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Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2021 6:59:26 GMT -5
Kirby's Adventure: 3D Classics (OG on NES, Played on 3DS; First Time; 2 hours 40 minutes)
And now I'm very curious to check out the one other Kirby game I've got: the beloved Super Star (I might even check out the DS Ultra port since there's even more stuff and is generally regarded as an even better version). No idea if I'll play the other games, but I'm looking forward to see how it goes.
If it helps members of the forum voted Kirby Superstar (we didn't differentiate between the two editions) the best game in the franchise just last year in the thread below: hg101.proboards.com/thread/14836/recommend-post-top-kirby-games
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Post by Woody Alien on Mar 11, 2021 9:34:28 GMT -5
Thanks for the suggestion. I went to the site and tried the browser version and... I finished it in my first try in 40 minutes or so. I found it almost insultingly easy (played it at normal difficulty) and I never lost once. Also the early 2000s random shareware game look doesn't really help! Though it did what I asked for i.e. let me spend some time. No, I don't ask to add it to the challenge going to find something more substantial in the meantime!
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Post by Apollo Chungus on Mar 11, 2021 18:10:23 GMT -5
Dusk Child (Windows; First Time; 24 minutes)
I wanted to play something to try and calm down from some anxiety issues I've been having, so I ended up going with this game I encountered a while back on itch.io. It's a Metroidvania designed by Sophie Houlden for the PICO-8, a fantasy console you can design games for inspired by 8-bit systems and can play on most computers - even your browser! I got into playing a bunch of PICO-8 games and I always meant to come back to this one, which I liked but needed to configure for my control since it only used keyboard and I can't play platformers on a keyboard.
Finally giving it a go, it's a very brief but pretty cool game with some nice artwork and a subtle sense of atmosphere in its sound design. There's nothing except the sounds of your footsteps and the odd noises from mechanisms like doors and strange statues, which creates this uncanny feeling of the world feeling abandoned or dead. I found the controls a bit bothersome in that pressing up is the only way you can jump; I couldn't rebind the controls for whatever reason; which made certain platforming sections more irritating. Though I guess it did also help make the overall game more tense in a way that complemented it.
While there isn't much to it, I still recommend giving it a look on its style alone. Plus it's free, so there's really no reason not to try it: sophieh.itch.io/dusk-child
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Post by dsparil on Mar 12, 2021 10:36:18 GMT -5
Dusk Child (PICO-8; First Time; 24 minutes) On account of the PICO-8 not being real, the platform would be whatever you actually used. Because it's so short, I finished it too. Dusk Child (Browser, First Time) I played it in browser so I'm listing it that way. I don't have anything to say about the game aside from being short and to the point. I finished in 20 minutes based on my own timing. Rating: 7
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Post by ZenithianHero on Mar 12, 2021 20:15:49 GMT -5
Oh so we separate 3D World and Bowser's Fury?
Super Mario 3D World (Switch, replay, 14 hours)
I played this on Wii U only in 2 player co-op and now played this solo on Switch. I didn't remember a lot of the game before because I was constantly surprised and impressed by the game which is rare for me with Mario. I think co-op makes me lose details that I didn't catch. It can be chaotic I don't know how people can 100% the game in 4 player if they had. If you have a friend or two who are good at Mario definitely a good feature either way. I think I'll make this one of my favorite 3D Mario platformers now. Or tied with Galaxy 1. This game has one of the most polished and creative platforming I ever played. The cat suit is one of the best Mario Powerups in the series. I also appreciate the roster. I want different stat characters in future classic styled Mario games. A 3D World-2 should offer Yoshi, Wario, Daisy you name it. I did have to bail on World Crown. It is far too frustrating for me. The difficulty spiked when you reach World Star but it was satisfying up to the beast known as Crown-Crown.
9/10
Bowser's Fury (Switch, First Time, 6 hours)
A new standalone adventure in 3D World's port. It has 3D World mechanics in an open environment. Could say it is what happens if Mario Odyssey played like 3D World. I love the concept. It has much of the same qualities of 3D World and Mario Odyssey. The stages themselves transform somewhat with the added missions and also with Bowser wrecking the place. The kaiju sized Bowser comes and goes, which could interrupt a crucial moment in exploration or platforming. It is also annoying depending on the mission you wanted to complete such as carrying calico cats. It's a filling game despite its length. I like its use of 3D World elements, you can store your powerups and you gain a new powerup with 100 coins (upon death you coin count drops). Having the classic Mario powerups in an exploration platformer is quite nice. I wouldn't mind the next 3D Mario designed after Bowser's Fury.
