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[gekiganwing-blog]

One last update

I’ll be posting on Portablegamefanboy.tumblr.com from here on. Why am I switching to this new address? Two reasons...

1. To rebrand myself. I want to create a more focused blog.  Since I currently like portable video games more than anything else, this seems logical.

2. This Tumblr was created with my Lycos Mail address, which I’ve used on and off since about 1998. I learned recently that Lycos will no longer offer free email starting in May 2018. I figured it would be easier to create a new Tumblr with a more active email account, rather than worry about whether I’ll get notifications after I merge the old Lycos email account.

[gekiganwing-blog]

Some things I like about Xenoblade Chronicles 2

1. The music. Contributors include old favorite Yasunori Mitsuda and several other people.

2. The character designs. Maybe it’s because I already have perverse sexual lust for two of the characters.

3. The sense that the world is collapsing. I usually avoid downbeat games. However, I am okay with XC2 having dead/dying titans, and the characters expressing sorrow about this.

I still have concerns about combat and figuring out how to proceed through the game. In the near future, I’ll think about whether I only enjoy a few things about it. Maybe I’ll wait for XB2 to go on sale, perhaps at a used media store.

[gekiganwing-blog]

About fifteen years of Disgaea

Borrowed the Switch version of Disgaea 5 from a library. I will have thoughts about it soon. Until then, some background details...

Around fifteen years ago, I was hesitant to segue from the original Playstation to the PS2. A lot of reputable developers were creating content for Playstation 2, and it looked like there was more than just “obligatory racing simulation” or “obligatory 3D polygon fighting game.” However, I wanted to keep enjoying my old favorites a little longer. While I had enjoyed Final Fantasy 9, my interest in the franchise was fading, and I didn’t feel too optimistic about FF10. I thought that Okage: Shadow King sounded unusual, but I didn’t know if I would like it. I thought that Shadow Hearts seemed like a change of pace, but it gave an impression of “morose and not fun.”

Disgaea: Hour of Darkness finally sold me on Playstation 2. It promised a world that would stand out, 2D sprites, and a story that could be funny without seeming inane. I got the impression that NISA had put effort into the localization, going as far as adding a song called “The Invasion from Within.” That’s why I bought it during the first week or two.

As much as I wanted to like the first Disgaea, it only held my interest for a few hours. I thought the first few tactical RPG battles were decent. I liked how Laharl talked down to a foe and renamed him “Mid-Boss.” Then I hit the wall in a battle where my characters were defeated. It seemed that I wouldn’t be able to get back to that battle right away. There would be backtracking before then, and possibly some side battles in order to improve items / characters. Right about then, I set the game aside. I tried it maybe one or two more times, then finally sold it around 2016.

I thought about purchasing the Nintendo DS edition of Disgaea, or one of the four main series entries on a Sony handheld. However, I didn’t even rent or borrow them. The only related game that I’ve bought was the PSP visual novel spinoff Disgaea Infinite.

I’m not too enthusiastic about trying Disgaea 5. Though I’ve borrowed it for free, and I’m sure it will work on my Switch. Also, I’m glad to finally experience buzz-worthy games only a short time after they’re released.

[gekiganwing-blog]

Switch game #9: Xenoblade Chronicles 2

I decided to borrow this one rather than Sonic Forces or Mario Kart 8. As of this writing, I’ve played XB2 for about an hour so far. I’m not sure how much I like it just yet. Some details...

* In some of my favorite Final Fantasy games, the characters will interact with humorous creatures who have unusual ways of speaking. In the Nintendo DS version of Dragon Quest 5, a lot of recruitable monsters say quirky things. That said... I am not yet sure whether I like the demi-human characters who Rex interacts with. I was reminded of Watto, the greedy character with wings from The Phantom Menace. That isn’t a positive comparison.

* The user interface shows names of non playable characters, as well as the exact number of steps to the next goal. I don’t know how useful these details are. It’s kind of like pressing the select button in Final Fantasy 7 (PS1 version) in order to see where to go in order to proceed to the next section. Not bad, but I dunno if it’s a good idea.

