Jonnas

Their mascots and colours are, respectively, a lion (green), a dragon (blue), and an eagle (red). Easiest reference to make

Right, now that I'm in front of a computer, some images for the sake of comparison: Regarding the architecture, I felt a very strong Barcelona vibe from it. The Twitter thread that Ashley posted had the right of it. I mean, Porto has colourful façades as well, but what we saw in the trailer was Barcelona for sure. As for the cosier house, most houses in the southern half of Portugal look like that as well. Ours don't have Sevillanas, though. It should be noted, the specifically Portuguese references I mentioned were speculation. I need to see a swanky colourful black rooster before I'm totally sure. Or at least a building that looks like this. "I've looked at this western coast for hours and I can't figure out what it could possibly be!" Cheeky git, this Antonio fellow.

There are already theories that the grass starter might be an Iberian Lynx (endangered species, nearly extinct, but recent repopulation efforts have been successful). Also, Quaxly might turn into an Age of Discovery reference (Prince Henrique had a famous wide feathered hat, and that entire age is associated with white&blue in Portugal) But so far these are wild speculation. We really need to see the full evolutions.

So, I heard these new Pokémon games take place in the Iberian peninsula? Really!? Exciting news for sure. Is this when we finally have a black rooster Pokémon? Like so? It's probably meant to be a Spanish reference. Fuecoco's name likely comes from "Fuego" (fire) and "Cocodrilo" (crocodile). As for its Japanese name... ... no comment

