After spending hours stuck in an indecision-loop during character creation, I put away Dark Souls and started a fresh play through of TotK. I have played through Dark Souls many times, yet I always have this problem. I become obsessed with how my character will look, even though it doesn’t matter in the slightest! I have this problem with every game which features character creation, so it’s relaxing to sometimes play games in which the protagonist is predefined (good old Link).
I’m now into a “no fast travel” play through of TotK. I managed to once more ascend to the Room of Awakening, this time in a more straightforward manner.There is one of those chunky, floating platforms nearby. Simply attach fans to to it and off you (slowly) go! It’s so obvious; why didn’t I think of it last time?! 😅
Nothing overly long comes to mind as I haven’t really subjected myself to anything new and lengthy in a while. However, here are a few games which I find to be of a satisfying length.
Super Mario Bros.
I still come back to it every so often as it’s just a blast to play through, even after hundreds of runs. Simple and still controls well to this day!
Dark Souls
Seems epic and tough when you first start out, doubly so if you go in unspoiled. However, once you’ve beaten it and have kept coming back for more, it can be a very short ride if you want it to be. So much of it is skippable and the bosses become deadlier when you’re underlevelled. Sometimes I just boot it up and walk around Firelink, sighing to myself. Yes, I’m a huge fan. I’m sorry!
@larryisaman
Cave Story! For me, it’s the perfect length, absolutely charming throughout, and epitomises true indie game development: one person undertaking a labour of love.
For me, it would be towards the end of the tutorial/first sky island. I had promised myself that I wouldn’t ever fast travel.
There comes a point during the tutorial when you are expected to fast travel back to an earlier location, which is floating high above you. Instead of doing that, I spent over an hour trying to balance on a ‘platform’ made of Zonai fans in a bid to ascend. I managed to do it, but only just, and ended up having to jump off the platform mid flight and climb up from the bottom of the mini island. Felt so good to achieve it!
I later gave up the “no fast travel” restriction as I falsely believed that it was necessary to do so to return above ground. Now I know otherwise, I will start it all over again! No fast travelling!
Paper Mario is done and dusted and I’ve obtained a court order against myself which prohibits me from playing more Balatro. My backlog is overwhelmingly huge and I’m not sure what to choose or how to fill the time until TTYD drops. Perhaps another run through Dark Souls, this time on Switch!
@Freek
I played through it a while back and loved every minute of it.
It was such a hilarious misfire. Which (former) public institution will be the next one to rebrand itself? Maybe Thames Water will rebrand itself as Acheron.
“Our name reflects one of mythology’s most famous rivers. Just like the fabled river Acheron, we embody a flowing torrent of sheer misery and — oh no…”
I never said that I had any actual talent. Bring on the super-kaizo-invisible-goomba-troll levels! 😌 Seriously though, I really like tools like MM because it allows people who don’t jam with programming etc to design and create. Love seeing what others come up with!
I’m not sure where all these claims that “3D is too hard for the public” are coming from. Why not let people try? I’m a programmer/coder, and I enjoy working on games in my free time, yet I would enjoy a tightly implemented and limited (yet fun) 3D Mario toolset to play around with.
Sometimes I clutch my “True Nerd” credentials tightly and mutter about how if people weren’t bullied in school for their filthy habit, they aren’t true nerds. Then I remind myself that I should go outside for a bit and everything will be joyous once more!
It really is great that video games are more acceptable these days, although the elitist hipster jerk in me wants to find something unpopular to obsess over. Maybe we could bring back OG marbles?! Or knuckle bones…with real bones!
It gives me chills just thinking about the Darkwraiths being submerged for eons, biding their time until the water is drained away. Well, now I’m imagining them crowded around a table and playing poker, underwater, muttering about the Four Kings’ poor leadership.
In my day we were lucky to get 60 frames per year , and any frames we did get we were damn grateful for! Why, I remember when young Norman couldn’t even find a bana—“
I know, most NTSC NES games were 60fps, but humour me for the sake of the joke! 😌
Yes, and after many patches Aspyr will have broadcast a secret message in binary (0 for posters removed). This will actually be a subliminal code which activates their sleeper agents, who will immediately go about removing all the posters they can find within a 1 mile radius. Why? Conspiracy reasons!
