@samuelvictor Holy buckets I really opened the floodgates here! Not only did I get some game recommendations, there was a proper history lesson included as well. Very interesting stuff! I always knew that Sonic was a true competitor for Mario back in the day and you gave me a clearer picture of what happened and why it was prevalent to hate on the blue blur.
The fact that you and Banjo basically recommended 3 of the same games (those being Generations, Colors, and Frontiers) means I'll have to try those out! Will wait for Frontiers to be fully updated before I dive in as per your recommendation. From the little I've seen of the game, it looks pretty fun and if all I need is a little patience to play the best version of it down the line? I'm down to wait. I often see Colors go on sale and Generations is in my Steam library so I'll give that a spin after Mania for sure.
I do own the Wii version of Unleashed, hope it won't be too big of a downgrade from the Xbox version and I did play a lot of Transformed, that game is a banger! And I do indeed own a Switch, no idea why I didn't mention that. Guess I assumed that it was implied since I'm commenting on a nintendo news site haha.
I didn't expect such a reaction to my story, but I am happy that it could brighten up your day in some way! In general, I've gotten bogged down as of late at the constant snark and general negative attitude that people can have over entertainment properties and have put an active effort to not be a part of such discourse, although I have been a big contributor of such things in the past. Of course there is such a thing as constructive criticism and I am in no way insinuating that people should say nothing if they didn't enjoy something. I'm just personally being more aware of what I listen to/read and how I share my own opinions.
For example, to keep it in the realm of Sonic, I'd rather watch someone play Sonic '06 and goof off with the bugs and glitches or read/watch someone gush about Sonic and why they are attached to the Sonic brand than yet another dissertation on why Sonic '06 actually killed the Sonic franchise or that Sonic was never good to begin with, y'know? And if I didn't enjoy something, I'll simply acknowledge that it wasn't for me and move on with my life to something else. On the flip side, if I have an opportunity to share some positive experience or something specific that I enjoyed, I want to go out of my way to do so as I did today. The fact that it left such an impact with you and Banjo encourages me to keep going forward in this manner!
@Banjo- Thanks for the recommendations! I think I actually have Sonic Generations for PC now that you mention it, probably from some steam sale at some point. I'll have to check it out for sure!
@samuelvictor I saw you commenting as a genuine fan of the series and wanted to share that if it wasn't for this collection, I would probably still be a "sonic sucks" kind of person, which is admittedly ignorant and based on no personal experience only internet discussion. My only sonic gameplay experience was Sonic Chronicles, that RPG made by Bioware on the DS and admittedly, I kinda liked it back then. Don't remember anything about it now though.
Anyhow, got origins to see what the fuss was all about recently and wasn't entirely convinced with Sonic 1 and CD. Still, I WAS having fun so I kept playing and Sonic 2 blew me away. What a fun game! I immediately replayed it to get all the chaos emeralds because I enjoyed it so much. Went on to Sonic 3&K with some apprehension that I wouldn't enjoy it as much as 2. And I didn't.
I enjoyed it even more!
This prompted me to finally get Mania which I beat last night and now I'm going through Encore mode. I am super stoked for Superstars, I got Origins Plus to play as Amy because oh my god her design is so cute! Even though I was of the previous opinion that Amy is just an annoying unrequited love type character, I'm happy to report that I have changed my ways haha.
All this to say, I learned a very important lesson about forming my own opinions and forgoing the cesspool of negativity that the internet can be and often is. Color me a 2D sonic fan through and through. I think I like these games more than most 2D Mario games now tbh and I grew up with those! Do you have recommendations for 3D sonic games? I got a PC and a PS5 and wouldn't mind dabbling in that sphere a bit as I wait for Superstars and Wonder!
I haven't watched the video, nor am I planning to, as the article itself details the main points pretty well. This comment section once again proves people's inability to read the topic they're commenting on.
That being said when I initially read the headline, I thought that Jirard only did it for himself because he's the Completionist after all. Having learned from the article that he's donating it all to be preserved is pretty neat! Unfortunately "preservation" seems to mean different things for different people.
It seems to many that if the games are saved somewhere, but not EVERYONE has free access to it, that's not preservation. Instead people will tout the sites and efforts of more dubious sources, because at least that way everyone can play them, ergo they're preserved right. Granted I'm not opposed to the idea of ROMs obtained from the internet, but the dubious nature of their legality, morality, and legitimacy have been and will continue to be questioned.
What preservation means for The Video Game History Foundation is stated on their website, "dedicated to preserving, celebrating, and teaching the history of video games. Our archives provide rare material for study, and our advocacy and educational outreach bring everyone together to do their part in celebrating and discovering video game history."
In truth, preservation =/= everyone can play them at anytime. At least not if you want to do it the legitimate way, so to speak. Even in efforts to archive films and books there is no easy access for everyone and their mothers. Maybe that should change? Is that even feasible? Those are conversations for another post.
At the end of the day, whatever your opinion of Jirard or YouTubers, I don't understand how his actions can continue to be spun so negatively. I personally don't like him and I'll be the first to agree that most things done by YTs will be for the clicks (even this!), but I'm not letting that conflate with my thoughts on the topic at hand. I also agree that he shouldn't be touted as some sort of hero, but I can't in good conscience deny the effort he put in for this and vilify him either.
@Hwatt Good recap for someone who doesn't plan on watching the video (like me!). Just wanna say that Samus looking down when platforming is present for dual stick controls. It's toggalable in the settings and is off by default.
I wonder how many people married Chrom on complete accident the first time around. At a certain point he will just marry the character he has the highest support with (as Lucina has to be born) and from like the first map, when you learn about pairing in battle, the game encourages you to use Robin and Chrom together. Very likely for many to have kept using that busted combo, raised their support with Chrom, and were then roped into marriage.
As I was reading the comments I was getting worried that no one mentioned Echoes/Shadows of Valentina, but a few commenters came to my rescue! That game seems so underrated and I'm a little upset we haven't gotten any other Echoes remake games so far. How cool would it be to have an FE4 + FE5 Echoes or FE6 + FE7 Echoes game?
Anyway, back on track, I was on the fence with Engage and I think I still am. As much as I enjoyed Three Houses, I only enjoyed it once. I wanted to go through all the campaigns but the whole Garreg Mach thing became so tedious to me. I have no issue with a bigger focus on character to character interaction vs narrative, but this went a little too far and I simply can't ever replay this game.