I had quite the sombre PC game planned for February, but things didn't go as planned. Had some phone issues, my work ramped up significantly, and February turned out to be very sunny and dry, which killed the mood for darker games. But there was a 3DS game I had started playing in late January that got me coming back a little bit every night, and fit this sunny month like a glove. Furthermore, I was almost done with it when Nintendo announced the eventual closure of the 3DS eShop, so I think it turned out quite apt. That game is... Ever Oasis Developed by Grezzo (of Zelda remakes fame) and released back in 2017 (a year that produced a lot of bangers), Ever Oasis was a full priced game for the 3DS. I actually got the digital version as early as 2018 (thank MyNintendo for giving me a discount), and it's been hovering tantalizingly on my backlog ever since. The game advertised itself as an RPG where you build and develop your own town (the titular oasis) when you're not adventuring. All of that is indeed correct, except for one detail: I wouldn't call it an RPG, it's more like a 3D Action-Adventure game (what even are genres, amirite?). You start out with a dinky oasis with one resident, but by going out into the world, you can find more people that might want to live in your oasis, as well as find materials that'll keep your town running. The majority of residents will be able to open their specific type of store that'll bring business to the oasis (with each one requiring a specific type of material that needs to be periodically restocked), and those residents without stores tend to be better at fighting and adventuring. The gameplay loop is pretty much this: you start the day, you check up on your local stores, restock those that need it, collect the crops from your garden, and then go out into the world to fulfill any variety of objectives. These objectives are usually "explore that new place because that's where the story advances" or "go to a specific spot because a sidequest requires you to go there". Or you can just go grind/farm for materials you're low on. Or just explore a spot you haven't seen yet because you want to. You eventually get access to options that allow you to delegate some of these tasks, too. Sidequests are usually given by potential new residents ("I sure would live in this oasis if I had four Bat Wings!"), but as the game progresses and the stores grow, each individual resident will give you a specific sidequest connected to levelling up their store ("Could you come with me meet a merchant in that ominous cave? They have the goods I need to diversify my shelves."). As you unlock more residents, the space in your oasis will grow as well, and you'll be able to choose the best layout for your bazaars. The adventure part of it kind of resembles Monster Hunter (or at least how I think of that series) in that you grab two residents from your Oasis, form a party, and go out to fight monsters in real time, usually by circling them and attacking them on their cooldown period. Each resident has strengths and weaknesses in combat (usually tied to their weapon), unique special moves (which I couldn't pull off because it was tied to the R button. There I was, thinking I was safe, and they introduce these about a third into the game...), and specific skills related to exploration and dungeon-solving. Yes, there are quite a few Zelda-style dungeons that involve keys, chests, puzzles, and so on. These, alongside the real-time battles, are the main reason I wouldn't classify this game as an RPG, as it resembles Zelda far too much. In fact, if you're itching for traditional Zeldas, this game might be right up our alley, despite the unique Town Management side of it. Compared to Zelda, these are a bit more simplistic than usual, but the late-game dungeons really show that they know how to design more complex layouts and puzzles. They just took it easy in this game, likely to remain accessible. There are a few flaws tied to this whole thing. First of all, dungeons and caves sometimes require specific party members to properly solve (for example, rocks that can only be broken by hammer-wielding residents), which means you'll need to go back to the oasis and switch your party every time you see one of these obstacles. You can just teleport to take care of this, but it still feels clumsy, I think the dungeons could've been better designed to prevent these arbitrary party swaps. Another is that the combat and equipment side of the game feels... unimportant. There's like dozens and dozens of weapons, equipment, and accessories to collect and use, but there's no point to exploring this. The game automatically equips any party member you invite (including the main character), the in-combat buffs don't feel like they influence combat that much, and the main exception to this - the weapons - (the choice of using swords, boomerangs, staves, or bows brings entirely different playstyles) are clunky to equip, as it needs to be done in the oasis, in two specific spots. So we're generally encouraged to ignore this part of the game and stick to a sword the entire time. Finally (and this is more subjective), I think there's some serious sidequest bloat here! The game showers you with sidequests the entire time, which can be seen as a positive, but it can get stressful if you're looking to fulfill everything. The game keeps track of all sorts of sidequests, but at the same time, it only allows you to tackle one at a time, which is weird. The fact that days go by surprisingly quickly can also make it feel like the quests are more urgent than they truly are. And when you couple this with your usual Oasis Management tasks, it can feel like you're sidetracked from the main quest a lot. Story-wise, the game is cute and simple: there's a dark evil force in the desert known as "Chaos", and the Oasis is the only bastion of hope that fights it. What feels more interesting are the individual quests from your residents to level up shops, because they're tied to personal character arcs (one of them had an estranged daughter, another one feels his father's disapproval everywhere he goes, etc.). I think these had more potential, but they're very low-key in the grand scheme of the game. Finally, it also should be noted, lovely aesthetic. It takes clear inspiration from desert-based fantasy, especially themed around Egyptian and Arabic culture (dungeons, clothes, etc.). Characters look super cute and adorable, even when they're a rough-skinned scorpion-cyclops. Enemies are quite varied, from your usual snakes and rodents, to stranger boulder-shaped spiders or giant monster pineapples. Also, the music is quite good, and fits the middle eastern feel perfectly, whether it be the intense overworld themes, the uptempo dungeon tunes, or the cozy and happy town music. Overall, this feels like a solid 8/10. It's not the cream of the crop, but it's quite good, kept me coming back, and I certainly enjoyed my time with it. Despite some rough edges, Grezzo nailed the foundations with this game, and they could do an excellent sequel to this. Or even a solid new concept for an adventure game, allow their creativity to shine on their IPs, please. Originally, I thought for sure this was the penultimate game on my 3DS, with only one RPG left on that backlog... but because of the store's closure, I'll need to fill up my backlog all over again. Also, It's officially the last game from my old 3DS: while playing Ever Oasis, my L button started to act up in the same way as my R button! It was only one session, but it sure freaked me out. So I'll need to switch my account to another 3DS ASAP.

To be fair, this game is total GOTY bait. That's not a knock on any of these reviews, it's just clearly a combination of a lot of things that are popular and positively received. That said, back in my day, "reviewer-friendly" meant that the game was easy enough to play (not too difficult), engaging enough to stay interesting (not too easy), and straightforward to explore and/or complete (so, easy checklists for sidequests, and also games that could feasibly be explored within one playthrough). In other words, a bunch of checklists that would make the job easier for someone who systematically plays several games for a living. I remember Zelda and Assassin's Creed being usually accused of this. I don't think a Soulsborne-type of game would fit the description, either.