I’ll get straight to the point. Balatro has got me flush! You might think roguelites are three or four of a kind, but this one is a real high card! Don’t play it with a full house though as you’ll be crying out in frustration when it all goes wrong! Maybe get your housemates a pair or two of ear defenders!
I wasn’t trying to demonize you, just fyi! I would totally listen to the tracks on YouTube. I simply enjoyed the “well check this out” moment of a photo of the CDs being uploaded.
It may be vibrant and cartoony, but it’s still a competitive online shooter in which the aim is generally to kill/defeat other players. It’s inherently confrontational. It’s good that Epic is at least thinking about how these things might affect players, but really it’s voice chat which brings the grief. I always find it bizarre that the very people with whom you are supposed to coordinate are the greatest source of tension. Fortnite isn’t even particularly bad when compared to R6 Siege. What a toxic wasteland!
Paper Mario is flying by and the last star spirit has been rescued. Knowing that I still need to fill the void until TTYD, I bought Balatro as a bit of fun on the side to accompany a playthrough of Bloodborne…
…well, I haven’t got round to starting that playthrough yet as I am totally obsessed!
On the topic of Fallout, the only 3D one I enjoyed was New Vegas. That was excellent. However, the first and second will always be my favourites!
Flipping through pages in Paper Mario on the N64. I think I’ll be done long before TTYD comes out! Gah! Although, maybe I could bridge the gap with a Dark Souls and Bloodborne back-to-back extravaganza. I’ve played through each of them many times and I will keep doing so!
With all this money coming in to these huge companies, certain questions spring to mind. Who do you think will be first to complete their mad science project? Disney with their revival of Walter, or McDonald’s with their Frankenstein-esque attempt at bioengineering a real Ronald?
Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem. It needs a remaster! It needs a remake! It needs a sequel!
However, the IP is likely suffering endless torment in the void at the end of space and time. Can it be rescued? That in itself would probably be a lengthy and insanity-inducing quest.
I’m still adjusting to a world in which the Sonic films are real and not a meme from some subreddit.
Compare them to the original Mario Bros movie, which is famously panned. The Mario Bros live action movie is terrible, but in the same way that David Lynch’s Dune adaptation is terrible. They both took the source material off the rails and went totally mad interpreting it, creating something ugly yet innovative. I wish the same had been done with Sonic! I’m not a fan of film adaptations of video games. If they must do it, in my view they might as well go full weird. Of course, it’s probably a good thing that they don’t share my view otherwise Sega would likely go bankrupt!
I like the NA version in the same way I like the NA Mega Man box art. It’s as if some Hudson exec hired an artist and refused to let them actually play the game, instead explaining everything to them over a drink in a bar. At least this time it’s more or less on track!
This makes me want to play through Bloodborne again! The combination of Cosmic Horror and Victorian Gothic Revival is just so, so good. I grow giddy just thinking about it! I love how Yharnam is essentially a fusion of every old town of every old European city (with a large serving of London, of course).
Ahem. Onward with Paper Mario on the N64! The TTYD hype train is pretty much unstoppable and not even Bloodborne can derail it.
I want to see Atari develop some Mario games. How about a Mario-Pong crossover?
Mario’s Pong…wait, I take it back. That sounds nasty.
@Diogmites
Bloodborne wouldn’t exist without Pong! You can see the Pong DNA all over it. From the, erm, Cleric Beast fight to the, erm, Orphan of Kos fight in the DLC…yeah…Pong…
Arthur Morgan and Nathan Drake are so bland. I really enjoy both Red Dead and Uncharted, but not because of the protagonists. For Arthur, you could find any bloke in a pub and dress him up as a cowboy and you’d be 95% there. For Nathan, you wouldn’t even need to dress him up.
For me, characters based on realistic humans will always be quite bland. The exception is Lara, and that’s probably because she is from an era where no matter how realistic you wanted the character to be, it would always be low poly and require some interpretation. Even then, I don’t like her as much as, say, Samus Aran.
I’ve put aside my exploration of the McDarkNet (I will find you, Ronald) and I’m onto my weekend fix of Paper Mario.
With a CRT TV and a composite cable the game looks quite good! I hadn’t played my N64 in almost a decade and I had forgotten how much the picture quality can vary from game to game. I find DK64 hard to look at, whereas Resi 2’s 3D models are quite crisp (and the pre-rendered backgrounds look great). Both of them ‘utilise’ the expansion pack too! Paper Mario is more towards the good end of that spectrum. In terms of gameplay, it’s still thoroughly enjoyable and I’m building up to Ultimate Hype for TTYD.