* I’m still learning the basics of combat. After watching Rex almost die against a random foe, I think that playable characters need to move carefully.

* Pacing might be an issue. The dying world was introduced slowly, but then the concepts of Drivers and Blades were introduced in a hurry. I don’t want XB2 to be too fast or slow.

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Ittle Dew 2+: flaws and thoughts

Now that I’ve played Ittle Dew 2+ for a couple more hours, I still like it, but I have a few complaints.

* To its credit, ID2 treats death as a slight inconvenience. The player goes back just a few screens.

* Also to its credit, the game warns players which sections of the world are challenging.

* Learning to roll and avoid traps isn’t too tough. I admit that I’ve struggled a bit. Sometimes I’ve used the combat roll only to watch Ittle fall into a pit.

* The player can go anywhere and enter dungeons out of order. I think it’s fine -- after all, this was a possibility in Legend of Zelda 1 -- but I don’t know how well this works in ID2. After entering a dungeon, I usually have no problem wandering through the first few rooms, but then I bump into a puzzle that I can’t solve.

During July 2017, Retronauts had an article about how indie games not only showed up on Nintendo Switch in its first few months, but that they got physical releases. Ittle Dew 2+ was one of several games mentioned. As of this writing, it’s been several months. It looks like small press / indies are still getting released on Switch cartridges, but now they have more than a couple of competitors.

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Switch game #8: Ittle Dew 2+, and how to make a good first impression

Yesterday, I borrowed Ittle Dew 2+. Just opening the game box lead to a very positive first impression. There was a drawing inside the clear case. It included a manual that wasn’t just two pages of disclaimers. Instead, it was 32 pages, about the same size as a NES or Gameboy manual. 100% full color, with gameplay information, character profiles, and hints. It begins with the “Nicalis seal of approval,” which is awesome. There was also a world map, printed on paper meant to resist water.

I’m glad to report that Ittle Dew 2+ is rather enjoyable. It starts with maybe two minutes of story, and then it segues into Link to the Past style gameplay. Signs in the game world provide feedback about how to proceed. Enemies have discernable patterns. There’s puzzles left and right, but they don’t seem too opaque. The world is comical, and it presents things such as a literal pillow fort.

Another positive thought: I like the art style. They don’t remind me of any specific comic or other published work. However, if I saw the illustrator’s drawings, I would consider buying them. The drawings convey a little more personality than Blossom Tales.

I will play this game at least a couple more times. Unless I have second thoughts, I’ll consider buying the EShop edition while it’s on sale.

[gekiganwing-blog]

Switch game #7: Max The Curse of Brotherhood (demo)

I’m glad that I downloaded the demo of Max: The Curse of Brotherhood. It has two things which I’ve enjoyed: cartoonish art and excuse plots. However, the gameplay isn’t especially enjoyable. It asks players to figure out how to traverse through a stage in a hurry. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to have many checkpoints.

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Switch game #6: Puyo Puyo Tetris

One word: excellent.

I had been hoping to try this game for a while. I borrowed a few other Switch titles instead, all of which were worth trying. That said, Puyo Puyo Tetris was worth waiting for.

A few slight complaints regarding PPT...

* It didn’t need a story mode.

* The characters tend to repeat statements. Hearing “spin attack!” too often is somewhat frustrating.

* Is it worth $30 US? I will think about this. I’m inclined to buy a digital copy, rather than a cartridge. But until there’s a sale, a cart might be cheaper...

[gekiganwing-blog]

Three visual novels I’ve thought about buying

1. 2064: Read Only Memories. I’ve seen this one on Playstation Store (for Vita), and thought about whether it’s worth $40 US. It’s on iTunes and Google Play, and it’ll be released on Nintendo EShop tomorrow. I kinda like speculative fiction, and I think the pixel art is interesting. Right now, I’m waiting to see if it will go on sale.

