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Topic: What are you playing on 3DS? (2023 Edition)

Posts 21 to 40 of 120

GreenTea

@blindsquarel Oh wow, I didn't even consider some people did this. I actually played both, and considering the original is one of those childhood games I must've replayed, like, 6 times over the years, I know this game a bit too well, if you ask me. I do also prefer the Dream Team artstyle, some environments look gorgeous in the remake (wish all of them did) but the Bowser titan battles look wayyy better in the original, imo. I didn't really enjoy playing the remake, to be honest, but I think that comes down to me replaying it to exhaustion as a kid. Still a great game, though

I can't believe comphet killed Bayo

Switch Friend Code: SW-1492-1491-3432

Ralizah

@Judal27 Case 5 of T&T is a strong contender for best case in the entire series, IMO. I love the game to death, but I could see it becoming a bit of a slog if I had played it right after JFA. When I ran through The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles recently, I took a proper breather of half a year between the two games, and I think it helped keep the experience fresh for the sequel.

Do you plan on eventually playing through the entire series, or leaving it after the third game? The sequels go pretty cheap on the eshop in sales. I'd like to think Capcom will eventually port the second trilogy to other platforms, but it hasn't happened yet.

@GreenTea I think shock moments are something the SMT IV duology does better than any other entry in the series. IV had some great moments in it if you went in unspoiled: your first contact with Tokyo, where a game that had a vaguely fantasy theme to it suddenly plunged headlong into cyberpunk / dark future vibes; discovering what exactly was in those red pills that were being given to demons, and especially how they were being... erm... farmed; and, as my very first entry in the series, I also went chaos route initially, and was surprised when Hikaru revealed herself to be Lucifer. IV: A isn't as consistently surprising as that game was, but the moment I referenced hit harder than any of those. I do think the fact that it's generally tonally lighter than SMT IV makes the moments where it goes hard on the horror stand out that much more, too.

I like the alignment system in theory, but, in practice, I think it just ends up unnecessarily gating too much content behind certain routes. Also, neutral bias is real in a lot of these games. You miss a surprising amount of story if you don't go neutral in SMT IV, for example. Also, that game makes staying neutral a right chore.

Yeah, I think you'll be OK with the tone if you don't go in expecting it to be as creepy as SMT IV. It's not a Xenoblade 2 situation where they went overboard with anime slapstick or anything. But SMT games tend to have such stark characterization that this one's focus on character development makes it stand out. I think the reaction to it would have been WAY better if it had been marketed as a spinoff or something.

As for the OST, don't get me wrong: there's still plenty new here. 30+ tracks, and several of them are used throughout the game in boss fights and whatnot. Some of the tracks feel like remixes of tracks in IV, and others allude to similar themes in the first game.

For example, compare the SMT IV Hunter Association them to the Apocalypse variant:

I thought about hacking my 3DS as well, but... eh. I've purchased a TON of games on my 3DS, and really would like to keep my system the way I got it. I have a hacked Vita anyway, which is useful for emulation and PSP games Sony never bothered making backwards-compatible with the system.

Currently Playing: Advance Wars 1 + 2: Re- Boot Camp (NS)

ThePirateCaptain

Recently I’ve been booting up my 3DS more as well, mainly to play the Theatrhythm games in anticipation of Final Bar Line coming out on Switch next month. It’s the first time I’ve played Theatrhythm Dragon Quest and it’s been pretty fun so far. Since everything is in Japanese I haven’t bothered much with the character skills but it seems like there’s quite a bit of depth for customizing your party with the class system. My biggest complaint is that a lot of the songs seem to use new arranged versions that while sounding nice, do make everything blend together a bit compared to the variety in Final Fantasy.
Unfortunately it doesn’t seem like there’s a way to play the DLC without getting a Japanese system. Hopefully we might get a sequel someday if the new game does well.

I’m also slightly addicted to Picross and there’s quite a few titles to get through on 3DS so I should be busy for a while.

ThePirateCaptain

3DS Friend Code: 3523-2096-8169 | Nintendo Network ID: Capn_Pancakes

Judal27

@Ralizah still haven't finished it, but 3-5 is landing somewhere in my top 3 cases for sure. I think I've been enjoying it more than any case in the 1st game personally

I have the whole series on this amazing little machine minus TGAA collection, so at least I'm hoping to get through them all someday lol. But I do have to take a break in between games. I'm just not sure which one to start 1st between the 2nd trilogy or the TGAA collection. Does the collection have nods and references to the last 3 games?