I’m imagining that cracking this device would reveal the existence of the McDarkNet, a “shadow intranet” accessible only to the top brass at the company. Within this network one would find the McOracle, the uploaded minds of the original McDonald bros. Whenever the company faces a scandal or a problem seemingly too great to bear, the McOracle can guide them via the McOracle game cart (sold separately). Due to the mind uploading process the McOracle is partially insane and cannot be spoken to through the microphone or understand any text typed in. All communication is effected by using a set of deeply symbolic and ritualistic signs which are entered via the touch screen. The McOracle then whispers its advice through the DS’s speakers. If you’re ever at a McDonald’s and see some suit cowering in the corner with a DS pressed against their ear, you know something serious is going down!
RIP Expanded Universe. For me, the KOTOR games, as well as some of the comics and novels, were the best thing about Star Wars. Of course, they can’t exist without the original films/media (which I still like a lot), but I feel that the best examples of Star Wars media were created as part of the Expanded Universe. Yes, there is also dross, but the gems are true diamonds. Although George Lucas had an on/off relationship with it, he allowed it to happen as long as certain elements/stories of the whole Star Wars universe were kept intact. Out of this agreement sprung games such as KOTOR, which delved into the distant past rather than tread on any film canon.
Now Disney is in charge and it feels as if the Dark Side has won. Not the cool Dark Side, with its lust for power/development and a commitment to a selfish form of mysticism. Rather, it’s the banal and tedious Dark Side, with its lust for control and safety at the expensive of creative expression. Unfortunately, I just don’t gel the new trilogy, or the Mandalorian, or Jedi Outcast/Survivor.
Maybe there’s hope, though. Now Disney has established themselves with the IP, maybe they can start to take some risks, or let third-party developers do it for them.
For me, TotK takes the crown due to the dynamic opportunities afforded by Ultra Hand. I had so much fun building ridiculous vehicles and then setting off on quests around Hyrule. In fact, just thinking about it makes me want to do a “no fast travel” replay of TotK. Might be somewhat gruelling, but would make it even more epic and would make the ad hoc vehicles even more important!
The source wasn’t mentioned. Is it safe to assume that it’s GameFreak/Nintendo? What could they be protecting with this DMCA? Could it be the half-hearted dross which doesn’t even run well on the console for which it was exclusively designed? They would be within their rights to protect their IP, and so we have the letter of the law. What about the spirit of the law? Is it proportionate and necessary to take down a forum devoted to fan games? I don’t know, we don’t have all the details. It does nothing for their image.
I think every main entry up to and including 10 is solid. I did also enjoy 12, as the world feels lived-in and dynamic, but the plot ultimately fails to deliver on what it promises. Still, I’ve replayed it a few times just to enjoy that version of Ivalice.
@AeonicB
I also thought Tactics Advance was good! It felt alive, despite just having a map for an overworld. Another great version of Ivalice!
I would say that my greatest desire, as of right now, is to befriend a sentient, psychic fungus which could spread throughout my city and provide me with salacious gossip, or warn me of danger, etc.
I doubt Wes Ball can give me that, so I will settle on the film not being a flop. Thank you, Wesley.
I still have a copy of Paper Mario and my n64. I might make it my new Sunday morning tradition to play through it again. It’s 9 Sundays until the TTYD remaster, so that’s probably enough time!
Edit: this is how I will overcome my decision paralysis! Though it doesn’t help my backlog…
Comments 154
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (18th May)
After spending hours stuck in an indecision-loop during character creation, I put away Dark Souls and started a fresh play through of TotK. I have played through Dark Souls many times, yet I always have this problem. I become obsessed with how my character will look, even though it doesn’t matter in the slightest! I have this problem with every game which features character creation, so it’s relaxing to sometimes play games in which the protagonist is predefined (good old Link).
I’m now into a “no fast travel” play through of TotK. I managed to once more ascend to the Room of Awakening, this time in a more straightforward manner.There is one of those chunky, floating platforms nearby. Simply attach fans to to it and off you (slowly) go! It’s so obvious; why didn’t I think of it last time?! 😅
Hope you all have a lovely weekend!
Re: Talking Point: Which Games Were Just The Perfect Length?
Nothing overly long comes to mind as I haven’t really subjected myself to anything new and lengthy in a while. However, here are a few games which I find to be of a satisfying length.
