Dark_Isatari

Why are people so keen to figure out things early? Who cares?

@ScalenePowers I was a huge fan of GBA Tactics Ogre: Knight of Lodis, and had always wanted to play through more of the series or see what the more well-known original T.O. was like. I was pumped for the NS release so I could finally try it! And... yeah it isn't as good. The branching story paths is interesting, but I feel like the GBA game is more strategic and more fun. I guess I can't deny that it's been a disappointment but it is still mildly fun... enough for me to revisit it now and again. I assume I'll finish it some day. It's good to hear I'm not alone there!

Took a game break after finishing the Zelda Oracles to catch up on some other things; this week have just jumped back into Tactics Ogre: Reborn. This has been a real “off again, on again” game for me, getting 1-2 dozen hours between other games. Once I lose interest again Y’s X is up next.

The Deku hopping and Zora swimming are diminished, but in other regards I think the 3D version improves everything

I loved Symphonia, hated Symphonia 2, and was bored by the first 2 hours of Tales of Hearts on DS. I was excited to get Vesperia, (which I'd understood to be one of the better entries) on sale a few years back, but unfortunately, after finishing Vesperia I decided this series is probably not for me.
The story didn't land with me and I felt like I was finishing it as a chore rather than because I wanted to see what would happen or explore the world. Maybe some day I'll try another one, but for now I'm thinking Symphonia was the exception for me.

I need a poll answer “No, but I’d like to”

Looks like my kind of game! Though no combat might get a little too simplistic, idk. I guess it worked for Celeste.
I’d like to get this one.

@contractcooker I removed my previous comment for fear it could have been violating rule f. To your point, I think it would be best if the parameters of appropriateness were clearly defined, as I’ve often found it to be applied quite arbitrarily. The challenge is that people end up finding loopholes if you do so, to imply heinous things without technically violating anything.

My view on the topic at hand is that I tend to cool on characters propped up as a “representation” of something. It suddenly makes them one-dimensional and I start looking at them as a vessel for a message rather than a character to know.

I’ve finally finished the DQ3 remake , and am ready for something lighter before starting Y’s X, so maybe just a little Mario or Sonic this weekend, and reading Stormlight. I’ll jump in to Y’s or Tunic next weekend.

I do think it kills the fun of a proper reveal

@KrustyKoopa I want to argue with you because I love HK but I don’t see why people like Metroid so much so I guess I’m the inverse of your position.
I do love Fusion, and Dread and Zero Mission were fine. Super I didn’t much care for and that’s what everyone loves. Sometimes a beloved game just doesn’t strike the right chord with you.

@Manxman64 nobody talks about Celeste anymore like they do for HK. It was my 2nd or 3rd game on the switch and I’ve never gone back to it after that first run

@nocdaes this is the best take I’ve seen so far.
All those ports like Fortnite, Witcher, Arkham, barely crossed my radar.

I’d swap in SSBU for the extended hype, maybe a Splatoon 2 or 3 (whichever was more impactful?) , and swap Pokémon for an rpg like DQXI, Xenoblade, FE 3 houses, or one of the HD-2D games.

Also, as one who’s tried neither, I thought Dead Cells was more impactful than Hades but no?

Good on Ollie for a very Zelda weekend! I’m touched by his end of Switch BotW sentiment.

For me, it’s attempting to finish Dragonquest III HD-2D. I’ve really been enjoying this last section in Alefgard. In DQ 4&5 you also go to an underworld place but it’s much less involved than this one, so I’m impressed. I was pushing through this game a bit begrudgingly, but after 40hrs I have really started enjoying it haha.

Other games I might dabble in are Rayman Legends, Mario 3D World, and Sonic Superstars.

I’ve never taken them off the little shoulder button attachment, but I also never attach them to my wrist

I just squeezed the first leg of my bi-decennial play through of the Zelda Oracles Duo to the end of 2024 with a defeat of General Onox on New Year's Eve, so i'll get started on Oracle of Ages soon this year.
I thought I had completed Dragon Quest III HD-2D today, but I didn't get to the end because they did the typical DQ thing of an out of nowhere bigger bad so i'm not sure how much longer that'll be. I've made my disappointment in that game known before so I'll not rehash here. I've enjoyed it but I don't expect to retain much once I'm finished.

Can't wait to start Y's X: Nordics but will probably do another playthrough of Sonic Superstars and finish the final world of Super Mario 3D World as an rpg palate-cleanser first. So I've got plenty to look forward to. Those are the most likely to actually be touched this week.

I play games, not Lego

I have enough in the backlog to last me this year without needing anything new really. Even the new Switch is sort of a neutral topic to me as I’m in no hurry.
The only question I really have is whether Silksong will actually release, and if so, will it be a big disappointment?

I mean, DQ3 is influential but in 2024 it does not impress..

Well-deserved #1 spot; that was my favorite this year and there was nothing else close!

@doom64_abit not a “brand new game,” a GBA remake… pretty comparable to Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD actually.

All games I’ve never tried!

For the games I played this year:
1. Unicorn Overlord (incredible; ready for a harder replay)
2. Tears of the Kingdom (mostly played last year but didn’t finish until early 2024… and I still have like 19 sidequests and 80 koroks)
3. Echoes of Wisdom (fun but forgettable)
4. Sonic Superstars (fun but flawed, and the ending levels were frustrating)
5. Untitled Goose Game (awesome but too small)

I've never heard of this.

Unicorn Overlord for me! Most played and favorite.
Next was TotK and then, annoyingly, SSBU (my nephews play it on my account; I don’t even play!). Tactics Ogre: Reborn would have been my third as it’s one I keep coming back to when I complete other games.

