|
Post by Nester the Lark on Apr 28, 2024 15:01:41 GMT -5
Good to see you again!
A surprising number of old members have popped in just recently. No idea why, but it's been nice.
|
|
|
Post by Nester the Lark on Apr 17, 2024 9:47:13 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Nester the Lark on Apr 16, 2024 9:20:59 GMT -5
By "community," I assume you mean the two of us that still come here regularly. I'm probably not the one to ask about it since I've never played a Brain Training game. When I think of that series, I think of mathematical equations. But that probably wouldn't make a very good icon.
|
|
|
Post by Nester the Lark on Apr 16, 2024 8:06:30 GMT -5
My prediction is that Little Kitty, Big City is going to be shadow dropped.
|
|
|
Post by Nester the Lark on Apr 14, 2024 11:44:23 GMT -5
So, I discovered something interesting recently, and I wanted to document it here. It's not about the game R-Type Final 2/3, but rather, the game's lead designer and director, Kazuma Kujo. As you might be aware, Granzella was founded in 2011 by former Irem Software Engineering staff, including Kujo. If you look at the Granzella Games website, it lists Kujo as Chief Creator, while the President & CEO is Takeshi Nagura. However, it seems that Kujo and Nagura are, in fact, the same person. In the '80s and '90s, it was common for the staff of Japanese game developers to use pseudonyms, usually due to company policy. Over the years, most companies began to allow them use their real names, and so their real identities have been revealed. However, some of them have continued to keep their identities a secret, or have left the game industry and never revealed their real names. Irem, in particular, seems to be infamous for its mysterious development staff. ( This thread on X/Twitter attempts to identify many of the staff at Irem in the '80s.) Kujo has been one of the more well known, due to him having a more public presence and (seemingly) using his real name. Except that it isn't his real name. Last January, the website Time Extension published an interview with seven former Irem and SNK staff members. I went back to look at it recently, because I thought I remembered it mentioning what Kujo's real name was. However, looking over it, I couldn't find that info. I thought maybe I got it confused with some other article, but I still couldn't find anything after checking possible alternatives. To make sure I didn't imagine it, I checked snapshots of the article at the Internet Archive, and sure enough, this snapshot from when the article was first published includes an extra, short paragraph: This paragraph had been removed from the article by the end of January with no mention of any correction or alteration. I'm guessing that this was not meant to be public information, and that Time Extension was asked to remove it. I did my own brief search on the name Takeshi Nagura, and that's how I found his name on the Granella website as the President and CEO. Also, the couple of photos I found of him are, well, Kazuma Kujo without his signature sunglasses. Now we know the real reason he always wears sunglasses. In an interview in the R-Type Final 2 art book included in the physical edition of the game, he said he wore them because he was uncomfortable in front of people, but more likely, it's an attempt to keep his real identity a secret. All of this amounts to... well, nothing really. I just thought it was kind of funny and interesting. I wonder why he feels the need to have two identities. Perhaps he just wants to keep his different roles in the company separate?
|
|
|
Post by Nester the Lark on Apr 14, 2024 8:54:33 GMT -5
So, I bought the Hatsune Miku DLC for Crypt of the NecroDancer, and I've been enjoying it so far. Like all of the other characters, Miku has her own gimmicks and play style. I don't normally like to play as most of the other characters besides Cadence because having to learn each character's nuances is almost like having to relearn the game from scratch, and frankly, the game is hard enough as it is. But Miku is pretty fun once I got the hang of her. The way her attacks pierce through enemies encourages chaining attacks together, and it can be really satisfying, but can also get you in trouble. One thing I don't care for is that she takes damage if you miss a beat. This is particularly cruel given that some of her songs have beats that can be hard to follow, even with the on-screen indicator. Speaking of which, I think the real attraction of the DLC is the soundtrack that includes 15 Hatsune Miku songs, two of which were made specifically for Crypt of the NecroDancer. I've enjoyed all that I've heard so far. Of course, as with all of the other soundtracks in the game, it can be used with any character, not just Miku. Conversely, Miku can use any other soundtrack in the game, which solves the beat problem, but also feels like it's missing the point. Or just use No Beat Mode and disable the beat altogether. But yeah, that's about it. It's fun DLC. Definitely worth the price, in my opinion. On a side note, I learned that it was apparently Crypton that approached Brace Yourself Games about including Hatsune Miku. I wonder why now after all this time. Aside from Crypt of the NecroDancer, I've also been playing Freedom Planet 2, but I'll write about that later.
|
|
|
Post by Nester the Lark on Apr 4, 2024 13:49:20 GMT -5
Brace Yourself Games has announced surprise crossover DLC for the original Crypt of the NecroDancer: Hatsune Miku. From the official website: DLC Key Features:
Play as Hatsune Miku: Experience Crypt of the NecroDancer as Hatsune Miku, complete with a charming leek, her powerful voice, and eight-directional movement.
