a boss to defeat at the end of them. Getting to the bosses is no easy matter though. You'll have to fight your way through swarms of enemies who do get more aggressive as the game goes on. Some of the bosses you do eventually encounter are nods towards the past games and fans of the series will certainly get a kick (no pun intended) out of them. During the boss fight on the fourth level there is an event that happens that certainly got a smile from me. It's fan service done in just the right way and it was certainly appreciated. Despite the game only having 12 stages and a 2 hour completion time there is a lot to unpack after you are done. You you do enjoy chasing high scores then there are the S ranks to unlock. Stage select is unlocked so you can tackle gaining high scores on a stage by stage basis. Arcade mode is unlocked and that challenges you to try and beat the game without using any continues. The hardest difficulty is also unlocked and there are character skins and other items to obtain. There's plenty to keep people busy if they are looking for more action after the credits have rolled. Beyonce and Rihanna make a special appearance After finishing the game for the first time, I was very eager to see how the game holds up in terms of online play. When you start a game you have the option to host it online. This is done very quickly with a press of a button and straight away I had someone partner up with me. We ended up playing the game together from start to finish. It reminded me of my youth, playing these types of games in the arcades and having a random person come up, put their money in the slot and then join in on the action. There's obviously no voice chat to be had here so you have to make do without communicating. This did cause a bit of an issue during one of the levels. Both of us had very little health and there was a chicken on the floor. Both of use were far too polite to pick it up ourselves and we ended up moving to the next part of the stage without either of us regaining any health. Sadly, the online experience wasn't all fun and games. At times the game did stutter quite a bit and it felt a lot slower than when I played it in single player. I was running the Switch on wifi rather than using my ethernet adaptor and i'm not sure where the second player was actually playing from. It will be interesting to see how it runs with someone on my friend list who is actually in the UK. Conclusion Very few developers are able to take a dead franchise, as well as a dead genre, and bring it back in such a successful way. The game is an absolute gem and it easily surpasses the previous entries in the series. I think if anyone says otherwise then they are clouded by nostalgia, unable to see past their memories of the older games and see what an amazing game that this truly is. Everyone involved in this has managed to create a game that has a place in the modern gaming world and also manages to recapture that feeling from the past. It's a tricky thing to pull off but they have managed to absolutely nail it. This is easily one of the best games of 2020 so far and I'm hoping that the game does find the success it deserves and also kickstarts a revival of the genre.
  19. 12 points
    With most my PS4 gaming pretty much done for the year, I decided to start focusing a little more on my Switch. My final work day until New Year is on Monday and I figured I would spend most of my Christmas holiday just playing catch up on my neglected console. Over the past couple of weeks I've been prepping for my time off and picked up these. Dead Cells and Moonlighter are games I've wanted to try, despite my dislike of rogue games. Both are rated highly and what better way to learn to love this genre than with these two games. Mario Tennis Aces has seen substantial updates since its release and I thought now was a good time to give it a go. Starlink was cheap. Labo is something I have been interested in ever since it got announced and the Labo Vehicle Kit seemed to be the package that offers the most in terms of gameplay. Both Dark Souls and Diablo III have been on my radar for a while on the other consoles but I decided to get them on the Switch so I don't have to worry about collecting trophies. Monster Boy and Mega Man 11 were games I was always going to buy but I had to import each of them as I wanted physical versions. For reasons beyond me we only got the digital versions over here in the UK/EU. Yoku's Island Express and Owl Boy are games critics and gamers, including many on here, seem to really enjoy. Both looked great and quite unique, especially the former, and I thought I would give them a shot. I picked Sega Mega Drive Collection, SNK Collection and Namco Museum Arcade Pac due to enjoying playing older games and arcade classics ( like the Capcom Collection and Hamsters output ) in handheld mode. There's something very enjoyable about playing these types of games on the Switch. I'm looking forward to playing such gems as Shining in the Darkness, Ikari Warriors and Splatterhouse while tucked up in bed. SNK Heroines was bought as I wanted a fighter to play. I swear I'm only playing it for the story! Initially I was going to buy Blade Strangers but finding a physical copy was a little difficult and expensive so I went with this instead. Battle Chasers is another game I wanted to play ever since its release. Again, I picked it up on the Switch so I don't have to worry about trophies but also because I find it easier to play JRPGs on a handheld. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It's Smash Bros. Phew! Quite a few games to get through but I'm looking forward to dipping into each of these in the coming weeks. Oh, I also finally picked up a Pro Controller (Smash version). yesterday. I really should have bought one a long time ago as I'm finding it really comfortable to use. Its got a nice weight to it and the sticks and buttons feel great.
  20. 12 points
  21. 12 points
    I ended up modding my Switch and Joy-cons. And man, am I happy :D. I love those SNES-colored buttons, and it really fits well with the transparent shells. Took a lot of time and had a few problems on the way though, but everything worked well in the end.
  22. 12 points
    The game is now complete, at least the story is. I need to go and revisit the 4th world and mop up all the treasure chests and do all the challenges. There's also 4 ultra hard challenges to do once the game is finished. The ones they call Supa Hard were hard enough, so i've no idea how tough these next 4 are going to be. My Thoughts On The Game The story of the game isn't going to win any awards but it does a nice job of setting the game up. It begins with someone inventing a machine that can merge two things together. It looks to be quite harmless but once the Rabbis get their hands on it then all hell breaks loose. Standard stuff for those mischievous critters. The Rabbids and the Mushroom Kingdom end up merging into one and that's where the adventure begins. Once the cutscenes are over, it's time for you team of 3 to get to grips with how the game plays. The game does a great job of showing you how to play the game but never feels like it is overwhelming you with information. The developers have managed to strike a nice balance of giving you tutorials but also letting you just get on with the game. Whenever a new mechanic is introduced it is done so very quickly. This is refreshing to see because far too many games tend to get bogged down with gameplay details at the start of the game and by the end of it players haven't a clue what they've just been told. This isn't the case with this game. It's a Mario game. Of course there was going to be a snow world. Moving and the positioning of your team around the map is a big feature of the game and could make or break the battle. At the start of the game most of the enemies can be tackled head on and without issue but by the end of the game you will learn that you need to flank around them, skid into them and bounce on them, all in effort to whittle down as much health points as possible per move. Character and weapon selection is another aspect that needs to be considered when entering into a battle. For example, if a map has a lot of high points then Luigi would be the best option. His weapon of choice is a sniper rifle, so getting him to stand above enemies is the ideal solution. Is there a map with a lot of enemies that could do a lot of damage? Then Rabbid Peach is a good option due to her healing capabilities, something which comes in really handy in the late game battles. It's these types of things that stop the game from becoming stale. You eventually get access to a lot of different characters, each with their own moves and weapon sets. Figuring out a team that works best for your own play style is half of the fun and when you manage to get one that works perfectly ( I was using Mario, Rabbid Peach and Luigi) the effects on the enemy when your characters link up moves can be devastating. I hope they've been washed! New weapons can be found/unlocked and bought throughout the game. Most offer a nice damage upgrade and others will give the option of status attacks. These allow you to do things like blind an enemy so they can't use their weapons, stick them to the ground so they can't move, or make them bounce of walls in the hope that you can knock them off the stage for extra damage. These effects only happen if a critical hit occurs, so don't go relying on them in battle but think of them as a nice bonus. Will the real Mario please stand up? Each character has their own skills. Some of these are available for everyone but most of them are unique to each of them. You get skill points for doing various things in the game ( treasure chests, challenges, story battles ) and these are then used to essentially level your character up. It's up to the player to decide how these get distributed. Do you give your character more HP or do you give one of your attack moves an extra boost in power? What's great about this is that if a setup isn't working for you, and you do change your mind, then you can simply empty all of the skill slots and reassign everything. There's no need to fear about making a wrong decision and wasting a slot. The humour in the game is fantastic. Beep-O provides a few unintentional laughs, purely just for the way he talks to