Comments 1,014

Re: Talking Point: Is It Worth Buying A Nintendo Wii U In 2021?

RudyC3

I'd say there are few games still exclusive to it that make it worth owning now, but some games that are on it AND on Switch as well are better played on Wii U, like Rayman Legends which has more content and gameplay modes on Wii U or Pikmin 3 which plays better with a Wii Remote and Nunchuk + the gamepad for extra functions that help you through the game. These two games also neither run or look better on Switch to boot.

Re: Nintendo's Future Is Focused On New IP And "Staple Series"

RudyC3

What's the latest new IPs from them? The most recent? Splatoon and Arms I'd say? Can't think of another "new" IP, or at least none that worked tremendously well for them. Couldn't care about Arms, not my thing and neither is Splatoon (I got the 2nd but it's impossible to enjoy when you pro players who have a lot more time than you to spend getting good at it make you regret even daring picking up a controller).

I DO love the world of Splatoon, the aesthetic, the music, etc though so as an "IP" I can at least safely say that I do enjoy it and only wish that they made other styles of game within the same universe. I hope that if they do bring out another new IP in the future, that they make it something that not just fans of online competitive games can enjoy. Cause I don't count myself as part of that crowd.

Re: Global Sales Data Suggests Balan Wonderworld Has Massively Flopped

RudyC3

I feel bad for Yuji Naka but when was the last time he actually produced or directed an undisputedly good game? Rodea wasn't great. Balan isn't exactly great either. Ivy the Kiwi was good... for a very simple puzzle game concept. I remember Let's Tap being somewhat well received. Billy Hatcher... also very average at the end of the day. It starts out great but as you keep playing it and mission objectives get repetitive and the imperfect gameplay gets in the way of the enjoyment, you realise it's not such a great game after all...

... and that's sadly symptomatic of practically every original platform game he's produced or directed for the past 20 years. His games look and sound appealing and the first few moments are often magical, but keep playing long enough and his games start feeling pretty bland or downright frustrating a few hours in.

Re: Talking Point: Is The N64 Pad Actually The Best Controller Ever?

RudyC3

At the time, I didn't have any problems with it and if anything I still find it more ergonomic, for my hands anyway, than the PS1 controller. I was never a fan of the latter, or of the joystick placement on dual shock controllers. Sticks at the top like on the Wii U Pro is what I enjoy the most, especially for the left joystick.

These days, I still think the N64 controller is more than useable, but admittedly the radically different kind of joystick compared to what we use today means it takes me some time to re-adapt to it when I whip it out again.

Re: Best Game Boy / Game Boy Color RPGs

RudyC3

I've owned Stranded Kids for quite some time, played it quite a bit back in the day but was kinda stuck and didn't know what to do to progress further. Didn't have internet at the time, so I couldn't rely on any outside help to get unstuck.

I've felt like trying it again lately, and now the fact it got mentioned again here as a top RPG for the system makes me want to take the plunge even more. I've also owned Azure Dreams since like... forever, but never even tried to start on it. I still don't quite feel it, even today, it's just one of those that I felt like I had to own and found it for like €5, used, so had to get it for myself, but when it comes to actually playing it, I never felt like it.

Re: Feature: Zelda: Four Swords Was Probably Great, But Finding Pals To Play With? Talk About A Master Quest

RudyC3

I had the privilege of experiencing Four Swords Adventures the way it was intended, with 4 people in the same room connected with their GBAs to a GC (we played Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles as well that same day) and it was glorious. We never completed either of those games because we didn't have time for it, but the idea behind those experiences was brilliant, if hard to fully organise in real life.

I eventually completed Four Swords Adventures in solo, later on, but it just wasn't the same.

Re: New Switch Model Could Launch For $399, Analysts Suggest

RudyC3

If it's not a significant upgrade over the previous model in terms of power, as in it gets no exclusive games and it's still the same generation of hardware, no way I'm forking out that much money for one and it should be crazy to expect anyone to do so.

The current model was underpowered right out of the gate, as it relied on tech that was already outdated at the time. Another incremental upgrade is not enough to make me want one, especially since all games will have to still run on the old model.

Re: Best Nintendo DS RPGs

RudyC3

Avalon Code should have been on there, I believe it's way too underrated. I, myself, ignored it when it came out, then I got it offered to me for one of my birthdays, and absolutely loved it.

In that game you can add stuff you encounter to your magic book to capture their essence. Those can be people, places, plants, weapons, etc. Then you combine them to create new things that you can use in combat. It's made by Matrix Software, the same people you owe the DS Final Fantasy games, so you know it's made by good devs that knew the DS inside and out, especially by that time.

And then like many said, the Nintendo DS Dragon Quest games were amazing, especially the remakes of IV-VI, I think they hold up better visually than even IX on the same platform. Radiant Historia is easily my favourite RPG on the system and it didn't make the list either (though it DID make the 3DS list, so that's "something").

