Messages

1

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

« on: July 21, 2024, 08:18:41 am »

Game 13 - Tunic (Switch) - 21 Hours

Heavy spoilers ahead! Truly, if you have any interest in playing this game, I would take a look at a spoiler-free review first.

Difficulty in video games can come across in a couple different flavors. One is through the gameplay, and the other comes from puzzles, problem solving, or just figuring out where to go. On the surface, Tunic looks relatively superficial, but in fact this game is very hardcore both in terms of combat and puzzle difficulty. My review of this game is going to primarily focused on the difficulty level and how it related to my experience playing.

But first, I want to talk about of my less complicated thoughts. The game is absolutely gorgeous, and I loved the use of isometric 3D environments and the way they are used to hide passageways and secrets, adding a unique puzzle-solving layer. There are in fact very few physical barriers to your progression, it's only based on your knowledge that you've accumulated through experimentation or reading the manual. Dovetailing with this is the use of a detailed manual which you collect pages for over the course of the game. Although written almost entirely in another language, this manual provides you with (for the most part) all the controls, maps, story, lore and worldbuilding you will ever need. This is the main selling point of Tunic, and I absolutely loved it. It gives the game a palpable air of mystery, and creates the perfect environment for organic puzzle solving that rides the line perfectly between giving you all the necessary information you need to play without telling you directly. It ties in beautifully with a complex story that feels very much inspired by the likes of Dark Souls. The music is masterful and perfectly encapsulates the soul of exploring a ruined world where mysteries abound at every turn. It's just a very well-designed game that's polished to a mirror sheen. The only gameplay issues I had was a bit of slowdown when things got busy with enemies.

I had two different experiences trying to obtain both endings in the game. Ending A I found to be an absolute joy to play. I had a read a lot of people were having trouble with the game's difficulty but I rarely had any problems with the combat and didn't need to look up any of the puzzle solutions online to achieve the first ending. The only segment that was really challenging was the boss rush at the bottom of the Cathedral.

Ending B was where my experience playing took on a slightly different tune. At first, it felt like the first ending. Figuring out that each page of the manual holds larger secrets under the surface was an absolutely joy to uncover and I felt like a complete genius. The final Golden Path puzzle I solved mostly on my own which was one of the best feelings I've ever had playing a  game. However, this is where the manual starts withholding some of the information from the player, and some of the details I did need to look up. I despise not knowing what to do in a game, and this feeling definitely crept in during the final few hours I was playing. Particularly that cross-dashes in the Golden Path mean you hit that directional button on the d-pad twice, and the flowers/candles/tiles trick for getting some of the fairies. I do not believe this information is presented in the game and I reviewed the entire translated manual and all the dialogue from the ghost foxes.

If you're interested in playing Tunic, I would encourage you to think about your personal tolerance level for difficulty. This game may be an experience that you find very engaging and rewarding, and at the same time it drive you absolutely crazy and I wouldn't fault you if you felt that way. Few games that I've played have really set me back and think about my experiences and tastes as a gamer quite like Tunic has. At least it's been a very long time. I think overall this game is phenomenal, and might be my favorite game that I've played this year, despite my qualms with how the game's end stage content is presented. An absolute gem of an experience.

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

« on: July 05, 2024, 09:31:28 am »

Game 12 - Super Monkey Ball (GC) - 6 Hours

I love this franchise, it's so simple yet so addicting and fun. I counted this game as beat after I finished all of the beginner, advanced and expert stages. At first, it seemed to me like expert was going to be near impossible to finish, but with enough practice you kind of get in this zen state and levels that were really hard at first become a breeze later on. It's really interesting to witness. The other thing is that if you play the game enough, you'll eventually unlock unlimited continues so then it just becomes a matter of time until you can brute force your way through everything. That's what kind of happened to me on my first completion run of expert as at the time I had only gotten to floor 43 once.

Floor 36 - first continue
Floor 41 - second continue
Floor 42 - third continue
Floor 45 - fourth and fifth continue
Floor 48 - sixth and seventh continue
Floor 50 - eighth continue

I mentioned this when I reviewed the second game, but my biggest problems is that there's no camera control. You'd think the c-stick could have been used for the camera or at least a button that centers it behind your monkey. It makes some of the levels a lot harder than they needed to be. That's the only negative thing I have to say, the game is a great source of fun, both for single player and for parties.

