| Original message (15582 Views )
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| karasu99 643th Post
  
PSN: robotchris
XBL: robotchris
Wii: n/a
Red Carpet Regular Member
  
    
    
|  "Re(7):Random Thread, with low quality eroge d" , posted Thu 9 Jun 02:59  
quote:
Have some ridiculously high rez artwork from Dragon's Crown!
Do you have Muramasa artworks. I second what spoon said. It looks beautiful anyway.
Muramasa stuff is floating around out there-- like this. Or better yet here, a favorite of mine.
Yes, I think Kamitani's art somehow manages to avoid being lurid in many ways for some reason, and I agree, the character design has something to do with it. His work just has so much vigor!
His choice to avoid 'standard' poses for the characters in the art is a wonderful one! The amazon design first made me do a double take, but it continues to grow on me. And the sorcerer's animation! Incredible!
Spoon, I see what you mean about them looking a bit cut-out, but I'm honestly at a loss to think of how they would have overcome it. Maybe it will look better in a more finished version?
Anyway, I'm ecstatic that this particular game and its art have received as much comment as they have.
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| Baines 287th Post
Copper Customer
| "Re(2):Random thread, now with insert credit" , posted Tue 28 Jun 08:06
quote:
How well does having a comment section on each story in lieu of a dedicated forum go towards creating a sense of community? Unless there is a very large and/or vocal readership there would probably be very little in the way of interesting conversation generated from the postings.
Being there for the death of the original IC forums, they quite possibly don't *want* a sense of community to form. Forums tends to develop their own personalities, and they may not be what the owners of the site desire.
That is what happened with the original Insert Credit forums, which became opinionated, argumentative, and an entity unto itself.
But the death knell was when forum posters began to disagree with friends of the IC staff. Brandon outright said he wanted a site that was for him and his friends, and friendly to developers, and didn't want arguments that would discourage such people. In the final days, forum posters were told that they weren't allowed to disagree with select people, even if it was actual fact (and not just opinion) that those select people were wrong about something. And such a situation immediately happened. One of the select people was bullishly obstinate over something that he was wrong about (and everyone on the board knew he was wrong and tried to explain why), and then the board was shut down.
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| karasu99 674th Post
PSN: robotchris
XBL: robotchris
Wii: n/a
Red Carpet Regular Member
| "Re(6):Random thread, now with insert credit" , posted Wed 29 Jun 02:01
quote:
Insert Credit is back! That's great news!!
I didn't know there were forum problems. I can understand it though. It's hard to try and moderate things.
Sometimes, it's better not to moderate at all, but that can also make things go haywire as well.
Randomness saves the day!
Yes, it makes you realize what a strangely stable ecosystem we have here at the cafe. I can't remember a quarrel here, at least not lately.
quote:
The new manifesto/aplogy page is weirdly moving.
Agreed-- and it helped me to realize just how significant IC was and is. It's a good read.
Eh, It just occurred to me that I so often focus on the bad of IC when there is quite a bit of good there as well. I heard about a lot of games there that I might not have known about otherwise, and it helped to draw me back in to playing games at a point where I could have (unthinkably, now) drifted away from them again.
So thanks IC, I guess! Welcome back to life!
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| Toxico 5363th Post
PSN: Toxic-Baron
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Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
     
     
  
|  "Re(1):Kono Random thread, mamoritai." , posted Thu 30 Jun 02:53
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Quick question: does anyone remember which manga, anime, book or movie was the first to feature the sentence above?
I can't be 100% sure, but I think that I heard something similar on Tiger Mask or something; I could bet that it was a Christmas chapters (I think that's the point where they were the closest to lose the orphanage)(and I remember that being near the end).... But I can tell for sure, no subs and me not being able to understand it that nicely back then.
quote:
Could it be coming from a recent popular anime such as Steins;Gate or Madoka? Thanks for the help.
Considering it's current impact, most likely it "resurfaced" on popular media and probably more than once. I think that a guy from Index uses the line, but I haven't seen him being memed to hell and back.
quote:
(Is there a Japanese equivalent of knowyourmeme.com?)
I hope there isn't an equivalent, as that would mean that it would contain pretty lackluster info  something that does a better job would be nice, but I have never stumbled on it.
目に焼きつけて、死ぬがいい・・・
Update 23 as of 25/10/10 (Temporary mega upload link).
Now sponsoring : video game analogies (ES)
Last update : Chapter 22 as of 10/01/11
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| badoor
211th Post
PSN: BadoorSNK
XBL: BadoorSNK
Wii: n/a
Frequent Customer
| "Re(6):Random thread, now with 1UP?!" , posted Fri 1 Jul 21:26:
quote:
Insert Credit is back! That's great news!!
Good grief, in the same week as Insert Credit's revival, Jeremey Parish, the finest writer in the mainstream American gaming "press" (as opposed to wonderful Game Developer etc.), became editor of 1UP, which previously I had no use for since he had a personal site anyway. In my wild and improbable fantasies, it will transform into another place with actual games criticism in the vein of IC or ABDN.
It has been a great week. IC has great potential as I've enjoyed the writings of most of its staff, and they have a story about Yu Suzuki which is always awesome with me. And if Jeremy Parish being the EIC means that I can expect excellent features like this one and ones similar to his personal site then I'm ecstatic.
EDIT: It seems that ARIKA are testing out the 3DS to see if they might make a new Street Fighter EX without the street fighter part. It's good to see that after all the crap that ex-capcom studio GameRepublic went through I'm hoping that ARIKA does end up making a new fighting game, the genre that put them on the map.
[this message was edited by badoor on Fri 1 Jul 21:37] |
| chazumaru 799th Post
Red Carpet Regular Member+
| "Kono skullomania, mamoritai." , posted Sat 2 Jul 05:20
Arika is not at all in the same situation as Game Republic. They are a smaller company, never developed any expensive HD project and somehow ended up in the Nintendo pool of small developers, alongside NDcube, Mitchell, Arzest et al. They recently developed 3D Classics Excitebike for Nintendo 3DS. I would not be too worried about them. Regarding ex-Capcom employees, I am more concerned about Funamizu's fate after the difficult start of Earth Seeker.
One thing I have to credit Arika and SFEX for is that they were the best ever at naming new characters. Doctrine Dark, Blair Dame, Pullum Purna, Cracker Jack, Skullomania, Vulcano Rosso, ShadowGeist, Allen Snider, Darun Mister... I love those names. The games, not so much.
@Toxico: DQ123 will feature several bonus items and features, including a trailer of Dragon Quest 10, but no demo.
無限早見は無限早見は無限早見は無限早見は無限早見は無限早見は無限早見は無限早見は無限早見は無限早見は
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| Spoon 2198th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(6):Re(10):Random thread, now with PSN?!" , posted Sat 9 Jul 01:39
quote:
As a matter of public record I wanted to state that I'm really enjoying Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon. The whole guys shooting giant bugs plot plays out like something I would have dreamt up while playing with plastic army men when I was a kid and is as entertaining today as that scenario was back then. I've even been having fun with the online features since it's all about co-op bug killing instead of some stupid capture the flag or deathmatch modes. The only strange thing I've noticed is that I'm running into the same players online. Either the game creates rooms based on strict parameters or hardly anyone is playing this game.
As an EDF fanboy, there are some things I love about the game and some things that greatly disappoint me.
The fact that the name tags of the AI teammates are Kid and Oldman at the start of the game made me smile. Trooper is basically classic EDF guy/Storm 1, while the flying suit is like Pale Wing from EDF 2. The battle armor is pretty darn cool, and seeing the flying enemies crash down into you as you kill them is great.
However, the sound effects are really weak. None of the weapons at the start of the game have any oopmh to them. Particle effects have all been dialed down. I can't tell if there's less NPC chatter than before, either (which was a huge part of the EDF experience!). Buildings take a fair bit more to destroy (in previous EDFs, a single hit from just about any explosive weapon would knock a building down). I'm only about 1/3 of the way into the game, so there's still a lot I haven't seen, but I've yet to see anything quite as dramatic as giant robots storming a beach at sunset. Unlocking things with earned points rather than random drops has its plusses, though no longer being able to see a screen full of new weapons is unfortunate.
One of the head designers has also been posting on gamefaqs about the game! He has a variety of things to say, and his mention of Splash Grenade Alpha as one of the team's favourite weapons from EDF 2017 was heartening! (for those who don't know: it fires a spray of 20 timed fuse bouncing grenades, each which deal 1000 damage in a blast, so it's quite difficult just to survive accidentally getting hit by a little bit of that spray! To make things more fun, it seems that the grenades bounce with unpredictable energy!)
With the PS3 HD remakes of games, I have to honestly say that I'm hoping for an HD EDF 2. However, I have a feeling that it's more likely that we'll see that effort just poured into EDF 4 instead.
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| Ishmael 4140th Post
PSN: Ishmael26b
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Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(1):Yoga Ono" , posted Sat 9 Jul 07:47
quote:
At least I think so.
The yellow strands of his wraps threw me for a second. When I first saw them I thought they were long, stringy hair like Gill sports.
quote:
However, the sound effects are really weak. None of the weapons at the start of the game have any oopmh to them. Particle effects have all been dialed down. I can't tell if there's less NPC chatter than before, either (which was a huge part of the EDF experience!). Buildings take a fair bit more to destroy (in previous EDFs, a single hit from just about any explosive weapon would knock a building down). I'm only about 1/3 of the way into the game, so there's still a lot I haven't seen, but I've yet to see anything quite as dramatic as giant robots storming a beach at sunset. Unlocking things with earned points rather than random drops has its plusses, though no longer being able to see a screen full of new weapons is unfortunate.
I agree, the sounds and impact of some of the weapons could be better. If you're going to go out and shoot bugs and UFO's you want to feel it. At least the weapons that you unlock or pick up from large enemies often have more heft to them. It's also a nice touch that everyone playing the level gets the weapons. There would be nothing more annoying than doing all the work and having some quick character dart in and steal everything.
Also, thanks for the heads-up about one of the designers posting on GameFAQS. It's always nice to see someone who is happy with the game they made and want to discuss it with the players.
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| Spoon 2211th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(2):Lollipop Chainsaw, now in the right thr" , posted Thu 21 Jul 05:45
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Lollipop Chainsaw is Grasshopper's new project, which according to Famitsu translations is about a cheerleader dancing and pink-blood spraying zombie action.
So it sounds like GHM is making Oneechanbara.
This contains anything strong marletable in the west:
-zombies
-gore
-boobs
I'm really tired of games that copy most of their formula from others, with the exscuses of marketing. Take it as Dead Rising+Mad World, or good paced Onechanbara.
Also, why westernize the product? They art style and the setting is in the west, a wacky japanese zombie slasher wasn't that good?
Bored AS HELL.
Actually, the "pink blood" was a mistranslation; unless this is also a mistranslation, the word from Suda is:
"Instead of sprays of blood, we have the zombies emitting bursts of pink light. When it comes to gore, we can certainly go that way if we want, but we wanted to give the game more of a 'pop' feel."
The zombies in the screenshots, however, still look like typical zombies.
I wonder if having the dismembered talking head companion is going to be a recurring Grasshopper game... first Shadows of the Damned, and now this!
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| Professor 3157th Post
MMCafe Owner
     
| "Nintendo axes 3DS" , posted Thu 28 Jul 19:41:
3DS price almost slashed to half from 25000 yen to 15000 yen effective August 11, a 40% drop!
People who bought it must be pissed, considering the handheld has been out for less than six months (released Feb 26).
Those people can cry off their tears with free downloadable virtual console NES(10 titles) & GBA games(10 titles). The GBA virtual console titles will be exclusive to this event.
Super Mario 1, Donkey Kong Jr, Balloon Fight, Ice Climber, Legend of Zelda
Super Mario Advance 3, Mario Kart Advance, Metroid Fusion, Made in Wario,Mario vs Donkey Kong
[this message was edited by Professor on Thu 28 Jul 19:48] |
| Grave 1384th Post
PSN: Drakee
XBL: Mikelson
Wii: n/a
Red Carpet Executive Member
| "Re(5):Nintendo axes 3DS" , posted Fri 29 Jul 09:09
quote:
On a related note, I'm glad to not see a lot of consumer rage about the price drop (yet). This kind of thing happens all the time. It's the "just announce a new model after you buy the old one" that's really bad.