Finally I don't see anyone mentioning Lufia: Curse of the Sinistrals in the comments section OR the article. Gotta give it some love! I also quite enjoyed Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier for the big boobed ladies in combat ^^. OK I'm done now.

Re: Bethesda's Future Games Will Be "Where Game Pass Exists"

RudyC3

More meaningful exclusives for XBox platforms means more competition between Sony and MS on the console front, which in turn can only be good for everyone. That should prevent Sony from resting on their laurels, they haven't really had to be pro-consumers for quite some time (lack of backwards compatibility, being opposed to cross-platform online gaming, etc). This is only good news, no company should have an almost monopoly on the market, cause then they get complacent.

Re: Rumour: Nvidia Is Stopping Production Of Switch's Most Important Hardware This Year

RudyC3

Relax, that may just mean another die-shrink. They may stop producing the 16nm Mariko in exchange for a 10 or 7 nm, even more power efficient version of it, under a different revision name.

I won't go further down than 7nm simply because Apple monopolizes TSMC's production of 5nm and soon 3nm wafers (those are already reserved by Apple, which is crazy!)

Replacing those production lines of old 16nm tech by 10 or 7nm variants would make sense.

Re: Soapbox: There Might Be A Bright Side To Mario's March 31st Doomsday, After All

RudyC3

I think the fact that it's been known for so long that they were gonna be pulled means that those who wanted them should have picked them a long time ago. Like... what were you waiting for? Super Mario 3D All Stars at the very least was never in short supply past the second week on sale. Prices were crazy when preorders went live, I waited till two weeks after launch and could find a physical copy for a reasonable price without too much hassle, and the game's been in stock ever since.

The last minute scramble to get one is silly and if making it a temporary thing dragged some attention away from next-gen systems, which are hard to buy anyway as it is, and got people to look to the Switch a bit more in those harsh competitive times, then Nintendo were right to do it. I'm not happy that the collection won't be available anymore of course, but I think it was a good commercial move and those who didn't get one had plenty of time to do so.

Re: Feature: The 10 Best SNES RPGs

RudyC3

If we're only gonna count those released in the west, you should put Final Fantasy IV in there instead of Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest. Otherwise don't forget Final Fantasy V, Dragon Quest V/VI, Seiken Densetsu III, Tales of Phantasia and Star Ocean.

I even enjoyed Soul Blazer and Illusion of Gaia/Time a lot back in the day, but I understand those are perhaps a bit more niche.

Re: Video: We Take A Look At The Hidden Mario Golf Game That Didn't Star Mario

RudyC3

I remember it being advertised "enough" at the time. I'm a proud owner of this and loved what I played of it BUT I wish to this day that it did include classic controls. I would replay it more today.

And as far as I remember this was the only "fantasy" golf game to have online play, which I did use a lot. At the time I ws very much into Pangya on PC and BOTH Pangya games released on Wii did not have online, which was just baffling to me. As a result I got this game, but not Pangya on Wii.

Re: Bloodstained: Curse Of The Moon 2 Is Getting A Limited Run Physical Release

RudyC3

@PiXeLSteF I know they do but any video game that enters the EU territory through mail IS subject to taxes, it's just that some countries are more lenient than others on that front, or some just have way too many packages to open and have no choice but to let some slip through.

That doesn't change the fact that as long as LRG has exclusivity for the worldwide distribution of these games, Europeans will be treated like an afterthought and if you live on the continent like I do, then you HAVE to pay (in fact it's illegal not to, even if you could get away with it most of the time)

If they do open an operation here for the distribution of their products, that would change everything but knowing them, I'll believe it when I see it if it is like delivering their games to their customers sometimes a whole year after you pay for them.

Re: Bloodstained: Curse Of The Moon 2 Is Getting A Limited Run Physical Release

RudyC3

Screw Europe again, as usual. Why does it always have to be these guys and meanwhile others like Super Rare Games never come out with interesting stuff like that. It always seems like if one of the two gets a game, the other can't do it on the other side of the pond, forcing a pricey import with customs fees that nearly double the price.

Re: Video: Seeing Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Upscaled To 4K 60fps Makes Us Dream Of A Switch Pro

RudyC3

Someone took a video that was the native 900p30 and upscaled it OFFLINE then uploaded it. This was not upscaled as the game was being rendered, so you couldn't get that kind of result, at least on the framerate side of things, on a console.

Each intermediate frame added to double the framerate is calculated from the current one and the next. The input lag if you implemented that in a real playable product would be atrocious since you'd always be seeing visual information that's two frames late. If it was possible to do so on a playable product, you'd already see it on PC now.

DLSS for resolution though is totally something Nintendo could and should get in a future system. It works very well on PC.

Re: Poll: Which Is Your Favourite GameCube Console Variant?

RudyC3

I bought mine in October 2003, so a little over a year after the European launch, right after it got its price cut to €99. Along with a memory card and Wind Waker. I got a purple (or I guess you call it indigo?) cause they were out of stock of the black models. Purple and black were the only two released when I bought mine, at least locally anyway.

