Jonnas

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of Glen's Disappointed Sigh

I'd just like to add that Street Fighter V was absolutely rushed at launch, but got improved with time, patches, and updates. However, following the recent Street Fighter 6 reveal, a lot of people on the internet (including here on our forums) were still bitter about SFV's barebones launch. In the public mind, a game that was released badly will stay that way, regardless of what happened throughout the game's lifespan. So that part is important too. Also, improving the game post-launch works far better for certain types of games than others. Roguelikes, multiplayer games, and various types of games-as-service are expected to be played lots after launch, so post-game support is expected, with initial flaws being easier to tolerate. But something like, say, Metroid Dread, that you're likely to only play through quickly once or twice, and then only replay sporadically, would not get the same type of tolerance from its fans. So there are types of games for which a weak launch is still a death sentence. ... Anyway, Link's "corrupted Ashitaka" design looks Breath of the Wilder than I expected. Rad.

So, I figure some 2D Platformers were in order. Flashback Flash back... into the future! Yeah, that's right, a AAA game. From 1992. Made by French developers Delphine Software (also known for Another World), I first heard of this game from a cousin talking about it, how it was a technical achievement for its time, and how hyped he was about its release on the PC (or MS-DOS at the time, I believe). He tells me that the animated cutscenes were really impressive, and the game felt immense. So when I saw it with a heavy discount on the Switch eShop a while back, I knew I had to get it, just for the sheer curiosity of it (though I only played it now). Of course, I had looked up what the game was like, and it seemed like an upscaled Prince of Persia (1989), especially with all of the colours in Flashback compared to Prince, but I figured there had to be more. For those unaware, this is a "Cinematic Platformer". In these types of games, you don't have a very precise control of your character, who'll flail around with more frames of animation than what is usually practical for a platformer. Think Oddworld series, or even how Lara Croft moves in the original Tomb Raider games, they'll have long start-ups for their jumps, and equally longer landings. These were very much in vogue in PC Gaming of the early 90s, likely because that fluid animation is quite impressive. I figured what truly made waves was the elaborate cutscenes, coupled with a snazzy, chiptuney soundtrack that feels tailored-made for the Mega Drive. This game takes place in a Cyberpunk style setting, and is clearly inspired by Sci-fi references of the time (got major Blade Runner and Terminator vibes, for example). In a way, this may have been the Uncharted of its time, with how much it resembles a respectable Hollywood action flick. As for the game itself... it has the usual difficulties associated with the genre. The trickiest part is figuring out how its mechanics work, but Level 2 does a good job of teaching you how to play (Level 1 throws you into the wolves, and was not much of a good introduction). You can run, duck, roll, and jump in some limited ways, as well as shoot your infinite ammo gun (amusingly, pistol-whipping is just as damaging as a bullet). What surprised me were the point&click mechanics it has on top of this (another popular genre of the time), for some occasional puzzle-solving and more peaceful interactions with the world. Really makes this game into the whole package, huh? The plot is fairly basic, but enjoyable. The meat of the game is making your way through complex platforming segments with your limited movement, which... actually hold up pretty well, once you adopt the right mentality. It's a kitschy fun romp like that, though the lategame enemies are really annoying to deal with. It's a bit shorter than what I was expecting (roughly 8 hours), but it's the right length. I guess part of what made it long back in the day was the sheer absence of online guides and help (which I definitely needed to figure out some obtuse moments), though I actually found a walkthrough from 1992 (!). American guy who played the game in French, so rare to see well preserved content from that era. So yeah, it was a nice experience. Might be more open to other such games some time later. Rick's Dream Land 2 The box may be misspelled, but we can all see who's centrefold Now back to the 3DS, I recently bought a bunch of VC games, which included this 1995 classic. I hadn't played it (not even on an emulator) since my copy got lost a few decades ago, so this was quite the nostalgia trip. The game is shorter than I remember, but it's lovely. You can ride animals and use the best core Kirby powers. The level design is a bit harder than what Kirby usually does, but that's fine, better even. Kirby can't run in this game, and I think that gives it the best pace it can have, it's a joy to play this. Kirby looks more expressive here than nowadays I remember this being the first game I played where I bothered to search and find all of the collectibles, the optional Rainbow Pieces that unlock the True Ending. Made me feel great as a kid, figuring out these puzzles all on my own. Even now, I still remembered most of them, and relearning the details of how to get them was a big rush. So I completed this all over again and had a blast. Feels great. Wario Land 3 Major game clear! Speaking of nostalgia darlings, this is a masterpiece. And one I weirdly... never owned before now? I always played someone else's copy, or an emulator... Owning this is on 3DS great, I ended up playing it on any off-time. It's the best game Wario has ever starred in. Like in other Wario Land games, Wario controls like a heavier, rougher, more violent Mario. And much like in Wario Land 2, he's immortal, stopped only by attacks that push him back. It works a lot like a Metroidvania divided by individual explorable levels, and in addition to permanent power-ups (because it does have those), there are also items that change the layout in other levels. For example, finding a bar of dynamite in the swamp level causes an explosion at the rocky volcano's base, opening up new level segments there. It sounds so simple, but it's actually fantastic to explore levels that have parts of it clearly sealed off, only to later find something that finally unlocks that pesky obstacle. Level design is some of the best I've ever seen in a 2D game, not just because of the way it is structured, but also because every level takes into account how to deal with Wario's immortality, and how to push him off a platform. It's a paradigm shift, but one that the designers handled with aplomb. And in good Metroidvania fashion, there are even some very cool bosses here! Very creative, too, considering there's always a way for them to kick Wario out and reset the fight. The cherry on top of the cake is that our protagonist is an unrepentant greedy git who plays minigolf with baddies and is in this adventure only for the material rewards. And having his power-ups come from enemy attacks? Grade A+ mechanic, as it gels with both the game's aesthetics, as well as with the lack of a health bar or lives. In a nutshell, it's a lot like a 2D version of Super Mario 64, but with a better protagonist. I beat the final boss a while back, and now I'm spending my time finding the remaining treasure chests and collecting the musical coins. I adore this game.

