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Post by Apollo Chungus on Feb 21, 2021 18:34:06 GMT -5
Metroid Fusion (GBA; First Time; 4 hours 25 minutes)
I talked about this at some point on the General Chat last year, but I had previously attempted to play this one and got horrifically stuck at the boss battle with the big spider that grabs you in its pincers. At the time, I didn't know you had to mash left and right on the D-Pad to wiggle your way out, and ended up dying with no idea how to avoid getting caught nevermind dealing any damage. Combined with the fairly large amount of time to get from the save point back to this fight, I figured I wouldn't make any more progress and gave up.
However, I found out the other day that the Japanese version introduced an easy mode - with bosses being simplified, enemies dealing less damage overall, and health pickups restoring way more than they used to. So I gave it a go, and beat it earlier on today. Having that easier difficulty mode made me appreciate how tough the original Fusion is, in a way that kinda reminds me of the old Resident Evils (which is kinda funny, since I always compared their focus on item collection and backtracking to Metroid). The game is tough, yes, but in a way that can be overcome once you know what you're doing. Enemies deal more damage than their health pickups restore, so you can never tank your way through encounters. There are plenty of missiles to fend off or freeze enemies in place to either make an escape or get something back, and save points are frequent enough for the most part that retreading areas when you die isn't too bad. So long as you keep a cool head and have quick reflexes, Fusion is a satisfying challenge.
By contrast, I found the easy difficulty skews a bit too far in reducing the challenge for me. I often got complacent and started tanking fights, which I was never punished for except for some of the late-game bosses, and most combat encounters became a cakewalk even before grabbing most of the upgrades due to how little damage I took. Since Fusion is one of the more linear Metroids, this ended up taking out a lot of the tension and dread often associated with the game. For the sake of fairness, I do appreciate this mode being there for folks who want to enjoy the game on their terms, and it was entirely my decision to play it like that. If I want Fusion to be challenging, I can just play it on normal - I know how to break out of the spider boss' grip now, so it shouldn't be a problem otherwise.
I rather like the GBA Metroid games and how snappy their controls are, but I always end up feeling ambivalent towards the games designed around them. Fusion is a linear, action-heavy affair that I can't see myself replaying more than once, and while Zero Mission should appeal to me more because it's got way more exploration going on, the progression is still a bit too guided for my tastes. That's not a criticism of the games; they're just not for me as much as I wish they were. Maybe I'll give some of those ROM hacks a go when I've beaten enough games to start downloading stuff willy-nilly again (though hacks are far fewer in supply for the GBA games than the original or Super Metroid).
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Post by Deleted on Feb 26, 2021 5:59:18 GMT -5
I haven't posted in this thread for a few weeks so I have a few completions:
Batman Arkham Knight (PS4, 22 Hours, First Time) I've spoken about this in the main thread. I thoroughly enjoyed the previous 3 games but with Arkham Knight Rocksteady decided on a quantity over quality approach so therefore the game comes well below the others. Since the DNA of the Arkham games still exists inside of the package there is still some enjoyment and I was compelled to play through over a short timespan. I think there are many better options for Bat fans but could do worse than AK if they just want more of this style of gameplay.
Score - 7/10
Ori and the Blind Forest (Switch, 8 Hours, First Time) I went from disappointed, to enjoyment to disappointed again in Ori and the Blind Forest. From the offset the game is very poor at communicating with the player. It starts with too many glowing objects, environmental hazards that are drawn as if they are simple backgrounds and the view being too far out and just gets worse and worse from there. It seems with every corner Moon Studios found a new way to not let the player know what was expected. One thing that comes to mind is the game contains puzzle sequences, but sometimes interspersed with platforming, wherein the game will immediately kill you if you make a mistake. I found often I would die over and over, without even realising there was a puzzle to be solved. There was just not enough to read in the environment to realise why I was dying. There are trial and error segments in the platforming too, including escape sequences that act as the games bosses, and these were probably the high point for me, or they would have been, had the controls delivered consistently. Unfortunately Ori is slippery, and the 'bash' moves which acts on propelling yourself forward around enemies and projectiles could not be relied upon. Often enemies simply didn't fire projectiles when they were supposed to, or the move simply didn't activate. So over the course of the game I died an awful lot. Please do not be mistaken though, there is no actual difficulty here, deaths were primarily caused by the developers mistakes rather than my own. Honestly, I don't think I have much positive to say about Ori having reached the end. I feel like cinematics were prioritised in development and the platforming/puzzle gameplay simply doesn't mesh well with that goal.
