Currently Playing

[Nester the Lark]

I'm on the final chapter of Fire Emblen: Shadow Dragon, but it's so difficult that I have my doubts about whether I'll be able to close the deal. My guys keep getting killed. It seems a bit too unfair.

I'm also playing the SNK 40th Anniversary Collection. The museum mode doesn't have as much bonus content as I thought it might, but the history section is really intersting and well done. Also, being able to play the loop lever games twin-stick-style is fantastic.

On the downside, it seems to have some crashing issues, especially with the NES version of Guerrilla War.

[The Qu]

Playing through Jet Set Radio on Steam while waiting for Smash Bros. It's frustrating at times, but man, what a stylish game.

[nocturnal YL]

So one of my final highlights of the year is not a new game at all. Rather, the final update for Kirby Star Allies is occupying my time right now.

The Kirby team managed to turn what appears to be an incomplete game (somewhat short, incomplete story) into one of the best things ever happened to the series, with major characters from all main series Kirby titles (okay, except Kirby's Dream Land 1, Kirby's Adventure and Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land if you don't count Dedede and Meta Knight) added as Dream Friends, who all have their own short campaigns (Guest Star) with references to their home games. And that's not even counting the collectible illustrations, world map cameos, secret rooms and all sort of different Kirby fanservice. Between Planet Robobot and this, there's never a better time for a Kirby fan.

Currently trying to see if I can even get close to completing The Ultimate Choice at the highest difficulty. I'm pausing the game at about halfway with Magolor with triple fire Meta Knight, and I'm a bit too scared to go ahead…

[Nester the Lark]

Been playing Monster Boy since it came out a couple of days ago (TFW you order a game from Amazon and choose free shipping, and it still gets delivered on launch day). It's really good, and way better than I ever would've expected from a return of an obscure series like Wonder Boy/Monster World. It's also way harder than I expected, even from very early on in the game. (Even the very first boss is no joke.) But then, even the old Wonder Boy games were pretty difficult despite their cute, colorful presentations. This could be sleeper hit of the year.

Battle Princess Madelyn got delayed on Switch (and PS4) until next week, but I still got my PC copy. I've barely played much of it, and I'd rather wait and play it on Switch, but my early impression is... about what I expected. The graphics are gorgeous, and the music is great. The gameplay, on the other hand, is a bit unpolished and even buggy. Still, it's better than the dev's previous game, Insanity's Blade, which I also have a free copy of. Despite the wonkiness, though, it seems to be good, cheesy fun. One bit I got a kick out of was the opening cutscene, which pays homage to the movie The Princess Bride, with Madelyn laying in bed playing "Buildycraft" when her grandfather comes in to read her a story. I look forward to getting more into it.

Also, I have not abandoned my playthrough of Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade. I'm on chapter 17. (I also did the side chapters, even though I said I might skip them.)

To be honest, I've been finding myself drawn more to RPGs recently. After burrying myself in Breath of the Wild last year and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 this year, it just feels like very therapeutic escapism. Fire Emblem isn't exactly a "get lost in a big world" kind of RPG as much as a "keep my brain busy" kind of game, but it still works. Games I'm most looking forward to right now are RPGs, including Fire Emblem: Three Houses and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered. I'm also considering Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon since I've never played a roguelike before, and it looks cute and fun (it had the same character designer as FFCC). Also, YL has gotten me curious about the Atelier series, so I've been looking into those a little bit, as well.

[nocturnal YL]

Update on Kirby Star Allies: My initial Soul Melter EX run with Magolor and three Meta Knights failed. Tried it again with four Magolors, and I managed to clear it.

The final wave of Dream Friends are broken. And I love it.

I'm playing Smash Ultimate now. The new Adventure Mode is huge, and I expect I'll be playing for a good while. My interest probably won't last long enough for the Piranha Plant bonus, though.

Dec 6, 2018 17:32:55 GMT -5 Nester the Lark said:

To be honest, I've been finding myself drawn more to RPGs recently. After burrying myself in Breath of the Wild last year and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 this year, it just feels like very therapeutic escapism. Fire Emblem isn't exactly a "get lost in a big world" kind of RPG as much as a "keep my brain busy" kind of game, but it still works. Games I'm most looking forward to right now are RPGs, including Fire Emblem: Three Houses and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered. I'm also considering Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon since I've never played a roguelike before, and it looks cute and fun (it had the same character designer as FFCC). Also, YL has gotten me curious about the Atelier series, so I've been looking into those a little bit, as well.

RPG overall as a genre has always been hit-or-miss to me. Since the gameplay is more or less formulaic, it all comes down to other factors such as story and presentation. As such, I wouldn't push hard for others to try games I like. Personal taste is a big factor here.

I'm not playing any RPG right now, but I may be interested in Nelke and the Legendary Alchemists (the Atelier spinoff I mentioned before), and maaaaybe Sen no Kiseki IV. I bought a PS4 for real (I returned the one that I borrowed), and it needs more love beyond 400+ hours of Project DIVA.

