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thearkhound · 5 years

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Shigeru Miyamoto interview from Micom BASIC (February 1989)

The following is translation of a review of Super Mario Bros. 3 written by Akira Yamashita for the February 1989 issue of Micom BASIC Magazine as the 7th entry in his “Serious Play, Sincere Review” (ホンキでPlay, ホンネでReview) series of articles. It contains commentary by none other than Shigeru Miyamoto himself on the development of the game and its design choices. The review was written a few months after the release of Mario 3 and provide a few insights of not only of how game was received in Japan, but also how it compares to other games available in the market at the time thanks to Mr. Yamashita’s tremendous insights.

There’s also a list of recommended 2-players games for the Famicom that I decided to leave out, but I might translate it too and edited into the article at a later date if there’s demand for it.

Profile of Shigeru Miyamoto

Name: Shigeru Miyamoto

D.O.B: November 16, 1952 (Sonobe, Kyoto)

Employed by Nintendo Co., Ltd after graduating from the Kanazawa University of Arts on April 1977. He became involved in game development in 1979, working as a character designer in titles such as Space Fever and Space Firebird. Currently works as manager of Nintendo’s R&D department 2.

Work History

Arcade: Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., Mario Bros.

Famicom (as director & game designer): Hogan’s Alley, Excitebike, Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Wild Gunman, Duck Hunt, Devil World, Spartan X [aka Kung-Fu]

Famicom (as producer): The Adventure of Link, Doki Doki Panic, Super Mario Bros. 3, Shin Onigashima, Famicom Grand Prix: F1 Race, Volley Ball, 3D Hot Rally

The Culmination of The Athletic Game Genre

Athletic Game - This is the term that Mr. Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo uses to collectively refer to Super Mario-like games. Specifically it refers to games where slightly large characters move around the screen and jumps serve as the basic action.

Indeed. Mr. Miyamoto’s career has been in a cycle. Ever since Donkey Kong, the first time he ever worked as a game designer, it appears he has an inseparable bond with the athletic game genre.

First of all, any game in which almost all the characters are pushed out to the front (including “athletic games”) can be divided in the following sub-categories depending on the objective the player needs to fulfill in order clear a single stage.

A so-called “chase game” where the purpose is to avoid obstacles and enemies while doing a certain task (such as eating all the dots or reaching the exit). Examples include Pac-Man, Mappy and Chuck’n Pop.

A game where the objective is to defeat a set amount of enemies such as Dig Dug or Bubble Bobble.

Donkey Kong, Mr. Miyamoto’s maiden title, clearly belonged to the first category (although it might be a bit misleading to call it a “chase game”, since the enemies and obstacles only move at a regular pace). I remember it felt pretty fresh at the time to play a game made basically about “jumping”.

The objective of the game was changed for the original Mario Bros., which now felt into the second category. In addition to the Jump from Donkey Kong, Mario Bros. introduced “headbutting” as a new method for defeating enemies - This was very groundbreaking. Usually in a second category game, it was expected for the player to shoot bullets or some kind of equivalent. Substituting that with such an unusual method as “headbutting” was the nature, and significance, of the original Mario Bros. When it comes to games that feature unique methods of defeating enemies, it is surprising rare for titles released prior to Mario Bros. The games that suddenly comes to mind are titles such as Heiankyō Alien, where you dig and fill-in holes, and Libble Rabble, which employs a unique method called “bashishi”. [Translator’s note: The “bashishi” refers to the ability to destroy enemies by using a strand tied to two arrows to enclose them.]

And with Super Mario Bros. released for the Famicom [NES], the ingenuity was further expanded. “Stomping” on enemies has been added as a gameplay element in addition to jumping and headbutting, as well as the option for “Fire Mario” in order to satisfy the desires of players who wanted to shoot bullets. When you consider the type, it’s basically a Category 1 game, but it brings up the image of a Category 2 game to the player, creating a brilliant fusion of both types.

“It’s a type of game that is easily approachable for younger inexperienced players, but can also be played by experienced hardcores without getting tired of it. It’s a fun game, even when you’re just watching other people play from the sidelines. That’s the sort of game that I wanted to create.”

Miyamoto explained why he stepped into the so-called “athletic game” genre (which is a label that I don’t mind using). Super Mario Bros. 3, a game which satisfies such conditions, can be said to be the culmination of the genre.

Some of the Virtues of Super Mario 3

Super Mario Bros. 3 was a huge hit that by the end of 1988 there was even a shortage of supply. I think the following aspects should be noted.

Caption: A card-flipping minigame similar to concentration. There are many hidden items such as 1UPs, Starmen, coins. Since there are only eight patterns to the distribution of the cards, it’s not impossible to memorize them and get a perfect.

Caption:

At a first glance it seems like a picture-matching game. You can stop the wheel (?) with the push of a button. If you can memorize the pattern, you can combine the picture into a starman and earn a shocking amount of five extra lives. It’s a perfect aid.

The Spirit of Aiding - Because 1UP mushrooms are plentiful compared to the previous two Mario games, and it’s also easy to get extra lives through minigames such as the picture roulette and concentration, it’s almost hard to get to the Game Over screen. Moreover, I’m glade there are aids that have been employed, such as the technique of picking up consecutive starmen, that take into consideration how well you can play the game comfortably.

The Presentation - Despite being an action game, considerable effort has been put into the game’s presentation in otherwise mundane places. For example, the kings that appear at the end of each world has been transformed into a different animal, in World 4 there levels where you can switch between normal-sized version and a version where all the enemies and environments are larger than usual, and in World 5 there’s a tower that you can climb which takes you to the heavens, where you will find the castle at the end. There’s no limit to the examples I can give. This is a significant improvement over the first two Super Mario games thanks to the increasement of the game’s ROM size. If there is one aspect I think could’ve been improved, was the presentation of the ending could’ve been better.

Scrolling Ideas - It’s rare for a single game to employ various methods of scrolling. There’s free-scrolling with your character, forced-scrolling to the right (and ocassionally diagonally), hi-speed scrolling, ect. The highlights are the flying airships that you enter at the end of each World. Like in Stage 3 of the arcade game R-Type (which also involved moving around a giant airship), you must carefully navigate your character while the stage scrolls through various directions in order to avoid being crush by a wall. While these ideas have been employed by other games in the past, they still deserve merit for the way they’re employed here.

The Music - I believe the soundtrack to Super Mario Bros. 3 will go down as one of the best in Famicom music’s history. In addition to the sense and atmosphere that makes you feel the uniqueness of each world, what is truly amazing is that they managed to devise a program that makes sound sampling on the Famicom possible. That’s real. Those are the sounds of a real kettledrum and a bassdrum that were recorded through sampling. Following the release of the game, rumors spread that the Super Mario Bros. 3 cartridge employed an integrated chip specifically for the sampled sounds, but Mr. Miyamoto clearly denied such a thing.

Caption: The king who appears in the castle at the end of Worlds 1 through 7 are each transformed into a different animal. You might find yourself laughing at the unexpected transformations. By the way, do you know what happens if you clear a World as Frog Mario?

The Peculiar Details and the Difficulty Setting

Caption: The airship from World 8 is said to be one of the most difficult levels in Super Mario 3. Because of its uneven footholds, along with its high-speed scrolling, the results are quite bad. Perhaps you might even need the P-Wings if you can’t clear it normally.

Caption: Among the enemies with individual patterns in the game, Boo has the most unique concept out of all of them. She only approaches gradually while Mario has his back turned on her. Each of these character establishes have good sense in them.

As mentioned above, Super Mario Bros. 3 has several aspects that are a rank higher than other games. However, when you take into account the game as a whole, it could be said that the secret to its popularity lies in how the details were set. The experts at Nintendo have crafted detailed maps, along with enemy characters that exists mainly to raise the quality of the game, that help motivate players.

Of course, you can’t ignore the perfectly exquisite difficulty setting. When I was playing for the first time, there were many stages where I thought “gah, I hope I don’t have to repeat this again!” Yet, strangely enough, most of the levels can actually be cleared without much of an effort. Although, you could say it depends on how you memorize the level designs, it is at that moment that you truly believe that you’re skilled. It is evident that you gain experience from playing Super Mario Bros. 3 and level-up at a very fast-rate.

Once you’ve become truly skilled, that’s when you start pursuing artistry in your play style. On a certain rough spot, could it be possible to clear it elegantly on the quickest time possible? With that in mind, perhaps the best strategy for certain stages is to aim for a non-stop completion. In fact, if you jump while doing the B-dash, it is possible to stomp on a Goomba and such with dead-on timing.

Caption: For example, when you’re on top of the T-shaped pies in World 1-2 if you’re run off with the B-dash and do a large jump with a clack, you can step on a Para-Goomba like this. If you’re confident in your skills, you might want to try challenging your friends over who has the faster completion time in certain stages (although, it might be foolish to try this on a forced-scrolling level). You may also want to record your own nonstop gameplays on video to make your own “Super Mario Bros.3 Perfect Strategy Video”.

Mr. Miyamoto comments on the excess that led to such a strange setting being accepted by players

“I believe the reason why our players have support our games to such an extent is because we do our work with the utmost sincerity. ‘Don’t make the consumers feel like they’re lost - That’s our policy. Also we never try to deviate from our original intent, our original concept, even if a similar game is released before finish ours. If you do that, then it will be inevitable are that your game’s settings and balance will be ruined.”