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

« on: July 01, 2024, 04:12:08 pm »

Game 11 - Super Paper Mario (wii) - 18 Hours

First, there a lot of clashing opinions about this game on the internet. I went into it thinking that this game was kind of misunderstood, and I honestly wanted to give it a fair shot. Unfortunately, I really didn't end up liking this game very much. Thinking back I actually enjoyed Color Splash more and I critiqued that game extensively.

There are some elements in this game that do retain the Paper Mario feel, particularly the characters and dialogue. Several of the games worlds are downright brilliant. I loved the nerd and caveman levels in particular. Some of the puzzles were really fun to solve, and I liked the main hub town which has a lot of secrets and collectables to uncover. Lastly, there were a few levels where I did enjoy the gameplay, particularly in Chapter 7. Other than those things, I think that's where my praise ends for this game.

Super Paper Mario was the first in what has been a longstanding attempt to remove the RPG components from the series as much as possible, a trend that continues even with the new releases. At it's core, the main reason why I don't like this game is that it attempts to combine the RPG foundation of Paper Mario with a platformer, and as a result it doesn't succeed very well in either. From an RPG side, well frankly the game isn't much of an RPG at all anymore. There are no badges or choices to make upon leveling up like in previous games, which was very dissapointing. The game is a linear set of levels with no interconnected word. Other than the main hub town, there are very little holdovers from the game's RPG origins. I wouldn't mind it so much if the platforming were fun, but this game plays like an watered down, clunky, and awkward version of regular Mario. Part of it is that the power-ups remain shackled to an RPG design and they're some of the worst in the series. Most powerups just heal you or give you exp/money. The only ones that really "power" you up is the 8-bit Mario, which was clunky and awkward, and the Star, which mainly used for setpieces with a lot of enemies and don't feel very organic. The main gameplay/upgrade change are the Pixls and that you can play as Peach, Bowser and Luigi. I don't know if there is another Mario game where that happens, which was cool, but I wish there was more story between the 4 characters. The Pixls are fun, but between 8 of them and 4 story characters you have to do a lot of changing between all of them to make it through the game which was a little tedious after a while.

On the topic of gampeplay, the 3D aspect of this game really perplexes me. I don't know why they thought restricting the game to 2D and then acting like the 3D change is this huge thing because if you look at any other game in the series.... they all operate on the same 3D plane. It's just the camera angles that are making the big difference in how you experience all the levels. Not to mention that every 3D space you enter is essentially a long corridor without anything truly interesting. The 3D is really just a modality to introduce puzzles like hiding pipes, ledges or platforms and it felt very superficial. I also dispised the timer for using 3D mode, it was so annoying that I would just let Mario take damage so I could keep exploring the world in 3D. There's no really gameplay reason why that timer exists. And coming from Alundra the problems of trying to hit enemies in 3D space was very all to fresh in my mind.

Lastly, the character design is also some of the worst I've ever seen in a Mario game. Most of the NPCs are indescribable cardboard cutouts made up of the strangest shapes imaginable and they look amaturish while clashing with the generally nice environmental design. It's like truly baffling, a couple of characters nonwithstanding.

I'm sad that Super Paper Mario was not a very enjoyable experience for me, although it was a pretty easy game to play through. I just need to play Sticker Star and Origami King next!

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

« on: June 17, 2024, 02:38:58 pm »

Game 10: Mega Man Battle Network 5: Team Protoman (Switch) - 22 Hours

Only one more game to go on the Legacy Collection and I will be finished with it! Let's dive into Battle Network 5, one of the two Battle Network games I enjoyed when I was a kid. Like all BN games after 3, there isn't a whole lot that's changed in terms of the gameplay (with one huge exception). There have been some tweaks and small visual improvements, and some rebalances to gameplay, with the biggest edition being DarkChips which provide an interesting twist to your folder building (I didn't use them in this playthrough). Otherwise it's pretty much all the same stuff under the hood, which is fine by me. These games are like comfort food for me that I can kind of go through on autopilot especially since I know more about the "meta" of this game's chip selection than the other entries. The story isn't anything special, as always, though I do like that we learn a bit more about the history of the net and the backstories of Wily and Lan's family lineages. Although, it was really dumb how your dad and friends are kidnapped for like 4 days in the story and your mom's like totally cool with it.