Today I learned that, in the 3rd My Hero Academia film, the fictional European country "Otheon" that Deku travels to... seems to be Portugal! The proof is in the satellite dishes, which bear the MEO logo. They're cable providers who pretty much only operate here. Here's a link to the whole Twitter thread, featuring comparison pictures. Lisbon seems to be the main inspiration, but there are several shots that resemble Porto as well. I knew that some recent Anime (mostly obscure ones) had been using Portuguese cities and landscapes for inspiration when designing towns and backgrounds (especially for seaside towns in fantasy series), but to see the mainstream My Hero Academia do it as well for a feature film is surreal! A shame that in the film itself the local language is English, but hey, baby steps. I mean... this is just great. (The tweets with screenshots from the film have been spoilered just in case)

I don't want to stop using the old one entirely. I don't plan on selling it (I can't sell a defective console on a clean conscience), and it would be nifty to have a selection of titles in one place, and distinct one in the other. Plus, the old one is this edition specifically: I don't want to stop using it

Well, seems like I'll have to reserve the old one for specific physical games, then. Likely those that use the touch screen a lot.

Right, now that I'm dedicating some time to properly fulfilling my 3DS backlog, I should probably do this for sure. But just one question: does my account truly transfer, or is my account copied across two consoles? Because I'd be totally down to reserve my old 3DS for VC titles, as well as some that don't require shoulder buttons.

I kinda hate the logo. So colourless, so sterile, feels like it was designed to emulate the aesthetic of stereotypical mainstream "PC gaming". Other than that, I just hope the full game feels complete at launch. Proper Arcade/Story modes and endings for everybody, character themes, lively stages, wild bonus rounds... have all of that typical series charm ready to go. "A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad" This is certainly not the context that Miyamoto had in mind when he said that, but it certainly applies to the public perception of a brand. A bad launch stings in the memory of people.

Wow, this is a beefy selection of titles! There's a few that had never been released outside of Japan, and I think pretty much all of them (beside Hyper Street Fighter) are seeing their first release on a Nintendo console. Do we know if Digital Eclipse is behind this?

You know, I just realised that the words "Aural" and "Oral" are homophones, meaning they're pronounced the same. The truly ironic thing is that the difference between both words cannot be properly conveyed through aural or oral means. How curious. Your usage of the word is the entire reason I thought about this.

It should be noted, NoA at the time thought some parts of Earthbound might be too difficult/obtuse, so they released it with a free Strategy Guide alongside the manual.

...there's an item in Earthbound Beginnings called "D Slip"?

A challenge is all well and good, but I have no idea how one is supposed to beat Escue in that mode. Dude's attacks feel unavoidable. But that's a problem for future me to figure out!

Ah, there it is, that has to be the reason. Totally worth the 10€ discount in my book (in fact, that update alone costs 8,99€ in other stores, which makes this an extra nice, extra funny discount). I'm not sure if the 3DS does many eShop sales anymore, but I'll look to make that one a priority sometime this year. I really value portability. By the time I first got the 3DS though, the original game had already been replaced by Treasure Trove (and it was in fact the first game I wishlisted), so it seems I missed the free updates by a lot. At least it's still easy to buy without investigating available DLC.

Alright, I've been comparing prices for Treasure Trove, and something struck me as odd: why is the 3DS version 10 Euro cheaper? Is there something missing from the 3DS version, or were Yacht Club games just cool enough dudes to make it cheaper there?

