Jonnas

That was lovely to read I am happy that this game is so musically strong. Can't hear the 209 reference in the Mirelands, though. The initial jingle in Mirelands 1 could be considered similar, but even that feels pretty distinct. So, this is a funny thing. Youtube thumbnails spoiled me on this matter back when the game was new (and I did check to see what that was about). Not that the spoiler would matter much to me (I wasn't planning on playing the game), but it looked like a pretty intense moment. Also, the music app refuses to show screenshots for these tracks. Added it to my "intense" playlist regardless. Nice It's surprisingly triumphant 8-bit, and the stage tracks are super fun, very jolly.

Yeah, it was the audio quality I meant. It's one thing for the soundtrack to sound eerie, uncomfortable, and "wrong", it's another for it to physically hurt your ears in the process. Oh, I see what's happening... ...Mega Man X4, right?

I was really hoping that the next Pokémon soundtrack would be from an older generation. Gen 4 would be a nice companion for Legends Arceus. Gen 6 would be good promotion for Legends Z-A. Gen 2 would be fun, because that's the one I want. I'm just disappointed they gave priority to a recent Switch game again, as there's a lot of those in the app already, including every single featured Pokémon title. And this is coming from someone who likes the Sword&Shield soundtrack (Sonia's Theme is going straight into my cozy playlist) Meanwhile, this is the second time in a row where the game they added is somehow connected to the soundtrack I'm currently exploring. Last time it was Mario Kart, this time, it is Pokémon. I don't really have any intentions of playing Arceus, but this soundtrack really makes it sound like a very fun game to explore: I haven't played Gen 4, so I don't get every musical reference (I did hear Route 209 in the Credits theme, that was neat), but the soundtrack definitely stands strong on its own. Lots of new entries into my "Cozy" and "Ambient" playlists.

I hear that patenting mechanics is a common thing. Character silhouettes behind objects? Nintendo has a patent on that. Minigames on loading screens? Namco has a patent on that. The concept of Title Screens? It was either Capcom, SNK, or Namco, I forget. Standard practise in any technology-based company, basic protection. It's just that it's generally agreed that nobody's suing anyone over that. Either out of Gentleman's agreement, or because companies don't want to put their patents on the line, what matters is that nobody's getting pissy over just that. It's part of the reason as to why this lawsuit is so fascinating, Videogame companies rarely bother to fight over patents (and as per Glen-i's post, the actual intent is likely about something else). As for Warner Bros... did they ever actually try to prevent another developer from using a Nemesis-like system? Have they ever publicly bothered to enforce that thing that the internet keeps accusing them of enforcing? Is there a small developer that got a C&D letter from them or something? Legitimate questions, because I never heard of any.

It's funny that I should run into this thread a day after I found Octopath Traveler for 20€ (it was the code in a box, but still). Rising prices suck in general, nobody likes to get priced out of their hobby. But at the same time, I feel like videogames have never been cheaper. By this I mean... back then, if you wanted a cheap videogame, you'd buy a "Game Child" from a bootleg vendor that only came with a crunchy version of Tetris. These days, you get an F-Zero-type game for 20€ or less. There are games of so many shapes and prices, it's legitimate hard for me to be hung up on the fact that the newest Nintendo games are 70€ or 80€ when I know I'll find something cool for a quarter of that price. Heck, that something cool could be the entire library of the NSO, PS+, or GamePass. I dunno. Maybe I just became an adult with more money than time, so this is not the thing that bothers me anymore. What bothered me as a kid was that any and all games were expensive, from the Gamecube to the Game Boy. I remember being so excited as a teenager when I found out I could purchase older Game Boy titles for 10€, it felt like I struck a gold mine. What bothers me now is that I only have time for Picross and non-crunchy Tetris.

Harmony of Dissonance was my first Castlevania, and for that reason I will always be fond of it. There are some legitimate flaws to that game (too large of a map, can become a slog, unpleasant soundtrack), but it's got a lot of cool things going for it as well (creepy atmosphere, intimate story, interior decorating, the most disgusting Legion in the franchise). It's a solid 3, and one I'd like to revisit someday. I have never heard of that title. Where did you get that name from? Top 10 quotes out of context

I'd like to take a moment in appreciation of MK8's soundtrack. It's no secret that I don't care much for this series, but I took a chance in listening to its soundtrack on the music app, and goddamn! Some excellent tracks there. But what truly impressed me were the remixes from previous entries. I was more familiar with Double Dash's soundtrack (a game I actually owned), so I could tell they spruced up those tracks very nicely. But the fact that this is true for every single entry is kind of bonkers. I'm listening to MK7's soundtrack now, and I was surprised at how unimpressive it feels by comparison. Toad Circuit is a good example, being an absolutely generic MK-style track in 7, but an actual feast for the ears in MK8. So yeah, MK8's music mastery has won me over. All thanks to the Nintendo Music App.