I want to be optimistic and say that consumers are finally learning how tech works - be happy with what you buy and don't buy it just because it's the best right now, because it's going to be obsolete tomorrow. Or sooner. My job is primarily selling used phones and other gadgets, and I have a lot of ignorant, rude and angry people trying to get cash from me every day. Some people get extremely angry that I won't give them $300 for their Palm Treo from a million years ago... however, the vast majority of them understand how fast tech is moving right now, ESPECIALLY phones. And they know that a $500 phone yesterday is a $300 phone today. You better like your gadget cuz it's not gonna be worth what you paid for it for long at all. And I say this as a man who bought a Droid Incredible 2 today, so...!
Price drops, updated versions, we really should know by now. HOWEVER, the 20 games that Nintendo is dropping on early adopters... That part I didn't see coming! Makes me wanna slap them on the back and call them my friend. Kinda.
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| sfried 699th Post
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Red Carpet Regular Member
| "Re(3):You can save Mega Man Legends 3!" , posted Fri 29 Jul 09:59:
quote:
Since Legends 3 has been canceled...
IT'S NOT COMPLETELY CANCELLED! Go to Capcom-Unity, join devroom, and click on the bar that says "Become a Servbot". Many people joined the Dev Room group but didn't sign up to become a servbot, and the low participation number is what is said to have been the reason of the cancellation. They kept the NA Dev Room open hoping they would see some sort of movement from the 100,000 Strong For Bringing Back Mega Man Legends 3 group.
quote:
3DS makes me unhappy. I'd be glad to buy one whenever that "must have" game comes out on it (whatever it may be), but I'm worried about it's region lock. When I think about how many DS games I imported, it seems like I'd be making a mistake buying a 3DS before someone finds a work-around.
Just how many of your DS games are DSi games? Regular DS import titles still work on a 3DS/DSi. Some of the newer DSi enhanced ones, however, take advantage of the added RAM and the WPA WiFi connection protocol of the DSi. (Solatorobo, Pokemon B&W) Luckily regular DS titles are still more popular.
quote:
Price drops, updated versions, we really should know by now. HOWEVER, the 20 games that Nintendo is dropping on early adopters... That part I didn't see coming! Makes me wanna slap them on the back and call them my friend. Kinda.
I'm all for Yoshi's Island GBA and Metroid Fusion, but if they throw Rhythm Heaven GBA in there localized I would love them.
[this message was edited by sfried on Fri 29 Jul 10:27] |
| Pollyanna 3075th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
XBL: n/a
Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(4):You can save Mega Man Legends 3!" , posted Fri 29 Jul 11:23
quote:
Makes me wanna slap them on the back and call them my friend. Kinda.
I flip-flop a lot on which company I think is my friend (in truth, probably none of them are), but this is a rare time when I think Nintendo is doing something cool. Obviously, the 3DS isn't selling how they want it to, so I'm excited to see them fight for it in a way that's nice for consumers, too.
Actually, I forgot that I owe Nintendo on some level for Xenoblade and Last Story, too. I never cared much for my Wii, but those are 2 out of the maybe 3 or 4 truly excellent RPGs this generation.
quote:
Since Legends 3 has been canceled...
IT'S NOT COMPLETELY CANCELLED!
I hardly even like Megaman, I don't own a 3DS and I might not buy the game anyway, but I'm so irritated in principle for its cancellation that I'm all for anything that can turn it around.
I don't know if I totally buy their explanation, but drumming up a bunch of support for the title certainly can't hurt!
quote:
Just how many of your DS games are DSi games? Regular DS import titles still work on a 3DS/DSi. Some of the newer DSi enhanced ones, however, take advantage of the added RAM and the WPA WiFi connection protocol of the DSi.
I'm not worried about playing DS games on it, I'm worried about playing 3DS games, though I can see where you might've made that conclusion from the way I said it.
On a semi-related note, I'm playing UnchainBlades RexX on PSP right now, and since it's on 3DS, I would recommend it for 3DS owners looking for an RPG...but...yeah...region lock. Still, it's a nice game if you like Etrian Odyssey/SMT style dungeon crawlers.
青春謳歌 弱肉強食
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| Maou 2234th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re:You probably can't save Mega Man Legends" , posted Fri 29 Jul 14:33:
quote:
Since Legends 3 has been canceled...
IT'S NOT COMPLETELY CANCELLED! Go to Capcom-Unity, join devroom, and click on the bar that says "Become a Servbot".
Relatedly, in FF VII, if you talk to a guy called "the general" who lives in the pipe in Sector 7 and then return later on, he'll teach you how to get the underwater materia so you can revive Aerith and the game's ironic ending will be replaced with a much happier one, with Vincent and Yuffie appearing even. quote:
Still, I do wonder if the era of dedicated handheld game devices has already past.
I think it's more that Nintendo made the spectacularly unfortunate move of gambling on a (hopefully passing) technological trend/gimmick, one which makes a lot of people sick to their stomach or headachey. Like, the stylus and Wiimote are odd "gimmick" contraptions too, but they are Nintendo's, rather than a potentially passing fad. The fact that game cameras make half of the people in Asia sick probably should've been a hint that 3D eye tricks might be a risky endeavor/hard sell.
人間はいつも私を驚かせてくれる。不思議なものだな、人間という存在は．．．
[this message was edited by Maou on Fri 29 Jul 14:34] |
| Gojira 2773th Post
PSN: Gojira_X
XBL: Gojiraaa
Wii: 80085
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(3):Re:You probably can't save Mega Man Leg" , posted Wed 3 Aug 17:36:
quote:
See, I don't get people that say "Oh, 3D makes me sick!" when, if you still have vision, you're looking at 3D every day. The actual problem is you're used to (and are conditioned to) looking at 2D motion pictures. But see, "3D" isn't actually anything like real life, it's just a bunch of layered/parallaxed 2D scenes on top of each other...it doesn't even look particularly realistic so much as it looks like one of those plastic viewfinder toys from the 80's. And you have to semi-squint or cross your eyes to "see" this effect, so I'm not too surprised a lot of people are bothered by it.
No, it really is 3-dimensional. The only time it has that "layered" effect is when it's a bunch of images put together (like a menu), because flat 2D images can't establish depth with a 3D graphics pipeline.
I think what people are actually bothered by is the fact you have to look directly into the screen. You can't angle it even slightly or the image gets distorted. Your eyes will try to refocus on it but they can't, which is where the headaches come from.
[this message was edited by Gojira on Wed 3 Aug 17:37] |
| Pollyanna 3083th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
XBL: n/a
Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(5):" , posted Thu 4 Aug 12:08
quote:
I think that Unchainblades Rexx game is out
I'm used to people overlooking my posts, but I mentioned this in response to you.
That's okay, I make rambling blog posts without any regard to people actually caring, so I'll do that now about Unchainblades Rexx, but I'll use bold words, so maybe someone will notice.
So, I got this game called Unchainblades Rexx which is a good game to get if you're interested in what the Lunar and Grandia people (who aren't dead) are doing now. It even has a character designed by the Lunar character designer. But actually, it might be better for people who like Etrian Odyssey or SMT , since it's a cruel dungeon crawler.
The story is cute. It reminds of the Wizard of Oz, since it's about a bunch of ragtag idiots trying to get a wish from a goddess. For example, there's a sexy gorgon who is afraid of men (and turns them to stone) that wants help with her love life. Or a giant golem prince who has a cowards heart and wants to be a boy instead of a giant killing machine that needs to find a bride. Then there's a phoenix that wants to be reborn as a dragon. Etc. Etc. Some wishes you don't know yet and some actually get granted along the way.
The main character is kind of a jerk. All he cares about is strength, so it's kind of fun to see how things work out for him. He's not a bad guy, but he's certainly not motivated by kindness. Actually, most of the characters have severe character flaws that would prevent them from getting anything done if they were alone.
There's a monster recruit system, but you don't use them as a characters. Instead they're your "followers". Once you recruit them, you equip them (up to 4) to a character. They assist you when you attack, take hits for you (if their loyalty is high enough) and determine which combination moves you are able to do. For example, each follower has a certain elemental affiliation and a certain spell will require say, 3 "fires" or 2 "fires" and a "wind". So you have to be careful about what followers you equip to what master.
The dungeons are long and grueling, but the systems in the game are cleverly assembled, so when it makes me jump through hoops, I enjoy trying to meet the challenge.
The following is something interesting about the game, but even without mentioning names, it's still a spoiler. I'll be a little vague, but I'll mark it anyway.
Spoiler (Highlight to view) -
After you finish the first major dungeon, which is almost 10 hours into the game, it switches characters. You suddenly have a new party that's level 1 and has no money or any of the awesome stuff you had before. That took a little getting used to. I had to take a day off from the game, but once I got rolling again, I was very happy with it.
Then...it happens again. Only this time you only have ONE GUY. He can't heal. He can't do magic. He has no money. His dungeon is completely covered in poison fields that you have no choice but to walk through. Walk through 4 in a row and you lose half your life. It is a desperate, desperate battle. When I was so fed up with it that I said "if something doesn't happen NOW, I quit.", something awesome happened. It was a great surprise that played in very well with the overwhelming sense of futility I was feeling.
End of Spoiler
There are other things to mention. The soundtrack has some good tracks, there's an annoying follower-only battle minigame that sometimes brings the game to a screeching halt. The art and voice acting is kind of shoddy sometimes, but the world is very unique. There aren't NEARLY enough bosses. It's consistently funny, and like an older RPG, the characters never talk too much. The story is sparse, but strangely enjoyable.
I like it, but I'm not super crazy about it. If you like dungeon crawlers and it looks interesting to you, you'll probably enjoy it...whoever you are.
青春謳歌 弱肉強食
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| Spoon 2222th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Catherine, now that I've beaten it once" , posted Sun 7 Aug 02:26
I remember one of the older threads had impressions of the game from the JP release, but now that I've had a chance to play through the NA release I want to drop some change about it.
Spoilers, I guess.
Spoiler (Highlight to view) -
If there's one thing about the game that makes the entire business of choosing between Catherine/Katherine an issue, it's that you are dropped into the middle of Vincent's life with virtually no understanding of his relationship with Katherine. Some things are obvious right away, like how your friends perceive your relationship, but for a character who ought to know Katherine well (Vincent) you (the player) don't know Katherine well at all. Her controlling and cool demeanour definitely serve that feeling of loss of freedom that comes with committment, though. Maybe Katherine and Vincent have been together long enough that things are just very normal on a day-to-day basis between the two, but by the time you get towards the end and Vincent is gushing about how much he loves Katherine (the lines could also be for Catherine, but let's just go with the K route for now) and how important Katherine is to his life, it sounds unbelievable just based on what you've seen of their relationship in the game.
The boss fights felt mostly annoying rather than fun. I think hearing the same screeching lines death after death is what really made it grating. It also seems that the undo command in boss fights does not completely reset the position of the boss to where it was at that step you have gone back to, so it is quite possible to get yourself into situations where you just die while trying to figure it out.
At one point in the game I think I had 90 retries in stock, such that the number of retries I had remaining wasn't important at all anymore, and I was just annoyed at how far back the checkpoint was.
The entire motivation of the nightmares makes at least one character seem a strange fit for it: the policeman. His wife is already dead, and he's not engaged in any relationship. If Mutton's stated plan was to end any relationship that looks to be unfruitful, it doesn't make sense to include the policeman.
While Vincent might be on slightly better terms with the Boss in the good endings, I'm surprised he can be that friendly with a person who is a serial killer that has made attempts on the lives of Vincent and all of Vincent's male friends. Maybe it's just something you learn to live with.
End of Spoiler
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| Spoon 2224th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(2):Catherine, now that I've beaten it once" , posted Sun 7 Aug 11:48
quote:
I remember one of the older threads had impressions of the game from the JP release, but now that I've had a chance to play through the NA release I want to drop some change about it.