others. There are a few times where he has a back and forth with Toad and Toadette and by the end of these encounters he really seems fed up and starts to lose his head with them. The Rabbids themselves are often acting like idiots throughout the game and, depending on your sense of humour, you will more than likely have a good laugh at their expense. When you gotta go, you gotta go. Speaking of humour, I was pleasantly shocked by some of the jokes that made into into the final game. This is a game that features Nintendo's mascot, so I was very surprised by what made it through. There are a few toilet jokes, suggestive themes and even instances where it looks like Beep-O is swearing. Obviously you don't hear or see the words but they cover them up in quite a humourous manner. Even Mario looks shocked at Beep-O's use of language! Ever since Grant Kirkhope announced that he would be doing the music for the game I have been excited to listen to what he would have on offer for a Mario title. Needless to say he doesn't disappoint. Those of us who grew up playing the Banjo games will certainly have a sense of familiarity when going through the various worlds. The colourful tunes that Kirkhope has composed in past games are back and just a good as ever. His take on certain Nintendo jingles are a joy to listen to and there is a nice subtle use of a certain Donkey Kong tune that fans should get a kick out of. Visually the game looks amazing. Ubisoft have done a fantastic job of capturing the Mario artstyle and, at times, making it their own. The worlds are all filled with character. Even the worlds that have a more darker tone still manage to look great and give off that Nintendo/Disney style charm. It's obvious that a lot of care and attention has been poured into the game and it really shows. I bet Luigi is getting Gamecube/haunted mansion flashbacks right about now. The character designs for some of the Rabbids are really something. Whenever a new unit is introduced you get a quick splash screen showing them who they are. You will see them dressed up as all sorts of things, ranging from piranha plants to giants with coffin son their backs. The boss are equally as well designed, with the third boss being a personal favourite of mine. The Rabbids have always had a bit of character to them but with this game there is an extra layer added to them and they also seem less over the top, which will be a welcome thing for many people. Rated M for mature. For those who are worried about the amount of content or length of the game, they have nothing to fear. If you choose to just concentrate on the main story, without looking for an treasures or doing any challenges, then you are probably looking at around 20 hours game time. If you are a trying to get 100%, then this time will be greatly increased. I have spent around 30 hours on the game and have still got a lot of things to do. So what is there to do? There is the main story line. This consists of 4 worlds that are split up into 8 levels, a boss fight and a secret stage. Each of these levels can contain inbetween 1-3 stages. That's already a hefty amount of content right there. You then get ranked on how you perform on each of these stages. To get the best rank you will need to keep every member of your team alive and finish the stage within a set amount of turns. Doing this will get you a gold trophy and a bunch of coins to spend on weaponry. Next up are the challenges. After completing a world you will unlock 10 challenges. These start off as very easy but eventually they get really difficult and you need to really be at the top of your game to complete them. Luckily there is no ranking for these, so you don't need to restart if a team member gets defeated in battle. For doing these challenges you will gain some more coins and skill points. Finally, there are around 40 hidden treasure chests scattered across each world. These contain things like artwork, skill points and new weapons. Most of these chests cannot be picked up until you come back to the world after completing it. This is because you gain a new move to use on the overworld every time you finish a world. The move you need is the one you will obtain from defeat that worlds boss. This is where the main exploration aspect comes into play. Some of the overwolrd maps are quite large and have multiple paths, so finding your way around can take some time. Clearly Mario games were getting made back in ancient times. Despite the game having a colourful look, it can be quite challenging at times, both in the main game and with the various challenges that follow. While I never used it, the game does offer an easy option for players. This increases their teams health, which should help them survive a little better in battle. It's not just the battle but also the overworld levels themselves that can cause difficulty issues. There are many moving block puzzles and some of them can be real head scratchers. I think a lot of people will be surprised by the difficulty of the game and I imagine a lot of young children will struggle to get to grips with it, especially late on. Ubisoft have managed to deliver something special here. The game received a lot of backlash when the leaks happened earlier in the year, so it's been great to see the game come out and be as good as it is. Everyone involved should be proud of the end product that is on offer here. In a time where most Switch games are either small indie titles or multiplayer focused games, this comes as a breath of fresh air and adds a much needed meaty single player exclusive to the Switch's library. If you own a Switch then this is a title you must have for the console.
  23. 11 points
    I figured a thread dedicated for photos/screenshots would be a good idea. This will save clogging up the standard thread. EDIT: As requested, Friend codes, fruit and town names have been added from those whose details I could find. Ike - 5669-7479-4863 - Apples Glen-i - 3034-9087-7910 - Apples -Capim Town Drahkon - 3320-4577-2619 - Pears - Solus Happenstance - 0880-9543-6801 - Peaches Esquiel - 7660-4669-0111 - Oranges Nicktendo - 4100-9168-1923 - Apples Vileplume - 7580-3712-2716 - Cherries Sheikah - 5442-9012-6148 - Pears Tales- 0565-4283-2908 - Oranges -Radiata Aneres11 - 4105-9544-2327 - Peaches - Eternia BowserBasher - 8313-9234-5620 - Peaches S.C.G - 7152-7755-3125 - Pears - Gal Da Val Ugh First Aid - 5697-4258-4783 - Cherries - Lunar Will' (ウィツ) - 2081-4391-3641 - Apples Smeagol - 1077-2707-8116 - Peaches - Bonita Ronnie - 2093-6613-0337 - Cherries - Daybreak Dcubed - 0401-9926-5412 - Oranges - Craphole Helmsley - 7441-4734-3710 - Cherries - Parakeet Mike - 7510-6348-2032 - Cherries Martinist -6129-1854-5794 - Cherries - Windfall Paul - 5331-8300-3351 - Oranges - Motanui RedShell - 8134-4832-4809 - Saltopia -Cherries Kaepora_Gaebora - 2880-3665-8016 - Pears - Ohana Katie - 6735-2719-9192 - Eddage - 4420-2931-9523 - Pears - Selisola Darksnowman - 2409-5161-4135 Markderoos - 5370-4450-2735 - Oranges - Poveglia Ashley - 1128-9271-0239 - Cherries - Tartaruga To get things started, here are a couple of snaps I took this evening/morning.
  24. 11 points
    That's right, this site turns 25 today. It's gone through a few name changes along the way but it's a quarter of a century old. That means we're as old as classics such as Pokémon Red and Blue, Super Mario 64 and Bakushō Jinsei 64: Mezase! Resort Ō.
  25. 11 points
    I was debating whether to just bump the old Wii Skyward Sword topic but I figured I would start a fresh one instead. I’ve been wanting to delve back into the Wii catalogue for a while now and decided to start off with this game. It’s a game I’ve not played since it was originally released. Back then, I never got on with the control scheme and even though I did finish the game, it went down as my worst 3D Zelda game, at least until the arrival of BOTW. Time can change a persons tastes in a variety of things. That being the case, I was eager to see if my thoughts had changed on the game. I could have picked up the Switch version when it releases in a couple of weeks but playing the original version forces me to play the game as it was meant to be played and it makes for a better/fairer comparison to my original feelings. As you can see, I’ve named the file the same as the rest of the Zelda games that I’ve been playing so far this year. You can also see, given the amount of hearts on the file, that I’ve put a little time into the game already. I started my adventure yesterday and will give my thoughts on what I’ve played thus far. I remember when first playing the game that I didn’t care for the long opening section but this time it didn’t bother me at all. As I’ve gotten older I have wanted strong narratives in games such as this and was really on board with how things started this time around. The relationship between Zelda and Link in this game is certainly one of the better ones in the series, with Spirit Tracks also being up there. I think the game does a good job of setting the scene and letting to player get to know Skyloft and its residence during this opening segment. Also, the music in Skyloft is lovely. It’s such a laid back theme. It wasn’t too long before I jumped on my Loftwing and headed out to the big blue sky, before jumping down into the beam of light in search of Zelda. The Sealed Temple area where you land brought back horrible memories of having to fight the Imprisoned numerous times. We’ll see how I get on with that later down the line. I loved exploring the Faron Woods area. Finding the hiding Kikwi tribe, opening up shortcuts and getting to grips with the combat movements, made for a pretty good opening area for the player to get a handle on things. The dousing mechanic is used a bit here or at least it’s supposed to be. I was happy enough to just ignore using it and find my own way around the area. I know there were a lot of complaints about this mechanic but so far it has been pretty much optional as to whether you use it or not. With the Wii audience being what it was, I can see why it was put in and it would definitely help those who are new to playing adventure games. With a newly found slingshot in hand, I headed further into the woods area and came across Gorko the Goron. The guy was talking about the Goddess Cubes and for the life of me I couldn’t remember what they actually done. I