I had no idea that I could upload screenshots from my Wii U directly to WordPress. But as it turns out, that is absolutely a thing that I can do. Not sure if it will be a huge boon to me or not, but it’s nice to know. It’s no direct-to-YouTube streaming feature, but it’ll do. It’ll do.
So I played The Evil Within last month. It’s been sitting on my shelf unplayed since, like, January, when I got it at some kind of crazy dirt-cheap price. Seriously, if you go out (on onto your console’s online store) and look for it now, it’s still way more than I paid for it back then.
But honestly, I would have been just fine with paying full price for this bad boy. I loved pretty much every minute of it, aside from one or two mildly frustrating bits. It’s the most recent game by Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami, and if you have any sort of appreciation for the RE series, it’s made very clear where this games roots lie.
Yoshi’s Island is a perennial favourite around these parts, and what I believe to be one of the most well-crafted television games ever made. My big secret? I’ve never ever 100%ed it.
“But Ryan! You always 100% games!”
Silly rabbit, not always. But yes, usually I will go out of my way to collect all the doodads or complete all the challenges in a game that I really like. Sometimes even in a game I don’t really like, just to prove my dominance over it. Kind of like hate sex.
Anyway, the point is that I’ve never really felt like getting all the collectibles in Yoshi’s Island (or its sequels) was really worth the effort. For one, it’s incredibly difficult; some of those kajiggers are really well-hidden. Secondly, you have to collect everything and clear the stage with full health in a single run, which is just bonkers after world one. Also, it doesn’t really do much for you, outside of a little fanfare. I mean, sure, you unlock a bonus level if you 100% every stage in a world, but those bonus levels are concentrated evil. Kind of like the game is hate sexing you.
Yoshi’s Woolly World is a little bit different. The collectibles can still be an absolute pain to gather, but this game takes it easy on you. Each collectible can be completed independently, you don’t have to get everything in one run, which takes off a ton of the pressure. That means that on harder stages, you can focus on just getting through with full life and not have to search for all the secrets at the same time. Or you can just go back and grab that one thing you missed, and not have to pick up the other hundred things you all ready got for full marks.
More importantly, every collectible does something for you. Well, completing a stage with full life is still just for bragging rights, but the rest hand out goodies on a semi-regular basis.
The flowers, of which there are five in every stage, are the only key to unlocking the bonus stages this time around. You still have to find every flower in the world, but it’s only the flowers that count toward the bonus stage.
The yarn skeins come in sets of five as well, and they will reassemble a new Yoshi for you to play as. These prizes are handed out more liberally, with one unlockable Yoshi in each stage. It’s kind of a fun game to guess what kind of pattern you’re going to get as you collect skeins, as they’re coloured to match the Yoshi that is unlocked in each stage.
Stamp patches are the hardest to get because there are a whopping twenty in each stage, and they’re collected from normal-looking beads that are randomly mixed in with all the other beads (just like the red coins in previous games). For every so many (80, I think?) stamp patches you find, you’re given a new set of five Miiverse stamps. These are perhaps the least desirable prizes, but they’re still something.
Also, there’s a badge that you get later on that highlights all the secrets in a stage. It makes invisible clouds visible, makes false walls glow, and puts a radar pulse on beads that contain stamp patches. It’s a little pricy, but if you save all your beads until the end of the game, you’ll probably be in good shape to buy it for a replay of every stage that you didn’t clear out on the first go.
I still haven’t even finished the game, and I’m not completely certain that I will go back for 100%, but Yoshi’s Woolly World surely makes the strongest case for convincing me to do so. It also helps that the game is a joy to play, and an absolute delight for the ears and eyes as well.
Oh, thank goodness, all the spooky ghosts and goblins are gone for another year.
Wait, no. I like all that stuff. Darn it!
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.
While one of my favourite ways to spend a crisp fall evening is to go for a nice, romantic stroll, it’s not really an activity that I can enjoy to its fullest potential these days.
But snuggling under a thick blanket with video games and a mug of hot chocolate filled to the brim with mini-marshmallows is a good way to pass the time too. So happy right now.
Also there is a piping hot pizza just out of the frame.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. I never really think of most Mario games when I think of my favourite video games (with the obvious exception of Super Mario 64), but they have always excelled, and I continue to buy and play them all with gusto.
If nothing else, Super Mario Maker has reminded me of how much fun it is to just sit down and play some Mario. But there is so much more to it! Mario Maker is crammed to the gills with not only the tools necessary to create, distribute, and play Mario courses, but also heaping spoonfuls of pure love.
~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.
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…
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…).
The first Shovel Knight expansion, Plague of Shadows, goes live today. Because fate hates me, I won’t be able to really dig into it until Saturday. So instead, I did the only thing I could: here’s a doodle of Plague Knight.
That really didn’t kill as much time as I’d hoped. Is it Saturday yet?
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.
August. What is there to say about August?
Absolutely nothing.
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!
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.)
