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Nicktendo

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    N-E Café Podcast

    in Nintendo Gaming

    Posted · Edited by Nicktendo

    11 hours ago, Jonnas said:

    Ok, so:

    • Loved to hear about Streets of Rage 4. Even though I grew up a Sega boy, I never played the series. But I'm happy to hear that the series received the Sonic Mania treatment.
    • @Nicktendo didn't you forget about someone else who was on the Smashing Cast for Capcom Beat'em Up Bundle, hm? Maybe someone who brings the life to the party, hmm? Someone who didn't lag, further proving how well the netcode works for that game, hmmm? That's right, Nick, you forgot Lord_Kado! And also me.
    • Regarding online servers, they're actually not a better option for fighting games at all. They work well for games with large amounts of players, like FPSes or racing games, but in fighting games where it's one on one, peer-to-peer tends to work out better (inefficient netcode is usually the issue in that genre). With Smash Bros, you could make a case either way, but I'm betting anything that 1-on-1 is what most people play

    I tried arcade mode on SoR4 last night and died before the boss of the final stage. Heartbreaking. It is really tough, think it might take me a few goes before I actually manage to do it... unless I chicken out and do it on easy first. Such a good game though, certainly recommend picking it up. I'm eagerly waiting a sale on the Mega Drive collection now as this game has made me want to go back and play through the classic three.

    About the Smashing Cast, I initially remembered the time when it was just me, Sam and Dennis playing the weird fantasy-themed one with bad writing, then remembered that Ryan had been there for the Superhero game. Guess that was the time LORD_KADO and yourself were there too, so sorry about that :heh: But it goes to prove the point I was making, 4 countries, stretching the length of Europe (+ wherever Sir Lord of Kado was from), don't think we had any problems. 

    • Like 1
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    Paper Mario: The Origami King

    in Nintendo Gaming

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Fused King said:

    Paper Mario, anyone?

    As someone who counts Paper Mario 64 & Paper Mario & The Thousand Year Door among one of the finest games I've ever played, it has been with pain in my heart seeing the Paper Mario series slowly but surely decline into something that is not in line with those games.

    Don't get me wrong, I welcome new changes to a franchise as much as the next guy, but I suppose the nostalgia drug taints my view of the development of this series.

    If I had to explain exactly what rubs me the wrong way about Paper Mario now, I'd have to say it's the sudden and near complete elimination of creative design specifically made for the franchise. Super Paper Mario for the Wii might not have had the excellent RPG style game play of its predecessors, but at least the developers went nuts in terms of creativity.

    Paper Mario: Sticker Star that followed was slapped by Miyamoto's hand of bland, and to this day it's probably the only game I've ever played which I absolutely loathe for this reason. 

    Going from this:

    e047d9f23b4480d89d47cd590e09a259.png

    to this:

    paper-mario-sticker-star-wallpaper-paper

    Was a direct assault on my love for the franchise: the crazy world building and characters designs.

    Sticker Star was made even worse because it was also stripped of a FUN battle system and funny dialogue, so I can safely say this was my biggest disappointment ever in my gaming history.

    Now admittedly, I have yet to play Colour Splash, which I hear at least brought the dialogue back to Paper Mario standards, but still misses that creativity of the first 3 games in terms of characters and world building, so while that still saddens me it appears baby steps were made towards what made the franchise so strong to begin with.

    The Origami King seems to be following this trend of baby steps towards the original strength of the series, by bringing back bigger worlds and companions again. But alas, they must remain devoid of anything creative and let's keep piling on the GODDAMN TOADS everywhere. If there's anything that just screams bland and boring it's hundreds of toads with some different colours. Fucking toads man, fucking toads.

    More than anything it seems we get a sense of what characters are being considered to be the core of Mario and what characters are not. Perhaps this is because Nintendo wants to make the Mario brand as big as Mickey Mouse, and so they want a kind of band of recognizable characters throughout all of his adventures, yet Odyssey had all sorts of new and creative designs, so why in the world can't the Paper Mario games take place in faraway lands anymore with for example a big fat chameleon nerd, a wrestling chicken or a sassy Lady Bow?

