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Re: Review: Tales of Symphonia Remastered - A GameCube Classic That Shows Its Age On Switch

marandahir

marandahir

2
marandahir2 minutes ago

I heard from GVG that it's riddled with bugs and downgrades from the GameCube version. That may be because it's based ultimately on the PS2 version (the NGC version was lost after the Sony enhanced port came out).

They've gotten rid of the cracked glass field to battle scene transitions, they've cut out entire lines of previously voiced dialogue, they made the backgrounds of skits pitch black instead of overlaying a paused version of the game's world-space, they've made overworld music pick up exactly where it left off when you entered town so the music track doesn't sound start from 0:00 when you leave town (and thus sounds really off as it could pick up in an awkward bar of the overworld theme), the menu screens don't have the options that they had in the GC version, the texture upscaling is absolutely horrendous and looks like they literally just zoomed in on the textures and AI smoothed the muddy pixels, and the battles have such intense lag times that enemies pop into new positions without warning. Oh, and the loading lag between level screens / dungeon rooms / town buildings etc are sometimes extremely long and sometimes shorter, and it seems quite random, but some of it seems to be worse on the Switch than on any of the other platforms this "Remaster" was released on.

That all said, this version does have the bonus content from the PS2 and PS3 versions, so there's that.

If they release patches that fix at least half of these issues I'll buy a physical copy. Otherwise, this is a hard pass for me. Namco seems set on screwing over Nintendo fans of their Tales Of series one way or another.

The only reason I'd recommend someone to buy this remaster is to show Bamco that you care about the Tales Of series being on Nintendo platforms. I think I'm about done with the franchise, though. I have the Vesperia remaster and I'm satisfied with that, even if Yuri suddenly changes voices in certain scenes…

Re: Japanese Charts: Tales Of Symphonia Remastered Makes A Solid Debut

marandahir

I heard from GVG that it's riddled with bugs and downgrades from the GameCube version. That may be because it's based ultimately on the PS2 version (the NGC version was lost after the Sony enhanced port came out).

They've gotten rid of the cracked glass field to battle scene transitions, they've cut out entire lines of previously voiced dialogue, they made the backgrounds of skits pitch black instead of overlaying a paused version of the game's world-space, they've made overworld music pick up exactly where it left off when you entered town so the music track doesn't sound start from 0:00 when you leave town (and thus sounds really off as it could pick up in an awkward bar of the overworld theme), the menu screens don't have the options that they had in the GC version, the texture upscaling is absolutely horrendous and looks like they literally just zoomed in on the textures and AI smoothed the muddy pixels, and the battles have such intense lag times that enemies pop into new positions without warning. Oh, and the loading lag between level screens / dungeon rooms / town buildings etc are sometimes extremely long and sometimes shorter, and it seems quite random, but some of it seems to be worse on the Switch than on any of the other platforms this "Remaster" was released on.

That all said, this version does have the bonus content from the PS2 and PS3 versions, so there's that.

If they release patches that fix at least half of these issues I'll buy a physical copy. Otherwise, this is a hard pass for me. Namco seems set on screwing over Nintendo fans of their Tales Of series one way or another.

The only reason I'd recommend someone to buy this remaster is to show Bamco that you care about the Tales Of series being on Nintendo platforms. I think I'm about done with the franchise, though. I have the Vesperia remaster and I'm satisfied with that, even if Yuri suddenly changes voices in certain scenes…

Re: Metroid Prime Remastered Physical Version Out Now (US), Will You Be Getting It?

marandahir

I got Metroid Prime 1 & 2 for Gamecube when they came out and later found a second hand copy of the GameStop exclusive Prime Trilogy for the Wii (the same day I got my hands on a second-hand copy of Xenoblade Chronicles 1 for Wii - both in Summer 2013 the day I bought my Wii U with my first hard-earned paycheck after college!). I had a Wii Family Edition since 2011 when I got it alongside Skyward Sword, but had been satisfied working through my GameCube backlog for the years leading up to that. That is to say: I've played Metroid Prime MANY, MANY Times.

But I held out after the Direct. I ordered my physical copy of MP Remastered from Best Buy the moment Preorders were available, and picked it up from Best Buy yesterday. Going to boot it up tonight. Cannot freaking wait!

