Topic: Unpopular Gaming Opinions

@NEStalgia Yeah, i've played almost all of the Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi games and not a single one stuck with me as well as Seven Stars. The setting, characters, the soundtrack. It really bums me out that it doesnt get any representation in things like Smash. I assume its an issue of rights between Square and Ninty

@NEStalgia Intelligent Systems' PM series has a pretty hit-miss track record but I'd say Fire Emblem is still pretty up there. It may be an SRPG but it's still pretty notable

@TheFrenchiestFry I agree. XV is definitely unlike any other game in the series. Especially due to the open world design of the game.

And yeah, Earthbound... I don't want to say it sucks, but I think people overvalue it. I think it'd be forgettable if you removed the quirky aspects of the game. It leans hard on being weird, which has made it a cult classic. And, fair enough, but that's not enough for me to like it.

@NEStalgia You might not have bothered with gambits much (I can't IMAGINE continually pausing that game and directing them to do stuff every battle; sounds tedious as hell), but that system is still utterly unlike anything else in the JRPG genre that I know of. It's much more like a WRPG or MMORPG in that regard. Ditto with the grounded storyline that doesn't hang its hat on traditional JRPG tropes (in this regard, the only similar FF game that comes to mind is FF Tactics, which is also set in Ivalice, as I recall). The monster hunting side-quests are also pretty unique for the series AND genre.

In general, it's a very unique JRPG, and an UTTERLY unique FF entry.

XIII's biggest problem for me is that the characters are all very unlikable and unmemorable. You have generic teenage girl (Vanille), douchey guy who wears a beanie (Snow), the whiny kid whose name I'm not going to bother looking up, post-op Cloud (Lightning), black dude who lets a Chocobo nest in his afro whose name I can't recall either, etc. I've never played a game in this series where I immediately felt disdain or disinterest in almost every character I met.

Combine that with the terrible storytelling and naming conventions (which recall bad fantasy novels filled with unpronounceable fantasy words), completely on-rails pacing early on, and weird battle system, and you get what it easily the most disappointing entry in the series.

I'm a little sad at the Earthbound criticisms but I s'pose this is the unpopular opionion thread. Although there seem to be more people lately saying it's overrated than not, which feels like a reaction to it's popularity in the last few years.

Ya gotta take it for what it is: it's a SNES game from '95. For the generation there aren't many games like it (matter a fact, I defy you to mention a single other game from the era with as much personality as Earthbound). Sure if you strip away the quirky personality you'd have rudimentary dragon quest....BUT WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT? ITS AN RPG THEY'RE ALL LIKE THAT.

I played Earthbound like 2 years ago, I feel confident in saying its obviously better than most JRPGS of its era, barring its lack of a cohesive narrative and a couple of less fun quirks (mostly related to item management). The rolling hit points alone make Earthbound battles more interesting and dynamic and fun than like Breath of Fire 2 or the SNES FF games at the very least. and a lot of the time they're way better at not wasting your time too. For the most part, Earthbound was a really enjoyable experience.

I love both games, but in terms of pure gameplay, both are mediocre compared Mario and Luigi's gameplay. I'm being hyperbolic of course, but there's at the very least, a slight bit of awkwardness or lack of polish in SMRPG and both Paper Marios (though more 64, much as I adore that game) when you actually compare regular battle gameplay in all three (especially with the vastly more dynamic defense moves in MandL).

Personally, I liked Sonic Forces and I disagree with the popular opinion on the game being mediocre. Played it when I first got my Switch, honestly, I just enjoyed the game after playing it (Sonic Forces, Splatoon 2, and Super Mario Odyssey were my first Switch games).

Visual novels have actually became one of my favorite genres of games to play, and it left me with some of the most memorable story experiences I've ever played. Tokyo School Life is still one of my favorite Switch games, and it's a visual novel.