    I will eventually get around to Colour Splash, and though I am ranting a bit here, the trailer looked fun and I'd love to play it, fully realizing that the height of Mario RPGs in Mario&Luigi: Superstar Saga and Paper Mario & The Thousand Year Door might never be reached again. 

    Sometimes I wish we had a fire reaction instead of just a simple like. :bowdown:

    • Like 1
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    Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 (4th September 2020)

    in Other Consoles

    Posted

    1 minute ago, drahkon said:

    Wow, you're old :p And still very immature while carrying a net :D

    I was almost 10 when the first one was released. :laughing:

    Well thinking about it, I was around 14 when the first game came out but I got deep into the genre and it stayed with me for a good 10 years after that. The net thing is purely a lack of entertainment :grin:

    • Haha 1

    Your 2020 Gaming Diary

    in General Gaming Discussion

    Posted

    1 minute ago, Vileplume2000 said:

    It is in the XBox Game Pass for PC, and that's currently on trial for €1 for one month. So if you have time to finish it in one month you can do so for almost free. And then finish the 99 other games in the Pass in the remaining time.

    I haven't subscribed yet but I have the week off next week so maybe I should.

    I actually was going to subscribe yesterday but it's not officially available in my country so I doubt I'll be able to download anything with ease. There are arbitrary ways to change your region but that'll cause me problems further down the road. Not too fussed. I think it'll come to Switch or PC in the future or Latvia will eventually be included in Game Pass regions.

    Your 2020 Gaming Diary

    in General Gaming Discussion

    Posted

    So, I’ve managed to finish a couple of games over the past week or two which I want to briefly talk about. Firstly:

    Streets of Rage 4.

    What an absolute diamond this game is. By far the best beat ‘em up I have ever played, though for context, the Switch is the first place I’ve really dipped my toes deep into the genre. I do have some experience with SoR I and II thanks to the Wii VC, but don’t have the nostalgia that many here seem to have for the series. That doesn’t matter a jot though, this game is fantastic in its own right!

    I absolutely LOVE the combo system in this game. There is nothing quite as satisfying as stringing together a 50 or 60+ hit combo and watching that score rack up as foes haplessly bounce of the wall and back into your attacks. I love the variety of moves on offer, so while it’s simple to play, it is tough to master and as I’ve progressed through the game, I really feel like I’m learning the mechanics and playing much better than I was at the beginning. I also like the fact the game dangles the carrot of extra lives at you for hitting higher scores, it allows both safe and riskier strategies to be implemented. The game of course is much easier if you play it safe and take your time, but you’ll only get a high ranking if you play on the attack. It’s a superb mechanic.

    The gameplay is extremely tight, and you always feel like you’re fully in control of your character. Different enemies require different approaches, some flat out can’t be hit with certain moves, so often it’s a case of experimenting on a first run of a level and then remembering and adjusting your attacks on second or third attempts. This is amplified by the excellent bosses at the end of each stage, all of which require you to learn their attack patterns. I had a problem with about 3 or 4 of the stage bosses but managed to persevere in each instance without lowering the difficulty or using the assists offered after you die. The feeling of triumph at the end of stage 12 was immense.

    Each new level introduces a new concept, whether it’s exploding barrels, a slippery floor or the classic “fight in this lift which goes up forever” which keeps each level unique and fresh as you progress. There is always something new to deal with. Essentially, that makes the game feel like there is absolutely no filler, and every moment keeps building to the superb final boss. This is of course backed up by a stupendously good soundtrack and visual style which keeps the spirit of the original but brings it right into the modern era. The option to switch to retro visuals and music is just the icing on the cake.

    I’ve mostly been playing with Blaze and Adam and have adjusted to their playstyles quite well, the others have taken me a little longer to learn, but I do appreciate the fact they play very differently from each other. That makes multiple playthroughs on various difficulties completely valid and will undoubtedly extend the life of the game. I’ve had one attempt at arcade mode and fell at the end-boss of the 5th stage. Think that’ll take me a while to beat.

    I was tempted to get this on PC as it was significantly cheaper on Steam but punted for the Switch version in the end with the help of a few gold coins. Definitely glad I opted for the Switch though as this looks fantastic on the big screen. The game runs almost flawlessly on the Switch, however there is some minor slowdown in the kitchen in the Chinatown level. That doesn’t distract from the overall experience though. This is an excellent feat from Dot Emu, there is almost nothing to distinguish this version from its more powerful brothers.