Super Mario Bros.
I still come back to it every so often as it’s just a blast to play through, even after hundreds of runs. Simple and still controls well to this day!
Dark Souls
Seems epic and tough when you first start out, doubly so if you go in unspoiled. However, once you’ve beaten it and have kept coming back for more, it can be a very short ride if you want it to be. So much of it is skippable and the bosses become deadlier when you’re underlevelled. Sometimes I just boot it up and walk around Firelink, sighing to myself. Yes, I’m a huge fan. I’m sorry!
@larryisaman
Cave Story! For me, it’s the perfect length, absolutely charming throughout, and epitomises true indie game development: one person undertaking a labour of love.
Re: Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Celebrates First Anniversary With Special Artwork
For me, it would be towards the end of the tutorial/first sky island. I had promised myself that I wouldn’t ever fast travel.
There comes a point during the tutorial when you are expected to fast travel back to an earlier location, which is floating high above you. Instead of doing that, I spent over an hour trying to balance on a ‘platform’ made of Zonai fans in a bid to ascend. I managed to do it, but only just, and ended up having to jump off the platform mid flight and climb up from the bottom of the mini island. Felt so good to achieve it!
I later gave up the “no fast travel” restriction as I falsely believed that it was necessary to do so to return above ground. Now I know otherwise, I will start it all over again! No fast travelling!
Re: EA Apparently Exploring The Idea Of In-Game Ads In Traditional AAA Titles
AAA = ads, ads, ads!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (11th May)
Paper Mario is done and dusted and I’ve obtained a court order against myself which prohibits me from playing more Balatro. My backlog is overwhelmingly huge and I’m not sure what to choose or how to fill the time until TTYD drops. Perhaps another run through Dark Souls, this time on Switch!
@Freek
I played through it a while back and loved every minute of it.
Re: Rumour: Switch Successor's Codename May Have Been Uncovered
@shgamer
I lol’d irl imagining someone in a Japanese language class asking the teacher if the characters are “shopping trolley/bomberman”.
Re: Nintendo Discontinuing 'X' Integration On Switch Next Month
@nessisonett
It was such a hilarious misfire. Which (former) public institution will be the next one to rebrand itself? Maybe Thames Water will rebrand itself as Acheron.
“Our name reflects one of mythology’s most famous rivers. Just like the fabled river Acheron, we embody a flowing torrent of sheer misery and — oh no…”
@ArcticSin
About bloody time! Goodbye X servers! 😂
Re: Japanese Charts: Eiyuden Chronicle Starts Strong As Stellar Blade Takes The Crown
I’m still hoping that the New 2DS LL will rise again like a phoenix from the ashes.
#GoneButNotForgotten
Re: Soapbox: Are We Ready For A 3D Super Mario Maker?
@FishyS
I never said that I had any actual talent. Bring on the super-kaizo-invisible-goomba-troll levels! 😌 Seriously though, I really like tools like MM because it allows people who don’t jam with programming etc to design and create. Love seeing what others come up with!
Re: Soapbox: Are We Ready For A 3D Super Mario Maker?
I’m not sure where all these claims that “3D is too hard for the public” are coming from. Why not let people try? I’m a programmer/coder, and I enjoy working on games in my free time, yet I would enjoy a tightly implemented and limited (yet fun) 3D Mario toolset to play around with.
Re: Sega Is Bringing Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance To... Download Festival?
@jump
Sometimes I clutch my “True Nerd” credentials tightly and mutter about how if people weren’t bullied in school for their filthy habit, they aren’t true nerds. Then I remind myself that I should go outside for a bit and everything will be joyous once more!
It really is great that video games are more acceptable these days, although the elitist hipster jerk in me wants to find something unpopular to obsess over. Maybe we could bring back OG marbles?! Or knuckle bones…with real bones!
Re: Feature: Nintendo Life eShop Selects & Readers' Choice (April 2024)
@Bydlak
Same! A dedicated Balatro machine. If I could have temporarily configured it to boot straight into Balatro, I would have!
Re: Best Tony Hawk Games Of All Time
Tony looks absolutely satanic in the Downhill Jam cover art.
Re: Best Underwater Levels On Nintendo Switch
@Diogmites
It gives me chills just thinking about the Darkwraiths being submerged for eons, biding their time until the water is drained away. Well, now I’m imagining them crowded around a table and playing poker, underwater, muttering about the Four Kings’ poor leadership.