Score - 5/10
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (Switch, 20 Hours, Replay 3D World, First Time Bowser's Fury) I've seen a couple of posts on 3D World here already and I think I had a much better time with it than others here. On replay the game doesn't fare quite as well as the first time around due to it's lack of ability to surprise, but each level still offers a new idea or twist on the core gameplay which keeps the experience fresh and fun. 3D World also offers more challenge than any other 3D Mario game, but it is a fair challenge also in terms of you will only fail due to your own mistakes. A couple of bad points though are the game takes a bit of time to really get going - I think the first 2 worlds are pretty throwaway, beginner style levels. Also that the end challenge is hidden behind too many barriers in my opinion. I enjoy finishing all the levels and finding all the collectables, but topping the flagpole in each level is a step too far I think. Mostly I just don't care for that one element in the first place though.
Bowser's Fury is a really interesting extra because it feels like something new in the Mario formula. The game is structured as an open level as per those in Odyssey, however individual 'cat shines' to collect are designed as levels, more like in 3D World. Personally the recent playthrough of Mario games brought to Switch in the last year has only reinforced my opinion that linear Mario levels are more enjoyable than the open level games of 64, Sunshine and Odyssey. Bowser's Fury though injects enough of the linear experience into the open level that it feels like we're seeing the first sight of the potential of that style of game, and the first time to me those have felt like what I want to be delivered from a Mario platformer. The game does have one major design issue though, the ever present Bowser, who appears contradictorily both not enough and too frequently based on your current goal. Honestly, I wish there was a way to take in the experience at my own leisure and perhaps call Bowser at my own experience, so I could engage with a more laid back approach should I want to. Otherwise though, I would love to see more of this style of open levelled platformer in the Mario series.
Another note - there are issues with frame drops in Bowser's Fury, as the game becomes very busy. I tried handheld mode and the game very visibly runs at 30fps rather than 60. I'm not an fps snob, but when a game is designed to run faster than the actual performance it affects the play experience. For Bowser's Fury I would say playing in handheld mode is not worth anyone's time. There seems to be a reoccurring theme of games being designed for docked play and the handheld experience suffering in Nintendo games, and that is disappointing to me. I would love for the concept of the Switch's flexibility of user experience to be prioritised and for games to be developed with running well in both modes to be considered.
Score - 9/10
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Post by 🧀Son of Suzy Creamcheese🧀 on Feb 26, 2021 13:37:02 GMT -5
Bowser's Fury (NSW, 1st play, 4h)It's very short, and obviously has a lot of elements taken from 3D World (I actually didn't realize just how many until I started playing 3D World again), but I'll be very happy if the next Mario title will be in the vein of Bowser's Fury. I think it could be a bit more open, as it's essentially a bunch of Mario Galaxy-esque levels on a lake, but I still did like the formula. Funnily enough the fact it all takes place on a lake makes this game look much closer to the key 3D World boxart than 3D World does. Gameplay-wise it does more or less marry the things I like about 2D and 3D Marios. The levels are fun, there's a lot of nice touches and polish like you'd expect from a Mario