Posted May 20, 2015 How do you guys feel about Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards? I'm finding myself tempted to return to it to collect all the shards that I missed first time around, which I'm sure is plenty It's the only 'traditional' Kirby game I've really played and that was on the Wii VC a few years ago. I don't remember it particularly well, though, and reckon recent experiences with Epic Yarn and Power Paintbrush mean I'm also likely to get more from the Crystal Shards than I did first time around Loved it. I think it was the first Kirby game I owned. Even though I had a NES and SNES I didn't own the likes of Super Star or Adventure. It's where I started to fall in love with the little guy but that wouldn't fully happen until I played the amazing game that was Kirbys Air Ride. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 20, 2015 I played Squeak Squad a while back but can't remember it. I played through Amazing Mirror the other week. I didn't really care for it at the start, as I didn't really care for the open world set up of the game. It did grow on me as I played through it but I much prefer the traditional Kirby games. Traditional in what sense? The LeftToRight/StartToFinish stage aspect or what? I personally found it great in the sheer amount of abilities/freedom(as @Glen\-i mentioned) and openness of paths. It was taking what Kirby was, and doing a tiny bit more on top without ruining it too much(for me at least). Squeak Squad was bit more traditional, only it offered the reserve bubbles for abilities/'mixing' and the treasures per stage(really good addition imo, which carries forward to TD and KAWii - correct me if I'm wrong but SqueakSquad introduced the 3 collectibles per stage sort of thing). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 20, 2015 Traditional in what sense? The LeftToRight/StartToFinish stage aspect or what? I personally found it great in the sheer amount of abilities/freedom(as @Glen\-i mentioned) and openness of paths. It was taking what Kirby was, and doing a tiny bit more on top without ruining it too much(for me at least). Squeak Squad was bit more traditional, only it offered the reserve bubbles for abilities/'mixing' and the treasures per stage(really good addition imo, which carries forward to TD and KAWii - correct me if I'm wrong but SqueakSquad introduced the 3 collectibles per stage sort of thing). Pretty much in the sense of separate levels and the left to right thing. I'm not the biggest fan of open world/Metroid style maps and prefer things to be a little more simple. It's a big reason why I LOVE 2D platformers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 20, 2015 How do you guys feel about Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards? I'm finding myself tempted to return to it to collect all the shards that I missed first time around, which I'm sure is plenty It's the only 'traditional' Kirby game I've really played and that was on the Wii VC a few years ago. I don't remember it particularly well, though, and reckon recent experiences with Epic Yarn and Power Paintbrush mean I'm also likely to get more from the Crystal Shards than I did first time around I enjoyed it a lot, and the mixing(no quotes here :P) of abilities was really enjoyable/fun with a slight throwback to the companion ability mixes of DL2+DL3. There's actually some fairly challenging shards in the game, one in particular I remember vividly because it's in a difficult stage where you totally have to carry the mixed ability over from another stage when the ability isn't the best to have! Sorry if I'm rambling a bit, but Kirby's been ever closer to my heart since the first time I experienced him with copy abilities(not even my own game) after DreamLand and Pinball and it's been love ever since. Honestly one of my favourite series of all time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 20, 2015 I'm quite interested in Kirby's Adventure Wii but would prefer to somehow stumble across a good deal for the physical version rather than download it on Wii U.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 20, 2015 I'm quite interested in Kirby's Adventure Wii but would prefer to somehow stumble across a good deal for the physical version rather than download it on Wii U.. The game is brilliant and should definitely be played by you at some point. I was gonna finish it off today but ive recently discovered Fallen Skies and can't stop watching it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 20, 2015 The game is brilliant and should definitely be played by you at some point. I was gonna finish it off today but ive recently discovered Fallen Skies and can't stop watching it. It honestly wasn't a game that I was particularly interested in when it was released, mainly due to not being all that interested in Kirby games, but I'm now at the stage where I feel like it's exactly the sort of thing I fancy playing. Am I going soft..? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 20, 2015 It honestly wasn't a game that I was particularly interested in when it was released, mainly due to not being all that interested in Kirby games, but I'm now at the stage where I feel like it's exactly the sort of thing I fancy playing. Am I going soft..? Not at all. I don't think gaming is any different to something like movies or music. As you get older your tastes tend to change. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 21, 2015 How do you guys feel about Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards? I'm finding myself tempted to return to it to collect all the shards that I missed first time around, which I'm sure is plenty It's the only 'traditional' Kirby game I've really played and that was on the Wii VC a few years ago. I don't remember it particularly well, though, and reckon recent experiences with Epic Yarn and Power Paintbrush mean I'm also likely to get more from the Crystal Shards than I did first time around It's good, in fact the combination powerup system is really great! I've wanted it to return for ages! Outside of a couple of the hidden shards being sort of BS to figure out, I only have one real complaint with it, it is a big one though... It's SLLLLOOOOOOWWWWWW. Seriously! It feels like you're constantly moving through treacle (and I was playing the US 60hz version! I can't imagine how slow the PAL one must feel!) It's a shame, cause otherwise it's great, but damn is it sluggish to control... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 21, 2015 My 2015 gaming looks a bit like this: Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Far Cry 4 Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Tomb Raider Definitive Edition Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 21, 2015 My 2015 gaming looks a bit like this: Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Far Cry 4 Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Tomb Raider Definitive Edition Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny Destiny I remain amazed how much you and others played Destiny so much before the latest DLC hit. I was bored around 6 months ago. What was there left to do? You definitely got your moneys worth though! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 21, 2015 I remain amazed how much you and others played Destiny so much before the latest DLC hit. I was bored around 6 months ago. What was there left to do? You definitely got your moneys worth though! It's the social element, PvP and the new stuff they add every few months. The game just has extraordinary replay value, not even Monster Hunter which is on a Nintendo console on this Nintendo board has anywhere near the activity Destiny does! By all accounts they accomplished something amazing with this game as nothing else keeps people on here playing quite like like this. And yeah, we enjoy it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 21, 2015 Kirby's Adventure Wii (Wii U) done and dusted. I think I've finally got all the Kirby out of my system. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 21, 2015 (edited) Played some CounterSpy on the Vita. Pretty decent for what it is, was a PS+ game back a few months ago and was on my list to play. Levels are partly random, but ultimately play out the same. Wasn't too bad. Edit - 22/05/2015 Also finished Sleeping Dogs (well, the main game). I had bought it last year in the PS Store January sale along with Trials. Not bad, it was one game i didn't get on Xbox360 at the time so this was the definitive version. Not bad, combat was a little fiddly at times as was the driving. I could have swore the enemy cars slowed down to let me catch up, but apart from that i was quite please with the game. Got the DLC expansions to do at some point, but that can wait a bit. Edited May 23, 2015 by Jimbob Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 24, 2015 Beat Kirby and the Rainbow Paintbrush. Great little game, absolutely stunning too. :awesome: Beat: in January:____________ Resogun (PS4) 100% Shovel Knight (Wii U) Alien: Isolation (PS4) Kirby Triple Deluxe (3DS) started in 2014 LittleBigPlanet 3 (PS4) Duck Tales: Remastered (PS3+) Dark Souls II (PS3) started in 2014 The Swapper (PS4+) in February:____________ InFAMOUS First Light (PS4+) Apotheon (PS4+) Fire Emblem Awakening (3DS) started in 2014 Yakuza 4 (PS3+) in March:____________ Rogue Legacy (PS4+) OlliOlli 2 (PS4+) Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (3DS) 3D Out Run (3DS) 100% Papo & Yo (PS3+) Valiant Hearts: The Great War (PS4+) Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise (Wii) replay Mighty Switch Force! 2 (3DS) in April:____________ BOXBOY! (3DS) Catherine (PS3) New Super Mario Bros. U (Wii U) started in 2014 Woah Dave! (PS4+) Driveclub (PS4) 100% Never Alone (PS4+) 100% Yakuza: Dead Souls (PS3) Mario Kart 8 (Wii U) replay/DLC pack 2 100% in May:____________ Race the Sun (PS4+) Hohokum (PS4+) The Unfinished Swan (PS4+) Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition (PS4+) replay/100% Kirby and the Rainbow Paintbrush (Wii U) Unfinished: - Ready for Splatoon!