Judal27

Ralizah

@Judal27 The best moments of Bridge to the Turnabout happen at the climax, so you're in for a treat. It does an amazing job of wrapping up the entire trilogy.

TGAA Chronicles has the mildest possible nods to the original trilogy, and that's it. It's a completely stand-alone story. So you can go either way. I do happen to like that duology a lot more than the second trilogy, which is weaker than the original GBA/NDS trilogy, IMO. All Ace Attorney is worth playing, though.

You know about the crossover game with Professor Layton, right?

Edited on by Ralizah

Currently Playing: Advance Wars 1 + 2: Re- Boot Camp (NS)

kkslider5552000

I've been trying (very, very slowly) to play the modern Kirby games in order of release. Kirby's one of the only series I actively want to own every game in the series, and right now I'm nearing doing everything in Planet Robobot. And I plan on playing the remaining 3DS games (including the mostly redundant eShop "expansions" of the minigames) before the year is over. At some point I'll also get around to playing Pinball Land and Star Stacker, which were two of the only older Kirby games I didn't have so I downloaded them before Nintendo started shutting things down.

I have a few other games not yet played so even if I don't buy any other 3DS games, I'll probably be playing 3DS, here and there, for a good long while.

Non-binary, demiguy, making LPs, still alive

Megaman Legends 2 Let's Play!:
LeT's PlAy MEGAMAN LEGENDS 2 < Link to LP

GreenTea

@Ralizah Yeah, SMT IV went farther into the horror aspect than I expected, I had the Tokyo reveal spoiled before playing the game but it's still quite a shocker, also, that moment when you finally unlock the overworld map and that bangin' Tokyo theme kicks in? Incredible. I knew I was going to love the game the moment it happened, and it's basically the reason I insisted Eagly go in as unspoiled as possible. The moment when you reach Blasted Tokyo is also incredible, even if I'm still a bit confused about it. I personally don't mind tonal shifts in games that much so as long as they're done well Apocalypse could totally reach the same heights, but I'll see.

I totally agree about the alignement system's issues. Fun fact, I actually didn't get the Chaos ending first, I actually got the Annihilation ending. the one where you decide not to pick a side in front of the White Ones
I was trying my best to reach the neutral ending, and I ended up with this fittingly empty feeling ending, which also happened to be brutally unsatisfying. So I ended up reloading the game and going with the "least bad" ending, only to learn later that I met the requirements to reach the neutral ending, but the way to get it is insanely obtuse. I have honestly no idea how anyone could get it on their first try with no guide. It's also pretty annoying to have to go through the game again to get the best ending, I can't imagine what it must be like for completionists. In short, I appreciate what it brings to the game and how it's become part of the series' identity, but I feel like it could easily become kind of stale after a few games of "maybe don't be an a** and try to think about the people's needs next time". The message becomes a bit repetitive after a while, I feel like it should be changed in some capacity, make it another moral dilemma.

When you mentioned the game was more "anime" my mind jumped immediately to Xenoblade Chronicles 2. I'm glad it's not as drastic as that game since Xenoblade 2's change of tone felt pretty jarring to me. And if the characters are fleshed out, it's all good. I'll see by myself though, my expectations are tempered.

The new Hunter's Association track is an absolute bop, damn. If they change enough of the main tracks and bring new battle themes I think I'll be happy with it. Basically, if there's a new Tokyo theme. That's my criteria.

And as much as I'd like to hack my 3ds to play a ton of games on it... at some point, I just kind of want to move on from it. It's a great system, don't get me wrong, I love it, but I only have so much time on my hands and I already have a ton of switch games I'd like to catch up on. I think I might play the last few games I really want to play on it soon and then, move on for a bit. I'll probably get a nostalgia scratch in a few years, but until then, I really don't need to play the entire library.

But now that I think about it, I might have to get a few more games in reserve, while they're still pretty affordable, for when I'll inevitably want to go back to it... the FOMO is kicking in again, isn't it?😅

Edited on by GreenTea

I can't believe comphet killed Bayo

Switch Friend Code: SW-1492-1491-3432

Judal27

@Ralizah in that case, I think I'll start with TGAA. From what I've read around online, people seem to think the 2nd trilogy is weaker than the 1st but it hasn't really dampened my excitement to start it. I'm really looking forward to getting to those one day

And I do! I have it there ready to be played but I absolutely refuse to until I've familiarized myself with the Layton series. Heard good things about it and I am super curious but... it's hard to keep up with all these amazing series 😅

Judal27

Beefcakeyamato

I'm chipping away at a few games when I feel like I'm in the mood. SMT Devil Survivor, Culdcept revolt, fantasy life, epic yarn, and I'm stuck in Dragon quest 7 because I forgot where I was and what I'm supposed to do. and of course its the most non linear I feel like in the series. Looks like you guys are Big Tensei fans which is great. I also have SMT IV but haven't started it yet because I want to finish the survivor games first. but I kind of feel like I'm going with the motions at this point because I don't really like the characters haha

Beefcakeyamato

Ralizah

@kkslider5552000 Reminds me: despite loving the heck out of Planet Robobot, I never played Triple Deluxe. I need to change that.

