Messages

2251

Gaming / Re: Legend of Zelda - The official Zelda thread

« on: June 20, 2010, 04:23:59 PM »

Take Smallville, for example.  The show's writing is pretty terrible, but when you put a good writer, like say Geoff Johns on it for an episode or two, it's damn good and makes you wonder why all episodes can't be like it.  

...for the sake of my sanity, can we pretend that you are referring specifically to Season 8?

Interesting. Funnily enough, I see stories praised and worshipped, even though when there are silent protagonists.

Oh, I've loved games that have very forgettable characters.  Perfect example of such would be the Armored Core series.  The gameplay comes first, after all.  But when your character is perpetually silent AND off-screen AND gets no character interaction save e-mail, it's exceedingly hard to give a damn.  Dragon Quest VIII runs into a similar problem, I don't buy silent protagonists in a game that is otherwise fully voiced.  It pulls you completely out of the game and just makes the hero look boring.

A silent protagonist doesn't have to be forgettable, though.  I don't consider Link all that forgettable, at least certainly not in Twilight Princess.  One can express character depth non-verbally, but most don't bother to.

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X / Re: why is x the weakest character in the game

« on: June 20, 2010, 04:07:33 PM »

I'll admit I like Zero better than X.  I mean, he near always has a kickass theme music, and in his first appearance, he blows the arm off the intro stage boss.  That said, I happen to like X too (the absence of Model X being a major letdown for me with ZXA), and I especially like seeing X and Zero as a team.  Didn't appreciate X4 taking them each solo.

As far as X6 goes... I just don't like the fact that you have to use parts if you go unarmoured. I would have liked to be able to finish the whole game without touching a part or armour, much like pretty much every other X game. Oh well.

Well, at least you're specific enough that it's actually true (I keep catching people claiming that it's one given part/armor which is necessary, which is not true), and you put it into context with required upgrades not being completely alien to Mega Man games.  That being said, X6 is the only game besides X5 in which you can proceed with no special weapons.  And X5's method of doing so is rather cheap, having you just flick an option in the menu screen to screw over the world.

I like X6's head-scratching stage obstacles because it's never a matter of "only one thing works", which is what Mega Man level design typically amounts to.  X6 runs a bit deeper than that by presenting obstacles that have multiple solutions.  Oddly enough, despite his previous reputation as the "advanced" player, Zero is often the easy way out of such situations.

X1 is my very close second favourite, hindered only by the fact that you have no choice but to get some upgrades (barring passwords, of course)

I don't believe any password will get you past Zero's death and thus prevent you from picking up the buster upgrade.  FYI, MHX allows you to skip the leg upgrade without the need for hacking.  Although I personally have a hard time getting used to any post-3 MegaMan game with no movement faster than your basic walk (my main gripe with Rock in 9/10).

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X / Re: why is x the weakest character in the game

« on: June 20, 2010, 06:42:07 AM »

Wow.  In my list of "secrets of the universe that I will never understand", that post is at the top of it all.

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Gaming / Re: Classic Games for 3DS

« on: June 20, 2010, 06:36:21 AM »

I didn't enjoy fighting the crappified version of Rockman 7's final boss.

Variations of 7's Wily capsule are pretty much standard, though, being featured in 8, B, 9, and even ZXA.  10 was thankfully a far more loose derivative, breaking the established attack patterns and at the same time offering a hats-off to MM3 with the robo double.

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Gaming / Re: Legend of Zelda - The official Zelda thread

« on: June 20, 2010, 06:27:24 AM »

 

Troll House took the words out of my mouth, I couldn't have said it better myself (all except the KOTOR stuff; I don't know a damn thing about that).

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Gaming / Re: Classic Games for 3DS

« on: June 20, 2010, 06:19:49 AM »

Forgive my personal opinion but, much as I love Bass, I'd say 8 > R&F any day of the week.  The power-up selection is infinitely superior, as is the utilization of Rush (seriously, Rush Search must stay dead, no matter the cost).

Plus we could definitely use a second shot at redoing it, considering how pitiful MM8's emulation quality was in AC.  And, if we're mandating a recode by nature of the 3D effect, maybe we can even get the Saturn TenguMan music and extra boss fights in there.

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Gaming / Re: The Mario Kart Thread

« on: June 20, 2010, 06:15:54 AM »

Like I always tend to say, you can NEVER have enough options in a game.

Very true.

Of course, they're not going to want to reprogram physics for every game mode.  The way I see it, though, a Classic Mode that bars kart selection is plenty feasible using a vehicle setup such as MKWii's; simply mandate that all must use their respective Standard kart (this is basically what MKDS does in Battle Mode).

Same with modes, as in YOU CHOOSE YOUR GODDAMN MIRROR MODE OR NOT WHEN RACING OTHER PEOPLE.

