Thank you for recommending the 101 Pets series. I was wondering about the series and decided to get the dolphin and penguin versions after seeing your posts about the series. (I had been reading around Nintendo Life long before I got my account.)
I got 101 Penguin Pets because I thought it would be funny and it didn’t disappoint! I ended up laughing so hard during the first dance competition that I forgot to check the command string and ended up losing! (It was worth it. I needed a good laugh.)
I would describe the 101 Pets 3DS games as very whimsical pet simulation games that buyers should have considered instead of Ubisoft’s Petz Fantasy games (at least the DS ones, anyway; they were so terrible that I was afraid to try the 3DS one). Plus in the penguin one, the bobsled race minigame is cool, the skiing minigame seems to be a challenging puzzler, and the music track with the violins is simply delightful: it is lightly adventurous and captures the sense of wonder people get from looking at a snow-covered landscape just perfectly.
The only “dud” here is that guy’s attitude. What’s with some people spending money on things and not even seeing them through to the end?
I didn’t like Petz Fantasy: Moonlight Magic (which is not to say its sister game Sunlight Magic would have been any better) but I still 100%-ed it. (It’s such a shame how badly Ubisoft butchered that cool concept, especially when just copy-pasting the formula from the other Petz games of that time would have made it an excellent game.) I didn’t like Mii Force for what felt like the longest time, but I stuck to it and eventually I got skilled enough that it grew on me. I’m also still trying to beat Pocket Card Jockey despite not enjoying it at all (and have already posted a guide and shared tips along the way).
If I end up writing bash reviews/negative comments, etc. about games I didn’t enjoy, they will deserve 100% of it because I will have seen everything: I would not have left an inaccurate bash review from having judged it too early, like all the HarmoKnight detractors, who very clearly based on their responses got no much more than 25% in (or the Mii Force reviewer complaining about the supposed lack of literally exactly what the game’s Arcade Mode (which is basically the post-story bonus mode) lets players
Also, why only mention the Streetpass Mii Plaza bunnies as salesbunnies when there were also Helper Hares and rabbit wandering heroes that brown shirt Miis could summon?
What about Tappy from HarmoKnight? Not only is he so ridiculously cute that Game Freak and Nintendo should be ashamed of themselves for never making any merchandise of him, (he is a major part of why HarmoKnight’s opening cutscenes is one of the cutest ones I’ve ever seen) but despite being the only non-warrior in the group of traveling characters, he still has a significant role. He’s not just a cute animal in distress for the child protagonist to rescue or a defenseless buddy to protect; he uses his eye for detail to scout the terrain ahead. He gives tips on how to approach the obstacles, etc. ahead, if he sees enemies on distant platforms, he calls in Lyra, and if he sees thick, heavy enemies (and Ampliflies) he calls in Tyko and Cymbi. Tappy also tends to translate for animals that can’t speak a human language and is a sweet and supportive buddy character. There’s nothing generic or forgettable about him.
Exactly: that one is truly Game Freak’s secret best game; Pocket Card Jockey isn’t even “secret” given everyone and their brother knows about it and will recommend it even if they haven’t played it. Besides, HarmoKnight’s 10th anniversary is the day after the 3DS eShop closes!
I would highly recommend this game to anyone who likes platformers but hasn’t played any rhythm games (if you’ve played any rhythm games, try the demo first). Rhythm Heaven fans seem to love to hate this game. Almost all negativity I’ve seen about this game is from people who have played another rhythm game and insist on bashing HarmoKnight just for not being similar.
I have the exact opposite opinion on which non-Pokémon Game Freak game is better and I’ve even come up with some points:
RNG Presence:
Pocket Card Jockey: contains an absolutely disgusting amount of RNG; you can do absolutely everything right and still lose and you can get screwed out of your win very early in the race or even before it starts; but that’s not even the full extent of the RNG in this game
HarmoKnight: 100% free of RNG, which is lovely, because in cases like these the principle “you can do anything you set your mind to” applies; if anything goes wrong you can correct it on subsequent runs with experience, attention to detail, and/or sometimes even a little knowledge
Character reactions when you don’t win gold:
Pocket Card Jockey: Obnoxious; ranges from mild to irritating to catty: the main character and the stable manager complain about the non-win after every race. The stable manager is irritated with if you don’t win a G1 in Growth Mode. He’s also irritated with you every time you pick out a new horse until you win your first G1 (which is NOT easy; you really have to know what you’re doing to win one, especially without items or an absolutely amazing horse). Owner characters show up to voice their displeasure if you don’t place first in a debut or maiden race (even if you came in second, which the game even tells you is high enough to win a place bet) The first owner character you meet breaks out the all-caps on you if you don’t win a debut or maiden race on his slow-as-molasses horse with no characteristic and mediocre skills (good characteristics and skills are practically required to win races easily)… get this: while you’re still learning the ropes.
HarmoKnight: Sweet 90+% of the time. The supporting characters will give advice or encouragement on most levels if you don’t score high enough to earn gold; the main exception is on bonus levels, on which they tend to comment on the music instead.