Just listened to the new tracks and... yeah, the original was already perfect. The new ones come off as "alternate" takes, like from another timeline... Fitting? For now, I prefer the original ones. They sound like they work better as functional game music. But also, there's a "warmth" to them that I didn't hear in the new ones, if that makes sense.

I didn't mean his current absence, I meant that he felt particularly chipper and more relaxed (hence "looser") around December/January. I could swear I made that comment in this thread at the time, but I can't find it right now

I mean, to be fair, most mentions in this thread aren't about sales, they're about personal preferences (or rather, dislikes). Like, the Terry Bogard commercial I posted is for a game that did (and still does) well, and came at a good point in SNK's history. Half of the things that DCubed mentioned on Final Fantasy were also fairly successful commercially. For the most glaring discrepancy, the petting mini-game in FE Fates was embarrassing, but the game sold immensely while the series was (and still is) rising in prominence. If we were going for the actual commercial low point of the series, we would mention the entire Wii/DS generation, especially the fan favourite Radiant Dawn (search your feelings, you know this to be true) All I'm saying is, Resident Evil 6 is a fair pick. Outside of spinoffs, it likely sports the lowest critical reception in the series.

Dang, is this why he seemed so loose lately? Might as well have fun during your last year, right? I mean, as far as career ends go, going out on your own terms to be a full-time family man is probably the happiest, most wholesome one. I'm happy for him... but I'll miss him a lot. Loved hearing his take on things. I was going to say they now need to hire more allies for sure... but it seems they're hiring at least one Community Manager, at least.

Were you perhaps thinking of Braid?

