Topic: The Chit-Chat Thread

It's finally here! Went ahead and got the amiibos, too. I wish they came out on my birthday though.

Edit: Apologies if the lighting's somewhat poor.

Edit 2: Does anybody know CyberWYX from the Nintendo Life boards? I got a friend request.

@Heavyarms55 We can dream, right? I'd also like N64 and GBA support! Thankfully my experience with those platforms isn't quite as lacking. The Wii U VC and 3DS remasters helped with the former, and I did own a GBA but did miss out on quite a few decent games back in the day.

My shiny drought in Pokemon Go finally ended today, but it was a shiny Magikarp of all things lol. I was desperate for one once, but Community Days have a way of dampening that excitement....

@Anti-Matter The two Star Fox SNES games I tried were okay overall, but they definitely haven't aged well; I'm sure they would've left more of an impression on me if I'd played them back in the day (well, the first game, as the second wasn't officially released until the SNES Classic). I'm giving the series one more chance with Star Fox 64 3D on 3DS, but if I end up not caring for that game....I don't think I'll play any other Star Fox entries. Other than Star Fox Adventures, but that's more of an action/adventure game vs. an on-rails shooter.

@MarioLover92 I also didn't feel Tropical Freeze was worth picking up again just for an easy mode. As for the NSMB games, I've played both the DS original and the Wii U variant. I haven't played the Wii or 3DS entries at all, though ironically NSMB was a lucky gift mistake as I'd asked for NSMB2. XD In hindsight I'm glad I didn't get 2 since the coin thing seems way too gimmicky.

There were a few things that put me off of Pikmin 3:

• The time limit: I don't mind time limits in games in and of themselves, such as how the mechanic is used in Majora's Mask, but I absolutely hate feeling rushed in gathering games.
• The Pikmin AI: These things...aren't that bright. I'd draw a clear, concise path over a log or something, and if I had enough of them, some of them (the ones who couldn't swim) would fall into the water or into the chasm they were crossing....
• The controls: Less of an issue, but an update to the Wii U version forced the game to start with touch controls. Not a big deal once it allows you to change to a different scheme in the settings, but my first impression of the game was...awkward, to say the least. I'm a leftie, and it was clear they designed the touch control UI with the other ~90% in mind.
• The final boss: While this is a clear evaluation of all the skills and tactics you pick up in the game up to this point, this battle REALLY drags on. I found it to be a frustrating battle of attrition vs. a real challenge.

I'd be willing to try a new Pikmin entry, but I definitely have no interest in picking up the rest of the series for now.

Love the 3D World swag + amiibo!

@ThanosReXXX I appreciate subs in movies like that; it gives a more natural feel to the action in my book. I hold the movies I mentioned in high regard.

So German dubs during your stint in Deutschland sounded pretty off, huh? I've seen a couple of badly done foreign dubs and totally get where you're coming from. On one hand, I understand why it's done, but on the other, as you mentioned, it is SO jarring sometimes....

I'm familiar with Alf as a character, but I've never really watched the show. I'm almost tempted to look up German-speaking Alf now...almost.

As an aside, is German beer all it's cracked up to be? I'm not fond of most things that pass as "beer" here; the only exceptions are a local stout I tried once and Yuengling when I was out in Philly a few years ago. Canned beers are a definite nope. :nauseated_face:

@Tyranexx
I saw the gameplay of Starfox Adventures was much like Ratchet & Clank, more 3D platforming less on rails shooter.
That was something that i can do, i have played quite a lot 3D platformer recently.
I will consider that game from Ebay after my order DDR SuperNOVA PS2 USA (also from Ebay) already arrived.

@MarioLover92 The box art is hot might need to skip out on the digital.

@PokemonGirl99 raisin hand.

@PokemonGirl99 My nephew watched that when he was little. For me, childhood shows were the old Sonic cartoons, Sailor Moon, and the old Pokemon Kanto ones. If anything, I think I'm watching more cartoons being older. Just find them to be a more enjoyable form of entertainment.

More recently, been watching TrollsTopia (I love the movies) and Sofia the First, the latter more since it could eventually be removed from Netflix thanks to Disney+ existing.

@MarioLover92 Have fun. May wait for my birthday to get a copy of the game. For now, I have the game downloaded on my Wii U, so I'll just play that until then. Recently, I started playing Super Mario 3D Land on 3DS, and having a great time with it so far. It's been in my backlog for some time too.

