Jump to content
NEurope
Julius

Your 2020 Gaming Diary

Recommended Posts

3 minutes ago, Nicktendo said:

Mario Kart 9: Kick in the dick. 

Never a more apt subtitle for a Mario Kart game. The game is unfairness personified. Less a game, more an experience. An experience of torment and pain. :laughing:

After listening to this week's N-E Café, I thought for a moment that this comment was referring to World Tour

  • Like 1
  • Haha 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I've started Spectre of Torment before getting my ass kicked on Super Mario Kart. Having levels that are created with the character's moveset in mind makes this instantly better than Plague of Shadows.
It has a certain flow that the first expansion just can't reach. Much more enjoyable. But to be fair, almost everything is much more enjoyable than Plague Knight's campaign.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is finally done! Spirit Adventure that is...

Final Battle was really cool and pretty hard, took me three attempts. Nice cutscene at the end, and the way the main music goes into piano only towards the end of the credits is pretty awesome. 

I'm sat at 96.9% completion, so I guess I have a few more fights to mop up.

I have 209 spirits to collect (including a lot of the DLC / event ones which I've missed), so I guess that's the next thing I should do. 

What an amazing game.

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
2 hours ago, Nicktendo said:

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is finally done! Spirit Adventure that is...

Final Battle was really cool and pretty hard, took me three attempts. Nice cutscene at the end, and the way the main music goes into piano only towards the end of the credits is pretty awesome. 

I'm sat at 96.9% completion, so I guess I have a few more fights to mop up.

I have 209 spirits to collect (including a lot of the DLC / event ones which I've missed), so I guess that's the next thing I should do. 

What an amazing game.

96.9%? I think I can guess what you're missing.

Spoiler

Try fighting Galeem and Dharkon by themselves.

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
30 minutes ago, Glen-i said:

96.9%? I think I can guess what you're missing.

  World of Light spoilers (Hide contents)

Try fighting Galeem and Dharkon by themselves.

 

Spoiler

I did both of them before the real final boss and was getting both confused and annoyed as to why I kept getting booted back out to the main menu :D

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
20 hours ago, drahkon said:

I've started Spectre of Torment

Can't put it down. It's soooo good.

After Plague of Shadows I was worried that the subsequent campaigns are of equal quality but hell no...Spectre of Torment is even better than Shovel of Hope :o 

  • Haha 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
2 hours ago, drahkon said:

Can't put it down.

And I've beaten it. Pro-tip: Don't fight against the final boss while high out of your mind. It's weird.
Anyways, wonderful campaign. If King of Cards can keep the quality this high, I'm in for a treat. But I'm gonna take a break from Treasure Trove for a while.

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I completed another SNES game today.

Yoshi's Island

EQRM2XTU0AEgN_Y?format=jpg&name=large

Spoiler

ImageImage

ImageEQRK0dqUUAIkku1?format=jpg&name=360x360

ImageEQRLMIHVUAEZzOu?format=jpg&name=360x360

ImageImage

ImageImage

ImageImage

ImageImage

ImageImage

ImageImage

ImageImage

ImageImage

ImageImage

ImageImage

ImageImage

ImageImage

ImageImage

ImageImage

ImageImage

ImageImage

This is another SNES game that I never owned as a teenager but I did rent it many times. It wasn't until I started working where I eventually picked it up and played the game properly. Since then i've played through the game a few times and each time i've done so I liked the game less and less. I was hoping that this time would be different and i'm happy to say that was indeed the case and I really enjoyed my time with it.

I think going back to the game after playing the likes of Woolly World and Crafted World has helped me appreciate the game a lot more. I always classed this game as a straight up platformer but having played the other games I mentioned has help me change my perspective on this. Sure, there is a lot of platforming going on but it really is about taking your time and exploring every nook and cranny. However, I still dislike how the game is designed when going for 100% completion. Having to do perfect runs in a stage can be a bit of a pain in the backside, even with things like rewind and save states. There were a few levels that needed repeating due to me missing something and not being able to go back.

Playing through the game now I do think it's actually pretty easy, even more so if you just run through the levels without trying to collect everything. By the end of the game you end up with a crazy amount of extra lives. The bonus games are also very generous with the cards they dish out, allowing you to easily meet the requirements for finishing the level with 30 stars. I suppose the real challenge is trying for the 100%, which I did end up doing.

