Comments 613

Re: Talking Point: Do You Replay Games?

Noelemahc

I have comfort games and I have games that provide an experience so unique I cannot get it elsewhere. Same for books, movies and rewatching all Terminator movies when I'm down with the flu. Yes, ALL OF THEM.

Re: Rumour: Nintendo Switch 'Pro' Reveal Expected Before E3, Out This Year

Noelemahc

I just bought a Mario Edition Switch in February, don't do this to me, Nintendo.

If the SoC stays the same, and the difference is in the chip and the dockable 4K, it could be something solvable for extant consoles via a dock-side upgrade, like the New 3DS features available to 3DS users via external hardware - Circle Pad Pro, Amiibo Scanner, etc.

This could also water down the price of upgrading for those who can't afford to buy a whole new same console.

Re: Sega Wants To Release Atlus Games Simultaneously Worldwide

Noelemahc

I remember the dark days of "Atlus game won't be released in Europe unless some other publisher picks it up even as Atlus USA releases other Japan-only games in Europe it won't even release in the States, which means a delay of up to two years".

Being bought by SEGA was the best thing to have ever happened to them because this backward policy was obliterated.

Re: "The Best Version" Of Turn-Based Strategy Adventure Pathway Comes To Switch This Month

Noelemahc

Loved this on Steam but the remarl.about sameyness is correct. You hit the endgame state for your heroes at around the third campaign and very little changes after that. If they had more tiers of gear and skills or didn't progress that swiftly, it would have worked out better, probably.

That said, it is still amazing for pick-up play, so putting it on a handheld is a great move.

Re: Random: If You're Curious About How They Made SNES Music, This Is Worth A Watch

Noelemahc

@Zeldafan79 the Genesis used real-time FM synthesis which is only as good as your coded instruments were. Games like Comix Zone, Road Rash 3, Langrisser, Contra Hard Corps, Sparkster, Beyond Oasis, Castlevania Bloodlines, Shadowrun all had AMAZING soundtracks, most of which could not be done on the SNES, particularly Comix Zone's guitar trickery.

Under normal conditions, a multiplatform game will have a better soundtrack on the SNES, but sacrifices such as track length would still have to be made (Langrisser's ending theme is a LOT less impressive on the SNES because it is not seven minutes long there).

A great example is Rock n Roll Racing: it has more tracks on the Megadrive but way, WAY better sound quality on the SNES. On the flipside is Langrisser which is a glorious heavy metal concert on the Megadrive but sounds way more generic on the SNES. And let's not mention Doom 32x at all, even though SEGA's sound chip should have made porting the DOS sound trivial, instead we got... That... While the SNES had an appreciable General MIDI sound.

Re: Video: Here's Digital Foundry's Technical Analysis Of Apex Legends On Switch

Noelemahc

I thonk EA could go with porting their earlier and lighter Frostbite titles. Take thr least contentious but still pretty Battlefield (3, probably?) and put THAT on the Switch. Theh've already demonstrated they're unafraid to cut out crossplay with Plants vs Zombies, but picking a game where they have less to remove to get it to run okay would let them leverage it more, I think.

Re: Review: Blizzard Arcade Collection - Dig Into The Vaults Of The Creator Of Warcraft And Overwatch

Noelemahc

@GamerDad66 problem is, they had other games, but their two DC Comics games are probably a licensing nightmare to rerelease, Lost Vikings 2 is missing for no apparent reason and after that they became The Warcraft Company.

Oh, there was also RPM Racing before it, but Rock'n'Roll Racing is literally the exact same game but 213% better.

The thing that bothers me about this collection: the Definitive editions lack the QoL enhancements of the emulated ones.

The thing that bothers me about the review: there is no mention whether Blackthorne is the censored or uncensored release, no remark on the dubious visuals of the 32x version and HOW DARE YOU COMPARE IT TO FLASHBACK. Flashback was great as an adventure game but it lacked the meaty bloody dodge-driven gunplay of this gem. Flashback didn't have the badass "I am too cool to look where I shoot" button for shooting behind you. Flashback didn't have whip wielding demons straight out of Diablo. Flashback didn't look like a Warcraft spinoff even though EVERYONE seems to afraid to mention it when reviewing this collection, for some reason.

Blackthorne was badass and metal as heck.

Re: Jack Black Will Voice Claptrap In The Borderlands Movie

Noelemahc

@Gamer_Griff it sounds like they're adapting the first game which makes it really weird that all the actors revealed thus far are a decade or three too old for their corresponding characters. Jack was just bobody at that point, though I won't be surprised if they throw him into the plot to make the transition to 2 make more sense. They ended up having to make a whole new game to explain his sudden appearance, remember?

Re: Soapbox: 10 Years On, We Need More Brave, Worthwhile Experiments Like Epic Mickey

Noelemahc

Firstly, the 3DS Epic Mickey Power of Illusion was an amazing throwback, casting a crapton of Disney characters, modern and classic, into adorable pixel perfect little sprites and gameplay most reminiscent of Megaman Zero's Metroidvania-but-not style. Your loss for not having played it.

Second, if the SD resolution is your one turnoff in the original Epic Mickey, the WiiU or the mClassic is an easy way to get some upscaling done. The mClassic shows itself best in games with clear solid edges and Epic Mickey is one of a handful of games that SIGNIFICANTLY transform under its magic.

(Yes, yes, I bought that doodad and am now trying to justify it, but it turns Super Mario Galaxy into a whole new experience and Fragile Dreams just... Blows your mind for the graphics the Wii can actually produce)