Not to pile on, but can we get either Alex or Zion to do an official review? They both had a much better experience, and it'd be a nice contrast so as not to immediately turn folks off to this game. Heck, even Felix has had his problems but found some enjoyment.
Bottom line: this is an unquestionably harsh review. Maybe you had a bad time with it, but the vast majority of players - even on Switch - apparently had better experiences. From what I've both observed online and personally played, this game merits at least a 6.5, honestly closer to an 8.
I have to be in a certain mood to enjoy Keegan Michael-Key's particular brand of comedy so him as Toad - meh.
Jack Black is pretty impressive as Bowser, especially the line "Open the gates!" But I still hear Black in there and it's going to be difficult to separate his well-known voice from the character. Still, he's off to a promising start.
I would not have chosen Charlie Day for Luigi, but he oddly kind of - fits? (Shrugs) We'll see, I guess.
As for Mr. Pratt: I thought I heard a bit of Brooklyn Italian accent. If so, go with that. I personally don't want Mario to sound "unlike anything (I've) heard in the Mario world". There's good reason a lot of people would have preferred Charles Martinet: he IS Mario, and Pratt needs to get as close to that as possible without outright copying the voice. Good luck, Chris: I feel confident enough to speak for all Mario fans in saying I don't envy you that task.
Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition: Full disclosure, I've never played a Xenoblade game before, but I bloody love this game. It just checks all the boxes: big, immersive maps (I don't mind that it's not one open world, the maps are still huge), excellent story and acting, innovative progression systems and layered combat, and all backed by some truly gorgeous vistas (especially when one considers that this is a remaster of a ten year old game).
My only regret going forward is that unless I purchase a Wii U, I have no way of obtaining Xenoblade Chronicles X. Nevertheless, I am eight chapters in and can see no way that the rest of this game will disappoint, so 2 and 3 will not be far behind.
New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe: I've put in a scant three levels thanks to work, and this is certainly a tad harder than the 3D games to be sure! Not overwhelmingly so, but requiring more precision and finesse to get a good run.
Elsewhere, I will be traipsing through online matches of Pokken Tournament DX, having completed the single-player campaign. A fun game, if also difficult to truly master, but a pleasantly unique departure from the series' traditional turn-based combat.
Yoshi's Crafted World: I have never played a Yoshi title (outside of Mario Parties and I guess Mario + Rabbids) and after a big beast of a game like Bravely Default II (which I am still dipping in and out of trying to complete all sidequests after having knocked out the main story) it's a very pleasantly easygoing and diverting platformer which is just the relaxation I need.
Bravely Default II: I've been looking for an old-school JRPG reminiscent of Final Fantasy and this fits the bill. It's also given me the opportunity to take note of some similar games (such as the Ateliers) for the future. Turn-based combat, job system, and of course the brave/default options all make this an easy sell for me.
If I finish that, to quote Monty Python's John Cleese, "And now for something completely different": Yoshi's Crafted World. I've never played a Yoshi game (btw, is it YOH-shee or YAH-shee? Always been curious to know the proper pronunciation.) and this looks like a nice and laid-back affair after a meaty RPG.
I'm not against motion controls per se (they were certainly implemented well in Super Mario Odyssey) but if I can take button controls, I prefer to do so.
I played Skyward Sword for the first time and had a blast. Props to the dev team for making sure that people like me who prefer buttons can do so.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity: Way more fighting-intensive than I had thought/hoped, but still a lot of fun! It's great exploring the variations on each character's fighting style; I tend to favor Urbosa with her quick and super damaging lightning strikes or Daruk for his ability to slowly build up a rhythm with stronger and stronger blows, followed by a massive torrent of magma, but each one has their own appeal. The story follows BOTW fairly closely, but toward the end gets a little... bonkers.
Comments 111
Re: Review: Sonic Frontiers - A Bold But Ultimately Failed Attempt At Something New
Not to pile on, but can we get either Alex or Zion to do an official review? They both had a much better experience, and it'd be a nice contrast so as not to immediately turn folks off to this game. Heck, even Felix has had his problems but found some enjoyment.
Bottom line: this is an unquestionably harsh review. Maybe you had a bad time with it, but the vast majority of players - even on Switch - apparently had better experiences. From what I've both observed online and personally played, this game merits at least a 6.5, honestly closer to an 8.