The "lengthy" game I picked for March was one that I bought a few years ago. However, I ended up buying it again recently due to a deal on GOG that reverted profits to the Ukrainian Red Cross. Because it was so topical, I decided to actually play it as well. This War of Mine Made by Polish developers 11 bit Studio, this is a survival game about civilians trying their best to make it through a vicious civil war ravaging their city, set in a fictional Eastern European country. All I truly heard of the game is that it was heavy and heart-breaking. Gameplay-wise, I entered it quite blind. I soon found out that the core of the game consists of managing a wartime shelter with a group of civilians (named and with personalities), and doing their best to ensure their survival in the face of an increasingly harsher environment. The usual challenge is to ensure that you can meet basic needs, like food, warmth, security, etc. You can build makeshift devices to help in this (like a stove to cook food, a rainwater collector, etc.), but everything requires various resources only available through bartering or scavenging. The nighttime segments involve one of your people going out into other houses and neighbourhoods to scavenge for resources, and these play out more like a 2D stealth game, though the combat is quite clunky and inconsistent (purposefully so, I'm sure). In practise, most of these nightly visits will be made to scavenge empty buildings or trade items with neighbours, with actual thieving and looting being more uncommon. There are a few simple, but effective interactions through the game. You can trade with the different factions of the conflict, or you can risk your hide by sneaking around and taking items from them. You can loot from violent thugs from your area, or you can more safely - but also inhumanely - steal from innocent folk. But you can also spare some food for a nearby homeless man or donate medicine to a clandestine hospital. This variety helps in humanizing the various NPCs, it allows the player to understand the real cost of being generous, and it drives home the fact that everyone's getting desperate. The consequences for failure are very harsh. If someone gets wounded or sick, that's a few days they need to take off to recover. Grave injuries require bandages, which are rare. And if you lose someone, they're just dead forever. The whole game is quite exhausting on an emotional level, considering the interactions with NPCs, the gritty art style, the harsh radio broadcasts, the dwindling resources, and the usual paranoia of a raid maybe going wrong. Though you always feel in the edge of despair with this game (vital resources are always scarce, and snowy days are merciless), I'd say that the actual mechanics and optimal strategies to take are fairly straightforward and easy to figure out. In fact, I found myself actually growing bored after reaching Day 14 or so (as time goes on, there's less and less to do and/or improve). Considering each run is meant to last roughly 42 days, that's a long time of maintaining a consistent routine once you've found a steady strategy for survival. I had entered such a routine, I got sloppy, made a stupid mistake during a raid, and lost one person on the 30th day. Couple of days later, another guy froze to death overnight, out of the blue (my heater was well fed, but apparently there's always a chance of this happening...). Seeing as I lost half of my guys, I also lost the will to play more, and so I stopped. All things considered, while this is a valuable game to experience (it is very well made, and it tackles a pretty serious subject with tact), I don't think I want to play a second run of this (even though there are other survivor groups to try). It's a weird situation where I admit the game is quite good, and I'm glad I played it, but I'll drop it on the grounds that its themes are too heavy to handle for too long, with the gameplay itself not being fun enough to lighten me up (and I wonder if it ever could, really).

As someone who's dealt with enjoying works by other shitty authors, I can separate art and artist in certain occasions, but find myself being unable to think of anything else in others. Depends on context, as well as the content of the specific work. I certainly don't blame anybody who feels turned off by JKR to the point of not wanting to play a game that brings her world to life (even if she didn't make it). I've been reading the books at launch since Goblet of Fire, and JKR being an awful person hasn't affected my previous enjoyment, mainly because her vile side doesn't come out on the text. However, the Fantastic Beasts films, alongside Cursed Child, definitely deflated my enjoyment of the franchise, it's like they all revel on the worst habits of the books. The GBC and PS1/PC games were enjoyable and captured the whimsy of the first books quite well, but as of right now I'm lukewarm at best for this game. ... If this is set in the late 1800s, I wonder if the "shitting on the floor" thing is going to make an appearance. "Death of the Author" isn't meant to be literal. It's just the idea that an author's intent and opinions don't need to reflect on the reader's interpretation of their work. In other words, it's a figurative death, as in, the author metaphorically ceases to exist after their work is released to the world. And I disagree on closing the thread. It's best to actually have a venue in which to discuss these things.

...Did you mean to tag @Julius? I don't know what a Sekiro is, or why the shadows are dying twice (I mean, shadows normally can't die even once). And on the subject, all I have to say is that making purposefully low-print runs just to sell more on the digital side sounds like a poor strategy: games need store visibility for marketing as well, which is particularly important for new IPs. There are likely other reasons behind the low prints, because the practice predates digital stores.

Thanks for the shout, @V. Amoleo I might get Nano Assault EX for that price. Apropos, it's been a month since the announcement. Has this affected anybody's purchase plans, or otherwise raised your urgency in building your backlogs? I found myself watching a few videos listing all the underrated 3DS gems they can think of (like GVG's, or this channel that split its recommendations into several videos), and increased my wishlist a bit more. It's kind of tragic that I'm hearing about some lesser known gems only now (that Aero Porter game sounds wild, and that demo for Stella Glow made me regret not knowing about it earlier). I'm also weighing the likelihood of these games making it into other systems. And of course, I ended up buying four physical 3DS games in this past month alone (including a great deal for FE Fates for 20€), as well as all the VC titles I had on my wishlist (ten of them!). For the remainders, I'll be paying attention to the eShop, in case further sales pop up in this coming year. Hoping for an Atlus/SMT sale, especially.