2. VA-11 HALL-A. Another one that’s currently available for PS Vita. I don’t love dystopian future settings, but this story doesn’t seem to promise endless horror or misery. I’m keeping this one in the “consider” category, and waiting for a sale. For what it’s worth, there was an April Fools 2018 spinoff called VA-11 HALL-A Kids.

3. Chaos;Child. A commercial original Japanese language visual novel that isn’t (currently) available for computers. When I read its VNDB description today, my first thought is “um... so, stuff happens?” I didn’t read the first title (Chaos;Head, fan translated only), and I didn’t watch its animated adaptation.

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Minecraft Story Mode: No Saving. One Slot Only. Final Destination.

One thing which I didn’t mention about Minecraft Story Mode... it doesn’t seem to have save / load game commands. I had no trouble pausing, or finding the options menu. However, I didn’t see any save slots. That was a surprise. Since the early 1990s, I’m used to having at least one place to save game data (on a cartridge, memory card, or hard disk).

After putting my Switch into sleep mode, it was easy to resume where I’d left off. It seems the logical conclusion is that the lack of save slots is a deliberate design choice. In other words, the reader can’t reconsider decisions, and has to proceed with the story. I don’t remember the last time I saw this gameplay concept. There was a time when I heard a friend talking about a Civilization game on PC which lacked save / load commands... but this is secondhand information at best.

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Switch game #5: Oceanhorn (demo)

One of the demos I downloaded was Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas. I played the entire demo today, and overall, I like it. Some specific thoughts...

* The graphics reminded me of a Zelda-esque game which I haven’t tried much -- the original Alundra. In the near future, I’ll remind myself to play it for the first time in years, as well as the Neutopia games.

* The playable character can’t jump up, and he can only swim for a few seconds. However, he moves like Link in LttP, and his attack range is decent.

* The first few minutes are a rather blatant interactive tutorial. It’s kind of ridiculous how many signs only make sense in a video game world. That said, this fictional universe is colorful, cartoonish, and not too serious. Therefore it’s fine.

* One of the first people credited is Nobuo Uematsu. That’s a name I've not heard in a long, long time. (Apologies to Obi-Wan Kenobi.) I heard and enjoyed a lot of Uematsu’s music from 1989 through 2000. After that point, I just didn’t care about FF10, and the composer parted ways with Square.

* A person whose name I should have recognized: Kenji Ito. Maybe not as famous, but he created some of the Final Fantasy Legend 2 music (awesome) and Final Fantasy Adventure music (excellent). Much like Uematsu, he still composes music, and it’s not just for video games.

My overall thought on Oceanhorn: very good. Maybe not “run out and buy immediately,” but it’s rather enjoyable.

[gekiganwing-blog]

Switch game #4: Minecraft Story Mode

I could have borrowed Puyo Puyo Tetris, but chose this one instead. I will get around to PPT soon, really.

As I’ve probably said before, I have minimal experience with Telltale Games’ output. There was that time when I was optimistic about adapting Jeff Smith’s Bone into a graphic adventure game series, but it stalled after part two (of presumably nine). There was that time when I bought Sam and Max Season One for original NIntendo Wii (positive comments on the Retroforce Go podcast helped a lot), but I lost interest and didn’t get far. And there was that time when I purchased Walking Dead Season One on a Vita cartridge... but since the story only seemed to promise gloom and doom, it’s still unused on my shelf.

So yeah, I started Minecraft Story Mode two days ago. It’s much more of a visual novel than a graphic adventure game. There are very few puzzles and only a couple of inventory items. It reminds me of Sakura Wars 5 due to several reasons...

* Timed choices. Sometimes I like these -- but only when the characters have to hurry. If there’s no clear reason to respond quickly, then a timed choice seems out of place.

* Walking around and interacting. When the protagonist talks with people, they sometimes get useful information to help them proceed. Sometimes they get not-strictly-necessary details, or side-story-esque details that make the fictional world more interesting.