And yes, I will buy remastered version of MP2 and MP3 should they come out as well for Switch, in the lead-up to MP4. I have to vote with my wallet. I know I've been doing that for Metroid with every release. I got up early and stood in line at the Nintendo Store for Metroid: Samus Returns 3D, despite it coming out for the 3DS months after the Switch was already out. I bought Federation Force even though it had horrible reviews. I preordered the collector's edition of Dread.

The only way we get more of the games and franchises we want is to believe in those games and show Nintendo our resolve to play more of those games by buying them.

That's how these things work with Nintendo. For example: those who didn't buy Golden Sun: Dark Dawn - it's on you that we haven't had a Golden Sun 4. Make sure to play Golden Sun on NSO+Expansion Pack the day it comes out and play it all the way through - to given Nintendo the data that WE WANT MORE GOLDEN SUN, dagnabbit!

And play and buy every Metroid release. Nintendo is just starting to realise the sales power of this franchise. They don't care about it's beauty, as we do, but they care if it makes bank. So help us make it sell bank. Metroid deserves to be at LEAST as high profile as Fire Emblem, if not in the ranks of Zelda and Mario.

Re: Best Of 2022: Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Trailer Breakdown - Theories And Speculation

marandahir

For what it's worth, the Eight Maiden is also a reference to the fact that while in ALttP, OoT, and FSA, Zelda was ONE of the 7 Sages/Maidens, in ALBW, she's an Eighth portrait sage. It seems that somewhere along the way after ALttP, the line of the 7th sage was split between the royal family and the priests & priestess of Hylia (hence why Seres is a priestess in the Shrine/Temple of Hylia north of the Castle and a sage). All the other sages have corresponding lines of decent:

Gully - Sages of Forest / Saria
Rosso - Sages of Fire / Darunia
Oren - Sages of Water / Ruto
Impa - Sages of Shadow / Impa
Irene - Sages of Spirit / Nabooru
Osfalah - Sages of Light / Rauru

Despite medallion color changes that shifted the sage colors to fit the character types. River Zoras are orange, after all, so it made sense to swap the colors of the Spirit and Water medallions; Irene as a result gets to be a full Maple-expy, too.

Re: Bayonetta Origins Announced Exclusively For Switch, Coming March 2023

marandahir

@LexKitteh

Honestly, Bayo 3 even without Naive Angel Mode turned on was A LOT more tame than previous Bayo games. It just didn't have the same amount of explicit or suggestive content as Bayo 1 or Bayo 3.

This is Nintendo's influence.

It's not a bad game by any means - the action combat is phenomenal, and there are still some really great sequences - it just was missing an ingredient to the Bayo pie that the other two games had.

This game def seems to be exploring what can we do with the franchise that's different and create an onramp for younger audiences to enjoy her in Smash and then eventually buy her M-rated titles.

But I also think that if they make Bayonetta 4 for the next Nintendo console, it'll likely be rated T, or it'll just be a rated M that is not nearly as explicit as Bayonetta is. Just sort of the nature of what they have to work with for the franchise, and what's successful for their business models…

Re: Soapbox: Xenoblade Chronicles X's Influence Is Bigger Than You Think

marandahir

It's stuck on the Wii U because it was coded for the Wii U and not as a portable that doesn't have always-on Wifi.

A lot of the social aspects integrated with the Nintendo Wifi Connection system that has been shutdown with the Wii U.

While you could play it on the Gamepad, the game was designed with the Wii U Gamepad as a controller in mind - much like Wind Waker HD and Twilight Princess HD. It was a test run for Breath of the Wild's Wii U gamepad dual screens functionality that was junked when BotW went to Switch instead.

It's not impossible to recode for the Switch, but a lot of the game's coding infrastructure would have to be rebuilt from the ground up for the Switch. Combine that with the fact that the game is very much not set in the same combined reality as XB1/2/3, yet somehow references the current stories, and it just didn't make marketing sense to bring it over yet.

I image they'll eventually want to link up with it with a later numerical XB entry. It's quite reasonable to believe that Mira could be a future development of the two worlds from the numbered games (though the end of XB3 is dubious on whether they're actually going to be long-term combined or not). A lot of Mira seems similar to elements of Aionios. I could see Aionios becoming Mira by XB5 or XB6. Remember that the original idea was that Xenogears was Episode V of a series, and Xenosaga would work its way up to Xenogears, with Xenosaga Episode V being a spiritual remake of Xenogears, and Xenosaga Episode VI being the grand finale. This… didn't happen - because Bandai bought Namco and told them to wrap up these games since they were a niche market. So Xenoblade is sort of another reboot. Xenoblade X and Xenogears share a lot of thematic functions, including the Gears in XG and the Skells in XBX. I could see them bridging to XBX after just a few more games, so expect a XBX remake on the Switch's successor.

