@PlywoodStick
This is very depressing for me. I've been writing stories for all these series over the past 4 or 5 years, and although I'm not all that great, I'd like to think my works are not worse than the originals, and the fans wouldn't be disappointed.
I've become so attached to all the characters, and dropping or changing it all now would be like betraying them. Keiji Inafune seems to be OK with 'reskinning' MegaMan Legends, but I can't do something like that. A game inspired by what I love is never going to replace what I love.
It's CAPCOM or nothing for me, and since the latter is out of the question, I must persevere.
@PlywoodStick
I hope to land a job at CAPCOM one day. They have MegaMan, Final Fight, Breath of Fire, Ghosts 'n Goblins, Power Stone--those are all very precious to me. No other company has that many franchises I enjoy.
There's a problem, though. All of the series I mentioned are taking a nap right now, and I doubt my saying "I wanna do it" would inspire much confidence in the TopMen.
It makes me upset that games that are truly needed by this world (MegaMan Legends 3 and a new Little Tail Bronx installment to name a few) get cancelled left and right only because they won't sell as much as Another Generic FPS or Murder Simulator V, and then you have this junk with sexy anime girls that keeps receiving sequels and second seasons.
I hope that by the time I'm ready to join the game industry it doesn't change into a love hotel on wheels or something.
@Jumpman
I played it on my PC. They keep telling you that a joystick is required, but I had no problems with a keyboard. I think it's really great for 2D platformers. I had to use a certain tool in order to customise the controls and move with WASD, but even then I died approximately 9000 times. This can't be right. Something's definitely wrong with this game, and I know what it is.
What you see in Super Meat Boy is not game design, but perversion. Good ideas are abused to the point where you can't appreciate them anymore. The entire seventh chapter was unnecessary. It almost made me want to give up on my A+ run, because what they throw at you there is simply too much.
I believe that games are to make people happy and be remembered fondly upon completion. With Super Meat Boy, I was just happy that I'd never have to go through that pixel perfect nonsense again. At some point I started viewing the game as an enemy to beat by all means. I was clearly not enjoying it, but I had to, in the name of good game design, defeat that abomination, and was successful in doing so.
I apologise for the above. You can tell that the game did not make me a happy person. But I don't think the time I spent with it was a complete waste. After all, I was able to learn how NOT to design video games, that there CAN be too much of a good thing, and that a good designer should exercise restraint.
@Billsama
But does it keep track of what items, enemies and rooms you've already encountered? If not, and every playthrough is completely random, there's always a chance you won't ever see a certain something from that pool of content.
I also wanted to clarify this. Does Afterbirth include everything from Rebirth plus more, or is it composed of entirely new content and you've got to play Rebirth separately?
@BlackHeart Okay, thank you. I'll probably have to try and clear it once with whatever results to see how it goes.
By the way, isn't this game from the developer of Super Meat Boy? That blasted thing nearly cracked me as I was trying to beat the clock on every stage. If that experience is anything to go by, The Binding of Isaac may turn out to be another trip into a nightmare, and I don't think I'll want more of it after I'm done with Rebirth. That is, if Rebirth is not done with me first.
@Billsama So basically, the gameplay remains the same in all versions, and they're just adding more wicked items and bosses? Or does each expansion count as a separate game?
Also, I gave the series a try yesterday, and I wonder if I'm playing it the wrong way, because I keep finding rooms with coins and other things that seem to be out of reach, or I don't have enough bombs to break through all the rocks, so I go to the boss, exit the stage, and then there's no return. Makes me feel uncomfortable that I'm missing stuff. Is it meant to be played this way? This roguelike thing is new to me.
@kenrulei
I'd play as Sticks through the whole game, because she's cute. Sonic Advance allowed you to pick your character and go, but you can't have that in Sonic Boom--it's about teamwork. Sonic Heroes also imposed that, and it felt like a restriction, an unwanted tag along kind of thing. You could choose to play as Sonic, Tails or both in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which was fun and added some replay value. If Sonic Boom retained that one aspect, I'd be more interested.
I tried the demo for the first game, and what I instantly disliked was how the gameplay went like this:
1. A dead end with a blue block--switch to Sonic
2. A dead end with earth--switch to Knuckles
3. A dead end with a locked door--switch to Sticks and launch that boomerang
4. Tails also gets an obligatory spot, where you have to switch and use the mini-submarine thing
The problem with this setup is that it feels like the game is at pains trying to remind you that there're four playable characters, so it frequently forces you to switch instead of letting you play as the one you like. It also kills the momentum. It's like you're hitting a roadblock every now and then. I couldn't get used to such uneven pacing.
The characters each have unique abilities, but instead of teaching the player what they can do and allowing to explore and put those abilities to use in creative ways, the game presents you with trivial obstacles that aren't as hard to overcome as they're tedious.