It was through this interview that I’ve come to the realization that Mr. Miyamoto is truly one of Japan’s leading video game designers with his firm grasp on video game development.

The Greatest Theme: 2-Player Simultaneous Play

Caption: In 2-players mode, if Mario and Luigi enter the same area, the original Mario Bros. will somehow begin play (this is no hoax). You can understand the importance that Mr. Miyamoto is placed on 2-players gameplay.

“The biggest theme of Super Mario Bros. 3 was making a game that was fun for 2 people to play”

I was a bit surprised by Mr. Miyamoto’s statement. I was aware that Super Mario Bros. 3 has a mode where two players take turns between Mario and Luigi. For example, if Mario completes World 1-1, then it’s Luigi’s turn to play World 1-2, which feels a bit odd at first. I’ve never paid much attention to this mode until Mr. Miyamoto mentioned it. What was his purpose for adding such a mode? The following is his answer.

“In Super Mario Bros. 3, I wanted to give players a ‘field where two people can play together’. For example, you can have a skilled play help out his unskilled sister proceed through the game through cooperation, or have a pair of friends compete to see who gets the highest score. Therefore, when playing in 2-players mode, I would be glad if they approach it like a board game and use the whistles to instantly access any of the 8 worlds they like.”

This could indeed be said to be a challenge to create a new 2-players game for Miyamoto, who made one of the biggest 2-players game ever, the original Mario Bros. However, Miyamoto himself was not satisfied with the 2-players play of Super Mario Bros. 3.

Perhaps there are readers who are thinking “Why don’t they just put Mario and Luigi on-screen in Super Mario Bros. at the same time? That’s such a brilliant idea! Maybe I should become a game designer”, but such an idea is short-sighted. Just having Mario and Luigi on-screen at the same time wouldn’t be viable. To be precise, it’s not impossible, but the quality of the game would suffer.

Figure 1: A situation in 2-players co-op

Let met get into the specifics. Let’s supposed there’s a version of Super Mario Bros. where two players can play simultaneously. Now, consider the situation shown in Figure 1. Mario will naturally try to avoid the Venus Fire Trap by moving towards the right (the direction of the scrolling), but he can’t because Luigi is on the other end of the screen. As a result, a tragedy will occur and Mario will be struck by fire. There’s also the problem that Mario cannot see the enemies that will appear ahead of him since he’s too close to the edge of the screen. In terms of the situation described above, it’s almost impossible to play Super Mario Bros. with two players at the same time, unless forced-scrolling is employed.

Caption: This is Alien Syndrome, an arcade game by Sega. The gruesomeness of the monsters was nice, but during 2-players mode, I was also concerned on where to scroll as well.

With that said, there has been plenty of free-scrolling multiplayer games in the past ,especially arcade games. Titles such as Alien Syndrome, Ikari Warriors and its sequels, Rock ‘n Rage, Dark Adventure, Quartet, and many more. Anyone who has played this game with partner has likely experienced the frustration of screaming while seeing their character died on-screen because the screen wasn’t scrolling like it should. It can be asserted that these types of multiplayer games are absolutely unreasonable systematically. Multiplayer games are only possible either, with a fixed screen or with auto-scrolling - that’s my theory.

Caption: Although it was an early Famicom games, Devil World must be seen for its scrolling ideas. When I was told this was a Shigeru Miyamoto game, I was pretty convinced.

On a side-note, one 2-players game that impressed me with its scrolling was Devil World, a previous game by none other than Mr. Miyamoto himself. This was a game where the direction of the auto-scrolling changes as indicated by the devil at the top of the screen. Although one of the game’s flaws is that the logic behind the scrolling couldn’t be understood during a 2-players game, the concept of an auto-scrolling game that changes direction is still impressive even in this age.

What’s Next For Nintendo’s Top Designer?

Usually this would be part where I would mention the aspects of the game in which I was unsatisfied with and come up with suggestions on how to improve them, but unfortunately (or not).

If I may mention a few things, perhaps the game might be too difficult to players who have never played the previous Mario games or the game might take too many hours to complete if you intend on completing it without using warp zones. With that said, it’s a pretty good game when you consider that those are the only flaws I could think of.

Is Mr. Miyamoto, who served as producer of this super game, going to continue making games like this? This is a question that is of the interest of many videogame fans. At the end of this interview, while the answer was a bit abstract, I was still able to get it from him .

“I have been in charge of game direction until now. Of course, I will continue doing so in the future, but when the time is right, I would also like to work on planning out a gameplay system too.”

System planning - While Mr. Miyamoto said this quite bluntly, he seems to have considerable preparedness for it. The fact that most recent games don’t have their gameplay systems designed for them, but rather they simply rearrange existing systems, is a situation that Mr. Miyamoto himself is coming to grasp, even though most players can’t imagined it from their standpoint.

What kind of gameplay system is Mr. Miyamoto thinking of? I’ve asked him for the specifics.

“There are many talented creators involved in other industries such as novel authors and filmmakers. Now if only someone would create a system, or perhaps a field, in which such people could get involved in game development with ease... My dream is to create a point of contact for creators active in fields other than video game development.”

In our current situation, it’s pretty difficult to create an interesting game if you don’t already know anything about videogames to some extent. But perhaps, with some kind of tool or aid, we will see infinite possibilities in the game industry that we’ve ever seen before.

Mr. Miyamoto brought up an RPG that is being developed by Nintendo with the cooperation of writer Mr. Shigesato Itoi, best known for his coverage of Namco’s Family Stadium baseball video game “Please look forward to it” remarks Mr. Miyamoto. [TL’s note: Of course, that RPG would be none other than the original MOTHER, which Mr. Yamashita himself would review in a later issue.]

1989 will be an intense year, not just for the Super Famicom, but Nintendo’s software development department in general. [TL’s note: At the time, the Super Famicom was expected to be released in 1989 in Japan, but it was ultimately delayed to 1990.]

Miyamoto’s History of Athletic Games

Donkey Kong (June 1981, Arcade) - The originator of the athletic game genre, as well as the first game Miyamoto was involved as a game designer. Despite the fixed screen format and simple controls that consists of a joystick for moving and a jump button, the game was rich in its variety that it showed. Perhaps it might had been the first game to ever have a jump button, but I can’t say for sure.

Donkey Kong Jr. (July 1982, Arcade) - The sequel to Donkey Kong featured a bold setting in which the roles of the protagonist and antagonist from the previous game were switched. While the gameplay system remained largely unchanged, the switch to a larger protagonist brought on many new ideas. This has been the only game to ever feature Mario as antagonist.

Mario Bros. (April 1983, Arcade) - A game that brought-in 2-players co-op to the gameplay cultivated by Donkey Kong. Both players can proceed throughout the stages in various ways, whether it is by cooperating with each other or by pulling each others’ legs trying to kill each other. It is considered to be one of the greatest 2-players simultaneous game in history.

Super Mario Bros. (September 1985, Famicom) - The game that served as the turning point for the athletic game genre, expanding from a fixed screen to side-scrolling. It would go on to become the biggest hit game for the Famicom, becoming a huge influence to the industry along with Dragon Quest.

Super Mario Bros. 2 [Japanese version] (June 1986, Famicom Disk) - A sequel known for its hellish difficulty, it was aimed specifically at players who mastered the first game. The game is filled with many situations in which the levels can only be cleared using advanced techniques. With that said, the gameplay system was almost unchanged from the original. There were many people who bought the Disk System add-on just for this game.

Yume Kojō: Doki Doki Panic (July 1987, Famicom Disk) - A game produced in cooperation with the Fuji TV’s event Yume Kōjō. While the game wasn’t much of a success, many of its ideas would go on to inspire Super Mario Bros. 3. In fact, a graphically modified version was released for the NES in North America as its version of Super Mario Bros. 2.

Super Mario Bros. 3 (October 1988, Famicom) - The third installment of the Super Mario series was developed with the idea of rearranging the original with a much larger ROM size. In addition to the high degree of completeness, we cannot overlook the amount of new ideas that were enthusiastically inserted into the game. The hard work that has put into the game can be felt by its presentation.

Super Mario Bros. 4 (working title) - Scheduled to be released this October as one of the launch titles for the Super Famicom. [TL’s note: The Super Famicom wouldn’t be released in Japan until 1990] Our curiousity over the kind of Super Mario game that this new machine will be capable of is endless. One can only expect as much from Mr. Miyamoto’s skills as a producer.

#Super Mario Bros. 3 #Nintendo #Shigeru Miyamoto #Famicom #NES #Micom_BASIC #akira yamashita

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saintarchie · 5 years

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Remember A Day

Me: The year is almost over, this is a good time to start playing that game. My Life: Here’s 58,000 fucking other things that need doing before Christmas. Me: Oh.

Anyway, now that’s done, let’s check out Ringabel’s future diary gimmick.

There’s actually a lot to take in: In addition to the journal itself, it seems all of the relevant information about the game’s characters and mechanics are kept in here. Probably wouldn’t hurt to familiarise myself.

[several minutes of reading later]

OK, let’s move on to the journal itself. It seems to be written from Ringabel’s perspective, but he doesn’t remember any of it and the events described mostly haven’t happened yet. Assuming they prove to be accurate, the most likely explanation would seem to be that he was either given the book by a future version of himself, or that he is the future version, but doesn’t realise it thanks to his amnesia.