8/10
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Post by dsparil on Mar 14, 2021 8:54:28 GMT -5
Bravely Default II (Switch, First Time)
I ended up fairly disappointed by this but for different reasons than the poorer reviews that I’ve seen. Those seem to either be based around some of the QoL features that were removed which is a non-issue or seem to be written by people that hate traditional jRPGs. The real problem is that the jobs and abilities are deeply unbalanced in ways that completely destroy any challenge in the long run including for the boss battles. The game just breaks itself entirely by the end of Chapter 2 of 7 (really 3 of 8 since the prologue which is full length) and only gets more and more broken from there.
I think a lot of it comes down to an inexperienced team. Claytechworks is a new company and their only other game is for mobile and seems to be some kind of VN. There must be people at the company with enough experience for a project like this, but nothing seems to come up in searching. I wish this had been given to Tokyo RPG Factory instead since I think they could have used a chance at a higher budget game unless that’s what’s in the works now. Lost Sphear and Oninaki showed a lot of potential, and even a relative failure like I Am Setsuna still had more interesting ideas than this.
I finished in 38:16:13.
Rating: 6
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Post by Digitalnametag on Mar 14, 2021 13:49:11 GMT -5
Bravely Default II (Switch, First Time) I ended up fairly disappointed by this but for different reasons than the poorer reviews that I’ve seen. Those seem to either be based around some of the QoL features that were removed which is a non-issue or seem to be written by people that hate traditional jRPGs. The real problem is that the jobs and abilities are deeply unbalanced in ways that completely destroy any challenge in the long run including for the boss battles. Has the series ever been that challenging outside of late game boss battles though? I'm not very far yet (8 hours or so) but BD2 seems mundane in all the same ways as its predecessors. Mostly pointless enemy encounters? Check. Obnoxious Asterisk holders? Check. Boring dungeons and disappointing treasure chests? Check. Super generic crystal storyline? Well we see my point. Thankfully the micro-transactions are gone. No extra turn potion hocking here! The main characters in the first two are more charming. And BD1 has a neat story twist despite it's terrible end game structure. (Maybe Second does? Never made it far enough...) BD2 doesn't feel different enough to justify it's existence. Just feels like I'm playing FFV with a new coat of paint. Braving and Defaulting isn't interesting enough by itself when most encounters ouside of bosses are ended by Max Braving. I still think Octopath Travler has the better take on this system. Octopath was the only one of these 'retro' SE attempts I wasn't disappointed in. They just seem more pre-occupied with capturing nostalgia than creating an new interesting experience. Rant complete!
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Post by Apollo Chungus on Mar 14, 2021 17:45:23 GMT -5
Dusk Child (PICO-8; First Time; 24 minutes) On account of the PICO-8 not being real, the platform would be whatever you actually used. Fair enough. I've gone back and changed the original post to say Windows as my platform, since I downloaded the game.
In the meantime, I've got another to add to my collection, and it's rather a pleasant surprise personally speaking.
The Ultimate DOOM (Xbox 360; First Time; 2 hours 42 minutes)
This is rather an odd title, unless you know your DOOM pretty well. The Ultimate DOOM is the name given to the 1995 version of the original DOOM, which added the fourth episode "Thy Flesh Consumed", and has became the defacto version of that game. I'm only making this distinction because while I've beaten the original three episodes of DOOM a couple of times, I'd never gotten far into "Thy Flesh Consumed" before giving up. I wanted to try and address that, especially after having nothing but trouble with getting into games during the week, by playing through all four episodes - hence why I'm referring to it as The Ultimate DOOM specifically.
I've played the original DOOM many times over the years, and it's one of my favourite games in that particular style where you're simultaneously doing multiple things at once and everything flows seamlessly into each other (similar games include the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series, the Mega Drive Sonic the Hedgehog games, and the original PS1 Spyro the Dragon trilogy). In this case, you're moving, exploring, dodging, shooting, puzzle-solving, and collecting at once - or at least doing three of any of those activities without breaking a sweat. It's quite good, though I'd always felt that the level design after the second episode got a bit too complicated.
Perhaps it's because I decided to just run for the exits as soon as I opened them, or because I was playing on the easiest difficulty setting, but that was considerably less of a problem this time. I got to enjoy the more esoteric levels as memorable looking landscapes with cool gimmicks or puzzles that didn't require obtuse solutions, and there's an ebb and flow to how complex or big those stages would get. Long complicated levels would be followed up by more compact arenas that placed more emphasis on some good ol' blasting, and it made for a varied, spontaneous outing where I never really got bored.
It's such a pleasant surprise to go into this game I've played so much, and to get a new sense of appreciation for aspects I previously disliked. I don't know if I want to revisit DOOM II right now, but I hope something similar might happen if I do decide to take the plunge in the future.