A good little something. The way Knuckles circles around enemies underground to defeat them is a lot like NiGHTS into Dreams.
@CrazedCavalier I guess it's not for me then. Score attack and speedrun have never been my cup of tea. I just looked at the concept, saw the potential for an excellent platformer and felt bad about it having gone to waste in favour of something that should have been an extra mode, rather than the very heart of the experience.
@Morshu-San
I agree with you. Was thinking of avoiding spoilers for this sequel, but watched the video above anyway, and it's bland stage design all over again.
Rabi x Laby 1 and 2 are cute little action puzzle games that deserve more love. The series has a spin-off called Witch's Cat and a direct sequel, both available on the 3DS.
@Smokingspoon Having multiple ways of doing the same thing in a game is the best non-linearity I can ask for. I'd get a headache if it's anything more complex than that. Also, a feeling of missing out on countless things would set in and poison the experience for me.
@Smokingspoon You mean how the player always ends up following the path the developers intended? Only there's an illusion of freedom provided by the side activities along that still preset path?
Female Link, huh. . . I'm not sure how I feel about this. There's nothing wrong with being able to play as a girl, but in The Legend of Zelda there's already an established image of the protagonist, so it'd be a poor decision to just give the player a 'female version' of Link, like he's not even a person anymore. And what happened to Linkle? Was she a one-off character?
I've sorted out my feelings now. If there's a playable female character, she needs to have a different name and her own personality. Furthermore, Link would have a separate quest, and the journey of the two would intersect. Perhaps, they'd even clash in a duel at some point. Two different stories, one complements another.
I tried the demo, but it couldn't hold my interest for more than half an hour. The animated introduction sequence was gorgeous, and I can say the same about the in-game graphics, but the level of interaction with the game world felt limited. There's nothing to do at the player character's house, and then I couldn't find anything fun to do in town either. It sure looks great, but it's also boring.
There're way too many spots where you can catch bugs or those Youkai thingies, and if the latter is the name of the game, then count me out, because collecting a hundred of nothings (as Blue Dragon wisely put it) isn't a worthwhile task, in my opinion.
Naturally, I like to feel that I'm in full control of what's going on during the gameplay, that my every choice produces a certain result that I intended. Not only is the player's attention divided between the two screens, both of which contain action, but there seems to be a lot of stats to manage or micromanage in Youkai Watch. It's la-li-lu-le-lo to me unless I can tell the difference between now and before. With more than a hundred of those creatures to care for, each with their own statistics, I don't think I can keep all those numbers in mind and say that yes, I chose the best monster combination possible for that situation, and it's thanks to those actions that I was victorious. All the battles went chaotic and random. I did win, but I don't think I used anything even remotely resembling a strategy.
@ollietaro
The idea of part-time jobs is also something I considered, but only if the player character is old enough to handle a wide variety of tasks. Perhaps, 14 years old?
Some of my favourite HM music is from Back to Nature. The melodies are just really nice and memorable. But to play for 9 in-game years only to hear songs from the previous games that you can listen to by simply playing those games. . . That's something the series has been doing for as long as I can remember. It wants you to grind, grind and then some more. To earn your fun. It's like spreading the good stuff too thin.
You're right about the need for a primary objective. I'm not yet sure what would be good, but it may come in the form of tasks that the girl's grandparents have for her everyday, but it doesn't sound big enough. Still, it'd be refreshing for the HM series to include this type of challenge, where you have a mini goal for the day, and you know the time by which you need to accomplish it. Since the passage of time is slower, it should be manageable without having to rush, and you could even do something else and still be on time.
Another nice addition would be arranging for dates (as in meeting a person, not necessarily with romantic intentions), and you decide what time and place it is, what each of you should bring along, etc. Or being able to call the characters on the phone and have a little chat, which wouldn't be the same conversation as when you meet and talk outside. You could maybe ask for help with just about anything, and then that person's schedule would change if they're available. That's a lot of planning, though.
If I can make it into the game industry, I'll definitely try to realise that one vision in one way or the other.
@ollietaro
Oh, you can unlock songs? That's pretty neat. Better than a music player, though, would be an option to choose what music you want to listen to as you farm or explore.
I like that cooking is the central theme of the game. Thanks to that, the player is encouraged to spend more time in the kitchen and come up with new recipes. It's the first time I cared so much about this aspect of the HM series.
Another good design choice is the addition of the Star Rating for the items. What it does is make the player look differently at what is essentially the same thing.
I'm pretty sure that the real name of the next installment is Friends of the Tale of Two Towns + One More Town. Being able to choose which town you want to live in was one of the best things about the game. It's what made it the most replayable title in the series, in my opinion, so I doubt the developers would choose to take a step back.
If you care to listen some more, then my ideal Harvest Moon game would be smaller in scale, and it'd do away with many things that are considered essential, which is why it'll never happen, or if it did, nobody would probably accept it as a HM game.