Spoilers, I guess.
You know, I only recently found out about this game. I have no idea about how the gameplay is, but the plot seems to be incredibly interesting (two sexy girls for one single guy, sheep-men, insane dreams and horrible deaths? What's there not to love about it??).
I heard that there are eight different endings; have you managed to see all of them?
The gameplay is on the whole quite solid, though sometimes the camera gets in the way when I am trying for (what I think is!) a clever play around the back of the wall. The puzzles can be genuinely difficult at times, checkpoints in some stages sometimes feel too far apart, and some of the death stuff actually gets annoying after a bit.
I youtube'd the remaining endings after I had beaten it once. I just didn't have the motivation to play through it again.
I do think that relatively few mystery games, especially ones with heavy supernatural/surreal elements, make me satisfied once they reveal what's behind the mystery. In some ways it's a credit to how well they've managed to build up the sense of mystery, but I can only be so happy when I see the big reveal and my reaction is, "Oh, that's what it was?" rather than "OH WOW!!!!". I'd say on the whole the reveal for Catherine was more on the side of "Oh, that's what it was?", sadly.
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| Ishmael 4176th Post
PSN: Ishmael26b
XBL: n/a
Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(3):Catherine, now that I've beaten it once" , posted Mon 8 Aug 02:22
quote:
I youtube'd the remaining endings after I had beaten it once. I just didn't have the motivation to play through it again.
How long a game is Catherine? While it's kind of neat that you have that many different ways to make a mess out of Vincent's life I'm not certain how many people are going to try for all the endings unless they are really into puzzle games.
quote:
I do think that relatively few mystery games, especially ones with heavy supernatural/surreal elements, make me satisfied once they reveal what's behind the mystery. In some ways it's a credit to how well they've managed to build up the sense of mystery, but I can only be so happy when I see the big reveal and my reaction is, "Oh, that's what it was?" rather than "OH WOW!!!!". I'd say on the whole the reveal for Catherine was more on the side of "Oh, that's what it was?", sadly.
Now that I think about it, I'm not sure I like the idea that there is any sense of resolution in Catherine, much less eight choices. One of the themes that the advertising is playing up is that can be bizarre, constant works in progress. How do you move from that into any "___ ever after" sort of ending?
Recently I've spent some time plowing through demos. Nothing beats taking a free swing at a game.
Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team: I know nothing about the franchise this is based on but I did enjoy making my little dude run around and shoot space pigs. Has anyone tried out the full game?
Galaga Legions DX: I don't claim to know what makes shmup fans tick but I do wonder if they are thrilled with games designed for a 16 x 9 aspect ratio. Do they really like having a bunch of junk fly in from the sides?
No More Heroes: Heroes Paradise: Since I missed out on the Wii version this was my first go-around with Travis. When playing the game with a standard controller I couldn't help but think this was a game designed for the Wii controller, PS3 Move or other nontraditional controllers where creativity is more important than precision.
Deadliest Warrior: Legends: They've made two of these games?!? The demo wasn't any good but, boy oh boy, was it funny.
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| Spoon 2225th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(4):Catherine, now that I've beaten it once" , posted Mon 8 Aug 03:51
quote:
I youtube'd the remaining endings after I had beaten it once. I just didn't have the motivation to play through it again.
How long a game is Catherine? While it's kind of neat that you have that many different ways to make a mess out of Vincent's life I'm not certain how many people are going to try for all the endings unless they are really into puzzle games.
Just playing through the single player Story mode, my save file has about 11 hours on it. The game has lots of bonus missions and a versus mode, and if you Gold rank Story missions, you can skip playing them when going through the Story mode again. So if you spend time doing well on the missions, getting to see all the endings won't actually take 100 hours.
It's not a bad game by any means.
quote:
Warhammer 40k
Warhammer 40k is quite literally the grandfather of the "hulking power armored space marines" aesthetic that you just can't get away from these days, as well as being the major inspiration for a lot of Starcraft. It's worth knowing about simply because of how influential it has been, even if it is the weirdest melange of fantasy, world war 1, sci-fi, gothic, and who knows what else. It's actually kind of remarkable that for all the stuff that it has mixed into it, it manages to have such a strong sense of identity!
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| sibarraz
237th Post
PSN: n/a
XBL: sibarraz4life
Wii: n/a
Frequent Customer
| "Re(5):Catherine, now that I've beaten it once" , posted Mon 8 Aug 09:40
I cant' be the only one who isn't a big fan of multiple endings on some kind of games.
For example, I had read that FF XIII-2 will had multiple endings, in those kind of games isn't really encouraging to play the game lots of times, at least for me
Anyway, I want to play catherine, the game is very different and the western demo was amazing, I wanted to bbuy the limited edition, but the price here was 150 dollars, so I will just wait until a friend just finish the game.
Talking about FF XIII, I'm trying to get all the missions and the achievements, I finished the game, and the task will be tedious, but overall my opinion of the game is
Story: Nothing to write home about, except the ending which was amazing, I suppose that you had to get a decent story to had a good ending
Gameplay: Must be my favorite FF or RPG in this aspect, after some gameplay the game gets realy hard, you had to know how to build the paradigms and teams, I'm more hyped for xiii-2, even though the characters look even worse than the original ones
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| karasu99 715th Post
PSN: robotchris
XBL: robotchris
Wii: n/a
Red Carpet Regular Member
| "Re(3):Gamescom announcements" , posted Thu 18 Aug 02:16:
quote:
I love it!
In fact, I'm currently in the middle of the longest blog post ever regarding all the direct references to Buddhist art in the game. Been working on this baby for 5 months! Going to the LIBRARY yo! SO GOOOD.
Hey does anyone know the name of the classical piece they're playing during that fight on the moon? It's real famous, I just don't know a lick about classical music.
I wanna say it's from Holst's Planets Suite cos it takes place in Space and also cos it's the only classical Suite I can name :P
No clue myself on the music, but as I've said before, this game is exciting to me in all the ways that so many other games lately aren't. Maybe it's because it's Capcom? I don't know-- I've been burned by them as much as by any other company. I think it's just that it LOOKS incredible, as shallow as that may sound.
EDIT: Also...
quote:
Do I not trust Suda 51 to make a good action game? While I have enjoyed a number of games he's worked on I don't remember any of them being satisfying, white-knuckle action games. Will Lollipop Chainsaw be more like Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked instead of Bayonetta?
I'm a little wary of Suda51 after not really liking Shadows of the Damned, but... Lollipop Chainsaw looks pretty awesome, but... so did SotD when I first saw it, but... LC has a much less conventional conceit, but... it's one more game about killing zombies, even if the character killing them is a little less ordinary, but... I might be curious about Suda's take on zombies? Eh, who knows.
www.secret-arts.com
[this message was edited by karasu99 on Thu 18 Aug 02:21] |
| Nekros 375th Post
Silver Customer
| "Re(3):Gamescom announcements" , posted Fri 19 Aug 19:39:
quote:
Obligatory dosis of Ashura's Wrath awesomeness:
Gameplay & story
This is the grayer palette I have seen in a CC2 game. That fabulous graphic engine is wasted when they use the please-western-audience mode developing a game.
Suda51 work is fine, both the Knight thing and that Shump inspired by Prehystoric Isle seem good. Too bad they're not so crazy and original in terms of art, inspiration and design.
Ninja Gaiden 3 had some flaws... that qte thing for deathblows and the lower speed aren't convincing.
DMC is strange. The redesigned Dante looks less emo and a bit postpunk (wich I consider both bad because can't stand nor emo or goth people) and that makes him more "adult" in appearence. But the whole thing "I have mixed blood of demon and angel" is the lamest exscuse for an action game. It is good for a shump (Ikaruga) or a platformer (Outlands) but absolutely stupid in DMC case because this only change your weapons.... demon axe and seraph scyte (what? Now a falx is cool for angels to wield...another stupid gothic-metal stereotype). This game gonna bomb, seriously.
Silent Hill was.... a bitter surprise. The new dub on HD rendition is not good and moving as the original and Downpour is Alan Wake with some elements of Homecoming (to me is crap, but I know that horror style is used to be liked in America). Also big disappointment since HD Zoe has no attention at all and in forums etc. they're only talking about MGS, a game so overexposed I am sick of it.
BTW, replugged my MD, Snes and PCE: gaming paradise.
To sum up things, Japan is no Japan anymore, they want to imitate western styled games so be it: every franchise is nearly-gone. Not because western teams develops it, but because they're no longer loyal to their roots.
[this message was edited by Nekros on Fri 19 Aug 19:40] |
| Nekros 378th Post
Silver Customer
| "Re(5):Gamescom announcements" , posted Sat 20 Aug 22:04
quote:
To sum up things, Japan is no Japan anymore, they want to imitate western styled games so be it: every franchise is nearly-gone. Not because western teams develops it, but because they're no longer loyal to their roots.
A better way to say it would be that several of the really good Japanese games stay in Japan and are not localized anymore (ah, that crazy era when even U : Saga was released worldwide).
And if you don't like that, as you look like you don't, I think you live in Europe? Then you should go and play Xenoblade.
And also buy it, because that's the only way to ensure more of its kind would be coming (Along with these other games they announced at GamesCom that I can't remember the name of.
Yes, Xenoblade, Last Story and Pandora's Tower are all three headed to Europe (I'm Italian btw). Day one for XB to me.
The fact is I'm not so glad about Japanese games anymore, except for a bunch of portable ones.
I don't like how they improve the graphic elements (3D-2D hybrid with sticky physics) and the moe style for character designs (atrocious how most of the games received the moe aestetics like the new .hack).
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| Pollyanna 3090th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
XBL: n/a
Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(6):Gamescom announcements" , posted Sun 21 Aug 05:35
So, Yuusha 30 Second (Half Minute Hero: Second?) has some radical music that I want to share with you.
My personal favorite.
That one, I believe is from Yoshitaka Hirota, the Shadowhearts Composer.
This is the main theme.
If you don't know who composed that one, you probably don't care.
There's a really nice song by Mitsuda that I haven't been able to find online yet, but the point is, if you don't want the game, you might want the soundtrack.
The list of artists is~
Kenji Ito, Yoko Shimomura, Yasunori Mitsuda, Masashi Hamauzu, Kumi Tanioka, Manabu Namiki, Masaharu Iwata, Yoshitaka Hirota, Michiko Naruke, Noriyuki Iwadare, Haruka Shimotsuki, Hiroyuki Iwatsuki, Motoi Sakuraba, Toshikazu Tanaka, Yoshino Aoki, Maiko Iuchi, Hideki Asanaka and YAMAPY_1
There are some great illustrators involved as well, with some really creepy boss designs. Check out the Grimoire here:
Yay. Monsters.
The game is great, too. I was so satisfied with the first game that I was not convinced that it needed a sequel until I played this one. It's unexpectedly plot intensive, with multiple heroes and really creative level objectives. I thought they had done it all, but I've been pleasantly surprised by their ingenuity. The last mission of the first scenario is one of my favorite game moments ever...
Spoiler (Highlight to view) -
The main character unwittingly activates the Curse of Destruction HIMSELF and has 30 seconds to find something strong enough to kill him. He makes his way to a crystal in a cave and.....
End of Spoiler
青春謳歌 弱肉強食
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| karasu99 716th Post
PSN: robotchris
XBL: robotchris
Wii: n/a
Red Carpet Regular Member
| "Re(7):Gamescom announcements" , posted Sun 21 Aug 12:54
quote:
So, Yuusha 30 Second (Half Minute Hero: Second?) has some radical music that I want to share with you.
My personal favorite.
That one, I believe is from Yoshitaka Hirota, the Shadowhearts Composer.
This is the main theme.
If you don't know who composed that one, you probably don't care.
There's a really nice song by Mitsuda that I haven't been able to find online yet, but the point is, if you don't want the game, you might want the soundtrack.