Sing Your Way to Safety: Charm your enemies with a brand new ability: SING!
Dress to Impress: Unlock and equip official Miku outfits as armor!
An All New Way to Groove: Dance along to 15 beloved Hatsune Miku songs, including two exclusive new tracks by original Crypt of the NecroDancer composer Danny Baranowsky!
DLC Song List:
1-1 – Too Real by Danny Baranowsky 1-2 – Wonder Style by colate 1-3 – SURVIVE (Foxsky Remix) by Umetora 2-1 – Ten Thousand Stars by CircusP 2-2 – Lucky Orb (Clean Tears Remix) by emon(Tes.) 2-3 – UNDERWATER (Rexium Remix) by Hylen 3-1 – Highlight by KIRA 3-2 – Intergalactic Bound by Yunosuke & CircusP 3-3 – Hello Builder by UtsuP 4-1 – Blue Star (yuzen Remix) by Hachioji P 4-2 – Can’t Make A Song!! by beat_shobon 4-3 – Be Furious (Reno Remix) by Ocelot 5-1 – sweety glitch by gaburyu & nyankobrq 5-2 – Thousand Little Voices by Vault Kid & FlangerMoose 5-3 – My One and Oni by Danny Baranowsky Available now on PC and PlayStation, April 13 for Switch. It costs US$1.99. The Synchrony DLC pack came out on consoles not long ago. It's interesting to see this game still supported so many years after release.
|
|
|
Post by Nester the Lark on Apr 1, 2024 21:49:27 GMT -5
Happy birthday, Spud! (Posting this a little early to make sure I don't forget.)
|
|
|
Post by Nester the Lark on Apr 1, 2024 8:02:17 GMT -5
She's technically Sega's witch, but I can't believe you didn't mention Bayonetta.
|
|
|
Post by Nester the Lark on Mar 31, 2024 9:22:59 GMT -5
↑ Another update: Despite Trimming the Herbs being confirmed a TAS, some players still believe it is possible to clear it RTA, and continue to grind it before the servers go offline.
Here is the closest anyone has gotten so far, which pretty much proves that it should be possible to clear the stage legitimately.
|
|
|
Post by Nester the Lark on Mar 30, 2024 11:58:01 GMT -5
Happy birthday, YL! I felt really bad when I realized I missed your birthday last year. Sorry!
|
|
|
Post by Nester the Lark on Mar 22, 2024 19:13:53 GMT -5
↑ Update: So, the creator of Trimming the Herbs has admitted that the stage was actually a TAS. Anticlimactic, but there it is. It's interesting, because even in the video I posted above, Grand Poo Bear claims it couldn't have been a TAS because the means for that didn't exists on Wii U at the time. But anyway, that means Super Mario Maker has officially been collectively 100% cleared.
|
|
|
Post by Nester the Lark on Mar 19, 2024 10:24:41 GMT -5
A community of Super Mario Maker players has been attempting to beat every unfinished level in the original Super Mario Maker before the servers go offline on April 8. As of now, there is only one level left. It's called "Trimming the Herbs." You can read about it in this Nintendo Life article, but there are numerous articles and YouTube videos about it. You can also find people streaming their attempts on Twitch. Here's a good discussion of it by well-known Mario player Grand Poo Bear:
|
|
|
Post by Nester the Lark on Mar 10, 2024 8:22:44 GMT -5
A sequel to the Super Mario Bros. Movie has been officially announced for Mario Day.
The movie is scheduled for April 3, 2026.
I still haven't seen the original. I'd like to, but I just never feel motivated to watch movies.
Also, the remaster of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is due out May 23, and Luigi's Mansion 2 HD is due out June 27.
|
|
|
Post by Nester the Lark on Mar 8, 2024 15:05:33 GMT -5
Yeah, I can't claim to be a fan of any of the Dragon Ball series', and I haven't played a Dragon Quest game since the NES, although I was a fan of Chrono Trigger on the SNES.
But I recognize how extremely influential he was. He had an iconic style that was instantly recognizable, and that's something I appreciate.
|
|