It'd be about a child who comes to the country to spend the summer with her grandparents, who are ALIVE for a change. I know that having a child protagonist automatically eliminates the marriage aspect, but I'm aiming for a purer and more innocent experience with this. The premise is simple, but it's all the more precious that way--there's no need for something over the top, like in Harvest Moon DS.
Since it's only summer, the game would need to be made longer, so each day really lasts long, and you can do lots of things without having to rush. You can make friends with local kids and play games. Character development is deeper, the conversations feel natural, nothing is forced.
It may not be a game with a clear goal. You just spend the summer, help out at the farm--a slice of life kind of game. If you like, you may go for a walk in the forest or visit the town. It's like a little sandbox, where you're free to do whatever you want, only unlike certain other sandbox series, the pleasure comes not from harming people, but interacting with them and helping them. That's the part of the original HM series that remains intact.
I'd want the visuals to be less cartoony and more believable, because if it's a game that is meant to be enjoyed by simply being in that world, it's important that everything looks really pretty, and you could have a good time just looking at the environments that are so rich, so alive.
The sounds of nature are the game's music. You can hear the wind, the flow of water, some bird that only sings at this time of the day, at this point in the game, and details like that are everywhere. Each day is filled with unique happenings, you don't see the characters stuck in a loop--they live their lives in their own ways, and nothing looks like it's scripted.
And that's precisely why there's only summer. You can have all the details planned out with great care for a short period of time like this, while having the game run indefinitely, like it seems to be the case with the HM games, invariably results in repeated dialogue, events, etc.
I wouldn't want the player to quit after getting bored due to the fact that nothing new is happening. If there's a finale of sorts (summer's end), then there'll be this feeling of completion once you reach it.
In short, it's like Tamagotchi, only much-much more elaborate, and with a human character. Sounds cute, no?
@Rei Oh, if MH4U is doing it so well, then it's great. I wouldn't know much about the third game, as I'm just getting started. I brought this whole issue up with games like Sadame or XenobladeX in mind, because I hear they're pretty demanding, but fail to communicate all the necessary information to the player regarding every aspect of gameplay.
@Rei
The thing with playable tutorials is that they get in the way when you're replaying a game and need them not. Solatorobo comes to mind.
I'm of the opinion that a manual should be an alternative to learning the ropes. There needs to be an in-game equivalent or a system that is tied to the manual in such a way that it lets the player know when it's time to learn something new instead of overwhelming them with lots of new info right from the start.
I mean, first teach the basics, and once those are perfectly clear, the player's ready to build upon that, like the next row of bricks. If the previous row is unstable, what's put on top will collapse, and you'll end up where you started. The next thing you're taught should be related to what you've just learned so that you'd have a good idea of what the game's talking about. For example, there's no point in learning the controls for some advanced moves if you aren't going to need them for the first few hours. Additionally, if you know of these advanced moves before they're even introduced in the actual game, it's going to spoil the surprise.
So basically I think a manual should open up to the player little by little, give the info they need right now, then set them free to let practise what they've learned (of course, a game should be designed to present the appropriate challenges that'd let you test those newfound skills), and when the time is right, turn the page. This sort of gradual, spoiler-free teaching.
@ollietaro
I started two New Games, boy and girl, Bluebell and Konohana. Never moved to another town. In the first game I took it slow and got the hang of things, and then could do much better in the second.
I have to say that The Tale of Two Towns is easily my favourite Harvest Moon game of them all. Well, I love the setting of 64 and Friends of Mineral Town better, but this was the experience like a blend of new and old (I don't like the new style the series is currently doing), and I felt it was as close to those early HM games as it could be + lots of improvements on how you farm and what you can do.
I'm probably so enthusiastic about this particular installment, because I skipped all the other games in the series that I did not mention earlier, and since the series is only improving little by little, jumping into Two Towns right after Mineral Town felt like a tremendous change for the better. Especially the message board stands out. It's a brilliant new (?) addition, as you can not only learn what the townspeople like without trial and error, but it's also a chance to trigger new conversations more frequently.
Edit: I think the game would have been even better if you could trade between your own two farms. That way, whenever one of your farmers is short on something that you need by tomorrow, you could always rely on this feature. Just stock up on different items, and you're good. They should really implement this in Trio of Towns.
@ollietaro
I never completed it or any other Harvest Moon game, because it takes too much time and effort, and the payoff isn't always great. As long as my interest is held by something, I keep at it, but I usually quit after Year 2 or 3.
My interest in this series wilted with the release of A New Beginning. There isn't one perfect Harvest Moon game, but the ones I enjoyed the most were these:
1. Harvest Moon 64
2. Back to Nature / Friends of Mineral Town
3. The Tale of Two Towns
@TheBigK
Same here, but I still decided to buy the third entry for the 3DS. . . and am yet to build up the courage to actually read the monstrous manual that comes with it.