Anyway, the biggest change in this game from it's predecessors is the addition of some light tactical gameplay very similar to something like Final Fantasy Tactics or Ogre Battle. I absolutely love these sections. Not only does it mix up the gameplay a bit but you're pushed to delete viruses in one round in order to do well, which was a fun challenge to test myself with. The Navis that make up your team are all really interesting and you develop more of a bond with them than really any other group of side characters in the previous games. Compared to Team Colonel, I do feel like Team Protoman has a better "team" overall, particularly because Protoman is way more of a familiar face. Overall, a fantastic addition.

I think my main complaint is the holding back of the upgraded chips that come from viruses until you do some really obscure sidequesting to make them appear. Otherwise, viruses will continue to get stronger but will only give you the most basic version of their chip. It's a really strange gameplay decision and it confused me to no end as a kid.

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

« on: June 10, 2024, 04:26:00 pm »

Game 9 - Alundra (PS1) - 31 Hours

This has always been one of my most wanted games on my wishlist when I created my profile on this site, and I can finally say that I've finished it. This game actually wasn't that enjoyable for me, which was honestly perplexing. There are a lot of things here that I really love, but the things that I didn't enjoy really got under my skin more than most games for some reason.

First let's talk about what I really loved. The game boasts a gorgeous pixel aesthetic with wonderful animations and very fluid controls. You are dropped within an expansive island to explore with plenty of secrets to uncover as you obtain more items during your journey. The story I found to be particularly touching. Not super complicated, but deep enough to keep me engaged and invested. The story is accentuated by some really great characters and honestly very impressive translations for how old the game is. The music is quite excellent, though there isn't enough music to support the such a long game. You'll be hearing the same track repeated 50 times over as you try to navigate what's honestly a very challenging game.

And that’s my biggest issue with the game, though isn't so much the controls or combat difficulty, but the level design. In fact, the game showers you with copious amounts of healing items and spells, and so I didn’t actually die all that much during my playthrough. No, instead the frustration lies with the forced 2D/3D perspective which completely messes with your sense of distance and depth, combined with some incredibly difficult jumps. It's difficult to describe if you haven't played it before. For example, you might be jumping across platforms from the top of the screen down, and you think a subsequent platform located below you on the screen is reachable but it’s in fact ABOVE you in 3D Space. Same thing when jumping from left to right; you don't know if the platform is above or below you in 3D space and therefore unreachable, or if your timing is wrong and is in fact level with the platform you are on. The game is also not consistent with what you can jump onto/over and what you can’t. It reminded me of the frustrating platforming elements in Super Mario RPG, times like, 1000. There's also some old school “where do I go moments” that tend to frustrate me (hint, talk to all the villagers if you’re stuck and then things happen!)

Considering the frustrations that I just mentioned, I unfortunately found this game to be a more difficult experience than a fun one, and I was honestly glad when it was over. That's not to say that this game doesn't have anything to offer or isn’t worth your time checking it out.

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

« on: May 06, 2024, 01:02:47 pm »

I really wanted to love that game, it's so cool, but the hardcore depth of field visuals killed it for me, it's like the extreme version of what was done with the Link's Awakening remake, another one I didn't like.

Yes I didn't mention it but there were some issues with the visuals. Part of it was that when moving down the screen you can't see what's in front of you so sometimes you just run into enemies. Also the water effects were really weird and blinding upon loading a level.

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

« on: May 03, 2024, 09:28:10 am »

Game 8 - 3D Dot Game Heroes (PS3) - 17 Hours

I found this game to be a very charming experience. It's a simple classic take on a Zelda-style adventure game but with some modern ideas under the hood. The most striking is the 3D pixel look which is very unique visually, even though it felt more like a gimmick to me. I think where this game really stands out is your 3D sword that you can suspend in midair and increase it's length and width to cover more of the screen. It's honestly really interesting to use and separates the gameplay from Zelda just a touch.