* Quick time events. When I played Sakura Wars 5 around 2010-2011, I didn’t especially like the moments where the player had to press buttons quickly, or in a specific sequence. This is also a frustrating element in Minecraft Story Mode. Out of nowhere, the player has to tap a button rapidly, or figure out how to dodge enemy attacks.

Some positive thoughts about MSM...

* Even though I don’t know much about Minecraft, I have found it easy to figure out what’s going on.

* The blocky art style is appealing. Maybe because it’s encouraging me to use my imagination.

* It’s amusing, rather than endlessly violent or horrifying.

A few irritating parts of MSM...

* It took me a few minutes to exit the first room. Then during the next walking sequence, I needed a few more minutes to figure out how to interact with characters or inspect objects. There’s a hint of pixel-hunting.

* Some useful information is audio only. The game assumes that you have the volume up, and that you aren’t listening to something else.

* I have had trouble remembering any character’s name.

[gekiganwing-blog]

Getting better at Mario Odyssey

I’ve given Mario Odyssey a couple more tries. It’s becoming more intuitive. I’m having less trouble with the camera. As of this writing, I need to find at least one moon piece hidden somewhere in the desert. There’s something which I’m missing...

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Dragon Quest 11 and getting used to disappointment

Official localization this fall for computers and PS4 versions only. No release window for a Switch version. I kinda expected that the 3DS version wouldn’t get localized. But it’s disappointing because...

1. I can’t justify buying a Playstation 4. As of this writing, I have several home consoles in excellent shape with quite a bit of good software. Some of them cost up to $300 US each. However, they’re gathering dust because I don’t currently get much enjoyment from playing video games on a television on my own.

2a. I’ve had many frustrating experiences with computers. There have been so many times when something has gone wrong (stops connecting to my network, crashes without warning, half of the laptop keyboard no longer works...).

2b. I’ve never owned a PC which could play current games. Every now and then, I’ve looked for guides on how to build a computer, and they are intimidating. For every “it’s easy,” I see hundreds of disclaimers and warning messages. It sounds like the slightest error can permanently damage any computer component.

3. The message that I heard about Nintendo Switch for several months in 2017 was “Too risky to publish any games. All you can do as a fan is to emo your way back to the mall.” (That phrase was coined by the Yeah It’s That Bad podcast.) There’s a variety of Switch software now, not just cash-in ports, but I still get that “no games not guaranteed to sell millions” message from time to time.

[gekiganwing-blog]

It’s been a while since I last saw a demo disc

During the PS1 and PS2 eras, I first experienced a number of games through CD-ROM or DVD-ROM demo discs. It was a time when companies could sell a less popular game by including a demo disc for a highly anticipated title. Likewise, they could generate hype for relatively obscure games by bundling their demo with a game expected to sell huge numbers.

I was somewhat active during the 360 / PS3 / Wii era. Yes, I downloaded demos on all three systems. However, my interest was leaning toward portables.

One thing that the 3DS did well was make demos accessible on a handheld system. I don’t recall that they existed when I first bought the system around 2012. However, I started to appreciate 3DS game demos after a year or two.

As of this writing, there’s a lot of Switch software, but only thirty-odd demos. I downloaded three of them today. In the near future, I might have something to say about them.

[gekiganwing-blog]

Blossom Tales, and fears regarding video game enthusiasts

I admit that I can be pretty cynical about video games fandom. However, I had a worrying thought about Blossom Tales this morning. How often were the developers and creators threatened? How much hate do they get from fans? How often do people diss them because their game isn’t violent enough, or horrifying enough, or stereotypically masculine enough?

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Switch game #3: Super Mario Odyssey

Today, I returned 88 Heroes, thinking that it was fine -- though not worth purchasing. I almost borrowed Puyo Puyo Tetris. However, I chose Mario Odyssey instead.

I managed to get through the whole prologue without fighting with the camera. I’ve talked before about trying to move a character through a 3D polygon world, but ending up running in circles, or having the point of view unexpectedly change. After changing to split Joy-Con mode, this became a problem. I’ll try the game again, and see if I can overcome it.