Hearing that this has an even bigger hub world is a tad concerning to me. However, if it is simply one campaign, I'm sure I can tolerate the side stuff. Just hoping it doesn't take too long to go from one battle to the next.
And if we're able to control our protagonist in a 3D space anyway, I wouldn't mind seeing the return of the caves and dungeons from Shadows of Valentina, but even more fleshed out. Don't think this will ever happen, but one can hope!
@Ade117 I mean, yes and no? Ever since Kirby's Adventure, the second ever Kirby game, the final boss is a bullet hell/shooter type thing with few exceptions.
So it's quite on brand with its own franchise while being similar to Star Fox at the same time, which is what I assume you were getting at.
My GontY has to go to Kirby Planet Robobot. With the imminent 3ds and Wii U eshop closures, as well as having a stable income, I'm trying to procure the main games I missed on these devices and Robobot is the first one I decided to play!
My god did they perfect 2D Kirby action. I love everything about this game and its sub-games. Really reignited my love for Kirby (I actually dropped off at Triple Deluxe, though I want to revisit that now) and I am excited to get to Forgotten Land at some point! It'll probably be next year's GontY 😅
As a runner up, @Fizza pointed a gun at my head and made me get the Great Ace Attorney Chronicles. I'm only on case 3 of game 1 but holy cow I am in love with the whole cast and aesthetic so far. Being a big fan of Sherlock Holmes irl, I'm enjoying dancing with Herlock Sholmes in this one! This game will probably also be a candidate for next year's GontY now that I think about it.
@Belatarr I'll be making some blanket statements in the following response, so I'll start by acknowledging blanket statements never describe every individual ever.
I wonder if maybe the things that this generation treasures simply differ from those of the past. I find that they tend to value connections and personal well being over many things previous generations considered valuable and worth recording. They seem to be more focused on their happiness and memories now than being worried about what they'll leave behind.
This gives them the freedom to do the things they enjoy simply because they enjoy it. Reading a book because they want to. Watching a movie or show to be a part of the conversation. Playing video games while chatting with their friends to grow those bonds. It's a different way of living.
As for other points you brought up, I've read plenty books in my lifetime, a hobby I enjoy more than gaming, yet I wouldn't say I've become a good writer because of that. Heck, I haven't written anything period because that's not something I'm interested in. One COULD learn how to tell a story through reading, but only if that's what they want to do. If not, reading (as well as many other hobbies) can be done for the sake of relaxing. We don't have to be productive every moment of the day.
There's also tons of shows, movies, and books that can be as valueless, pointless, and time consuming as you are describing video games to be. How are those different? Society puts live action movies and books on a pedestal for some reason and other forms of media get shunned/ignored as less than for no reason, yet even in that bubble there is a ton of junk one must go through to find the gems.
At the end of the day, what someone does with their free time and what makes them happy ends up being purely subjective. Any activity without moderation can become harmful. Moderation and acknowledging subjectivity is key here in my opinion.
Trying to figure out if the sub-heading is in reference to the actual character or the actual facial structure of all the female characters so far 🤔
@TowaHerschel7 Haven't played the update yet, but if they actually removed Spiny Shells appearing on the minimap that is a HUGE change. Having to deal with first place slowing down or throwing themselves off the track when a blue shell appeared has been a big part of races when there's a tight pack.
Have you experienced the lightning not closing gliders yet? I'm curious to know how that works out.
Gotta love how a post about Sonic and Roblox devolved into Star Wars sequel hate. Granted, SwithVogels original comment totally makes sense in context, but as soon as people smell the dried blood of this dead horse, they gotta go in and beat it again! Like sharks? Think I got lost in my own metaphors there...
@Fizza Haha nice, I respect the effort! I'm awful at doing voices and accents myself, so I'll read things in my head ESPECIALLY for a series with such rich characters like the Ace Attorney games. I simply never heard of someone doing it for themselves when they aren't recording a YouTube video or streaming, but it's a completely reasonable thing to do now that I think about it. Make sure to keep your throat well quenched!
Man, you've got me thinking about Ace Attorney again, haven't played them since 2016 with the release of Spirits of Justice on the 3ds. The whole remastered collection is on sale right now, may need to pick it up 🤔
Edit: dang it Fizza, you got me to get The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles. I'm blaming you for my enjoyment this evening!
@benmalsky198 Dude you seriously need to chill, it's not worth your time or effort to defend a game you enjoy. Just enjoy the game for yourself and don't pay attention to what other people are saying. The internet isn't the end all be all of opinions. Take it from someone who enjoys all things Star Wars, it's not a hill worth dying on.
Sonic has been a punching bag for a lot of people on the internet. Many will come to this review to confirm their bias that Sonic can't be good and they'll be happy with that. You WILL NOT be able to change their opinions. On the other hand, there is you and countless other people that I've seen enjoying the game already! Fantastic! Don't let the internet's existence sully your experience.
Also, please don't attack the reviewer. It's one person with their opinion of the game. One. It's okay for him to have disliked it while others shower the game with praise. As "harsh" as it may seem, it's just Ollie's opinion, not a fact.
@strollin_stu @Zeldinion There were literally only 4 farming games and 2 of those were RPG and farming hybrids. What's this rewriting of history to 6-7 farming games?
@dugan Loads of speedrunners have other "normal" jobs and just spend like most of their free time running games. There are also loads of speedrunners that stream and put the VODs or highlights on YouTube and have big enough fanbases that they can sustain themselves through that
@steventonysmith I'm surprised to hear the SNES DKC games having stiff controls. I played Returns and Tropical Freeze first and then went back to the original DKC trilogy and I found the controls to be incredibly tight and responsive. Tropical Freeze is honestly my favorite of the bunch though (pun absolutely intended), but I would really like for the next modern game to bring in more animal buddies, area/level specific minigames, and the Kremlings. Those elements bring so much charm to the original games and I miss them here, but I digress.
I quite enjoy the ability to gain tons of speed and momentum in a flash on the modern games, lots of insane jumps you can pull off with that. But once you're in the air, it's quite a commitment if you don't have Dixie or Diddy. I feel that you can't change directions as smoothly as you can in the original trilogy, which leads to some jumps feeling a bit more sluggish.
TL;DR I enjoy the whole series, but find the controls on SNES tighter
@stiligFox Isn't it nuts that a person can't share their own positive feelings about something related to Star Wars without being told that their opinion is wrong?