@GreenTea I feel like Nocturne had the best alignment system in the series, since it was determined by well-defined choices through the game. SMT I was arguably even worse than SMT IV in this respect, though, because the game assigns alignment points for EVERYTHING. Even using certain types of facilities to shop or heal your characters can cause an alignment shift over time. It's nuts. The one thing SMT I did better is that it provides a constant visual representation of which way your alignment is pointing, so you can self-correct and more easily stay neutral. But yeah, it's all sort of a pain, so I didn't mind IV:A

SMT IV and IV: Apocalypse have some of the stronger video game soundtracks I've heard to date. I mean, Mario Galaxy and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and a couple other games are still better, but they're both absolutely top ten for me. Amazing to think about how much people stan Shoji Meguro's work, but Ryota Kozuka's work on the last few SMTs goes totally unappreciated in many quarters.

Given your parameters for the sort of new music you want in IV: Apocalypse, I'll just say I think you'll be very happy with the OST.

I had the SMT IV Tokyo theme and the IV: Apocalypse Underground Shopping Center theme set as custom ringtones for my phone for a long time, so whenever I hear them, my immediate instinct is to reach for my pocket.

@Judal27 The Layton series is pretty awesome as well. And, unlike Ace Attorney, the second trilogy is arguably better than the first. The last mainline game, Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy, almost feels like an interactive Ghibli film at times. It's a pity the series is probably dead forever, but six amazing games isn't a bad run for a series.

Edited on by Ralizah

Currently Playing: Advance Wars 1 + 2: Re- Boot Camp (NS)

XandertheWise

was playing Pokemon Alpha Sapphire little bit late last night and had to check on the online GTS and people were still playing online even though other players were japanese.

I managed to get the frog water pokemon from wonder trading which is pretty cool

XandertheWise

Judal27

@Ralizah yea considering the state of lvl5. It's sad to see but I hope they manage to turn things around. They have a lot of good IPs under them

Thanks for hyping up the last game while I still have yet to even start the 1st game xP. I'll be sure to get to them as soon as I can. But seriously that sounds really cool. They already did a Ghibli jrpg too. Lvl5 seem to make a lot of games with a touch of ghibli

Judal27

Tyranexx

While the Switch certainly rules my castle these days, I still play on my 3DS somewhat regularly. I finished both Professor Layton and The Miracle Mask and Professor Layton and The Azran Legacy last year at different points. I also played through the decent Kirby: Triple Deluxe last month; IMO it's better than Return to Dream Land. I've been gradually trying to catch up on the "better" main series Kirby games (by online consensus) and working my way up to Kirby and the Forgotten Land.

I'm currently playing the charming puzzler Mole Mania on the VC. I'm also seriously debating starting the backlogged Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past before long.

Currently playing: Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr's Journey, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana (Switch)

"Love your neighbor as yourself." Mark 12:31

Bluesaxo

Iam playing detective Pikachu nearly finished It really good game expensive used 15quid UK but worth money. Didn't get a next gen 3ds till 17 . Got ten games I hant started pick them up when good price. Noticed some 3ds games getting expensive

Bluesaxo

Princess_Lilly

Just started Yo Kai watch today after haing it bought a couple of days ago.
It's ok but I don't really see what people saw in it, it's a very simplistic kind of a game, and it already got me bored 1h in.

Princess_Lilly

GreenTea

@Ralizah Gosh I can't believe what that must've been like in SMT I having to factor in every decision like that. I really hope no game in the series decides your ending based on the alignements of the demons you use, I was so worried this was going to be a thing in IV!
I'll play III someday, so I'm looking forward to these improved alignements you dare speak of.