Punishment for losing:
Pocket Card Jockey: Harsh: lose a race in Pocket Card Jockey, and it’s gone. If it’s the Royal Derby, Royal Oaks, or the Baron’s Mile (or any other Triple Crown Race), you can’t attempt it again until you have another horse, which is not guaranteed to be as good as your last one. Even if it’s a race you can attempt multiple times with the same horse, you have to go through a lot of others to reach it again. If your horse loses three non-King’s Gate races in Mature Mode, his or her career ends. Let’s also not forget the above section.
HarmoKnight: None to speak of; it you lose a level, it’s no big deal: you can retry it over and over, as many times as you need to.
Genre:
Pocket Card Jockey: puzzle and strategy with a horse-racing theme, now that I think about, we may as well categorize it under “luck” too
This game’s boss battles aren’t everyone’s taste, but I think they’re genius, especially the area final boss battles, because they seamlessly alternate between predetermined movie-like action scenes and play. They redeemed putting movie-like features into a game for me, something I needed to see since previously I saw a good game series butcher its 3DS debut when it added a movie-like feature. HarmoKnight really makes the players feel like they’re supplying the action to an animated feature.
Also, you don’t have to restart the boss battles over making just any mistake. You’d either have to fall, lose all your health (you have 5 hearts by default but can carry up to 8 into a level through a handy trick), or miss the final hit to fail.
If you think HarmoKnight isn’t cute, it’s because you haven’t gone through World 3. The game is pretty boyish in Worlds 1 and 2, especially because of all the full screen cutscenes (only the very first and very last cutscenes in the game are cute). World 3 is where the cuteness level goes from “cutesy” to “ridiculously cute,” and it rises from there for quite a while.
Unfortunately a lot of people get stuck on the World 2 final boss, quit, and start bashing the game. (Seriously guys, don’t give up playing your games that easily. (Unless it’s called Pocket Card Jockey, since that one’s a genuinely terrible RNG murderfest that can become a bad habit very quickly.) There are tips on GameFAQs and games of skill like Harmoknight aren’t impossible to beat if you’re persistent in your attempts. (I’ll also offer you tips if you let me know what’s giving you trouble.)
Comments 10
Re: Review: 101 Penguin Pets 3D (3DS eShop)
@Eel,
Thank you for recommending the 101 Pets series. I was wondering about the series and decided to get the dolphin and penguin versions after seeing your posts about the series. (I had been reading around Nintendo Life long before I got my account.)
I got 101 Penguin Pets because I thought it would be funny and it didn’t disappoint! I ended up laughing so hard during the first dance competition that I forgot to check the command string and ended up losing! (It was worth it. I needed a good laugh.)
I would describe the 101 Pets 3DS games as very whimsical pet simulation games that buyers should have considered instead of Ubisoft’s Petz Fantasy games (at least the DS ones, anyway; they were so terrible that I was afraid to try the 3DS one). Plus in the penguin one, the bobsled race minigame is cool, the skiing minigame seems to be a challenging puzzler, and the music track with the violins is simply delightful: it is lightly adventurous and captures the sense of wonder people get from looking at a snow-covered landscape just perfectly.
Re: Countdown: 3DS eShop Spotlight - HarmoKnight
The only “dud” here is that guy’s attitude. What’s with some people spending money on things and not even seeing them through to the end?
I didn’t like Petz Fantasy: Moonlight Magic (which is not to say its sister game Sunlight Magic would have been any better) but I still 100%-ed it. (It’s such a shame how badly Ubisoft butchered that cool concept, especially when just copy-pasting the formula from the other Petz games of that time would have made it an excellent game.) I didn’t like Mii Force for what felt like the longest time, but I stuck to it and eventually I got skilled enough that it grew on me. I’m also still trying to beat Pocket Card Jockey despite not enjoying it at all (and have already posted a guide and shared tips along the way).
If I end up writing bash reviews/negative comments, etc. about games I didn’t enjoy, they will deserve 100% of it because I will have seen everything: I would not have left an inaccurate bash review from having judged it too early, like all the HarmoKnight detractors, who very clearly based on their responses got no much more than 25% in (or the Mii Force reviewer complaining about the supposed lack of literally exactly what the game’s Arcade Mode (which is basically the post-story bonus mode) lets players
Re: Feature: Best Rabbits In Games
Also, why only mention the Streetpass Mii Plaza bunnies as salesbunnies when there were also Helper Hares and rabbit wandering heroes that brown shirt Miis could summon?
Plus, the more obvious: where is Arcade Bunny?
Re: Feature: Best Rabbits In Games
What about Tappy from HarmoKnight? Not only is he so ridiculously cute that Game Freak and Nintendo should be ashamed of themselves for never making any merchandise of him, (he is a major part of why HarmoKnight’s opening cutscenes is one of the cutest ones I’ve ever seen) but despite being the only non-warrior in the group of traveling characters, he still has a significant role. He’s not just a cute animal in distress for the child protagonist to rescue or a defenseless buddy to protect; he uses his eye for detail to scout the terrain ahead. He gives tips on how to approach the obstacles, etc. ahead, if he sees enemies on distant platforms, he calls in Lyra, and if he sees thick, heavy enemies (and Ampliflies) he calls in Tyko and Cymbi. Tappy also tends to translate for animals that can’t speak a human language and is a sweet and supportive buddy character. There’s nothing generic or forgettable about him.