Re: A 'Pro' Switch With More Power Might Not Even Be Fully Utilised, Says Industry Veteran

RudyC3

I've been saying the same thing as this industry professional, all along. If it's still the same platform, releasing a more powerful system won't allow more demanding games which couldn't come to the Switch otherwise to finally make it across. If they won't run on the base system, then they won't get released at all.

The Switch is not comparable to PS4 or XB1 last gen, because those were cutting edge platforms when they came out so releasing pro versions there, AAA games could still run on the base machine. The Switch struggles to run last gen games as it is, let alone next or "new" gen games.

Let them focus on their whole new platform instead, let the Switch live out its good two years left of life amidst the current transition period to new gen, then in two years from now, unveil its successor, coming at the same price point as the OG Switch at launch, with performance closer enough to the new gen to allow miracle ports like we've had on OG Switch, release it just as PS5 and Series S/X get their expected first price reduction.

Re: Poll: What's The Best Kirby Game?

RudyC3

Super Star Ultra for me. The SNES original was really good, the DS port is even superior to it.

@impurekind I just finished not 8 hours ago my first blind playthrough of Kirby's Epic Yarn, completed it 100%. I wouldn't say it's the best, I loved the base game, but the little missions/challenges on the side just to unlock extra useless pieces of fabric, painstakingly, one by one, was not my idea of fun, it was dull work. The main adventure itself was great though.

Re: Random: Hades In French Adds Lots Of Puns, And Makes Hypnos Extra-Sleazy

RudyC3

Nintendo games tend to be very well localised to French, as those of their second party devs. Back on N64, I actually preferred the French script over the original English one for Jet Force Gemini because they made up puns that were not in the original, such as for ALL weapon and ammo names or just for characters in general using a ton of slang. It made the game just so much better in general. Because I stream in English these days, when i had to replay through it all in English instead of French, the script there felt flat and more generic by comparison. It may come across as disrespectful of the original intent of the creators to modify the script to this extent, but I can't help but love it more the way I first experienced it in my own language.

Re: Nintendo "Laughed Their Asses Off" At Microsoft's Buyout Offer

RudyC3

Even though the N64 didn't set the world on fire like the PS1 did, people assume Nintendo was doing badly during those years. This is not true. Not only was Nintendo doing great thanks to Pokémon being the biggest phenomenon around at the time, but Nintendo faced little to no competition on their own hardware from third parties with the N64. Consequently, practically every first party Nintendo game on N64 sold in the millions of units, time and time again for 5 years straight. Then Nintendo never sold the N64 hardware at a loss. This actually was never something Nintendo did and they certainly don't do it these days either, so they were not losing money on every N64 console sold.

They were not market leaders in the home console space in those days, for sure, but they had a lot of chart toppers in the software department and they certainly didn't lose money with the system, and that was in spite of, yes, the choice of cartridges over CDs making them lose the support of a lot of 3rd party developers. It was not an ideal situation for them to be in because that put them in a weakened brand recognition situation for the generation that came after, but the N64 days were not bad for them, financially.

The Gamecube was worse for them if anything because the Gamecube did have some actual third party support (most Ubisoft and EA titles of that era were consistently released on the cube as well for example) and there was more "choice" for software there, but with a more limited install base. And then the Wii U, of course, is when they started reporting years where they were actually losing money.

Re: Industry Analysts Are Still Confident We'll See A Switch Pro This Year

RudyC3

Well "Switch is just a word" sounds to me like another Switch model where you can't "Switch", but that would completely contradict a more recent Nintendo comment saying that their future device will "keep the same form factor", so I guess that rules out a full on home device (and I don't see the point of another Switch Lite, we already have one)

Re: Top Hat Studios Issues Statement Regarding Demands To Censor Sense - A Cyberpunk Ghost Story

RudyC3

I must be the only one thinking that just "maybe" there never were any threatening messages or controversies to begin with but that this is a forged story so that major websites would cover it, giving them free publicity.

I'm not saying this is necessarily the case, that could never be proven, but this whole story will certainly have given them exposure in a saturated market that a new franchise from a small developer certainly needs to do well in terms of sales. Plus if it gets bad reviews from users, they could always blame it on the "review bombing", this is very convenient.

Now if it's all true, well, good on those guys for standing behind their creation and not caving in the face of cyber-violence from neurotic self-righteous *****.

Re: Best Of 2020: Moon Studios On Ori And The Will Of The Wisps' Journey From Xbox To Switch

RudyC3

It's a fantastic port for sure, but I had 5 game crashes over the course of my first playthrough. So i wouldn't call it perfect. I was playing of the cartridge and it always seemed to happen when trying to load a large amount of data at once (3 out of 5 times were when I tried to fast travel). Thankfully this one is good at auto-saving your progress so I never lost a ton of progress because of it, so it wasn't too bad though. I didn't have such problems playing Blind Forest off a cartridge.