@Tyranexx NSMB on the DS was awesome when I first played it, and I still have a soft spot for it. When it came out, it had been years since we got a new 2D Mario game. Its level design was solid and I even liked the boss battles - they were quite different from the Koopalings in the later games. I've played all the NSMB games and I can definitely tell you that NSMB2 is...not that great. I like the coin idea, but I wish they did more with it. (Like unlocking secret levels, new game plus, new characters, etc.) There are some good levels here and there, and Coin Rush mode is pretty fun in short bursts, but overall it's the weakest Mario platformer. Also, for a game that encourages players to get a million coins, it sure has a lousy "reward" for doing just that. So you're not missing out on much by skipping it.

Thanks! I HAD to get the amiibos, lol. Not only do I love Mario, but I love cats, too. That's just one reason why SM3DW is one of my favorite Mario games.

@Tyranexx Oh, God. Please don't. You'll hate me forever. Forget that I ever mentioned it. I did because it was basically the epitomy of what I had to deal with over there, seeing as the sitcom Alf was very popular back in the day, both in the Netherlands and Germany. There's plenty of other series or movies I could have chosen, but that was the only one that was on almost every day.

And yes, German beer is darn good. A lot of countries around my current place of residence have good beer: Germany, Belgium, Denmark and of course the UK.

P.S.

Keep reading, because what comes next might also trigger you into listing it as your next must-watch anime...

@TheJGG Well, you'll be happy to know that I watched "Your Name" this afternoon. I initially intended to watch part of it, and then get on with my day, but once I got into the story, I couldn't stop watching, and after I watched it, I ordered the Blu-ray from my local online web shop, so that oughta tell you enough. Thanks for the recommendation. I can't believe I missed this, especially what with all the accolades this movie has received from various media.

My conclusion is that it's really a must-have for anime lovers. Absolutely amazing art style and coloring. Those backdrops are simply gorgeous, almost every frame is a painting in and of itself.

And what I always appreciate about a lot of the more A-list anime, is that even though they do use 3D computer-aided animation sometimes, the combination always feels natural, and is never jarring. Compare that to a lot of western released material, which just doesn't come close. And there's a lot of stuff that I like to watch, although with Western releases, it's mostly super hero related.

But even in those, the quality is SO much lower, that I always wonder why that is, because it could add so much more to the experience. I suppose Western animators have simply fully embraced computer generated animation instead of traditional 2D, and as such, those kinds of animations do get better each year, but Western 2D animation is hopelessly outdated, especially when compared to the visual mastery of Studio Ghibli.

I watched the original Japanese version, by the way, with English subs. For my first run, I wouldn't want to spoil the experience by immediately going for the dubbed version. I always go for the original first, except with Princess Mononoke, but that was basically out of my control, because the English language version was the only one that was released in cinemas over here.

The movie was longer than you said, though: even without the end credits rolling, it was still well over 100 minutes in total, so either you watched a cut version, or you made a mistake there. But ultimately, I didn't mind. We're in lock down anyways, so it's not like I had anywhere to go, and I'd already done all my grocery shopping yesterday, so I'm good for the weekend and the week to come...

DISCLAIMER: readers other than TheJGG, don't click on the spoilers if you still want to watch this movie

Perhaps I should tag @Heavyarms55 in here to take a peek at the spoilered part of my comment, because as our resident experience expert, where Japanese society is concerned, he might be able to shed some light on my musings.

Anyways, I'll just put up a trailer of "Your Name" for anyone who's interest has been piqued by the mention of this simply wonderful anime movie.

P.S.

The art style and coloring kind of reminded me of another masterpiece that I simply MUST recommend to you. It's called "5 Centimeters Per Second", and it's in a similar vein to "Your Name".
Here's a trailer:

@Anti-Matter Yep, I think Star Fox Adventures will suit my tastes more overall. It originally was a standalone game unrelated to the Star Fox series; its working title was Dinosaur Planet before it was converted to a Star Fox game, with a different playable character. It was a GameCube game, and those usually aren't cheap these days. Plus I don't currently have a means to play GameCube titles.