Re: Platinum's Switch Exclusive Astral Chain Celebrates Its Third Anniversary

marandahir

@Arawn93

Yup. W101 only happened that way because (1) Nintendo didn't really care one way or another about porting the game TO Switch as it wasn't a huge seller on a console that wasn't very successful, (2) Nintendo would have ported it to Switch if Platinum agreed on an exclusivity clause, and (3) Platinum self-funded the ports.

Astral Chain is going nowhere, and that's good for Nintendo and Platinum. Platinum has a similar relationship to Nintendo here as does, say, Camelot or Intelligent Systems or Sora Ltd. It's gives the developers freedom while having access to a reliable business partner that doesn't need to have them on the payroll either. It's win-win, and how Nintendo likes it.

Re: Random: The Sky In Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Is One Big Optical Illusion

marandahir

@N64-ROX

No proofs are ever in the pudding.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

That said, I agree with your take. There are different ways of coding and short-cutting to use less processing power, or to work with the hardware you've got. N64 has different hardware than PS1, because of working with cartridges rather than discs. Thus it was easier to do some things but harder to do other things, and vice versa. This is one technique used to reduce the stress on the processing of the game and allow a smoother experience than if say, they made a giant background instead.

This is very similar to how movies are made. You don't need perfect. You need good enough to be convincing to the audience (of the time, and in context of the rest of the art piece). A CGI film scene can look rubbery or plastic and still be good if it matches the timbre of the entire film, but paste it into an otherwise live action film and you've suddenly got something incredibly out of place. This is a fantastic tool used that worked with the graphical appearance of Ocarina of Time's blocky 1998 N64 graphics but still looks gorgeous to this day.

Re: Soapbox: 20 Years Later, Super Mario Sunshine Is Still The Best 3D Mario

marandahir

The game does a similar thing for Mario as Wind Waker does for Zelda: how do we make the N64 title again, but different?

it's probably my fave 3D Mario, but I wouldn't argue it's the best - it's refining elements of 64, but it's not truly innovating on them. it's giving a twist on them. N64 is clunky around the edges, but was groundbreaking. And like Zelda again, it wouldn't be until 2017 that Mario truly innovated past the installation gimmicks to provide something completely new for the series.

Re: Naughty Rhythm Game 'Massage Freaks' Gets A Rub Down On Switch Next Month

marandahir

@Sveakungen

It's not the sexual content that is bad, it's the encouraging of non-consensual sexual acts - aka, sexual harassment, assault, predatory behaviours, and netorare.

There can be safe and positive art that plays with these concepts. There can be inconsequential ones too. But these are very, very serious violent crimes that the game is reinforcing as a positive thing. Such a game has a right to exist, but it doesn't have a right to be un-criticised.

Re: Naughty Rhythm Game 'Massage Freaks' Gets A Rub Down On Switch Next Month

marandahir

I don't mind them making mature or erotic or ecchi games on Switch - the only reason that's newsworthy is that some people still think Nintendo is somehow a bleached underpants company like say, Disney (and even Disney will do adult content at times - see putting Marvel Netflix shows on D+).

What I -DO- mind is the glorifying of NTR and non-consent.

Re: Game Freak Had Plans For 65,535 Versions Of The Original Pokémon Game

marandahir

Umm… three other Gen I versions were made, not one.

In Japan, you have Red, Green, Blue, and Pikachu versions.
In America, you have Red, Blue, and Yellow (Special Pikachu Edition) versions.

Blue was a late 1996 revamp of Red & Green with new battle and overworld sprites, fixed bugs, inclusion of Mew, new layout of Hanada Cave, new in-game trades, and new Pokémon encounters (such as being able to find wild Rougela whereas in Red & Green, you can only find those by an in-game trade). It also had a new script written to reflect some of these changes, like how one new in-game trade reflects a trade evolution by saying that their new Pokémon went and evolved!

Yellow or Pikachu Version followed the anime's plot a bit more, included Pikachu as a starter that follows you around, has in-game gifts of the original three starters, had the rival using Eievui and its evolutions, had new anime-inspired teams for all the Gym Leaders and some random trainers, and again new in-game trades, Pokémon availabilities (inspired by the anime), and a new layout to Hanada Cave.

