Messages

1

Modern Video Games / Re: NEW Chibi-Robo!* game coming soon!!

« on: July 24, 2024, 10:52:37 am »

With the information we know so far, I'm not really interested in this project. It seems close to a 1:1 recreation of the original Chibi-Robo game but with no personality of its own. Should I ever want this kind of experience, the source material is already available to me.

Kickstarter reward tiers are awfully overpriced. Is a digital artbook and digital soundtrack actually worth $60 USD? It's also worth mentioning that the second lowest reward tier is to reserve a physical copy, but physical copies are a stretch goal, which means backers pledging that amount theoretically wouldn't get the promised reward.

It's being reported that physical copies will be handled by Strictly Limited Games (SLG), although the game itself isn't projected to release until 2026. At that point, many are doubtful that SLG will even exist, given their infamously bad track record resulting in major, legitimate consumer complaints. Should scheduling actually go as planned and SLG continue their rate of production, a physical release wouldn't manifest until 2027 at the earliest and possibly 2028 or 2029.

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Video Game Database Discussion / Re: Error Listings and rejected edits 2024

« on: July 23, 2024, 11:21:15 am »

No, it became clear in the recent Style Discurrion thread that PlayStation has become a brand on its own that is separate from the console itself. Similar to how Microsoft treats everything under its gaming division as Xbox. So this is an iPhone Accessory...

BUT the issue here is the Apple category is only for computers (where tablets count) and consoles and not for phones.
So the only place this should be put is Other Accessory
https://vgcollect.com/browse/accessory

https://vgcollect.com/item/242405

This was suggested to be moved to the Apple Accessory category (https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,10192.msg206160.html#msg206160), since it's an iPhone accessory, not a PS5 one. Does the "Playstation" branding overrides it?

https://playbackbone.com/products/backbone-one-playstation/

That would be the case had the discussion yielded a poll or anything fruitful from the community at large, but the topic was deemed unimportant from everyone else but staff. As you mentioned in the topic, "option 6 is winning without a poll." So, there is nothing wrong with 242045 and its current category placement.

6. Keep it as "wherever" placement as long as there isn't any dupes.

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Video Game Database Discussion / Re: Duplicate List 2024

« on: July 20, 2024, 09:04:45 am »

This item was only sold with White cover outward facing, the second entry is simply the reverse side of the cover. Should probably be merged into the white entry.

Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2 (white cover)
https://vgcollect.com/item/1206

Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2 (yellow cover)
https://vgcollect.com/item/233600

Several sealed copies with the yellow cover outward-facing have been observed since this entry's creation. You'll need to clarify why these circumstances are invalid for the entries to merge together. If I'm remembering correctly, Atlus has been known to reprint certain games in more recent years, and I believe this game is one example.

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Video Game Database Discussion / Re: Error Listings and rejected edits 2024

« on: July 16, 2024, 10:54:18 am »

Just pointing out that the EBay item can not be proven to be CIB since no barcode is present. Sometimes the barcode can be just a sticker on the seal wrap (which then gets lost when the item is opened) but this is rare and 95% of games without a barcode are just games missing a slipcover. Anyways it can't be proven that a specific release has a "seal wrap sticker barcode" as long as we don't have pictures of a factory sealed copy. And the contrary, games that do have a barcode on the back cover art, doesn't necessarily mean that this game never had a slipcover.

Thousands upon thousands of game items exist, and each should be treated on an individual level despite any regularities which often can be noticed. In this situation, I came across a number of sealed keepcase copies of The Movies. But, without knowing how this item was released, this keepcase without a barcode sequence easily could have been a part of a larger boxed collection. So, it's better to reject these sorts of entry changes when unsure and to begin a dialogue concerning it.

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Video Game Database Discussion / Re: Error Listings and rejected edits 2024

« on: July 16, 2024, 09:30:38 am »

I tried to edit item #3526 by updating the front and back box art.

If the information is re-submitted, it will be approved. Both the slipcover and case item numbers should be mentioned in the Description field.

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2024!!!!!

« on: July 15, 2024, 05:46:16 pm »

28. Beautiful Katamari || Xbox 360 || 07.10.24



Having owned Beautiful Katamari for a decade now and even having the capability to play it for a few years at this point, it was never a game I had played despite being a fan of the series. But, after recently acquiring an Xbox One X for free, I decided that was going to change as this circumstance seemed like the best time for me to try out the system.