@leo13
If it's not too late to reply to your question, then I say that Risky's Revenge is definitely less interesting than Pirate's Curse. I enjoyed the latter immensely, while the prequel left me rather unimpressed. It's still a good game, and if you like the main character or the series in general, you won't regret getting this one as well, but out of the three games in the Shantae series, Risky's Revenge would be my least favourite.
I'm not too fond of 2D games in 3D. MegaMan X, for example, looks and plays great on the SNES, but the PSP remake feels 'heavier' somehow with all that 3D attached. It's not to say I'm disappointed or anything--just a thought.
Video games aren't something to buy and sit on. You get a game and do absolutely nothing with it, because you do not appreciate it for the piece of art it is, because what you see in it is an opportunity to get some money in the distant future, when the value of the game increases. I can't stand this way of thinking. And I was foolish enough to buy a few games graded like that, because they weren't available anywhere, and I wanted them sealed. Now I only buy digital copies, and I'm happy that by doing so I'm able to support the creators directly.
I enjoyed the first season of the anime, but can't quite bring myself to like the games. Can anyone tell me how big the differences between the versions normally are? Are they significant enough to justify buying all of them? Do you get anything meaningful out of this at all?
@DeathUriel @AlexSora89
I remember reading a review of MegaMan Zero Collection, and the player found its Easy Scenario to be an insult to the fans of the series, because the whole experience was trivialised.
Then there's another opinion that the bosses of ZX Advent are painfully easy compared to the previous installments, and the fans should be disappointed, but I thought they were quite challenging.
How to find the middle ground?
In my opinion, such a thing does not exist. However, you could tweak individual aspects of gameplay, such as boss health, enemy count and aggression, some other things. It'd let everyone tailor the experience to suit their own vision of easy and hard.
@AlexSora89
Would you prefer the MegaMan series to tone down its difficulty and become more accessible for casual players? It doesn't have to come at the cost for those who enjoy a good challenge, because it's possible to implement a flexible system that'd appeal to both parties. That's what I think.
Comments 54
Re: Bomberman Is Coming To Arcades As Bombergirl
@PlywoodStick
I'll do my best. Thank you.
Re: Bomberman Is Coming To Arcades As Bombergirl
@PlywoodStick
This is very depressing for me. I've been writing stories for all these series over the past 4 or 5 years, and although I'm not all that great, I'd like to think my works are not worse than the originals, and the fans wouldn't be disappointed.
I've become so attached to all the characters, and dropping or changing it all now would be like betraying them. Keiji Inafune seems to be OK with 'reskinning' MegaMan Legends, but I can't do something like that. A game inspired by what I love is never going to replace what I love.
It's CAPCOM or nothing for me, and since the latter is out of the question, I must persevere.
Re: Bomberman Is Coming To Arcades As Bombergirl
@PlywoodStick
I hope to land a job at CAPCOM one day. They have MegaMan, Final Fight, Breath of Fire, Ghosts 'n Goblins, Power Stone--those are all very precious to me. No other company has that many franchises I enjoy.
There's a problem, though. All of the series I mentioned are taking a nap right now, and I doubt my saying "I wanna do it" would inspire much confidence in the TopMen.
Re: Bomberman Is Coming To Arcades As Bombergirl
@PlywoodStick
Blast! Well then, I'm just going to do what I think is right. Can't give up on that dream.
Re: Bomberman Is Coming To Arcades As Bombergirl
It makes me upset that games that are truly needed by this world (MegaMan Legends 3 and a new Little Tail Bronx installment to name a few) get cancelled left and right only because they won't sell as much as Another Generic FPS or Murder Simulator V, and then you have this junk with sexy anime girls that keeps receiving sequels and second seasons.
I hope that by the time I'm ready to join the game industry it doesn't change into a love hotel on wheels or something.
Re: Review: Hyperlight EX (New Nintendo 3DS)
@Jumpman
I played it on my PC. They keep telling you that a joystick is required, but I had no problems with a keyboard. I think it's really great for 2D platformers. I had to use a certain tool in order to customise the controls and move with WASD, but even then I died approximately 9000 times. This can't be right. Something's definitely wrong with this game, and I know what it is.
What you see in Super Meat Boy is not game design, but perversion. Good ideas are abused to the point where you can't appreciate them anymore. The entire seventh chapter was unnecessary. It almost made me want to give up on my A+ run, because what they throw at you there is simply too much.
I believe that games are to make people happy and be remembered fondly upon completion. With Super Meat Boy, I was just happy that I'd never have to go through that pixel perfect nonsense again. At some point I started viewing the game as an enemy to beat by all means. I was clearly not enjoying it, but I had to, in the name of good game design, defeat that abomination, and was successful in doing so.