Other than that, it's essentially the same. You do have an expansive world to explore with plenty of secrets and side quests to indulge in. There's also a huge collection of minigames to try out and they're actually pretty fun! I think the dungeons were kind of tedious and a little boring though. The game doesn't really throw much at you that's super interesting. There's also very little puzzle solving - everything is either communicated directly to you by your fairy friend or you have a magic spell that will straight up tell you the solution.

Lastly, this game had a lot of charm to it that I really appreciated. As a total throwback to classic games, the game sports a very "retro" style to it with a lot of hidden secrets and 4th wall-breaking dialogue. This also comes through in the music which is very retro, but is a little inconsistent - some of it is great, but a few songs are really bad - the fire temple in particular was awful.

Other than that I had a good time playing - on to the next stop on the console tour, the PS1 with another Zelda-style game - Alundra!

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

« on: April 05, 2024, 10:24:12 am »

I agree with this opinion, but I also believe that the same can be said of any exercise routine. After a certain point, you simply go through the motions which isn't very exciting in itself, slowing adding more reps and sets as muscle is built. Easily, the game's biggest motivators for continued play is the inclusion of titles to earn alongside being able to compare your personal data with friends' data, with the former being the main reason I played the game for a lengthy amount of time (without checking, I think somewhere between 120-150 hours.) The game also offers a rhythm mode and maybe even other types of alternative forms of exercise, but I never did explore those options.

It's doubtful that I'll ever go back to Ring Fit Adventure since I was playing during the height of the pandemic while staying indoors. Maybe one day, though.

If I'm remembering correctly, my least favorite exercises were overhead presses (specifically when being tasked to perform them in quick succession) and seated forward presses. Meanwhile, my favorite exercises were planks and mountain climbers. These two, to me, felt most substantial toward actually feeling active. Did you have any particular exercises you enjoyed or disliked?

I adopted a mixture of some intense and some lighter workouts throughout my time playing. I don't have any particular favorites, I was mostly looking at damage/types/number of targets. but the ones that I did frequently were thigh press, leg raise, mountain climbers, thigh twist, bow pull, ring raise combo, and squats (not wide squat/overhead squat because those never worked for me). I liked the yoga poses too.

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

« on: April 05, 2024, 09:28:25 am »

Game 7 - Ring Fit Adventure (Switch) - 53 Hours

Final game stats
Time spent exercising: 25 hours
Calories burned: 9663
Miles run: 49
Ring presses: 12432

I first started this game as part of an exercise routine in February of 2021, meaning this has probably been the longest time it's taken for me to finish a single player campaign. There were a couple reasons for this. The first is that when I started playing, I lived on the ground floor of an apartment and was free to jump, move around, and run in place as I saw fit. Since then I've been in a couple much older houses with basements and old wood floors. I'm an average size person, but I just didn't feel comfortable jumping on our floors for extended periods of time like that.

So, I tried playing the game in silent mode, which was downright awful. Instead of running in place, you have to do squats to move your character forward. It was like... tripling the effort required for maybe half as much actual progress. So I then played in undocked mode for the remaining time in my basement, which was also not a great experience. The screen is so tiny that you can't see any objects in the levels and you have to squat down and squint at the screen to see any of the text. So my own personal play environment definitely was part of the reason why it took so long to finish. I also had consistent issues with the leg strap not registering certain exercises like high knee lifts, wide squats, mountain climbers, leg lifts and other exercises. Maybe it was my height, I'm not sure.

The other factor was that the game kind of runs out of ideas after approximately 30 hours of gameplay. The game just makes the existing exercies/courses longer in duration as a way to increase the challenge. All in all, it got very repetitive after that 30 hour mark, and I didn't really feel motivated to keep playing. I would rather use our exercise bike or go outside. I also did every single stage on each level and set the game to finish all exercise sets even if enemies are defeated partway through, which increased the time it took to finish the game.

