Monthend Video Game Wrap-Up – March 2016

If February was defined by Pokémania, then March was defined by… also Pokémania (and to a lesser extent, Zelda mania). Eh, what can I say? I really love Pokémon, and there’s been a lot going on with the franchise these days.

~ Game Over ~

Pokémon Yellow Version (GB) – Playing through this one again was a very welcome blast of nostalgia, and also a little frustration at trying to remember how the mechanics used to work back in Gen 1. Running the game with a team of monsters I’d usually never use was a great way to make it feel fresh again. Hooray for Flareon!

Splatoon (WiiU) – Finally bothered to just hone my focus and complete the single-player mode. It was an absolute blast, and the final boss was something else entirely. I’m seriously hoping that they release another campaign some day, even if it’s just a little eShop title.

Jett Rocket II: The Wrath of Taikai (3DS) – Replayed the game in “mirror world” mode, which I guess is just the same levels you already played but reversed? While I may not be as hype for it as I was when it originally released, I still think it’s a solid little platformer.

Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters (GC) – I was testing out some Gamecube games to see which save files on my giant memory card had been corrupted, and popped in Mega Man Anniversary Collection. The save was still good, and somehow I ended up playing through this one. I mean, just one story path as Bass, but that’s still a cleared game, right?

New Super Mario Bros 2 (3DS) – I’ve been wanting to replay this for months now, but always had some other major 3DS game on the go. With Paper Jam and Pokémon Yellow done and dusted, there was no longer any reason not to jump into it. The twist is that this time I played about half the game in co-op mode, which is super fun.

Shovel Knight (3DS) – Do I really need to justify another Shovel Knight run to you? I think I’ve made it pretty clear already that it’s my favourite game.

Continue reading Monthend Video Game Wrap-Up – March 2016

Monthend Video Game Wrap-Up – February 2016

I don’t know anymore, you know? I sort of force these intros to the monthend posts, but are they really necessary? I mean, mostly I just want something in there to break up the post title and “Game Over” heading. So I suppose that this silly rambling has done exactly what I needed it to.

~ Game Over ~

Xenoblade Chronicles X (WiiU) – Finally finished it, after 125 solid hours of wandering and cutting down wildlife (also, being cut down by said wildlife). The ending was a little… I dunno, bland, after the crazy ending to the previous Xenoblade. I didn’t think it was as mind-rendingly stupid as most do, but it certainly wasn’t anything to write about. Definitely gonna keep playing this one for a while.

Goosebumps (PC) – Played it again to rack up a few more cheevos. My first run took almost three hours, but as it turns out, you can finish it in well under 20 minutes if you know what to do. Neat!

Mega Man 9 (Wii) – You might be surprised to learn that I have never beaten this game before. It’s just so unrelentingly difficult! But I finally soldiered through, and I can now say that I’ve beaten all of the traditional Mega Man games. The Wily 2 and 3 bosses were utterly ridiculous, especially compared to how easy the Wily Machine is.

New Super Mario Bros Wii (WiiU) – Played through it again with a friend and her daughter. That was certainly not how I had expected to spend Valentine’s Day.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam (3DS) – I really like this game, and trying to 100% it would probably just make me hate it. So I took my acceptable completion rate and marched right into the final boss’ lair. That was an awesome fight. Not terribly original, but cool as heck.

Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure (3DS) – I sometimes with that Dr Mario didn’t end after 20 levels, but there’s really nowhere to go after the jar is filled completely with viruses. An hour well spent, at any rate.

The Legend of Dark Witch 2 (3DS) – I quite liked the first game, which was some godless amalgam of Mega Man, Gradius, and Anime. This is basically the same, but with more stages and the difficulty toned way down. Recommended, but not as heartily as the first.

Continue reading Monthend Video Game Wrap-Up – February 2016

Monthend Video Game Wrap-Up – January 2016

Another year, another pile of Steam games that I will never play. thanks, Humble Bundle!

~ Game Over ~

Tengami (Wii U) – I guess it’s what the kids call a “walking simulator” because that’s most of the game. Also you sometimes solve puzzles. They’re mostly pretty easy, but still satisfying. What really makes it special is the beautiful pop-up book aesthetic and pretty music. It only lasts for about an hour, but it’s a nice hour.