I did find that some of the levels overstayed their welcome a bit. Stages that were set in caves and featured multiple pathways always felt like they went on too long and the back and forth when trying to finds coins and flowers did help matters. I found the game was at it's best when the levels were more straight forward and you could run back and forth without losing you way. These longer stages really crank up the overall length of the game and the game ends up being much longer than Super Mario World.

I really enjoyed the variety that was on offer here. The transformations into things like a mole, helicopter and even playing as Baby Mario for a short spell, is a nice way to mix things up and add something new to some of the stages. One of my favourites was when you get to put on a pair of skis and go flying down a snowy mountain. The small detail of Baby Mario getting a little snow/bobble hat is adorable. :heart:

A special mention has to go to the visuals of the game. This is another SNES game that really stands the test of time. The hand-drawn art style used is still beautiful to look at and not using the Donkey Kong Country tech was definitely for the better....even though all 3 of those titles are actually better games than this. :p 

I still think that Woolly World has been the peak of the series so far but i'm glad to have played this and been able to fall in love with it all over again. Playing it really did take me back to my youth, just sitting in front of a tiny CRT television set without a care in the world. Ah, happy/better times. :( 

  • Like 4
  • Thanks 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
14 hours ago, Hero-of-Time said:

Since then i've played through the game a few times and each time i've done so I liked the game less and less

Pretty much my experience with this. Completed it three times and each time I liked it less. ::shrug: Not sure if that'll ever change, mainly because I'm in no rush to giving it another chance :D

14 hours ago, drahkon said:

But I'm gonna take a break from Treasure Trove for a while.

Lol. Started King of Cards an hour ago. :laughing: 

It's amazing. I love the smaller/shorter levels that seem to replace the larger ones from the other campaigns. Makes for a much more enjoyable journey, so far. Also really like Joustus. Then again, I'm a sucker for in-game card games :D 

Edited by drahkon
  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Finished Assassins Creed Brotherhood earlier today.  Nice follow on from II, few weak points which include locking weapons and armour behind early versions of a paywall.  The Romulan armour looks pretty decent, even of the above weakness.  Final part felt a bit rushed, but none the less decent enough.

Quite enjoyed the random attacks around the countryside part of Rome, keeps you on your toes at least.

Moved right onto Revelations, thought might as well finish the Ezio trilogy straight off

 

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Iterative improvements to the Memetree deck on Pokemon Trading Card Game Online (PC) are going well. I've acquired stuff like Shaymin Prism Star, Life Forest Prism Star and Mew EX which I have added to the deck. Here's an earlier screenshot of the deck that I took.

 

EQSLFTPXYAAGFh8?format=png&name=small

 

****** Pokémon Trading Card Game Deck List ******

##Pokémon - 17

* 2 Shaymin-EX ROS 77
* 1 Dhelmise V SSH 9
* 2 Grookey SSH 10
* 1 Grookey SSH 11
* 1 Rowlet & Alolan Exeggutor-GX UNM 1
* 1 Shaymin {*} TEU 10
* 3 Thwackey SSH 13
* 3 Rillaboom SSH 14
* 1 Mew UNB 76
* 1 Mew-EX DRX 46
* 1 Phione CEC 57

##Trainer Cards - 31

* 2 Marnie SSH 169
* 3 Ultra Ball DEX 102
* 3 Switch CES 147
* 2 Ordinary Rod SSH 171
* 2 Pokémon Catcher EPO 95
* 2 Tate & Liza CES 148
* 4 Nest Ball SUM 123
* 1 Quick Ball SSH 179
* 1 Rare Candy SSH 180
* 1 Pokémon Center Lady FLF 93
* 1 Rescue Stetcher
* 2 Net Ball LOT 187
* 1 Guzma & Hala CEC 193
* 4 Professor's Research SSH 178
* 1 Life Forest {*} LOT 180
* 1 VS Seeker PHF 109

##Energy - 12

* 12 Grass Energy SWSHEnergy 1

Total Cards - 60

****** Deck List Generated by the Pokémon TCG Online www.pokemon.com/TCGO ******

 

In other news, @Vileplume2000 I have good news, the MP2 moment you've been waiting to see is finally up, it's time for the episode of Metroid Prime 2 Echoes where I take on the Boost Guardian.