feel this will be a common theme going forward. I’ve only played through the game once and that was 10 years ago. Plus, I never bothered with any side mission stuff. At this point I think a lot of it will be like playing a new game. Anyway, I was happy enough to keep an eye out for these cubes during my adventure and I would find out what they do in a little while. Skyview is the first temple in the game. It felt sooooooooo good to play through a proper Zelda dungeon again. Like I mentioned, I don’t remember everything in this game so this was like playing a new dungeon. Some of the puzzles were pretty standard but one puzzle that actually isn’t part of the dungeon itself was when fighting the Skulltula. I thought about cutting the webs but that didn’t work and then I tried to vertical slash it. Nope. A horizontal slash spun it around and then I seen it’s weak point. I figured the slingshot would take care of it here but that wasn’t the case. It then dawned on me that I could actually do a stabbing motion and sure enough that action worked. Lovely stuff. Given the nature of the control scheme, I imagine most enemies will be like this in terms of figuring out how to take them on. I love the beetle item. It’s one of my better memories of the game. The thing is so handy, from knocking down enemies, to picking up items that are hiding away. It’s a very versatile little thing. The big chamber that you enter after getting the beetle is actually one of the areas I do remember, mainly because of the fun you can have when using the beetle item. There’s a room just after said area where there is a rope you need to walk across but there is a Bokoblin on the other side of it. I figured I would be smart and walk across the rope a bit, bait him into getting on the rope and then go back and shoot him off. Genius! I started my walk and he took the bait. As I was walking back I seen that another Bokoblin had snuck up behind me and was also walking on the rope. I was sandwiched! Sneaky little gits. The first boss in the game is found at the end of the temple and it’s a very unique fight. In previous Zelda games the first boss is pretty easy and usually you have to use the item you find inside the dungeon to defeat the thing. That isn’t the case here. You don’t use the beetle and the boss is pretty difficult. When I originally played the game I never really got to grips with how to actually fight Ghirahim properly. During each of the encounters I remember getting frustrated and waggling randomly until I managed a hit. It took ages. This time I learned how to fight him correctly and he was taken down pretty quickly. All it takes is for you to move your sword one way so that his hand goes to that side and then move your sword to the opposite direction and slash. The second phase is easier than the first, with a quick shield bash whilst he’s running towards you leaving him wide open. With him defeated and the tablet piece obtained, it was time to take to the skies again and return back to Skyloft. On the way back I seen that chests had appeared from the cubes that I hit. I now knew what they done! I decided to head to and open these before I returned to base. One of them was on top of the Lumpy Pumpkin building but I couldn’t figure out how to get the thing. It then dawned on me that I could probably just land on that area when I jumped off my Loftwing. Sure enough that’s what it was, although I did face plant into the floor when landing. Not very graceful at all. Back at Skyloft I decided to tackle a few of the side quests that had popped up. I had to find a missing kid and locate the whereabouts of a person who went off on her Loftwing but never came back. The missing child quest was quite fun and I love the character (Batreaux) that you come across. The thing seems a bit insane but harmless enough. Completing this quest was what opened up the other one that I mentioned. This one was also quite simple and just had me fly to an island and then back. After I had helped these people I went exploring around the island, just talking to the islanders and getting to know each of them a little. The amount of charm and character that is in some of them is great. The shopkeeper in particular is hilarious. It’s his animations that crack me up. Thankfully, there was a recent thread on era that highlighted them. Peatrice also cracked me up. She clearly hates her job and doesn’t want to be there. Poor woman. Oh, and Bertie also got a laugh out of me. I burst out laughing when I seen he had his kid strapped to his back. At least I assume it’s his kid…. There’s certainly a lot to love about the people in Skyloft and it’s something that I feel was missing from BOTW. Sure, the settings are different, with BOTW being set in a ravaged Hyrule, but having that central hub to return to and chill out in with these quirky characters is very welcome. Windfall Island was also like this. I noticed Beedle was now flying around the town and so I set about buying all the stuff off him that I could afford. I was still short for a few of the items but I found the pots just outside of the main building where Link’s room is housed a few blue rupees and sometimes red ones as well. I just kept walking in and out of the building and building up my cash supplies before going back to Beedle. It worked like a charm. A guy in town said that I could sell my bugs to someone but I was very reluctant to part with them in case I need them further down the line. With all of that being done, I was ready for my next destination but that’s where I called it a night. So far, so good. I’ve certainly enjoyed my time with the game in these opening sections. I have found the motion controls fine, Fi hasn’t been intrusive yet and even the flying around the open sky hasn’t bothered me. It’s very early days but I’m feeling positive about the whole thing at the moment.
  26. 11 points
    I finally commissioned @Eenuh to do a portrait for us. Gah its so good. (Eenuh I've taken the image from your FB so its got the copyright - I hope thats suitable!)
  27. 11 points
    Might have gotten the wedding photos back...
  28. 11 points
    Hopefully these images will work. Redecorated the converted garage we have in our house. Bought a new Samsung 43 inch TV and some Star Wars framed pictures as well from here. Bought a Last Jedi one as well as Ep4-6. https://www.lawandmoore.co.uk/product/star-wars-4-6-movie-posters/ It’s my little room for gaming which I’m really chuffed with. Just need to add some stuff to go in the glass cabinets. Edit. Ah good. Got them to work. Also bought a new recliner which I lost to my daughter within a day
  29. 11 points
    So last night I of all people was put in charge of my team in work!! Me me?!? What were they thinking giving me ultimate power!! It was overtime and no manager or charge hand wanted to come in so they came looking to us regular workers to step up and lead the team to greatness and I thought OK I've been here for 14 years I'll step up for one night and prove that this trans girl with autism and a stammer can do what I said for many years I had no desire to do 😂 and the plant didn't even burn down!! Woke up to this text from my manager. "Amazing Georgia, a hidden gem u r, such detail and feedback for last night is truly amazing,remember what I have always said, it’s about giving people like yourself the opportunity to demonstrate to the business your ability to achieve more, when I say people like u,I mean, you believe that your ability to achieve more in life is restricted due to your low confidence and mental health stops u from doing so, last nights achievement shows us that you can, and u will again and again Georgia achieve better things in life with a “ can do attitude “ you should be extremely proud of yourself, I am, I have always believed in u G 100%, enjoy your break, again thank u so so much 👍" Feel pretty good right now :).
  30. 11 points
    **WARNING, TOO MUCH TIME ON HANDS ALERT** Firstly, brilliant Challenge @Cube, it was great fun popping in every day and seeing everyones choices and which were more popular than others. I've been noting down everyone's picks with each passing day to see any trends. - Overall, there were a total of 305 games mentioned. - The highest number of game mentions in a single category: FIVE MENTIONS IN ONE CATEGORY: F-Zero GX, Racing Game Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Most Relaxing Navigation FOUR MENTIONS IN ONE CATEGORY: Banjo Kazooie, 3D Platformer Goldeneye, Licensed video game Mario Kart 8, Racing game Super Mario World, 2D platformer Super Monkey Ball, Best mini-game Zelda: A Link to the Past, Opening Section to a Game Zelda: Majora's Mask, Town or Village Zelda: The Wind Waker, Most Relaxing Navigation - The games with the biggest range of categories: SEVEN CATEGORIES PER GAME: Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Favourite Villain / Antagonist, Opening Section to a Game, Best Musical Moment, Credit Sequence, Town / Village, Best Final Mission, Best Boss Battle SIX CATEGORIES PER GAME: Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Most Relaxing Navigation, Town / Village, Best Musical Moment, Saddest Moment, Nicest Graphics / Art Style FIVE CATEGORIES PER GAME: Banjo Kazooie, 3D Platformer, Scariest Moment, Most Interesting Collectibles, Game That Takes You Back to Your Childhood, Personal Gaming Tradition The Last of Us, Opening Section to a Game, Best Story, Scariest Moment, Saddest Moment, Favourite DLC/Expansion The Witcher 3, Favourite Villain / Antagonist, Town / Village, Mini-Game, Licensed Video Game, Favourite DLC / Expansion Zelda: The Wind Waker, Most Relaxing Navigation, Nicest Graphics / Art Style, Favourite Villain / Antagonist, Town / Village, Saddest Moment - Overall, 31 games got 4 mentions or more: - And finally, the moment you've all been waiting for... THE TOP 10 N-EUROPE GAMES OF ALL TIME!!!! CUBE'S CHALLENGE THING With SIX mentions each, 9th and 10th place: With SEVEN mentions each, 7th and 8th place: With EIGHT mentions each, 4th, 5th and 6th place: With NINE mentions each, 2nd and 3rd place: With a whopping TEN mentions, 1st place goes to: There we have it, I think we can all agree the winner is also the greatest game ever made. No? Ok fine, close enough. On a personal note, HARD MODE GET!, who else? PS: Sorry @GenericAperson you must have posted while I was working on this!