Goosebumps (PC) – I wouldn’t have bought this if it hadn’t been in a bundle for $2. And the Ryan in that timeline lived a lesser life, because Goosebumps is quite an enjoyable little point-and-click adventure. Some minor annoyances, like a “puzzle” that literally just makes you wait and lawn gnome jumpscares, but otherwise a perfect example of how to do this kind of game correctly.

Zelda: Tri Force Heroes (3DS) – Soloed most of the game on my lunch hours because I don’t make time for 3DS at home. It’s actually not horrible to play alone, and it’s almost encouraged by the awful players I usually meet online. I’ve beaten the game, but I’m going to go back and do all the extra challenges to get the true ending… eventually.

Minecraft: Story Mode – The Order of the Stone (WiiU) – Boy, that’s a mouthful. Anyway, it’s Telltale’s adventure series based in Minecraft. The last time I played a Telltale game was Sam & Max Season 1, and this is markedly different than that. Story Mode is a lot less interactive; it’s more like a film where you make a choice once in a while. But it’s still entertaining, so who am I to complain?

FNAF World (PC) – I was so happy that finally a FNAF game was made that I would actually be able to play. Even if it is an overly cutesy RPG with a hyperactive battle system. There’s a little more to it going on under the hood, being a FNaF game and all, and I’m eager to start reading all the crazy internet theories about the game’s mysteries. Except there may not be because the game was pulled from Steam for being half-baked. Oops! I still played it and made my way to the “bad” ending. Probably will play it again.

~ Now Playing ~

Pokémon Picross (3DS) – If you pay for it, it’s the best picross game. If you try to get by on the Free-to-Play model… you’re gonna have a bad time. Anyway, it has certainly slaked my thirst for themed picross, which is really all that I needed. I’m slowly working though the Alt-World mode, in which every puzzle is presented in the Mega Picross format.

Xenoblade Chronicles X (WiiU) – Still plugging away at this giant beast. It’s such a wonderful world, I don’t really want it to end. Then again, I suppose it won’t, because it’s like 500 hours worth of content. I’ve done up to Chapter 11 in the main story.

Fallout 4 (PC) – Trying to build and furnish a house in this game is kind of a nightmare. But, you know, it’s Fallout, so at least the rest of the game is good. Having no level cap is great. I love not having to worry that I put my points in the wrong skills.

FAST Racing NEO (WiiU) – They really aren’t kidding. This gam is fast with a capital everything. It’s one of those wonderful and rare arcade racers that I actually enjoy, even though I’m not really very good. Even the novice championship is giving me troubles. I’ve gotten gold trophies on the first two circuits, bronze on the third, and didn’t even place on the fourth.

Dragon Warrior Monsters (GBC) – I was assessing the Game Boys I own (not that many, really) and plugged this in to see if my Game Boy Color was working. It was, and now I’m stuck falling down this rabbit hole again. Only up to Rank F in the arena so far.

The Deadly Tower of Monsters (PC) – Framed as the DVD of a old mid-twentieth century sci-fi movie, with director’s commentary and cheesy special effects to match. I’m fairly certain that it was made specifically for me. I’m about halfway up the tower, but I have no idea what that means in terms of actual game progression.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam (3DS) – I was toying with the idea of not buying this, at least not right away. Who did I think I was kidding? At least it’s been really good so far. Fusing the M&L and Paper Mario worlds was a great idea, and cutting out most of the forced tutorials was the best idea. At current, I’m in the desert area.

Shovel Knight (WiiU) – Got the Shovel Knight amiibo this month, which changes the way you play the game a fair bit. Also it allows for two-player mode, so that’s pretty ballin’. Any excuse to play more Shovel Knight is a good one.

The Monsters of Dragon Warrior

For someone who spent most of his late teens rallying viciously against JRPGs, I really, really adore Dragon Quest. I came back around to enjoying the genre at large many years ago, but Dragon Quest always had a place in my heart, even though it was built almost entirely on the things I claimed to dislike about these games. I think it all comes back to Dragon Warrior Monsters.