And yeah, god-tier music, fittingly. As much as I love the Persona soundtracks, Ryota Kozuka is wildly underrated from IV's OST and the few snippets of V I've heard (I can't wait to play that game to hear the music. It sounded incredible). My guess is that Shoji Meguro's work is more widely regarded because the Persona soundtracks are more... original? Like, I can't think of any other Jrpg with a vocal battle theme, but Persona has plenty of those, and it fits really well with the style. Persona 5 also popularised jazzy tunes in rpgs (and I'm grateful). SMT's soundtracks are amazing too but they don't stray too far away from what you'd expect in comparison to Persona. They still manage to set the tone though, so, maybe if the series was as popular as Persona the ost would get more love.

Also very fitting for a ringtone! You might want to avoid using Boss B2 though

I can't believe comphet killed Bayo

Switch Friend Code: SW-1492-1491-3432

Ralizah

@GreenTea Nocturne's alignments are also more interesting because they're not the standard law/chaos/neutral ones. I mean, one of them is sort of like chaos in its embrace of social darwinism, but otherwise they're most distinct and interesting philosophies, which is a nice break from 'hug god/hug devil/slap god and devil' every entry. Nocturne also has a few really interesting endings, one of which requires quite a bit of work to unlock, but is deservedly memorable and famous when you eventually get to it.

In every other respect, though, I prefer IV/IV:A/V.

Don't get me wrong: I LOVE Meguro's work on Persona 5. And in previous games to a lesser extent (although his remade soundtrack for the PSP release of Persona 1 kinda spoiled the atmosphere of that game; it's like literally everything he does needs to be funky now, which detracts from a game like P1 which has more of a creepy/horror vibe to it). But it's such a shame people dismiss Kozuka's incredible compositions.

And yes, SMT V's soundtrack is top tier. Not as top tier as IV, but still consistently great.

I'll freely admit I'm not a huge fan of Meguro's work on Nocturne, though. Particularly the vocal tracks, which, even in the remake, sort of sound like you're hearing them through a bathroom wall.

While we're on the subject of Atlus composers, though, have you ever played any of the Etrian Odyssey games? If not, at least check out the soundtracks, which were all done by famous composer Yuzo Koshiro.

Edited on by Ralizah

Currently Playing: Advance Wars 1 + 2: Re- Boot Camp (NS)

GreenTea

'hug god/hug devil/slap god and devil'

@Ralizah Perfect summary

I heard that III is pretty light on story, so it's kind of a shame if the alignements are more philosophically varied in this entry and not another. Also before you ask, yes I do hear voices . And I think I've only listened to the main battle theme of III, but I do remember it being overwhelmingly edgy, in a good-but-kinda-terrible sort of way. Could easily become grating after a while, so, paired with random encounters... Yeah, that's gonna be interesting to play, to say the least.

V just seems to have this... vibe... about it all, and I absolutely can't wait to get to it. The music I heard sounded unbelievably good

I really hope SMT gets its own hit game at some point. Like, Persona 5 levels of fame. That way, Kozuka can get his time in the spotlight! It's really sad how SMT just seems to be doomed to live in Persona's shadow, even if it manages to be just as interesting and unique as the latter. Even if V is the franchise's biggest success, it's still pretty lukewarm in comparison to P5, it's kind of crazy. I guess anime really does sell well

Etrian Odyssey is also one of those jrpg series that seems really cool but that I have no idea of whether I'll have the time to play it. I almost picked up Etrian Untold 2 when it was on sale for the last time (so far🤞), and I feel so dumb for not picking it up.

I checked Yuzo Koshiro's resume and I'm proud to say I've played... none of these games. So a lot of new stuff to me. The songs you linked do sound pretty great though, I'll give the soundtracks a listen if I don't end up playing the games.

Speaking of which, if I buy one of the Etrian Odysseys before they're literally gone forever apparently (I hate this haha), which one do you recommend, as like, the ultimate Etrian Odyssey to end all Odysseys? Honestly the biggest draw to the series for me is the fact that you can draw out the map on the touch screen, that sounds like something that can't be quite replicated on modern consoles, or even emulation. Also the music too, I like cool music.

Edited on by GreenTea

I can't believe comphet killed Bayo

Switch Friend Code: SW-1492-1491-3432

Bluesaxo

@ComfyAko I bought this game too hant started yet as trying finish detective Pikachu. Have you seen the TV series? It was on Netflix in UK . Really good how I come across the game. I've bought games played a hour thought this bad then played some more and thought it ok . Hopefully it gets better for you. Try finding TV show if hant seen it

Bluesaxo

Bluesaxo

@GreenTea agree with green tea defientley physical all the way. No youtube collector but like my games physical only keep what I replay. Plus in years to come go up in value not that iam keeping them for a profit. Pass them onto my kids if get to 60 n lose interest in video games

Bluesaxo

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