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 24, 2015 I remain amazed how much you and others played Destiny so much before the latest DLC hit. I was bored around 6 months ago. What was there left to do? You definitely got your moneys worth though! I was bored after half an hour. Bizarre why people play it so much But then transformers films make near a billion each time so.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 24, 2015 But then transformers films make near a billion each time so.... Quite rightly so. Come at me Dazzy! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 24, 2015 Quite rightly so. Come at me Dazzy! Haha. I remember you saying you love them before. And I thought you had taste Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 24, 2015 Haha. I remember you saying you love them before. And I thought you had taste I do, it just differs to yours. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 26, 2015 I was hoping to get a game or two finished over the long weekend but instead I ended up doing what I hate and not being able to settle on anything. I jumped from Shovel Knight, Final Fantasy X HD, FIFA, Puzzle & Dragons Z, Earthbound, Metroid: Other M and nearly started Hohokum and Killzone Shadow Fall. It felt a complete waste of time. I did manage to finally settle on FFX and Metroid Other M but by then most of the weekend was gone. I hate not being able to focus and just randomly playing stuff. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 26, 2015 I was hoping to get a game or two finished over the long weekend but instead I ended up doing what I hate and not being able to settle on anything. I jumped from Shovel Knight, Final Fantasy X HD, FIFA, Puzzle & Dragons Z, Earthbound, Metroid: Other M and nearly started Hohokum and Killzone Shadow Fall. It felt a complete waste of time. I did manage to finally settle on FFX and Metroid Other M but by then most of the weekend was gone. I hate not being able to focus and just randomly playing stuff. I totally get like that sometimes, though 2015 has been a bit of an exception as I've really been getting my teeth into plenty of games and finding that the more I invest in each one, the more I'm getting out. It has been a lot of fun this year and I've managed to clear up quite a few games that have been sitting incomplete or not fully appreciated originally, as well as tackling a few other titles for the very first time, despite having them for a considerable amount of time Currently playing, and LOVING, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 26, 2015 (edited) Been a little while since I updated last, but I've been busy adding to the list lately First up is Yoshi's Island DS... Now I have played this before, but not to completion, and I hated it to bits; but with it out on Virtual Console, I was just too curious to not go ahead and torture myself a bit with this one and see just how bad it really was from beginning to end... ... surprisingly it's not quite as bad as I thought it was... it actually does have a few good ideas sprinkled throughout... You must have JavaScript enabled on your device to view Miiverse posts that have been embedded in a website. View post in Miiverse ... but most of the rest of them were pretty terrible... You must have JavaScript enabled on your device to view Miiverse posts that have been embedded in a website. View post in Miiverse ... most of all is the character switching. It suffers from much the same problem as DK64 in that it just makes the levels a chore to navigate as you find yourself constantly saying "Oh Fecking hell! I have to switch AGAIN!?" just to get past a stupid pace breaking impasse. And oh sweet baby Mario help you if you are even thinking of trying for 100%, because you see that fecking coin in that Miiverse pic? You better just so happen to have Baby Mario on you, or you can't collect it! Oh and you want to collect all of the red coins in each level... ... well good bloody luck, 'cos they're no longer differently coloured! Not that you'd want to anyway, 'cos the level design sucks balls anyway Constantly confused with no sense of cohesion, or semblance of pacing and surprise (I never want to see The Cave That Never Ends ever again, that level's title wasn't the least bit ironic!) In short... You must have JavaScript enabled on your device to view Miiverse posts that have been embedded in a website. View post in Miiverse and... You're best off just letting the stupid little fecker get taken away for good In a hope to wash the bad taste of YIDS out of my mouth, next on my list was DK King of Swing... and a very pleasant little surprise it was! I'm really gutted that I missed out on it back in the day! (If only I could've slapped some sense into my younger self ) Going in I expected it to run out of interesting ideas and concepts, what with it being based around such a limited set of control mechanics, but amazingly they actually manage to keep the game feeling fresh all throughout! Every single level feels distinct and