The list of artists is~
Kenji Ito, Yoko Shimomura, Yasunori Mitsuda, Masashi Hamauzu, Kumi Tanioka, Manabu Namiki, Masaharu Iwata, Yoshitaka Hirota, Michiko Naruke, Noriyuki Iwadare, Haruka Shimotsuki, Hiroyuki Iwatsuki, Motoi Sakuraba, Toshikazu Tanaka, Yoshino Aoki, Maiko Iuchi, Hideki Asanaka and YAMAPY_1
There are some great illustrators involved as well, with some really creepy boss designs. Check out the Grimoire here:
Yay. Monsters.
The game is great, too. I was so satisfied with the first game that I was not convinced that it needed a sequel until I played this one. It's unexpectedly plot intensive, with multiple heroes and really creative level objectives. I thought they had done it all, but I've been pleasantly surprised by their ingenuity. The last mission of the first scenario is one of my favorite game moments ever...
I've been super excited about this game, having loved all of them going back to the free Flash (?) original. There's a lot of self-consciousness of games that are of this genre present, but not so much that it comes across as ironic or anything.
Glad to hear that Second is good, and THANK YOU for sharing the music selections! I don't remember the OST for the first game being nearly as good, or am I just forgetting? In any event I should be buying this game right now rather than talking about it.
www.secret-arts.com
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| Maou 2246th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(7):Gamescom announcements" , posted Sun 21 Aug 14:28:
quote:
if you don't want the game, you might want the soundtrack. The list of artists is~
Kenji Ito, Yoko Shimomura, Yasunori Mitsuda, Masashi Hamauzu, Kumi Tanioka, Manabu Namiki, Masaharu Iwata, Yoshitaka Hirota, Michiko Naruke, Noriyuki Iwadare, Haruka Shimotsuki, Hiroyuki Iwatsuki, Motoi Sakuraba, Toshikazu Tanaka, Yoshino Aoki, Maiko Iuchi, Hideki Asanaka and YAMAPY_1
I, I do! What a pantheon of heroes! The only RPG favorite I'm missing is Nakano Junya (FFX).
EDIT: wrongs of the past righted
人間はいつも私を驚かせてくれる。不思議なものだな、人間という存在は．．．
[this message was edited by Maou on Mon 22 Aug 03:38] |
| Gojira 2780th Post
PSN: Gojira_X
XBL: Gojiraaa
Wii: 80085
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(7):Gamescom announcements" , posted Sun 21 Aug 17:52:
Maou: maybe you should read the list again
quote:
The list of artists is~
Kenji Ito, Yoko Shimomura, Yasunori Mitsuda, Masashi Hamauzu, Kumi Tanioka, Manabu Namiki, Masaharu Iwata, Yoshitaka Hirota, Michiko Naruke, Noriyuki Iwadare, Haruka Shimotsuki, Hiroyuki Iwatsuki, Motoi Sakuraba, Toshikazu Tanaka, Yoshino Aoki, Maiko Iuchi, Hideki Asanaka and YAMAPY_1
 That's an incredible collaboration of nostalgic names right there.
[this message was edited by Gojira on Sun 21 Aug 17:54] |
| Pollyanna 3092th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
XBL: n/a
Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(8):Gamescom announcements" , posted Sun 21 Aug 17:54:
On a random note, the mode select screen from Yuusha 30 Second is so awesome, it made me want to start a topic about awesome UI/title screens in games. Every mode has its own logo and the music is totally rocking.
quote:
What a pantheon of heroes! The only RPG favorites I'm missing are Iwadare Noriyuki (Lunar, Grandia) and Nakano Junya (FFX).
If you read the list again, one of those names might magically appear on it.
EDIT: Gojira beat me to it! Hahaha...
quote:
Glad to hear that Second is good, and THANK YOU for sharing the music selections! I don't remember the OST for the first game being nearly as good, or am I just forgetting? In any event I should be buying this game right now rather than talking about it.
In my opinion, the first soundtrack had some really amazing songs, but it was spotty overall. There are about 10 tracks I could listen to over and over again (the title screen, the last battle theme, Maou's theme, Knight's theme, etc.) but the rest of the soundtrack just didn't stack up in comparison. Second's soundtrack on the other hand, is consistently impressive. Maybe 1 out of every 3 songs doesn't light my fire, but that's nothing to complain about.
I doubt you'll be disappointed in the game if you liked the first one. It has a tremendous amount of fanservice for players of the original (including a number of special items you get from having a save file). It doesn't have the different game types, but it makes up for it with ingenuity in its level design. I wouldn't call them "mini games" but there are a lot more varied things you have to do to complete the scenarios.
My only complaint (off the top of my head) is that sometimes the characters talk too much. I've really enjoyed the plot overall (it's much in depth than the original), but sometimes the characters take twice as long to say something as they need to. The Goddess, as expected, has a lot of useless things to say, as well. Sometimes she's funny, but other times, it just feels like having an annoying, kind of stupid girl friend around making unnecessary commentary about things.
I'm on... I think the end of the 4th scenario? Which might be close to the end of the game? I'm expecting a super badass final scenario to wrap things up.
青春謳歌 弱肉強食
[this message was edited by Pollyanna on Sun 21 Aug 17:55] |
| nobinobita 983th Post
Red Carpet Regular Member++
| "Re(9):Something else" , posted Tue 23 Aug 15:54:
quote:
Hey, has anyone else here tried Bastion yet? It's really beautiful and fills a somewhat Landstalkery need that I hadn't realized I had. Really, the only thing I don't care for is the constant narration, even though I find it somewhat novel. For me it just gets in the way. Plus, for all the gushing I've heard over the OST, I'm not really loving it so far, but maybe it will grow on me.
Still, if you're looking at dropping a few bucks on a great game, this one should be on your list.
If you don't own a 360 of PS3 (like me--but not for long) you can still get the game on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/107100
It's all 2d so it's pretty low spec. Should run super smooth on any computer made in the last 5 years.
I agree that the character's proportions are pretty awkward (though they work out for the animations in the game) and that the music is just ok, but considering that it's a teeny tiny indie game, I think it's very impressive and worth supporting.
www.art-eater.com
[this message was edited by nobinobita on Tue 23 Aug 15:58] |
| Nekros 382th Post
Silver Customer
| "Re(3):Re(10):Something else" , posted Wed 24 Aug 19:49
quote:
Has anyone else tried out the Type-0 demo? You can get it on the Japanese PS Store, or on the official page. It has four missions and hidden costumes (for the actual game, not the demo) for all the characters.
It's insanely good. I highly recommend checking it out. The only downside is that the controls might be a little confusing if your Japanese is poor.
I have played so many action RPGs that are too boring to be fun as action games and shallow to be gratifying as RPGS. Very few games get it right, but when they do, it's amazing. I'd be thrilled if this was the future for Final Fantasy.
What if I have no idea of Japanese at all? It's still enjoyable in terms of gameplay or a complete mess if you are not reading the text? It sounds silly applied to an rpg but the overall gameplay is linked to text comprehension?
Also, glad to find good opinions on Bastion, will get this after a price drop, imho is still a bit overpriced (but the cost worth better this experience than others).
Btw, any impression on Bloodrayne Betrayal (also, overpriced 2D game)?
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| Pollyanna 3097th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
XBL: n/a
Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(4):Re(10):Something else" , posted Thu 25 Aug 06:51
quote:
I wonder how it compares in feel to Crisis Core or Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep.
I didn't play Birth By Sleep, but it is roughly comparable to Kingdom Hearts. To put it in Crisis Core terms...well, it's been a while since I've played, but it's like a faster CC with 10 characters on teams of 3 and they all play differently? The environments are a lot better, too...so if you liked Crisis Core, I wouldn't miss this one.
Oh, and it's mission based like CC, but it also has an overhead map with dungeons. The missions in the demo were really impressive, varied and cinematic. It's wishful thinking to hope that every mission in the actual game will be that good, but I have high hopes all the same.
青春謳歌 弱肉強食
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| Pollyanna 3101th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
XBL: n/a
Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(4):Hmmn!" , posted Fri 2 Sep 10:54
quote:
So, what had been rumored over the past few days is official: One Piece Kaizoku Musou is coming. I'm almost certain to buy it, even if it never makes it to the US, since I have a congenital condition that causes me to buy Musou games.
Sorry, can't miss an opportunity to hate on Koei.
Before this was announced, I thought "we have this ridiculous conglomeration of 4 companies, but somehow I have a feeling the one that I hate (Koei) is going to be the only one actually involved in the game."
I love Koei's business strategy. They will do anything to make the same game over and over again. It isn't "how can we innovate" or "what new games can we make?" but rather "how can we get away with making the same Musou game yet again?". The answer is obvious. Keep getting licenses that are so strong that the game will sell whether it's good or not.
See, I'm being fair here. I'm saying "whether it's good or not" instead of "no matter how bad it sucks." On another positive note, I love the DLC costumes for the latest Sangoku Musou.
ALSO ALSO!
If you like One Piece, Gigant Battle is quite good. It's a hugely addictive, sufficiently improved Jump Super/Ultimate Stars. I didn't mind raving about it, because I didn't know how many One Piece fans the board had. Even if the game stunk, it'd still be a blast just to see all the sprite animations. I don't know if I'll bother with the sequel, though. I put a lot of time into the original, which had a massive amount of content. Since the sequel seems more like an add-on to a game that already had it all, I'm not sure if it's worth the time investment.
青春謳歌 弱肉強食
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| karasu99 730th Post
PSN: robotchris
XBL: robotchris
Wii: n/a
Red Carpet Regular Member+
| "Re(5):Hmmn!" , posted Fri 2 Sep 12:06
quote:
Sorry, can't miss an opportunity to hate on Koei.
Before this was announced, I thought "we have this ridiculous conglomeration of 4 companies, but somehow I have a feeling the one that I hate (Koei) is going to be the only one actually involved in the game."
I love Koei's business strategy. They will do anything to make the same game over and over again. It isn't "how can we innovate" or "what new games can we make?" but rather "how can we get away with making the same Musou game yet again?". The answer is obvious. Keep getting licenses that are so strong that the game will sell whether it's good or not.
No, I completely agree! Musou games are the ultimate in no-substance, ultra-repetetive gaming. Yet for some reason I can play them over and over. They're a huge guilty pleasure for me! Which is strange because otherwise I'm pretty selective in my gaming choices. They're... like comfort food for me in a weird kind of way. I'm completely at a loss to explain it.
quote:
If you like One Piece, Gigant Battle is quite good. It's a hugely addictive, sufficiently improved Jump Super/Ultimate Stars. I didn't mind raving about it, because I didn't know how many One Piece fans the board had. Even if the game stunk, it'd still be a blast just to see all the sprite animations. I don't know if I'll bother with the sequel, though. I put a lot of time into the original, which had a massive amount of content. Since the sequel seems more like an add-on to a game that already had it all, I'm not sure if it's worth the time investment.
Hum, you had me at the "Jump Super/Ultimate Stars" part. I should also note that I love One Piece, so in the future mention away! This one I will have to pick up I think! I'd also love to hear any other details about it you would like to provide. I'm going to go look up the cast list now to make sure my favorites are all in!
After really enjoying the Jump games I had avoided a lot of the resulting clones over the past few years after getting burned on a really bad (and expensive!) Naruto one a few years back.
www.secret-arts.com
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| Pollyanna 3102th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
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Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(6):Hmmn!" , posted Fri 2 Sep 12:42
I don't think any particular Musou game is bad, I'm just disgusted at the handling of the series as a whole. I'm a 3 Kingdoms fan, so I used to play the series quite excitedly.
Ramble ramble ramble...
RRGH! That reminds me! I hope Sega does a port of their new Sengoku Taisen game. Sangokushi Taisen was one of my favorite DS games. I remembered one of the fantastic artists that worked on it because he did some designs for Yuusha 30: Second.
I really like this one.
quote:
Hum, you had me at the "Jump Super/Ultimate Stars" part. I should also note that I love One Piece, so in the future mention away! This one I will have to pick up I think! I'd also love to hear any other details about it you would like to provide. I'm going to go look up the cast list now to make sure my favorites are all in!