Well, it's been a while since we had A Jonnas NSO Update , but it's not a very interesting one. I've been very busy. The replays I replayed Wario Land 4, for a long time. I started around the time it released on the NSO and I've been playing it at a rhythm of... one level per week? It's an incredibly pretty game (in a grotesque way), with an incredible game-feel. Very solid level design as well. It's weird, it's like a 4-out-of-5 game, but I consider it essential playing for anyone minimally interested in platformers at the same time. It's the best kind of unique that a videogame can be. I also replayed Streets of Rage 1 in a single session when that came out as well. It's nice to go back to it after playing SoR2 so much. It definitely feels more archaic (no unique special moves is a bummer), but it's still very solid. I've played a few other games since then that take a lot from SoR2, but they often lack the tight design that was already present in SoR1. My only true complaint about this first entry is that boss fight with the twins: they're so dodgy, they will literally wait out the clock to beat you, it's one of the most legitimately frustrating bosses I've ever seen. The one new game ...The word "new" is doing a lot of legwork here. Mario's Picross is as typical as Picross games get. There are some challenges missing, like the puzzles that don't warn you of mistakes (the Game Boy can only hold so much). There's also an annoying delay with the buttons that caused me to make occasional mistakes. Still, Picross is a trusty companion to us, the folk-who-are-too-busy-for-truly-new-games-and-who'd-rather-look-at-some-creepy-eyes-if-that-means-something-comfy-and-familiar (There are dozens of us! Dozens!) My next update will definitely feature something more interesting. Whenever that is.

I always wondered what the game behind that weird Melee trophy was. I am happy to learn that it's as exactly as bonkers as I hoped it would be. Heart-shaped caves for reproduction? Jesus, Nintendo and their love hotels...

In order to fully 100% this game, you need to beat it 3 times (all because of the item records. There are three mutually-exclusive items that you can only get one of per playthrough). I do not recommend aiming for 100% completion, just do whatever sidequests you find, as this game as a surprisingly large amount of them. I know I managed to find a new one I had never heard about around my 3rd or 4th playthrough. I am very happy to hear you liked it Tales of Symphonia is among my Top 3 RPGs of all time, and its plot, characters, and writing meant a lot to me growing up. It's also an incredibly fun game to just play and enjoy. There aren't many RPGs like it. While my reaction isn't as visceral as Dcubed's, I will recommend that you heavily temper your expectations before approaching ToS2. It was done by a very different team (with different aesthetic and writing sensibilities) with an improvised plot, on a very tight budget, for the sake of making a quick buck on the Wii. Gameplay-wise, there's nothing egregious about it. It's perfectly serviceable, if repetitive. To this day, what bothers me the most about that sequel is the aesthetic clash with the first game. The monsters look nothing like the first game's, the new characters look waaay overdesigned compared to the first game (and the two sets of characters meet, so the clash is right there on-screen), the voice actors are different, and even the way they pronounce certain terms is different ("Mana" and "Palmacosta" being most notable). It's a messy game for sure, and it does not mesh with the original at all. I don't think it's horrible, mind you (I do genuinely appreciate the the main story and its protagonist), but it only gets 2 stars out of 5 from me. ...I'm surprised to hear you recommend that one, in the same post where you say ToS2 is shit. TotA and ToS2 have practically identical battle systems, and the 3D aesthetic is literally the same.

I remember seeing this one often on shelves. Since I hadn't heard anything about it, I always assumed it was a mediocre game, akin to cheap licensed ones. Reading this review, it likely would've been a fun game for multiplayer sessions. But I would still likely not buy it, on account of games at the time (in Portugal, at least) rarely lowering below 40 Euro

Ah....When the odds really ARE in your favour, but they still fail you Classic FE experience, teaching players about the true meaning of "probability". My one and only attempt at a Sacred Stones Ironman ended exactly like that: with Eirika getting hit by 3 bandits, each with a hitrate lower than 65%.

Trailer for the character on the cover just dropped: She looks mad fun

I like this one because it feels like it does its own thing, in gameplay, writing, and aesthetics. And Wada Sachiko is the art director. It's a cool one to go through, and fairly short. Also an excellent choice to get into the series.

I really should've made a prediction for this week. I literally had the necessary info to know they would add a significant Fire Emblem title Regarding best soundtrack in the series, it's hard to choose between Fates, Echoes, and Three Houses. But Engage has got some sauce. Seeing as I don't care for this game's spoilers, I'm looking forward to exploring this soundtrack a bit more. On a side note, I'd love to see them add the soundtrack for Binding Blade. Easily the most underrated OST in the series.

To a certain extent, it's true... but the truth is that both of these games came out at a time where it felt like Square was just sending a bunch of mid-tier games to die, both in release timing and in price (I mean, they should only price a title like Harvestella as 60€ if they're set on convincing the audience that it is a top-tier production... but they clearly made no effort to do so) Like, I feel like this debacle came about from developers at S-E finding a way to produce some humbler, mid-tier productions... and then the marketing/distribution teams completely fumbling it, because they literally have no idea how to market something that isn't AAA-tier.