I apologise for the above. You can tell that the game did not make me a happy person. But I don't think the time I spent with it was a complete waste. After all, I was able to learn how NOT to design video games, that there CAN be too much of a good thing, and that a good designer should exercise restraint.
Re: Review: Hyperlight EX (New Nintendo 3DS)
@plug313
I've got to agree with you on this. The memories of Super Meat Boy still bring pain.
Re: The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ is Looking Like a Decent Bet for Nintendo Switch
@Billsama
This'll be helpful. Thank you.
Re: The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ is Looking Like a Decent Bet for Nintendo Switch
@BlackHeart
Thanks again! It's all clear now.
Re: The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ is Looking Like a Decent Bet for Nintendo Switch
@Billsama
But does it keep track of what items, enemies and rooms you've already encountered? If not, and every playthrough is completely random, there's always a chance you won't ever see a certain something from that pool of content.
I also wanted to clarify this. Does Afterbirth include everything from Rebirth plus more, or is it composed of entirely new content and you've got to play Rebirth separately?
Re: The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ is Looking Like a Decent Bet for Nintendo Switch
@BlackHeart
Information absorbed successfully. Proceeding into the basement. With caution.
Re: The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ is Looking Like a Decent Bet for Nintendo Switch
@BlackHeart
Okay, thank you. I'll probably have to try and clear it once with whatever results to see how it goes.
By the way, isn't this game from the developer of Super Meat Boy? That blasted thing nearly cracked me as I was trying to beat the clock on every stage. If that experience is anything to go by, The Binding of Isaac may turn out to be another trip into a nightmare, and I don't think I'll want more of it after I'm done with Rebirth. That is, if Rebirth is not done with me first.
Re: The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ is Looking Like a Decent Bet for Nintendo Switch
@Billsama
So basically, the gameplay remains the same in all versions, and they're just adding more wicked items and bosses? Or does each expansion count as a separate game?
Also, I gave the series a try yesterday, and I wonder if I'm playing it the wrong way, because I keep finding rooms with coins and other things that seem to be out of reach, or I don't have enough bombs to break through all the rocks, so I go to the boss, exit the stage, and then there's no return. Makes me feel uncomfortable that I'm missing stuff. Is it meant to be played this way? This roguelike thing is new to me.
Re: Video: These Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice Trailers Will Get You Up To Speed
@kenrulei
I'd play as Sticks through the whole game, because she's cute. Sonic Advance allowed you to pick your character and go, but you can't have that in Sonic Boom--it's about teamwork. Sonic Heroes also imposed that, and it felt like a restriction, an unwanted tag along kind of thing. You could choose to play as Sonic, Tails or both in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which was fun and added some replay value. If Sonic Boom retained that one aspect, I'd be more interested.
Re: Video: These Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice Trailers Will Get You Up To Speed
I tried the demo for the first game, and what I instantly disliked was how the gameplay went like this:
1. A dead end with a blue block--switch to Sonic
2. A dead end with earth--switch to Knuckles
3. A dead end with a locked door--switch to Sticks and launch that boomerang
4. Tails also gets an obligatory spot, where you have to switch and use the mini-submarine thing
The problem with this setup is that it feels like the game is at pains trying to remind you that there're four playable characters, so it frequently forces you to switch instead of letting you play as the one you like. It also kills the momentum. It's like you're hitting a roadblock every now and then. I couldn't get used to such uneven pacing.
The characters each have unique abilities, but instead of teaching the player what they can do and allowing to explore and put those abilities to use in creative ways, the game presents you with trivial obstacles that aren't as hard to overcome as they're tedious.
A good little something. The way Knuckles circles around enemies underground to defeat them is a lot like NiGHTS into Dreams.
Re: Review: Noitu Love: Devolution (3DS eShop)
@Sakisa
But does it have the same level of precision as the D-Pad? Can you still pull off tricky stuff?
Re: Review: Citadale (Wii U eShop)
Copycats. . . Will this trend ever die out?
Re: Nintendo Download: 15th September (Europe)
@merrygorndoflife
Okay. Thanks for the info.
Re: Nintendo Download: 15th September (Europe)
I want Dragon Quest, but I shouldn't touch VII until I've played the previous six. I'm new to this series.
Re: Gurumin 3D Price Revealed, Free 3DS Theme To Be Included With Purchase
Oh, it's Falcom? That sounds good already.
Re: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is Out Today on the Wii U eShop
I think Groose is the most interesting character of this game.
Re: Video: Check Out This New Footage of Azure Striker Gunvolt 2
@CrazedCavalier
I guess it's not for me then. Score attack and speedrun have never been my cup of tea. I just looked at the concept, saw the potential for an excellent platformer and felt bad about it having gone to waste in favour of something that should have been an extra mode, rather than the very heart of the experience.