A second opinion is definitely needed here.
Re: Poll: What Do You Think Of Mario's Movie Voice?
I have to be in a certain mood to enjoy Keegan Michael-Key's particular brand of comedy so him as Toad - meh.
Jack Black is pretty impressive as Bowser, especially the line "Open the gates!" But I still hear Black in there and it's going to be difficult to separate his well-known voice from the character. Still, he's off to a promising start.
I would not have chosen Charlie Day for Luigi, but he oddly kind of - fits? (Shrugs) We'll see, I guess.
As for Mr. Pratt: I thought I heard a bit of Brooklyn Italian accent. If so, go with that. I personally don't want Mario to sound "unlike anything (I've) heard in the Mario world". There's good reason a lot of people would have preferred Charles Martinet: he IS Mario, and Pratt needs to get as close to that as possible without outright copying the voice. Good luck, Chris: I feel confident enough to speak for all Mario fans in saying I don't envy you that task.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (September 24th)
Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition: Full disclosure, I've never played a Xenoblade game before, but I bloody love this game. It just checks all the boxes: big, immersive maps (I don't mind that it's not one open world, the maps are still huge), excellent story and acting, innovative progression systems and layered combat, and all backed by some truly gorgeous vistas (especially when one considers that this is a remaster of a ten year old game).
My only regret going forward is that unless I purchase a Wii U, I have no way of obtaining Xenoblade Chronicles X. Nevertheless, I am eight chapters in and can see no way that the rest of this game will disappoint, so 2 and 3 will not be far behind.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (July 30th)
New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe: I've put in a scant three levels thanks to work, and this is certainly a tad harder than the 3D games to be sure! Not overwhelmingly so, but requiring more precision and finesse to get a good run.
Elsewhere, I will be traipsing through online matches of Pokken Tournament DX, having completed the single-player campaign. A fun game, if also difficult to truly master, but a pleasantly unique departure from the series' traditional turn-based combat.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (July 9th)
Going for completion on Yoshi's Crafted World, then it's off to Pokken Tournament DX.
Elsewhere, I have the Live A Live demo downloaded and need to give that a go to determine whether or not I'll purchase the full game.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (July 2nd)
Yoshi's Crafted World: I have never played a Yoshi title (outside of Mario Parties and I guess Mario + Rabbids) and after a big beast of a game like Bravely Default II (which I am still dipping in and out of trying to complete all sidequests after having knocked out the main story) it's a very pleasantly easygoing and diverting platformer which is just the relaxation I need.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (June 18th)
Bravely Default II: I've been looking for an old-school JRPG reminiscent of Final Fantasy and this fits the bill. It's also given me the opportunity to take note of some similar games (such as the Ateliers) for the future. Turn-based combat, job system, and of course the brave/default options all make this an easy sell for me.
If I finish that, to quote Monty Python's John Cleese, "And now for something completely different": Yoshi's Crafted World. I've never played a Yoshi game (btw, is it YOH-shee or YAH-shee? Always been curious to know the proper pronunciation.) and this looks like a nice and laid-back affair after a meaty RPG.
Re: Feature: The Best (And Worst) Selling Games Of Nintendo's Biggest Franchises
Removed
Re: Zelda: Skyward Sword HD Dev Says Converting Motion Controls Was "The Hardest Thing"
I'm not against motion controls per se (they were certainly implemented well in Super Mario Odyssey) but if I can take button controls, I prefer to do so.
I played Skyward Sword for the first time and had a blast. Props to the dev team for making sure that people like me who prefer buttons can do so.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (April 16th)
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity: Way more fighting-intensive than I had thought/hoped, but still a lot of fun! It's great exploring the variations on each character's fighting style; I tend to favor Urbosa with her quick and super damaging lightning strikes or Daruk for his ability to slowly build up a rhythm with stronger and stronger blows, followed by a massive torrent of magma, but each one has their own appeal. The story follows BOTW fairly closely, but toward the end gets a little... bonkers.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (March 26th)
Metroid Dread: it's been on my backlog for far too long, and I've only put in a few hours so far. Kirby will likely be next in line though.