game, and the music is fantastic. Powerups from 2D Marios (and 3DL and 3DW) work just as well in this, but holding a button to run does not! I really didn't expect Nintendo of all companies to mess that up. Also, the cat theming is great. All the cat themed background elements are a nice touch without being too overbearing, and the cat enemies are adorable (as if I didn't feel bad enough killing regular biddybuds). Rating: 9/10Super Mario 3D World (NSW, replay, 6h)I was a little worried when I started this playthrough that I wouldn't like it as much as back on the Wii U, since I'm so familiar with it and know how much fun it is in multiplayer (I played it in singleplayer obviously). But once the game got going I was just as hooked as before. I guess I should've given the game a little more credit. After all I've played other entries like SMB1 and SMB3 to death and those are still super fun despite my over-familiarity with them. This IMO is still the best 3D Mario. It's got that pick-up-and-play quality the best Marios have (in that sense it really nails the '2D Mario but in 3D' thing), and even though I still remembered all the stages and it's a pretty easy game, it's just fun regardless. It's one of those games where I keep lying to myself that I'm only going to do one more stage. Also, I don't know how much the graphics have been updated, but this game still looks amazing. If all they did was bump up the resolution, then holy shit. I do have some comments about the Switch port. First of all, was it really necessary to bump up the speed of the characters this much? It's nice that the non-Toad characters are now not so sluggish anymore (because I pretty much never wanted to play as anyone but Toad in the original), but Toad feels a bit over-the-top fast at times. Not that I didn't still use Toad 90% of the time. Second, and much worse, why do you keep your green stars and stamps after you die now? That totally takes away from the challenge in some cases. Don't have the necessary powerup or skills to make it safely to a star? Just grab it and throw yourself off the stage. Grabbed a tough green star and don't feel like being careful for the rest of the stage? You don't have to anymore. I mean come one, the game is already easy enough, at least punish me if I make a mistake. And no, Digitalnametag, the cat powerup ISN'T disturbing, not even on Peach or the unlockable character we really don't have to keep secret because Nintendo revealed them before the Wii U game even released. Rating: 10/10
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Post by dsparil on Mar 1, 2021 14:32:28 GMT -5
The list of all games ordered by submitter: alexmate - Disney's Magical Quest starring Mickey Mouse (SNES, Replay, 1h 5m timer/2h ref, 8.0/10) alexmate - Donkey Kong (Game Boy, First Time, 3h 55m timer/6h ref, 8.0/10) alexmate - Pokémon Red (Game Boy, First Time, 20h 35m timer/26h 30m ref, 9.0/10) alexmate - Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (SNES, First Time, 2h 15m timer/4h 30m ref, 7.0/10) alexmate - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist (Genesis, First Time, 1h 1m timer/1h ref, 8.0/10) Apollo Chungus - Fancy Pants Adventures, The (Xbox 360, Replay, 2h 26m timer/1h ref) Apollo Chungus - Firemen, The (SNES, First Time, 42m timer/1h 30m ref) Apollo Chungus - Halo: Spartan Assault (Xbox 360, First Time, 2h 55m timer/4h ref) Apollo Chungus - Ihatovo Monogatari (SNES, First Time, 3h 44m timer/5h ref) Apollo Chungus - Legend of Zelda, The: The Lampshade of no real significance (Windows, Replay, 8m timer/6m ref) Apollo Chungus - Metroid Fusion (Game Boy Advance, First Time, 4h 25m timer/5h ref) Apollo Chungus - Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (Genesis, Replay, 45m timer/1h ref) Apollo Chungus - Myth Bearer (Windows, First Time, 3h est/5h