Re: Video: Check Out This New Footage of Azure Striker Gunvolt 2
@Morshu-San
I agree with you. Was thinking of avoiding spoilers for this sequel, but watched the video above anyway, and it's bland stage design all over again.
Re: Video: Check Out This New Footage of Azure Striker Gunvolt 2
@Morshu-San
What was it you disliked about it?
Re: A Nicalis Sale is Live on the North American 3DS and Wii U eShops
I already purchased Cave Story at full price. The developer is a single person, and his efforts should be rewarded.
From that list, I'd like to try 1001 Spikes and Ikachan, but the latter is not available in Europe yet, which is wonderful.
Re: Reminder: Points Can't Be Added to the DSi Shop After 30th September
@Danrenfroe2016
Oh no. I still haven't had a chance to play Freedom Planet. It's one of the few games that I really need to experience for myself.
Re: Reminder: Points Can't Be Added to the DSi Shop After 30th September
Rabi x Laby 1 and 2 are cute little action puzzle games that deserve more love. The series has a spin-off called Witch's Cat and a direct sequel, both available on the 3DS.
Re: Hands On: Whipping Hair Back and Forth in Shantae: Half-Genie Hero
Level-based is not bad. The series could benefit from a change like this.
Re: E3 2016: How The Sin of Getting Lost Has Been Pardoned in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
@Smokingspoon
Having multiple ways of doing the same thing in a game is the best non-linearity I can ask for. I'd get a headache if it's anything more complex than that. Also, a feeling of missing out on countless things would set in and poison the experience for me.
Re: E3 2016: How The Sin of Getting Lost Has Been Pardoned in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
@Smokingspoon
You mean how the player always ends up following the path the developers intended? Only there's an illusion of freedom provided by the side activities along that still preset path?
Re: E3 2016: How The Sin of Getting Lost Has Been Pardoned in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
I think I prefer linear with lots of choices to make along the way, like in Chrono Trigger.
Re: E3 2016: Nintendo E3 Zelda Badge Appears to Suggest Male and Female Link
Female Link, huh. . . I'm not sure how I feel about this. There's nothing wrong with being able to play as a girl, but in The Legend of Zelda there's already an established image of the protagonist, so it'd be a poor decision to just give the player a 'female version' of Link, like he's not even a person anymore. And what happened to Linkle? Was she a one-off character?
I've sorted out my feelings now. If there's a playable female character, she needs to have a different name and her own personality. Furthermore, Link would have a separate quest, and the journey of the two would intersect. Perhaps, they'd even clash in a duel at some point. Two different stories, one complements another.
Re: Yo-kai Watch Sold Less Than Half a Million Units in North America
I tried the demo, but it couldn't hold my interest for more than half an hour. The animated introduction sequence was gorgeous, and I can say the same about the in-game graphics, but the level of interaction with the game world felt limited. There's nothing to do at the player character's house, and then I couldn't find anything fun to do in town either. It sure looks great, but it's also boring.
There're way too many spots where you can catch bugs or those Youkai thingies, and if the latter is the name of the game, then count me out, because collecting a hundred of nothings (as Blue Dragon wisely put it) isn't a worthwhile task, in my opinion.
Naturally, I like to feel that I'm in full control of what's going on during the gameplay, that my every choice produces a certain result that I intended. Not only is the player's attention divided between the two screens, both of which contain action, but there seems to be a lot of stats to manage or micromanage in Youkai Watch. It's la-li-lu-le-lo to me unless I can tell the difference between now and before. With more than a hundred of those creatures to care for, each with their own statistics, I don't think I can keep all those numbers in mind and say that yes, I chose the best monster combination possible for that situation, and it's thanks to those actions that I was victorious. All the battles went chaotic and random. I did win, but I don't think I used anything even remotely resembling a strategy.
Re: Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns is Coming to North America in 2017
@ollietaro
The idea of part-time jobs is also something I considered, but only if the player character is old enough to handle a wide variety of tasks. Perhaps, 14 years old?
Some of my favourite HM music is from Back to Nature. The melodies are just really nice and memorable. But to play for 9 in-game years only to hear songs from the previous games that you can listen to by simply playing those games. . . That's something the series has been doing for as long as I can remember. It wants you to grind, grind and then some more. To earn your fun. It's like spreading the good stuff too thin.
You're right about the need for a primary objective. I'm not yet sure what would be good, but it may come in the form of tasks that the girl's grandparents have for her everyday, but it doesn't sound big enough. Still, it'd be refreshing for the HM series to include this type of challenge, where you have a mini goal for the day, and you know the time by which you need to accomplish it. Since the passage of time is slower, it should be manageable without having to rush, and you could even do something else and still be on time.
