Jonnas

I finally got around to finishing the final demo... the day before the release! My thoughts: Holy cow, this game is dialogue-heavy! Thick lore and wordy cutscenes. Beware, make sure you actually enjoyed Game of Thrones (or ASOIAF) before you dive into this game; On a similar note, the Scales of Conviction is likely to reward you investment into the story. I like that the dialogue choices don't actually telegraph which path they represent; Strategy-wise, these are some solid triangles. I played three story maps and one optional training map, and I can say I was having more and more fun with each one. The third one in particular really allowed me to inflict some shenanigans upon the enemy; I played Hard Mode, and it seems good enough to challenge me. I am glad; Voice acting sucks even more than in the first demo. It actively worsens the game. Triangle Strategy was already more adequate to play in portable mode anyway (where sound matters less), but geez; Excellent music, though. Akira Senju was the right choice for this title; On a sidenote, I appreciate that character designs go against typical Anime trends. Hair colours are mostly natural and consistent with their respective ethnicities, and the uncommon few are actually marked and commented upon in-universe. I don't think I'll be buying this right away (mostly due to personal inconvenience), but it seems pretty good, despite the vocal warts.

Man, those folks at WayForward just know how to have fun, don't they? This feels like an original IP version of Double Dragon Neon.

The eShop for both the Wii U and 3DS will officially close down in March 2023, leaving us unable to purchase further games. And if you don't have a joined Nintendo account, the ability to add funds to those systems will cease even earlier (August this year, I believe). Any previously bought game will still be available for a good while, at least.

In light of the coming closure, all I ask from a Switch 2 is that it somehow incorporates a second screen in order to be able to play DS, 3DS, and/or Wii U gamepad games. Even as re-releases, if need be. Other than that, specs are irrelevant to me. Specs shmpecs, or something.

As per usual, Reddit has cracked the code, and also I'm hungry. The bull run of Pamplona and the typical bullfights are two separate things. The bull run is just an event where a bunch of bulls are set loose on the streets alongside some young brave human souls willing to run beside them. To my knowledge, it hasn't been associated with animal cruelty the same way bullfights have (I think. I'm not from Pamplona) That said, modern-day bullfighting (in Portugal at least) is not quite the bloody mess that people usually think of. The "fighter" intentionally provokes the bull and gets gored by it. The goal is to grab it and hold it without being thrown off. There are still valid concerns over animal cruelty (if something goes wrong, horseriders distract/subdue the bull with lances), but it's the tamest form of bullfighting nowadays (and possibly the only one that's legal, but don't quote me on that). Not making excuses or anything, I just think there's a legitimate chance that we'll see a regional variant of a Tauros in a similar role, like you suggested. ...Now that you mention it, I truly hope the evil group this time looks nothing like ETA. That's a can of worms nobody needs to open. Hey now! The Lello Bookstore was there long before any spectacled wizards came along and pretended it was theirs! If anything, I hope Pokémon uses it, because then at least we can say "It's been referenced multiple times" instead of leaning so much into the tired Harry Potter angle. *grumble* I used to be able to casually peruse that store before it became an attraction *grumble* .... I feel so called out right now.

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.