@MarioLover92 I remember having a REALLY fun time with NSMB. I loved the power-ups, levels, and the tight platforming! Many of the mini-games were fun too. I had played Super Mario 3D Land a year or so before playing it, but having a 2D Mario platformer on the go was a novelty; I missed out on a lot of the handheld Mario games before that point. I didn't touch the Super Mario Land series until it rolled onto the 3DS VC, though I do recall playing one of the Wario Land titles on the bus for some kid one time (don't recall which one it was). I also think I've played some of Super Mario Bros. Deluxe, but I don't remember where. I just know I didn't own it lol. The only problem with the mini-games is that some were also used for Super Mario 64 DS (Which I know actually came first, but I played them out of order), and I believe they were one of the reasons why I wore out on the game quickly.

NSMB 2 always felt a bit gimmicky to me; the only reason I asked for it was because I was a poor college student at the time and wanted something new to play without paying for it. XD Sounds like they didn't even use the coin gimmick to its full potential.

Ah, so we have something else in common! I too like felines.

@ThanosReXXX Duly noted on German-speaking Alf. I'll save my eyes and ears.

Excellent beer in your parts, you say? It's possible I just haven't tried the right kind of beer. I've always been more of a wine and fruity drinks type of person. I've tried some of the hard stuff too, but a little of it straight goes a LONG way....Ick.

On Your Name: Wow, definitely an intriguing trailer! Something else I need to pencil in on my lengthy watch list, it seems.

It's dangerous to go alone!
Take this.

@Tyranexx
Wow, never knew if Starfox Adventures was a Dinosaur Planet by Rare. 😮
That's explaining the drastic change of gameplay style from on rails shooter to 3D Adventure games.

@Tyranexx Yeah between the New Year's shiny Magikarp event in 2019/20 in SW/SH and the community day I don't need any more golden fish. XD (did I ever mention on here what I did that night?)

But hey, at least it's trade fodder right? I got another shiny jigglypuff at random yesterday. I never say no to a shiny but... There are quite few others I'd like before a 3rd green eye'd Jiggly... trade fodder for me!

Back on retro consoles. I actually have a Gamecube still hooked up, and a few different ways to play classic GBA and N64 titles. But none would be as ideal as having the titles on Switch! Something that, right after they announced the Switch, I was clamoring for! And something I really legitimately did expect to happen. Legacy content support on Switch - at least for the systems I feel nostalgic for - is highly lacking...

@ThanosReXXX So to start with, I agree that "Your Name" is an absolutely spectacular anime film. One of the best stand alone anime movies around easily.

So to start with, you point out as your put it the "sadistic or sexist" stuff sometimes seen in anime, and also Japanese people being "demure, shy or reserved in their emotions" or "almost distant". The simple thing is this, anime isn't a genre, it's a medium. Calling anime a genre would be like calling prose a genre. It's just far too broad. So you'll get your ecchi (pervy) content, you'll get your action stories, your romantic comedies and sci-fi etc etc... any of that can be anime. I've seen historical fiction anime and even read educational manga. I once came across a children's manga of the Bible in a Japanese hotel. It was kind of adorable and creepy at the same time and I still kinda want an anime adaptation. XD

And the nature of anime, being animated in a style that generally does not try for photo realism, gives the freedom for authors to be more extravagant or ridiculous. The so-called uncanny valley is much less of a problem in anime.

Back on point, it's less that Japanese people are shy or distant, but, generally speaking, private and more serious about relationships. In my time in Japan, I knew of no one who had flings or casual relationships. (I'm sure if happens but not remotely like I've seen in the US! Hell my cousin is only 2 years older than me an on her second baby daddy!) But people do show that sort of affection and when they do, socially speaking, it means they are much more serious about each other. And behaving that way when you aren't serious about the other person I think is comparatively more rude and hurtful that most people in the west see it. And they are more private. Those moments are important and they are theirs. They aren't for other people to gawk at.

Overall though, I was surprised that "Your Name" did as well as it did outside of Japan, because it is a very Japanese story. There's a good bit in that movie that I imagine went over a lot of people's heads outside of Japan. I'm sure I missed some stuff too, even having lived there. Because I wasn't raised there.

@ThanosReXXX First, I'm glad you took my word on just how good that movie was. And don't feel bad about missing this movie for over four years, I was prone to that exact same mistake. Either way it's good we both saw this movie at all, instead of going on without it. Might sound a little cliché but I feel like Your Name has somewhat changed my outlook on... well, everything. I can't quite describe it, but it's had a very positive effect.