  31. 11 points
  32. 11 points
    ...and just like that, I'm engaged. My ring that I'm currently waiting to be made:
  33. 11 points
    While the Wii Shop isn’t closing until next year, we will be losing the ability to add points/credit to the system at the end of the month. That being the case, I decided to take a look at some of the games that WiiWare has to offer. If people have been following the conversation in the Retro thread you will have seen that I specifically picked up a brand new Wii console off of Ebay in order to nab a lot of these games before the service shuts down. The plan here is to play through a bunch of games, most of which I have never played before, and hopefully this will give people an idea about some of the games that the service offers. I’m going to try and get through at least a couple of games a day, which shouldn’t be too hard as a lot of titles on the service appear to be quite short. Who knows, maybe there will be a hidden gem among the ones I play that you’ve never played yourself? Before I start off with my first games, let’s take a brief look at the WiiWare service. Back in the 360/PS3/Wii era, small, downloadable games were becoming a big thing. Microsoft had pushed this service from the get go with the Xbox 360 and had found great success in allowing developers/publishers put smaller games on to Xbox Live Arcade service. Fast forward to 2008 and Nintendo decided to launch WiiWare on their own virtual shop. Like on Xbox Live Arcade, Nintendo would allow developers to put smaller games on to their service. However, the maximum size of a game could only be 40MB. This caused some developers to shy away from the service or even cancel games due to the limited space. It wasn’t all bad, though. Some of the developers who did manage to work around the limitations of the service did manage to produce some great games, some of which remain exclusive to the service. WiiWare never got a lot of the the big hitters XBLA/PSN did (probably due to size restrictions), and was never as popular either, but the service was an important first step for Nintendo in terms of how they would go about allowing developers putting games on their online store. When the Wii U launched the file size limit was gone and you started to see more and more games appearing on Nintendo’s eShop that were also appearing on rival platforms. Just looking at the abundance of titles that the Switch has on its store, you can see that Nintendo learned lessons from the humble start that was WiiWare. With that brief history lesson over with, let’s get into what games I have been playing. Name: 530 Ecto Shooter Price: 1000 points Developer: Intelligent Systems From the team that brought you Paper Mario and Fire Emblem comes an on rail shooter that has you saving the world by shooting tin cans. No, seriously! I love the on-rails shooter genre but, sadly, it’s one that has been lost in the rise of HDTVs. The Wii generation is probably the last one where we managed to get a good few of them on a console. This game is in good company, what with the likes of the House of the Dead collection and Overkill, Ghost Squad, Link’s Crossbow Training and the Resident Evil Chronicles games all being on the console. The game consists of 3 stages, each harder than the previous one. You can’t play any of the latter ones until you have beaten the previous stage. The stages themselves last about 10-20 mins each but the second and third stages took me a few attempts to finish. There is a balancing act that needs to mastered in order to complete this levels as it’s not as simple as gunning your way to victory. Your gun uses energy and this is displayed at the top left of the screen. Every time you take a shot your energy will deplete. Run out of this energy and the game will be over. In order to keep gun energy topped up you need to kill enemies and shoot the random cans that are littered around the levels. Once shot, these enemies and random cans will drop glowing spheres for you to collect. Getting a combo of shots on a can or enemy will mean they drop a greater amount of spheres. You then go all Luigi’s Mansion and use the Wiimote to suck them up but you need to watch the meter that will appear because holding down the Z button too long will cause the vacuum park of your weapon to overheat. This sounds pretty simple but when things start getting really hectic on the laters stages you have to start juggling between keeping a combo going, shooting random cans and then sucking in the rewards. At the end of each stage you will fight a boss. These are usually just masses of rubbish and cans that form up to produce a sort of giant robot/creature. These can be quite tough, especially if you are short on energy. It comes down to surviving the onslaught long enough until the enemy shows its weak spot. The bosses usually come with a few minions that need to be dealt with. While these can prove to be annoying they are in fact a valuable source of energy during these fights. As I mentioned earlier, the game only has 3 stages and these can be done in a couple of hours, if not less. Once completed then the game will unlock and endless mode for you to play. This allows you to play through each of the stages one after the other, with your energy levels carrying over after each stage. As unlockables go it’s not exactly great but it does give the game something a little extra to play around with. I do think the game could have been cheaper but it was certainly an interesting game to play, especially given the team that made the game have developed big games for Nintendo. Nintendo have a fair few teams/developers under their wing and it would be nice to see more of these kind of experiments hitting the eShop today. Name: Jett Rocket Price: 1000 points Developer: Shin’en Multimedia Fun fact: I have never played a game made by Shin’en. Despite them having a fantastic reputation for doing amazing work on Nintendo platforms, I hadn’t played any of the games developed by them. That changed when I purchased Jett Rocket. My eyes have been opened and I can see why the developer has been getting praise for all of these years. The game starts off with your little spaceman ( Jett ) sitting on his spaceship, just minding his own business, when the Power Plant Posse attack him. The poor little fella ends up being knocked off of his ship and lands on the island below. Here we find out from a talking Dolphin ( stay with me here ) that the PPP are draining the energy from the power generators and it’s up to you to put a stop to them. Epic stuff! You move Jett around the 3D stages by using the control stick. The Wiimote is used for jumping by pressing the A button, with motion controls being used for attacking and filling up your jet pack. Usually I dislike motion controls in games but with this I found them to be very manageable and not intrusive. There’s no really massive motions to use, so the player can just sit back and enjoy the game without having to flail your arms all about the place There are a total of 3 worlds to explore, each containing 4 levels. The worlds each have their own distinct look and feel. The first world has plenty of sun and grassy areas to explore. The second is filled with snow, which was quite a fitting setting given the amount the UK has received over the weekend. The third and final area is a jungle to explore, with many mazes to work your way through. While most of the levels are about the platforming, there are a couple that add some other things into the mix. One of the levels has you speeding around a jet ski course that looks very similar to something out of Wave Race. Another stage requires you to use a parachute to glide over to a different part of the stage. You can’t help but wonder in Shin’en looked at the franchises Nintendo have abandoned and figured they would have a crack at adding Wave Race and Pilotwings into the own game. Throughout the level there are little solar cells scattered around for the player to collect. The number to collect varies from level to level, with 100 being the maximum. I really enjoyed tracking these down and some of them do require a bit of thinking. If you are a seasoned platformer player then you will know exactly what to look out for. Enemies also drop these cells and sometimes you have to be quick in order to grab them as they can often fall off into the abyss which means you will have to start the level again. The game has a bunch of awards/achievements to unlock and these add a bit of reply value and fun to the game. Some of them have you trying to finish a level under a certain time or without picking up a single collectible, while others will have you trying to avoid taking any damage. There’s no real reward for doing these but it is something I enjoyed going for. It took me around 4-5 hours to get 100% on the game. This is a game that I really should have played when it was first released. I love these types of games. Yeah, they may be a little rough around the edges at times and lack the polish of Nintendo’s own platformers, but there is something very satisfying about playing them. It kind of reminds me of Poi, a 3D platformer game that was released on the Switch last year that nobody else seem to have played ( great game, pick it up! ). The fact that I really enjoyed this has now pushed me into looking into picking up other games that Shin'en have made and the sequel that was released for the 3DS. I’ve heard it’s not as good as the original but I’m eager to give it a go. Name: LostWinds Price: 1000 points Developer: Frontier Developments Back when WiiWare launched this one my most anticipated game. I only bought a few WiiWare games during the whole course of me having a Wii and this was one of them. Despite loving the game back then I never did pick up the sequel. This is something I have rectified with my purchase on a new Wii. As soon as I fired up the game I was taken back to 2008 when the game launched. The title song brought back memories of playing the game and finishing it in one sitting. I remember coming in from work all excited that the WiiWare service had arrived and I immediately downloaded the title. Does the game still hold up? Yes it does. You start the game playing as a little guy called Toku. He soon falls off a collapsing bridge into a cave below him. There he comes across a shard that turns out to be a wind spirit named Enril. From there the two set off on an adventure to defeat Balasar. It’s not a very deep story but it has a certain fairy tale charm to it. Enril grants Toku the ability to use the power of the wind and this is where the game controls come into play. You use the control stick to walk around as Toku but in order to jump and fly you will need to use the motion controls. Keeping hold of the A button and then drawing a line across Toku will allow you to float in the direction you have just drawn. This mechanic is a massive part of the game and allows you to explore the world. This power, along with others, can be powered up throughout the game, allowing you to reach greater heights, set things on fire and throw boulders through doors that block you. The game plays like a Metroid game but without a map. You will have to try and remember where everything is and where you have been. Luckily, despite the lack of the map, this is pretty easy to do because the game is nice and compact, with each area having something to do or play around with. There are also villages scattered about the place that can help break up the exploring aspect and allow for players to talk to the locals and kick back and relax. Relaxing is a good word to use to describe this game. The colourful settings ( at least in the above ground areas ), sound of the wind blowing and chilled out music is something to really appreciate when playing the game. Even the combat is quite…breezy ( yes, I went there ) and easy going, with players simply using the Wiimote to draw a wind direction and blow them away. Soundtracks like this where they use the “less is more” kinda of method are something I usually don’t care for. This was recently the case with BOTW, but with LostWinds it really fits the setting and mood of the game. I haven’t played this game since I finished it all those years ago but the joy that it brought me back then still remained with me during this playthrough. It was great fun hunting down all of the 24 hidden statues, playing around with the various wind mechanics and just pausing my movements for a few moments just to listen to the sounds that were coming through the TV. It’s a short game ( about 3-4 hours long ) but it certainly has its moments. With it being a launch title for the WiiWare service you can see how optimistic many were for what would be on offer. I look forward to delving into the sequel and hopefully it builds upon the fantastic foundation that they laid with the first game. That's the first wave of the games i've played. Like I said at the start of this, I'm hoping to keep playing more titles during the week and give me thoughts about them in here. Feel free to discuss any WiiWare games you are playing or looking to buy before the service closes. Also, the conversation about the closure has been spread out in a few threads on the boards, so it will be nice to have everything under one roof.
  34. 11 points
    Ahh... and on a fresh page as well! (sorry/notsorry at least it's in a spoiler tag)
  35. 11 points
    So I bought Let's go, Eevee! (that's why I'm bumping this particular thread) Having fun so far. Having terrible memory and not having played a Pokémon in 20 years does wonders for the nostalgia factor. It's almost perfect for me. Obviously I do get the criticism, and next year I hope to see more of what I've missed in the past 20 years, but this is definitely a perfect bridge game. Not totally sure about the wild pokemon / capturing situation.. On the one hand I like being able to avoid them and unnecessary fights, on the other hand they still get in the way sometimes, and there could be times where I miss the option to grind by fighting wild pokémon. But I still like collecting, training and evolving Pokémon and fighting trainers, and I love the style and the nostalgia. And the game is just god damn adorable. Haven't done a whole lot yet. Despite my memory, I actually remembered the idiot who wants you to deliver a package to Oak, and next time he shows up right outside of Pallet Town to thank you. I mean, if you made it all the way over here.. I defeated Brock yesterday, and this morning I went through that Mount Moon cave and fought Jessie & James. I chose the Helix fossil. I think the other one is cooler, but chose this one for Nostalgia reasons. Back in the day in Green, I chose this one because I couldn't (and still can't) read Japanese. Anyway.. After @Ugh first aid's shenanigans with the rival's name, I was trying to come up with something funny and / or appropriate myself. I think I nailed it. If any of you Pikachu players (or Eevee players of course) want to trade, let me know what I need to catch. I myself would like a Meltan from someone, seeing as I'll never get one myself.