 

 

Edited by GenericAperson
  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
9 hours ago, Jimbob said:

Finished Assassins Creed Brotherhood earlier today.  Nice follow on from II, few weak points which include locking weapons and armour behind early versions of a paywall.  The Romulan armour looks pretty decent, even of the above weakness.  Final part felt a bit rushed, but none the less decent enough.

Quite enjoyed the random attacks around the countryside part of Rome, keeps you on your toes at least.

Moved right onto Revelations, thought might as well finish the Ezio trilogy straight off

 

I loved playing through the game again last year. For me, Brotherhood is still the peak of the Ezio series. It just felt like everything came together nicely, the improvements from the second game were very noticeable and the brotherhood system was fantastic.

Goat Simulator

Image

Yesterday I was looking at what games I had sitting in my PS+ library and seen this just sat there. I know the game got quite a good reputation when it was first released, with people making various videos about the crazy things you can do in the game. I figured I would give the game a go seeing as it was free.

I don't get it. ::shrug: How is this even a game? It's basically some weird physics engine wrapped in a goat skin. The controls are wonky, the graphics look dated and gameplay was neither her nor there. I suppose the charm comes from being able to do silly stuff inside the game but that was completely lost on me and I found it frustrating more than anything. There were times where I was trying to do some of the objects and the goat just kept flying off into the air or getting stuck on something. Honestly, the the most fun I had in the game was when going for the trophy that required you to play a rip off of Flappy Bird. 

Also, for some reason the game reminded me of the Tony Hawks games. Obviously it wasn't the gameplay but I think it was more of how the game looked, the combo and score system that popped up and settings of some of the stages. Very weird comparison, I know. :p 

I'm glad this was free and I pity anyone who actually bought the game at full price. :laughing:

My adventures in Anthem are still continuing. I think i'm on the final mission now but I want to mop up the side quests before finishing the game. If the game didn't keep booting me out of it I think I could have easily had this finished over the course of a weekend. The game seems very short. The server issues seem to be coming from the main hub area. Not once have I got kicked when playing on an actual mission or in freeplay, it's always when trying to load the game up or when heading back to the hub area. Hopefully i'll get this finished off this week.

 

  • Thanks 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
11 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

I don't get it. ::shrug: How is this even a game? It's basically some weird physics engine wrapped in a goat skin. 

You ever heard of a false accusation that Undertale is only well liked because it tries to utilise the "meme factor" to become well-known? It's a load of crap since the stuff in Undertale became memes because it was a really good game.

Yeah, Goat Simulator is one of those games where that statement is completely accurate. The game is built to be played on YouTube and the like and generate word-of-mouth because of how wacky it looks to anyone watching.

It worked.

Edited by Glen-i
  • Thanks 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I hated Undertale but really liked Goat Simulator.

THERE, I SAID IT. :p 

 

Made some progress with The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+. Unlocked new areas to play through in each run. 
King of Cards - reached the first world's boss(-level), I assume. So far, a very good 2D-platformer.

I've also been playing Apex Legends a lot again. After taking a break for about 8 months I've decided to jump back in with a mate. New map, new legends, new weapons. It's fun!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Another day, another SNES game done and dusted.

Super Metroid

EQRM2XFVAAAqzBZ?format=jpg&name=large

Spoiler

ImageImageImageImageImageImage

ImageImageImageImageImageImage

ImageImageImageImageImageImage

ImageImageImageImageImageImage

ImageImageImageImageImageImage

ImageImageImageImageImageImage

ImageImageImageImageImageImage

ImageImageEQc7Sb6UwAA20EO?format=jpg&name=360x360ImageImageImage

ImageImageImage

 

 

This is a SNES game I have no nostalgia for. I didn't play it as a youngster and it wasn't until I was working where I finally tracked down a copy and played the game. I wasn't a huge fan of it back then and each time that I did replay the game my opinion on it never changed. I was eager to see if this time anything would be any different. Sadly, it wasn't be.

I find this game to be extremely overrated and dated. The genre has come along way since the release of this and the game does show it's age. A lot of Metroidvania type games these days have much better map and item tracking systems in place. There are items in this game that hidden in places that there's no way you would know where they are unless you were constantly using the x-ray beam or had a have a guide handy. I find some of the level area layouts pretty confusing at times and because of the nature of the map it's sometimes hard to figure out how to proceed. No wonder the game originally shipped with a huge guide.

