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Helmsly

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Posts posted by Helmsly

  1. Posted · Edited by Helmsly

    I have such fond memories The Dreamcast, it was an incredible console.

    For me it was the first non-Nintendo console that I was looking forward to and also the first time I had saved my own money to buy it. I was never a Sega fan enough to want to own their consoles but everything i had read about the Dreamcast just sounded perfect for me.

    I still remember the day it came out, I left our house first thing in the morning and went to my local Gamestation to buy the console. I brought it but there was a problem: they ran out of copies of Sonic Adventure and had not stocked any VMU memory cards. I walked down to Virgin Megastore and luckily they had Sonic but unluckily they didn't have any VMU's. So next off i went to electronic boutique, they didn't want to sell me a memory card because i had purchased the console from another store (ridiculous!) but they changed their mind and let me buy it.

    I remember getting home and playing the demo disc that came with it, which had a demo for a game called Toy Commander which was a lot of fun to mess around in.

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    I spent ages flying around this kitchen doing stupid stuff like shooting slices of toast to make them catch on fire or trying to his the helicopter to drop sugar cubes into a cup of coffee on the table. I think I was just enjoying the freedom to fly around a 3D environment without any pop-up textures with that level in interactivity (obviously its nothing to what we can do today, but at the time it was a step up from anything i had played before and also just a lot of fun)

    I then played Sonic Advenutre and was just amazed at how it looked. As @Dcubed mentioned in his awesome post, the jump in the visuals from what had come out in recent years was amazing. I kept replaying the first level just to see that Whale smash through the pier:

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    And I think that was one of the major things about the Dreamcast, its not just something you look back on to see how impressive it was: At the time you could tell this was a significant jump from what consoles could do. Games like Soul Calibur were, as far as I could tell, Arcade Perfect. You were seeing Arcade games in your home with no compromises. bUt what was also amazing was that Sega didn't rest with arcade ports, they had games like Jet Set Radio, which really was like nothing else I'd ever played.

    Not only was it original with its gameplay, it had its own look and style that was so different to anything else before it. But then to add to that, it had an amazing soundtrack (which I still listen to ocassionally).  Sega had made good use of everything the console could do.

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    Then there is the online functionally. The fact that, not only could the Dreamcast do this at a time when the internet itself was in such an early stage for the average joe, but that the modem and cable needed to do so, came with the console: Everyone that had a Dreamcast could browse the internet from it as well as play games online.

    My first ever Online game was Phantasy Star Online thanks to the Dreamcast and I will never forget when I connected it all up and was loaded into a lobby. I saw other characters walking around that were clearly being controlled real people and everyone was talking to each other through word bubbles:

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    This was a amazing moment and I remember having a big smile on my face just seeing a room full of people tall talking and trying to help each other get started, asking how to start up a game etc. Online gaming was something I knew about already but experiencing it really felt like I was seeing part of the future in some way. This game had a huge impact on my life in that, I played it for so long, buying the upgraded version a year later and then playing the next version on Gamecube, that I made friends that I talk to on a daily basis to this day. I was talking to one of my online friends the other day how crazy it is that we've all known each other online for two decades. All thanks to this game.

    And then there was Shenmue:

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    I really don't know where to start with this.

    I didn't know to expect from this game when I brought it other then it was supposed to be a big deal. I remember being both a amazed at the graphics as well as the level of interactively. Generally, up until that point, the better a 3D game looked, the less you could actually do in the world. But with this game, not only did it look amazing and a huge leap anything else around but you could walk into every single shop on the high street, talk to every thing NPC you saw, inspect loads of random things around the house and in the stores. Or wonder to the local arcade and play older Sega Arcade games:

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    Every character you saw walking around, wasn't a random NPC the game had just spawned before you walked around the corner: They had individual model, names, a home and a full daily routine you could watch if you wanted to (would would change on weekends). They changed what they said depending on what they were doing and what time of the day it was as well as say different things as Ryo learned more about what was going on. Just being aware of the amount of dialog they must have recorded in this game, as bad as the voice acting is, was crazy.

    The changing weather, the fact that every store had its own unique music playing inside it, the streets had different music depending on what time of the day it was... I just could not get my head around the level work that must have gone into making this game.

    But I was also very much aware of its faults. The voice acting for one, the controls are a little stiff and I don't think the real time fighting ever truly felt good. It's certainly a flawed game but I think what they were trying to do at this time, is so impressive that I have always been able to overlook the not-so-good stuff and value the things it did so well.