So all that being said, you might think that I was down on this game, but I actually think it's a lot of fun and a great way to get some routine exercise. It has just the right amount of story and mechanics built around the idea of exercise that come together nicely. I think using the ring-con was a lot of fun, and there are lots of different exercises that you can try out until you find the routine that works for you, along with a fun collection of minigames. The graphics and music are also very pleasant, leading to an overall enjoyable experience, the issues I mentioned notwithstanding. I will probably come back to do a new game plus with this game at some point, but for now I think I'm going to try one of the fitness boxing games on the Switch because I've really enjoyed exercising with video games and I want to keep that going.

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

« on: April 01, 2024, 10:11:55 am »

Game 6 - Doom 1993 (PS4) - 13 Hours

I can finally say that I've finished the original Doom, a game that is obviously a cultural and technological touchstone for video games as a whole. My experience with this flavor of FPS is admittedly a little weak. The closest contemporaries I've finished to Doom are Half-Life and Perfect Dark, so I don't have a lot of the contextual knowledge about this game when it came out, nor have I played Doom's immediate successors like Quake, Hexen, Duke Nukem, or Unreal Tournament, nor its predecessor Wolfenstein. I will say that it's a total blast to play, and it's easy to see why this game made such an impact at the time. I would say the game still holds up in many respects. The gameplay is fast and responsive, the hit detection, while biased, favors the fast-paced action. The levels are challenging with loads of secrets to uncover, and the weapons are all satisfying to use. The game's art style is really cool, and at times creepy and suspenseful. I really liked the challenge the game offers. When you die, you lose all your weapons, but you have unlimited lives and it's pretty easy to find all of the weapons you lost in each level.

There are some elements that felt outdated. Several levels were quite labyrinthian which led to long stretches where I didn't know where to go, effectively killing the pacing. In addition, some of the latter levels require running over platforms which made me wish that I had a jump button. Lastly, I was very disappointed with the overall score past the first episode (Knee Deep in the Dead). That episode has incredible music which is always highlighted in any retrospective review of the game. However, the other episodes rely mostly on atmospheric subdued tracks which just aren't as interesting. I wanted it to be rocking the whole way through.

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

« on: March 18, 2024, 07:04:04 pm »

Game 5 - Final Fantasy VI (SNESc) - 31 Hours

Ah yes, the legendary Final Fantasy 6. I've been meaning to replay FF6 since I first beat the game on the PS1 about 10 years ago. Reason being is that I didn't really care for the game that much the first time around, and recently I've been wondering if I wasn't giving it a fair chance. At the time, my biggest issues with the game stemmed from the game's story. This time through, I definitely enjoyed playing a lot more, so here's a review of the things that improved for me this second time around along with the flaws that I still think are present.

First, the story. My biggest issue with it was really those first 10-15 hours, where the story is kind of cheesy and not that interesting. What I found on this playthrough was that I actually really enjoy the character-specific story threads quite a bit, which really become the focus after the World of Ruin. The stories behind many of the characters, including Locke, Celes, Terra, Setzer, Cyan, and Sabin/Edgar, to name a few, were incredibly compelling. And there are some other standout moments like the opera scene that remain excellent to this day. Funnily enough, those stories are tangential to the main plot (aside from Terra), which is why it just didn't jive with me.

On the topic of characters, let's discuss Kefka. To be honest, I don't agree with the general consensus that he's an excellent villain or even all that great. To be fair, at the time, he was definitely a departure visually from classic video game villains. But his personality and motivations as a deranged nihilistic nutjob with absolutely zero backstory are about as cliche as you can get for an RPG villain. He's definitely evil though, I cannot deny that.

My last piece of criticism extends to the game's translation on the SNES, which is quite rushed and filled with errors. It's understandable given how short a timeframe the game had but it's still not a great translation which not only sours the mood of impactful moments but also is misleading in places. If you look at the translation comparisons that are out there it becomes very clear how many things are wrong in the translations. I know these are largely fixed in later versions of the game.