I've always had issues with the jumping/platforming in the game. I've just never found it to be that accurate and at times I would end up doing spin jumps instead of normal ones and vice versa. This play through was especially annoying due to the shoddy d-pad on the Switch Pro controller. It still baffles me that the creators of the d-pad have the worse one this generation and have yet to sort it out.

I look at something like A Link to the Past and how that game easily stands the test of time and can go toe to toe with all of the Zelda games that came after it. I don't think I can say the same for Super Metroid. Games like Zero Mission, Fusion and even Other M are by far better Metroid games, IMO. I'd much rather play through any of those than Super Metroid. 

The game did give me a hankering to play something else Metroid related though. I never did get to fully play through Federation Force and wouldn't mind giving the game another crack. It would be pretty cool to get some co-op runs of the game going. I don't suppose anyone on N-E would fancy playing through the game as well at some point?

 

 

Edited by Hero-of-Time
  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ - Finished some challenges. A few of them are (annoyingly) difficult. 

Dead Cells - Bought this for my Switch recently, including the new DLC. I remember taking a break from the PS4 version because I knew a lot more content would eventually be added. What a great decision that was. Now the game feels much more complete and, with the balance changes, a lot more satisfying to play. Shields are actually viable now :D Managed to win two runs but I've barely scratched the surface.

King of Cards - Completed the first world and made a little progress in the second. So much fun.

Apex Legends - My mate and I play this almost every evening for an hour or two. It's a blast :D 

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

This year I plan to take a break from playing mmo's and get back into playing some singleplayer games from my Steam library backlog.

I am starting a new game tonight, Final Fantasy VIII.

It has been many years since I played this game on PS1.

  • Like 3
  • Thanks 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
This year I plan to take a break from playing mmo's and get back into playing some singleplayer games from my Steam library backlog.
I am starting a new game tonight, Final Fantasy VIII.
It has been many years since I played this game on PS1.
My favourite game of all time. Enjoy.
  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Finished Disc 1 this afternoon on FF8.  I got lost in a Tomb for ages trying to get the Brothers GF, ended up nearly unlocking all the skills my current GF's can use.

No Encounter skill will be handy later on from Diablos. 

So far I've been playing without a guide and I don't remember much of the story so it almost feels like a new game to me, last time I played this was in 2000 on the original Playstation.

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I initially had no intention of picking up Snack World for my Switch but I'm glad I took a chance with it because it's fast becoming one of my favourite Switch 3rd party exclusives.

I love how each of the dungeons are randomly generated. When repeating quests for certain items it keeps everything feeling fresh. I was also surprised to find the game has online co-op, which has been an absolute joy to play. It's ridiculous how fast it is to play online. You just hit a button and you're pretty much there. It's been great questing with random players over the weekend.

The game has stupid amounts of loot to grab, loads of weapons and costumes/outfits to make, Snacks (Pokemon) to unlock and summons to use. Speaking of which, the Genie Aces summon/characters are simply fabulous. :D

EQ6DHqyU0AA-eP6?format=jpg&name=large

I only started playing the game properly yesterday morning and have already sunk 15 hours into the thing! 

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
47 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

I love how each of the dungeons are randomly generated.

What happened to you?

  • Haha 3

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
4 minutes ago, drahkon said:

What happened to you?

Yeah, usually it's a no no for me but I like how it's implemented here. My hate for randomly generated levels comes from the fact it usually comes hand in hand with games that feature perma-death, which isn't in Snack World.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
39 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

Yeah, usually it's a no no for me but I like how it's implemented here. My hate for randomly generated levels comes from the fact it usually comes hand in hand with games that feature perma-death, which isn't in Snack World.

No Perma-Death, eh? Sounds like my kind of Roguelike!

*Adds to Wish List*

Edited by Glen-i

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I finally finished Anthem over the weekend.

Overall I don't think it's a bad game. The graphics and flying mechanics are both great it's just that the story is very flat and the gameplay repetitive. Then there's the massive technical issues with the game. I don't think I've ever played a game that's so broken. When you can't actually play the game due to server issues then the game deserves a lot of the criticisms that were raised against it. As I mentioned when I started playing the game, the servers should really be working properly at this point. The game is a year old and has a very low user base, so the servers should be buckling under pressure.

There is potential here for a good game. If the game actually had a vision when it first started production then things may have been different. I'll be keeping a hold of it mainly because it's worth absolutely nothing in terms of trade in value but also to see how they plan on rebooting it.

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

×