As others have already commented, there is so much toxicity on the internet. What's worse is that a lot of those entitled people spew such vile things and then get upset that the dev/director/whoever "can't handle criticism." Which puts those creators in a lose-lose situation. It's honestly rather clever on the part of the entitled. Edit: this way they never have to take accountability for their own actions or opinions.
@Olmectron From what I saw in the comments, people were judging the drip feed that IGN had as that was all the footage we had. And it looked rough. It's true that it's difficult to fully judge a game before release, but the marketing of it wasn't done well until this past direct. If I made something to sell to people and was telling them this product will change their lives, but for one month all I showed was footage of how the item looks but not at all how it works, people rightfully won't believe me.
Yet a lot of people remained cautiously optimistic. There was more, "it looks unfinished and hopefully there is time to make it better," then straight up, "this is trash."
And what do you know, turns out the parts Sega decided to drip feed were the least interesting bits and there are actual proper levels/challenges within this big landscape to enjoy. Once they showed what the game is truly about, it turned heads. It's almost as if marketing plays an important role in peoples perception of the product
@NEStalgia I'll preface by saying you're totally in your right to buy the game when you think it's going to be completed and I'm not here to change that thought.
What I'm interested in is, who's to say the base game isn't enough for a complete story? XC2 was certainly a complete story without the additional side quests and blades. BotW was a complete base package without its DLC. Same with Age of Calamity, Splatoon, Three Houses, Mario + Rabbits. Why can't we look at this as XC3 being a complete package and the DLC being extra for those who want it? There are different ways to look at the situation and we can't present any with certainty.
However, I'm in the camp that the game will be whole on its own and the new story content will be just that, new story content. Nothing in Nintendo's track record so far has shown me that the base game isn't complete when paid DLC is involved. I guess that's why I'm confused on why you're so adamant with your stance.
If this game ends in a cliffhanger that can only be resolved in the new story scenario, I will be the first to admit to being wrong.
@NEStalgia Hold up, let me get this straight. You're saying that XC3 is a half baked game because they're introducing a new story scenario in the DLC that is coming a year and a half later. At the same time, you're praising Torna which was a new story scenario in the DLC for XC2 that came out roughly a year later. Edit: the original XC2 expansion pass cost the same as this one.
@moodycat Absolutely fair and I wholeheartedly agree. Unfortunately, it's not in everyone's nature to stop and think for a fraction of a second, which would make a lot of things easier.
Besides, I find surface level adoration or dislike to not make for interesting conversation. Your original comment wasn't a simple "bash XC2 for bashings sake." It had more meat to it. Yet the response to it was to just take your opinion of XC2 being bad and say the opposite, which is a nonstatement. If instead it was a query as to why you didn't enjoy it, that could've opened up a potential avenue for discussion.
Though again, when it comes to matters of opinion, loads of people aren't willing to open that avenue and hear something different, which is proven time and time again in these comments sections. Makes for fun reading for lurkers like me though!
@moodycat @RiasGremory I believe these sorts of interactions can be wholly avoided if before an opinion, people stated that it was an opinion. Instead of a point-blank statement of "x is great/awful," a simple, "I find x to be great/awful" can be more helpful.
Then again, loads of people on the internet hate on opinions even when you're being obvious that's it's just your point of view. C'est la vie.
@SteamEngenius I don't see how that changes anything that I said. And I don't intend to disect what a review number means, especially when it's from Metacritic. You know, the totally accurate review site where people definitely always rate a game per their own opinions, and not love bomb or hate bomb to try and raise or lower the overall score to fit their own opinion?
I'm not against reading reviews or watching them + some gameplay videos to see if that's what someone may enjoy playing. In fact, they're quite important for customers to come to their own conclusions, which is sensible thing to do. The number given at the very end of all that is arbitrary, it means nothing, but that's what the discussion often leans towards.
My favorite parts about reading the comments of a new release are:
People not understanding NL scoring policy
People thinking positive reviews = Nintendo shills
People bringing up Metacritic
People not understanding that for something to have an average score of 75 on said website means there are more positive reviews than negative (you know, because it's an average of ALL reviews)
Commenters still caring about what number a different human being, who has their own personal preferences and opinions in gaming, gave to a game and complaining when it doesn't fit exactly what they would've given the game
And I have 0 interest in playing this game, mind. I enjoy reading reviews on NL because everyone writing style is fun to read, then I can pop into the comments and check out the outrage because it's fun!
@Royalblues I will agree that Nintendo's efforts could be better in the long-run as the only more diverse characters exist only in Fire Emblem and ARMS, with Smash only having it as skins. Hell, I would've gladly taken Claude over Byleth in Smash, but that's just because I'm team Golden Deer all the way and Byleth has no substance. But I digress.
Edit: The thing that bothered me is looking at skin color as the only measurement of diversity. There are so many different cultures and nationalities that exist within similar skin tones, and it just feels weird to discredit all that because they happen to look similar in a stylized artstyle. Street Fighter is the best example of this, as you brought up.
@Royalblues At the end of the day, Nintendo is a business. Many other big name companies are just businesses. If they believe that adding diversity to their media will bring in more money, they will do it. It will never be out of the kindness of their own hearts.
That being said, the ARMS comparison in smash is a little odd to me. Min Min is statistically the most popular character from ARMS so it makes business sense to add her over Twintelle, and she is canonically Chinese. Does that not count as at least some some sort of diversity or does diversity only apply to darker skin tones?
I am currently playing Other M for the first time after playing every other mainline Metroid and Prime game for the first time throughout the past year. I'm enjoying it quite a lot and I'm always anticipating the next moment that I can continue playing this game! It's different for sure and I can respect that people didn't like it. The vitriol this game attracted seems a bit much though. Though that's just typical of the internet really, once something is decided to be hated, it just keeps on getting bashed because there's no such thing as beating a dead horse, right?
@Patendo I assume it's probably because the Kremlings haven't been really relevant as of late. Maybe if there was a new DKC game with K. Rool and the Kremlings back they would've kept them, but Bum Bum has been getting more attention in games recently.
@WoomyNNYes I've found shaking the controller to buffer tricks a much more reliable option when taking those specific trick areas than pressing the button
@Zulzar I'm pretty sure what the dude was referring to with the data wasn't a survey but data that Nintendo gathered. Now, as you said just because something is popular doesn't mean it's not a gimmick. Likewise, just because something is a gimmick doesn't mean that it's bad.
Edit: I will add that I don't give a rats bottom if you personally dislike playing in handheld. You do what is right for you. It's the talking down of "most people" and the attitude that you know something they don't that is urging people to tell you how wrong you are.