Because there's the chance that, in our midst, there might be a... mole. It is really good. I never enjoyed first-person dungeon crawlers, but this one hit all the right spots for me. It's probably due to the fact that the combat is really engaging. It's basically first-person swordplay, and your sword is your stylus. There's a variety of enemies that need to be fought in certain ways (like deflecting their attacks, or cutting off some tentacles first), and if they attack you in groups, you need to pay attention to each enemy's behaviour and think properly about which one to attack first... In fact, let's ask past me. These are my thoughts on it, from way back in 2019:

Wow, I didn't know this. The Switch lacks a free stylus, and for mobile devices, I can only see it working well with fingers on a tablet... But it's good to know that the game will live on.

Handsome "Shoujo-bait" men all kinda look very similar to me. I wouldn't be surprised if the JK mangaka was inspired by Yuri specifically when designing Gojo, because what else is a straight guy to do when they don't quite know what is it that makes a man's face attractive? You take pointers from a place that knows this stuff better. The manga has seen recent publication in Portugal as well, which means I had the opportunity to check a few volumes at the bookstore. I was immensely surprised at how... wordy it is. There's so much narration explaining what's currently happening on-screen, it's kinda crazy to think that the Anime staff was confident to replace all of that with well composed visual storytelling. On a lighter note, during this Season 2, I occasionally conversed with (or saw comments from) manga readers, and it went like this: "There's no narration to explain what happened in that moment, Anime-onlys must be so confused" "Well, what was it that the Anime didn't tell us?" "[Proceeds to explain something I already understood on my first viewing]" I saw this precise exchange, like, 5 times through the season. It's a unique dynamic that I haven't seen happen with any other show yet

More shows should do that. And I don't mean just in Anime. (Also, Nanami's my fave. Jujutsu has a really nice cast) I think you hit the nail on the head. A lot of folk will be turned off if there's 100+ episodes to watch... but 4 seasons always feels accessible, even if the actual number of episodes is over 80 by now. Speaking of which! I finished watching the 2nd Season this Sunday (I'm not a manga reader, btw, I'm savouring just the Anime here), and I can safely say that the show is going as strong as ever and doesn't seem to be slowing down. I also get the feeling that this season is better on a binge.

I'm still floored by how many hours I put into Awakening, didn't feel that long. But since when is Ace Attorney an RPG? Also, why did they put Puzzle&Dragons in there? I barely played one hour of that. -------------------- Anyway, this is sad news for sure. I still play on my 3DS, dammit! Guess I need to make a plan for purchasing the most vital parts of my digital wishlist... Fire Emblem Fates is the most obvious one. I bought Conquest physical, but the cartridge got lost. Anyway, as pricey as all 3 games will be, it'll need to happen; Shin Megami Tensei IV is an odd one for me. I haven't tried the series yet, and truth be told, SMTIII is the one that calls to me the most... but SMTIV isn't getting rereleased anywhere else soon, I bet; Dragon Quest VII and VIII exist in physical form, right...? (But if any of these games are getting rereleased anywhere else soon, it's the DQ ones.Par for the series, really); Various VC games, for GB, GBC, and Game Gear. There's 10 on my wishlist right now; Finally, there's a handful of first party games that I'll probably search for in physical form: Metroid: SR, Luigi's Mansion, Kirby Robobot, etc. These are unlikely to go too rare. And of course, a lot of indie games that are available in plenty of other places, like Shovel Knight. Those I can skip for sure. Finally, here's some personal recommendations for anybody else looking to make a digital plan for 3DS: Severed is easily my strongest recommendation. Excellent game from Drinkbox, is only available for Vita, 3DS, and Wii U, and is very unlikely to come out anywhere else (not until we get some other system with a touch screen and a practical stylus); Hydroventure: Spin Cycle is one of the best, most charming puzzle games on the system, and can pretty much only exist on 3DS. Secure it; Pocket Card Jockey is a really fun one. I kinda fell off it, but it's totally worth checking out on creativity alone (it's also another one unlikely to get off the 3DS); There are a lot of GB/GBC games to recommend, but if I'm going to mention one, it better be the criminally underrated Wario Land Trilogy (especially WL3! Don't skip); But also, Mole Mania. That game needs all the love; One particular NES title you're unlikely to see again anytime soon: The Mysterious Murasame Castle. Ever played a twin-stick shooter from the NES era? Ridiculously difficult, but quite fun; Finally, a reminder the Apollo Justice Trilogy (and respective DLC) from the Ace Attorney series is currently only available on 3DS. Yeah, end of an era, and it feels too soon.