As for what the book actually says, here’s a quick summary:

9/20: Ringabel admires a picture of Edea and longs for the chance to meet her. He also watches a new ship, named the Eschalot, being towed into wherever he was at the time.

9/26: Ringabel crosses the Norende Plateau, en route for the capital, uneasy due to the lack of a weapon. Upon arriving, he is unable to stay at the inn and so lets himself into the empty house next door.

9/27: While exploring Caldisla, Ringabel is “volunteered” to join a local boar hunt with Owen. It goes well enough that Owen offers to set him up with better accommodation when they return.

9/28: Following the hunt, Ringabel becomes more ingratiated with Owen, but still keeps a certain amount of distance, allowing the people at the inn to go on believing their incorrect assumptions about why he came to them.

10/03: The new routine Ringabel had settled into is upset when a bright flash and violent ground tremors occur, apparently heralding some great cataclysm back in the direction of the Norende Plateau. Ringabel can’t figure out what’s happening, but of course the audience already knows that it’s Madoka’s birthday the Elric brothers burning their house down Norende falling into a chasm.

10/04: Signs of the destruction of Norende wash downstream, and Ringabel helps the locals investigate. Turns out, it was he who found Tiz and brought him back to the inn.

10/07: While Tiz convalesces, a badly damaged ship arrives in the port. The seas are rotting and un-navigable, stranding this ship’s crew and passengers. Among the latter group is Agnès, who has a lot of questions about the events of four days earlier. Ringabel tells her about Norende.

Of course, these are all things that have now happened. The next set of entries, however, are still to come:

10/25: The Sky Knights are defeated by the Vestal et al, who comandeer their airship, apparently taking Edea captive in the process.

11/13: The writer travels to Ancheim in search of the Vestal. This is interesting because it suggests that, assuming Ringabel is still the narrator of these events, that he did not take part in the capture of the airship. Since the current Ringabel has joined the party that’s about to head off and do that, it implies that either something will happen to separate him from the group, or that he is trying to subvert the pre-ordained narrative from the journal. In any event, he is unable to find Agnès in Ancheim and is pointed towards the Yulyana Woods.

11/23: At the palace in Ancheim, Agnès appears to be fomenting a rebellion against the king for reasons that aren’t entirely clear, although they have something to do with an evil sigil she’s carrying. The narrator is unable to get close to her because of the crowd.

12/08: The narrator expresses relief that “they” haven’t come to wherever he is, as their presence would complicate matters in some way. In their absence, he begs for “her” help but the book doesn’t say what for. Later, aboard his ship, he notes that Florem is a place where women live in chaste humility, peacefully co-existing with nature and rejecting conflict. He notes that “those two” would react badly to this description.

1/31: Nyx’s avatar awakens at the summit of Tartarus, bringing about the end of the world. Wait, wrong game. The narrator receives his first contact from “them” in three weeks, a brief message simply noting that the Vestal has entered the Sacred Flower Festival. He doesn’t seem to know what this means.

3/07: The narrator returns to a fortress for the first time in four years, wondering what “they” intend to do with such a large sword. He restrains the urge to attack his guide. Despite complaining about the properties of mythril and orichalcum being common knowledge that everyone already learned at school, he still makes a note of them in the journal. The fort’s interior appears unchanged, and there’s a map of it that I assume will be useful later on. At the top of the fort, he dismisses the guide, just as somebody with a giant hand greets him.

3/17: The narrator is annoyed about having to defend some brat from being tortured. This came about as the result of a stand-off between him and an odd couple made up of a fat guy and a weakling. After “old man battleaxe” intervened, the kid ended up in the narrator’s care. The child is an eight-year-old orphan who ran away from a forced labour detail and so ended up “here”. Where that is isn’t specified, beyond the kid and the narrator having to share a room there.

3/19: The narrator reluctantly allows the child to accompany him on a journey... somewhere. Wherever it is, there’s a secret tunnel into some magma caverns. During a break they are caught by Edea, who demands that he let the boy go. Despite his exhaustion, the narrator has the boy hide and prepares to fight not just Edea, but Tiz and Agnès as well. So if it is Ringabel writing all of this, it appears that he ends up at odds with the rest of the party. In the midst of their battle it seems that the ground becomes unstable, leading to him having to pull Edea to safety. While she’s grateful for the help, neither she nor the other two are prepared to let this thing with the kid go. It’s all rendered moot however, by the narrator falling into the magma himself.

4/24: The narrator doesn’t initially know that that’s what the date is, but it’s written in the in-game menu, so I assume he added it afterwards. Anyway, he has improbably survived his magma bath and is being “fixed” by someone who doesn’t seem all that concerned about his well-being for reasons that seem to stem from an incident that’s not in the book. Oh maybe not, actually, the fixer is described as a pig, so it might be the fat guy from earlier. More painful reconstruction follows, after which, someone else tries to question the narrator about a letter he’s received. “Bring the orphan to the inn of origin.” The questioner assumes that this is a code of some sort, but I’m assuming that it is literally what the writer wants him to do with the boy. Of course, it’s been over a month since he actually had the boy, so the letter writer is working from outdated intelligence. Anyway, the questioner tries to get something out of some other letters they’ve intercepted, but the narrator’s not up to it, catching only a few key words like “earth crystal” “grandship” and “engine room”. After some more time passes, he’s released into civilian care, and within a week is fully healed.

6/16: The narrator reflects on the fact that “his” predictions are coming true. The first is a pillar of light that can be seen over the sea to the south, while the second has yet to happen, but stopping it depends on the narrator’s ability to stop Agnès et al from doing... something. He reflects upon how that trio came to be, and his feelings towards Edea, before signing off his final entry.

So yeah, a lot going on, or at least will be going to have been going on at some point in the past/future. Time travel is complicated. I’m assuming it’s time travel, anyway. Will be interesting to see how much, if at all, we end up deviating from the version in the book. The deal, as far as I can tell, is that the party is/was/will be convinced to do something, possibly under false pretences, while Ringabel is convinced to stop them. As for who’s right and who did all that convincing, I guess I’ll find out as I play through it. Airy’s absence from the diary narrative is interesting, though. Presumably that version of Ringabel didn’t see her much.

Now I look, there’s a bunch of notes that he’s written about people/things that are probably worth commenting on. Think I’ll leave that for tomorrow though.

#archie plays bravely default

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weekendshowcase · 6 years

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Third Game’s the Charm

by Antonio Garland

Like before, this game was nonexistent to me until I was in my teens and played it at a friend’s house. This, too, was played on Super Mario All-Stars on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. I found it similar to the original game, though with a few additions. At the time, I also found it extremely difficult. However, I did have fun with it. I have bought and beaten it several times since, though this is still one of the more difficult games in the series. It’s Super Mario Bros. 3, originally released on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1988 in Japan and 1990 in America.

(image source: Moby Games) The plot is one that should be familiar. Bowser kidnaps Peach again and it’s Mario’s job to rescue her. This time, however, Bowser brought backup in the form of his seven children, the Koopalings. Bowser has also taken over the seven sections of the Mushroom Kingdom, stealing magic wands from the seven Kings and turning them into animals. In addition to rescuing Peach, Mario must also get back the wands and turn the Kings back to normal. The gameplay should be recognizable by now. Hold right until you reach the end of the level, while jumping over obstacles and defeating enemies. Koopas and Goombas are back as the default enemies. Certain variations of Goombas now have wings and drop smaller Goombas on the player for an additional hazard. Buzzy Beetles also return, though they can now climb walls and ceilings. They drop on top of Mario and attempt to spin into him when he’s near. This game also introduces the Boos, ghost-like enemies in castle levels who are still when Mario is facing them but come for him when his back is turned. Another new enemy is the Thwomp, sentient stone spike-covered blocks with faces that attempt to drop on top of Mario when he’s underneath them.

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Returning from the American Super Mario Bros. 2 is the ability to pick up and throw enemies and items. Certain blocks can be picked up and tossed as projectiles. Koopa shells can now be picked up; however, if the shell is held for too long the Koopa will reemerge and harm the player. A new move Mario can perform is the slide maneuver. While going down a slope, pressing down on the control pad will allow Mario to slide down for both faster travel and to attack enemies along the way. He can also swim and climb vines. There’s also now a speed bar. The longer Mario runs, the faster the bar will fill until it reaches the P at the end indicating Mario’s max speed.

Speaking of new moves, Mario gains quite a variety of power-ups. The mushroom, fire flower, and starman return with the same mechanics. Some new power-ups include the frog suit, which allows better control in the water and a higher jump. The leaf which gives Mario raccoon ears and a tail. It allows him to spin when pressing B. When the speed bar is full, the leaf allows Mario to fly for a few seconds by rapidly pressing A. The Tanooki suit is the same as the leaf, though pressing down and B turns Mario into an invulnerable statue that can harm spiked enemies and fire.

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A special item only available in one level is the Goomba Shoe (a.k.a. “Kuribo’s Shoe”), a green boot-like item that Mario rides inside of, and allows for attacking spiked enemies. Another usable but rare item is the hammer suit. This item dresses Mario like a Hammer bro. and its function is like the fire flower, only it can defeat normally invincible enemies such as Boos. It also protects Mario against fire attacks when crouched. There’s also a P leaf, which allows Mario to fly infinitely during a single level, afterwards functioning like a normal leaf suit. Extra items can be stored in the inventory on the world map screen. They can be selected before the next level for use.