It's the same team that made Jump Superstars, so it's like a "One Piece only" sequel almost. If you liked those games and you like One Piece, I can't recommend it enough. Or maybe you should wait for the sequel?
Anyway, it uses the same "mission based" unlocking system with a super huge set of things to do. I really enjoyed seeing which characters would pop up next.
Although the playable cast is only so big, I found them to be a little better balanced and well-thought out than the Jump Superstars characters. It was fun trying to figure out what each move was good for, as some of them seem pretty far out and hard to utilize at first (especially with someone like Usopp). The addition of super moves was nice as well.
I probably put 60 hours into the game, unlocking every last thing. I can't speak for the multiplayer, though, since my friends are lame and we're interested.
青春謳歌 弱肉強食
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| Pollyanna 3104th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
XBL: n/a
Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(8):Hmmn!" , posted Fri 2 Sep 19:02:
quote:
I'm just really hoping it will be comparably fun. I've seen so many One Piece licensed games that deserved to go straight to the shitter. Even if it's just another "boring" Musou game I really want it to be at least enjoyable on the shallowest level where Musou games can be appreciated.
I'd heard that Gigant Battle didn't have all of the core cast playable. Is that true? I mean yeah I know most of them weren't even involved in the events that the game is based on but even so, that's kind of a deal-breaker for me.
Oh yeah, I think compared to other One Piece games, Kaizoku Musou is probably going to be pretty great. Compared to licensed games in general, I imagine it'll stack up nicely. There have been a handful of good Jump games, but a massive massive pile of stinkers.
I'm biased against most One Piece stuff right off the bat because I hate the anime designs, and the games never look like the manga. Gigant Battle looks good enough though, I think.
But yes, you can't use Franky, Brook or Robin (except as assists). I think they wanted to include a lot of oddball characters, so they didn't make the cut. Wait for the sequel, maybe? Actually, now that I'm building up a list of characters I want to play as, I might go for the new one after all. They captured the characters very well in Gigant Battle. Magellan was a surprise favorite.
Speaking of limited casts, I wonder if Kaizoku Musou will only cover early parts of the story. I'm sure they're thinking in terms of sequels, so it may be 3 games down the line before all my favorites are included.
EDIT:
Scratch that! It's time skip!? Whoaaaa...anything goes!
青春謳歌 弱肉強食
[this message was edited by Pollyanna on Fri 2 Sep 19:07] |
| chazumaru 824th Post
Red Carpet Regular Member+
| "Re(9):Hmmn!" , posted Fri 2 Sep 19:19
quote:
Oh yeah, I think compared to other One Piece games, Kaizoku Musou is probably going to be pretty great.
I remember having fun on the first Wii game in 2007, despite very limited knowledge of the series. The two-parts sequel seems to fit the same mold, the 3DS game is an improved compilation of those two parts, and the Wonderswan Color fighting game is the origin of the whole JSS/Gigant design philosophy.
(All those games are made by Ganbarion, a company which I think has a much more reliable track record than Omega Force, by the way.)
Even the GBA baseball game is actually quite entertaining. That leaves only... A few PS2 games released a long time ago? Maybe some GBA/GC titles I don't remember? Where does the image that One Piece gets bad games come from? Or are those games a poor effort in terms of fan service / fidelity to the original material (I can't judge since I never got into the series)? And how do the recent Musou games, especially the universally panned Hokuto Musou, give this game a huge benefit of the doubt?
無限早見は無限早見は無限早見は無限早見は無限早見は無限早見は無限早見は無限早見は無限早見は無限早見は
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| Pollyanna 3104th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
XBL: n/a
Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(10):Hmmn!" , posted Fri 2 Sep 21:25
Is the latest Sangoku Musou any good? Keeping in mind that the last 2 I played (excluding Hokuto Musou) were Gundam Musou 2 and Sengoku Musou 3, both of which I hated.
quote:
I remember having fun on the first Wii game in 2007, despite very limited knowledge of the series. The two-parts sequel seems to fit the same mold, the 3DS game is an improved compilation of those two parts, and the Wonderswan Color fighting game is the origin of the whole JSS/Gigant design philosophy.
(All those games are made by Ganbarion, a company which I think has a much more reliable track record than Omega Force, by the way.)
Even the GBA baseball game is actually quite entertaining. That leaves only... A few PS2 games released a long time ago? Maybe some GBA/GC titles I don't remember? Where does the image that One Piece gets bad games come from? Or are those games a poor effort in terms of fan service / fidelity to the original material (I can't judge since I never got into the series)? And how do the recent Musou games, especially the universally panned Hokuto Musou, give this game a huge benefit of the doubt?
I should've said "compared to MOST OP games"?
The Wonderswan game was part of the Grand Battle line, none of which I cared for. They were a bit like Gigant Battle, if Gigant Battle was aggressively mediocre.
There were 2 Grand Battles and 2 RPGs on PS, A Grand Battle, an action game on PS2 and Gamecube, a Gamecube exclusive party game, a couple gameboy color games, like 4 GBA games, the Wonderswan games, a 3D/2D fighter for DS, Gigant Battle and the Wii games.
At least 20 games, maybe 25?
I haven't played all of them, of course (I don't even own a Wonderswan). I've looked into many of them and was immediately turned away. There may have been a hidden gem in there (you said the baseball game was good), but you can usually tell a stinker license game just by looking at it.
I thought the GC party game (Treasure Battle) was a good idea with poor execution. It played a little like Powerstone, but with treasure grabbing being the goal. There were climbing/platforming stages as well. If you got 4 One Piece fans together, you could have some fun with it, but I wouldn't say it was actually a good game.
I didn't play the Wii games, but they looked good for license games.
So I wouldn't say One Piece doesn't have any good games, but I think, like many series, it has a vast array of decidedly mediocre ones. But you know...that's my opinion. Lots of people like those Bleach PSP games and I think they're irredeemably awful. Also, I'm biased against non-manga One Piece anything, as I said, because I don't like the anime. Rather, I dislike it.
I think Kaizoku Musou stands a great chance of being much better than everything but the recent Ganbarion games...even if it's only as good as a mediocre Musou game.
I didn't realize that Hokuto Musou was disliked. I know some people (like myself) were turned off by its similarity to other Musou games and its kind of sluggish combat, but for the people who bought it, I think it was considered a good Hokuto game? I seem to hear a lot of "Yeah, it's a Musou game, but somehow I had a lot of fun with it" sort of things. Like "it's not really good, but it's good enough." That's the sort of thing I'm expecting from Kaizoku Musou. I'm hoping it'll be less stiff than a lot of Musou games by virtue of the source material.
青春謳歌 弱肉強食
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| karasu99 731th Post
PSN: robotchris
XBL: robotchris
Wii: n/a
Red Carpet Regular Member+
| "Re(9):Hmmn!" , posted Sat 3 Sep 00:47
quote:
But yes, you can't use Franky, Brook or Robin (except as assists). I think they wanted to include a lot of oddball characters, so they didn't make the cut. Wait for the sequel, maybe? Actually, now that I'm building up a list of characters I want to play as, I might go for the new one after all. They captured the characters very well in Gigant Battle. Magellan was a surprise favorite.
Speaking of limited casts, I wonder if Kaizoku Musou will only cover early parts of the story.
After reading up a bit on Gigant Battle, I think I'll wait for the sequel-- it's only a few months off, and I'm swamped with games to begin with. But I'll definitely pick it up since allegedly there will be 40 playable characters!
Also, I suspect Kaizoku Musou will be from more recent arcs, at least based on the art for Luffy that's been shown. But who knows!
www.secret-arts.com
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| karasu99 733th Post
PSN: robotchris
XBL: robotchris
Wii: n/a
Red Carpet Regular Member+
| "Re(3):Re(10):Hmmn!" , posted Sat 3 Sep 04:57
quote:
The news of this One Piece game has reminded me that I'm about ten years behind in my reading of the manga. Are there any specific arcs I should read or should I simply flip through whatever volumes are avaliable at my local library?
I had to go look through my old volumes to see what the chapters are where it starts to get really good-- I'd start with volume 34 (Water 7 arc) of the tankōbon releases, but that's just because I'm a big fan of a certain character that was introduced thereabouts, and the CP9 arc that starts shortly after that has (in my opinion) some of the best blocked fight scenes EVER in manga. You could also start at 50 if you don't want to go that far back (US version tankōbon are EXPENSIVE!) but if you don't want to be confused, I would not skip forward much further than that since... ah, I guess it's a spoiler, so just trust me on that. Or if you want it spoiled...
Spoiler (Highlight to view) -
there is a time skip that takes place starting in volume 61.
End of Spoiler
Okay, go to it. I hate to rant so, but One Piece is a personal favorite, and like the best manga, it's only gotten better over time.
www.secret-arts.com
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| Pollyanna 3105th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
XBL: n/a
Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(4):Re(10):Hmmn!" , posted Sat 3 Sep 09:17
quote:
I had to go look through my old volumes to see what the chapters are where it starts to get really good-- I'd start with volume 34 (Water 7 arc) of the tankōbon releases, but that's just because I'm a big fan of a certain character that was introduced thereabouts, and the CP9 arc that starts shortly after that has (in my opinion) some of the best blocked fight scenes EVER in manga.
I don't know where you (meaning Ishmael) left off, but I would agree that the start of the Water 7 arc is where it gets super good. volume 34 is a good place to start, but volume 33 is actually one of my favorites in the whole series. It's a one volume fight with a completely irrelevant character, but it's tons of fun. (I still wonder if Oda got Foxy's design from Count Chocula, or if it's just a coincidence.)
I would NOT recommend skipping hugely ahead. Missing out on any material 34+ would just be robbing yourself. You'd be better off starting there, and not finishing than giving up the best parts of the series. "Getting caught up" is meaningless if it comes at that cost.
quote:
Okay, go to it. I hate to rant so, but One Piece is a personal favorite, and like the best manga, it's only gotten better over time.
It certainly does get better and better, but think it's just about reached maximum capacity...hahaha. There was a particular chapter in the Impel Down arc, where I felt like Oda blew the roof off manga in general and said "You've been aiming for the ceiling when you should've been aiming for the stars." That sounds like gross hyperbole, but that's exactly how I felt when I read it.
青春謳歌 弱肉強食
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| karasu99 734th Post
PSN: robotchris
XBL: robotchris
Wii: n/a
Red Carpet Regular Member+
| "Re(5):Re(10):Hmmn!" , posted Sat 3 Sep 12:31
quote:
I don't know where you (meaning Ishmael) left off, but I would agree that the start of the Water 7 arc is where it gets super good. volume 34 is a good place to start, but volume 33 is actually one of my favorites in the whole series. It's a one volume fight with a completely irrelevant character, but it's tons of fun. (I still wonder if Oda got Foxy's design from Count Chocula, or if it's just a coincidence.)
Ah, that's true-- the Davy Back Fight mini-arc is excellent! I had forgotten it! Hopefully someday Oda will bring back Foxy for a cameo.
quote:
t certainly does get better and better, but think it's just about reached maximum capacity...hahaha. There was a particular chapter in the Impel Down arc, where I felt like Oda blew the roof off manga in general and said "You've been aiming for the ceiling when you should've been aiming for the stars." That sounds like gross hyperbole, but that's exactly how I felt when I read it.
You've got me curious-- what chapter are you referring to? That was a great arc, I'll agree!
www.secret-arts.com
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| chazumaru 826th Post
Red Carpet Regular Member+
| "HnK - OP" , posted Mon 5 Sep 22:46:
quote:
I didn't realize that Hokuto Musou was disliked. I know some people (like myself) were turned off by its similarity to other Musou games and its kind of sluggish combat, but for the people who bought it, I think it was considered a good Hokuto game? I seem to hear a lot of "Yeah, it's a Musou game, but somehow I had a lot of fun with it" sort of things. Like "it's not really good, but it's good enough."
Well, I only have three good friends who are heavily into Musō. Although, "only" might not be appropriate in the case of Musō, for a European player; they probably make up for 50% of the total fanbase. They are also big fans of HnK, which looked to me as a sign that Koei and Bandai had a very good inspiration with this collaboration.