Another nice addition would be arranging for dates (as in meeting a person, not necessarily with romantic intentions), and you decide what time and place it is, what each of you should bring along, etc. Or being able to call the characters on the phone and have a little chat, which wouldn't be the same conversation as when you meet and talk outside. You could maybe ask for help with just about anything, and then that person's schedule would change if they're available. That's a lot of planning, though.
If I can make it into the game industry, I'll definitely try to realise that one vision in one way or the other.
Re: Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns is Coming to North America in 2017
@ollietaro
Oh, you can unlock songs? That's pretty neat. Better than a music player, though, would be an option to choose what music you want to listen to as you farm or explore.
I like that cooking is the central theme of the game. Thanks to that, the player is encouraged to spend more time in the kitchen and come up with new recipes. It's the first time I cared so much about this aspect of the HM series.
Another good design choice is the addition of the Star Rating for the items. What it does is make the player look differently at what is essentially the same thing.
I'm pretty sure that the real name of the next installment is Friends of the Tale of Two Towns + One More Town. Being able to choose which town you want to live in was one of the best things about the game. It's what made it the most replayable title in the series, in my opinion, so I doubt the developers would choose to take a step back.
If you care to listen some more, then my ideal Harvest Moon game would be smaller in scale, and it'd do away with many things that are considered essential, which is why it'll never happen, or if it did, nobody would probably accept it as a HM game.
It'd be about a child who comes to the country to spend the summer with her grandparents, who are ALIVE for a change. I know that having a child protagonist automatically eliminates the marriage aspect, but I'm aiming for a purer and more innocent experience with this. The premise is simple, but it's all the more precious that way--there's no need for something over the top, like in Harvest Moon DS.
Since it's only summer, the game would need to be made longer, so each day really lasts long, and you can do lots of things without having to rush. You can make friends with local kids and play games. Character development is deeper, the conversations feel natural, nothing is forced.
It may not be a game with a clear goal. You just spend the summer, help out at the farm--a slice of life kind of game. If you like, you may go for a walk in the forest or visit the town. It's like a little sandbox, where you're free to do whatever you want, only unlike certain other sandbox series, the pleasure comes not from harming people, but interacting with them and helping them. That's the part of the original HM series that remains intact.
I'd want the visuals to be less cartoony and more believable, because if it's a game that is meant to be enjoyed by simply being in that world, it's important that everything looks really pretty, and you could have a good time just looking at the environments that are so rich, so alive.
The sounds of nature are the game's music. You can hear the wind, the flow of water, some bird that only sings at this time of the day, at this point in the game, and details like that are everywhere. Each day is filled with unique happenings, you don't see the characters stuck in a loop--they live their lives in their own ways, and nothing looks like it's scripted.
And that's precisely why there's only summer. You can have all the details planned out with great care for a short period of time like this, while having the game run indefinitely, like it seems to be the case with the HM games, invariably results in repeated dialogue, events, etc.
I wouldn't want the player to quit after getting bored due to the fact that nothing new is happening. If there's a finale of sorts (summer's end), then there'll be this feeling of completion once you reach it.
In short, it's like Tamagotchi, only much-much more elaborate, and with a human character. Sounds cute, no?
Re: Video: Get an Extended Look at Monster Hunter Stories
@Rei
Oh, if MH4U is doing it so well, then it's great. I wouldn't know much about the third game, as I'm just getting started. I brought this whole issue up with games like Sadame or XenobladeX in mind, because I hear they're pretty demanding, but fail to communicate all the necessary information to the player regarding every aspect of gameplay.
Re: Video: Get an Extended Look at Monster Hunter Stories
@Rei
The thing with playable tutorials is that they get in the way when you're replaying a game and need them not. Solatorobo comes to mind.
I'm of the opinion that a manual should be an alternative to learning the ropes. There needs to be an in-game equivalent or a system that is tied to the manual in such a way that it lets the player know when it's time to learn something new instead of overwhelming them with lots of new info right from the start.
I mean, first teach the basics, and once those are perfectly clear, the player's ready to build upon that, like the next row of bricks. If the previous row is unstable, what's put on top will collapse, and you'll end up where you started. The next thing you're taught should be related to what you've just learned so that you'd have a good idea of what the game's talking about. For example, there's no point in learning the controls for some advanced moves if you aren't going to need them for the first few hours. Additionally, if you know of these advanced moves before they're even introduced in the actual game, it's going to spoil the surprise.
So basically I think a manual should open up to the player little by little, give the info they need right now, then set them free to let practise what they've learned (of course, a game should be designed to present the appropriate challenges that'd let you test those newfound skills), and when the time is right, turn the page. This sort of gradual, spoiler-free teaching.
Re: Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns is Coming to North America in 2017
@ollietaro
I started two New Games, boy and girl, Bluebell and Konohana. Never moved to another town. In the first game I took it slow and got the hang of things, and then could do much better in the second.