Long ago, before Enix was able to claim the Dragon Quest’s rightful title overseas, there was a game called Pokémon. It was a game about collecting and battling monsters, and it was a massive hit. A worldwide phenomenon that continues to be a force to reckon with to this day. Of course, back then, imitators immediately sprang out of woodwork from every angle. Many were new franchises, and plenty just shoehorned monster collection/battles into existing franchises. Not a single one of them ever grabbed hold of me like Dragon Warrior Monsters did.

Unlike Pokémon and the vast majority of its knockoffs, DWM did not come in two separate versions that were largely the same, but with a handful of unique monsters. You could experience everything that the game had to offer on a single cartridge, all by your lonesome. This was already a point in its favour. Back in the day, I had no shortage of peers to trade creatures with, so it wasn’t a real problem. I just think it’s more ethical to let players access 100% of the product that they paid for without additional costs or catches (though these days, that line has long since been crossed and forgotten).

What really sets DWM apart from almost all of its kind is that it incorporates random dungeons into its gameplay. This is nothing new for the Dragon Quest series, as Torneko: The Last Hope was a true Mystery Dungeon game and came a good five years prior to DWM. So what does this really mean? It means that the floorplan for nearly every dungeon floor is randomly generated each time you enter. Items are scattered about, and finding the warp hole to the next floor is always your goal. Sometimes there are shops to find, or travelling folks who may challenge you to a monster battle. Typically the only things set in stone are the types of monsters that you will find and the boss floor.

The plot of DWM wasn’t terribly different from Pokémon. Your goal in both games is to collect monsters, train them up, and win battle competitions to be the strongest trainer in the world. Though that was about it for Pokémon. Winning for the sake of winning. In DWM, it’s a little more fleshed-out, as winning the Starry Night Tournament will grant you a wish, likely to be used to rescue your recently kidnapped sister. Also I think there’s some jazz about saving the kingdom, but I don’t remember much about it and I’m not far enough in my current playthrough for that to be a thing yet.

While I can’t say with any certainty (and I’m not going to be doing any research), Enix was one giant leap ahead of Pokémon in one regard: monster breeding. Breeding was not a feature in the original Pokémon games, and while it did make its debut in the sequels, they came two years after DWM. Breeding in DWM is also a central mechanic, and very much necessary for creating strong monsters and to find certain rare species. In Pokémon, you can easily get through the game without even knowing that breeding is a thing that exists; it’s really more there for the hardcore players. The downside to DWM breeding is that it’s really more like monster fusion, as the parents will both disappear after the deed is done. In both games though, monster breeding is a tricky business with many nuances and invisible values that you need a guide to decipher. That or you can just have your monsters bang and hope for the best.

DWM absolutely beats Pokémon when it comes to hatching your monster eggs though. In Pokémon, there’s a counter that ticks down for every in-game step you take. These are usually in the tens of thousands, so breeding Pokémon is tedious as all heck. In DWM though, you just pay a small fee in gold and presto: a freshly hatched monster! (Let’s just forget that you have to spend a lot of time levelling up your monsters to get decent offspring.)

As a kid, I never beat Dragon Warrior Monsters. Why? Probably because it’s a tough game, and crafting yourself a strong team of monsters is either going to require a guide or a whole lotta grinding. Like any other Dragon Quest game, bosses in DWM are big, strong, and filled to the brim with HPs. You’re probably not going to be getting past a boss on your first trip through a dungeon, unless you luck into recruiting a few tough new monsters along the way. Most likely you’re going to have to battle your way to the end, take a lumping from the boss, and then trudge back through the dungeon with a little insight and a couple more levels to your name. Combine that with the fact that newborn monsters always start at level 1, and you’re looking at a bit of a grind. That’s kind of what Dragon Quest is known for though, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone familiar with the franchise.

If you play your cards right, though, you’ll catch a few decent monsters, fuse them into even better monsters, and then be able to tear through those dungeons without a hitch. Bosses will fall at your feet, and the world will be your oyster. But then there’s the arena. Dungeons are really just a distraction from the story and a place to grow your team; the arena is the focus of the lion’s share of the plot, and also where most of the game’s true challenge lies.