Re: Game Freak's Secret Best Game Is No Longer 3DS Exclusive
@kalosn
Exactly: that one is truly Game Freak’s secret best game; Pocket Card Jockey isn’t even “secret” given everyone and their brother knows about it and will recommend it even if they haven’t played it. Besides, HarmoKnight’s 10th anniversary is the day after the 3DS eShop closes!
Re: Countdown: 3DS eShop Spotlight - HarmoKnight
I would highly recommend this game to anyone who likes platformers but hasn’t played any rhythm games (if you’ve played any rhythm games, try the demo first). Rhythm Heaven fans seem to love to hate this game. Almost all negativity I’ve seen about this game is from people who have played another rhythm game and insist on bashing HarmoKnight just for not being similar.
Re: Countdown: 3DS eShop Spotlight - HarmoKnight
@sinalefa
I have the exact opposite opinion on which non-Pokémon Game Freak game is better and I’ve even come up with some points:
RNG Presence:
Pocket Card Jockey: contains an absolutely disgusting amount of RNG; you can do absolutely everything right and still lose and you can get screwed out of your win very early in the race or even before it starts; but that’s not even the full extent of the RNG in this game
HarmoKnight: 100% free of RNG, which is lovely, because in cases like these the principle “you can do anything you set your mind to” applies; if anything goes wrong you can correct it on subsequent runs with experience, attention to detail, and/or sometimes even a little knowledge
Character reactions when you don’t win gold:
Pocket Card Jockey: Obnoxious; ranges from mild to irritating to catty: the main character and the stable manager complain about the non-win after every race. The stable manager is irritated with if you don’t win a G1 in Growth Mode. He’s also irritated with you every time you pick out a new horse until you win your first G1 (which is NOT easy; you really have to know what you’re doing to win one, especially without items or an absolutely amazing horse). Owner characters show up to voice their displeasure if you don’t place first in a debut or maiden race (even if you came in second, which the game even tells you is high enough to win a place bet) The first owner character you meet breaks out the all-caps on you if you don’t win a debut or maiden race on his slow-as-molasses horse with no characteristic and mediocre skills (good characteristics and skills are practically required to win races easily)… get this: while you’re still learning the ropes.
HarmoKnight: Sweet 90+% of the time. The supporting characters will give advice or encouragement on most levels if you don’t score high enough to earn gold; the main exception is on bonus levels, on which they tend to comment on the music instead.
Punishment for losing:
Pocket Card Jockey: Harsh: lose a race in Pocket Card Jockey, and it’s gone. If it’s the Royal Derby, Royal Oaks, or the Baron’s Mile (or any other Triple Crown Race), you can’t attempt it again until you have another horse, which is not guaranteed to be as good as your last one. Even if it’s a race you can attempt multiple times with the same horse, you have to go through a lot of others to reach it again. If your horse loses three non-King’s Gate races in Mature Mode, his or her career ends. Let’s also not forget the above section.
HarmoKnight: None to speak of; it you lose a level, it’s no big deal: you can retry it over and over, as many times as you need to.
Genre:
Pocket Card Jockey: puzzle and strategy with a horse-racing theme, now that I think about, we may as well categorize it under “luck” too
HarmoKnight: Action and rhythm
Re: Countdown: 3DS eShop Spotlight - HarmoKnight
This game’s boss battles aren’t everyone’s taste, but I think they’re genius, especially the area final boss battles, because they seamlessly alternate between predetermined movie-like action scenes and play. They redeemed putting movie-like features into a game for me, something I needed to see since previously I saw a good game series butcher its 3DS debut when it added a movie-like feature. HarmoKnight really makes the players feel like they’re supplying the action to an animated feature.
Also, you don’t have to restart the boss battles over making just any mistake. You’d either have to fall, lose all your health (you have 5 hearts by default but can carry up to 8 into a level through a handy trick), or miss the final hit to fail.
Re: Countdown: 3DS eShop Spotlight - HarmoKnight
Yes! Nintendo Life mentioned HarmoKnight! Let’s not let anyone who might enjoy the rhythmic knightlife miss out on it!
Re: Countdown: 3DS eShop Spotlight - HarmoKnight
@Goofonzo
If you think HarmoKnight isn’t cute, it’s because you haven’t gone through World 3. The game is pretty boyish in Worlds 1 and 2, especially because of all the full screen cutscenes (only the very first and very last cutscenes in the game are cute). World 3 is where the cuteness level goes from “cutesy” to “ridiculously cute,” and it rises from there for quite a while.
Unfortunately a lot of people get stuck on the World 2 final boss, quit, and start bashing the game. (Seriously guys, don’t give up playing your games that easily. (Unless it’s called Pocket Card Jockey, since that one’s a genuinely terrible RNG murderfest that can become a bad habit very quickly.) There are tips on GameFAQs and games of skill like Harmoknight aren’t impossible to beat if you’re persistent in your attempts. (I’ll also offer you tips if you let me know what’s giving you trouble.)