However, despite this fortunate association of brands, I remember the three of them complaining that Hokuto Musō was a complete train wreck. I have never seen any comment online promoting Hokuto Musō as a good game, so my image of the game was that people thought it was terrible.
Following the discussion on MMC, I have asked one of these friends (he is a colleague) if he could confirm his impressions on the game. He told me that even though he thought the game was objectively terrible, he still had some fun with it - he seemed to mean it almost as a guilty pleasure. Which I think is similar to the "it's not really good, but it's good enough" impression you mentioned.
[edit] Question for the OP fans: how different is the anime from the manga and why does it upset some people? I assumed there were tiny scenaristic differences (close to the Dragon ball adaptation), but are we maybe talking drastic changes in how some events or characters are portrayed? Maybe different supporting cast? Different tone?
無限早見は無限早見は無限早見は無限早見は無限早見は無限早見は無限早見は無限早見は無限早見は無限早見は
[this message was edited by chazumaru on Mon 5 Sep 22:58] |
| Grave 1391th Post
PSN: Drakee
XBL: Mikelson
Wii: n/a
Red Carpet Executive Member
| "Re(2):Re(10):Hmmn!" , posted Tue 6 Sep 05:29
Regarding what everyone's been saying, yep, I'm in complete agreement. Hokuto Musou is a pretty bad game. But it's a great one! My regular customers know I'm the only one in the store who continually buys Musou games, so I've had a couple ask me about it and I've always told them straight up that if they're fans of the series they'll have fun and everyone else needs to stay far away. I played it for 60+ hours and never regretted buying it at full price. I'm well over that with Gundam Musou 3, same thing there. So... yeah. Maybe I'm a little bit diseased.
I like the comfort food analogy. Sometimes you just need something greasy, fatty and cheap... and that sounds a little bit like Hokuto Musou.
quote:
I thought the GC party game (Treasure Battle) was a good idea with poor execution. It played a little like Powerstone, but with treasure grabbing being the goal. There were climbing/platforming stages as well. If you got 4 One Piece fans together, you could have some fun with it, but I wouldn't say it was actually a good game.
Treasure Battle is... not an amazing game, but I love it! The way the characters look, sound and animate are wonderful, even if the way they play leaves a bit to be desired. My best friend and I grabbed a copy in 2003 and we've played it on and off since... still haven't managed to unlock everybody thanks to that stupid card roulette. I don't even think we've SEEN Shanks and Mihawk. All of a sudden this bothers me. When I visit my hometown next I'm going to pull the GC out and force him to take time off.
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| Pollyanna 3107th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
XBL: n/a
Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(3):HnK - OP" , posted Tue 6 Sep 10:31
quote:
You've got me curious-- what chapter are you referring to? That was a great arc, I'll agree!
Hrmmm... it was volume 55, I think. Around the time a certain someone was fighting wolves in the Freezing Hell and the introduction of Ivankov. It was dramatic and amazing, but completely stupid. That's a huge accomplishment.
quote:
Following the discussion on MMC, I have asked one of these friends (he is a colleague) if he could confirm his impressions on the game. He told me that even though he thought the game was objectively terrible, he still had some fun with it - he seemed to mean it almost as a guilty pleasure. Which I think is similar to the "it's not really good, but it's good enough" impression you mentioned.
I asked some friends about it again over the weekend, and the response was similar to Grave's. "Yeah, I mean, it's terrible, but I like it." sort of thing. I knew several people who had unlocked every little thing the game had to offer, pumping hours and hours into it. They still had nothing nice to say about the game. So I guess it's just a bad game that people can't stop playing. I assumed, since they had pumped so many hours into it that it was a decent game, but I guess not?
quote:
Treasure Battle is... not an amazing game, but I love it!
It felt like one of those games that if it was the first in a series, it might be pretty awesome by now. If I think that Gigant Battle started as Grand Battle, I imagine Treasure Battle could've gone great places. Cyberconnect certainly has taken their Naruto games far...
quote:
Question for the OP fans: how different is the anime from the manga and why does it upset some people? I assumed there were tiny scenaristic differences (close to the Dragon ball adaptation), but are we maybe talking drastic changes in how some events or characters are portrayed? Maybe different supporting cast? Different tone?
It suffers from the usual long-running anime problems- frequently cheap animation, hugely long filler arcs, bad episode pacing, flat production, etc. On a personal level, I also can't stand the character designs and I'm not fond of 2/3rds of the voice cast. I can't possibly see watching a show like this over reading the manga.
But for me, the big thing, is that it just feels like it's for children. Just no artistry and kind of obnoxious "boyoyoing" noises accompanying comical facial animation sort of things.
I'm not saying that One Piece is way sophisticated and not for children, but it feels like "something anyone can enjoy".
To be totally fair, the early volumes of One Piece are not super impressive. It's just "pirate themed shounen fight series that looks kind of like Dragonball". By volume 12 or so, it starts to come into its own and by the early 30's it's a real masterpiece.
With something like Hokuto no Ken, I'll say "you really should read the manga (until Raoh dies), but if you have to watch the anime, give it a try". With One Piece, it's "read the manga, or don't bother."
青春謳歌 弱肉強食
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| chazumaru 827th Post
Red Carpet Regular Member+
| "Re(4):HnK - OP" , posted Tue 6 Sep 23:05
Yeah I tried to get into it but the beginning just doesn't do it for me (and the art is too dense; I am more of a ligne claire guy like what Toriyama achieved).
For example, I eventually managed to catch back Hunter x Hunter, although obviously we are talking a bout a much smaller scale backlog here. But I could never do it with OP and FMA.
I have been told numerous times that OP is really good much later on and suffers from an average start like FMA that does not depict correctly at all the genuine quality of the series, but I am afraid it is just too much effort for me to catch on. And I am not the kind of person that can just dive in halfway through. I really hope to find the time one day.
quote:
I asked some friends about it again over the weekend, and the response was similar to Grave's. "Yeah, I mean, it's terrible, but I like it." sort of thing. I knew several people who had unlocked every little thing the game had to offer, pumping hours and hours into it. They still had nothing nice to say about the game. So I guess it's just a bad game that people can't stop playing. I assumed, since they had pumped so many hours into it that it was a decent game, but I guess not?
But can it really be called a bad game if they enjoy it that much and give it so much time? I had the opposite issue with the Spanish Castlevania, which I thought very well done but could not catch my attention. I find it interesting that we have seemingly established criteria for what makes a good game, but certain concepts or associations of ideas (as simple as Hokuto + Musō) trump those criteria for the people who were clearly targeted by the game.
In the way, it is the same hook as a porn game. Many people will excuse poor writing and poor controls, as long as the contract established upon starting the game is fulfilled (I'll avoid detailing the comparison). So it seems despite the complex set of criteria and features we claim to care about and analyse as necessary for a game to be enjoyable, there seems to be important priorities set (sometimes subconsciously) by consumers that are the real triggers for playing a title or not. I guess that priority / tacit contract is what is not fulfilled for you by those previous OP games, regardless of their individual, objective qualities (or lack thereof).
Speaking of games that managed to keep me motivated and hooked, I am almost at the end of Xenoblade, about 90 hours in. I was trying to go 100% but I have to rush now if I want to see the end before I leave for Japan. I already liked what I played of the Japanese version (about 20~25 hours) but my general impression is way more positive now. It just keeps getting better and the level design of certain areas is fantastic. Hard to boil down the game to one essential quality, but if I tried, I would say I am impressed that it manages to have me digest effortlessly so many different features, systems and points of interest in one cohesive experience.
無限早見は無限早見は無限早見は無限早見は無限早見は無限早見は無限早見は無限早見は無限早見は無限早見は
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| HAYATO 1040th Post
Red Carpet Premium Member
| "Re(3):HnK - OP" , posted Tue 6 Sep 23:34
Hokuto Musou is a good game, as good as a Musou game can get, that is: tons of hours wandering around, hordes of minions eager to die and the usual stuff found on "Guan Yu and pals kicking Lu Bu's ass" countless iterations of Koei's renowned formula.
As a die hard HnK fan, I ough to say that I had one of my best times on a PS3 so far while playing it: I spent more than 60 hours and got my first (and only) Platinum trophy. It's true that its graphical engine is outdated (weird physichs at times, lots of popping in the background...) but the characters' dialogues are exceptionally well written (almost on par with the originals), making the situations believable and enhancening the overall experience.
Usually, I'm not too keen on Musou games: I love the settings, but not so much their boring and reiterative mechanics. In this case though, I'd recommend this game to anyone who finds slightly appealing either the franchise or the gameplay, as this HnK excels at both.
quote:
Every version of Ein was awesome. Not only do I want a sequel to Hokuto Musou, I want it to include all the post-Raoh nonsense. That's probably not a popular choice but somebody out there thinks that Dragon Quest X is a good idea so it takes all kinds.
Mee too!! Despite all the crap spread all accross the second arc, there are many memorable characters (mainly Falco, Han, Hyoh and Kaioh) and fights deserving of an update. Too bad that there are only 2 games covering this arc wich are worth mentioning (HnK 2 for Genesis/Megadrive and HnK 6 for SuperNES), as it isn't so bad that requires utter obliteration from official canon...
Plus, I demand an HD, Unreal Engine-powered recreation of Bat's crucifixion. Damn you Hara, you owe me that at the very least!!!
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| Grave 1392th Post
PSN: Drakee
XBL: Mikelson
Wii: n/a
Red Carpet Executive Member
| "Re(5):HnK - OP" , posted Wed 7 Sep 05:00
quote:
Hey Grave, does Gundam Musou 3 improve things any over 2 (the one I played)?
3 is actually the only one I've played beyond the demo of the first one, so it's hard to say for sure how it compares.
I like the idea of how 3 works - the map is pretty much broken up into strategic points (re: square rooms with hallways between them) that have different functions. Which ones you control can have a lot to do with how easily the map goes for you, and I think it could have been an amazing idea if the maps were a LOT bigger... like 3 to 4 times as big. As it is it just feels like combat is shoved into rooms for no good reason a lot of the time.
That said, the mobile suit selection is fantastic and the variety of play styles is fun, finding new plans to develop better versions of the suits and applying new skills per pilot and per suit is a great time. If you like English-language Gundam you'll probably enjoy the voiceovers, though the new Kamille isn't very good and the new Domon is downright awful. Japanese voices are available but I've never checked them out as I don't think I'd recognize too many of them.
The only thing I'm NOT crazy about is how mission unlocking is dependent on the relationship system. I won't be able to 100% the game until everyone is at the maximum level, and I've run out of new missions to play at the moment, so I shelved it in favor of a couple other games. Which is nice, I guess - when I go back to it it'll feel fresh again and there'll be a lot left to do.
Online mode is kinda dumb. I probably should have just stuck it out and forced myself to get 100% online because I wonder how many people are still playing it now, hah.
You probably know what you're in for with this one! I don't know anyone else who picked it up so I didn't have anyone to bounce opinions off of, but I had a blast with it and it's definitely not one of those games I want to sell off after I shelve it the first time. I think I played 80-90 hours and it was getting to the point where my friends were making fun of me because I'd be on PSN playing it when they went to bed and on PSN playing it when they got up.
tl;dr: I like this game
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| Mosquiton 1793th Post
Silver Carpet V.I.P- Platinum Executive
| "Re(4):HnK - OP" , posted Wed 7 Sep 07:01:
quote:
Hokuto Musou is a good game, as good as a Musou game can get, that is: tons of hours wandering around, hordes of minions eager to die and the usual stuff found on "Guan Yu and pals kicking Lu Bu's ass" countless iterations of Koei's renowned formula.
Actually Dynasty Warriors 5 is most certainly the best Musou game. Yes, it's a PS2 game, but the series/spinoffs have, clearly, hit an evolutionary dead and and fail to use the power of modern game platforms to make the kind of game they actually WANTED to make in the first place.
quote:
Usually, I'm not too keen on Musou games: I love the settings, but not so much their boring and reiterative mechanics. In this case though, I'd recommend this game to anyone who finds slightly appealing either the franchise or the gameplay, as this HnK excels at both.