In truth, there has been little evolution within the series in its twenty years, meaning every entry adopts the same basic action-puzzle gameplay model. Despite this, the Katamari franchise has grown in popularity to the point where most would recognize it on some level even without having played an entry, although some may still be unfamiliar with what sort of qualities the series has. For the unaware, each game has players roll a the titular katamari, a round ball of varying size, with the goal of rolling up just about anything and everything the player can imagine to enlarge it. Built with layers upon layers of scattered junk that's littered about a bustling world that's soon wreaked havoc upon, the katamari can consume every item that's modeled in the game. Over time, players will advance from one size increment to the next which grants the ability to explore other locations. At first, players begin small and with complementing small goals, slowly increasing in size to enable them to move from one room to the next. But, not long after, goals to complete become so grand in scale and are, quite literally, out-of-this-world.

Generally, stage goals directly relate to the katamari's size, but this isn't always the only objective to clear. In addition to size, players are also regularly tasked to roll up specific kinds of items such as plants or playthings. This sort of additional challenge is not new to the series, but I remember it being introduced considerably later in other entries, whereas it's introduced in Beautiful Katamari in the second stage. While playing, I thought about this decision from a new player's perspective, and it seemed as if the focus this early on should still be on growing acquainted with the controls while simply collecting any items in a player's path to reach the size requirement. Nevertheless, the stages which do task players to collect certain item types feel, at times, obscured, as the scoring system isn't explained at all while, at the same time, not even a basic counter to tally relevant item total is present.

Once the game's progressed some to the point which players are tasked to reach around 5m in diameter, the rush of excitement in trying to absorb anything in sight which looks like a target—and often succeeding without fail—is almost constant. If able to complete a stage with a perfect score, players are rewarded with the ability to play again without a time limit. While that chaotic elation is still present to a degree, I find myself instead much more relaxed, as all the time is now available to carefully and methodically trod across environments while hoping to collect new items and reach new heights.

Across the game's campaign, players may find themselves failing, which I did once. And, even when completing the stage's requirement, the game is not afraid to convey how unimpressive scores may be and even ridicule them. Despite how dismissive the game's tone often is, this is by no means a critique, as it's upsetting in a humorous way which succeeds in making players feel compelled to do better. Throughout subsequent stage attempts, I noticed that players do not always spawn in the same starting location. While I can't say for certain previous games employed this detail, I found it to be effective, as players are forced to discover the optimal path to capitalize on their limited time. Conversely, something else worth mentioning is that the katamari players have last built will always replace the previous one, even when its score is lower. Furthermore, there is no means to view past scores, despite there to be what seems an option to do so. Also, I will briefly mention that this entry is the first to introduce DLC. Ultimately, this inclusion is displeasing, as even stages themselves are behind a paywall.

Alongside the actual stages, players will also navigate a hub world of sorts which I have divided opinions about. Foremost, traveling across it to accomplish any action is slow, and selecting a different player-character is a cumbersome process as they freely move about. Several times, the game doesn't always show or announce where a new stage appears, or if it appears at all. Should players want to play an assortment of stages consecutively, there is no convenient means to do so. Some sort of level select menu would mitigate this issue, but it's obvious that this mechanic would trivialize the casual sense of exploration that's ultimately present. However, one aspect which irritates me is that there is no menu or accessible means to view a summary of stage scores and key item collectibles which are still missing. Instead, players are forced to travel from one stage to the next to receive such information. Despite these issues, the interactivity the hub world offers is fun and definitely maintains the game's charm.

Overall, Beautiful Katamari introduces little that's new or changed, but I think that's generally fine. Unlike other entries, Beautiful Katamari offers a much straightforward gameplay progression, meaning unique stages which other games are known to have are almost entirely lacking. There are arguments for how this may be good or bad, but I think a repercussion to consider because of it is that the game's personality diminishes some. While my time playing was exclusive to the game's single-player mode, my understanding is that its multiplayer modes, both local and online, are quite successful, with the latter supporting four players and a variety of mini-games. In the end, I was always going to love my time playing a new Katamari game should the core mechanics still exist.

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Video Game Database Discussion / Re: Adjustments to the Apple Pippin category?

« on: July 15, 2024, 11:28:12 am »

Now there are some potential naming issues. In Japan, the console is Bandai Pippin. I can't readily find a picture of the box the US system came in to know its branding.

When also searching for the @World term, I was able to find images of the NA box. However, it still isn't clear from the images whether it's Apple or Bandai. But, Bandai is observed on the actual NA console, which seems to answer the question.

