Comments 12

Re: Soapbox: Endless Zelda Remakes Are A Poor Substitute For Backwards Compatibility

SmoothieShake

Nintendo sets a high bar for their remakes. When they do release remakes, they're expected to be different in very significant ways. Link's Awakening had a gorgeous new look with new content. Wind Waker HD had a streamlined major sidequest, major visual upgrades and improvements and additions to optional content. Twilight Princess HD was able to be played with a gamepad, semi-portably. And Skyward Sword HD took the motion controls of the Wii game and flawlessly implemented them into a controller-only scheme. Ocarina of Time 3D and Majora's Mask 3D also got significant upgrades, though I'm not as familiar with those.

Add to that that Skyward Sword, Link's Awakening, and the two N64 ports are playable on the go.

Re: Soapbox: Ace Attorney: Trials And Tribulations Is The Perfect Tragedy

SmoothieShake

I like Dahlia as a character. Contrasted with Godot, it shows that people can change...but some choose to change for the worse, while others for the better. Some die miserable, while others die happy, and I believe they take that personality with them when they go. To be honest, I felt Spirit of Justice did this game a disservice with the way the story handled spiritual elements in that game. In TaT, Dahlia meticulously planned out what she would do even after her death, but in Spirit of Justice, it's said that spirits basically don't progress or act until they are channeled again. I know this was there to add drama and intensity to the plot (which I won't spoil), but I think it not only cheapens its own story, but TaT as well. So, I don't really hold SoJ to be canon.

I have a different interpretation of the story, though. I think it's a story of triumph rather than tragedy. The characters went through deep trials and came out better for it. Not more depressed, not miserable, better. And since there is life after death, the characters don't have to worry about their losses. They will see their loved ones again.

Speaking more on that note, The Force would fit really well in Ace Attorney lol.

Re: Talking Point: Which Nintendo Series Would Work Best As A Free-To-Play Game?

SmoothieShake

I think Splatoon, Mario Party and Mario Maker would probably be my top 3. Splatoon has lots of customizable gear, and it wouldn't be too difficult to make it so that people could buy gear that looks cool (maybe new skins for current gear) but doesn't provide any competitive advantage over non-paid gear.

Mario Party is pretty ideal for a free-to-start model. People could have fully playable boards and minigames without paying anything and spend money to get what they want, or the whole cost ($60?) to get the whole game. Kind of like how Nintendo handled Stretchmo, though I don't know how Stretchmo sold.

And Mario Maker...well, as much as I like having a full-fledged game as a set price, I recognize Mario Maker thrives on community. I think Mario Maker can make a good free-to-play game.

Re: Talking Point: What Was Your First Legend Of Zelda Game?

SmoothieShake

My first was OG Zelda. I was 4, and it was 1996. My dad's closest friend gave me his NES, and that started a lifetime with video games.

As for a Zelda game I'd plug, though, it's Wind Waker. It was the first Zelda game that gave Ganondorf a sympathetic character. There really aren't a lot of people out there that are totally evil. So having a villain that could be related to was a step in the right direction for the Zelda series.

Re: Pokémon Scarlet And Violet TCG Series Launches In 2023, Here's A Sneak Peek

SmoothieShake

It looks like a few details about Koraidon and Miraidon ex are still being withheld. Attack cost, hp and that space in between "basic" and other words (also, retreat cost isn't shown, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was free, considering the theme and the attack drawback). Depending on what energy acceleration is like in the new Standard format, Miraidon will probably see more play than Koraidon (since the latter requires you to end your turn). For example, if there are still energy acceleration supporters (like Gardenia's Vigor), then Miraidon could get Pokemon onto the bench, and you would still get to play supporter after use (which can make a big difference in gameplay approach) AND attack.

I'm also excited to see the cards we don't see. I love playing Gym Leader Challenge, and in that format, there are no rule box cards allowed. So no ex cards.

And the mention of "comebacks" being an integral part of the new standard format has me excited. In the recent standard format, there are many, many situations in which you just run into situations where you can't come back or even do damage...even demonstrated by games at Worlds.

That's one reason I love the Gym Leader Challenge format (shameless plug for the format). The format is now officially acknowledged and repped by The Pokemon Company. I've played a decent number of games in the format, and it really rewards skillful play. You can be at a type disadvantage and still pull out wins, and there are rarely situations in which one turn decides the outcome of the matchup. And maybe more than any other format, it requires adaptation. You could have key players prized and have to adapt your strategy on the fly, without being in the situation of like "this game's over before it started".

You can check out the rules here: https://gymleaderchallenge.com/

And check out the Tricky Gym discord for matches! The discord is run by the man who introduced the format, and people are often looking for matches to play online.

Re: Feature: Every Pokémon Game Narrative, Ranked From Best To Worst

SmoothieShake

I'd put X and Y near or at the top, actually. Lysandre is one of the best antagonists in the Pokemon series, imo. He isn't particularly insane or evil. He's just wrong. While the plot may seem rushed, I think the presentation is quite good.

I put Gen IV on the bottom. I don't believe that anyone can be just erased (which is why Infinity War is about at the bottom of my Marvel tier list). Essentially, I don't think the plot makes sense, so I don't relate to the story as much as I do others in the series.

I also don't agree with Gen VIII's analysis. Team Yell is a refreshing change of pace for the series. It fits the theme of the generation quite well. Having a "villain" team be fans in a generation thematically built on popular competition just fits. The focus of the generation isn't primarily on saving the world. It's on exploration and competition, the focus of the series from the start, with an added focus on connections between trainers and others, including their Pokemon.

It's only more recently that bonds between trainers and Pokemon have been more heavily emphasized, which is why I think modern Pokemon games are better than the former in general, at the very least in terms of story and characterization. Gen III, of course, is where Pokemon stories started to take off, but I think Gen V onward is where the best Pokemon stories to date are.

In essence, I don't think narrative ought to be analyzed separate from interactions, setting and characterization. They make up a whole, and it's the connections between those that make the narrative richer. As said before, the connections were lacking in earlier gens, which is why I think Gen V onward is better overall.