  36. 11 points
    I see quite a few social media posts saying you should check on your friends once in a while and talk openly about things more, but very rarely do I see people actually doing its. So how are you all? Is everything ok, or is there something you're not happy with? Mental health is hugely important and I think we should all talk about it more. To help ease people into it, I'll get the ball rolling. It's not the easiest thing for me to talk about, but I guess I need to lead by example right? I'm fairly good overall, but it's not always been that way. It's taken my current state to realise how bad I was before. About 2 years ago, I left a dull, unfulfilling job where the owners of the company were always making the employees feel worthless and unvalued. It wasn't horrendous or abusive, it was just that subtle kind of belittlement that you can't call them out on because each incident is tiny, but it mounts up over time. Still, it wasn't awful and I was just fed up after 8 years. I was unsure of the job I was moving to, but it paid more and I figured it couldn't be worse. I was very, very wrong. The boss/owner of the business started out nice, but he turned out to be a complete bully. It sounds childish to say that, but that's exactly what he was. He was clearly insecure or miserable in his own life, so had to spread the misery. And he was very good at it. My memory isn't great at the best of times, but the sheer volume and nature of the work made it very easy to miss things. Loads of little jobs that caused a very hectic working day. Everyone forgot things, even the boss himself, in fact him more than most. But my memory soon became a thing of ridicule. He went through phases of giving certain employees a hard time. For a few weeks it would be me, then he'd move on until the cycle came back to me. When it was my turn, he'd constantly check that I was remembering things. Not in a helpful way, but in a completely mocking way. If I forgot anything, I'd get a comment such as "What's wrong with you, have you actually got a problem with your memory?". Again, not in a helpful way, but implying that I was useless. If there were no particular thing for him to point out, he'd just start random conversations asking if I had genuine problems with my memory. It was masked as concern, but he'd always do it in front of people to embarrass me. At one point, after I'd made a mistake, he even called over my coworker to help figure out what was wrong with me. As he was the owner of the company and I have a mortgage to pay, I couldn't simply respond "because there's too much fucking work and no other cunt actually bothers to answer the phones or see to the walk-in customers". I spoke to the coworker afterwards and even he felt it was like the owner called him over to gang up on me. He was as uncomfortable as I was. He would also do things like text me after hours/at the weekends. One occasion that sticks in my mind is the time he sent me a text on a Saturday, whilst I was in town. A customer had emailed to complain that she hadn't received enough prints. I didn't have access to the emails, so I had no idea about it. The first I heard was from a coworker that pre-warned me as he could access the emails from his phone. The text I received from the boss was lengthy, but ended with "What's wrong with you, can you even do simple maths?". Again, I endured it, because I had to pay the mortgage. To add to this, it was a fast paced, customer facing job, which stresses me out on it's own, even without the added bullshit. All this put me in quite a dark place. I absolutely dreaded the drive into work and would have done anything to delay the inevitable arrival. Even times when I wasn't actually at work, I was almost terrified of the thought of going back. I was even scared to look at my phone every time I got a text or Facebook message, just in case it was the boss with another mistake I'd made. I wouldn't say I had full on depression or anxiety, as I think people are far too quick to throw those terms around and it belittles the people that genuinely suffer from them, but looking back, I definitely wasn't in a good place. Even looking back through my texts to find the above quote makes me feel incredibly uncomfortable. I felt my heart racing as I re-read it. Somehow, after 9 months of working there, I managed to find the energy to apply for other jobs and the first interview I had lead to a job offer, which I accepted. It was quite risky, as it was working from home, which seemed too good to be true and the interview was in a hotel conference room, so I had never seen the actual office. Something just didn't feel right and I had a hard time believing such a job existed. I didn't care though, I knew I needed out of the job I was currently in ASAP. Firstly because it was clearly not good for me and secondly, because I feared I would get fired soon. There was always the constant fear of being fired, as he had a history of firing people via text with no notice period. I think that was just people on their probation period though. The person who phone to offer me the job did so at 5pm, as I was locking up. Everyone else had gone home and I was just going to the toilet before leaving. I had just finished peeing and the phone rang. I hadn't even had chance to wash my hands, but I recognised the number so I answered immediately. There I was, in a horrendously grotty toilet with unwashed hands and when I heard those words "We'd like to offer you the job", it was like a wave of positive emotions. I was free of this shithole. Event with the doubts about the new job, I was free. I smiled all the way home, knowing that even though I had to give a months notice, I didn't have to give a shit anymore. Nothing the boss could do could in that month could bring me down. Worst case scenario is he could fire me in that time, which would just result in an even earlier freedom. Luckily, the job turned out to be genuine and it's amazing. The people, from the lowest level all the way to the CEO, are amazing and there's a genuine concern for the staff. I've never had employee perks before, but this job seems to hand out genuinely thoughtful benefits. We have a Perkbox subscription for leisure stuff, but there's also more serious things like access to a mental health phoneline, if we feel the need to talk to someone. They're not huge things, but everything combined with the respect people give each other just makes a hugely positive atmosphere. I still have the rare "dark days", but they're few and far between. I'm way more happy now than I've probably ever been. If I sit and think about things, there will always be areas that I want to improve in my life, but overall I think I'm happy. One thing that really hit home was when I went on holiday to Greece recently. I had previously been to Barcelona whilst working at the previous job and the flight home was just awful. I had had a great time and knowing that it was all over and I had to return to that hellish place was just soul destroying. The flight home from Greece was nothing like that. I enjoyed it and it was a shame that it was over, but I was still happy. There was absolutely no post-holiday blues and I had no issue with returning to work on Monday. I am so incredibly thankful that I took the chance on my current job. Aside from being a great job, I feel it has helped my mental health immensely. I had so many doubts about it at various stages and it makes me almost nervous thinking about the times I almost turned it down. When they offered a phone interview, I forgot it was working from home and all I saw when I double checked the company was that their office was just over an hour away, so I almost turned it down due to the increased travel time. It was only my dread of the current job that forced me to keep my options open and see where it went. During the phone interview, they reminded me that it was working from home (fortunately without me having to reveal that I had forgotten), but even then it seemed like a fake job. Whilst I was working at the hellish job, I really regretted leaving my previous job, but looking back on it all, the fear of that job lead me to my current one. For that reason, I don't regret a thing. I still occasionally drive the old route to the awful job, just to remind myself of that feeling of dread I felt every morning and to make me realise how lucky I now am. It's not a route I've ever had to drive for any other reason, so it will always be associated with that job. I guess the lesson I learned is that happiness isn't something that will just come to you. You have to work for it. Even if it's just going out and actually doing something, anything, instead of just sitting around wondering what to do/feeling sorry for yourself. It's definitely not easy, but every step, no matter how insignificant will make a difference. Even if the first step you take is tiny and makes no difference to how you actually feel, it may just raise your energy level enough to make a slightly bigger step next time. I had absolutely zero energy and self worth, but my sheer dread of the job gave me just enough drive to apply for jobs. From there, I just went with the flow and luck was on my side. So yeah, that's my story. I'm hoping that by opening up and sharing mine, others will follow suit and find it helpful. Anyone else care to share?
  37. 11 points
    Depending on who you ask, the Switch has had a decent first half of the year in terms of software. Sure, there were a few Wii U ports that filled in the release schedule gaps but the eShop has been home to some fantastic games, both well known and hidden gems. Regardless of how you rated the first half of the year, the second half of 2018 is looking very strong for the Nintendo Switch. There seems to be an onslaught of games arriving from now until the end of the year and I have spent the past week getting together this list of games that should be arriving before year is over. Hopefully there will be something for everyone in this list but also bear in mind that these are only games that we know of. I have no doubt in my mind that more will be announced via a Nintendo Direct at some point. Each game will have a trailer and a small write up. Let’s take a look… Bomb Chicken (eShop) – Out Now Octopath Traveler - Out Now Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Switch and 3DS) – Out Now Sonic Mania Plus – Out Now Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 (eShop) – 24th July 2018 Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 (eShop) – 24th July 2018 Crossing Souls (eShop) – 26th July 2018 Go Vacation – 27th July 2018 Overcooked 2 – 7th August 2018 Okami HD (eShop) – 9th August 2018 Cosmic Star Heroine – 14th August 2018 Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate – 28th August 2018 Blade Strangers – August 28th 2018 SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy - 7th September 2018 Little Dragons Café – 7th September 2018 Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna ~ The Golden Country – 21st September 2018 Valkyria Chronicles 4 – 25th September 2018 Namco Museum Arcade Pac – 28th September 2018 Dragon Ball FighterZ – 28th September 2018 FIFA 19 – 28th September 2018 Mega Man 11 (eShop) – 2nd October 2018 Super Mario Party – 5th October 2018 Starlink: Battle for Atlas – 16th October 2018 Pokemon: Let’s Go Eevee/Pikachu – 16th November 2018 Super Smash Bros Ultimate – 7th December 2018 2018 TDB V Rally 4 Dark Souls: Remastered Warframe (eShop) Killer Queen Black (eShop) Shovel Knight: King of Cards (eShop) Dragon Marked For Death (eShop) The World Ends With You: Final Mix Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition That's a hell of a list of games. So, what's everyone looking forward to then?