ref) Apollo Chungus - Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD (Switch, First Time, 7h 30m est/10h 30m ref) Apollo Chungus - Polyroll (Switch, First Time, 2h 30m est/5h ref) Apollo Chungus - Poochy and Yoshi's Woolly World (3DS, First Time, 8h 42m timer/9h 30m ref) Apollo Chungus - Prince of Persia Classic (Xbox 360, First Time, 1h 41m est/2h ref) Apollo Chungus - Rise: Race The Future (Switch, First Time, 5h 54m timer/6h ref) Apollo Chungus - Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure (Neo Geo Pocket Color, First Time, 55m timer/1h 30m ref) Apollo Chungus - Stacking (Xbox 360, First Time, 3h 31m timer/4h ref) Apollo Chungus - Super Mario 64 DS (DS, First Time, 6h 13m timer/15h ref) Apollo Chungus - Tanglewood (Genesis, First Time, 3h 31m timer/5h ref) Apollo Chungus - Toki Tori (3DS, First Time, 3h 37m timer/6h ref) Apollo Chungus - Tony Hawk's American Sk8land (DS, First Time, 2h 12m timer/7h ref) Apollo Chungus - Tony Hawk's Proving Ground (DS, First Time, 3h est/11h 30m ref) Apollo Chungus - Tony Hawk's Proving Ground (Xbox 360, First Time, 3h 50m timer/9h ref) Digitalnametag - Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (Game Cube, Replay, 24h est/32h 30m ref) Digitalnametag - Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2 (PlayStation 2, First Time, 28h est/34h ref) Digitalnametag - Super Mario 3D World (Switch, First Time, 15h est/7h 30m ref) Digitalnametag - Ys IX: Monstrum Nox (PlayStation 4, First Time, 38h est/25h 30m ref) Digitalnametag - Ys: The Oath in Felghana (PSP, Replay, 10h est/11h ref) dsparil - 103 (Switch, First Time, 35m ref, 8.0/10) dsparil - Another World (Game Boy Advance, Replay, 2h 30m ref, 8.0/10) dsparil - AntVentor (Switch, First Time, 1h 30m ref, 7.0/10) dsparil - Arrest of a stone Buddha (Switch, First Time, 3h 30m est/3h ref, 7.0/10) dsparil - Assemble with Care (macOS, Replay, 1h est/1h 30m ref, 7.0/10) dsparil - Blinky Goes Up (Atari 2600, First Time, 5m ref, 7.0/10) dsparil - Bowser's Fury (Switch, First Time, 3h ref, 9.0/10) dsparil - Bug Fables (Switch, First Time, 25h 11m 53s timer/25h 30m ref, 6.0/10) dsparil - Distraint 2 (macOS, First Time, 2h 30m ref, 8.0/10) dsparil - Down in Bermuda (Switch, First Time, 1h 30m ref, 6.0/10) dsparil - Dragon's Lair (Switch, First Time, 1h ref, 7.0/10) dsparil - Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp (Switch, First Time, 1h ref, 6.0/10) dsparil - Escape from Tethys (Switch, First Time, 2h 24m 35s timer/6h 30m ref, 8.0/10) dsparil - Jill Goes Underground (DOS, Replay, 1h ref, 7.0/10) dsparil - Jill of the Jungle (DOS, Replay, 1h ref, 7.0/10) dsparil - Jill Saves the Prince (DOS, Replay, 1h 30m ref, 7.0/10) dsparil - Kowloon Highschool Chronicle (Switch, First Time, 37h 31m 24s timer/40h ref, 7.0/10) dsparil - Mega Man X3 (SNES, Replay, 5h ref, 8.0/10) dsparil - Phoenotopia Awakening (Switch, First Time, 19h 14m 37s timer/37h ref, 6.0/10) dsparil - Picross NP Vol. 1 (SNES, First Time, 10h ref, 9.0/10) dsparil - Picross S2 (Switch, First Time, 15h est/17h 30m ref, 8.0/10) dsparil - Picross S3 (Switch, First Time, 20h est/24h 30m ref) dsparil - Picross S4 (Switch, First Time, 27h 30m est/23h 30m ref, 9.0/10) dsparil - Pillar, The: Puzzle Escape (Switch, First Time, 2h ref, 7.0/10) dsparil - Returner 77 (macOS, First Time, 3h ref, 5.0/10) dsparil - Re:Turn — One Way Trip (Switch, First Time, 5h ref, 4.0/10) dsparil - Space Ace (Switch, First Time, 43m ref, 6.0/10) dsparil - Street Fighter Alpha 2 (SNES, Replay, 50m ref, 7.0/10) dsparil - Strikers 1945 (Arcade/Switch, Replay, 46m ref, 8.0/10) dsparil - Strikers 1945 II (Arcade/Switch, Replay, 28m ref, 7.0/10) dsparil - Strikers 1945 III (Arcade/Switch, Replay, 28m ref, 9.0/10) dsparil - Strikers 1945 Plus (Arcade/Switch, Replay, 2h ref, 7.0/10) dsparil - Super Mario 3D World (Switch, Replay, 7h 30m