[Nester the Lark]

Dec 9, 2018 9:53:04 GMT -5 nocturnal YL said:

RPG overall as a genre has always been hit-or-miss to me. Since the gameplay is more or less formulaic, it all comes down to other factors such as story and presentation. As such, I wouldn't push hard for others to try games I like. Personal taste is a big factor here.

I don't know if I'll actually try an Atelier game, but they seem cute and relaxing. I've been listening to the OST for Lydie and Suelle while I exercise, and it's very pleasant.

Dec 9, 2018 9:53:04 GMT -5 nocturnal YL said:

I'm not playing any RPG right now, but I may be interested in Nelke and the Legendary Alchemists (the Atelier spinoff I mentioned before), and maaaaybe Sen no Kiseki IV.

Kiseki games are so narrative-heavy, I'm not sure how good of an idea it would be to jump straight into the last game of a story arc.

[Swedol]

So I got all 120 stars in Super Mario Galaxy, great game, and what I already wrote about it is enough. Not going to bother with Luigi's quest at the moment though.

Moving through my enormous backlog of Wii games, I decided to try out MadWorld. Fun game, but it did get a bit repetitious and as I got stuck at a spot, I sort of got bored with it. Cool and stylish game, but I guess not really what I'm in the mood for at the moment.

So I decided to try out Another Code: R – A Journey into Lost Memories. Basically a point and click-adventure, almost like a visual novel. 3 hours into the game, there hasn't really been much "gameplay" yet. It's very text heavy, something which made me reluctant to start playing this game, but the story has managed to capture me and it's been many years since I played a game where I really got so much into it I forgot about time. It is obviously not a game for everyone, as there is very little action, but it certainly is something of a hidden gem in the Wii library.
It is really soothing and relaxing too. A great game to just sit down and relax with.

[nocturnal YL]

I haven't been active here because I was double-hit by Smash Ultimate and the final update of Kirby Star Allies. I'm still on my way trying to collect stuff in both.

Dec 9, 2018 12:24:32 GMT -5 Nester the Lark said:

Dec 9, 2018 9:53:04 GMT -5 nocturnal YL said:

RPG overall as a genre has always been hit-or-miss to me. Since the gameplay is more or less formulaic, it all comes down to other factors such as story and presentation. As such, I wouldn't push hard for others to try games I like. Personal taste is a big factor here.

I don't know if I'll actually try an Atelier game, but they seem cute and relaxing. I've been listening to the OST for Lydie and Suelle while I exercise, and it's very pleasant.

This is rather surprising to me. I do like the music in Atelier Lydie & Suelle, but I actually deem it a weaker part of the game.

I'll wait until the next few games until I can say for sure I'll like the Atelier series. I jumped into Lydie & Suelle just because I wanted to try out something from KT, and Atelier is the only one that fits my visual taste (cute, Japanese-y, but don't jump straight into CERO:C territory).

Dec 9, 2018 12:24:32 GMT -5 Nester the Lark said:

Dec 9, 2018 9:53:04 GMT -5 nocturnal YL said:

I'm not playing any RPG right now, but I may be interested in Nelke and the Legendary Alchemists (the Atelier spinoff I mentioned before), and maaaaybe Sen no Kiseki IV.

Kiseki games are so narrative-heavy, I'm not sure how good of an idea it would be to jump straight into the last game of a story arc.

I have the same thought, actually, but if I want to try it, I have to start at some point that shouldn't require me to get a PS3 or PS Vita. (And I don't have that much time to fill anyway; same reason I haven't gotten Atelier Arland 1-3 DX yet.) I don't know about the earlier games, but Sen III and IV are readily available on PS4.

At any rate, it's rather low-priority to me right now.

[Nester the Lark]

Dec 16, 2018 9:30:42 GMT -5 nocturnal YL said:

I have the same thought, actually, but if I want to try it, I have to start at some point that shouldn't require me to get a PS3 or PS Vita. (And I don't have that much time to fill anyway; same reason I haven't gotten Atelier Arland 1-3 DX yet.) I don't know about the earlier games, but Sen III and IV are readily available on PS4.

At any rate, it's rather low-priority to me right now.

Actually, there are PS4 ports of Sen I and II (ported by Falcom, themselves, no less).

But yeah, jumping into any of them would be a commitment.

[Swedol]

So I finished Another Code: R – A Journey into Lost Memories. Really nice game, although not completely satisfied with the ending and how some things didn't quite have any resolution at all. But in general I liked it, even if there wasn't much gameplay. It's pretty much a visual novel, with some puzzles to solve every now and then. Certainly not for everyone. But still a nice gem in the Wii library.

Continuing my Wii journey, I decided to play New Super Mario Bros. Wii. This one I have actually played before. I got it as a Christmas present back when it was just released. I played it and beat it, and back then I loved the game, especially the Co-op mode, which I played a lot with my cousin. The co-op mode was something I had always wanted in a Mario game, and back then I thought it was on par with the classic Mario sidescrollers.