  38. 11 points
    And now she's my girlfriend. Turns out we both wanted to be a few days ago but we both thought the other wouldn't be ready. It's all very exciting. And I hope that goes well for you, @BowserBasher.
  39. 11 points
  40. 11 points
  41. 11 points
    Game is complete. Here are a couple of great moments but big spoilers for the end of the game. I feel like I can give an honest review/thoughts now that the game is done. REVIEW Kirby Stars Allies follows in the recent footsteps of some great Kirby games, namely Triple Deluxe, Planet Robobot and Rainbow Paintbrush. Each of these games were a joy to play, offered great replay value and, in some cases, gave the Kirby gameplay a nice shakeup. The demo of Star Allies was released a few weeks back and the reception wasn't great. Is the final game reach the heights of the previous games or was the demo a good indication of what is on offer with the final release? Let's find out. The Kirby franchise has always been a one that can instantly put a smile on my face. The Saturday morning cartoon type openings and stories, the colourful graphics and happy soundtracks all make for a cheesy grin while playing. Thankfully Star Allies game carries on this tradition of creating a game that oozes joy. Whether its when Kirby and his friends are forming a Friendship Train or being chased off a giant boulder of Waddle Dees, the game has the ability to make the most miserable of gamers crack a smile. Shades of Indiana Jones right here. The gameplay is simple enough. As Kirby you suck up enemies and, depending on the enemy, you will gain various abilities. Some of these are better than others and it's up to the player to decide what ability suits their gameplay style the best. In addition to the standard Kirby mechanic is the new addition of gathering friends for your journey. You see an enemy that you want on your team? Then simply press the hold the X button and fire a heart at its direction. The enemy will immediately join the gang and lend you its services. You can recruit up to 3 team members, making it a team of 4. But it doesn't stop there. You can mix abilities with your newly found team member. Lets say you are using a sword as Kirby. If you were to recruit an enemy who has the ability to shoot fire then by simply holding up on the control stick you will mix both his and your own powers and create a sword that is covered in flames. There are some great combos to figure out and the game does encourage this kind of experimentation, especially when it comes to finding secrets. All aboard the Hype Train! Speaking of secrets, as with any good platformer, there are hidden items to find and plenty of things to collect. The main collectibles in the game are puzzle pieces. There of 2 types of these to find. The first is the standard blue piece that can be found lying around everywhere and the second is a special, shiny puzzle piece. There is one of these special pieces hidden in each stage. These pieces are used to fill in a puzzle, of which they are 8 of them. The special puzzle pieces will fill in a specific spot in the centre puzzle area and the blue pieces will randomly fill in the rest. It works just like the Streetpass Puzzles on the 3DS, where the pink pieces were special and filled in the middle area and the outside area was just for the random pieces. Once the puzzle is complete it will show a scene from a classic Kirby game. Another thing to find various stages is a giant, special button. These aren't in every level but are definitely worth searching out. Once hit, these buttons will open up a secret stage, which in turn will give you access to another puzzle piece. The game does a good job by telling you what stages have these buttons by showing you at the level select screen. It will show you if you have hit the button and also show you if you have collected the puzzle piece, as well. A blast from the past with the N64 era picture. Nintendo have included amiibo functionality in this game and I quite like what is on offer. The amiibo allow you to collect more of the puzzle pieces, give you stars that add up for extra lives and drop health for you to use. A lot of games only allow amiibo to be used once a day. In this game that is not the case because you can actually use them a bunch of times. You can use up to 7 amiibo per level. You can use any amiibo that you have in your collection and each of them will give you a reward. However, there are benefits to using Kirby amiibo. If you were to use any of the Kirby series amiibo or Kirby characters from the Smash series, these will dish out better rewards. You will get 2 puzzles pieces ( trust me, you will need a a lot of them ), more stars and a greater health refill. If you have a full set of all the Kirby characters then you can clean house. Sadly, if you are wanting to pick these amiibo up then you will be in for a hard time. Certain characters in the Kirby series are very hard to find at the moment and have never been restocked since they were released. Kirby auditions for X-Factor...can't be any worse than what's already on there. Modern Kirby games always offer something extra for players to get their teeth into and this one is no different. There are a variety of extra modes and mini games to have a go at, if you do fancy a break from the main story. Some of these are available from the start but there are one or two that do need unlocking before being able to play them. The first extra mode to talk about is called Chop Champs. This mini game can be played with 4 players or against the AI. It requires the players to chop down a tree by either using motion controls ( you swing the joy-con like an axe ) or by using a standard control scheme. The players have a time limit to cut down the tree as fast as they can in order to make a little log cabin. You can move to the left and right of the tree while chopping. This is important because enemies will come down either side, so players will have to switch between both sides to cut the tree. If an enemy hits you then you will be stunned and lose time to your opponents. The next mini game is called Star Slam Heroes. Like Chop Champs, this can be played with motion controls or standard controls and be played in either 4 player multiplayer or against the AI. This game involves timing the swing of a bat in order to strike a meteor back into space. It's a very simply game to play and imagine it could be a good laugh in local multiplayer. Unfortunately, it doesn't really offer much when playing in single player. Next up is a mode called The Ultimate Choice. Kirby veterans will be very familiar with this as it's essentially Arena/True Arena mode. You have to pick you starting power up, as well as team members, and work your way through the bosses of the game. You can start off doing only a few bosses but if you crank up the difficulty level then you will end up fighting them all. There is even another difficulty to unlock for this mode but I wont spoil the surprise and will let others see it for themselves. Amiibo can be used in this mode, as well. Just like in the story mode, they will drop extra health and can really give the player an advantage when trying to complete the higher difficulties. The final extra mode is called Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go! What a name. This plays very much like story mode but instead of playing through the game as Kirby, you have to pick one of the enemies that you usually recruit. You can still recruit enemies to help you on your way but you will be stuck with the power up that you pick at the start of this mode. It's split up into 5 chapters and you will have to play through every stage and fight every boss in the game. There is also another mechanic at play in this mode and that is that you can power your character up using various pick ups. Scattered around the levels are items that will power up your characters health, power and speed. Picking up one of these will increase the level by 1 for the respective attribute. These can be maxed out at 5 and they are certainly worth finding as you can really see the difference, especially when fighting bosses. These stats will reset after each chapter and then the hunt for them will begin again. The classic Kirby mini game returns after every stage. While the game is a joy to play, it's not without its problems. Everyone knows just how easy Kirby games are. this is common knowledge and has always been the case. The challenge usually comes from finding all the secrets and tackling the extra modes in order to obtain a 100% completion file. The problem with this game is that the secrets are too easy to find and the extra modes aren't really challenging. In the past, a lot of Kirby games required players to go through stages multiple times in order to find everything. Levels may have moved to fast so the player missed something or they needed a specific power up that wasn't available in that stage. In this game everything seems to be laid out in front of the player. Not once did I have to replay a stage in order to collect everything. I managed to find everything on my first go through all the stages and a lot of the things were found without actually having to look very hard. The main game is very easy, even by Kirby standards. I think I died 3 times through the whole course of the game and that includes the extra modes. Those deaths were due to my own stupid errors, rather than the game being difficult. I think the game is so easy because of the AI. They really do help you out and are quite aggressive and smart when it comes to fighting bosses. This will come as nor surprise to anyone who played Team Clash Deluxe as the AI in that was also pretty good. Another issue is the loading screens. Every time you enter a door the game will fire up a loading screen. The screens themselves don't last that long ( probably a few seconds ) but it becomes very jarring due to the amount of doors that need to be entered. It can really suck you out of the game. You'll be seeing these screen a lot. Conclusion I've played some cracking Kirby games over the past few years. As I mentioned at the start of this review, Triple Deluxe, Planet Robobot, Rainbow Paintbrush, even Team Kirby Clash Deluxe, all of these sucked me in ( no pun intended ) and offered a good amount of hours gameplay. With this game I managed to 100% in probably less than 10 hours. When comparing Star Allies to the games I have just mentioned it's hard not to feel a little disappointed by what's on offer here. Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed what i've played but it feels a little short and a little safe. Outside of a couple of fantastic moments at the end of the game I don't think the game will be that memorable for many gamers. This could be because I played through it in single player and others may probably get more mileage out of the game if playing through the whole thing in mulitplayer. I imagine most Kirby fans, like myself, will be satisfied but not overly excited by Star Allies. It's a solid title but if you aren't a fan of Kirby already then I don't think this game will change your mind, especially when there are far better Kirby titles available on other platforms.