Thank you.

Seriously, what the hell were they thinking?  Random engine classes, bizarre, but acceptable; but random MIRROR?!  Oi.

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Gaming / Re: Fire Emblem discussion

« on: June 20, 2010, 05:53:29 AM »

Broadcast Satellite features returning?!

2259

Gaming / Re: The Official Pokemon Heart Gold & Soul Silver Discussion Thread

« on: June 20, 2010, 05:23:19 AM »

That's the spirit.  And don't feel bad, I've suffered some humiliating losses on random Wifi, to freaking Underused weather teams.  The game relies VERY heavily on prediction; once you lose momentum it can be hard to recover.

EDITS: Okay, they *REALLY* need to add a confirmation message to that F*@#ING RUN BUTTON!!!

Anyways, good match.  I learned that one cannot Me First their teammates (there goes any hope of Mewtwo working in a Double...).  And I must say, for bringing a Single battle team out of their element, you did quite well.  Certainly much better prediction-wise than last time (a hiccup at the opener, but otherwise strong).

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Gaming / Re: The Official Pokemon Heart Gold & Soul Silver Discussion Thread

« on: June 20, 2010, 05:16:33 AM »

That is true, being an Ice type sucks defensively, but rocks offensively.  It's a heck of a tradeoff.

I have this amazing ability to screw people over by complete chance.  I know my Pokemon are powerful, but I don't really call this strategy: First 'maru is completely weakness screwed against my opener, then trying to adapt to that, I switch openers and screw him over again, and now Sakura shoots herself in the foot with Trick Room EXACTLY when I switch in Steelix...

So, Sakura, can we do that Double?  I know I'm a pain in the ass to fight, but I have a combo that I want to try with one of my long-lost favorites.

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Gaming / Re: The Official Pokemon Heart Gold & Soul Silver Discussion Thread

« on: June 20, 2010, 04:44:42 AM »

Give me a sec to do a trade with myself and then I'll be online.  I have a different strategy that I've been wanting to try out.

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Gaming / Re: The Official Pokemon Heart Gold & Soul Silver Discussion Thread

« on: June 20, 2010, 04:31:21 AM »

That pun was totally NOT intended...

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Gaming / Re: The Official Pokemon Heart Gold & Soul Silver Discussion Thread

« on: June 20, 2010, 04:26:23 AM »

If you're willing to take some punishment, I'm game.  I'll even let you pick the battle format.

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Gaming / Re: Legend of Zelda - The official Zelda thread

« on: June 20, 2010, 03:58:23 AM »

I noticed that.  The art style seems to be encouraging pillow-shading.  Hopefully they will fine-tune it a bit.  And who knows whether or not it even holds for when you leave the clouds?  We really don't know enough about this game yet.

There's tons of good stories out there.

I'm sure there are.  When I gauge "story", though, I tend to look at how likable the characters in themselves are before I look at what situations they're placed in, though.  I'm the same with visuals; characters before environments (this is why I actually find MHX to look rather ugly; the environments are gorgeous but the character models are hideous).

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Gaming / Re: The Mario Kart Thread

« on: June 20, 2010, 03:56:07 AM »

What you're describing is not customization.

Bad choice of words on my part, but you know what I mean.  It adds an extra layer to player preference.  It just happens to suck if that extra layer conflicts with your love of characters; as we already established, Toad fans got royally screwed in Double Dash (seriously, the Triple Mushroom was better).

As far as any non-gameplay-relevant personalization goes......I want icons back.  I really do.  Miis are fun, but not enough.  Especially if you happen to, you know, like Mario characters.

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Gaming / Re: The Official Pokémon Black & White Discussion Thread

« on: June 20, 2010, 03:47:08 AM »

I wonder if anyone at Gamefreak wants to bitchslap whoever's decision it was to make 5th Gen Pokemon a DS title as opposed to 3DS?  Unless they were afraid of killing 6-year-old eyes, or something, which is reasonable for a Pokemon game I guess.  Still, it's very hard for me to get excited over a DS Pokemon game in the wake of HG/SS that doesn't even let your 'mans follow you outside.

Maybe with Gray.

That's what I'm calling the forthcoming third title.

Hm, if they're willing to do DSi, maybe.  I don't think there will be such a thing as a DS/3DS dual mode cartridge, due to the difference in screen resolution.

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Gaming / Re: The Light Myth: Palutena's Mirror / Kid Icarus Thread

« on: June 19, 2010, 10:28:34 PM »

3D shooter games can push a hardware quite well because they're maintained on a singular straight path instead of following where the player wants to go. So it's easier to load draw distances where you want them to be loaded.