@Turbo857 Fair enough, seems I misinterpreted your original comment! Personally, I wouldn't mind the third person perspective if there are more open areas to run around in. When in space stations and cramped corridors, I like the first person perspective as it feels much more personal and claustrophobic.
Maybe if it's a combination of open areas and corridors it can switch between the two perspectives.
@thebottomtext Now, I heavily dislike playing turn based rpgs (unless they're a strategy/tactics game a la Fire Emblem or Final Fantasy Tactics), but I have to disagree with the thought they they're poorly designed games from a gameplay sense. It's obvious you prefer games where you have full control of the character at all times, so the way these games are designed don't mesh with your personal play style.
Turn based rpgs are often designed around the fact that you WILL be getting hit. Some have evasion/dodge mechanics (usually determined by a percentage chance which can be raised by your equipment), others don't. These sorts of games are usually a big numbers game as you choose equipment, weapons, and battle abilities to suit the situation you're in. There's lots of menuing to make sure you're optimally stacked for any occasion and lots of players like this sort of stuff.
On top of that, there are typically various classes to help you out. There can be a tank like class that doesn't deal much damage but may have taunt abilities to attract aggro. Healers are very important because you're going to be taking damage a lot, and they often have a "heal one person" ability that heals loads, and a heal party ability that heals everyone but not as much as a targeted heal. These are just basic ideas, but shows that there's usually constant decision making in a well made RPG.
As in chess it is unavoidable to lose pieces, some genres of games make it impossible to avoid taking damage (such as the aforementioned strategy games). Taking damage in and of itself isn't a bad thing, as in most games hp is often just another resource for you to manage. It's how the rest of the game is designed around the mechanic and turn based RPGs have really mastered the craft over countless iterations.
@Turbo857 The thing is that all the other Prime games (aside from Pinball I guess) are first person games. I don't think it's reasonable to expect them to make a third person game for Prime 4.
I'm sure they could come up with an interesting third person title, and heck if they want to make this entry third person I'm all for trying it. It just doesn't make sense to expect it to be something different, then be disappointed when it isn't that. That's not the devs fault.
I love how the meaning for the word "blade" changes in every game.
Though never said, I like to imagine that in XC1, the "blade" part of Xenoblade is just the Monado.
In XCX B.L.A.D.E. was an acronym for "Builders of the Legacy After the Destruction of Earth," so a very important organization to help the humans survive on a new planet after almost being wiped out by being in the crossfire of a war between 2 alien races.
XC2 Blades were sentient weapons that could grant their drivers awesome weapons and powers. Though not everyone had the potential to summon blades, and Nopon in general were apparently out of luck of being able to do so.
In XC3, it's just the weapons they wield on a day to day basis in these armies. I wonder if the weapons that more important characters wield are more special in some way than those wielded by the average soldier.
@JakedaArbok Nega can be a prefix that means negative, and in Japanese it's a word that means negative. It has nothing to do etymologically with the n-word, as that comes all the way from the Latin word for black (which is "niger"), while the idea of negative comes from Latin "negativus" meaning "that which denies." The prefix "negat-" in that word essentially means "to deny."
@Ralizah It's such a shame that this line of thinking (of XC2 being more pornographic in nature) stopped people from enjoying a game that goes into some heavy themes in what I consider very tasteful ways. Sure, there's a couple odd lines and like a couple actual gratuitous shots, but that's such a small part of this games identity. Some people also seem to forget a lot of Sharlas outfits from XC1 and some of Sevens. It's always been there but it's more a matter of the author/artist's intent, as well as not applying Western culture to Japan's.
I don't know how to do spoilers in NLife, so read the following at your own discretion, but XC2 analyses suicide, finding purpose, the burden of memories and how to deal with that, among other themes.
There's a whole character whose story arc is essentially about coming out in a world that doesn't accept them, but being able to do it and to fully accept themselves because of their supporting friends. If you look at their final design, one can say that it's pandering, which completely undermines the symbolism of that design.
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Re: Review: Sonic Origins Plus - Not Bad, But Sonic Still Deserves Better
@samuelvictor Holy buckets I really opened the floodgates here! Not only did I get some game recommendations, there was a proper history lesson included as well. Very interesting stuff! I always knew that Sonic was a true competitor for Mario back in the day and you gave me a clearer picture of what happened and why it was prevalent to hate on the blue blur.
The fact that you and Banjo basically recommended 3 of the same games (those being Generations, Colors, and Frontiers) means I'll have to try those out! Will wait for Frontiers to be fully updated before I dive in as per your recommendation. From the little I've seen of the game, it looks pretty fun and if all I need is a little patience to play the best version of it down the line? I'm down to wait. I often see Colors go on sale and Generations is in my Steam library so I'll give that a spin after Mania for sure.
I do own the Wii version of Unleashed, hope it won't be too big of a downgrade from the Xbox version and I did play a lot of Transformed, that game is a banger! And I do indeed own a Switch, no idea why I didn't mention that. Guess I assumed that it was implied since I'm commenting on a nintendo news site haha.
I didn't expect such a reaction to my story, but I am happy that it could brighten up your day in some way! In general, I've gotten bogged down as of late at the constant snark and general negative attitude that people can have over entertainment properties and have put an active effort to not be a part of such discourse, although I have been a big contributor of such things in the past. Of course there is such a thing as constructive criticism and I am in no way insinuating that people should say nothing if they didn't enjoy something. I'm just personally being more aware of what I listen to/read and how I share my own opinions.
For example, to keep it in the realm of Sonic, I'd rather watch someone play Sonic '06 and goof off with the bugs and glitches or read/watch someone gush about Sonic and why they are attached to the Sonic brand than yet another dissertation on why Sonic '06 actually killed the Sonic franchise or that Sonic was never good to begin with, y'know? And if I didn't enjoy something, I'll simply acknowledge that it wasn't for me and move on with my life to something else. On the flip side, if I have an opportunity to share some positive experience or something specific that I enjoyed, I want to go out of my way to do so as I did today. The fact that it left such an impact with you and Banjo encourages me to keep going forward in this manner!
Once more, thanks for the recommendations!
Re: Review: Sonic Origins Plus - Not Bad, But Sonic Still Deserves Better
@Banjo- Thanks for the recommendations! I think I actually have Sonic Generations for PC now that you mention it, probably from some steam sale at some point. I'll have to check it out for sure!