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This is the first Mario game to feature the world map system. Instead of automatically being taken from one level to the next, the player has the option of going to various levels from an overworld map. Outside of levels are a variety of other places to visit on the world map. There are toad houses which allow for playing matching minigames for bonus items and extra lives. Sometimes Toad will give Mario a choice to choose an item from three different chests. Castle stages are done at the halfway point on a world map. At the end is a mini-boss called Boom Boom, a rather large Koopa who races back and forth attempting to hit Mario. He sometimes jumps and grows spikes on his back when attacked.

The world map also features enemies, specifically the Hammer Bros. They are fought the same way as before, only they come in pairs. After beating a level, they move around randomly on the world map until they encounter Mario. There’s an item called the music box which puts them to sleep to make bypassing them easier. Defeating a Hammer Bros. duo will yield an item, including the rare hammer which breaks blocks on the world map for alternate routes. Returning from Super Mario Bros. 2 is the world variation. There’s a desert world, an ice world and a pipe world, among others. There’s actually a world that changes in size depending on which pipe you go down. Just as before, there are eight worlds in increasing difficulty. At the end of each world is a castle where Mario meets the resident Toad and transformed King. He then boards an airship which is home to the game’s boss, one of the Koopalings. The airship levels are done similarly as the castle levels of earlier games. The airships move automatically and sway up and down for difficulty variation. At the end are pipes where Mario goes down to fight the boss. Each Koopaling is different visually and in how they attack. They can shoot projectiles at Mario and attempt to hop on top of him. If Mario looses on an airship, he’ll be kicked off the ship, which will go to a different location on the overworld map. After defeating the Koopalings, they each drop a wand and Mario returns it to the world’s King, causing him to change back to normal.

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Just as before, there are warps that can instantly take the player to later parts of the game. They come in the form of Whistles, a rare item hidden in some of the earlier levels. When used, a tornado appears that scoops up Mario and takes him to a world select screen similar to the overworld screen. The Whistles only take Mario a few worlds ahead, so another whistle is needed to reach the final world. Also, they only allow transport to the beginning of a world and can’t skip levels.

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The final world is the Dark World, where Bowser resides. There are a lot of airship-like levels with tanks and water ships, along with occasional mini-boss battles. This world also doubles as the fire world as it does have an underworld feeling. Once Bowser has been dealt with and the Princess is saved, the player is treated to a new game where all their inventory slots are stocked with P leaves. Other than that, there isn’t a variation with the enemies or other bonus features.

Upon its release, Super Mario Bros. 3 received widespread universal acclaim and is hailed as one of the best Mario games to date. It featured innovative new features that new Mario games today use, such as the world map and varied power-ups. The Koopalings would also go on to become reoccurring enemies. On your first playthrough, there will be so many things to experience as you never know just what will appear. Lots of levels feature secret areas and bonuses that reward you for thinking outside of the box. If there was one Mario game to play, this would definitely be it. The game was so popular that it spawned a cartoon series, The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3. The game has been re-released several times. It’s been featured in Super Mario All-Stars for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and for various systems that support Virtual Console.

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dipulb3 · 3 years

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Among Us coming to Xbox Game Pass, adds new map

New Post has been published on https://appradab.com/among-us-coming-to-xbox-game-pass-adds-new-map/

Among Us coming to Xbox Game Pass, adds new map

SEATTLE, Wash. — Two developments regarding the game Among Us emerged Thursday night during the 2020 The Game Awards webcast. These two developmental announcements are definitely nothing to be sus about.

Among Us coming to Xbox Game Pass

Subscribers to Xbox Game Pass rejoice! (You know I am, being a subscriber of Game Pass Ultimate.)

While new games are being added to the growing games library, there are some questions as to availability.

What is certain: the game will be coming “soon” to PC, where it is normally a paid title. The only difference is the mobile version is free-to-play.

Joining Among Us are the popular RPG The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and The Yakuza Remastered Collection. Additional games include Neoverse, Killer Queen Black, The Medium, and Cyber Shadow.

With these new additions come questions as to where they will be available.

Skyrim, for example, will only be available for PC beginning December 15.

The mainline Kiryu Yakuza saga will be available in staggered phases. The Yakuza Remastered Collection, which is a remastering of the third, fourth, and fifth chapters, will be available beginning Jan. 28, 2021. The sixth chapter, The Song of Life, will be available on March 25. Moreover, all Yakuza games will be available on PC and Xbox.

There was no official date on when Among Us will be available on PC. The announcement simply stated, “soon.” The game is normally a paid title, unlike the free-to-play mobile version. There is nothing available regarding its availability to Xbox consoles.

Among the other titles, Neoverse will be the only other title outside of Skyrim to be PC-exclusive on the Game Pass.

New map — the Airship — coming in early 2021

Game developer InnerSloth would announce its newest map with an airship theme: The Airship.

With the new map came a new trailer. The trailer would show off new activities for crewmates to try and complete.

In addition, this massive map has multiple floors and contraptions.

The public release date is not available, but the video would state early 2021.

Heartland Newsfeed may get a commission from retail offers included in links throughout this article.

For more local and Illinois news, follow Jake Leonard on Twitter @JakeLeonardWPMD and Heartland Newsfeed @HLNF_Bulletin on Twitter.

Additionally, you can follow Heartland Newsfeed on Facebook and Reddit among other platforms. You can now follow our news updates on Telegram, Flote, and MeWe.

Support independent journalism. Become a patron on Patreon for as little as $1 a month. There are other donor options as well.

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digitalfime · 3 years

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'Among Us' will get 15-player lobbies and a new art style | Engadget

‘Among Us’ will get 15-player lobbies and a new art style | Engadget

After a lengthy wait, Among Us’ latest map, the Airship, is available to download today. With it comes the biggest update developer Innersloth has released for the game to date. Included in the package are a persistent account system and an extensive collection of new hats. However, the studio has even bigger changes planned for the future. i This content is not available due to your privacy…

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cufeed · 4 years

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Among Us: The Airship Map Release Date Announced

The Airship, Among Us’ new map, will be released on March 31, 2021 alongside a new update that adds the ability to pick which room you start in, ladders, a basic account system for moderation, and more.Announced by Innersloth, this new map, which was revealed at The Game Awards 2020, is based on the Toppat Clan Airship from the developer’s Henry Stickmin series.Innersloth also shared what the…

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enter21st · 4 years

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Among Us’ new Airship map release date revealed

Among Us’ new map, The Airship, will be released on March 31, developer InnerSloth announced Thursday. The new map was originally revealed in December, and will arrive as part of a free update that adds ladders, a basic account system for moderation, and the “ability to pick the room you start in,” the developer said. Of course, there are also some new hats. Among Us launched in 2018 with a…

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digitalworldsblog · 4 years

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Among Us Update Info: When The Airship Is Coming 👻😜

The Airship is a highly-anticipated new map coming to Among Us. After a tease in December, here's everything we know about its release date so far.

#amongus #amongusmeams #amongusupdate #amongusedit #a #amongusfanart #amonguscosplay #amongusgame #Impostor

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spaceexp · 8 years

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NASA Studying Shared Venus Science Objectives with Russian Space Research Institute

NASA logo. March 10, 2017

Image above: The Russian Academy of Sciences’ Space Research Institute (IKI) Venera-D mission concept includes a Venus orbiter that would operate for up to three years, and a lander designed to survive the incredibly harsh conditions a spacecraft would encounter on Venus’ surface for a few hours. Image Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech. A team of NASA-sponsored scientists will meet with the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Space Research Institute (IKI) next week to continue work on a Joint Science Definition Team study focused on identifying shared science objectives for Venus exploration. The visit comes after a report was recently delivered to both NASA Headquarters in Washington and IKI in Moscow, assessing and refining the science objectives of the IKI Venera-D (Venera-Dolgozhivuschaya) Mission to Venus, Earth’s closest planetary neighbor. “While Venus is known as our ‘sister planet,’ we have much to learn, including whether it may have once had oceans and harbored life,” said Jim Green, director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “By understanding the processes at work at Venus and Mars, we will have a more complete picture about how terrestrial planets evolve over time and obtain insight into the Earth’s past, present and future.” Venus has intrigued scientists for decades. Similar to Earth in composition and size, it spins slowly in the opposite direction. The rocky world’s thick atmosphere traps heat in a runaway greenhouse effect, making it the warmest planet in our solar system with surface temperatures hot enough to melt lead. Glimpses below the clouds reveal volcanoes and an intricate landscape. Venus is named for the Roman goddess of love and beauty, the counterpart to the Greek goddess Aphrodite.