I really wanted to like this game but it's just so incredibly slow! So painfully slow! So pointlessly, detrimentally slow! Why?!?!!?
/ / /
[this message was edited by Mosquiton on Wed 7 Sep 10:11] |
| HAYATO 1041th Post
Red Carpet Premium Member
| "Re(5):HnK - OP" , posted Wed 7 Sep 10:11
quote:
I really wanted to like this game but it's just so incredibly slow! So painfully slow! So pointlessly, detrimentally slow! Why?!?!!?
I guess that in a post-apocalyptic wasteland there are few things to do and thus, there's no need to hurry. Come on, even if the lives of hundreds of elderlies and children are at stake, it's a post-nuclear world, who gives a damn? Kenshiro doesn't, that's for sure!
Plus, years of a strict diet based solely on protein powder and steroids (the only food substitutes available after people ran out of canned goods) is likely to impair one's health and mind to unknown degrees. That could explain, for instance, Raoh's clumsiness or the minions' poor AI. And let's not mention about adding radioactive dust to the mix...
Now that I think of it, this stoic diet can be the main force behind the most incongruent acts in the original manga, as well. Raoh chickening out before that hairy, half naked, leather laden fatso known as Fudoh or crying like a sassy little girl before striking Yuria is probably due to severe poisoning that altered his brain functions or something like that. I refuse to believe that, after 12+ volumes acting as the greatest badass in post-historic times, he turns out to be such a poof in the end...
Remember kids: I'm not sure about love, but too much 'roids will kill you in the end...
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| Mosquiton 1794th Post
Silver Carpet V.I.P- Platinum Executive
| "Re(6):HnK - OP" , posted Wed 7 Sep 10:18:
quote:
Wait a minute, I thought PS3 started with Sangoku Musō 5 (= Dynasty Warriors 6)?
And I thought everyone agreed Musō 5 was absolutely horrendous, even Koei, and thatd they got things back on track with the recent Musō 6 ? At least, I very distinctly remember the Japanese Internet making fun of how terrible Musō 5 was, my Musō-playing friends being depressed and the scathing reviews.
Oops, I meant "not a PS3" game or "it's a PS2 game," which makes more sense with the sentence. The actual title of the game is correct, and it looks like you maybe knew what I was talking about anyway? My dear chaz, give me the benefit of the doubt in future! I'll let you off this time because I -think- you were responsible for a cool GetsuFumaDen image/text-alteration on Death Note's opening chapter posted on the IC forums for FKW 20XX. If that wasn't you, it is your duty to let me know, at which point you will be added to my list of people to whom I will direct petty, subtle digs in the indeterminate future.
As you should know having corrected me, the series names are all fucked up because of the PlayStation one-on-one 3D fighting game called "Dynasty Warriors" in North America.
SO ANYWAY, like I said, Dynasty Warriors 5, or Shin Sangokumusou 4, is the best game in the series. To offer a brief explanation, it has many characters with unique move sets, lets you level up quickly to enjoy them, performs nearly flawlessly with split-screen coop over all modes, manages the best treatment of the ridiculous story without getting too excessively ridiculous, and does the best job creating the illusion that the battlefield is dynamic and that you can affect it in a meaningful way. Critics played the game by themselves for a couple of house and docked their bullshit numerical score 4 or 5 points because OMG THEY KEEP MAKING THE SAME GAME SO UH, THAT MAKES THIS ONE OBJECTIVELY WORSE RIGHT BECAUSE POINTS FOR ORIGINALITY I AM A TOUGH BUT FAIR CRITIC OF INTERACTIVE MEDIA!
Koei may have talked up the NEXT-GEN REBIRTHENING, but the first PS3 DW is a failed attempt to reboot the series. They screwed with the basic systems to shitty effect, made esablished character designs less attractive/interesting, and progression was grindy as all hell, taking huge effort to level up the characters enough to actually have fun with them. Swimming and climbing ladders are not innovation.
They actually rolled back any significant changes to the formula they made with DW6, including the "renbu system" (the one major gameplay change) with DW7 7, which is a pretty decent game although still strangely regressive (there's no lock-on or rolling function, and they removed the ability to experience the story in coop mode in favor of a slightly more cinematic campaign experience and a time-killing, hex-grid based free mode.
Maybe I should play more of the Gundam Musou games to better educate myself, but from what I've played they're by-the-numbers spinoffs done by an undermotivated B-team.
Anyway, point being, the DW series and all its progeny comprise a minor fucking tragedy of an "IP" that will probably never live up to its original concept. Oh, Japanese game industry. Oh, my heart.
~FIN
/ / /
[this message was edited by Mosquiton on Wed 7 Sep 10:58] |
| Pollyanna 3108th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
XBL: n/a
Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(7):HnK - OP" , posted Wed 7 Sep 10:57
quote:
For example, I eventually managed to catch back Hunter x Hunter, although obviously we are talking a bout a much smaller scale backlog here. But I could never do it with OP and FMA.
I was so enthralled with the recent chapters of Hunter in Jump that I started reading the series over again from volume 1. Somehow, I enjoy it much more than I did when it first came out (possibly because my Japanese is much better). Togashi is a real artist, and I appreciate how he does whatever the hell he wants instead of playing the rating game. Of course "whatever the hell he wants" is sometimes "nothing at all", so I hope the new Hunter anime will light a fire under his ass to keep him working.
I'm really in love with the way he draws monsters, weird stuff and freaky characters. This is what drew me to Yu Yu Hakusho 15 (or so) years ago and it still gets me excited. His 90's aesthetic on girls can go, though...
quote:
But can it really be called a bad game if they enjoy it that much and give it so much time? I had the opposite issue with the Spanish Castlevania, which I thought very well done but could not catch my attention.
I had a similar response to Lord of Shadows. I think it was its sprawling, nonsensical narrative and chapter structure. I enjoyed the game, but I had to MAKE myself play it. Same thing with Red Dead Redemption, though I think that game was just not for me.
Although no titles come to mind immediately, there are quite a few games where I've said "I don't know if this game is actually any good, but I know that I love it."
quote:
Xenoblade
Wow. Doing nearly everything in Xenoblade is a huge undertaking. I admit that I would become so hopelessly absorbed in the game that I would spend hours doing this and that quest (which is highly unusual for me), but I had to draw the line after a point. If ever there was a game with TOO MUCH content, I think this was it.
The only stain on that game in my mind is that the early boss fights used very specific strategies and were challenging as a result. Later boss fights could be won with the same strategy every time. It took the "cinematic" feel out of the battles. Thankfully, Last Story delivered brilliantly in that respect, so the itch ended up getting scratched by a different game.
quote:
Gundam Musou
I got GM2 from a friend that works at Namco was almost violently repelled from it. No Japanese voice track was a deterrent as well, so I'm glad that's an option in GM3. Whether the English dub was any good or not is irrelevant. In a fan game like that, I couldn't stomach it.
I do like how they make you feel like you're using a character and not just a robot, though. Maybe I'll look into GM3 a little. I really do want to enjoy Musou games again, but I'm extremely wary.
Grave: How would you compare GM3 to Hokuto Musou? I like HM better than GM2, but certainly not enough to buy for more than $15.
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I really wanted to like this game but it's just so incredibly slow! So painfully slow! So pointlessly, detrimentally slow! Why?!?!!?
This was my response exactly. That caused me to stop playing the game fairly quickly, though other people were motivated to spend 40-80 hours ambling about.
青春謳歌 弱肉強食
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| Ishmael 4204th Post
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| "Re(5):HnK - OP" , posted Wed 7 Sep 23:51
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But can it really be called a bad game if they enjoy it that much and give it so much time? I had the opposite issue with the Spanish Castlevania, which I thought very well done but could not catch my attention. I find it interesting that we have seemingly established criteria for what makes a good game, but certain concepts or associations of ideas (as simple as Hokuto + Musō) trump those criteria for the people who were clearly targeted by the game.
Game discussion, as with any form of art criticism, has that problem with objective and subjective impressions. I can look at a game and see that it is well constructed, has new or well refined gameplay elements, or any other agreed upon method of judging the components that make for a well built game. I can also see areas where a game is lacking in ways that would make it a less impressive title. Still, when I want to actually play a game I'm just as happy to have Kenshiro wander around and punch punks. It may not match the criteria for what makes for an award winning game but it pushes the correct buttons on me. Trouble is, saying "I like the game because I like it" is a hard position to argue.
In unrelated news, I tried out the demo for the 2D Bloodrayne game and found it to be shockingly decent. Are the original games overlooked gems or is this a new direction for the series? It's obvious that 2D Bloodrayne desperatley wants to be Castlevania when it grows up but we all want to be Castlevania when we grow up.
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| grave 1393th Post
PSN: Drakee
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Red Carpet Executive Member
| "Re(6):HnK - OP" , posted Thu 8 Sep 21:13
For what it's worth I'm with everyone on Spanish Castlevania: brilliant art direction, competent gameplay, brain-dead plot. Got bored halfway through or so and sold it. Was it better than another Igavania? Yes. Something just didn't click though. Too bad.
Mechanics-wise and presentation-wise, no contest, Gundam Musou 3 is way better than Hokuto Musou. The graphics are waaay better, the combat is so much faster (and can go even faster depending on how you upgrade) and there's much more flexibility in terms of finding something/someone to play that suits your tastes. However I think a lot of the appeal comes from how much you like or dislike the map system - I would suggest watching a bunch of videos before trying. It's also a game you have to play on hard mode for most missions if you don't want them all to lie down, but that's most of this series. I remember thinking about how much I wanted a Hokuto Musou 2 that plays as well as this when I started playing, so that might say it all!
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In unrelated news, I tried out the demo for the 2D Bloodrayne game and found it to be shockingly decent. Are the original games overlooked gems or is this a new direction for the series?
Nah, the 3D games were completely unremarkable. I'm only about 4 levels into the 2D one but I like it so far - too busy with Space Marine but I'll give it some more time soon.
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| Pollyanna 3111th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
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| "Re(8):Sumioni" , posted Sat 10 Sep 05:37
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Mechanics-wise and presentation-wise, no contest, Gundam Musou 3 is way better than Hokuto Musou.
Maybe I'll give it a try when the price comes down. It's totally silly, but the stupid costumes have almost sold me on Sangoku Musou 6. Just waiting for a good deal!
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Bloodrayne
This was a pleasant surprise! It looks like a crappy flash game, only...it doesn't look crappy! It didn't grab me enough to warrant a purchase, but that wasn't due to any particular fault of the game itself.
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Yet another wonderful reason to buy a Vita. There's been so much news/outrage about Monster Hunter for the 3DS that I almost missed this one! Almost!
Although the concept behind this is very cute and the aesthetics are nice, the game looks really cheap and stiff in motion. It's one of those things where I like everything about the game but the game itself.
MH3G on 3DS was a no-brainer, but I don't think I'll force myself to buy it, especially because I'm still hung up on the 3DS's region locking. If I'm hungry for more MH action, I'll probably pick up the HD PS3 one.
I'm so lukewarm on buying games now cause I just got Tales of Xillia and Blackrock Shooter. Every waking moment not spent working (which doesn't amount to much, admittedly) is Xillia time.
青春謳歌 弱肉強食
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| karasu99 741th Post
PSN: robotchris
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Red Carpet Regular Member+
| "Re(9):Sumioni" , posted Sat 10 Sep 10:29
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Mechanics-wise and presentation-wise, no contest, Gundam Musou 3 is way better than Hokuto Musou.
Maybe I'll give it a try when the price comes down. It's totally silly, but the stupid costumes have almost sold me on Sangoku Musou 6. Just waiting for a good deal!
Same here for GM3. At $60 it's way to expensive for me right now given how I'm grinding through Sangoku Musou 6 (which I'm loving, despite the use of the term 'grinding'. On that note, I'm especially enjoying the weirdly designed characters that are encountered in the new Jin scenario, like the guy with the floating swords and the other guy with the feather fan in the 19th-century looking military uniform. Great stuff, and a great game, although I've only bought the DLC weapons, not the crazy costumes.)