Mario and Luigi is quite different from the first two Paper Marios IMO. The former is more action-based, so it's more about being "good" than being smart (at least in theory you can go through the entire game without losing any health). The latter is more strategy-based (action commands are usually quite simple like mashing a button or timing it properly), so it's the opposite.

@Snaplocket Exactly - How many of those are swords and sorcery? Trials of Mana wasn't released in the US even. And Panel de Pon? Tetris Attack? C'mon son.

The only one you listed that has a totally unique setting is Mario RPG. I'll add a few: Chrono Trigger and Robotrek.

After thinking about it (and realizing I didnt specify RPGs in my original post) I'd include the DKC trio and Kirby Superstar. I still think Earthbound pushes more boundaries than those games, but they can be kinda out there too.

@Ralizah
I have FF XIII PS3 despite i knew it wasn't the best FF in my opinion but the Final Boss Orphan (1st form) looks very cool in Giant Sword form with Minerva on the left, Barthandelus on the right and their "son" Orphan in the middle. The Battle music, Barthandelus theme and Orphan theme were so epic but the gameplay was boooring...!

Just to refresh your memory about FF XIII.
Lightning (aka Claire) the Cloud FF VII female version.
Snow the mixture of Zell FF VIII with Seifer FF VIII style jacket.
Sazh the Afro gunslinger with mini Chocobo in his Afro hair.
Hope the teen version of Sora with White hair and whiny attitudes.
Oerba Yun Vanille the happy go lucky of Selphie FF VIII
Oerba Yun Fang the female version of Kain FF IV with Yuna FF X-2 gunner sash (i guess)

I tried Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga for a bit and found it... tedious. And utterly lacking the more charming qualities I'd associate with the Paper Mario brand. Although I would agree that TTYD isn't really an amazing RPG. It's a very well-written game that's a lot of fun, but there's definitely not a ton of mechanical depth there, and the environments outside of dungeons/buildings suck and are very hallway-like. I don't think any of this really detracts from the game for me, though: I don't go into a Mario RPG expecting something hardcore.

Oh, and as NL's reviewer found out, Super Mario All-Stars kind of sucks.

It's great fun tipping over these sacred cows!

@Anti-Matter Ah. I don't even remember that last character, oddly enough.

And yeah, the music WAS pretty good. FF music is almost always good.

Hm?

@kkslider5552000 i forget about the rolling hp meters actually. I've never seen anything like that in a game since. I really like that there arent any random battles in it either, and if you're strong enough you immediately win. Even though I love RPGs the combat usually drags for me. I enjoy the sense of adventure much more.

I'm glad you enjoyed your time Earthbound. I often wonder if it's outclassed by contemporary games like Undertale.

I wouldn't go that far, but its definitely overpraised. Reading the comments here you'd think it'd be some large difference between the originals and All Stars, when in reality its the same games with some redrawn sprites, lots of colors, and parallax backgrounds. With minor changes here and there and a save feature (which in an age of save states doesn't make that big of a difference).

Most of it is nice (even if I'm not a fan of the SMB1 physics changes or how non imitating Bowser looks in SMB1), but is it infinitely superior to the originals? No. The NES versions still play great and All Stars doesn't really do that much to improve it (past the maze chimes in SMB1 and LL and making it easier to access World A in LL).

Also I see a few comments on flicker in the review, I can't remember that at all being a significant issue in any of the games (unlike the Mega Man games).

@Toy_Link I haven't even touched All-Stars yet. There really isn't any reason too, as all the games are on the Online Service already. I personally think the graphics make them look worse, but that's probably just my nostalgia taking over

@Losermagnet undertale is specifically Mother inspired though. Though i dislike undertale.

I agree about enjoying the adventure more than the battles. That's why i don't love Bravely and Octopath. They have minimal adventure, it's all about the big boss battles. There are rpg fans that just eat up the battle stats, but it isn't me.

@Ralizah @Anti-Matter I much prefer "Chocofro".