Now, let me end by remarking on how incredible this game is with it's gameplay, spritework, and music, which are masterful, and ultimately make the game worth your time even in the face of more modern, polished competition. I love the use of expressive spritework for the characters which do an incredible job of making the game come to life. The environments and use of mode 7 are also really fun to watch and a total visual treat. The gameplay, while nothing special, is still incredibly fun to experiment with and master, and there's tons of hidden areas and secrets to explore, particuarly when the game opens up in the latter half of the story. The music is so amazingly good, and is one of Nobuo Uematsu's best with the series. That opening with the lighting and organ gets me every single time I watch it, even after all this time. Simply astounding.

So despite some issues with the storytelling and translations, I found FF6 to be a far more enjoyable experience on my second playthrough. It's not my favorite Final Fantasy game of all time, but I do understand why it's so beloved by so many.

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

« on: February 24, 2024, 09:01:46 am »

Game 4: Pokémon Violet (Switch) - 45 hours

Okay, so full disclosure, I haven't played a Pokémon video game on release since Sun. They've just dropped so drastically in quality with the move to the Switch that I never bothered to give them a shot. However, my interest in Pokémon since 2016 has not abated whatsoever. Between Pokémon Go and the trading card game, I've been enjoying Pokémon in honestly a bigger capacity than ever before. I think it's because those aspects really bring out the community power of Pokémon more than the games ever could. It's been such a fantastic experience connecting with other fans of the franchise in new capacities than the video games, and as a result I didn't feel the need to really play the games anymore.

The reason why I ended up playing Pokémon Violet was actually because my wife wanted to play it. She played it for a couple hours when it came out in November of 2022, went through all the initial story beats then gave up and I took up her save file and continued on. And I've been playing it off and on over the past couple of years. That said, my playstyle with it was so fragmented and weird that a lot of the story elements are not really what I'm going to be focusing on.

I did find the story to be mostly... fine? It wasn't anything special. I do like the school-based focus of the story early on, but it's largely split into three smaller storylines and they ranged from pretty enjoyable (Arven) to a total slog (Penny). One of my biggest problems with modern Pokémon is the lack of voiced cutscenes that are presented in-engine with no amount of polish or care put into them. It makes going through the story an absolute chore because they are so lazy and sloppy. There's just no excuse for no voice acting at this point and it would exponentially improve my engagement with the story.

Speaking of lazy, the obvious issues that everyone points to is the game's performance. There are so many issues that persist to this day even with the game's numerous patches. The game has consistent framerate and animation problems, pop-in, low draw distance, clipping issues, crashes, and other blemishes that really take away from the overall experience. Also, no clothing customization options? Why did the game take such a huge step back in that regard? Makes no sense. My third largest gripe with the game pertains to the open world design. I really think it was a mistake not to have level scaling. It meant that my experience playing was a total rubber band. I'd either be getting rocked by high level Pokémon or it was a total cake walk. I was looking for something in between.

But, with all my complaints you might think I'm down on this game. I actually really enjoyed my time playing when I wasn't doing story stuff and was just exploring the open world, catching Pokémon, collecting items and setting up a picnic or two. It's very relaxing in that way. That's why it took me so long to finish the story because all I wanted to do was just explore and take my time. The game has fantastic music and atmosphere in both the wide open expanses and the towns, that can really suck you in. Overall, I like most of the new Pokémon designs. There are some that I don't like but others that I got really attached to. Some of my favorites include Smoliv, Fidough, Bellibolt, Orthworm, and a bunch others. I think one of the strongest aspects of the Sword/Shield era was the Pokémon designs, and this generation is a bit of a step back but still has some really great ones. I really like the concept of future and ancient Pokémon too.

In summary, I find myself in the middle with Violet. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. There's definitely some good bones here that I hope get expanded upon in the future. I don't think it's as bad as people say it is, however.

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Modern Video Games / Re: Pokemon Presents 02/27/24

« on: February 21, 2024, 04:21:33 pm »

It's always puzzling to see discussions (always from adults) about how Pokémon has either noticeably dropped in quality or that the games aren't difficult anymore since it is, and always has been, a children's franchise. No one in these discussions is the target audience. While the franchise's young target audience doesn't excuse its quality, it does help explain it, as many children's games are low quality. As long as the franchise's popularity remains within that age bracket, the games won't improve, because kids often don't have standards needing to be met. Regarding the difficulty of the games, they've always been straightforward to understand, but I imagine a huge number of players being introduced to the series at a young age, whenever that may have been, faced challenges in understanding the mechanics and strategy required. Obviously, since the games have purposely stagnated to catch the attention of children every few years, veteran players won't find newer entries challenging.