    Also, I will never forget the routine I had in real life at that time, working overnights in real life then coming home and working as a Forklift driver in Shenmue to help him learn who killed his father lol. This game has stuck with me more as an experience because it was doing so much and was just fascinating to be a part of when it came out.

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    I could go on but what I am getting at is that I just loved this console so much. In its short life it gave me so many great fun memories, from the games I mentioned to all the multiplayer fun I had with my friends in games like Marvel vs Capcom 2 and Power Stone 2, to playing online games, that it's always been my favorite console for just how much it did right. It's such a shame it didn't get a full life but it stands to something that all these years later, it gets mentioned on its birthday by so many and still talked about. As well as some of its games getting ports on current day consoles. It really was such a great machine.

    Sadly, my Dreamcast broke down in 2002 (the cd drives are prone to wear out pretty quickly on them) and I have had to buy a replacement but I still have my original day one Dreamcast in my cupboard, back in its box and I'm never getting rid of it because I have genuine sentimental over it. It came out the same year I turned 18, later that year I got my first job and was spending my first pay check on games for it. Later on in 2001, I moved out into my own flat it, it was the first thing i set up when I moved in and sat among all my moving-in boxes playing Marvel Vs Capcom 2 lol

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    And one last thing: During the 3DS's lifetime they released a Dreamcast background theme for it. It'd designed so the background resembles the Dreamcasts menu complete with the same navigation sounds. It also plays the Lobby music from Phantasy Star Online, which was just perfect!

    It even plays the whirring sound of the Dreamcasts fan and the high pitch beep the VMU's made when you turned the console on. Around the time this theme came out Sega posted this on their twitter to show how they achieved that lol:

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    If they ever had something like this on the Switch 2, i'd get it right away.

    11 hours ago, Dcubed said:

    Nobody, for better or worse, would ever take the kinds of risks that SEGA did back in the 90 to early 2000s.  Not even Nintendo would dare to put out official fishing controllers, games played with maraccas, mushroom shaped add-ons that would only last 6 months, or online games in the late 90s.  God bless SEGA and their utter disregard for fiscal responsibility! :D

    Well Said :)

    • Like 1
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  3. Posted

    I love that they added a sound test with this final update. You can even press Y to hear how the music changes on certain tracks, such as the underwater sections in dolphin shoals, the tunnel section in Super Bell Subway.

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    You can also hear all 4 versions of the music from the Animal Crossing track.

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    I also like the new Mii costumes, they're perfectly ridiculous

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    I also like that they gave the booster course its own set of end credits with a nice medley of the music. The end screen is nice too, it reminds of the end splash screens a lot of Nintendo 64 games had.

    Spoiler

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    • Like 2

  4. Posted

    2 hours ago, Glen-i said:

    Ah, go on then, I'll bust open the game for that.

    Kinda regret forgetting about the Xenoblade one...

    It will probably come back at some point. They sometimes have special event once a year where you can unlock old themes

    • Thanks 1

  8. Posted · Edited by Helmsly

    The Twitch app is going to be discontinued on Switch early next year:

    Quote

    Hello,

    We are reaching out to let you know that we have made the hard decision to remove the Twitch App from the Nintendo Switch. The app will be removed January 31, 2024.

    Thank you for supporting Twitch streamers and communities on the Nintendo Switch. For more Twitch content, please visit https://www.twitch.tv/ on your browser or https://www.twitch.tv/downloads for the Twitch App on other devices.

    Thank you,

    -Twitch

    I found that it barely worked. If you ever tried to watch a stream that had commercials, they would loop endlessly or you would get a message informing you that you "cannot view this channel on this device". The only time I got it to work properly was if i put my own channel on (I would use my Switch as a second screen to make sure it was broadcasting properly). I do find it annoying that rather then improving the app they're ending it though.

    It was barely on Switch for two years. And it seems hardly anyone knew it existed lol

     

  9. Posted · Edited by Helmsly

    Wave Six details:

    New tracks:

    Wii - Rainbow Road.
    Tour - Madrid Drive
    GCN - DK mountain
    SNES - Bowsers Castle 3
    Tour - Rome Avanti
    Wii - Daisy Circuit
    Piranha Plant Cave
    3DS - Rosalina's Ice World

    And Funky Kong, Diddy Kong, Pechette and Pauline as the new drivers

    Also comes with new Mii Costumes:

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    (Seems Inkling boy and girl has been consolidated into one character slot now)

    And a costume for Daisy's Amiibo:

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    Also a soundtest mode for this games amazing soundtrack:

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    Some more random screenshots:

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    • Like 3
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  10. Posted · Edited by Helmsly

    I'm glad you enjoyed it @darksnowman The game always felt like the third Ghostbusters movie we never got (until we kinda did a couple of years ago) and like you said, it's fun but does not outstay its welcome. It's a game i seem to revisit once every year because its a fun experience to play through. Hearing the Ghostbusters naturally chat with each other as you wonder around is looking for ghosts is just a joy.