What I bolded is known as a "Hard Ironman" (if your lord dies or you otherwise lose the mission's objective, the playthrough is done), and I wouldn't want to force that playstyle on others, either. Choice is good. (A "Soft Ironman" is when you allow yourself to restart under certain conditions, like losing the Lord. But other units who die must stay dead, or otherwise it's no Ironman) Some FE games are better for Ironman runs than others. The NES Shadow Dragon is excellent for such runs (I even did a blind soft Ironman run last year, which I chronicled. I only lost 5-and-a-half units) because they keep giving you new units to use in case of emergency. Binding Blade is in a very similar boat, as long as you realize that the True Ending is easy to miss under such a playthrough. By comparison, Three Houses is terrible for them, because you get a small cast at the start, and barely any newcomers (none whatsoever in the lategame). Blazing Blade is in a weird spot where it's fine for a Soft Ironman, but brutal for a Hard Ironman. The list of particularities goes on. Shadow Dragon DS is likely the best, because that game actually gives you dummy generic units to use if your army gets too small. On a sidenote, I strongly dislike the Mila's Turnwheel/Time's Pulse. The whole point of making tactical decisions is that there's no takebacks to your risks, but that mechanic washes it all away (for example, you can check if a risky 60% Accuracy attack will pay off or not, which makes it... not a risk). If it's going to stay, it should be limited to one use per map.

I'll just reminisce about the whole thing: I have issues with Season 1 (1st half). I had issues reading the manga the first time around (I started reading this before the anime was ever announced, lucky me), and they're still there in the Anime, though the music helped improve it a lot (even if they removed one of my favourite page shifts in the manga). Plenty of strong moments, but it's a messy thing overall; Season 1 (2nd half) is the worst in the series for me. So tense when first reading, but on a rewatch, it just drags. Not a fan of the anime-only content either (including OP & ED); Season 2 is the most nostalgic to me, there was so much confusion, and it felt like we were always on the cusp of answers, but never the ones we actually wanted. Unlike the previous arc, this one actually is improved on a rewatch. Plus, seeing it in animated form really allowed me to appreciate how constructed that arc was. And holy shit that Ending, somehow encapsulating the tone of the season without being in any way related to what happens there (even containing info that manga readers didn't know at the time); Season 3 Part 1 is schizophrenic due to the changes between adaptations, but the shift to political intrigue was much needed. Considering its contents, it's one of those where quietly absorbing the manga does wonders, but damn if I don't love that Kenny music and the Levi chase scene; Nothing beats Season 3 Part 2 for me. That's as perfect as an arc can be, both in the Manga and in the Anime. I still can't believe that they managed to jam all of the content that they did into "Hero", it was spectacular; Season 4 Part 1 brought a lot of things I was begging for the longest time, including the best mini-arc in the series. Excellent climax as well for its main arc. A lot of folk felt whiplash with the change in perspective, but I was all in for it. In the Anime, the shift to Mappa was a positive one for me, as they're better at capturing the bleak grit from Isayama's style (never liked WIT's bold lines and bright colours); For Season 4 Part 2... I definitely remember the current arc being an absolute nailbiter as it was coming out, so I totally understand your view, up there with the best. No comment on upcoming events as of now. So I guess if I were to rank them (including knowledge of upcoming events this season)... S3Pt.2 > S4Pt.1 > S4Pt.2 > S2 > S3Pt.1 > S1Pt.1 > S1Pt.2 The best one and the two worst ones are set in stone, but I feel like everything in between is subject to shift around with time. On a sidenote, I hate that Attack on Titan doesn't number its seasons properly. We're on the seventh opening after 9 years, why call this the 4th Season?