The Let's Go entries are objectively remakes with new features to entice veteran players to play co-op with new, younger players as their introduction to the series. Any handicapped and removed features are intentional design choices for this audience.

It should go without saying, but anyone outside of Pokémon's target audience who's looking for a more fulfilling experience with this type of game should seek out other games with the same structure, or even Pokémon fan games.

I don't agree that because Pokémon is marketed as a "children's franchise" that it explains the poor quality.  Most, if not all, Nintendo franchises are made with the same broad design philosophy, so it doesn't check out that Pokémon gets the shaft in terms of quality with every iteration while games like Mario, Zelda, Kirby, Animal Crossing, etc. have some of their best entries on the Switch. The games are rated E for everyone after all, and are enjoyed by both kids and adults. But I, along with many fans, am frustrated that given how much damn money Pokémon makes for Nintendo, their games come out in such a state.

If there's anything to blame here, it's just the time in the oven. Pokémon games take a considerably long time to develop, but they are pushed out almost yearly whereas the time between flagship Mario games or Zelda games can be sometimes 5 years or more. And in Mario's case it's a much simpler game.

Pokémon as a game is situated within a much larger franchise of merchandise, trading cards, the TV show, and other products that are on very strict schedules which push the games out to release date whether they're ready or not. The games bring about the new merchandising opportunities, which is why you will never see a Pokémon game delayed no matter how bad it is. There's too much in the pipeline at stake. While games like Animal Crossing NH and Fire Emblem Three Houses could afford that luxury.

Regarding stagnation and difficulty, I feel like Nintendo has been struggling with those things for all of their franchises since the Wii. I don't really think that's a uniquely Pokémon problem.

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

« on: January 31, 2024, 10:47:49 am »

Game 3 - Celeste (PS4) - 7 Hours

I thought this was a fantastic game. It's polished to a mirror sheen down to the tiniest detail. The controls are astounding and despite it being a very hard game, it never was enough to make me stop playing. There are maybe 5 screens across the whole game that I found were very difficult. The last area in particular goes on a little too long, but otherwise I really enjoyed playing. The smooth gameplay and controls are punctuated by a beautiful soundtrack and a simple yet touching story with some very likeable characters and a great overall message. I'm really glad I got around to playing this.

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

« on: January 27, 2024, 07:58:34 am »

Game 2 - God of War: Ragnarök (PS4) - 41 Hours

I didn't realize when I started this game that I would have needed to have a minor in Norse studies beforehand Jokes aside, I did enjoy my time playing this game, though as you can probably guess, I didn't really enjoy the story. I knew it was going to be a bad time after I watched the GoW4 recap and still had no idea what was going on in the first game. I dunno, it just never really clicked with me. It was very long, very twisty and convoluted with tons of lore and backstory that the game just assumes you know. And even with all that, I found the story to be boring. It's ultimately a story about not trying to follow a preordained prophecy and then following it after all? That's what I got out of it anyway. I also really didn't like the voice acting, particularly for the older Atreus and Odin. Odin in particular was a very boring and cliche villain. Again, something that I know is well praised about this game, but just didn't connect with me personally.

What did connect with me though was the combat, exploration, and visuals. The game is very beautiful just like the first, and scored masterfully. My favorite moments in this game were just exploring the world, riding in my boat, doing quests as they became open to me and enjoying the game's satisfying combat. Were there a lot of glitches? Yeah. Are there arguably TOO many combat mechanics, weapons, and equipment to manage? Sure. Did I die more times than I thought I should have on normal? You bet. Nonetheless, I didn't want to stop playing purely because I was enjoying the gameplay that much. It was especially nice to be able to visit all of the realms this time around.

Looking back at my previous review of GoW4, I was not surprised to read that I basically have the same thoughts about this game as I did the previous game. Great combat, great visuals, great exploration, kind of a bad story. Not a bad experience though at all.