I have to say that The Tale of Two Towns is easily my favourite Harvest Moon game of them all. Well, I love the setting of 64 and Friends of Mineral Town better, but this was the experience like a blend of new and old (I don't like the new style the series is currently doing), and I felt it was as close to those early HM games as it could be + lots of improvements on how you farm and what you can do.
I'm probably so enthusiastic about this particular installment, because I skipped all the other games in the series that I did not mention earlier, and since the series is only improving little by little, jumping into Two Towns right after Mineral Town felt like a tremendous change for the better. Especially the message board stands out. It's a brilliant new (?) addition, as you can not only learn what the townspeople like without trial and error, but it's also a chance to trigger new conversations more frequently.
Edit: I think the game would have been even better if you could trade between your own two farms. That way, whenever one of your farmers is short on something that you need by tomorrow, you could always rely on this feature. Just stock up on different items, and you're good. They should really implement this in Trio of Towns.
Re: Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns is Coming to North America in 2017
@ollietaro
I never completed it or any other Harvest Moon game, because it takes too much time and effort, and the payoff isn't always great. As long as my interest is held by something, I keep at it, but I usually quit after Year 2 or 3.
Re: Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns is Coming to North America in 2017
My interest in this series wilted with the release of A New Beginning. There isn't one perfect Harvest Moon game, but the ones I enjoyed the most were these:
1. Harvest Moon 64
2. Back to Nature / Friends of Mineral Town
3. The Tale of Two Towns
Re: Video: Get an Extended Look at Monster Hunter Stories
@TheBigK
Same here, but I still decided to buy the third entry for the 3DS. . . and am yet to build up the courage to actually read the monstrous manual that comes with it.
Re: Wayforward Issues an Update on Shantae: Half-Genie Hero
@leo13
If it's not too late to reply to your question, then I say that Risky's Revenge is definitely less interesting than Pirate's Curse. I enjoyed the latter immensely, while the prequel left me rather unimpressed. It's still a good game, and if you like the main character or the series in general, you won't regret getting this one as well, but out of the three games in the Shantae series, Risky's Revenge would be my least favourite.
Re: Video: Feast Your Eyes On This Footage Of Mighty No. 9's Boisterous Bosses
@EverythingAmiibo
I'm not seeing it either. The stages and bosses shown so far need a lot of work. All of them.
Re: Video: Check Out This Early Footage of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
I'm not too fond of 2D games in 3D. MegaMan X, for example, looks and plays great on the SNES, but the PSP remake feels 'heavier' somehow with all that 3D attached. It's not to say I'm disappointed or anything--just a thought.
Re: Nine SEGA 3D Classics Get Discounts in North America
Already bought at full price to support M2. The effort they're putting into these remasters is incredible, and I can't possibly want a discount.
Re: Video: Here's Why Getting Your Retro Games Graded Could Be A Complete Waste Of Money
Video games aren't something to buy and sit on. You get a game and do absolutely nothing with it, because you do not appreciate it for the piece of art it is, because what you see in it is an opportunity to get some money in the distant future, when the value of the game increases. I can't stand this way of thinking. And I was foolish enough to buy a few games graded like that, because they weren't available anywhere, and I wanted them sealed. Now I only buy digital copies, and I'm happy that by doing so I'm able to support the creators directly.
Re: Poll: Did The First Pokémon: Sun and Moon Trailers and Starter Pokémon Get You Excited?
@Yorumi @Bolt_Strike
So it's like Battle Network then. Different colours, a new Navi, etc. Not very tempting.
Re: Poll: Did The First Pokémon: Sun and Moon Trailers and Starter Pokémon Get You Excited?
I enjoyed the first season of the anime, but can't quite bring myself to like the games. Can anyone tell me how big the differences between the versions normally are? Are they significant enough to justify buying all of them? Do you get anything meaningful out of this at all?
Re: Video: Fresh Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 Footage Is Here To Burn Your Eyeballs
@DeathUriel @AlexSora89
I remember reading a review of MegaMan Zero Collection, and the player found its Easy Scenario to be an insult to the fans of the series, because the whole experience was trivialised.
Then there's another opinion that the bosses of ZX Advent are painfully easy compared to the previous installments, and the fans should be disappointed, but I thought they were quite challenging.
How to find the middle ground?
In my opinion, such a thing does not exist. However, you could tweak individual aspects of gameplay, such as boss health, enemy count and aggression, some other things. It'd let everyone tailor the experience to suit their own vision of easy and hard.
Re: Video: Fresh Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 Footage Is Here To Burn Your Eyeballs
@AlexSora89
Would you prefer the MegaMan series to tone down its difficulty and become more accessible for casual players? It doesn't have to come at the cost for those who enjoy a good challenge, because it's possible to implement a flexible system that'd appeal to both parties. That's what I think.