Re: Poll: Are You Bothered By The Frame Rate For Paper Mario: TTYD On Switch?
“60 frames per second?!
In my day we were lucky to get 60 frames per year , and any frames we did get we were damn grateful for! Why, I remember when young Norman couldn’t even find a bana—“
I know, most NTSC NES games were 60fps, but humour me for the sake of the joke! 😌
Re: Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Will Restore Missing Posters In Patch 3
@Solomon_Rambling
Yes, and after many patches Aspyr will have broadcast a secret message in binary (0 for posters removed). This will actually be a subliminal code which activates their sleeper agents, who will immediately go about removing all the posters they can find within a 1 mile radius. Why? Conspiracy reasons!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (27th April)
I’ll get straight to the point. Balatro has got me flush! You might think roguelites are three or four of a kind, but this one is a real high card! Don’t play it with a full house though as you’ll be crying out in frustration when it all goes wrong! Maybe get your housemates a pair or two of ear defenders!
Re: Rumour: 'Switch 2' Will Reportedly Feature Magnetic Joy-Cons
They’ll have to change the Switch intro with the satisfying “click” sound 🥲
Re: Garry's Mod Is Removing "All Nintendo Related Stuff From Steam Workshop"
@MorganaBus
I wasn’t trying to demonize you, just fyi! I would totally listen to the tracks on YouTube. I simply enjoyed the “well check this out” moment of a photo of the CDs being uploaded.
Re: Garry's Mod Is Removing "All Nintendo Related Stuff From Steam Workshop"
@gcunit
Slam dunks like this are very satisfying.
Although, I must admit that I am a huge hypocrite and would definitely listen to the soundtracks on YouTube.
Re: Fortnite's New Setting Lets You Hide "Confrontational Emotes"
It may be vibrant and cartoony, but it’s still a competitive online shooter in which the aim is generally to kill/defeat other players. It’s inherently confrontational. It’s good that Epic is at least thinking about how these things might affect players, but really it’s voice chat which brings the grief. I always find it bizarre that the very people with whom you are supposed to coordinate are the greatest source of tension. Fortnite isn’t even particularly bad when compared to R6 Siege. What a toxic wasteland!
Re: Embracer Group To Split Into Three Separate Companies
@Zeebor15
Thank you for your interesting insights. One question remains, though.
**Cue suspenseful music**
Are you Lars?!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (20th April)
Paper Mario is flying by and the last star spirit has been rescued. Knowing that I still need to fill the void until TTYD, I bought Balatro as a bit of fun on the side to accompany a playthrough of Bloodborne…
…well, I haven’t got round to starting that playthrough yet as I am totally obsessed!
On the topic of Fallout, the only 3D one I enjoyed was New Vegas. That was excellent. However, the first and second will always be my favourites!
Re: Keanu Reeves Will Reportedly Voice Shadow In Sonic The Hedgehog 3
John Point Shadow the Hedghog Break Wick
Re: Soapbox: I Flew 3,000 Miles To Get My Arse Handed To Me In Mario Party
Welcome back to the UK!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (13th April)
Flipping through pages in Paper Mario on the N64. I think I’ll be done long before TTYD comes out! Gah! Although, maybe I could bridge the gap with a Dark Souls and Bloodborne back-to-back extravaganza. I’ve played through each of them many times and I will keep doing so!
Re: Ex-PlayStation Dev Gio Corsi Joins Nintendo of America
@mereel
Probably due to cellular damage which is no longer being repaired as efficiently as it once was.
Re: Japanese Charts: Princess Peach: Showtime Claims The Throne For The Third Week In A Row
Rest well, New 2DS LL. Thank you for your service.
**salutes**
**cue MGS3 end theme**
Re: Forget In-Game Currency, Disney Speedstorm's Next Premium Season Pass Requires Real Money
With all this money coming in to these huge companies, certain questions spring to mind. Who do you think will be first to complete their mad science project? Disney with their revival of Walter, or McDonald’s with their Frankenstein-esque attempt at bioengineering a real Ronald?
Re: 50 Best GameCube Games Of All Time
Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem. It needs a remaster! It needs a remake! It needs a sequel!
However, the IP is likely suffering endless torment in the void at the end of space and time. Can it be rescued? That in itself would probably be a lengthy and insanity-inducing quest.