First Flyby of Another Planet

“On a solar-system scale, Earth and Venus are very close together and of similar size and makeup,” said David Senske, co-chair of the U.S. Venera-D science definition team, and a scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. “Among the goals that we would like to see if we can accomplish with such a potential partnership is to understand how Venus’ climate operates so as to understand the mechanism that has given rise to the rampant greenhouse effect we see today.” The IKI Venera-D mission concept as it stands today would include a Venus orbiter that would operate for up to three years, and a lander designed to survive the incredibly harsh conditions a spacecraft would encounter on Venus’ surface for a few hours. The science definition team is also assessing the potential of flying a solar-powered airship in Venus’ upper atmosphere. The independent flying vehicle could be released from the Venera-D lander, enter the atmosphere, and independently explore Venus’ atmosphere for up to three months. NASA first visited Venus when the JPL-managed Mariner 2 collected data during a flyby in December 1962. NASA’s last dedicated mission to explore Venus was Magellan. Launched in 1990, and managed by JPL, Magellan used radar to map 98 percent of the planet at a resolution of 330 feet (100 meters) or better during its four-year mission. The Venera spacecraft program is the only one to date to successfully land on Venus and survive its harsh environment. Said Adriana Ocampo, who leads the Joint Science Definition Team at NASA Headquarters in Washington, “This potential collaboration makes for an enriching partnership to maximize the science results from Venera-D, and continue the exploration of this key planet in our solar system.” More information about Venus can be found at: https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/venus Image (mentioned), Video, Text, Credits: NASA/Dwayne Brown/Laurie Cantillo/JPL/DC Agle. Greetings, Orbiter.ch Full article

#space #science

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entergamingxp · 5 years

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Rune Factory 4 Special Review — It’s Always Been Special To Me

February 25, 2020 1:30 PM EST

Rune Factory 4 maintains its full and outstanding spark, charm, and polish for the Switch audience. The new content isn’t substantial, but the old content remains exceptional. This is absolutely worth your time.

Ahhh, Selphia. I missed you. It’s good to be home again.

I played the ever-loving hell out of Rune Factory 4 back on the 3DS, so getting the chance to revisit the Switch version was a welcome task. Even with this prior history, however, I’m amazed at how effortlessly it drew me in. The hardest part of writing this review has genuinely been dragging myself away from the game long enough to do so. Odds are that once I’m done here, I’ll be right back to it. Let that stand as a ringing endorsement of the game if nothing else.

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“The hardest part of writing this review has genuinely been dragging myself away from the game long enough to do so. “

For those just tuning in, Rune Factory is a farming life sim that began as a fantasy spinoff of the Harvest Moon series (and which changed its name to Story of Seasons following disputes with Natsume over the title). It sought to spice up the more relaxed series by introducing magic, monsters, and other such elements to the mix. Rune Factory 4 was the latest in that subseries, and it added the most features, opportunities, and mechanical depth to date.

The game opens with a brief introduction of the player character (you choose the name and gender but no other customization at first) on an airship. They’re on a mission, but we don’t learn what that is because they’re promptly attacked by stowaway soldiers. Moments later, it’s revealed that they’ve come down with a case of amnesia — a Rune Factory staple — and promptly get punted off the airship.

You crash land on top of a dragon named Ventuswill, who assumes you’re the prince that’s due to arrive in town. It’s quickly clear that that’s not the case when the actual prince Arthur shows up, but that doesn’t stop him from foisting his responsibilities on you to focus on other tasks. With your sudden royalty established, you’re set up to live in the town of Selphia until your memory returns.

Though it comes across as something of an excuse plot at first, there’s a lot more going on here. As you play more, new characters will be introduced to Selphia, and new plot threads are uncovered. It’s nothing groundbreaking, but it’s present, and it’ll take you through several interesting arcs over the course of the game.

With that in mind, Rune Factory 4 never forces such a thing on you. Like the series it originates from, it’s a farming life sim first and foremost. Your day-to-day activities will involve you restoring and managing the farm in Selphia, growing crops, and taming monsters. Beyond that, you can wander the town and interact with the many characters. The real meat of the story is in the dialogue of this colourful cast. Even the most bizarre or bland of them quickly proves to have a lot of personality, and I found myself happy to chat with and befriend them as the days passed.

No good life sim is complete without the ability to take those friendships one step further, however. To that end, there are 12 romanceable characters among the cast: six bachelors and six bachelorettes. There aren’t any same-sex options, however, so keep that in mind if that’s something you’re looking for. And no, the dragon Ventuswill is not dateable. As you befriend your chosen waifu/husbando, you’ll get the option to profess your love, go on dates, and eventually marry and have a child. Margaret is best girl, don’t @ me.

“There are 12 romanceable characters among the cast: six bachelors and six bachelorettes. There aren’t any same-sex options, however.”

For many, this is likely the thing they’ll aspire towards in Rune Factory 4. With all that said, relationships take time to develop, so you’ll be off partaking in the rest of the game’s activities in the meantime. Beyond farming and interacting with Selphia’s denizens, you’ll be able to roam around the game’s world, fighting/taming monsters and plumbing the depths of dungeons. There’s a hell of a lot to find in these places, and lots of materials to gather from defeated enemies or resource points scattered around.

Once you’ve got your haul back to Selphia, you can choose to sell it off or stockpile it for use in the crafting system. You can make all sorts of weapons and equipment, as well as farming implements or medicines. There’s also a ton of cooking recipes as well, many of which offer consumable buffs that will be crucial in clearing some of the harder content. You can also level up your equipment by fusing various materials to them for added effects, so there’s a use for damn near everything you find.

Leveling up also extends back to your farming, too. Better farm tools make your chores quicker, which means you can expand your operations to more fields in less time. Improving the quality of soil and seeds means the crops you grow also improve, having stronger effects and higher value. You can grow crops into giant versions of themselves, have an orchard of replenishing fruit trees, or even grow a dungeon to clear out. Everything you do ties back into farming, and in return it allows you to excel at these other activities.

One of the best features of Rune Factory 4 is the skills system. Much like an Elder Scrolls game, your character will pick up a huge array of skills that can all be individually leveled up. Your various weapons, magic elements, and crafting types all fall into these, but even basic or esoteric stuff like Eating, Sleeping, and Bathing all have a skill. Increasing these will gradually increase your base stats as well, so no matter what you choose to do, you’re making progress and becoming more capable.

Because of this, the wealth of content on offer in Rune Factory 4 never becomes too overbearing. You don’t have to rush the plot, or maximize your farming early, or any other such thing. It’s up to you to determine what you want to do on each given day. There’s a lot more to do than another game of its ilk, but the leisurely sense of playing at your own pace remains.

It’d be fair to say that Rune Factory 4 is very much greater than the sum of its parts. Part of the reason it can flood the player with content is because most of the pieces are fairly simple. There’s depth to juggling all the various moving parts and maximizing your stats, sure. But taken on its own, each mechanic is fairly straightforward.

Combat is an action-RPG affair that sees you mostly mashing your attack button with your weapon of choice. You have the ability to dash as a soft dodge, and this can combo into a different attack, but beyond this, it’s very basic. You also can equip magic abilities to supplement this, but you’ll rarely be doing anything truly complex. Dungeons are long sequences of small rooms with very light puzzles and a mix of enemies on offer. Even on the higher difficulties, it mostly comes down to moving at the right times and having higher stats or more healing than the opponent.

Again, though, this all ends up serving the package as a whole. Combat isn’t too deep, but it increases your skills and grants materials for crafting. The crafting lets you proceed further, and also helps you with the farming. The farming likewise can give you stronger materials, consumables, or produce the right items to gift townsfolk. You can even use them on some monsters to befriend them, taking them into combat to supplement your abilities or keeping them on the farm to do chores and produce materials. Simple pieces, but it makes for a very large and beautiful puzzle.

“Rune Factory 4 is very much greater than the sum of its parts.”

By now, you hopefully have a good idea of what’s in store for you in Rune Factory 4. Everything I’ve said so far has all been true of the original 3DS release, though. So what else is new about Rune Factory 4 Special?

There have been a few adjustments made to compensate for the lack of the 3DS dual screen on a Switch. The second screen was usually dedicated to a minimap or other information, but instead, this is now presented in a transparent window in the corner. You can resize the minimap with a press of ZL, though, so it doesn’t get too intrusive. There’s also been a number of tweaks that allow you to enlarge text boxes, while ZR has been mapped to the frequently used Escape spell. Enough care and concessions were put in to make sure the transition to a different screen size is smooth, which is appreciated.

With all that said, it’s still very much a 3DS game in terms of appearance. The resolution has been increased and many of the models or images have been smoothed out, so the game looks far less pixelated than the original. Unfortunately, this is something of a double-edged sword; many of the flat images now look dull and simplistic despite the clarity. It was a lot harder to tell how everything was compressed to fit a 3DS screen and cartridge, but now that illusion has been lifted. The 3D models look good enough, but it’s all still clearly born of a handheld game. Those expecting high graphical fidelity won’t find it here, though the developers have done their utmost nonetheless.

Beyond the presentation, a few little additions have made their way into the port. English and Japanese dual audio is now available, toggled from the menu. There’s a new difficulty mode that’s quite punishing, but I honestly just found it more of a nuisance than an interesting challenge. Some games better suit being challenged on high difficulty, but Rune Factory 4’s combat depth is too basic and stat-driven to really warrant it. It’s there should you desire, however!

As for the new content… there isn’t all that much to it. Both showcased additions to Special are available on the main menu, but you won’t be able to access them immediately. Another Episode is a series of short segments displayed and voiced like a visual novel, each one focusing on a romanceable character. There’s also a bonus one for Ventuswill, which is the closest fans of the dragon goddess are gonna get this time around. Ultimately, these are simple, short, sweet, but not a particularly large chunk of content. They’re also DLC, but will be free for the first month or so if you get the game early.

The Newlywed Mode adds more gameplay in the form of an epilogue with your partner after you get married. Again, there’s one for each, and these remain locked until you marry that specific character in a playthrough. Given the overall length of the game, only the absolutely dedicated or determined are ever likely to see all of these.