Re: Review: Sonic Origins Plus - Not Bad, But Sonic Still Deserves Better
@samuelvictor I saw you commenting as a genuine fan of the series and wanted to share that if it wasn't for this collection, I would probably still be a "sonic sucks" kind of person, which is admittedly ignorant and based on no personal experience only internet discussion. My only sonic gameplay experience was Sonic Chronicles, that RPG made by Bioware on the DS and admittedly, I kinda liked it back then. Don't remember anything about it now though.
Anyhow, got origins to see what the fuss was all about recently and wasn't entirely convinced with Sonic 1 and CD. Still, I WAS having fun so I kept playing and Sonic 2 blew me away. What a fun game! I immediately replayed it to get all the chaos emeralds because I enjoyed it so much. Went on to Sonic 3&K with some apprehension that I wouldn't enjoy it as much as 2. And I didn't.
I enjoyed it even more!
This prompted me to finally get Mania which I beat last night and now I'm going through Encore mode. I am super stoked for Superstars, I got Origins Plus to play as Amy because oh my god her design is so cute! Even though I was of the previous opinion that Amy is just an annoying unrequited love type character, I'm happy to report that I have changed my ways haha.
All this to say, I learned a very important lesson about forming my own opinions and forgoing the cesspool of negativity that the internet can be and often is. Color me a 2D sonic fan through and through. I think I like these games more than most 2D Mario games now tbh and I grew up with those! Do you have recommendations for 3D sonic games? I got a PC and a PS5 and wouldn't mind dabbling in that sphere a bit as I wait for Superstars and Wonder!
Re: Random: YouTuber Spends Nearly $23K Buying Every 3DS & Wii U eShop Game
@tee-cup And hey, more power to ya!
Re: Random: YouTuber Spends Nearly $23K Buying Every 3DS & Wii U eShop Game
I haven't watched the video, nor am I planning to, as the article itself details the main points pretty well. This comment section once again proves people's inability to read the topic they're commenting on.
That being said when I initially read the headline, I thought that Jirard only did it for himself because he's the Completionist after all. Having learned from the article that he's donating it all to be preserved is pretty neat! Unfortunately "preservation" seems to mean different things for different people.
It seems to many that if the games are saved somewhere, but not EVERYONE has free access to it, that's not preservation. Instead people will tout the sites and efforts of more dubious sources, because at least that way everyone can play them, ergo they're preserved right. Granted I'm not opposed to the idea of ROMs obtained from the internet, but the dubious nature of their legality, morality, and legitimacy have been and will continue to be questioned.
What preservation means for The Video Game History Foundation is stated on their website, "dedicated to preserving, celebrating, and teaching the history of video games. Our archives provide rare material for study, and our advocacy and educational outreach bring everyone together to do their part in celebrating and discovering video game history."
In truth, preservation =/= everyone can play them at anytime. At least not if you want to do it the legitimate way, so to speak. Even in efforts to archive films and books there is no easy access for everyone and their mothers. Maybe that should change? Is that even feasible? Those are conversations for another post.
At the end of the day, whatever your opinion of Jirard or YouTubers, I don't understand how his actions can continue to be spun so negatively. I personally don't like him and I'll be the first to agree that most things done by YTs will be for the clicks (even this!), but I'm not letting that conflate with my thoughts on the topic at hand. I also agree that he shouldn't be touted as some sort of hero, but I can't in good conscience deny the effort he put in for this and vilify him either.
Re: Video: Digital Foundry's Technical Analysis Of Metroid Prime Remastered
@Hwatt Good recap for someone who doesn't plan on watching the video (like me!). Just wanna say that Samus looking down when platforming is present for dual stick controls. It's toggalable in the settings and is off by default.
Re: Talking Point: Who Did You Marry In Fire Emblem: Awakening?
I wonder how many people married Chrom on complete accident the first time around. At a certain point he will just marry the character he has the highest support with (as Lucina has to be born) and from like the first map, when you learn about pairing in battle, the game encourages you to use Robin and Chrom together. Very likely for many to have kept using that busted combo, raised their support with Chrom, and were then roped into marriage.
Re: Hands On: Fire Emblem Engage Is Surprisingly Fast-Paced And Delightfully Deep
As I was reading the comments I was getting worried that no one mentioned Echoes/Shadows of Valentina, but a few commenters came to my rescue! That game seems so underrated and I'm a little upset we haven't gotten any other Echoes remake games so far. How cool would it be to have an FE4 + FE5 Echoes or FE6 + FE7 Echoes game?
Anyway, back on track, I was on the fence with Engage and I think I still am. As much as I enjoyed Three Houses, I only enjoyed it once. I wanted to go through all the campaigns but the whole Garreg Mach thing became so tedious to me. I have no issue with a bigger focus on character to character interaction vs narrative, but this went a little too far and I simply can't ever replay this game.
Hearing that this has an even bigger hub world is a tad concerning to me. However, if it is simply one campaign, I'm sure I can tolerate the side stuff. Just hoping it doesn't take too long to go from one battle to the next.
And if we're able to control our protagonist in a 3D space anyway, I wouldn't mind seeing the return of the caves and dungeons from Shadows of Valentina, but even more fleshed out. Don't think this will ever happen, but one can hope!
Re: Backlog Club: Nintendo Life's Games Of Not-This-Year Awards 2022
@Ade117 I mean, yes and no? Ever since Kirby's Adventure, the second ever Kirby game, the final boss is a bullet hell/shooter type thing with few exceptions.
So it's quite on brand with its own franchise while being similar to Star Fox at the same time, which is what I assume you were getting at.
Re: Backlog Club: Nintendo Life's Games Of Not-This-Year Awards 2022
My GontY has to go to Kirby Planet Robobot. With the imminent 3ds and Wii U eshop closures, as well as having a stable income, I'm trying to procure the main games I missed on these devices and Robobot is the first one I decided to play!
My god did they perfect 2D Kirby action. I love everything about this game and its sub-games. Really reignited my love for Kirby (I actually dropped off at Triple Deluxe, though I want to revisit that now) and I am excited to get to Forgotten Land at some point! It'll probably be next year's GontY 😅
As a runner up, @Fizza pointed a gun at my head and made me get the Great Ace Attorney Chronicles. I'm only on case 3 of game 1 but holy cow I am in love with the whole cast and aesthetic so far. Being a big fan of Sherlock Holmes irl, I'm enjoying dancing with Herlock Sholmes in this one! This game will probably also be a candidate for next year's GontY now that I think about it.