Red & Blue in America used the Red & Green encounter rates and in-game trades, but the Blue level maps (such as for Cerulean Cave) and script. Hence why an in-game trader makes an illogical statement about how their Pokémon went and evolved.

Yellow in America used the Pikachu version changes from Japan, but colorized everything as with the later Gold & Silver - it was compatible with Game Boy Color in such a way similar to various DX titles.

So Red & Green, Blue, Red & Blue, Pikachu, and Yellow are all different games. They share the same basic premise but are distinct enough that if you're going to distinguish between any of them you should distinguish between all of them.

TL;DR: 7 titles in Gen I main series.

Re: Rare Footage From Nintendo's 1976 16mm Film Arcade Game 'Sky Hawk' Emerges

marandahir

@RPGreg2600 Not quite. That was a non-existent Arcade Cabinet version of Wild Gunman for NES. The movie essentially stuck an NES in a cabinet and attached some NES Zappers to it.

This is Wild Gunman as a Clay Light Gun Simulation System game for 70s Arcades. Completely different game. The NES title is a sequel to it.

Think of it like how we have Punch-Out!! on Arcade with wireframe characters, then Punch-Out!! on Game & Watch, then Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! on NES, and then Punch-Out!! on Wii using motion controls. All different games, but all named the same name.

Re: Random: Stop Calling Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl A 'Smash-Killer', Pleads Lead Artist

marandahir

More like Crossover 2DPlatformer Brawler has finally taken off as a genre.

Nintendo rightfully has the crown on the genre as they invented it and no one has put more polish into their title in the genre as Sakurai and his team have. But before now, the genre only really existed with minor indie titles like Brawlout or Brawlhala where if there were ANY recognisable indy video game characters they were the exception, not the rule. Now we have Brawlers from Nickelodeon and Warner Bros. and of course they're going to have more clout and be able to compete - these are companies with far more IP going for. Frankly, I'm surprised we don't yet have a Disney/Pixar/Marvel/Star-Wars/Simpsons/NatGeo/Kingdom Hearts Brawler title. Just you wait!

Re: Nintendo Says The Ratio Of Switch Online Expansion Pack Users Is "Especially High" In The US

marandahir

@Mgalens

I wouldn't mind a system like in Xbox where you can "rent" the games for free as part of the subscription service, but then can pay a reduced price to buy the old game outright and it would be carried forward on your account to new consoles.

I just think that having a virtual console ONLY system is inherently more difficult of a sell for rare games than a game streaming service, since obscure games are hard to justify the work in porting/emulating if only a couple of us are buying them. But if they're part of a package deal, it's a lot easier for Nintendo to bite the bullet on them and include something interesting that would otherwise not get a lot of purchases. Since it's already a sunk cost, they'd be more likely to try it out. After that, they may be more willing to buy it outright, but they'd never know about it or risk paying the 5$ or whatnot for a game they'd never heard of.

Re: Nintendo Reveals Two Gorgeous New Areas In Xenoblade Chronicles 3

marandahir

@BishopShiozawa

Let me blow your mind, maybe: Noctilum is referred to in shape as both a Dragon and a Whale. So is Uraya. They also are very close in shape.

Each of the XB1 and XB2 areas seem to have combined in different ways to form the continents of Mira. This is just the in-between phase before we get to XBX!

Re: Nintendo President Says "Most" North American Switch Online Users Have Upgraded To The Expansion Pack

marandahir

This isn't surprising at all. Vocal minorities love to comment on websites and forums like here, but most players don't even known that Nintendolife exists.

In any case, I upgraded immediately, for what it's worth. I'm all-in for games as a service. And the expansion passes for Animal Crossing, Mario Kart, Splatoon 2, with the likelihood of them adding it for all future games - those just seal the deal.

Am I REALLY going to be playing Happy Home Resort in 10 years if they discontinued the Pack?

I also doubt they'll discontinue the service. More likely, they just upgrade it to serve Nintendo Switch 2 or whatever as well. Games as a service mean they don't have to keep selling us new versions of the same ROMS generation after generation - they can just make the game compatible with whatever comes next and we're paying for it monthly rather than buying it outright. And heck, I bought these games outright like a dozen times already by now. I'd gladly pay monthly to play them on the most recent device with all its QoL.