Playing it today, now I have only played the first world. It's not as great as Super Mario World, for example, but it's still a great sidescroller. I don't have much negative critique at all, really, with a few exceptions. First of all, the "rescue Toad"-levels feel pointless and tedious to me, and they appear way too frequently.
The other thing is the controls. I never felt comfortable playing with the wiimote sideways. It just feels odd and cheap to me. People say it's like a NES controller, but no, that's just wrong. So I play with the Wiimote-Nunchuk combo, but for this game it feels a bit awkward. I really can't understand why they didn't just include support for the classic controller with this game? A SNES-type controller would feel perfect so it bothers me that it's not a possibility. This game begs for it.

Yes, I'm a general critic of motion controls and the wiimote in general, but in Super Mario Galaxy, it just felt natural and I had no complaints with using it there. But this game, I do. Then again, it's not really a deal-breaker. Just a bit unfortunate.

[Nester the Lark]

Still rotating the usual three games lately.

- Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom

This game is kind of a miracle. A semi-obscure (but beloved) game series is revived 25 years later by a virtually unknown French indie developer and an equally obscure German publisher who, with the blessing of the original creator, proceed to spend far more time and money on development than any larger publisher would, and end up creating a game that not only retains the spirit and charm of the originals, but in many ways, surpasses them. This game shouldn't exist.

The fact that it's not getting the attention it should is a crime. I suspect the higher price tag (US$39.99) is a factor. If this was a Nintendo game, no one would think twice about it, but trust me when I say Monster Boy is Nintendo-quality and worth the price.

I haven't beaten it, yet, but I think I'm near it. However, I'm trying to go back to find more items and get closer to 100 percent. As I said before, though, it leans towards the more difficult side, and the puzzles are giving me flashbacks of La-Mulana.

- SNK 40th Anniversary Collection

The best thing about this collection is that it's less of a greatest hits compilation, and more about shining the spotlight on obscurities. And I kinda dig that even if not all the games are that great. I enjoy discovering games I've never played before.

Case in point, one of my favorite games has turned out to be T.N.K. III. I've never played it before this, and I rarely hear it talked about, but it's a really fun game. (Fun fact: Ikari Warriors was actually spun-off from it.) I haven't gotten as much into the NES port/sequel since the controls are a little awkward, but it's fun, too.

Also, I was really looking forward to playing Psycho Soldier since I'm a fan of the team from KOF. I didn't expect the game to be that good. I thought I'd play through it once or twice and be tired of it, but it turns out I really enjoy it! (I could still be biased, though. )

My other takeaway is that SNK plagiarized a lot of music in its early years.

- Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade

I have not given up on Fire Emblem yet, but I'm playing through it a little bit slowly since I'm also working on other games. I've finished chapter 21, and I feel like I'm in pretty good shape. I have not lost anyone at all, yet. Also, in my tradition of favoring archers, I'm totally shipping Wil and Rebecca.

[Nester the Lark]

Last update of the year (it's still 2018 here for a while).

I finished Monster Boy a few days ago. Not 100 percent, but I'll go back and do that in the future. This is just about the best return for the Wonder Boy series I ever could've hoped for. It's too bad it isn't getting more attention, but I guess it's not "artsy" enough.

And now that Monster Boy is out of the way, I can get back to focusing more on Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade. I'm currently at the start of Chapter 24, and I'm feeling pretty good moving forward. I've done a little grinding at arenas (there aren't as many in this game as there were in Shadow Dragon), but most of my units don't seem to need it. Archer update: Wil and Rebecca are at support level A, and I've promoted both to snipers.

Also, I've been playing a bit of the old Samurai Shodown Anthology on the Wii. I'm really hoping the new one comes to the Switch, but I'm not entirely convinced by recent rumors.

[Nester the Lark]

I misspoke when I previously said that I've never been past chapter 28 in Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade. I've actually never been past chapter 27.

...Until today. I am now on to chapter 28, so I'm officially in uncharted territory.

[Nester the Lark]

I've finally finished Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade! I've wanted to finish this one ever since I got it when it came out in 2003, so I'm happy I've finally been able to do it. Maybe I'm finally getting the hang of this series.

I think I recruited all units possible in a single playthrough, except for the guy in chapter 30. Otherwise, I never let any of my units die (another first for me with FE). My final rank was a B in both Lyn's and Eliwood's stories. My tactics rating never rose above one star. I don't know what that's based on, but being slow and cautious must not be it.

Anyway, that leaves The Sacred Stones as the only FE game I own that I haven't beaten yet, but I think I need to take an actual break from FE for a while. I imagine it won't be long before I get to it, though, because I'd like to do it before Three Houses comes out.

[The Qu]

Got GTA V during the Steam Winter Sale and holy crap is it a good game. I expect nothing less from Rockstar, though.