I had erased this film from my memory. That's a good call, I remember even the most neutrally-written Wikipedia article couldn't prevent making it sound like the hollow shell that it was. On that note, you also reminded me of another thing that I had excised from my memory I dare you find any similarity to the source material.

Remember that time when a solid game called Mega Man 10 came out, and it was to be followed by an ambitious project called Mega Man Universe, and also Mega Man Legends 3 was finally going to get made? And then it all got cancelled? And Marvel vs Capcom 3 came out and no sign whatsoever of the Blue Bomber? And then Keiji Inafune left? And then- Capcom's mascot sure went through a rough patch during that time.

Hey, come on, come on! Check out this Chinese ad! I cannot even understand what they were going for here, but I can confidently say this is the lowest point ever for the character. The video tells the whole story, but the short version is "Let's chase trends we barely understand!" several times over. (Also, if you see any part of this video, check out 12:40 to 13:35, because that shit's hilarious)

I remember itch.io did a similar bundle for BLM around the time of George Floyd's murder. I got that one back then, I'll get this one as well (during the weekend, when I have a bit more time to find my itch.io info). Strong initiatives, it's good to see such an effort from developers and online game stores alike.

I will be the first to admit I don't have much particular nostalgia for any one TMNT game (my sole contact being a very brief brush with one of the Game Boy games), but this does look like a very well put collection! It's being made by Digital Eclipse (thanks for the shout, @darksnowman), so it's in good hands. I'm curious to see what sort of goodies and materials they'll find for the extras.

You may have thought this was Final Fantasy Tactics, but... field Chronicle! It's nice to see more high-budgeted efforts directed at the strategy RPG genre. With the end of the 3DS, I thought these games would languish without a dedicated handheld (which is the tried and true home of the genre), but instead, we're seeing better efforts. Plus, the apparent success of Triangle Strategy bodes well for the future. As for this game specifically, I was sceptic when I heard it was "like Fire Emblem", because people are quick to draw shallow comparisons. However, the portrait cut-ins in the middle of the battle is a very FE thing, heck, even the aesthetic (diagonal cut from the side of the character) is similar. But I'll wait to see more pondered gameplay before calling it a copycat. Noteworthy, they fetched someone from Game of Thrones for this game (the composer). It took surprisingly long for someone to use GoT clout to promote a game with this kind of "medieval political intrigue" setting.

I was wondering the other day how the Russian invasion would affect the discourse around Advance Wars (especially when the very first arc in the story is about fighting a stereotypically Russian fellow). I think Nintendo made the right call here, sticking to the original release date would be tasteless at best. For cryin' out loud... the vast majority of titles you mentioned were localizations in specific territories, and you even snuck in some titles that merely changed systems (you cannot in any good faith claim that Super Paper Mario "never released"). The announcement itself promises a further release date. There's no need to overreact to this. Nintendo is not going to unilaterally cancel an entire game made by a trusted 3rd party, one month before it was meant for release. You can claim it's not going to release in Japan, but that part was true even at the time it was announced.

I don't know anything about Hellblade's setting, but to my knowledge, "Hel" is from Norse mythology. Is this one of those cases where the developers mix&matched mythologies?

I knew that App was barebones, but "You can now check your own contact info" has to take the cake on the list of basic functions that should've been there from the start. Between this and the absence of a shopping cart on the Epic Games Store, there's a surprising lack of care for UIs in gaming.

Nintendo has pretty much stopped announcing games too early, which might be the principal factor. Maybe down the line we'll hear about some random Wario Land or Wave Race game that got scrapped halfway through development, but since they were never announced, they were never "cancelled" either. Noteworthy that among the exceptions that were announced earlier than usual (BotW2, Metroid Prime 4, Bayonetta 3), includes the one game that you mentioned could be cancelled.

@Glen-i I have a very important question for you. What is the difference between Dillon's Rolling Western and Dillon's Dead Heat Breakers? It seems the latter has racing elements to it, but is the tower defence aspect the same otherwise? I saw Dead Heat Breakers on a used games store for less than 9€, and I'm wondering if that's a good introduction to the series.

Might be because this demo isn't exactly a demo: it's the first three chapters entirely. But it's good that the demo is upfront about it, I suppose. You can still press + to skip it all, I think.

Played it just now. Absolutely lovely. Just fun to play in general, really soothing