darksnowman

https://www.gematsu.com/2022/06/dragon-quest-treasures-launches-december-9-for-switch https://gematsu.com/2022/07/dragon-quest-treasures-details-story-world-and-characters More screenshots and some character info at the link. I'm extremely curious about this one as I know basically nothing about it.

There's a few Konami things on the NES and Megadrive apps too.

Thought there was a bonanza of N64 games added since I was last on the app but it's just Kirby and 5x Pokémon Snap.

You'll know better, but from what I just saw from it, any connection to future instalments will be subtle at best. Seemed like it was about them connecting to and protecting their rebuild and continued existence in peace and harmony. I went and checked some opinions on Future Connected and it seems the things I took as positives are in actual fact missteps and wrong turns. My bad.

Congratulations! New gameplay elements have been unlocked It's commendable that even after finishing the extra content the game is still adding stuff in. Can't see myself ever exploring it but never say never, eh. I found the scenario on the Bionis Shoulder to be surprisingly enjoyable. Possibly the single best section Xenoblade had to offer, tbh. Cutscenes seemed to be improved and it was easy to care about the situation we'd found ourselves in. It felt a bit like a Dragon Quest segment. I completed all the sidequests that came up (bit of a pain that some gave cash rewards only and a number still had me going to various spots with no convenient fast travel point), collected all the Ponspectors (loved em!) and pretty sure I took in all the quiet moments that were dotted around the map. Just didn't visit all the landmarks as the entirety of the map didn't autofill to reflect that. I had 15h13 on the clock at the final save outside the Fog Kings chamber. Having done all the sidequests the boss posed absolutely no threat. Just the way it should have been. For a second there I thought someone else was going to join the party right before the end. It would have been pretty amazing as they'd previously been shown to kick all kinds of ass but alas it wasn't to be. Nice to see the old crew during the credits. Thanks to Future Connected, I've come away feeling much more positive about Xenoblade than I did after finishing the normal game. Go figure.

All we want is meaningful change.

Seems the DSi and Wii Shop Channels are back online. https://www.eurogamer.net/four-months-later-nintendos-dsi-and-wii-shop-channels-are-back-online

And even then, only for those that have gone through Reggie's book with a fine-tooth comb to puzzle out the download code.

It'll be appearing on retailers' websites or systems any minute now.

Yeah unless reviews out the game as being atrocious in ways hidden by the demo, I plan to get it. It says the demo save data will carry over so no harm having a look at it as you shouldn't be starting from scratch again in the full game. One of the three characters the demo gives you access to is a ninja with whom you have the option to either Splinter Cell it or engage in battle with everyone in your path. I tried avoidance. You can of course go on the offensive and reap the exp. It gives you a kill count after each battle so I can see yours skyrocketing.

Looks like Aribo is taking the well-trodden route via Southampton to Liverpool. I'll be keeping an eye on the Green and White Army.

At first exploration, the Bionis Shoulder seemed like a cheapo phoned-in Gaur Plains rip-off that's only purpose was to funnel me across to Alcamoth, but I now feel like it's one of the best areas in the game. It's more RPG-y with a few settlements and shock-horror, a house (!) and is kind of like the Xenoblade equivalent of the Great Plateau, so I can see how Monolith might have influenced Breath of the Wild now. I'm relieved that the bulk of the extra content does not seem to take place in Alcamoth as I first feared.

For anyone wondering what Kompany would bring to the club...

I'm doing it. Bit disappointed that the setting of the bonus content seems to be taking me back to a location I'd probably prefer never to visit again but let's see how it goes. I'm liking that you directly mine equippable gems now and the Nopon Pikmin aspect seems fun. First time I panned the camera around and saw them following was in some water and for a second I got the fright of my life as I thought it was an enemy coming straight for me. Glad to see some differences like these. Hopefully there are more and it doesn't drag. Re: expert mode, they seem to keep getting experience but so far I've just knocked the characters back down to their minimum levels again when they level up a time or two.

It's directly proportionate to the quality of the signing.

Saw the option but steered clear as I was by no means feeling an expert.

Yeah, when you go to a new area you reap a decent amount of exp to help with boosting up to the next level cap. After that, it's back to a drip feed. It was only right at the end I stopped doing quests. For the duration, I'd surrendered myself to doing as many as I came across. It was plenty of busy work and if you're at a level cap, the exp rewards don't make a dent. I would have done more with the Colony 6 restoration project if it was integrated with the map like other quests. Yesterday in fact I was checking through the menus for a run button. I also kept thinking vehicles would be useful. There are vehicles in the game, it's a real pity you never get any of them. If having an airship equivalent for full-map traversal wasn't feasible, you could still have a speedboat in your home area, a motorbike in the Gaur Plains, one of those flying things for use around the Aeryth Sea, etc ctc. I was determined to get through 1+2 (and the bonus content) in time for 3. How naive I was. On the Wii and this time around, it had its hooks in me from the word go but lost me as the hours ticked by. On the plus side, I didn't put it to bed on the Wii which is now done. I'll have to check into 2 now to see what the differences are.