I've come to the following conclusions after only seeing three Japanese films, all of which have some aspect of CGI use, which was secondary to traditional methods; these kinds of films are at times equal, or better than traditional Disney films. Ghibli films, and I assume a few from Makoto Shinkai, are unafraid of things such as violence, legitimate and authentic stories and romances, and real adventures. Thing with a traditional anime art style is that it can be really expressive. Of course there's a lot of merits to subtle expression, but there's a nice... feel to open expression.

I was a little surprised at the amount of blood there was in Princess Mononoke, but it didn't feel out of place, and didn't devalue the experience. It was a beautifully animated, unafraid film depicting the perpetuity of man versus nature. Same applies with Taki's... fondling whenever he wakes up in Mitsuha's body.

The use of CGI is just sublime. I can notice when it's being used, such as in the opening sequence when there's a really fast shot through the city of Tokyo. In Princess Mononoke the demon tendrils on Ashitaka are also CGI, and that feels natural enough to not distract someone watching. And I agree that the art direction in Your Name is too beautiful to describe. My jaw dropped so low when I saw the night shot of the meteor streaking across the sky. Oh my god, I want that frame hung on my wall. Just... amazing.

Mentioning an American CG studio in the same post as Your Name is an insult to Your Name. But I have to say it anyways; Your Name makes billion-dollar grossing movies by [only] Illumination, look like the biggest waste of time that could ever be conceived in the history of entertainment. Watching Your Name and Princess Mononoke made me realise just how much love, passion and energy is put into a single movie, and thinking about any of Illumination's films makes me want to throw up. I'm sorry for this paragraph, but I hate their movies.

Length? Yeah, my mistake. It was just under 100 minutes excluding credits, and I looked up the full movie length, and I watched the uncut version indeed. Sometimes the movie felt like it dragged but other times it couldn't have passed slower.

Anyways, super glad you enjoyed it.

@Heavyarms55 I was in Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, in August, and when I finished seeing his birthplace, I entered the gift shop and saw manga adaptations of many of his original works. I thought to myself at the time, "why would someone make a manga version of Othello or Macbeth?!" but if people endorse the creation of a manga Holy Bible, I can't feel surprised about it at all.

I found out just after seeing Your Name that J.J. Abrams is producing a live-action adaptation of it, set in the US. The story of Your Name is so deeply rooted in Japanese culture that setting any potential remake (or reimagining or whatever they call it) in the US would be no better than making the film without any kind of licensing. If anything that probably would have been a better strategy, to develop the scenario without striking a deal with Toho and Makoto Shinkai, because people wouldn't compare it to Your Name until trailers drop.

I might be wrong but I have almost absolute faith that this movie is going to be really bad. I can't expect much from it, because one of the factors that made it work was the fact that it was an anime film. I want it to succeed because it'll expose the original film to more audiences, but at the same time I want it to fail, so that it'll enhance the image of the original.

@Tyranexx... get to it! Let's make it a quartet of critical analysis Chit-Chatters!

Every year my church has us form into groups to make skits and the best one gets a lot of candy. FYI my church has a lot of kids who do plays and musicals and stuff, while I’m just a nerd who hardly gets outta the house. My group won the whole thing, and SOMEHOW I got the best actor award. I was basically a really nerdy Elon Musk. It was pretty fun and cool that I was the best👍

@TheJGG J.J. Abrams? And set in the US? Please excuse me, I need to puke. That is a terrible idea!

Doing a US live action movie based on the general plot of Your Name is a good idea. Literally adapting Your Name is probably a terrible idea.

Recently, i played Level-5 3DS games (Yokai Watch Blaster White Dog Squad, Fantasy Life) after long hiatus.
I registered Yokai Watch 1, 2 , Sangokushi on my purchase list for next purchase.
Still looking for Yokai Watch 3 PAL version from Ebay (I found one from Ebay but it was French language 😣)
For Sangokushi, well.... I should watch the walkthrough video from AbdallahSmash.
I should download the updates first from eshop USA and Japan before 3DS eshop closed down.
Is anyone still play Yokai Watch 3DS games ?

@Tyranexx Well, I couldn't agree more with @TheJGG: you definitely should put it on your list, because it's a wonderful, endearing experience, with stellar artistry that will stay with you for quite a while after the credits have rolled.

Oh, and again: be sure to keep reading, more anime mentions coming up. Just don't hit the spoilers until you've actually seen "Your Name"...