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Video Game Database Discussion / Re: Duplicate List 2024

« on: July 15, 2024, 08:06:20 am »

Duplicates

https://vgcollect.com/item/1521
https://vgcollect.com/item/163912

These entries represent two different items.

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Video Game Database Discussion / Re: Error Listings and rejected edits 2024

« on: July 14, 2024, 08:13:07 pm »

These entries for Twisted Metal Black Online are redundant, please merge into one.

This is a brief reminder to report duplicate entries to the Duplicate List topic.

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Video Game Database Discussion / Re: Error Listings and rejected edits 2024

« on: July 13, 2024, 05:28:44 pm »

According to common name rule,

SRS: Street Racing Syndicate should become Street Racing Syndicate: SRS

https://vgcollect.com/item/1107

You do not understand the common name rule. From the style guide:

GameTitle is the commonly accepted game name. Our primary source for common titles is GameFAQs. They can be found in the Releases section, or on pages for a specific release's box art.
A name source may have errors in their title that need to be corrected before used here. These may include using numeric vs roman numeral, title for a localised version that doesn't match the art, or a translation/romanization error.

As I've already mentioned in provided Admin Comments upon your edit's rejection, the GameFAQs page for this release is formatted as Street Racing Syndicate.

they should not appear in main NTSC library, as people expect to see only offical games when they click this Playstation (NA) link...https://vgcollect.com/browse/ps2

Nobody is expecting that but you.

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Video Game Database Discussion / Re: Error Listings and rejected edits 2024

« on: July 13, 2024, 05:11:36 pm »

This homebrew game don't belong in main library

Like I mentioned, the entries addressed in my previous comment have a physical release of some capacity (whether this situation is fine to re-categorize it or not is a decision I'm not making), meaning their Release Type should instead be set to Unofficial Release, should the entries be allowed to remain at all. I'm not sure what you mean by "main library," because any physical item relating to a category—regardless if it's a bootleg or aftermarket release—is acceptable, whether you personally agree with it or not.

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Video Game Database Discussion / Re: Error Listings and rejected edits 2024

« on: July 13, 2024, 04:19:06 pm »

Not sure this Brazil listing belongs in NA region,

Lord of The Rings, The: Aragorn's Quest

https://vgcollect.com/item/214059

There is nothing wrong about this item's category placement.

https://vgcollect.com/item/128865
https://vgcollect.com/item/1834
https://vgcollect.com/item/128823

I'm not ignoring these but letting tripredacus handle them when they're available to do so. There may be reason to keep the "homebrew" games since they do have physical releases, albeit releases I've only seen in Asia markets.

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Video Game Database Discussion / Re: What's the process for adding a new console/platform?

« on: July 13, 2024, 04:02:44 pm »

The third generation of Hasbro's VideoNow platform was named the VideoNow XP and could play a few "Interactive Adventure" PVD Game discs. I believe there are only three games for the platform, but I have two of them. I wish to add them to the database but I can't without assigning them to an existing console.

Members can request new categories in the dedicated category requests topic that is pinned for quick access. It would be beneficial to provide links to specific items or images to better help Admin staff know what they're to be researching.

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Video Game Database Discussion / Re: Error Listings and rejected edits 2024

« on: July 12, 2024, 05:28:31 pm »

Tried to edit the Adventure Island title to match the naming scheme for variants as seen in the VGCollect Style Guide but it was rejected with the following comment:

Admin comments: While a name descriptor is needed, "round seal" is a bad choice, as both a circle and oval are round. Use "circle seal" instead.

I'm not sure if this was a mistake or if the guide needed to be updated.

The supplied comments weren't a mistake. If anything, the style guide needs updating. However, with that said, the variant section of the style guide highlights how descriptors work on a general level than instead instructing which specific descriptors to use.

Plenty of entries in the same category use circle Seal than round Seal, as you'll see here. I'll also mention that these sorts of descriptors should feature the term seal with an uppercase s, as it is specifically referencing the Seal of Quality.

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Video Game Database Discussion / Re: Adjustments to the Apple Pippin category?

« on: July 12, 2024, 05:14:09 pm »

Whether the category is "set up properly" or not means little since a general category for Apple Pippin currently does exist. Along those same lines, an entry's categorization is able to be freely updated at any point. Should the Apple Pippin sub-category be divided into smaller regional categories later on, then moving relevant entries is a simple task to complete. If you're wanting to create the entries, there isn't any reason to wait for any action to happen, should it happen at all. Also, bear in mind that not all sections have regional categories.