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Yet another wonderful reason to buy a Vita. There's been so much news/outrage about Monster Hunter for the 3DS that I almost missed this one! Almost!
Although the concept behind this is very cute and the aesthetics are nice, the game looks really cheap and stiff in motion. It's one of those things where I like everything about the game but the game itself.
Har, I had only looked at the stills when I posted the link! You're right, it's pretty stiff seeming. Maybe it will improve with the final version. We'll see.
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MH3G on 3DS was a no-brainer, but I don't think I'll force myself to buy it, especially because I'm still hung up on the 3DS's region locking. If I'm hungry for more MH action, I'll probably pick up the HD PS3 one.
I'm still busy with the last US released PSP version and the Wii version, so I'm unlikely to worry with the 3DS one any time soon.
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Blackrock Shooter.
I've been debating getting this for a while, but I'm pretty backed up with games as may be obvious from the above. Still, (as I find myself saying a lot lately, it seems like) I'm curious to hear your impressions (what I really mean probably is 'say something about it in any way that will make me feel as though I've been encouraged to buy it').
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| Pollyanna 3113th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
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| "Re(10):Sumioni" , posted Sat 10 Sep 19:24
Did anyone pick up Grand Knights History? Is it too soon to ask? I had to pass on it. As beautiful as it is, it just looks too boring! Also, there's almost no voice acting, which has been a big selling point for Vanillaware games in the past (for me at least).
But with it being so pretty, I could be coerced by a positive review or two...
Speaking of which...Black Rockshooter...
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I've been debating getting this for a while, but I'm pretty backed up with games as may be obvious from the above. Still, (as I find myself saying a lot lately, it seems like) I'm curious to hear your impressions (what I really mean probably is 'say something about it in any way that will make me feel as though I've been encouraged to buy it').
So far so good. It has a lot of things going for it.
I like the writing. I believe it's the same guy who did Final Fantasy X and Last Ranker. The characters know when to stop talking and don't talk in circles. There aren't a lot of stereotyped lines repeated over and over and the story is fairly interesting. The voice acting is fairly respectable as well.
The backgrounds look nice. You can't move the camera, but they have really dynamic perspectives that give the environments an illustrative feel. The color schemes look great, too. It's one of few PSP games that looks just as good on a TV.
The battle system is interesting. I don't have a final verdict on it because it keeps getting more fun. It's in real time, but you can't move. You just move your aiming module. You can block and you can dodge. Enemies either slowly advance towards you then attack, or shoot at set intervals. It's important to listening for audio queues to tell when to stop shooting and when to block. You fire your gun rapidly until you overheat, which makes you unable to do anything for quite a while. You also have a set of special moves that heal, increase defense, give you super rapid fire with no overheat for a few seconds or shoot off a huge laser attack. They don't cost any MP/TP or anything, but they have a lengthy cool-down.
The fights are boring at first when you can only shoot, but as you equip more and more techniques, you build more exciting strategies. Since you can only equip 4 at a time, picking and choosing can be difficult. The generic enemy encounters (which can be avoided) get tiresome after a while, but the boss battles are fantastic. I really love the boss enemy designs (the humanoid ones, I mean), and they put a lot of personality into their fights. They have fancy artwork openings, little cinematic interludes and cinema-style special moves just like BRS. Also their abilities tend to be a lot more interesting than the normal enemies/sub bosses.
Hrm...so what's bad... The music, I guess? I like a few songs, but altogether, it puts me to sleep. It's not annoying, it's not poor, it's just sleep-inducing. The game tends to get a bit repetitive, so sleepy-time music is a big downer for me. Putting my own music on isn't an option (I really don't like doing that anyway), because the characters are constantly talking and the dialogue is good.
Another thing is that the game was made by the Last Ranker team and it's just...not quite as good. The soundtrack and number of boss battles is a big factor in that decision, since Last Ranker was practically epic boss battles put to epic music for 30 hours straight. The boss battles in BRS are certainly epic, but I want more of them!
Also, I had the misfortune of playing Type Zero before it and that game makes lots of games seem boring.
I dunno. I would cautiously recommend BRS. I can confidently say that it's a good game and if it looks good to you, you're extremely likely to enjoy it. The issue becomes on of priority...is there some other amazing game you haven't had time to play yet?
青春謳歌 弱肉強食
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| Iggy 9293th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(2):Re(10):Sumioni" , posted Sat 10 Sep 20:44
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Did anyone pick up Grand Knights History? Is it too soon to ask? I had to pass on it. As beautiful as it is, it just looks too boring! Also, there's almost no voice acting, which has been a big selling point for Vanillaware games in the past (for me at least).
I've been wondering about this as well, especially because of the current thing on the japanese PSN (like, if you buy 5000 yens of stuff, you get 1000 yens back, or something. I need to check the dates as well).
I haven't heard any BAD reviews about the game yet, more like... "It's like the others VanillaWare, you play them, they are pretty, and then after a few hours you stop playing and never go back to them, without really thinking about it. But it's very pretty".
Maybe someone who would have poured more than 10 hours in it might have a different opinion...?
Speaking of games that end up always the same, playable Matsunaga = instant buy.
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| Pollyanna 3114th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
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| "Re(3):Re(10):Sumioni" , posted Mon 12 Sep 07:48
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I've been wondering about this as well, especially because of the current thing on the japanese PSN (like, if you buy 5000 yens of stuff, you get 1000 yens back, or something. I need to check the dates as well).
I think it's like...from now until Sept 20th, you get a coupon at the end of the period depending on how much you spend. 1000 yen for 5000 being the max. Anything less is hardly worth it.
Maybe if I go ballistic with the Tales of Xillia costume stuff and Disgaea 4 stuff it'll be worth the purchase. I was waiting for the Disgaea Deathko append to come out before I bought all the other characters and stuff. Also, I don't know if it's a better deal to get cards from the Asia PS Store. Why do I have to do math to have fun?
Although Namco is being quite cruel with their costume downloads on Xillia, the accessories they give you in game are...uh... interesting. You can edit their size, angle, color and position. So the "Snot hanging out of your nose" accessory could be turned into a bloody nose, or perhaps some sort of giant crotch leakage. Huge eyebrows can be turned into a tiny mustache and a hat can be made giant and moved down to completely cover someone's head.
青春謳歌 弱肉強食
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| Pollyanna 3116th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
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Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(5):Re(10):Sumioni" , posted Mon 12 Sep 20:56
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Also, I don't know if it's a better deal to get cards from the Asia PS Store.
I never heard of that, what is it exactly?
They have a Japan store and a Europe store and a US store and an Asia store...er...and a Korea one now? And more? Who knows!
Anyway, Asian versions of games are compatible with the same DLC as Japanese games and vice-versa, I believe. (Actually, Asian versions of games are identical to Japanese versions most of the time, down to the preorder bonuses.)
But anyway, in my case, I can get an Asian PSN card at a better rate. So, for example, if I wanted to get the (somewhat) new Overlord Valvatorez scenario thing for Disgaea 4, that would be 600 yen ($9.00, if I bought a card) or 48 Hong Kong Dollars ($7.16 if I bought a card).
The Asia PS Store is unpredictable in what it gets and slow sometimes, but it gets a nice mix of US and JPN PS store stuff. It's not a good value if you can get something in your own region, but for an American getting Japanese downloadable stuff, it's a better deal than exchanging for yen cards.
I'd look into it, just to see if there's anything you could get for cheaper... but since you probably get paid in mighty pounds rather than puny dollars, it might not be as big of an issue.
青春謳歌 弱肉強食
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| Pollyanna 3126th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
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| "Re(1):GODHAND" , posted Wed 5 Oct 10:03
I like God Hand so much that if you ask me my favorite 3 or 5 or 10 games, I'll say "God Hand!" right off the bat, then stop to think about the others. I've never played a game so perfectly balanced in terms of challenge. Sure, there's that first, shocking level, where you're dropped in horrified, but after that, it tests you just enough to keep you on your toes without being frustrating.
And yet, if you look at it, and it doesn't seem appealing to you, I don't know if you'll be pleasantly surprised. A lot of people didn't like the game. When I first saw it, I thought it was going to be the most awesome thing ever, and it exceeded my expectations. It was the most awesomEST thing ever. But I watched the trailer like...100 times, which I never do. I think the last time I went that trailer crazy was Capcom's Red Dead Revolver. So obviously, my enthusiasm for the game may not be reciprocated by everyone.
But for what it's worth, I think it's an engaging, surprisingly smart beat-em-up that's funny, challenging and has a strong soundtrack. Other than its bland environments, I don't see any flaws.
Also also also...
I'm happy to see Grim Grimoire on that list. It's the only Vanillaware game I was absolutely pleased with. It's feverishly challenging, typically gorgeous and has a fantastic story. I would say it's worth playing just for the story and graphics, even. I really enjoyed the characters and voice acting (in Japanese at least) as well.
Admittedly, the game itself isn't a masterpiece, but I found it much less offensive in its faults than Odin Sphere and poor, poor Muramasa with its fantastic system and epic boss fights ruined by hours and hours of running back and forth through the same few areas.
青春謳歌 弱肉強食
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| Maou 2260th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(2):GODHAND" , posted Wed 5 Oct 15:35
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I get the feeling that Tim's site is just a thinly disguised shrine to God Hand that happens to cover a bunch of other games until more God Hand reviews he likes come along.
Oh, I think that they were always upfront about that! As it should be, everything that is not Godhand is an (excellent) afterthought.
Let's talk about first Godhand stories, taking Polly's lead. Years late (like, this year), I was dropped into Godhand's wonderful world by a friend on level three or so, which involves spanking the enemy girls and dropkicking the enemy guys. It's everything I want my hero to do. The voice acting is so hysterical...I love how he yells AWESOME when picking up the purposefully dumb-looking, oldschool fruit powerups. Again, I hate 3D beat em ups like God of War or DMC, but nothing feels more fun/funny/satisfying than kicking the sh*t out of your many many enemies in Godhand.
To conclude, Godhand is awesome in the same way that the scene at the end of zombie movie Wild Zero is awesome where Guitar Wolf defeats the zombie-creating alien spaceships by pulling a katana out of his guitar. ROCK AND ROLL!
人間はいつも私を驚かせてくれる。不思議なものだな、人間という存在は．．．
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| karasu99 769th Post
PSN: robotchris
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Red Carpet Regular Member+
| "Re(5):GODHAND" , posted Mon 10 Oct 03:11
In case anyone has been wondering, my initial thoughts:
- Dialog: Ludicrous, yet somehow awesome. Still unsure if there is actually supposed to be a story at all.
- Fighting engine: Simple, yet somehow awesome. I enjoy how I actually stomp enemies as fast as I can mash the button. Very Final-Fight-ish.
- Bad guys: Surprisingly tough at points, even early on. I'm not used to actually having to dodge the 'basic bad guy' so early in a beat 'em up.
- Atmosphere: Clearly channeling the very worst (or best?) aspects of Fist of the North Star. YET SOMEHOW AWESOME.
- General Aesthetic: I'm not quite sure that Capcom was going for corny/cheesy/crappy but they've achieved it in the way that the best bad movies do. Although to be fair you all may have ruined the test case by preparing me so well to play it.
Yeah, I'm not quite prepared to say that I love it, but it's early so far. I'll have much more time to play this week, although I'm not sure I want to let it cut into my Dark Souls time too much. But certainly worth $10.
As a technical aside for those who care, the game clearly runs on software emulation-- upon launching, the system restarts and you need to turn your controller back on. Likewise when you quit the game. It stinks that Sony cut PS2 emulation (both hardware and software) out of the PS3 only to sell it back to us on a game by game basis, but I guess that's business.
www.secret-arts.com
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). 
Well, I should say "I understand what you mean" and I will spring for it this evening. After all, since I'm Dark Souls-less for the moment I will need something else to play.