Each arena battle is three fights in a row against rival monster masters. Which, you know, doesn’t seem as bad as trekking through floor after floor of dungeons just to face a powerful boss. The catch here is that you’re not allowed to heal your team between rounds, and you can’t issue direct commands to your monsters. You can still tell them to go all out or to fight more cautiously, but their actions will be dictated entirely by their training and nature. I’ve only made it through the first arena match (which is almost tutorial-easy) in my current game, but I can remember being stymied by these fights over and over back in the day. At the very least, when you’ve assembled a team that can last all three rounds, it gives off a great deal of satisfaction.

Of course, as much as I like the gameplay on offer here, one of the greatest appeals of DWM is its heritage. This game draws from all of the Dragon Quests that came before it, bringing a rich pool of your favourite legacy monsters, even going so far as to let you breed the final bosses from the first six games. It also reuses many familiar themes from previous games, though to tell the truth, I’m not terribly familiar with DQ tunes outside of those from the first game. Writing is rarely a highlight of Game Boy games, but DWM has a fairly charming script, and all the better since it came before the time where Dragon Quest characters started being written with accents.

A lot of what I really love about the game is the sense of nostalgia that washes over me as I play it. I can remember booting it up for the first time in McDonald’s. I remember staying at a friend’s cottage one summer, and when we weren’t busy exploring or swimming, we’d be grinding like heck through DWM. It makes me think back on the Game Boy Color and how it blew my tiny mind. It reminds me of being dragged around with my parents as they did their shopping and whatnot. Basically, it strongly reminds me of a simpler, easier part of my life. And with all the stresses of adult life and the junk I’m dealing with these days, I often need those happy memories to put me at ease at the end of the day.

You can look at Dragon Warrior Monsters as a cash-in on the Pokémon craze of the late nineties, and you wouldn’t be wrong to do so. But it’s a very different game that works hard and succeeds at making itself stand out in a sea of also-rans. It introduced me to a handful of new and exciting video game concepts that seem expected and sometimes overused these days. I probably won’t ever be able to really get into the fancy new 3D sequels, but I can say for sure that I will always keep a copy of the original Dragon Warrior Monsters on hand, even if I only go back to it once every decade.

Monthend Video Game Wrap-Up – October 2015

Oh, thank goodness, all the spooky ghosts and goblins are gone for another year.

Wait, no. I like all that stuff. Darn it!

~ Game Over ~

The Beginner’s Guide (PC) – I just. Whoa. Art games, man. (But really, there are some heavy themes in here that take a long time to really digest. And possibly multiple playthroughs.)

Life is Strange: Episode 5 – Polarized (PC) – What. A. Finale. Aside from a weirdly out-of-place (but easily broken) stealth sequence, it was a really great episode. It’s been a crazy ride, and it all culminates in the most impossible choice ever, natch. Seems like most of the internet hated the endings, but I don’t think Dontnot can afford to pull a Mass Effect 3?

The Evil Within (PS3) – It was October, I needed to play something spooky, and this had been in my backlog for well over a year. How even did that happen? But it’s basically just Resident Evil 4 again, so I had a total blast with it. Playing on easy was a great idea, as I feel like certain parts could have been very frustrating if they had been harder.

Bravely Default (3DS) – Made some serious progress. Earned the “bad” ending, which is not so much bad as it is unfinished. Anyway, I’mma keep playing it to the real ending, which apparently is a slog, but whatever. I’m having fun.

Chrono Trigger (DS) – Finally, the madness is over. I have earned every possible ending. Which is a fool’s game. Don’t do it. Just look them up on YouTube. Most of them are dumb. Chrono Trigger is a terrific game, but playing it that much is very draining.

Continue reading Monthend Video Game Wrap-Up – October 2015

Monthend Video Game Wrap-Up – September 2015

~It’s the most wonderful month of the yeeeeear~

Well, it was. October is fine too, but let’s reminisce on some of the ways I kept busy during September.

~ Game Over ~

Mega Man 4 (NES) – I had to. I just had to!

Mega Man 5 (NES) – It’s the boringest Mega Man, but it’s still pretty darn good.

Mega Man 6 (NES) – Yes, I have a sickness. Leave me alone.

Super Mario Bros 3 (NES) – Played it while waiting for Super Mario Maker. Somehow, this is my least-played Mario game, so I often forget how superb it is.