I dunno, for a shooter the camera is pretty dynamic.  I'm talking about whenever Pit is flying over stuff.

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Gaming / Re: The Mario Kart Thread

« on: June 19, 2010, 10:25:52 PM »

Now I remember why Tips & Tricks was my favorite gaming mag...

(well, for that and for their Armored Core section)

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Gaming / Re: Legend of Zelda - The official Zelda thread

« on: June 19, 2010, 10:24:42 PM »

There are, but good luck finding.

...and seeing from some youtube videos, I just know I'm gonna be dissapointed with the story, from the way you are all hyping it. =P

Oh, I'm sure you will.  I can't think of anything I'd suggest that you wouldn't be disappointed in.



Forget SS's visuals, I just want those frikkin' sword waves.

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Gaming / Re: Legend of Zelda - The official Zelda thread

« on: June 19, 2010, 07:33:00 PM »

I don't want to spoil, but I'll just say this: It winds up being one of those "destroying paradise is a good thing" stories.  L1 establishes a few basic ground points, but it's L2 that really dives into Volnutt/Trigger's backstory.

I'm sure there are narratives with the occasional button-pressing that do better.  It is after all still a fairly cartoony style.  But so far as MegaMan games go (I know, that doesn't set the bar high), it's in a league of its own.  It'd be almost as if the Zero-series actually told its story in-game ( ) without having to hand you an "everything you know is wrong" notice every couple of years.

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Gaming / Re: The Mario Kart Thread

« on: June 19, 2010, 07:27:53 PM »

No, they both get triples of either colors.  In Double Dash, there are always two characters with every special.  Sometimes there's an aesthetic difference (Mario/Luigi, Yoshi/Birdo), but they always play the same.

Like I mentioned earlier up above, Double Dash created a system where one could not get 1st place without the help from the last place racers shooting those flying Spiny Shells you mentioned.

The AI in Double Dash is a complete dumbass.  You should frankly not need very much item help to get from 2nd to 1st at all, though I will admit the frequent Blue Shell does help if you got screwed over earlier.  Nevertheless, I really do feel that such complaints are better directed at DS and Wii, which attempted to fix AI while still holding to the same broken item system.

Double Dash's item setup is, IMHO, the testament of gamers needing to be careful what they wish for in regards to rubber-band AI bitching.  Because there are only so many ways you can go with racing AI.  You can make it adapt to the player (MK64), you can make it really freaking hard regardless (F-Zero GX), or you can constantly nuke the leader (Double Dash).  People bitched about 64's AI, and frankly, they shouldn't have.

Even if they were to give Koopa Troopa and Toad better signature moves, some characters would still have supers that were better, thus making the game unbalanced.

What you're describing is inevitable with any degree of customization, though.  And with kart stats having been established for the last three games, I don't think that's going anywhere.  I'd rather see signature items with only minor kart stats as in DD than kart stats that turn the whole game upside-down as in DS and Wii.

a CHOSEN team mode

I just want to say, we need this.  I missed the classic mechanics while playing DD, I admit, but there is something to be said for your own custom character pairings.  I really feel that both modes have enough merit that they should be able to co-exist.

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Gaming / Re: Classic Games for 3DS

« on: June 19, 2010, 07:16:34 PM »

...and... would it be too much to ask for a reedition of old Virtual Boy games in black and white... this time PLAYED AS THEY SHOULD BE?

I sure as hell hope not.  Because I want to get my Mario Clash freak on!

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Gaming / Re: The Light Myth: Palutena's Mirror / Kid Icarus Thread

« on: June 19, 2010, 07:13:28 PM »

One thing I've taken notice of is that the system seems to have excellent draw distance.  I'm seeing very faraway stuff in the trailer with no fogging.  On the other hand, that may just be because this is the first game trailer in many years which I have watched two dozen times over.

Makes sense, I suppose, that if the system's whole shpiel is depth perception, somebody thought to see to it that you actually can see far.

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X / Re: why is x the weakest character in the game

« on: June 19, 2010, 07:04:38 PM »

Well, if you want to call the whole series easy, that makes more sense.  Although I think that's more a matter of how gameplay skills from any one translate well into all the others; probably why the non-fans consider the whole series to be hard.

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Gaming / Re: Legend of Zelda - The official Zelda thread

« on: June 19, 2010, 07:12:45 AM »

Sensei, forgive the speedy bastard, for he knows not what he does...

In more than a few ways, including story and voice acting, the Legends series in general and Legends 2 especially, defy *ALL* expectations of a MegaMan game, and manage to kick all kinds of ass while doing so.  They are in no way comparable to the other series, I assure you.  You'd be wise to play them before commenting further, because beyond having a blue guy with an arm cannon, "MegaMan in general" trends simply do not apply.