    I really liked the Slime-tether upgrade and I wish they did more with it, I remember having fun sticking random objects to the ceiling, like trash cans and planks of wood just to mess around with the physics. its such a cool upgrade. I also enjoyed walking around the fire house nosing around and seeing the easter eggs they put around.

    Also, It's funny you mention a character customisation option, the latest Ghostbusters game (which just came out on switch) has that, although that game is multiplayer focused.

    • Like 1

  13. Posted · Edited by Helmsly

    This was recently released on the Switch (as well as Steam) along with a major update which re-titled it Spirits Unleashed Ecto Edition and added a bunch of new options and features a and a new mode, so I picked it up on Switch. I am a huge Ghostbuster fan so I wanted to try this game since it was announced, but I was worried I wouldn't enjoy a 1vs4 game, as that has never been a genre of game I've really been into. But I have found myself really enjoying it and playing it a few hours a day.

    Gameplay-wise, From the perspective of the players playing as Ghostbusters, the gameplay is how you would expect it to be: They have to search the building looking for the ghost. You can use the PKE meter the scan around and to help find him. When you find him you have to throw your trap and blast him to drag him into the trap with your proton beam. It's not easy though, especially when a real person is controlling the ghost.

    You can customize each part of your gear to have different perks like better battery life, longer scanning range etc which normally make compromises to other stats like running speed. As well as cosmetic changes like making the gear look like how they did in the 80's cartoon or the 2016 movie. And a bunch of others.

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    The player playing as a Ghost has to haunt a building by possessing random objects and frightening the the NPC's to raise the buildings 'Haunt level'. If he manages to get it to 100% he wins. The ghost has three "rifts" hidden around the level which are basically his lives, so if he gets caught in a trap he can return back using a rift. However the Ghostbusters can find these rifts before hand and destroy them (it takes ages to wear them down and leaves them vulnerable when they're focused on one) .

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    There is also a character creation option which is pretty good to mess around in. I was boring and just recreated the Ghostbusters from the 80's cartoon, but the character's you are not using just wonder around the firehouse doing random things, so its cool to see them hanging around the place:

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    I'm enjoying the game a lot and its clear that a lot of love went into making it from the developers, as there are so many references to both the movies and the cartoons everywhere. The fanboy in me just likes wondering around the Firehouse, which serves as the Hub area to access everything. They have moved Ray's Occult Book store from the second movie right next door, so you can wonder over there and talk to Ray, or shoot a target range of ghosts in the alleyway in-between. They have Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson reprising their roles as Ray and Winston who seem to have a lot of recorded dialog if you walk up to their NPC's to talk.

    There is also a story that runs as you level up. It's short but being as this is an online focused game its not a big issue, plus the latest update added a new story that kicks in once you finish the first one.

    It's not without its issues though, as mentioned the story mode is short, I think some of the quests (or contracts as they call it) are way too much of a slog to complete just to unlock some alternative colours or nametags and the game itself is a little buggy. I have had it crash twice on the Switch and stuff like the opening cutscenes are a little janky as it as though the game can't run everything as fast as the scene is asking it to. But its a good game, and I think it has a lot of potential. I am of the understanding they are planning more content so I am looking forward to whatever they add next.

     

     

    • Like 2

  16. Posted

    PAC-MAN Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs announced

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    PAC-MAN Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs is an online-only PAC-MAN eating competition!

    Eat your way through multiple interconnected mazes using Power Pellets and a variety of Power Items to chomp the GHOSTS and opponent PAC-MAN players!

    Be the last PAC standing at the end of each match in this 64-player battle royale to be the Chomp Champ!

     

  21. Posted · Edited by Helmsly

    I always check the Japanese Nintendo site for the stuff they add to their Club Nintendo and just general merchandise they make, because they always seem to make really cool or interesting things. Recently they added a bunch of stuff I figured some of you might like to see (these are from the merch side of the store rather then club Nitnendo but I figured they're just nice to see:

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  25. Posted · Edited by Helmsly

    The Switch version of Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed has a release date now (for the US at least, but I assume the UK is the same): October 19th. Digital version cost $19.99 and can be preordered from this Thursday on the eshop. The psychical costs $29.99 and has an alternative glow in the dark front cover.

    Edit - It was added to the eshop today for pre-order and is £17.99

     

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    • Like 2
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