But here’s the rub: I didn’t get to play any of these episodes in the course of my review. This isn’t for lack of trying, either. I clocked up well over 40 hours of playtime on Switch, and I’ve beaten the 3DS version previously. I know what I’m doing to speed things along, but outside of rushing and ignoring non-essentials, it didn’t happen. Not only did I not make it to marrying a character, but I’m not even close! I only really just started dating my waifu of choice. As such, I honestly can’t tell you about the quality of this new content or what’s entailed. I intend to come back after the game has launched and cover it once I get there, but I just wasn’t able to get through enough to make it in time for this review.

Despite this conundrum, I think it loops right back around to showcasing just how much content there is in Rune Factory 4. This game is utterly enormous. It’s varied, it’s engaging, and it’s a great time. Whether doing chores at a relaxed pace or grinding hard to overcome a particular challenge, this holds true.

There is a major criticism I can offer, however. Town Events will spring up at random throughout your game. These involve a selection of the cast and some antics going on in their lives, and often lead to some great insight into their personality or history. Nonetheless, these events are random. On a day determined by the game (it’s not set), one of these events will trigger. Your save file will always have an event trigger on that day, and reloading prior to that day will let you cycle through events to access a particular one if you’re dedicated.

“This game is utterly enormous. It’s varied, it’s engaging, and it’s a great time.”

Now, this might not be an issue if these were exclusively minor little events. The problem is, these Town Events also include a number of key scenes. In order to marry your partner, you’ll have to see all their prerequisite events, and some have more than others. More egregiously? The entire third Act of the plot including the last major area is locked behind this!

If you didn’t look online and just try playing at your own pace — as I did on the 3DS — it might take you a frustratingly long time to even realize that the plot continues and there’s more to do… only for you then needing to cycle the events until you trigger the right one. It’s utterly maddening, and the largest complaint I could level against Rune Factory 4. I was hoping this would be adjusted for Special, but alas.

As major an issue as this is, however, it’s one that you can overcome with a little patience and a touch of frustration. By the time you’re likely to reach this point, you’ll have played a tremendously large chunk of video game already, with still more ahead. It really astonished me just how much content was in a 3DS game, and this is still remarkable even now on a different system. Given that this is my only problem with the game outside of small nitpicks, it’s far from a deal breaker.

“While no individual aspect is the best of its kind, the overall package exudes charm and entertainment that is hard to match.”

So this is where we stand. Rune Factory 4 Special is an amazing game. It was my personal favourite 3DS game out of the large and varied library. It’s a game that I was more than happy to return to even if there was no new content whatsoever. I still know my way around Selphia and relish my time with it. Many love Stardew Valley, but as quality as that game is… I’ve never been able to play it without eventually going back and replaying Rune Factory 4 instead. I expect I’ll still be playing even when Animal Crossing rolls around. While no individual aspect is the best of its kind, the overall package exudes charm and entertainment that is hard to match.

If you haven’t played the original and this sounds even remotely like your kind of game, I heartily encourage you to try it. If you did play the original, you probably won’t get too much that you didn’t already experience. Should you just feel a little nostalgic for it and want to go back to one of the best farming life sims ever made, though? That was more than enough for me to adore my time with Rune Factory 4 Special, and will continue to do so long after you’re done reading this. Here’s hoping the upcoming Rune Factory 5 manages to capture that magic again.

February 25, 2020 1:30 PM EST

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/02/rune-factory-4-special-review-its-always-been-special-to-me/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rune-factory-4-special-review-its-always-been-special-to-me

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the-rhiview-blog · 7 years

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After a long three-month stretch, ArenaNet finally delivered the second episode of Living World Season Four: “A Bug in the System.”

Two weeks ago, ArenaNet’s Mike Z took to the forums to address the player base, admitting that though he had hoped to be announcing the release date of the newest adventure in Tyria, due to complications the team was forced to delay. Eager to reassure players that the dreaded content-drought was not to be overly extended, he promised we would be seeing the reveal of a teaser trailer within a week’s time, followed by the live episode shortly thereafter, on March 6th.

ArenaNet delivered on that promise, though not without a slight hiccup on launch day. Players logged in to start on the next stretch of story, eager to see what the dastardly Palawa Joko had in store for us … only to find nothing new to play!

Fortunately, we didn’t have to wait long. It seems Joko’s plot to defeat all of us mighty Commanders extended to preventing us from progressing the story…

Sure enough, after the brief delay, the patch landed and the bright green story icon did its little happy dance in the bottom corner of our screens.

Warning: SPOILERS for Guild Wars 2’s Living Story Season Four lurk beyond this point!

Living World Season Four began in “Daybreak”

Remind Me Where We Left Off…

It’s been a little while since Season Four kicked off with “Daybreak,” so no worries if the details are a bit hazy at this point.

Following the world-shaking (literally) events of “Path of Fire,” new threats have arisen to challenge the Commander and their fractured guild, Dragon’s Watch. The Elder Dragon, Kralkatorrik, absorbed the lion’s share of Balthazar’s power following his defeat, leaving it as the most powerful threat Tyria has ever seen — a force of primordial rage infused with the dying fury of a god and misappropriated bloodstone magic.

What could go wrong?

“Daybreak” sees the Commander’s reunion with fan-favorites, Taimi, Rytlock, and Canach. The quartet have little time to savor their victory, however, as the Brand inexplicably erupts around them, tearing through Amnoon.

The battle against the Crystal Dragon’s forces has begun.

In the aftermath of the free city’s destruction, the Commander must face the reality of what vanquishing the war god has wrought. But not all is doom and gloom. Another old friend appears to aid in the struggle and lend her (greatly increased) strength to the war now brewing…

Our baby girl’s done some growing up…

Aurene, the Scion of Glint whose champion the Commander has become through fate and chance, is no longer the bouncing baby dragon we all went gaga over after she hatched in Season Three. Like Kralkatorrik, she got caught up in the backlash of Balthazar’s death and absorbed a portion of his power. The result is a much larger … ahem, mount-sized … adolescent dragon who seems to have developed a mind of her own.

With Aurene’s help — both on the battlefield and with the visions she shares through her bond with the Commander — the battered warriors of Dragon’s Watch leave the Branded remnants of Amnoon behind. A course is set for the Isle of Istan, where Aurene has revealed there is a new and more immediate threat.

King Joko the Inevitable, the Undying, the Feared, the Beloved … is back.

Thwarted time and again, the Commander battles their way across the sumptuous island. Joko’s grasp on the people of the region seems unbreakable, despite assistance from the small force of Sunspears who rally to the outlander’s cause. Efforts to liberate incarcerated innocents, salvage the knowledge of an historic library, and a daring prison break bring the Commander closer to seeming-victory.

The abduction of Taimi shakes the resolve that has led the group so far, but ultimately leads to the heart of the undead tyrant’s plot.

A journey to the Sandswept Isles

Sounds like … bugs!

Though the Commander managed to rescue Taimi, the little asura was badly shaken by Joko’s abuses. It’s a fool who underestimates this genius’s backbone, however! Despite the quiver in her voice, Taimi shares that Joko is setting an evil plan into motion. She doesn’t know the details, but it has something to do with … bugs.

Now, if you’re a Guild Wars: Nightfall veteran or are up on your GW history thanks to content creators like WoodenPotatoes, this will likely tip you off as to what Joko is up to. The Commander is in the dark, however, so more on that later.

The story thread gets picked up in Episode Two, “A Bug in the System.”

Stumped by Joko’s goals and unable to prevent the endless incursions of Awakened forces into Central Tyria, the Commander is left with no viable options until a recovered Taimi reaches out with the news that she’s unearthed the identity of a scientist working with the lich’s Inquest minions — who also happens to be an old school chum of hers.

Following this lead, the Commander sends for Rox and (the still-sulky) Braham and heads to the Sandswept Isles. Together, they raid the Inquest lab Taimi’s information led to and uncover a horrifying clue to Joko’s plan. Used as test subjects for a virulent pestilence, the lab is filled with the dead and dying.

One survivor possesses the strength to fight back against her captors, though, and the Commander joins forces with her, fleeing the nightmare.

The “Mysterious Charr” turns out to be Boticca, a representative of an offshoot sect of Charr who’ve made their home on the Sandswept Isles. Though they are reluctant to help the Commander in their mission at first, the Olmakhan Tribe are persuaded to lend their support by the brutal assault of Inquest forces from the fortress-lab of Rata Primus.

With Braham at their side, the Commander charges into the breach, taking advantage of Captain Sayida’s new airship and unleashing Aurene on the Inquest.

Rata Novus is already under siege when the Commander arrives…

The group arrives to find the place in chaos.

The complex is overrun with both Inquest and Awakened forces fighting one another. The Commander must push through the confused mess to locate the scientist Taimi spoke of, racing against time to save his life before Joko can destroy him and make off with the truth behind Rata Primus’ evil experiments.

Though Blish and his brother, Gorrik, are saved, the Commander is too late to prevent Joko’s forces from claiming the product of the Inquest’s research — a plague that threatens to annihilate life in Tyria, leaving the undead monarch to claim the world for his kingdom.

Joko himself has arrived to retrieve the plague personally. His taunts infuriate the Commander, but there is no way to undo the lich’s work. Triumphant, Joko leaves his newest henchman, Lonai, to deal with the group, sparking a battle that yanks the combatants through the unstable tunnels of space and time.