ref, 8.0/10) dsparil - Teen Agent (DOS, First Time, 3h ref, 2.0/10) dsparil - Treasure Mountain! (DOS, First Time, 10h 30m ref, 7.0/10) dsparil - Valley (Switch, First Time, 3h 30m ref, 9.0/10) dsparil - Vaporum (Switch, First Time, 8h 28m 37s timer/13h 30m ref, 9.0/10) excelsior - Batman Arkham Knight (PlayStation 4, First Time, 22h est/16h 30m ref, 7.0/10) excelsior - Blood Will Tell (PlayStation 2, First Time, 15h est/14h ref, 7.0/10) excelsior - Bowser's Fury (Switch, First Time, 10h est/3h ref, 9.0/10) excelsior - Chibi Robo! Zip Lash (3DS, First Time, 8h est/11h 30m ref, 6.0/10) excelsior - Everblue 2 (PlayStation 2, First Time, 8h est/13h ref, 5.0/10) excelsior - Flight of the Amazon Queen (DOS, First Time, 6h est/8h 30m ref, 8.0/10) excelsior - Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2, First Time, 25h est/28h 30m ref, 6.0/10) excelsior - King's Field (PlayStation, Replay, 25h est/16h ref, 9.0/10) excelsior - Ori and the Blind Forest (Switch, First Time, 8h est/8h ref, 5.0/10) excelsior - Pokémon Shield (Switch, First Time, 25h est/25h 30m ref, 7.0/10) excelsior - Super Mario 3D World (Switch, First Time, 10h est/7h 30m ref, 9.0/10) excelsior - Super Ninja-kun (SNES, First Time, 1h est/40m ref, 3.0/10) excelsior - Tetris Attack (SNES, First Time, 4h est/3h ref, 8.0/10) excelsior - Void Bastards (Switch, First Time, 11h est/8h 30m ref, 7.0/10) excelsior - Yooka Laylee and the Impossible Lair (Switch, First Time, 15h est/13h ref, 8.0/10) halftheisland - ABZÛ (Switch, First Time, 2h est/2h ref) halftheisland - Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Switch, First Time, 57h est/48h 30m ref, 10.0/10) halftheisland - Gardens Between, The (Switch, First Time, 2h 30m est/2h 30m ref, 7.0/10) halftheisland - Golf Story (Switch, First Time, 17h 39m timer/15h 30m ref, 9.0/10) halftheisland - Picross (Windows, First Time, 16m timer/16m ref) halftheisland - Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis, Replay, 2h est/2h ref) halftheisland - Sonic the Hedgehog (Master System, First Time, 1h 8m timer/1h 30m ref, 7.0/10) halftheisland - Subsurface Circular (Switch, First Time, 2h est/2h ref, 9.0/10) halftheisland - When the Past Was Around (Switch, First Time, 2h est/1h 30m ref, 8.0/10) JoeQ - Drill Dozer (Game Boy Advance, First Time, 5h 30m ref, 8.0/10) JoeQ - Onimusha: Warlords (PlayStation 4, First Time, 15h est/4h 30m ref) JoeQ - Phantom Dust (Windows, First Time, 23h 11m 32s timer/16h ref, 8.0/10) JoeQ - Raging Loop (PlayStation 4, First Time, 25h 30m ref, 8.0/10) JoeQ - Star Wars: Rogue Squadron 3D (Windows, First Time, 10h 10m timer/9h ref, 8.0/10) personman - Lost in Vivo (Windows, First Time, 10h est/4h ref, 8.0/10) personman - Project Wingman (Windows, First Time, 21h est/9h 30m ref, 8.0/10) personman - Thunder Force AC (Arcade/Switch, First Time, 5h ref, 6.0/10) Son of Suzy Creamcheese - Bowser's Fury (Switch, First Time, 4h est/3h ref, 9.0/10) Son of Suzy Creamcheese - Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (NES, First Time, 6h est/4h ref, 7.0/10) Son of Suzy Creamcheese - Faxanadu (NES, First Time, 9h 30m timer/6h ref, 8.0/10) Son of Suzy Creamcheese - Pokémon Trading Card Game (Game Boy Color, First Time, 20h 30m est/10h 30m ref, 9.0/10) Son of Suzy Creamcheese - Super Mario 3D World (Switch, Replay, 6h est/7h 30m ref, 10.0/10) Son of Suzy Creamcheese - Wimot's Warehouse (Switch, First Time, 5h 45m timer/6h 30m ref, 9.0/10) spanky - Arrow Flash (Genesis, First Time, 52m ref) spanky - Great Circus Mystery Starring Mickey & Minnie, The (Genesis, First Time, 1h ref) spanky - Mega Man X2 (SNES, Replay, 4h 30m ref) spanky - Mega Man Zero (Switch, First Time, 3h ref) spanky - Mega Man Zero 2 (Switch, First Time, 3h ref) spanky - Mickey's Ultimate Challenge (SNES, First Time, 38m ref) spanky - Panic Restaurant (NES, Replay, 1h