introduces new concepts and gimmicks all throughout (and it's not a short game either!) The boss battles are really good too! The game feels great to play, the level design is top notch, it's challenging but fair, really very impressed with this game! Even the music is rad! So yeah! In short, really great and underrated little gem that is well worth your time! You must have JavaScript enabled on your device to view Miiverse posts that have been embedded in a website. View post in Miiverse About the only complaint I can make is that Cranky is all kinds of wrong in this game... You must have JavaScript enabled on your device to view Miiverse posts that have been embedded in a website. View post in Miiverse (Back in my day, he would've beaten that whippersnapper within an inch of his life for not knowing how to jump!) So keeping in step with playing good and underrated games, I then moved to Gunman Clive 2. Sequel to the brown/artsy sensation, it brings such innovation as COLOUR! (See! He's not lying!) and DINOSAURS THAT PUNT ROCKS IN YOUR FACE! (not pictured is the mental breakdown that ensues when the park ranger finds out what happened to his cabbage patch) and beautiful absurdity such as this... You must have JavaScript enabled on your device to view Miiverse posts that have been embedded in a website. View post in Miiverse ... In short, it's more Gunman Clive and it's really great. Shockingly so when you consider that it's all made by one dude (and his brother who did the music). Plays great, level design is clever and always interesting (and there are even some genre shifts throughout this time!) and is guaranteed to bring a smile to your miserable face. ... it's also pretty damn hard, especially if you're trying to beat it with Chieftein Bob... (yes, I did pull it off :awesome:) Next up was Resident Evil Revelations 2. This one is a real mixed bag. Chapter 1 started off promising enough. Introducing the characters, their gimmicks, the basic mechanics like block lifting/pushing etc. Ignoring the fact that it was utterly shameless in how blatantly it rips off The Last of Us the first chapter concluded promisingly enough... Then comes chapter 2, which does absolutely nothing new or interesting with said mechanics. Other than the introduction of one of the most utterly stupid and unfair enemies in all of RE history, the Glasp... (Yeah, I'm talking to you! You ugly jerk!) One hit, insta-death, flying bug of fuck you! Natalia can see them and give you vocal hints about where they are, which is a decent enough idea... except that the designers thought it would be a good idea to introduce them in an open environment where they can effortlessly surround you and suddenly make her useless. Cheers for that! ... It's also at around this point in the game where you start to realise that the game is seriously running low on ideas as it starts to recycle the same block moving puzzles over... and over... and over... and over... and over... (Should've called it Block Carrying Simulator 2015... Probably would've sold more copies that way) Speaking of the level design... They seem to have taken people's complaints about the first Revelations' focus on small rooms and Corridors too close to heart because the levels are ridiculously open for a Resident Evil game... and not to the game's benefit. The areas are lacking in direction and you will find yourself frequently getting lost, because the map is tiny and completely useless. You don't really end up meaningfully interacting with the game's world much as the gameplay basically boils down to running from point A to B and pressing a few switches or lockpicking chests (complete with tedious unlocking minigame) along the way... The lack of budget also becomes very apparent once you find yourself going through the same environment again as a different character - granted though, they came up with the neat idea of having your actions that you went through the first time through affecting what happens to the other character when they go through it, but this idea generally ends up being limited to having just a few enemies coming back to life for Barry to take care of (with a couple of exceptions here and there). Chapter 3 however was a big improvement. Without spoiling anything, it's a series of much more interesting sequences that have you making more meaningful choices upon the way the game plays out. They also have you doing more interesting gameplay related actions in general as well. Why couldn't we have more stuff like this earlier!? And finally chapter 4 was ok. Better than 2, and about on par with 1 really - it does end on a hilariously cheesy climax though Overall, it's ok. Speaking more broadly, it feels like it needed a bigger budget. There's a distinct lack of enemy types throughout the game (much less than RE:R), the bosses are really lame and uninteresting (except for the last one, that one was cool) and the game's content feels very much stretched thin. I would rather have seen them focus on quality over quantity and this approach also applies to