Re: Best Of 2022: How Video Games Can Be Brilliant For Your Mental Health
@Belatarr I'll be making some blanket statements in the following response, so I'll start by acknowledging blanket statements never describe every individual ever.
I wonder if maybe the things that this generation treasures simply differ from those of the past. I find that they tend to value connections and personal well being over many things previous generations considered valuable and worth recording. They seem to be more focused on their happiness and memories now than being worried about what they'll leave behind.
This gives them the freedom to do the things they enjoy simply because they enjoy it. Reading a book because they want to. Watching a movie or show to be a part of the conversation. Playing video games while chatting with their friends to grow those bonds. It's a different way of living.
As for other points you brought up, I've read plenty books in my lifetime, a hobby I enjoy more than gaming, yet I wouldn't say I've become a good writer because of that. Heck, I haven't written anything period because that's not something I'm interested in. One COULD learn how to tell a story through reading, but only if that's what they want to do. If not, reading (as well as many other hobbies) can be done for the sake of relaxing. We don't have to be productive every moment of the day.
There's also tons of shows, movies, and books that can be as valueless, pointless, and time consuming as you are describing video games to be. How are those different? Society puts live action movies and books on a pedestal for some reason and other forms of media get shunned/ignored as less than for no reason, yet even in that bubble there is a ton of junk one must go through to find the gems.
At the end of the day, what someone does with their free time and what makes them happy ends up being purely subjective. Any activity without moderation can become harmful. Moderation and acknowledging subjectivity is key here in my opinion.
Re: Nintendo Introduces Lucina In Fire Emblem Engage
Trying to figure out if the sub-heading is in reference to the actual character or the actual facial structure of all the female characters so far 🤔
Re: Best Of 2022: "My Uncle Works At Nintendo" - The Man, The Myth, And The Mendacity
@Mr_Gamecube Blasphemy! No system could handle that amount of stability. None!
Re: Nintendo Releases Update For Switch (Version 15.0.1), Here Are The Details
Removed
Re: Nintendo Kicks Off 5-Day Holiday Event, With Indie Game News And Switch eShop Shadow Drops
@Mario500 WWHD and TPHD stand for Wind Waker HD and Twilight Princess HD respectively
Re: Back Page: How Many Eyes Does Sonic Really Have?
@TheHighGround Love the Kino Loy reference, though surely the obvious response would've been, "Always two there are, no more, no less."
Re: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Has Been Updated To Version 2.2.0, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
@TowaHerschel7 Haven't played the update yet, but if they actually removed Spiny Shells appearing on the minimap that is a HUGE change. Having to deal with first place slowing down or throwing themselves off the track when a blue shell appeared has been a big part of races when there's a tight pack.
Have you experienced the lightning not closing gliders yet? I'm curious to know how that works out.
Re: Sonic Prime's First Episode To Premiere In Roblox 5 Days Before The Netflix Release
Gotta love how a post about Sonic and Roblox devolved into Star Wars sequel hate. Granted, SwithVogels original comment totally makes sense in context, but as soon as people smell the dried blood of this dead horse, they gotta go in and beat it again! Like sharks? Think I got lost in my own metaphors there...
Re: Nintendo Releases Full Statement After Cancellation Of Smash World Tour
@BabyYoda71 Take a look at the comment they were responding to, the context makes their joke more obvious imo
Re: Site News: Got A Moment? Would You Kindly Fill Out Our Reader Survey?
@Fizza Haha nice, I respect the effort! I'm awful at doing voices and accents myself, so I'll read things in my head ESPECIALLY for a series with such rich characters like the Ace Attorney games. I simply never heard of someone doing it for themselves when they aren't recording a YouTube video or streaming, but it's a completely reasonable thing to do now that I think about it. Make sure to keep your throat well quenched!
Man, you've got me thinking about Ace Attorney again, haven't played them since 2016 with the release of Spirits of Justice on the 3ds. The whole remastered collection is on sale right now, may need to pick it up 🤔
Edit: dang it Fizza, you got me to get The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles. I'm blaming you for my enjoyment this evening!
Re: Site News: Got A Moment? Would You Kindly Fill Out Our Reader Survey?
@Fizza Got a clarifying question to your comment. When a game has unspoken dialogue you like to read it out loud?
Re: Review: Sonic Frontiers - A Bold But Ultimately Failed Attempt At Something New
@benmalsky198 Dude you seriously need to chill, it's not worth your time or effort to defend a game you enjoy. Just enjoy the game for yourself and don't pay attention to what other people are saying. The internet isn't the end all be all of opinions. Take it from someone who enjoys all things Star Wars, it's not a hill worth dying on.
Sonic has been a punching bag for a lot of people on the internet. Many will come to this review to confirm their bias that Sonic can't be good and they'll be happy with that. You WILL NOT be able to change their opinions. On the other hand, there is you and countless other people that I've seen enjoying the game already! Fantastic! Don't let the internet's existence sully your experience.
Also, please don't attack the reviewer. It's one person with their opinion of the game. One. It's okay for him to have disliked it while others shower the game with praise. As "harsh" as it may seem, it's just Ollie's opinion, not a fact.
Re: Nintendo To Broadcast Indie World Showcase Later This Week
@strollin_stu @Zeldinion There were literally only 4 farming games and 2 of those were RPG and farming hybrids. What's this rewriting of history to 6-7 farming games?
Re: Feature: What It Takes To Be A Zelda: Breath Of The Wild World Record Speedrunner
@dugan Loads of speedrunners have other "normal" jobs and just spend like most of their free time running games. There are also loads of speedrunners that stream and put the VODs or highlights on YouTube and have big enough fanbases that they can sustain themselves through that
Re: Nintendo Has Filed A New Trademark For The Donkey Kong Series
@steventonysmith I'm surprised to hear the SNES DKC games having stiff controls. I played Returns and Tropical Freeze first and then went back to the original DKC trilogy and I found the controls to be incredibly tight and responsive. Tropical Freeze is honestly my favorite of the bunch though (pun absolutely intended), but I would really like for the next modern game to bring in more animal buddies, area/level specific minigames, and the Kremlings. Those elements bring so much charm to the original games and I miss them here, but I digress.
I quite enjoy the ability to gain tons of speed and momentum in a flash on the modern games, lots of insane jumps you can pull off with that. But once you're in the air, it's quite a commitment if you don't have Dixie or Diddy. I feel that you can't change directions as smoothly as you can in the original trilogy, which leads to some jumps feeling a bit more sluggish.