It's Sazh. The only likable character in the entire game. . Lightning really was designed as "girl cloud", and snow... I mean a beanie. A #$#$@-ing beanie.... All he needs is a beer bong and varsity jacket and he's all set.

BUT - the sequels make it more interesting. Anime Wesley Crusher becomes not supremely annoying and -=NEW=- Snow actually becomes, dare i say it, kinda awesome.

WoFF has that beautiful scene where Snow makes fun of himself though...

But yeah, the characters...sazh is cool and likable. Wesley is annoying, vanille is fan service. Fang of kinda cool. Lightning is better in 7R. Serahs bland but ok (sequels, obviously) but the annoying characters are so annoying and the story so pretentiously self referential without explanation that is was a turn off. The rails part isn't so bad in hindsight. Playing without expectations makes it a much better game. Even a great game. Just but the structure of an ff mainline game anyone expected.

Awww i was thinking seven stars was in nso.... But it's not. I guess i was thinking of wiiu which isn't hooked up anymore. Bummer.

@NEStalgia yeah I can't get excited about Undertale. It's fine. If I could've gone into it blind maybe I'd feel differently. I ended up feeling like it was this drawn out metaphor that climaxed in a fourth wall break. I think how I feel about Undertale = how some others feel about Earthbound.

If I'm being honest with myself, I didn't like Octopath much either. It was 2018 and a bit of a slow release year so I played it anyway. But I rarely, if ever, care about "builds" in RPGs. Maybe I'm just getting older, but I think "whats the point?". I don't want to spend a lot of time on something that I won't even remember in a year. Life's too short to spend time MIN MAX-ing. I'd rather go places and interact with characters.

I thought Mario RPG was on nso, too. I may be mixing that up with the SNES classic.

Undertale did get a really bad case of everything about it being obnoxiously unavoidable. I personally just found it to be less purely a case of 4th wall break fest (though maybe my favorite segment was heavily based in that) and more an internet nerd, 2010s update of what made Earthbound so endearing. I actually got lucky in that I got into the game via the demo, BEFORE IT CAME OUT, and avoided almost all talk about it until I beat it, which undoubtedly helped.

@Apportal
I only have a problem with the graphics in SMB1 and LL, it would've been neat to have the enemy designs be based off the original hand drawn Miyamoto box art instead of more colorful versions of the original off model sprites.

Or at least hold off on having eyes on everything in the first SMB if they wanted to stay close to the original sprites,

Also why pink bloopers?

@Losermagnet Octopath, i played the demo and was honestly enthralled and couldn't wait for the full game. Even got the LE with the pop-up book and all.

Then i played the full game and quickly regretted it. I knew it was the same team as Bravely, but it's a copy paste of the annoying formula of Bravely but with a feel and design of SaGa. Only somehow even more constrained. The demo felt like the start of a great journey but the full game was just that same loop of grinding in a tiny, uninteresting dungeon or wilderness for the main purpose of fighting boss battles that go on for 40 minutes (and if you fail, start again!). Both it and Bravely aren't full rpgs they're boss battle rushes disguised as an rpg with lots of flourish. I agree, "builds" never interested me in rpgs... It's always about the adventure.

Of course that contects to an unpopular opinion: Boss battles suck. I hate them. Always have, always will. Each is a massive difficulty spike that takes you out of the gameplay loop that is the reason you want to play the game to begin with. I'm a game like Mario or Zelda theyre fine because their typically not difficult, are brief, and failure isn't a huge time waste (in modern games. Curse nes/snes era game overs). But games that make high stress, high stakes battles that take "preparation" and sinking team world time that's lost if you fail..... Hate it!

@kkslider5552000 earthbound had the charm of naievete and sincerity. Underpass hits you over the head with meme culture, cynicism, and screams "zomg were being subversive, yo!" Throughout the whole game. And, honestly the gameplay feels like it's fighting the player. Which it is. Because it's sooo subversive. It also needs a beanie, beer bong, and varsity jacket.