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Post by JoeQ on Mar 14, 2021 18:10:11 GMT -5
TRON 2.0 (Windows) - First playthrough, Time: 10h 31min (GOG timer) An early 2000s FPS by Monolith and a now non-canon sequel to the classic eighties movie. Actually shares the engine and some assets with NOLF2. There's some jank and balance issues with the gameplay systems and the story feels kinda rushed and cut in places, but otherwise the game was very enjoyable and massive love letter to the original movie. The graphics in particular absolutely nail the look and still look fantastic. I played with the unofficial patch and Killer App mod installed, which added some features like support for modern resolutions and increased stability (still prone to occasional freezing and crashing). Started the game on Hard, but dropped down to Normal when I realized it was only increasing my frustration. Collected all 100 build notes. Rating: 4/5Alphabet Challenge: ---D----------OP-RST------ Number Challenge: 0-23------
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Post by dsparil on Mar 15, 2021 6:19:57 GMT -5
Bravely Default II (Switch, First Time) I ended up fairly disappointed by this but for different reasons than the poorer reviews that I’ve seen. Those seem to either be based around some of the QoL features that were removed which is a non-issue or seem to be written by people that hate traditional jRPGs. The real problem is that the jobs and abilities are deeply unbalanced in ways that completely destroy any challenge in the long run including for the boss battles. Has the series ever been that challenging outside of late game boss battles though? I'm not very far yet (8 hours or so) but BD2 seems mundane in all the same ways as its predecessors. Mostly pointless enemy encounters? Check. Obnoxious Asterisk holders? Check. Boring dungeons and disappointing treasure chests? Check. Super generic crystal storyline? Well we see my point. Thankfully the micro-transactions are gone. No extra turn potion hocking here! The main characters in the first two are more charming. And BD1 has a neat story twist despite it's terrible end game structure. (Maybe Second does? Never made it far enough...) BD2 doesn't feel different enough to justify it's existence. Just feels like I'm playing FFV with a new coat of paint. Braving and Defaulting isn't interesting enough by itself when most encounters ouside of bosses are ended by Max Braving. I still think Octopath Travler has the better take on this system. Octopath was the only one of these 'retro' SE attempts I wasn't disappointed in. They just seem more pre-occupied with capturing nostalgia than creating an new interesting experience. Rant complete! The first two felt like a nice update to FFV, but this one is worse all around. The other two were more fun and actually gave you reasons to mix up your jobs sometimes. Second also had all those quirky new ones, and had some nice side quest stories. This one just doesn't have any of that and adds in a totally broken job system. There's some optional boss battles at the end of the game that are a bit more difficult, but any regular boss except for one could potentially be taken down in a single turn after Chapter 2. (if you really want to know) The Freelancer's Body Slam is totally broken when combined with the Pictomancer's Sub-job BP Saver which you get at the end of of Chapter 2. You need high attack and weight for it to be most worthwhile, and I only threw it on my two physical attackers and mixed in some other attack boosting passives that changed as the game progressed. In hindsight, I think making even just three characters Vanguard/Freelancers could take down almost every required boss except for one very close to the end that reflects physical damage. That one just needs to be taken a little slowly. The other thing is that it's super easy to master jobs in two easy to reach spots. One gets it down to about twenty minutes and the other to ten with much of that time spent loading. This does assuming having both of the Freelancers JP boosts equipped.
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Post by dsparil on Mar 15, 2021 7:45:42 GMT -5
Dreaming Sarah (Switch, First Time)
This is a platforming adventure hybrid, although it feels more like the rough outline than a finished game. There are some real platforming, but there’s also many sections that barely have anything in them. The adventure elements are also fairly slight, and some of the items seem to have absolutely no use. The whole game is a dream as the title suggests, and it does get some mileage out of dream weirdness at least. The original version came out a whole 6 years ago on PC, and this release was a wasted opportunity to build out the game a bit more.
Rating: 5
Fatum Betula (Switch, First Time)
This is a pretty weird Saturn-esque first person adventure game. The goal is to “water” a tree in a temple, and all the various endings come from what you bring to it. Most of the endings are quick to get as the game area is very small, and there’s some goofy elements mixed with some bleak ones. For an arty game with barely any actual gameplay, this manages to not fully cross the line into pretentiousness although it skirts it at times. It really nails the retro graphics though. The FMV endings might be a little too high resolution, but they’re still blocky enough to not draw too much attention to that.
Rating: 7
Fear Effect (PlayStation, First Time) Fear Effect: Retro Helix
After wondering about what happened to the remake of the first FE*, I figured I’d give the first two a revisit since I never actually finished them. After pushing myself through them, I definitely see why.
The first game has mercenaries Hana, Glas and Zeke going tracking down a runaway before the game morphs into something closer to a traditional survival horror game starting on disc 2 of 4. Rather than having static backgrounds, they are fully animated FMV which is why the disc count is so high. I can’t really remember if that was all that big a deal at the time since this a 2000 PSX game.