    Easily my game of 2020 so far by quite a considerable margin.

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    Ori and the Blind Forest

    I’ve already spoken about this on the forum in the Video Game Club thread and at length on the podcast. I was overly harsh on the game. I found as it went on the frustration levels dropped considerably and it became much more fun to play. I’m glad I invested my time in this game in the end and would consider playing the sequel on PC should I get access to it in the future. The art style is truly wonderful, but that is often at a detriment to the gameplay.

    I still don’t really understand the almost universal praise this game has received, and as I mentioned, this is really the first time there has been such a big gulf between overall public sentiment and my personal opinion. Usually it’s the other way round where I like something that is critically panned. In my view, the game shines when you are filling in the map, I enjoyed traversing the world in my final hour getting the final few power-ups on my way to 100%. It was then when I truly realised how much of a diverse game world Moon have created. There is a lot of variety in this game, more so than even Hollow Knight, with each area having a unique style and look.

    Overall, it never really sat right with me and I was disappointed due to the extraordinary hype it had received.

    EX2RM2pXQAM-iUc?format=jpg&name=large

    Xenoblade 2

    I was going to do a write up of this game, but I accidently deleted my show notes from the podcast. Instead of spending another hour writing them up again, I’ll advise you to just go and listen to that episode on YT.

    In short:
    - Best RPG I’ve ever played
    - Best combat system ever devised.
    - Best video game OST on the planet.
    - Very good story and pacing.
    - Bad framerate and poor visuals which a great art style doesn’t always mask.

    EWaD6_FVAAAiD_g?format=jpg&name=large

    • Like 3
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    N-Europe Video Game Club

    in General Gaming Discussion

    Posted

    Just over another hour to hit 100%

    The "optional" area you spoke about Jonnas was cool, really enjoyed it. And it SUCKS that it hides one of the best abilities in the game. This game is a little back-to-front, I get that you should feel more powerful as the game goes on, it's how the genre is built, but I had a MUCH better time with this game once everything was unlocked, it's just such a shame it started to feel good / play better in the final third after the annoying stuff earlier on had already worn me out. 360 deaths !! Just rename the game Celeste II and be done with it... Overall, I'm glad I stuck with it, might delete my negative Steam review 

    iDwcvTw.jpg

    • Like 1
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    N-E Café Podcast

    in Nintendo Gaming

    Posted · Edited by Nicktendo

    1 hour ago, Jonnas said:

    Great episode this week. Glad to be part of the PodPals discussion, even while absent and mildly censored :heh: I see that "Jonnas should play Hollow Knight" was a running theme, too!

    (Also, excellent timing with the Transition Tune!)

    You absolutely need to play Hollow Knight. Given your comments on Ori, you will absolutely love it! Join the club of Hollow Knight superfans with me and @Ronnie

    I've just finished Ori, here's proof (some top names on that list):

    fHgtLty.jpg

    To be honest, I was warming to it towards the back end of the game. It's true that you do feel much more powerful, and more importantly, capable in the last third of the game. I was getting frustrated much less often as I did in the beginning once I hit the final temple and really managed to find my stride with the movement and platforming. I feel like I've maybe been too harsh on the game in the podcast. Despite my comments, I want to get to 100% completion. Exploration was fairly enjoyable in this game and I finished on 88% in exactly 9 hours so it shouldn't take too long to mop everything up. Saying that though... I cannot undo there pure rage that this game made me feel at times. I'll try to put a post together for the gaming diary soon. That's actually two games finished today if we include Streets of Rage 4 which I beat earlier this evening. 

    The transition tunes turned out to be a stroke of genius, cannot WAIT for that to come out. 

    • Like 5

    Formula 1 2020 Season

    in General Chit Chat

    Posted

    Rumours from Italy that Sainz and Vettel are going to swap places next year.

    Personally, I would love to see this. I've always wondered how fast Sainz really is (I rate him in the top 5 on the grid) and it would be amazing to see Vettel up against Norris. 

    I'd also love to see Danny Ric get a WC, looks like that dream is fading unless Renault really start turning stuff around.

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