The demo has made me want Chrono Trigger and Earthbound done in this style (with voice acting).

Went back and saw it out. I think Xenoblade's a great game and deserves all the acclaim it gets. The scale of the locations, the look, the music. Top-notch. Especially when you keep in mind it's a Wii game with a fresh lick of paint. For me though? It took somewhere approaching 90 hours and imo, this game (or probably any single-player game) in no way justifies this. The level capping wasn't a feature I thought brought any good to the game. Almost 90 hours and I finished with levels in the 70s. That's less than a level per hour and I was battling and questing for exp like billy-o. This game just does not reward the time you put into it, and properly hamstrings you with the level capping for each new section. And this is a game that would have you believe it's lean and streamlined--fast travel, you can change the time whenever you want, quests complete as you go, you get exp for quests and exploration. Imagine what it'd be like without these timesavers. I think it was the boss at the top of Algnaritha where I gave in and dropped it to casual. No regrets. Doubt I would have been able to push through otherwise. As I said in previous posts, my level was always on par with general enemies and bosses.... and would have been ahead if the game allowed. All the way up through the final areas I had no problem with normal baddies--I switched off casual again when I wasn't struggling against a boss--but it got to be like every other boss I came up against was wiping the floor with me. I just kept the tri-attack bar on standby for reviving during battle (since there are no items) and tried to finish fights as quickly as possible before I'd used it up. Worked no problem in battles against e.g. the generator, the telepathias, I was defeating behemoths for fun. Did not work well against Yarlbroath and others. Even in the finale, I'd no problem with the spirit gauntlet, then had difficulties with the final encounter. It was hot and cold, and other than when it was spike damage, I didn't understand what the game expected from me. Three things I would have changed: 1) remove or raise the level caps and 2) add items like Xeno potions and phoenix down variants. I have to think they looked at this and opted against it as they thought they'd crafted a game that works as-is. Sadly for me, when push came to shove, I had no answers. 3) There's got to be a way to make it half the length without compromising the sense of scale. Onwards to Future Perfect then... hope it's as short as it's meant to be.

Almost any other time of the day but why'd you have to post this in the morning. I've near choked on my coffee here. Amazing. Dying. If H-o-T goes quiet this weekend, best leave him to it.

Finished. This is a really good game. Charm galore. It seems like they poured plenty of work into it--from getting the paper and origami aesthetic right (Nintendo excels at this kind of thing, don't they?), to each new area/ chapter being distinct from the last in both looks and how the objectives play out, and of course, the dialogue's brimming with comedy and feeling... and I won't even start on the music. So good. The ending was lovely too. For a second I thought it was going to be "and may none of this have ever happened" yet it resolved in a different way that was touching and heartfelt and surprisingly understated. Really good game. But not great. Like most, I think it needed levelling. Or maybe just no field battles? It's like the game doesn't know what it wants to be. If they're adamant about keeping levelling out of it, perhaps it would have been enough then for just the bosses and mini-bosses to be ring battles. I started out with the best of intentions but normal battles ended up sapping my will to go on. People say the patterns are easy to spot after a while. I just paid the Toads to line it up when I couldn't be bothered. It wasn't very riveting. Boss battles don't get a total pass either as I thought they outstayed their welcome by a turn or so. Might not sound like much, but once you trial and error it to figure out what to do, you're ready for a speedy victory once you understand it. Thing is, even when you've figured it out you still have to set things up by hitting an ON switch or getting to a chest or some kind of prep with the boss to set up the turn in which you'll go for the massive damage dealing attack. When I knew what to do, I just wanted it to be a case of wham, bam, thank you ma'am and move on. Another thing that got to me was the OHKOs in the latter stages--both in boss fights and on the map. Out of nowhere, from full health, I kept seeing the game over screen. Brutal. It didn't seem in keeping with the rest of the game. So for everything it does so well, there are aspects like these that hold TOK back from greatness, imo. Hopefully the next one has the x-factor lacking here. Here's a tune anyway.

What am I doing. I can't even pretend I'm shocked. At least you did the right thing and joined in for Kirby and the Forgotten Lands. Loving the midyear charts. I've been having a pretty decent year on the gaming front. Here're some highlights: Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore The Last Campfire Hotshot Racing Inside Limbo FAR Lone Sails Bastion Gris Kirby and the Forgotten Land Axiom Verge 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim Child of Light Valiant Hearts Resident Evil 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is my GotY so far. It's gonna take something special to displace it. Could end up being a dingdong battle between it and Persona 5 Royal come the years end. Looking forward to seeing how Splatoon 3 turns out as well.

Was just about to say as they mention it on the Treehouse. Looking forward to giving it a go. Save data transferring over is a real boon with RPG demos.

Treehouse! Looks super.