The major problem is that it’s too combat heavy and locks the good ending behind the hard difficulty. Even on the normal difficulty, it’s too hard to the point that it isn’t all that fun. You technically don’t have a health bar since the game uses your “fear” instead. Because of this, there’s no way to heal outside of the time the game fully heals you like when the active character changes and luckily before a boss fight. You do occasionally get little bumps up, but they’re so slight to be meaningless.
Retro Helix is a prequel and sees Hana and her previously unmentioned girlfriend Rain taking on a more extended mission involving some DNA sequences. Rather than cycling through three characters, you’re limited to two with Hana and Rain taking on different tasks. In the second part, Hana, Glas and Deke meet for the first time although with some hostility that has Deke take on the antagonist role with Hana and Glas forming a tense partnership.
In both sections combat is deemphasized a fair amount as you have the recharging and mulitargeting Arc Taser for most of it. The focus is instead on the adventure elements which are fairly weak. The mechanical puzzles are okay, but the inventory puzzles are all trial and error since you can’t inspect anything. The team probably did as best they could with the brief time they had since the PS2 was already out by the time this shipped. It’s mainly lacking that final 10% so everything gets less fun as a result.
The first game for some reason only tracks per-disc times and I forgot to write them down. I finished RH in 06:42:24.
Rating: 6 for both
* The original developer went out of business after Sedna (probably should have started with the remake!), but Square had a different developer take it over. There’s been barely any info for over a year though.
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Post by Apollo Chungus on Mar 15, 2021 9:45:48 GMT -5
dsparil I got a question about the rules. If the game unlocks a second unique story campaign (with entirely unique situations and a new character) after completing the main game, does that second campaign have to be beaten as well in order to count for this challenge?
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Post by dsparil on Mar 15, 2021 9:54:15 GMT -5
dsparil I got a question about the rules. If the game unlocks a second unique story campaign (with entirely unique situations and a new character) after completing the main game, does that second campaign have to be beaten as well in order to count for this challenge? What game is it? I feel like that might be situation specific. Edit: I said this last year: "In the case of multiple stories selected from a menu as opposed to branches presented in-game, my inclination is that they should be treated as scenarios that must be completed if they do not have content overlap." Something like Ys Origin where only the story is different, just one is fine.
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Post by Apollo Chungus on Mar 15, 2021 10:25:41 GMT -5
dsparil I got a question about the rules. If the game unlocks a second unique story campaign (with entirely unique situations and a new character) after completing the main game, does that second campaign have to be beaten as well in order to count for this challenge? What game is it? I feel like that might be situation specific. Edit: I said this last year: "In the case of multiple stories selected from a menu as opposed to branches presented in-game, my inclination is that they should be treated as scenarios that must be completed if they do not have content overlap." Something like Ys Origin where only the story is different, just one is fine. The game I'm asking this for is Play Novel: Silent Hill, a visual novel adaptation of the original Silent Hill for the GBA. You have a campaign where you play through the game's events as Harry Mason, and can unlock a second story where you play as Cybil (the police officer) who experiences a different set of events. As far as I know, they don't have content overlap - though I haven't played much of Mason's story so I can't really say. Unless there is some overlap, then I'll treat them as scenarios to beat. Thanks for answering my question!
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Post by Woody Alien on Mar 15, 2021 12:57:57 GMT -5
My Big Sister (Windows/Steam, first time, about 4 hours)
A game I bought during the Steam sales a couple years ago, started, got stuck and forgot about just until the other day when I was looking for something quick and easy to play from my backlog. It's a simple adventure game made in Adventure Game Studio with 8-bit-esque graphics, the puzzles are mostly quite easy but as the author says (someone who goes by "Stranga") it was mainly made to tell a story with some interactivity, since he wasn't able to make a book or a film. There are some horror tones and some blood but in the end it's not actually that scary or disturbing (outside a fourth wall breaking moment that didn't make much sense in the context of the game but was still quite interesting), just really convoluted to the point that it's impossible to understand who's who and what's real and what is not. Everything seems to revolve around a witch's curse and a loop that must be broken, but there are also elements that point to the whole story being a coma dream and/or also delusions of someone who may or may not have actual powers. Who knows really. Despite this however I enjoyed it for the most part, the simple graphics are charming and so are the dialogues that don't take themselves too seriously, and the bond between the two sisters grows on the player after a while. I could take a look to Stranga's other games since he seems to have improved the graphics and general atmosphere, and also because they all seem to be part of the same universe, so maybe I'll be able to make sense of this one. After all I always enjoyed this kind of small creators. You might be able to enjoy it more if you liked that mid-2000s emo/anime/dark/cutesy stuff a la Emily the Strange or Skelanimals.
7/10
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