Volatile magic, churned up by Joko’s schemes, grabs the combatants and lands them first in the midst of Divinity’s Reach, threatening the innocent lives of the Human capital. Soon enough, they are displaced once again, landing in the fiery heart of Mount Malestrom; then the frost-bound Shiverpeaks, where the Claw of Jormag frustrates the battle with its interference.

Finally, the exhausted warriors are dropped unceremoniously on a rocky island in the middle of a star-filled sea of nothingness.

Ready to face Lonai once more, the Commander finds the need for violence is short-lived this time. Joko’s champion falls, leaving the Commander and their Norn compatriot lost amidst an endless ocean of infinity.

Lost among the stars…

Fortunately, Blish and Gorrik are able to locate them and transport the unnerved duo back to Tyria.

Victorious, but disheartened by the knowledge that Joko has the means to unleash the terror of epidemic on all living creatures, the members of Dragons Watch know their work is far from done. New clues must now be followed to unearth a means to defeat the lich-king of Vabbi once and for all…

Rhi’s View: An Excellent Addition to the Story

With only the second episode out, to-date, Living World Season Four is young. We’re at the stage in the storytelling where we have more questions than answers and the plot is only getting more tangled the deeper we dive into it. “A Bug in the System” is immensely satisfying in it’s contribution to the developing story of the Commander.

Though I felt the inclusion of the Order of Shadows was shoehorned in and the unexpected introduction of a new voice actress for Rox was a little distracting, Episode Two more than lives up to the expectations set with the concluding drama of “Path of Fire” and the murky waters churned up by “Daybreak.” We all knew Joko was coming back — Seriously, right? Did anyone actually believe he was going to be sitting in that cage for all eternity? — and it’s only fitting that one of the most dastardly villains in the franchise would pop back up just when Tyria’s heroes are facing the threat of a massively-OP Elder Dragon.

It’s so very Joko, isn’t it?

The tyrant’s brief cameo appearance wasn’t the only great thing about this episode … it wasn’t even the highlight, really! That’s just how good ArenaNet made this contribution to the story of Season Four…

The Charr of the South

If there’s one aspect of the new patch I saw discussed more than any other in Map Chat on launch day it’s the Olmakhan.

This small community of Charr is highly unusual, as Rox’s running commentary alludes. They were once part of the reviled Flame Legion. Fed up with the Fire Shamans’ villainy, the group left Ascalon behind and made their way south to the Sandswept Isles. Here, they built a new life away from their old Legion’s corruption.

The aesthetics of the Olmakhan are fantastic! There is a very unique feel to them that sets them apart from the Charr we’ve become familiar with over the past five years in Guild Wars 2. Added to which, their beliefs about families over fahrars, the place of a lone gladium lacking a warband, and the treatment of their temperamental cubs forms a depth the backstory you get when starting out as a PC Charr sadly lacks.

And the music! The piece added to the Season’s soundtrack for the Olmakhan is beautiful. The deep percussion paired with the strain of the pipes is immersive and keys players into the flavor of this culture’s identity.

And major appreciation for the smooth reference to Kalla Scorchrazor! If you’re playing as a Renegade these Charr are all the more interesting. Proceed with Charr Renegade role-playing in 3 … 2 … 1 …

The Unbreakable Taimi Schmidt

Taimi had a rough go of it in “Daybreak.” Her voice actress, Debi Derryberry, had us eating our hearts out over her character’s abduction and the torture Joko subjected her to. I mean, the range from utter terror to her tearful acceptance that she was about to die as bait for the Commander were equally gut-wrenching!

I honestly didn’t expect to hear from her this round … oh me of little faith.

Taimi absolutely does make her presence felt in “A Bug in the System,” not only via the ever-present communicator she sneaked in the Commander’s pack, but in-person aboard Captain Sayida’s airship. No matter the trauma she suffered at Joko’s hands, this little genius ain’t taking any personal time. She’s there every step of the way, offering helpful hints, if not as many punchy asides as we’re used to.

I applaud ArenaNet for refusing to pull their punches when it comes to this particular fan-favorite. She’s not the vulnerable little girl the Commander had to rescue from the Inquest in Dry Top, anymore. Taimi has done a lot of growing up as she’s traveled with us through the thick & thin of Elder Dragons, insane gods, and every madcap scheme we’ve come up with along the way.

She’s matured. More importantly, though, she bears the scars of the journey. Taimi suffered physical and mental trauma during her captivity in the last episode and the aftereffects are starkly clear in her voice. While it’s certainly heartbreaking to hear the once-peppy little asura sound so downcast, she’s proving that it hasn’t broken her, despite all the odds.

Go Taimi!

Oh, and can we take a moment to note that her iconic pink ribbon has not made a reappearance? Along with her new outfit, Taimi is rocking the sleek, more adult hairstyle we first saw after she removed it to leave a trail for the Commander to follow Joko. I’m a fan — what a great way to illustrate her character development!

Intervention Interruptus

Sooooo … Braham Eirsson.

Our favorite Norn (or least-favorite, depending on your feelings on “A Crack in the Ice”) still isn’t thrilled with us. Bitter in the wake of his mother’s death and holding a grudge over his perception that the Commander didn’t do as much as they could have during the campaign in the Maguuma Jungle, Braham does not greet their reunion with much enthusiasm.

Like any. At all.

He proves there are deeper layers to his personality beneath the juvenile resentment, however. Without hesitation, he answers the call to join the Commander in the fight against Joko. He even stands side-by-side with the leader of Dragon’s Watch through the embattled hallways of Rata Primus and the world-hopping struggle against Lonai. Like Taimi, Braham’s done some growing-up since we first met him during Scarlet’s War.

It was great to hear him awkwardly suggest that it was time to have a heart-to-heart. Even more, I liked that the discussion had to be tabled for the time-being, as Blish and his brother pulled them back to where they belong. This is a plot point that carries a certain weight, whether players are fond of it or not. Braham has to surmount his grudge with the Commander in order to move forward as a character — not just as part of Dragon’s Watch, but as Braham Eirsson. It shouldn’t be an easy conversation.

I’m looking forward to seeing how this plays out as the Season progresses!

Theories Confirmed!

Who doesn’t love theorycraft?

There have been some doozies prophesied by the player base throughout the years. Some have born out, while others have proved disappointments. (And some have just been weird.)

After Balthazar met his downfall and we started heading into Living World Season Four, community theorists were busy dreaming up some spicy ideas to put to the test. “A Bug in the System” officially confirms two big ones, much to our delight!

Kralkatorrik Brands the Dead – CONFIRMED!

This theory cropped up the moment players started finishing “Path of Fire” and caught a look at the cinematic showing Kralk going on a Branding-spree. If you remember, a dead devourer was caught in the dragon’s wake and suddenly hopped up, sprouting electric purple Brand crystals all over. This, to many, was a dead (ha. ha.) giveaway that the Crystal Dragon had inherited Zhaitan’s dominion over death, allowing him to reanimate the deceased … with his own spin.

We got the official word through this latest part of the story that the theory is, in fact, true. It’ll be interesting to see how this ability plays out in the coming episodes and how Mordremoth’s latent power might come into it.

The Scarab Plague – CONFIRMED!

The ultimate outcome of “A Bug in the System” was the reveal of Joko’s intent. For players who had gone through Guild Wars: Nightfall, Taimi’s mention of “bugs” at the end of “Daybreak” was all they needed in order to figure it out.

One of the darker passages in Tyrian history was The Scarab Plague. It decimated the population of Elona and brought about the end of the Primeval Dynasty (remember Nahlah and Dahlah?). The disease was gruesomely lethal, so it’s sure to be the source of panic in the next Living World Episode.

If nothing else, it’s another nostalgic call-back to Guild Wars 2’s predecessor — a trick ArenaNet has shamelessly been relying on through the “Path of Fire” journey. We’ll see how much further they take it…

Some Other Tidbits

“A Bug in the System” brought us a new zone to explore, a new piece of the story to dig into, and the return of characters who haven’t gotten much love in a long time. Good on ArenaNet!

A few more stand-outs:

The Branded Mount Skins that went onto the Gem Store alongside the patch release are beautiful! The skimmer and raptor are especially well-done.

Did you notice the race-specific ambient dialogue in the Olmakhan village? My jaw dropped when I heard the two Charr discussing my character (a sylvari), one of them remarking, “Until yesterday, I didn’t know plants could talk.” Nice touch!

With a new Living World episode, comes a new Mastery! This time, we got “Bond of Life,” which allows players to share their character’s health with their mount when under attack and they don’t want to stop for a fight. Honestly, I think this is utterly lackluster. Fingers crossed for something more interesting next time…

As I mentioned earlier on, Rox has a new voice actress! I found it distracting, which took away from my immersion somewhat, I’ll admit. However, the voice is rougher and more mature. Like Taimi’s new hairstyle, I think this was actually a good choice that adds to the impression that Rox is growing up.

Where are Canach & Rytlock? We find out! Our new pen-pal, Canach, sends the Commander a letter to update them on what’s happening in Amnoon and Istan. While I, personally, prefer this dynamic duo in my party, we have to give some time to the other, camera-starved members of Dragons Watch.

Have you played “A Bug in the System” yet? Did you enjoy it? Tell me what stood out to you in the comments!