As a Zelda fan I’d always heard this game praised but when I bought the physical copy in Japan I was pretty disappointed. It started off well but quickly got to be a slog and I couldn’t keep going after about 8-10 hours. Combat was boring and the platforming was pretty frustrating for me.

I’m certainly curious

@gcunit Maybe if people hadn't been so hard on those prequels he might have had more confidence/motivation to keep working with that IP...

I don't mind the micromanagement so much as the waste of flying over there instead of just talking over the phone/internet...

It’s Unicorn Overlord for me

Looks pretty nice and fun actually, and I'm not usually taken with these sort of unknown indie sorts

@Tipehtfomottob I also was thinking all along it's an Ewok

I’d rather try Tropical Freeze, but if I end up loving that I might wheel back around for this one..?

@Cord while I’m not all that far, I definitely agree with you. It really feels like an NES-era game.. why was this priced the same as XI???

@Jhena I don't think Nintendo is pushing any kind of ideology though. I think that is an overreaction. I believe they are just getting that kind of feedback from western journalists or whoever and trying to accommodate what they are being told is an interest. Similarly, I wouldn't really say I "boycotted" TTYD; more like I was curious, and then hearing about that becoming a focus was the feather on the scale that lessened my interest. But I don't think anyone bought it because they are excited about that tiny detail.
I understand the frustration at propaganda being shoved toward us, but in most cases it is really a very small issue. You can tell when that identity demographic stuff is the focus of a product vs a little side-note. As I mentioned, Japan has always been more ambivalent about gender and has a long history of "gender-bending" characters, but they are very clear that this is not meant to be standardized as "normal behavior" even if they don't find it particularly offensive.

I would recommend not letting the issue become a major focus of your gaming life. Most of the time they are optional aspects which I appreciate.

@Jhena very graciously worded. I also do not support the eradication of clear gender distinction, as I think it’s a beautiful aspect of humanity that two different forms must learn to supplement and harmonize with eachother. I decided against the Thousand-year Door for similar reasons as covered here on NL (having been on the fence about it in the first place). But I’m not sure that SquareEnix or Nintendo will correlate poor sales to those decisions unless there is a clearly expressed message to them.
As Japanese developers I’m sure they don’t have personal interest in gender issues (Japan is generally less interested in that topic than the West) but are under the impression that it matters to the westerners.

@Jhena I can't really see how they're chasing a modern audience with this very retro game..?
Unless you mean calling it "appearance A/B" instead of male/female. In which case I agree is stupid wording but not exactly worth a boycott in my opinion.

I’m having a fun time with the game, but I have to admit that so far it doesn’t feel any better than the DS remakes of DQ4&5 that I got for like $30 each… don’t get me wrong, I can’t wait to get back to it when I’m off work but it definitely isn't as fresh as DQXI, despite the same price. Similar to charging the same price of Link’s Awakening remake as they did for BotW.

@Jhena why aren’t your their demographic? Why is there a boycott? I literally know nothing about this

While it is interesting to ask how government policies will affect the gaming scene, it’s a bit naive to think that affecting the industry is more important than what is considered an existential threat to the nation in rising Chinese militance.
Not that I have any idea how real that threat is: half the time you hear they are poised to defeat America and the rest of the time you hear they’re a paper tiger. So who knows what’s true.

@MirrorFate2 easy there! I don’t think he thinks he’s made a necessarily earth-shattering game..?

I was just glad to hear that there are others out there who found Metroid Dread as flat as I did. The genre-naming series are both kind of outdone for me.

Good interview!
I might jump back in to animal well sometime. I played through once and lost interest but didn’t even have half the eggs I don’t think. It was a pretty hard game. I got a lot of traction off of spamming the bubble right as I jumped to kind of make sky ways.

@Purgatorium I kind of assume many people list off their ideal scenario and end up only really having time for a few.

Enjoying Dragon Quest III HD-2D but it feels like a prettier version of the DS remakes of DQIV-VI which were like $35-40 USD… so that feels a little unwarranted.

Happily my wife and I busted out Pikmin 3 Deluxe to beat all of our old high scores on the co-op challenge missions. That game is incredible; why couldn’t Pikmin 4 have had proper co-op?

Then some Rayman Legends when the brothers-in-law come ‘round, and Echoes of Wisdom when my daughter wants to visit “the bear in the snow” and launch fireworks in his house.

Really enjoyed this one — certainly more than Chrono — but I didn’t pursue all the possible scenarios for some reason.

All DQIII for me! Gorgeous scenery

I remember mildly enjoying my playthrough years ago, but I don’t remember much of anything except that it’s a very “no turning back” kind of game.
A little skeptical that it’s costing more than the original but I do like the Dept. Heaven saga

@kkslider5552000 my information may be incomplete here but I think Yoshiaki Koizumi is the source of most of the good Zelda lore (LttP backstory and concept of three goddesses, LA story, MM ClockTown schedule, etc) but I do think he was moved to Mario team before SS so that is an exception.

I hate this miyamotoism — there’s no reason you can’t start with gameplay and still make the story deep and dynamic, connected to the lore of other games in the series instead of this current model of starting from scratch each game..

@kkslider5552000 MM ended up with a good story in spite of Aonuma, not because of him. What’s more, he seems to regret the game, judging from some of his past interviews..

Personally I like both.
The worst one for me is the shield upgrade because you have to bear the game once first

After years of anticipation I played Metroid prime on switch and… I do not understand why it’s so well-regarded. The 2D games are fun but Prime felt like a slog

@Bolt_Strike see, I felt like the shrink gimmick was way underused compared to what the back of the box led me to expect.