@Heavyarms55 Thanks for answering the call, hope you're still doing fine out there. As for anime: you're absolutely right of course, so point taken. There's SO many genres that you can't just compare them 1:1, but my point was more that these sentiments/views seemingly are a part of Asian society/way of thinking, so both the demure and the (in our Western view) sometimes overly risqué or even lewd sexism and sadism. And they're VERY good at expressing the latter two through the media of manga and anime.

So, what I was wondering about, or what was basically kind of annoying me was that after the whole 1,5 hour build up of the movie, that it ends on such a relatively unspectacular note. If two people are SO invested in finding each other, with all the hefty emotions coupled with that fact, how could it simply end on "hey, I thought I recognized you"? In a Western movie, they'd run at each other, hugging, kissing, whatever. Even just an embrace would have been a nice ending, but now it just felt kind of unfinished. How could they NOT fly into each other's arms? Here, viewer. Go fill in the blanks yourself, while we end the movie in a very modest way...

On a side note: I'd be interested to find out more about those parts of the movie that might have (will have) escaped our notice, because of us not being aware of certain cultural or societal aspects, so if you're up for it, I'd definitely want to know. Be sure to put them behind spoilers, though...

@TheJGG With your "dislike" for Illumination, I immediately wonder how you feel about Pixar. Their movies are successful after all, so they must be doing something right...

Glad we see eye to eye on the ending, though. I'm not asking for much, just something a bit more in line with the build up would have been nice. Or rather: nicer, because the entire experience was already very entertaining and engrossing as it is.

On a side note: now that you've mentioned it, and come to think of it, I'd probably also do some "grabbing" if I suddenly found myself having woken up in the body of a woman. Might even have to grab a loooong shower.

Anyways, on to the next, then. By the way, along with "Your Name", I ordered a couple more animes on Blu ray. Not that I intended to, but the web shop had a "3 for €25" discount offer, while on its own, the movie would have cost me €17.99, so it was kind of a no-brainer.

The other movies I bought were "Weathering with You", "The Wind Rises", "When Marnie Was There", "Arrietty the Borrower" and because there weren't any other interesting anime discounts, I added Marvel's Venom. So, all in all, 6 Blu Ray movies for 50 bucks, which would have otherwise cost me around a 100 bucks.

The majority of the anime movies are also from Studio Ghibli, by the way, so you may definitely want to look into them.

As for J.J. Abrams: I fully have to agree with @Heavyarms55. I'd hate to see such a beautiful, intrinsically Japanese love story to be whitewashed, aka "Hollywood-ized", but if plans are already laid out, it's probably going to happen anyways. Memories of Ghost in the Shell immediately come to mind. While I simply LOVE Scarlett Johansson, I hated how they more or less the simply brilliant anime feature.

I always wonder where exactly Abrams went wrong. He's not a bad director per se, and he is someone that in general has the best intentions. I've been a fan of his TV shows for many years, but after he moved on towards making feature films, there has been a LOT of hit and miss, even though some of it is still entertaining in its own right, but not necessarily good enough to stand out or respectful enough towards or faithful enough compared to the original stories/movies.

Maybe that's what Hollywood does to an initially decent director. It's probably the dollar signs. Go big or go home, or something to that extent. You probably have to be a real stubborn SoB to be able to stand up to all of that, and that's more than likely why we only have a handful of highly revered directors in the first place. Most of the other "would be greats" or "have been greats" have already long since fallen from their marble pedestals...

Oh, well. Moving on. I'll be looking forward to your review of Ninja Scroll: The Movie...

@Anti-Matter Ha, you didn't know about Star Fox Adventures' origin story? I guess that makes sense, seeing as far as I know, you don't have an N64 in your console collection.

It's an interesting story, though, so if you want to know more about it, then you might want to watch this video, which tells the story of how an independent N64 game became a Star Fox game on the GameCube:

@ThanosReXXX
Actually i prefer Star Fox Adventures as 3D action games rather than on rails shooter style Star Fox games as i have quite a lot experiences from playing Ratchet & Clank games. And to see Star Fox games always featuring the four anthro animals (Fox McCloud, Slippy, Falco, Peppy Hare), i really wish i can use any of them as 3D Action games rather than on rails shooter games
(i still terrible at on rails shooting games).
They have good looking for 3D action games, especially Falco and Fox.
I heard Star Fox Assault was half on rails shooter, half 3D action games (Fox walked on the ground), was that true ?