Guild Wars 2 got it's latest Living World update with "A Bug in the System." Let me tell you what I think... After a long three-month stretch, ArenaNet finally delivered the second episode of Living World Season Four: "A Bug in the System."

#ArenaNet #Guild Wars 2 #Living World #MMORPG #Review

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thementalattic · 7 years

Text

A couple of years after Estelle and Joshua saved the kingdom of Liberl, trouble brews in the lands of the mighty empire of Erebonia, and it’ll be up to Class VII to save their home. This is The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel.

Genre(s): RPG

Developer: Nihon Falcom | XSEED Games

Publisher: XSEED Games

Release Date: August 2017

Played Main Story

Platforms: PC, PS Vita

Purchase At: Steam

Good:

Great setting and plot.

Great voice acting.

Fantastic music.

Bad:

Simplified quartz system.

Review

I heard about Trails of Cold Steel while playing the second chapter of Trails in the Sky, and while I was on the fence about buying the two games in this new entry of the Legend of Heroes series for the PlayStation Vita, XSEED announced the release of this PC version of Trails of Cold Steel. Preferring the upscaled visuals if not just the bigger screen and the new content, I jumped at the chance of playing Trails of Cold Steel on PC.

And you know what? I absolutely love it. I often play games for reviews with a distinct sense that I’m not fully enjoying the game as much as I should, since I’m working with a deadline. But with Trails of Cold Steel, I was hooked from the very beginning and even though I still played with a deadline in mind—one I inevitably missed considering the length of the game—I just couldn’t pull away from playing, spending hours playing it every time I had the chance.

I spent my last couple of weekends playing for hours Saturday and Sunday, something I haven’t done in a while.

Arts are even flashier in Trails of Cold Steel

Trails of Cold Steel takes us back to the world of Trails in the Sky, the world of the Orbal Revolution, the fantasy quartz equivalent of the industrial revolution, with the difference that Orbal technology leads to anything from Magic to airships and even a crude form of internet and mobile networks. Basically, it’s the starting point for technological innovation, one that drives progress and even social, political and economic changes.

Trails in the Sky showed us Liberl, a Kingdom not without its issues but generally very relaxed, with nobles and commoners on the same level, where the people love the Queen and she’s humble and kind.

Here’s the gang!

Trails of Cold Steel on the other hand gives us Erebonia, a country you hear in passing references in Trails in the Sky, particularly for its military might. In this game, however you see how it works from within, the conflicts that keep its population tense, the near-war state it maintains with its neighbouring countries and the Empire’s constant struggle between keeping its traditions and moving forwards.

While in Liberl Nobles are much like commoners in their outlook—save for that one annoying noble in Trails in the Sky whose attitude is played for jokes—in Erebonia they’re very different. Nobles control their regions very differently from one another, with the greater houses often treating commoners with contempt.

Where you’ll spend most of the game, and the place hiding most secrets!

Opposing them are the Reformists, commoners in government who earned everything they have, who even have the Emperor’s backing and support. They want to centralise and standardise things, to keep the wheels turning as they should, even if it means taking some power from the nobles.

And that schism, that conflict of ideologies is at the core of this wonderful setting, which in true Nihon Falcom and specifically Legend of the Heroes fashion, gives a name, a face and a distinct personality to every single citizen you come across. Every NPC, from the little girl playing with her dog to the old cranky pawnshop owner have their own life, a spark that makes them feel alive.

Bosses can be massive!

The protagonist Rean and his classmates start their new lives as part of Thors Military Academy, one of the most prestigious schools in the country, one where both commoners and nobles attend, though they don’t mingle. Nobles are in Classes 1 & 2 and the commoners take the next three numbers.

Except for our heroes, Class VII, a new course that draws its students from across the nation and makes no distinction of social classes or family heritage. They have different background, opinions, ideologies and yet they’re supposed to work together to overcome the challenges ahead of them, using their new experimental battle orbments, the Arcus units, to form “Combat Links” that boost their effectiveness.

Aren’t these adorable?

The problem is, those links depend on the personal relationships. If the students despise or mistrust each other, forming those links is impossible and this plays into the interpersonal conflicts and growth of the characters in the game, a clever way of combining story and gameplay. In fact, Trails of Cold Steel goes even further. If a character decides that they won’t be active in combat, they really won’t be.

Trails of Cold Steel’s plot has some amazing political and social intrigue—and a few genuinely awesome twists—but at its core is about the characters, their lives at school, their issues with their families, no matter their social standing. In fact, these stories play out in tandem with the crises the characters face in their monthly “field studies,” which in game terms follow the same blueprint as the story arcs of new settlements in Trails in the Sky, where you can complete a set of optional quests for rewards and some mandatory ones that push the story forward.

Turbo mode is a blessing in this port, especially in the Nord Highlands!

Trails of Cold Steel also adds a bit of this on the school town, with Rean, the protagonist, helping the student council by completing tasks for the student body and the nearby townspeople. Doing so nets you some nice rewards and you can use these “free days” to interact and improve your bonds with your classmates, unlocking new manoeuvres for when you’re in a combat link.

While the Combat Link mechanics of the Arcus orbments is pretty fun and leads to some amazing moments, such as the Burst link technique, I’m not a fan of the quartz and Orbal Arts system of the game, which has been streamlined too much. Where before you combined quartz of different elements and strengths to unlock arts, in Trails of Cold Steel you get the arts by equipping the quartz that gives them. There is no longer the need to experiment with different combinations, what you see on the quartz is exactly what you’re getting.

Part of this streamlining comes from the Master Quartz mechanic, a special quartz that levels up and unlocks special abilities for the equipping character. Arts are among those special abilities. The cookbook approach wouldn’t have played very well. The downside is that we lost some flexibility. Trails in the Sky also attempts to convince you to change the master quartz, even giving you shops, but with how difficult it is to level one of these quartz, changing them around never feels worth it.

Combat is as good as ever and in Trails of Cold Steel it feels much faster, which adds to the excitement. At first it took some getting used to, as the area of effect and pushback mechanics of the fights are easier to follow from the isometric perspective of Trails in the Sky, but once you get the hang of it and learn to “unbalance” opponents to give your linked buddies an opening to attack, even the longest fights become a joy to play.

Love the dialogue in this game

One part of this game that deserves special praise is the voice acting, and the PC version includes many more recorded lines. I’ve read harsh descriptions of the talent, calling the amateurs, but if they’re amateurs, they’re fantastic. There is a degree of earnestness in their voice, and while some of them have characters with rather strange turns of phrases, such as Laura and Jusis, the noble-born, even their deliveries feel genuine. And the writing is clever enough to poke fun at some of the more cringe-worthy dialogue and deliveries. Though that’s not to say there aren’t some weaker performances, because there are. Elise, Rean’s sister is perhaps the worst of all, both in delivery and voice tone.

This dude is such a badass that he stands on tanks while they fight!

Reminds me a lot of Persona

Skeletal dragons, a classic. I approve!

Yep, there are grades, much like they were in Trails in the Sky

Oh Angie, she’s after every woman with a pulse. Gotta love her!

Yggdrassil is such an insanely powerful Earth Art

Isn’t Legram gorgeous?

Love these maps

She’s adorkable

Massive and incredibly phallic-looking guns. Is the Empire compensating?

Rean Schwarzer, main character, nice guy, total badass!

Some optional, some required in every Field Study. They rarely pay you money though…

This mechanic could’ve been better. the bonuses are great, but it takes too long to level.

S-Crafts are amazing as ever, especially Angelica’s

That’s a questionable name for a food place.

You’ll be seeing these a lot!

Those eyes…

Some familiar faces show up!

Home sweet home

The rest of the cast, those with easier characters to play, really shine and do something I think is still very difficult to do, they made the translated Japanese jokes work. Their delivery is spot on and I found myself laughing at many of their comments. It’s great when voice acting feels so natural that it brings the characters to life. Instructor Sara’s actress is superb, as you can feel the character’s humour and simple joy of life and booze in every line.

Music is of course superb, as it tends to be in Nihon Falcom games, and the theme for one of the final bosses is outstanding. There is something about RPGs and fighting against incredible odds that makes orchestral music and choirs feel incredibly epic.

Conclusion

Trails of Cold Steel is one of the best JRPGs I’ve ever played in my life and the new standard by which I will judge future entries in this long-running Nihon Falcom series. The only other thing I can say is that I hope XSEED releases Trails of Cold Steel 2 on PC soon and then give us Trails of Cold Steel 3 as soon as possible after its September release in Japan. I cannot wait!

TMA SCORE:

5/5 – Hell Yes!

I absolutely loved #TheLegendOfHeroes #TrailsOfColdSteel! Our review! @XSEEDGames @nihonfalcom

A couple of years after Estelle and Joshua saved the kingdom of Liberl, trouble brews in the lands of the mighty empire of Erebonia, and it’ll be up to Class VII to save their home.

I absolutely loved #TheLegendOfHeroes #TrailsOfColdSteel! Our review! @XSEEDGames @nihonfalcom A couple of years after Estelle and Joshua saved the kingdom of Liberl, trouble brews in the lands of the mighty empire of Erebonia, and it’ll be up to Class VII to save their home.

#Erebonia #Gaming #Hell Yes!#JRPG #Nihon Falcom #PC #Review #RPG #The Legend of Heroes #The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky #The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel #Trails of Cold Steel #Video game #XSEED Games

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