Re: Sonic Movies To Be 'Avengers-Level' Events, Says Franchise Producer
I’m still adjusting to a world in which the Sonic films are real and not a meme from some subreddit.
Compare them to the original Mario Bros movie, which is famously panned. The Mario Bros live action movie is terrible, but in the same way that David Lynch’s Dune adaptation is terrible. They both took the source material off the rails and went totally mad interpreting it, creating something ugly yet innovative. I wish the same had been done with Sonic! I’m not a fan of film adaptations of video games. If they must do it, in my view they might as well go full weird. Of course, it’s probably a good thing that they don’t share my view otherwise Sega would likely go bankrupt!
Re: Poll: Box Art Brawl - Super Bomberman (SNES)
@KingMike
Ha! Just had a look and I was laughing imagining what was going through the artist’s mind.
“Erm, should I draw a window? Or a mountain? Hmmm. How about an eye with a laser beam coming out of it? Somebody tell me what this game’s about…”
Re: Poll: Box Art Brawl - Super Bomberman (SNES)
I like the NA version in the same way I like the NA Mega Man box art. It’s as if some Hudson exec hired an artist and refused to let them actually play the game, instead explaining everything to them over a drink in a bar. At least this time it’s more or less on track!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (6th April)
This makes me want to play through Bloodborne again! The combination of Cosmic Horror and Victorian Gothic Revival is just so, so good. I grow giddy just thinking about it! I love how Yharnam is essentially a fusion of every old town of every old European city (with a large serving of London, of course).
Ahem. Onward with Paper Mario on the N64! The TTYD hype train is pretty much unstoppable and not even Bloodborne can derail it.
Re: Feature: 13 Studios That Should Take A Nintendo Series For A Genre Spin
I want to see Atari develop some Mario games. How about a Mario-Pong crossover?
Mario’s Pong…wait, I take it back. That sounds nasty.
@Diogmites
Bloodborne wouldn’t exist without Pong! You can see the Pong DNA all over it. From the, erm, Cleric Beast fight to the, erm, Orphan of Kos fight in the DLC…yeah…Pong…
Re: Gallery: Here's A Closer Look At The Pokémon European Championship 2024 Exclusive Merch
Absolute Trubbish on offer.
Re: Soapbox: The Games Industry Needs To Give Up On Exclamation Marks!
This article is a bit of fun!
Why are some people up in arms about it?!
Anyway, I often shout when I read aloud titles with exclamation marks in them! I furiously bellow the name for all and sundry to to hear!
Especially when I see a title in the Metal Gear Solid series and want everyone around me to act like a surprised guard!
!
Re: Random: BAFTA's 'Iconic Game Characters' Poll Has Us Scratching Our Heads
Arthur Morgan and Nathan Drake are so bland. I really enjoy both Red Dead and Uncharted, but not because of the protagonists. For Arthur, you could find any bloke in a pub and dress him up as a cowboy and you’d be 95% there. For Nathan, you wouldn’t even need to dress him up.
For me, characters based on realistic humans will always be quite bland. The exception is Lara, and that’s probably because she is from an era where no matter how realistic you wanted the character to be, it would always be low poly and require some interpretation. Even then, I don’t like her as much as, say, Samus Aran.
Re: New Mario RPG Survey Acknowledges Existence Of Mario & Luigi Series
@Not_Soos
Captain Bootlicker, sir! Private Syc O’Phant reporting for duty, sir!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (30th March)
I’ve put aside my exploration of the McDarkNet (I will find you, Ronald) and I’m onto my weekend fix of Paper Mario.
With a CRT TV and a composite cable the game looks quite good! I hadn’t played my N64 in almost a decade and I had forgotten how much the picture quality can vary from game to game. I find DK64 hard to look at, whereas Resi 2’s 3D models are quite crisp (and the pre-rendered backgrounds look great). Both of them ‘utilise’ the expansion pack too! Paper Mario is more towards the good end of that spectrum. In terms of gameplay, it’s still thoroughly enjoyable and I’m building up to Ultimate Hype for TTYD.