Monument Valley (iOS) – Speaking of superb, holy cow why did I wait so long to play this? It’s just barely a puzzle game, but the gimmick is good enough to support it to the end. Which comes really quickly, but before it gets boring.

Xeodrifter (WiiU) – I played and beat it on 3DS earlier this year, but apparently it was so bland that I forgot to log it. Anyway, it was released on Wii U recently and I got it for free so I gave it another go. It’s just as average as ever, but it looks really nice on a giant TV.

Year Walk (WiiU) – I felt October creeping up, and knew that it was time to start busting out the horror games. This one is a little more subtle about said horror, but it does pack a couple of jumpscares, so playing it at night was definitely a bad idea for me. Otherwise, it was an excellent game, with a completely unexpected second half.

Little Inferno (WiiU) – I questioned how much fun a replay of Little Inferno could be, but booted it up anyway. Turns out, it melted away an entire afternoon before I even realized it. So yeah, it’s just as good as the first time around. Not as surprising, but still totally zen.

Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows (3DS) – Quite possibly the best DLC ever made. Plague Knight is an absolute blast to play, changes the gameplay significantly, and is a surprisingly lovable character. Shovel Knight may very well now be my Most Favouritest Game Ever. And there are still two more free DLC campaigns on the way…

~ Now Playing ~

Super Mario Maker (WiiU) – And to think that initially, I didn’t want this. Now my brain is constantly thinking about new levels to make, even while working and sleeping. I can’t shut it off!

Chrono Trigger (DS) – Still working toward a complete set of endings. It was going at a good clip until Super Mario Maker happened… I’m at 11/13.

Splatoon (WiiU) – The only problem with Splatoon is that I waited until two days before Mario Maker to buy it. Otherwise, I can finally understand why people sink so many hours into online shooters. It is lovely and perfect and has some incredible music.

Woah Dave! (3DS) – Sometimes you just need to kick back with a simple arcade-style game. And Woah Dave! is just a heck of a lot of fun. Also I’m terrible at it. My high score is like $1.

Fallout: New Vegas (PC) – Also making feeble amounts of progress here. Level 13, I think? And I haven’t even been to New Vegas proper yet.

Driv3r (XBOX) – Terrible. Poop from a butt. Will not be finishing this one. …Probably.

Metal Arms: Glitch in the System (XBOX) – I really don’t know how I missed this one back in the day. Maybe Nintendo Power just never covered it? It’s not really a hidden gem or anything, but it is a perfectly adequate third-person shooter, filled with goofy robots. Right up my alley. Just passed the first boss (who is several hours in…).

Super Mario Maker is Wonderful

Seriously. It is probably the Best Video Game.

I have made well over a dozen stages (and I think that most of them are good!), and have ideas upon ideas for more to come. Also, Talking Time is absolutely flush with other people who make great stages, so I don’t necessarily have to dig through the piles of crap stages to find the gold.

I want to write about it at length, so that’s all for today. Here’s a trailer.

Monthend Video Game Wrap-Up – August 2015

August. What is there to say about August?

Absolutely nothing.

~ Game Over ~

Mega Man 6 (NES) – Typically one of the less-appreciated Megamns. I really like it! The Rush adapters are a lot of fun, and almost make up for the lameish robot master weapons. Also it’s maybe a little on the easy side, making it a breeze to burn through in an afternoon.

Life is Strange: Episode 4 – Dark Room (PC) – I was greatly disappointed by one of the bigger story beats, but enjoyed everything else about this episode. Many times I thought something horrible was going to happen, but it never did. Because they were saving it all for the end. Yikes.

Submerged (PC) – Lovely game about boating around a city that’s half underwater and climbing up buildings. It’s like Shadow of the Colossus, but with a boat instead of a horse, and a total lack of violence.  Only takes around five or six hours to complete, too.

Mega Man 4 (NES) – What? Ryan’s playing Mega Mans? WHAT A SURPRISE. …you know how I feel about Mega Man 4.

Mega Man (NES) – Ugh… this one is pretty bad. Have I mentioned that before? No unplayable, but frustrating and kind of a joke compared to the rest of the NES games.

Mega Man 2 (NES) – And then this one is so good. Not the best, but pretty darn close.

Mega Man 3 (NES) – This one is the best. I’ve even played it so many times now that I only have a little bit of trouble with the Doc Robot stages. Hooray!