TL;DR I enjoy the whole series, but find the controls on SNES tighter
Re: Monkey Island's Creator Seemingly Shuts Down Blog After Personal Attacks
@stiligFox Isn't it nuts that a person can't share their own positive feelings about something related to Star Wars without being told that their opinion is wrong?
As others have already commented, there is so much toxicity on the internet. What's worse is that a lot of those entitled people spew such vile things and then get upset that the dev/director/whoever "can't handle criticism." Which puts those creators in a lose-lose situation. It's honestly rather clever on the part of the entitled. Edit: this way they never have to take accountability for their own actions or opinions.
Re: Gallery: Sega Shares Stunning New Screenshots Of Sonic Frontiers, Out On Switch Holiday 2022
@Olmectron From what I saw in the comments, people were judging the drip feed that IGN had as that was all the footage we had. And it looked rough. It's true that it's difficult to fully judge a game before release, but the marketing of it wasn't done well until this past direct. If I made something to sell to people and was telling them this product will change their lives, but for one month all I showed was footage of how the item looks but not at all how it works, people rightfully won't believe me.
Yet a lot of people remained cautiously optimistic. There was more, "it looks unfinished and hopefully there is time to make it better," then straight up, "this is trash."
And what do you know, turns out the parts Sega decided to drip feed were the least interesting bits and there are actual proper levels/challenges within this big landscape to enjoy. Once they showed what the game is truly about, it turned heads. It's almost as if marketing plays an important role in peoples perception of the product
Re: Nintendo Direct Mini To Air Tomorrow, June 28
@Vix I think you need to get some help
Re: Xenoblade Chronicles 3 To Get An Expansion Pass Including New Story Content
@NEStalgia I'll preface by saying you're totally in your right to buy the game when you think it's going to be completed and I'm not here to change that thought.
What I'm interested in is, who's to say the base game isn't enough for a complete story? XC2 was certainly a complete story without the additional side quests and blades. BotW was a complete base package without its DLC. Same with Age of Calamity, Splatoon, Three Houses, Mario + Rabbits. Why can't we look at this as XC3 being a complete package and the DLC being extra for those who want it? There are different ways to look at the situation and we can't present any with certainty.
However, I'm in the camp that the game will be whole on its own and the new story content will be just that, new story content. Nothing in Nintendo's track record so far has shown me that the base game isn't complete when paid DLC is involved. I guess that's why I'm confused on why you're so adamant with your stance.
If this game ends in a cliffhanger that can only be resolved in the new story scenario, I will be the first to admit to being wrong.
Re: Xenoblade Chronicles 3 To Get An Expansion Pass Including New Story Content
@NEStalgia Hold up, let me get this straight. You're saying that XC3 is a half baked game because they're introducing a new story scenario in the DLC that is coming a year and a half later. At the same time, you're praising Torna which was a new story scenario in the DLC for XC2 that came out roughly a year later. Edit: the original XC2 expansion pass cost the same as this one.
How are these two things different?
Re: Random: Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Speedrun World Record Now Belongs To Koroks
@clockworktwink How does a Metacritic score invalidate their personal disappointment with the game again?
Re: A Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Direct Will Be Airing This Wednesday
@moodycat Absolutely fair and I wholeheartedly agree. Unfortunately, it's not in everyone's nature to stop and think for a fraction of a second, which would make a lot of things easier.
Besides, I find surface level adoration or dislike to not make for interesting conversation. Your original comment wasn't a simple "bash XC2 for bashings sake." It had more meat to it. Yet the response to it was to just take your opinion of XC2 being bad and say the opposite, which is a nonstatement. If instead it was a query as to why you didn't enjoy it, that could've opened up a potential avenue for discussion.
Though again, when it comes to matters of opinion, loads of people aren't willing to open that avenue and hear something different, which is proven time and time again in these comments sections. Makes for fun reading for lurkers like me though!
Re: A Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Direct Will Be Airing This Wednesday
@moodycat @RiasGremory I believe these sorts of interactions can be wholly avoided if before an opinion, people stated that it was an opinion. Instead of a point-blank statement of "x is great/awful," a simple, "I find x to be great/awful" can be more helpful.
Then again, loads of people on the internet hate on opinions even when you're being obvious that's it's just your point of view. C'est la vie.
Re: Gem Crafting Makes A Return In Xenoblade Chronicles 3, More Music Shared
@Ulysses They also should've done the same thing with Final Fantasy after the third game and just called it Final. Much more succinct.
Re: Review: Mario Strikers: Battle League - Simply The Best Sports Game On Switch
@SteamEngenius I don't see how that changes anything that I said. And I don't intend to disect what a review number means, especially when it's from Metacritic. You know, the totally accurate review site where people definitely always rate a game per their own opinions, and not love bomb or hate bomb to try and raise or lower the overall score to fit their own opinion?
I'm not against reading reviews or watching them + some gameplay videos to see if that's what someone may enjoy playing. In fact, they're quite important for customers to come to their own conclusions, which is sensible thing to do. The number given at the very end of all that is arbitrary, it means nothing, but that's what the discussion often leans towards.
Re: Review: Mario Strikers: Battle League - Simply The Best Sports Game On Switch
My favorite parts about reading the comments of a new release are:
And I have 0 interest in playing this game, mind. I enjoy reading reviews on NL because everyone writing style is fun to read, then I can pop into the comments and check out the outrage because it's fun!
Re: Random: The Perfect Pokémon Graphics Don't Exi... Oh
@Dr_Corndog Did someone say crucify? Now where did I put that pitchfork
Re: Random: It Looks Like Activision Blizzard's 'Diversity Tool' Analysed Super Mario And Co. Years Ago
@Royalblues I will agree that Nintendo's efforts could be better in the long-run as the only more diverse characters exist only in Fire Emblem and ARMS, with Smash only having it as skins. Hell, I would've gladly taken Claude over Byleth in Smash, but that's just because I'm team Golden Deer all the way and Byleth has no substance. But I digress.
Edit: The thing that bothered me is looking at skin color as the only measurement of diversity. There are so many different cultures and nationalities that exist within similar skin tones, and it just feels weird to discredit all that because they happen to look similar in a stylized artstyle. Street Fighter is the best example of this, as you brought up.
Re: Random: It Looks Like Activision Blizzard's 'Diversity Tool' Analysed Super Mario And Co. Years Ago
@Royalblues At the end of the day, Nintendo is a business. Many other big name companies are just businesses. If they believe that adding diversity to their media will bring in more money, they will do it. It will never be out of the kindness of their own hearts.