I'm afraid not. Never really saw it at a heavily reduced price, and the truth is, my backlog is pretty stacked as it is My gaming hobby is practically on hiatus Very nice to hear your impressions, though. I never really heard of this game again, either good or bad. It really went under the radar.

That's the thing, it could be optional. Maybe we could make it work like in Melee, and make it so SDs take away 2 points (an option that already exists). Let each friend group define which adjustment works. As it stands, if someone does something stupid and falls off the edge, an undeserved point goes to whichever Pikachu last hit that person with a randomly-thrown thunder jolt, and we can't do anything about that. Heck, even the "kill yourself to deny a point" thing still happens (entirely likely that a Wario might want to deny a Ganon a point by simply getting hit with a stray projectile, and then dying), but even the "SD takes away 2 points" rule becomes entirely worthless in that scenario, because it doesn't register as an SD. An SD only registers as such if it happens at 0%, which is absurd.

Super Smash Bros. Melee was my favourite game ever for nearly two decades. Only Ultimate surpassed it. I never really felt the appeal behind Subspace Emissary (excessively repetitive and dull), even if it had the right idea. Adventure Mode in Melee was quick, to the point, and kept all of its ideas focused. Like, if a stage in SE was more fun with, say, Sonic than any other character, there was no real reason to explore and find that out. Melee Adventure kept its levels short and replayable, and as a result, I found out, for example, which characters handled the F-Zero level better (Capt.Falcon can just run through it like a champ, but figuring out how to keep myself airborne with Jigglypuff was a legit challenge) The personalized levels in Break the Targets was also an incredible way to learn the ins and outs of various characters. I learned to wall jump thanks to this mode. And that's just single-player, because also in multi-player there's stuff that it did really well. Even modern Smash games don't do the cheeky bonuses at the end of matches, nor do they measure SDs properly. Finally, the gamefeel was incredible, really good use of rumble (whenever you landed a good hit, you felt it). By comparison, Brawl was like punching with pillows. Melee was also quite fast, which made for a very exciting spectacle. I do admit it made it harder to play for beginners. Thankfully, Ultimate matches Melee in the gamefeel area, while still being very accommodating for beginners (partly because there are many more beginner-friendly stages as well in Ultimate). And there's a lot more to gush about Melee. That's why I still put it at the top of any list where I rank my favourite GCN games.

The two (2) guest characters being added to this game really put a hamper on my excitement. It's like, I'm fine with silly marketing stunts, they do help in making a game's launch feel grander. But adding full-blown characters to the game? Into the sequel of what was such a perfect small-but-cohesive game with integrity? Something is lost, that's for sure. That said, both Ronaldo and Ganacci look well thought-out, at least. If they were original characters, people would love them for sure, especially Ganacci (his Super is actually excellent). I can only hope that, in the future, they do add some lookalikes with similar movesets to be a more permanent part of the roster. Maybe Duck King. So my most major disappointment is that Freeman and Jae Hoon are nowhere to be seen. Freeman is like whatever, never really liked him that much, and they can still do something cool for a later return. But Jae Hoon? Come on, he's been gone for so long, I want to see him evolve too! Replace Joe with him, come on SNK

Pikmin is a fantastic game, and it does look like a fantastic series, but I somehow never played the sequels. First game really is excellent, though. So many memorable moments packed into a short (but impressive) game. Maybe the sequels (which don't have time limits) would be more your cup of tea? Or was it the gameplay loop in general that displeased you?

Yes, actually. Mostly, I have the itch to play something, but all I can muster is something "comfortable". You'd be surprised at how often I'd rather just feel the rush of landing an easy combo in a familiar fighting game, or fill out a couple of Picross puzzles, rather than trying out even a simple platforming game. Adulthood (or rather, all the multiple responsibilities, occupations, and projects that it brings) does that to us.

Glen tried to curse my sandwiches. Didn't work.

I heard so much about this series over the years, but despite being a Sega (& later Nintendo) boy, I somehow never played it. It kind of occupies a weird spot in my backlog, where I really feel like I should have an opinion on Super Monkey Ball, but I don't. Looks incredibly fun, though. It also sports that oddly-specific aesthetic of the time, where it definitely looks like a Dreamcast/Gamecube hybrid.

Heck yeah, Gamecube! Luigi's Mansion is one I never got to try. I never really felt the pull for it when I was younger (that was a time where longer games and broader content were more highly valued). These days, I appreciate its strengths so much more, and I'd love to give it a try. Wave Race: Blue Storm is one I did own. Once again, I didn't really appreciate the seemingly little amount of content at the time (especially when I also had F-Zero GX), but looking back, that game had plenty of strengths. Gamefeel was superb, and it looked great for the time. Surprising amount of personality for such a western-coded game, too. I'm sure it's coming to the NSO, and I do hope I can give it another shot sooner rather than later.