Raid Mode as well; tons of stages that aren't that great (and are really let down by those stupid, crappy insta-death invisienemies!). I'd say it's worth a playthrough, especially at the ridiculously low price it's going for. It's decent, but not great And finally Strider (2014). Like RE:R2, this is a game that long outstays its welcome; it really would've been better if they cut down the length and focused on the action portions of the game, rather than the metroidvania esc exploration, because Double Helix actually did a really great job of making Strider himself just FEEL good to control! Hiryu is responsive, satisfying to jump and SHWING around with and all of his control mechanics just feel good. Bosses and enemies are generally well designed too, putting your arsenal of moves to good use, but they're unfortunately heavily recycled in order to pad out the game's large environments. The whole game is just really stretched thin, with the sprawling levels not being particularly interesting to explore or navigate. If they had made it a straightforward action game like it's predecessors, it could've been really great, but as it stands, it's a decent Metroidvania game with really GREAT game-feel that could've made for a great level-to-level action game. A shame that DH were sold to Amazon, forced onto mobile crapware, cause they showed that they clearly have some talent for making games that feel good to play Edit: Oh yeah, should also mention that I started Fantasy Life, got about 2 or so hours into it and I'm so unbelievably bored that I'm probably never gonna play it again. There's basically nothing to do other than to pointlessly hack a few enemies to death, play the same button bashing/rhythm minigames (but with different skins for each Life) over and over again and complete endless fetch quests. It's charming, but it just lacks any sort of hook to keep my interest (and it's not like I don't enjoy games like this, such as Tomodachi Life, Animal Crossing or Attack of the Friday Monsters, either!) And on that note ... Mario Golf Advance Tour Golden Sun Super Mario World Layton VS Ace Attorney Kirby Triple Deluxe Kirby's Adventure Wii (100/200%) Super Mario Galaxy 2 (120 stars) Tengami The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D Yoshi's Island DS DK King of Swing Gunman Clive 2 Resident Evil Revelations 2 (PC) Strider (2014 - PC) Currently playing though: Alien Isolation, Bravely Default, Super Mario 64, Monster Hunter 4U (counts as "complete" when I see the credits I suppose :p ), Boxboy, Prof Layton & The Azran Legacy... Though I'm probably gonna end up playing Half Minute Hero again, since I'm feeling in the mood (and why not!? It's a fantastic game after all! ) Edited May 26, 2015 by Dcubed Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 27, 2015 I regained my focus and played a fair bit of Metroid: Other M last night. I really, really enjoy playing this game. It's probably my favourite Metroid game out of the whole series. I've never been a big fan of the exploration aspect of the Metroid games, which is weird considering I love the earlier Resident Evil games. With this game, and Fusion, the linearity really makes the game a more enjoyable experience for me. Having the power ups show up on the map, much like Shadow Complex, is another thing I really appreciate. Just knowing that there is something in the room makes you more aware of your surroundings as you start to look at every nook and cranny, trying to figure out how to actually get the thing. The only issue I have with it so far ( I think I had the same issue with it when I originally played it ) has been the encounter with Ridley. I don't see why Samus becomes so stunned when she sees him. I mean, shes fought and defeated him a few times already. I think i'm nearing the end now. I'm probably a couple of hours away from the credits and i'm hoping to get it finished before Splatoon arrives. I think I should get it done but sadly I don't think i'll get 100% done, unless I don't get Splatoon until Friday. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 27, 2015 I regained my focus and played a fair bit of Metroid: Other M last night. I really, really enjoy playing this game. It's probably my favourite Metroid game out of the whole series. I'm really glad to hear the positive impressions as I was recently on the brink of playing through Metroid: Other M again, after the completion of Kirby's Epic Yarn I decided to finish Pandora's Tower first but with getting Majora's Mask 3D for my birthday along with Kirby and the Rainbow Paintbrush and Splatoon on the way, Metroid will probably have to wait a little while longer On a side note, your current avatar is encouraging me to pick up a Samus Amiibo Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 27, 2015 I'm really glad to hear the positive impressions as I was recently on the brink of playing through Metroid: Other M again, after the completion of Kirby's Epic Yarn Are you just copying my gaming habits? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