ref) spanky - Samurai Pizza Cats (NES, Replay, 3h 30m ref) spanky - Street Fighter II': Special Championship Edition (Genesis, First Time, 3h 30m ref) spanky - Trials of Mana (Switch, First Time, 21h ref) toei - 3x3 Eyes: Beast Restoration (SNES, First Time, 4h ref) Woody Alien - Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon (Windows, First Time, 2h 40m est/2h ref, 8.5/10) Woody Alien - Dark Fear (Windows, First Time, 7h est/5h ref, 9.0/10) Woody Alien - Dragon Climax (Windows, First Time, 4h est/1h ref, 7.0/10) Woody Alien - Insanity's Blade (Windows, Replay, 2h 30m est/2h 30m ref, 6.5/10) Woody Alien - Monster Slayers (Windows, First Time, 29h est/8h ref, 8.5/10) Woody Alien - Q-Yo Blaster (Windows, First Time, 45m est/37m ref, 6.5/10) ZenithianHero - Bastion (Switch, First Time, 7h est/6h ref, 8.0/10) ZenithianHero - Pokémon Quest (Switch, First Time, 35h est/31h 30m ref, 6.0/10)
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Post by Apollo Chungus on Mar 2, 2021 20:06:48 GMT -5
End one month with one inaugural GBA Metroidvania from one of the subgenre's namesakes, begin the next with another inaugural GBA Metroidvania from the other...
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (GBA; First Time; 8 hours 3 minutes)
(Disclosure: This playthrough was done using the Card Mode hack by Dev Anj. This hack takes the cards, which are normally obtained as random drops from enemies, and places them in select locations around the map to reward both progress and exploration. This allows for a greater use of the card system than you might normally experience, and also makes the game easier in certain parts.)
At this point, I've played roughly half of the Castlevania games that took Symphony of the Night's cue in going for an open-ended castle and plenty of action-RPG elements such as equipment, levelling up and new items to traverse previous inaccessible areas. Circle of the Moon is a bit of an odd duck in that it was the only one during this era to not be made by the usual team headed by Koji Igarashi, but instead the Konami studio at Kobe who had just developed the N64 games and would soon put out the aces Konami Krazy Racers. That change in staff explains a bunch of things, particularly the return to the somewhat stiff movement and whip of the classic games, and a greater focus on action than RPG compared to the other games.
While this weirdness has lead to Circle of the Moon being ignored for Symphony, Aria/Dawn of Sorrow or Bloodstained, I actually quite like the game for exactly that reason. It gives the level design, the combat, the exploration its own flair distinct from the others, which I feel suffer from feeling like retreads of Symphony's success. I dig how the combat requires skilful use of the whip and subweapons in a similar fashion to the original games, and it's pretty cool how the items you find to progress are abilities that improve your ability to run, jump and generally explore. Some feel too situational, like block pushing and shoulder bashing, but stuff like the wall jump are very helpful in a pinch. I also really like the card system, in how it gives you all kinds of modifiers and playstyles to experiment with. (Even though the random drops are so random that I ended up using the aforementioned hack.)
It was pretty great finally taking on this game properly and finishing it, but I think I'm done with this subgenre from now. It's a shockingly massive game, with a fairly big optional area that I ignored altogether for the sake of beating the core game, and there's plenty to keep you coming back with THREE alternate character configurations for the post-game. That's very awesome, but it got a bit too exhausting for me by the end, having taken well over a week and a half to get through.
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