  42. 11 points
    I put together an article for this site on Nintendo's approach to third party development and how it's changed from Gamecube/Wii U to Switch. Enjoy http://www.n-europe.com/features/third-parties-on-nintendo-a-change-in-approach
  43. 11 points
    Generation 2 - Gold/Silver/Crystal Generation 2 first hit Japan back in 1999, and with it, came a veritable smorgasbord of new mechanics and tweaks to existing ones. The game is set 3 years after Gen 1, making this one of the only Pokemon games that is effectively a sequel, story wise. It added 100 new Pokemon, bringing the total to 251. Apart from the new Pokemon and new moves, Gold and Silver introduced players to... 2 New Pokemon Types were added to the mix, Dark and Steel. Easily the biggest mechanic shift in Gen 2. Gen 1 had some serious balance issues due to the Psychic Type being incredibly overpowered. These two types both excelled against Psychic Pokemon and it changed a hell of a lot about battling. This type shakeup also had some smaller side effects, Magnemite and Magneton got the Steel type added to their typing, making them Steel/Electric. The move "Bite" also got it's typing changed from Normal to Dark. A real time clock was integrated into the game, allowing the game to have a day and night cycle. This mechanic was more than just cosmetic, certain Pokemon only appeared at certain times of the day, a number of special in-game events could be repeated once a day/week. A certain Pokemon even evolved depending on the time of day. Hold Items are special items that could be attached to a Pokemon to give different effects. While not as drastic a change as the 2 new types, this would have a lasting effect on battling, adding an extra layer of depth to building a team. Some hold items even evolved some Pokemon if you traded them while holding it. Mystery Gift made it's first appearance here. Although it's usage is completely different to modern-day Mystery Gift. Using the Game Boy Colour's Infared communicator, you and a friend could get a random item once a day. It also had a few other effects, such as being able to battle an AI controlled version of your friend's Pokemon team. I'll talk about how this changed in a future post. Backwards compatibility was a key feature that was also introduced here. Using the "Time Capsule", Players could trade with people who owned the Gen 1 games, there were some obvious rules when you were doing this, namely, no trading Pokemon that didn't exist in Gen 1 or Pokemon that had moves that didn't exist back then. Not every one of the Pokemon in Gen 1 is available in the Gen 2 games, which would have caused plenty of problems with cataloging some of the unevolved Pokemon. Thankfully, Game Freak thought of that and implemented... Pokemon Breeding is a mechanic that allowed a player to take two Pokemon of opposite genders (Another new mechanic) and have them breed to give players an Egg. If the player then walks a number of steps with the egg in their party, it would then hatch. What Pokemon you got depended on which Pokemon was the mother. For example, a female Charizard would produce an egg that would hatch into a Charmander. I would argue that this was the 2nd biggest mechanic that Gen 2 had. There were some nuances to breeding, clever pairing of Pokemon could give you a baby Pokemon that had special moves it could never possibly learn. For example, breeding a Male Tyranitar that knew Rock Slide with a female Feraligatr would produce a Totodile that knew Rock Slide. The Special Attack and Special Defense Stat was implemented here. These affected a Pokemon's ability to inflict damage with special attacks and it's defensive capabilities against said moves. You see, there are two main categories of attacks in Pokemon, Physical and Special. It was determined by the type of the move. Fire, Water, and Grass moves were classified as Special moves while Normal, Fighting and Steel moves were Physical ones, etc. In Gen 1, Special Attack and Special Defense was rolled into one stat, Special. Gen 2's new stats would change a lot about how each Pokemon would perform in battle. Pokemon with high Specials in Gen 1 were no longer both great in attack and defense. The new Pokégear would start a trend of convenient Gadgets designed to provide the player with important features to assist them in their journey. Gen 2's Pokégear provided a map (Originally an item in Gen 1), a clock, an in-game phone, and an in-game radio. While the gadget form and name would change in future games, they all have the same basic idea. The bag in Gen 2 had separate pockets which helped the player better keep track of their items. General Items, Poke Balls, Key Items and TM's were all separated from each other, making it easier to find what you're looking for. Gen 2 was the crowning example of the Post-Game Quest. While Gen 1 technically had this with Cerulean Cave, Gen 2 went fully in with this. After completing the game, players were able to travel to the Kanto region (The place where Gen 1 took place). This added a tremendous amount of content to the game. The Move Deleter is a person who allows you to force a Pokemon to forget one of the moves it knows. While this sounds pretty useless, this is the only way you can have a Pokemon forget HM's. Which is much appreciated by everyone really. Roaming Pokemon are special Pokemon that aren't confined to one area of the game. They effectively roam around the world. In this game, Raikou, Entei and Suicune are 3 legendary Pokemon that never stay in one place. Every time the player went to a new area, they would also move to a new area themselves. The player would have to try and intercept them. If successful, the player would be able to battle them... for one turn, before they bolt and start the whole process again. Thankfully, they didn't recover health in between encounters, so sooner or later, perseverance should win out. This feature didn't show up in Gen 7, so who knows what the future of this is? Happiness of Pokémon was also introduced, while there was a very simple of version of this with the Pikachu in Yellow, Gen 2 applied this to every Pokémon in the way modern games do. Treating your Pokémon well would cause them to become more affectionate. This doesn't have much of an effect on gameplay, except for the moves Return and Frustration, which got more powerful the more the Pokémon liked you/disliked you. There were also some Pokemon that evolved once they became happy. As you can see, a lot of new mechanics already, but Gen 2's Third Version, Pokemon Crystal also introduced us to a handful of new features. The one feature most people would remember is the option to play as a girl, seems like such a simple option in hindsight, but this helped female players to feel like the game was more their adventure, and considering that the idea is that the playable character is meant to be you, that's kinda important. Another biggie was animated Pokemon. Rather than explain it, I'll just show what happens when you encounter a Pokemon in the two games. Gold/Silver on the left, Crystal on the right Purely cosmetic, of course. But it helps add a bit of life to the many Pokemon you encounter. Strangely enough, this wouldn't be implemented in every game after this. For the next 2 generations, it generally only appeared in the Third versions of games. Move Tutors are people that could teach your Pokemon certain moves, kinda like TM's, but for a price. In Crystal, there's a person in Goldenrod City that offered to teach Pokemon either Flamethrower, Ice Beam or Thunderbolt for you. Effectively providing an infinite supply of these moves. The Battle Tower also made it's debut here. This was a facility that let players fight AI opponents to see if they can string together 7 wins in a row. Certain restrictions were placed, namely, only 3 Pokemon on a team which must be different species and have different items. Pull off 7 wins and you are rewarded with hard to get items. By the way, in the Japanese version of Crystal, the Battle Tower made use of the Japan-Only peripheral, Mobile Game Boy Adapter, which makes Crystal the first Pokemon game that had a real life accessory implementation. It provided a sort of psuedo online capability to the game allowing people to trade and battle with other people in Japan. This no longer works, by the way, the service ended a long time ago. And that wraps up Gen 2, just like any good sequel, it refines the mechanics of the original game with new features, Quality of Life improvements and general rebalancing. Gen 2 has a lot more presence in modern day Pokemon than Gen 1 does, which is quite remarkable really. For me, this makes Gen 2 a lot easier to replay, thanks to it's general polish and cool new features. I highly recommend Crystal if you haven't played an old-school Pokemon. It still holds up well. I won't be around until Thursday now, so you'll have to wait until then for Generation 3.
  44. 11 points
    After 80 hours the adventure is over. It took a while to get to grips with the last boss and when I finally brought it down the game decided to crash on the final cutscene! I took it on again and managed to get a Full Burst ( first time I've achieved that in the game ) which took off over half of its health and finished it off. I'm kinda glad it did crash, so I got to experience that special move. Despite its flaws and technical issues, I absolutely loved the game, especially the story. You have a massive world to explore in and an amazing story that drives you forward. It's pretty much given me everything I wanted that Zelda failed to deliver on. The voice acting is ropey at times but there is so much character and charm in the delivery that you end up falling in love with it. I play a lot of JRPGs but it's been a while since a whole cast of characters have been this great. Usually you end up with one or two characters who aren't developed or are just there to make up the numbers. I found this not to be the case with XC2. Each one of them has a good back story and a role to play. The soundtrack for the game is simply outstanding. Some of the tunes are used at just the right times in cutscenes, either to get you hyped or bring out some other emotion. After the disaster of a soundtrack in XCX, this is a true return to form. I can kinda see where the DLC may take place. There are one or two things that could be explored in future content and I may have to pick up the season pass once the substantial stuff arrives. The credits may have rolled but this is a game I can see me dipping in and out of for a while. There's plenty of Blades to still unlock and side quests to complete but for now I think I'll move on to something else. This is probably my favourite Switch game. I love the little hybrid but it's lacked a game like this to truly get my teeth into. It's been great for smaller titles, or games that you can jump in and out of, so it's been refreshing to finally get a game that lasts a good 80 hours that I can enjoy. More JRPGs, please! The Switch started strong at launch and has ended the year on a high with this game. Well played Nintendo/Monolithsoft.