~ Now Playing ~

Five Nights at Freddy’s (iOS) – I bought the mobile version because I thought it would be easier to handle if I could play it while in my parents’ living room with people around. Nope! The tension is still unbearable. Also it crashes like nobody’s business. So I’m stuck on Night 2 forever.

Bravely Default (3DS) – Playing over a year after everyone else got bored of it has a certain benefit: a lot of the streetpass/friend list bonuses are totally broken since my allies are all done the game, many of them having maxed out job levels and whatnot. And I’m really enjoying it! I’m already getting hyped for the sequel, though I’m only on chapter 3 of this game.

Picross e6 (3DS) – Mo’ Picross, mo’ problems. Or, not. Because Picross makes me happy.

Fallout: New Vegas (PC) – Don’t know what it is, but as much as I enjoy this game, I find it very difficult to invest time in it. Also, a maxed out Sneak stat isn’t nearly as effective as I’d like it to be.

Earthbound Beginnings (NES) – Honestly, it’s starting to feel a little tedious. If Lloyd and Ana had joined the party at a respectable level, maybe things could have been different… Whatever. I’m nearing the end. Just got to keep pressing forward. Sloooooowly.

Dark Souls (360) – Yeah I went back to this for a bit. Made some progress. Probably going to keep not writing about it though.

Papo & Yo (PC) – A puzzle platformer of sorts. Wherein the boy you play as has a robot for a backpack and a monster for a buddy. Also said monster sometimes goes on horrible, violent rampages after eating frogs. Only an hour in, it’s been enjoyable.

Chrono Trigger (DS) – Logged a couple hours in here. Chipping away at my goal of unlocking all of the endings, one baby step at a time. I currently have four of thirteen.

Secret of Mana (SNES) – Started a new run because my brother had never played it past Spikey. I don’t blame him. That’s a tough (and very cheap) boss. Might take forever to finish, because we usually play Monster Hunter or Smash Bros instead.

Zelda: Four Swords Adventures (GC) – Started a new run because my buddy had never played it. Might also take forever to finish. Because we have like seventeen million games on the go right now. (We are terrible at finishing games.)

#ThankYouIwata

Yesterday, the news broke that Nintendo’s Global President, Satoru Iwata, had passed away.

thankyouiwata

Now I’m heartbroken all over again. When you think of the CEO of a giant global company, you don’t think of someone like Mr. Iwata. His warmth and sense of humour made Nintendo Directs such a joy to watch, and his contributions to Nintendo as a programmer are legendary.

I couldn’t possibly hope to properly articulate how I feel and why, so here’s a really great write up. One of many that have been posted today. I’m sure that many more still will be written over the next few days.

Edit: Aw, heck. Here’s another one by a fellow Talking Time member.

iwataballoons

Rest in peace, Iwata-san.

Monthend Video Game Wrap-Up – May 2015

Um… preamble… I don’t know.

I recently paid to renew my webhosting. Honestly, I wasn’t sure that I really wanted to any more. But I can’t let go. I just… I would be throwing away everything since 2006. You know, I kind of wish I actually could get a do-over and go back to 2006, with one very key piece of information.

Uh, but anyway, video games!

~ Game Over ~

Super Mario 64 (N64) – This has been my go-to Favourite Video Game for over a decade now, and to be completely honest, it’s getting harder and harder to sit through on each replay. Because it’s clunky and old. If there were a remake (with analog controls) I’m sure it’d be fine.

Jazzpunk (PC) – It’s a fairly short little comedy game. Not a lot of “game” to be had, with the exception of a bunch of cheap little mini-games peppered throughout. Mostly you just wander about and enjoy puns and sight gags. Good, but not $15 good.

Heart Beaten (3DS) – Essentially bargain bin Wario Ware, with very few games. It was fun while it lasted, though. And cheap!

Ultimate NES Remix (3DS) – Done and dusted. It’s a really great premise, but a little lopsided in the favour of Mario (to nobody’s surprise). Probably would’ve been even more fun if I hadn’t opted to get rainbow stars on every challenge. I’d love a Game Boy or SNES Remix to follow.

Continue reading Monthend Video Game Wrap-Up – May 2015