That being said, the ARMS comparison in smash is a little odd to me. Min Min is statistically the most popular character from ARMS so it makes business sense to add her over Twintelle, and she is canonically Chinese. Does that not count as at least some some sort of diversity or does diversity only apply to darker skin tones?
Re: Random: You Can Now Play As A Squirrel In Nintendo Switch Sports
@LavaTwilight In the article they say that this is, "this WEEK'S collection."
Re: Reggie Thought Metroid: Other M Would Be A 'Defining Moment' For The Franchise
I am currently playing Other M for the first time after playing every other mainline Metroid and Prime game for the first time throughout the past year. I'm enjoying it quite a lot and I'm always anticipating the next moment that I can continue playing this game! It's different for sure and I can respect that people didn't like it. The vitriol this game attracted seems a bit much though. Though that's just typical of the internet really, once something is decided to be hated, it just keeps on getting bashed because there's no such thing as beating a dead horse, right?
Re: Gallery: Check Out This Awesome New Key Art For Mario Strikers: Battle League
@Patendo I assume it's probably because the Kremlings haven't been really relevant as of late. Maybe if there was a new DKC game with K. Rool and the Kremlings back they would've kept them, but Bum Bum has been getting more attention in games recently.
Re: Random: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Players Really Want Nintendo To "Fix" Coconut Mall
@WoomyNNYes I've found shaking the controller to buffer tricks a much more reliable option when taking those specific trick areas than pressing the button
Re: PSA: Nintendo Switch Sports Local Multiplayer Won't Work On Switch Lite Or In Tabletop Mode
@Zulzar I'm pretty sure what the dude was referring to with the data wasn't a survey but data that Nintendo gathered. Now, as you said just because something is popular doesn't mean it's not a gimmick. Likewise, just because something is a gimmick doesn't mean that it's bad.
Edit: I will add that I don't give a rats bottom if you personally dislike playing in handheld. You do what is right for you. It's the talking down of "most people" and the attitude that you know something they don't that is urging people to tell you how wrong you are.
Re: Fans Have Created Their Own Metroid 64, And It Looks Incredible
@Turbo857 Fair enough, seems I misinterpreted your original comment! Personally, I wouldn't mind the third person perspective if there are more open areas to run around in. When in space stations and cramped corridors, I like the first person perspective as it feels much more personal and claustrophobic.
Maybe if it's a combination of open areas and corridors it can switch between the two perspectives.
Re: Infinite Links Is The Latest KEMCO RPG Heading To Switch
@thebottomtext Now, I heavily dislike playing turn based rpgs (unless they're a strategy/tactics game a la Fire Emblem or Final Fantasy Tactics), but I have to disagree with the thought they they're poorly designed games from a gameplay sense. It's obvious you prefer games where you have full control of the character at all times, so the way these games are designed don't mesh with your personal play style.
Turn based rpgs are often designed around the fact that you WILL be getting hit. Some have evasion/dodge mechanics (usually determined by a percentage chance which can be raised by your equipment), others don't. These sorts of games are usually a big numbers game as you choose equipment, weapons, and battle abilities to suit the situation you're in. There's lots of menuing to make sure you're optimally stacked for any occasion and lots of players like this sort of stuff.
On top of that, there are typically various classes to help you out. There can be a tank like class that doesn't deal much damage but may have taunt abilities to attract aggro. Healers are very important because you're going to be taking damage a lot, and they often have a "heal one person" ability that heals loads, and a heal party ability that heals everyone but not as much as a targeted heal. These are just basic ideas, but shows that there's usually constant decision making in a well made RPG.
As in chess it is unavoidable to lose pieces, some genres of games make it impossible to avoid taking damage (such as the aforementioned strategy games). Taking damage in and of itself isn't a bad thing, as in most games hp is often just another resource for you to manage. It's how the rest of the game is designed around the mechanic and turn based RPGs have really mastered the craft over countless iterations.
Re: Fans Have Created Their Own Metroid 64, And It Looks Incredible
@Turbo857 The thing is that all the other Prime games (aside from Pinball I guess) are first person games. I don't think it's reasonable to expect them to make a third person game for Prime 4.
I'm sure they could come up with an interesting third person title, and heck if they want to make this entry third person I'm all for trying it. It just doesn't make sense to expect it to be something different, then be disappointed when it isn't that. That's not the devs fault.
Re: Nintendo Shares The Basics For Xenoblade Chronicles 3's Battle System
I love how the meaning for the word "blade" changes in every game.
Though never said, I like to imagine that in XC1, the "blade" part of Xenoblade is just the Monado.
In XCX B.L.A.D.E. was an acronym for "Builders of the Legacy After the Destruction of Earth," so a very important organization to help the humans survive on a new planet after almost being wiped out by being in the crossfire of a war between 2 alien races.
XC2 Blades were sentient weapons that could grant their drivers awesome weapons and powers. Though not everyone had the potential to summon blades, and Nopon in general were apparently out of luck of being able to do so.
In XC3, it's just the weapons they wield on a day to day basis in these armies. I wonder if the weapons that more important characters wield are more special in some way than those wielded by the average soldier.
Re: Marble Maid Looks Like Super Monkey Ball, But With Added Naughtiness
@JakedaArbok Nega can be a prefix that means negative, and in Japanese it's a word that means negative. It has nothing to do etymologically with the n-word, as that comes all the way from the Latin word for black (which is "niger"), while the idea of negative comes from Latin "negativus" meaning "that which denies." The prefix "negat-" in that word essentially means "to deny."
Re: Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Will Reveal Some Skin, Unsurprisingly
@Ralizah It's such a shame that this line of thinking (of XC2 being more pornographic in nature) stopped people from enjoying a game that goes into some heavy themes in what I consider very tasteful ways. Sure, there's a couple odd lines and like a couple actual gratuitous shots, but that's such a small part of this games identity. Some people also seem to forget a lot of Sharlas outfits from XC1 and some of Sevens. It's always been there but it's more a matter of the author/artist's intent, as well as not applying Western culture to Japan's.
I don't know how to do spoilers in NLife, so read the following at your own discretion, but XC2 analyses suicide, finding purpose, the burden of memories and how to deal with that, among other themes.
There's a whole character whose story arc is essentially about coming out in a world that doesn't accept them, but being able to do it and to fully accept themselves because of their supporting friends. If you look at their final design, one can say that it's pandering, which completely undermines the symbolism of that design.