  45. 10 points
    Just wanted to say thanks to all of you for the well wishes, I've returned to this thread a number of times since I last signed out to remind myself that I've got people pulling for me, and it's got me through some tough mornings It's been nearly three months (!) since I posted, and I'm going to be 10 sessions deep into therapy come this Thursday. While there's still a long way to go, I can genuinely say my mental health has come on leaps and bounds over the last two and a half months. There are still bad days, I still feel a bit at odds with myself at times, but my self-esteem and perspective has slowly returned/grown, and I've come to accept that while it will take time to get where I want to get, it's about the direction, not the destination. And I'm happy with my direction right now and over these last few months. Think it helps a lot that I lost ~13kg from the end of August to the end of November, and while I've still got a bit to go with losing weight, I've put on a bit of size for the first time in years and generally feel, well, much better than before. Lately, I've been so happy and at peace that I've found myself blasting music and just dancing around my apartment like a mad man (which reminds me, I need to post in the music thread for a change!) – for those that don't know, this is nothing like me, and I didn't even realise until a good week or so after, when I just laughed about it to myself. Feeling better and more like myself has come with a bit of a melancholic downside where I can so starkly see the contrast between my mental health when I'm tired or anxious and when I'm not, so tying down a sleeping routine is up next on my agenda. Had a very rough weekend just, but went for a long walk in the cold this evening and feel okay, which continues to shock me. Anyways, I don't know what this means for me posting regularly on N-E, I think for now I'll just dip my toes in and out and play it by ear from there based on my mood, but I struggle to see myself posting as much as I once did (which could always change!). Games have kind of slipped onto the back burner for me (well apart from Ragnarök, which was fantastic!) and I feel a bit out of the loop on news for a change, but the break has definitely given me a bit of perspective on how I want to approach my time with this place. Thanks again for your support N-E, it's good to be back, even if just for a bit
  46. 10 points
    The game is rated highly and lots of us like it...I'm expecting you to hate it.
  47. 10 points
  48. 10 points
    Finally made the switch! [Click.] Friend code is 6860-0827-6011, if anyone would like to add me
  49. 10 points
    Guys, GUYS. I know something. But I'm not telling. Like, comment, subscribe, send nudes.
  50. 10 points
    Generation 5 - Black/White/Black 2/White 2 Gen 5 released in 2010 in Japan with Black and White. Set in the Unova region, which was loosely based on America, the start of a trend of non-Japanese inspired locales. These games marked a number of departures of usual Pokemon tropes. The protaganists were older, there was more of an attempt at a plotline and there were quite a few dynamic camera angles, becoming the Pokemon League Champion was even entirely optional! 156 Pokemon were added to the roster (649 total), but what was remarkable was that not a single Pokemon from a previous generation was obtainable until you saw the credits, not even Pikachu. It was the closest the series had ever got to a "reboot" I already mentioned in the previous post that Pokemon following you was dropped after HG/SS. So I won't go over that any further. This generation also went against expectations and dropped the Third Version. Instead, Black 2 and White 2 were full fledged sequels set in the same region, a few years after the events of Black and White. It came out in Japan in 2012, more than a year after the 3DS came out. Anyway, Gen 5 gave us... Black and White introduced 2 new battle formats. The first were Triple Battles. As the name implies, trainers sent out 3 Pokemon at once to battle. While it may sound a bit redundant, there were a few nuances that helped differentiate it from Doubles. Positioning played a larger part in strategy, Pokemon on the left hand side of the team could not target Pokemon on the right hand side (Some moves weren't affected by this though). Pokemon in the middle could attack anyone, but in turn, was able to be attacked by anyone. Pokemon on the sides could use their turn to swap position with the Pokemon in the middle and Pokemon in the middle did more damage with moves that hit multiple targets. The second new format was Rotation Battles. Like Triple Battles, trainers sent out 3 Pokemon at once, but with a twist. To paint a better picture of how this works, I'm gonna use a... well, a picture. You probably noticed the funky floor underneath the Pokemon. This is the crux of Rotation Battles. Even though 3 Pokemon are sent out, battles follow the Single Battle format, with one Pokemon in the front fighting the other. However, before you take your turn, you have the option of rotating the floor, changing which Pokemon is in the front. This didn't take up your turn. So you could rotate your Pokemon and still attack. The rotation didn't happen until each player had chosen their action. This results in the biggest bunch of mind games the series had ever seen. Both players could see all three Pokemon that could potentially attack, and a well timed rotation could easily turn the tide in your favour. As well as those two, this game also introduced the Wonder Launcher. An option that you could toggle on which appeared solely in battles against other players. Every turn, players would earn one point and could send these points to use items during battle. Normally, items could not be used in battles, so this added some more depth to the game. This was dropped in the next Generation. Black and White expanded upon the online capabilities and allowed players to battle random people online. Although, they did have to sign up to the Pokemon Global Link. A separate website that complimented the games. Players could use the site to keep track of their battle rating, play certain mini-games that would in turn allow the player to catch Pokemon and transfer them to the DS games. Many of which had new abilities. You could even download skins to customise the in-game gadget. I used this one. Speaking of that, this generations gadget, the C-Gear, is worth mentioning for the sheer amount of things it bought to the series. It was the first instance of allowing players to constantly be online, even while playing through the single player adventure. Using this, you could easily tell whether one of your friends was online. There was another feature which functioned similarly to the 3DS' Streetpass. Allowing you to see statistics of people you passed by who were also using this. The C-Gear also had Pokemon's only instance of video chat with other players. You could have a video call with 3 other people over local wireless. You could even have a video chat with another person online. A crazy concept for a Nintendo console at the time. Because it used a camera, this was only available on the DSi models. The quality in Pokemon animations skyrocketed in Gen 5. Every Pokemon had constant idle animations, even when viewed from behind and the camera was much more dynamic. I'd explain more, but it'd be easier to show you. The difference is astonishing! It breathed a lot of life into battles. For once, Pokemon, which never really pushed a console in terms of visuals, was one of the more impressive looking games on a console. I have to give Game Freak credit for the sheer amount of work this must have taken to animate more than 700 sprites (Remember, some Pokemon have different forms), front and back. That's enough about battles now. Black and White also introduced Seasons. Every time a month passed in real life, the season in Unova would change. Cycling between Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. This not only changed the aesthetics of the region, but also allowed the player to explore new areas that may have been inaccessible before. There was even a Pokemon that changed it's form depending on the season. This was immediately dropped in the next Generation. TM's are in this game as well. Which is nothing new, but now they were no longer single use. Quite the big deal, no more worrying about using up a good TM. The Entralink was an evolution of the previous generation's Underground feature. While it didn't have the Secret Bases, players could visit another player's game to do certain things together. You could literally walk up to someone playing their game and say Hi! Players could also take on a number of missions which involve doing certain things to help or even hinder the host player, from recovering their Pokemon after a battle, to trying to sell them an item for a rip-off price. Completing these missions would unlock various Pass Powers. Pass Powers are special enhancements a player could use to help them on their quest. They did various things for a limited time, from increasing the amount of experience you receive, to increasing the Pokemon encounter rate. Moving on to Black 2 and White 2 now, which gave us... The Battle Frontier was replaced with a new battle facility. The Pokemon World Tournament was a knockout tournament which pitted the player against AI opponents in order to be the last one standing. It featured a few different formats, such as Rental Pokemon only and a strange mode which forced you to temporarily swap one Pokemon with your opponent before each battle. But after you finished the game, you could enter special tournaments which pitted you against the Gym Leaders from every single Generation to date. A big massive nostalgia bomb, that hasn't been surpassed since. Do well against the Gym Leaders and you could even participate in a tournament featuring every Champion for the 5 generations, from Blue to Cynthia. It was a true test of your battling prowess. A new style of minigame came to us in the form of Pokestar Studios. This tasked the player with becoming an actor in various movies by using their Pokemon in battles. Apart from the novelty of escaping from a world where Ledians catch and train people, trying to survive a deadly virus breakout or battling a giant Tyranitar mech (Yes, really), this was an interesting puzzle game which tested your knowledge of Pokemon and moves in order to figure out what the director wants from you. The Unova Link feature allowed players to connect to their copy of Black or White to carry over certain story related things to Black 2 or White 2 that wasn't Pokemon. Kinda like how the GBA Golden Sun games worked. The thing of note is that communicating with other copies of Black 2 or White 2 could unlock difficulty options. You could make the game easier or harder. This affected the smartness of AI, as well as opponent's Pokemon levels. This was baffingly dropped in the next generation. And that's Gen 5. While it introduced quite a few cool mechanics to the series, only 3 of them are actually in the latest Pokemon games. (Infinite use TM's, Pass Powers and the Pokemon Global Link) I'd be lying if I said I was cool with this. To me, these games remain the pinnacle of the series precisely because of these new things. Gen 5 took a ridiculous amount of risks, focusing on a plot that doesn't entirely revolve around being the best trainer, forcing players to use the new Pokemon instead of the familiar same old, same old, offering difficulty options, strange and interesting new formats and a smorgasbord of challenging battles with past characters. And yet, despite all that, this game is on the lower end of the sales figures. And that makes me a little sad. These games deserve better. Quite frankly, if you skipped this gen, you missed out. You missed out big time.
×