Re: Random: McDonald's DSi Console Pulled From Second-Hand Sale In Japan
I’m imagining that cracking this device would reveal the existence of the McDarkNet, a “shadow intranet” accessible only to the top brass at the company. Within this network one would find the McOracle, the uploaded minds of the original McDonald bros. Whenever the company faces a scandal or a problem seemingly too great to bear, the McOracle can guide them via the McOracle game cart (sold separately). Due to the mind uploading process the McOracle is partially insane and cannot be spoken to through the microphone or understand any text typed in. All communication is effected by using a set of deeply symbolic and ritualistic signs which are entered via the touch screen. The McOracle then whispers its advice through the DS’s speakers. If you’re ever at a McDonald’s and see some suit cowering in the corner with a DS pressed against their ear, you know something serious is going down!
Re: Best Star Wars Video Games, Ranked - Switch And Nintendo Systems
RIP Expanded Universe. For me, the KOTOR games, as well as some of the comics and novels, were the best thing about Star Wars. Of course, they can’t exist without the original films/media (which I still like a lot), but I feel that the best examples of Star Wars media were created as part of the Expanded Universe. Yes, there is also dross, but the gems are true diamonds. Although George Lucas had an on/off relationship with it, he allowed it to happen as long as certain elements/stories of the whole Star Wars universe were kept intact. Out of this agreement sprung games such as KOTOR, which delved into the distant past rather than tread on any film canon.
Now Disney is in charge and it feels as if the Dark Side has won. Not the cool Dark Side, with its lust for power/development and a commitment to a selfish form of mysticism. Rather, it’s the banal and tedious Dark Side, with its lust for control and safety at the expensive of creative expression. Unfortunately, I just don’t gel the new trilogy, or the Mandalorian, or Jedi Outcast/Survivor.
Maybe there’s hope, though. Now Disney has established themselves with the IP, maybe they can start to take some risks, or let third-party developers do it for them.
Re: Poll: So, Do You Prefer Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Or Tears Of The Kingdom?
For me, TotK takes the crown due to the dynamic opportunities afforded by Ultra Hand. I had so much fun building ridiculous vehicles and then setting off on quests around Hyrule. In fact, just thinking about it makes me want to do a “no fast travel” replay of TotK. Might be somewhat gruelling, but would make it even more epic and would make the ad hoc vehicles even more important!
Re: My Nintendo Store Reveals Paper Mario: Thousand-Year Door Pre-Order Bundle (EU)
Anyone who read NGC magazine (UK) back in the day might recall that they gave away a very similar diorama free with the issue which reviewed the game!
Re: Review: Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection (Switch) - Riddled With Issues, This Is
@Jiggies
According by the Wikipedia article on puns, a portmanteau (such as sad + battlefront) could be considered a pun in this context.
I am just a humble messenger. Please direct all wrath towards Richard J. Alexander, the source cited in the article!
Re: Pokémon Fan Game Site, Relic Castle, Shut Down Following DMCA Takedown Notice
The source wasn’t mentioned. Is it safe to assume that it’s GameFreak/Nintendo? What could they be protecting with this DMCA? Could it be the half-hearted dross which doesn’t even run well on the console for which it was exclusively designed? They would be within their rights to protect their IP, and so we have the letter of the law. What about the spirit of the law? Is it proportionate and necessary to take down a forum devoted to fan games? I don’t know, we don’t have all the details. It does nothing for their image.
Re: Poll: What's The Best Final Fantasy Game? Rate Your Favourite Mainline & Spin-Offs
I think every main entry up to and including 10 is solid. I did also enjoy 12, as the world feels lived-in and dynamic, but the plot ultimately fails to deliver on what it promises. Still, I’ve replayed it a few times just to enjoy that version of Ivalice.
@AeonicB
I also thought Tactics Advance was good! It felt alive, despite just having a map for an overworld. Another great version of Ivalice!
Re: Best Pokémon Spin-Off Games Of All Time
Definitely a lot to “lobe” in this list!
Re: Zelda Live-Action Movie Director: "I Want To Fulfil People's Greatest Desires"
I would say that my greatest desire, as of right now, is to befriend a sentient, psychic fungus which could spread throughout my city and provide me with salacious gossip, or warn me of danger, etc.
I doubt Wes Ball can give me that, so I will settle on the film not being a flop. Thank you, Wesley.
Re: Talking Point: What's Your Perfect Sunday Morning Game?
I still have a copy of Paper Mario and my n64. I might make it my new Sunday morning tradition to play through it again. It’s 9 Sundays until the TTYD remaster, so that’s probably enough time!
Edit: this is how I will overcome my decision paralysis! Though it doesn’t help my backlog…