What are you playing?

[prfsnl_gmr]

I am finishing up The Legend of Kusakari (3DS):

https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/t ... sakari-3ds

It is based on the time-honored tradition of "cutting the grass" in the A Link to the Past, and it is one of the wackiest games In the 3DS eShop (which is saying something). It is also really fun; appropriately challenging (beating levels is easy, getting the top ranking is really hard), and well worth its $5 asking price.

[Sarge]

I am quite literally at the end of Ys VIII. Not even the final boss is standing, I had to quit during the epilogue because it was getting way too late...

Spoiler alert: It's great. I'll have more detailed thoughts later, but I enjoyed almost every bit of my time with the game, wonky localization aside.

I'm glad you liked it, but also shocked that anyone could.

To me the game is up there with stuff like Final Fantasy XIII or Metal Gear Solid IV or V, where "it's technically playable" is the biggest compliment I can give.

How long did you give it? I think we've covered this territory before, but it starts slow. Once it's rolling, it's like a runaway freight train.

[Segata]

I am quite literally at the end of Ys VIII. Not even the final boss is standing, I had to quit during the epilogue because it was getting way too late...

Spoiler alert: It's great. I'll have more detailed thoughts later, but I enjoyed almost every bit of my time with the game, wonky localization aside.

I'm glad you liked it, but also shocked that anyone could.

To me the game is up there with stuff like Final Fantasy XIII or Metal Gear Solid IV or V, where "it's technically playable" is the biggest compliment I can give.

How long did you give it? I think we've covered this territory before, but it starts slow. Once it's rolling, it's like a runaway freight train.

Like I said it would. Fucking love the game.

[BoneSnapDeez]

I don't wait for things to get rolling. Start good or gtfo.

I played for several hours. Long enough to have played a decent ARPG from start-to-finish, like Hydlide 3, Lagoon, or Brandish.

I am finishing up The Legend of Kusakari (3DS):

<span class="skimlinks-unlinked">https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/the-legend-of-kusakari-3ds</span>

It is based on the time-honored tradition of "cutting the grass" in the A Link to the Past, and it is one of the wackiest games In the 3DS eShop (which is saying something). It is also really fun; appropriately challenging (beating levels is easy, getting the top ranking is really hard), and well worth its $5 asking price.

Now this looks decent. Noticed it the other day but decided to pass. Will get it now that it has your endorsement.

[Xeogred]

Not sure I'm in the mood to focus on them yet, but I checked out Gradius Rebirth and Contra Rebirth last night and both seem awesome. Glad you can use the Wii Classic controller too... Contra seems impossible with the Wiimote.

Another friendly reminder to grab the three Rebirth games soon if you're interested, with the Wii shop closing and I don't think they're available anywhere else.

[pierrot]

I started Shin Megami Tensei if... the other night. It will make for a spooky-time game in anticipation of Hallowe'en. I don't really want to play as high school students in a high school that's been sucked into the R-Zone, but at least it's not full of modern Persona social link dumbness.

Anyway, I saved at the very beginning of the game, after running from a possessed dog because my characters are sans weapons. I didn't really want to try negotiating with it at that point.

Also, the school principal seems oddly unconcerned about what's besetting his school, and oddly unfamiliar with his own students--. Hmmm--.

At least the Janitor is cool.

[Sarge]

So basically before it gets rolling. Im'ma post a review.

[Exhuminator]

If Bone beat Brandish in "several hours" he's one bad mamma jamma. The original Brandish took me over 17 hours to beat!

[pierrot]

Put a bit more time into SMT if.... After toppling Mary Jane in the Gym, with a baseball bat, while wearing batters' helmets and shoulder pads, I embarked on an adventure into the demon realm. The situation being what it is, I of course raided the school's sports clubs for anything that looked like armor or a weapon. Going into the Sumo club's room, I was sure I was about to equip my characters with fundoshi, but no; Just-- ROLLER BLADES! Imagine that.

There's some pretty flimsy background for these initial events--like, I don't know how this teacher could make a wearable computer that he doesn't know how to use--but at least Kharon's got my back with these guardians. Oh yeah, I died to a pack of Zombie-chans, and was blessed by Kharon with a guardian-- demon--. Maybe, "blessed" isn't entirely the right term for it. Oh well, what's the worst that could happen? I found a nice--heehaw--Jack Frost to accompany me, as well. He thought he could disguise himself, and enjoy life as a student, but I knew it was him. (Heehaw.)

Interestingly, there seem to be a lot of callbacks in this. The story feels very reminiscent of the OVA that the original Megami Tensei was based on. Nandi and his Code Breaker room make a return from Megami Tensei II (even though it's not really the same series). Also, most of the music seems to be lifted straight out of SMT. Not that that's entirely bad (it's good music), it just feels a bit lazy. It doesn't sound nearly as good as on the Sega CD, either.


I was also playing Umihara Kawase, and managed to get to Field 12 from Field 11. Field 12 took me all the way up to 36. I nimbly jumped up to the door that took me all the way to Field 52! It was there that I encountered my old nemesis, the octopus. Damn you, octopus! I made it past him once, but was fiddling around with a moving platform, right by the door, when a mackerel spawned, and ruined my day. What door, I do not know. Would it have taken me to Field 40? Field 53? The final field? Who knows. Maybe I'll find out tomorrow.

OCTOPUS!!

[Exhuminator]

I was also playing Umihara Kawase

Awesome! I love that series. I've beaten a few of them, always had a great time. Super rad platformers. I think it's cool how you never know what "Field" you'll end up in. Gives the games some replayability as you learn the door paths.

---

As for me, I put 45 minutes into The Mummy Demastered tonight. It seems like a quality metroidvania so far. But one thing I can say is this game wants to kill you. Health pickups are fairly sparse, and saving your game does not refill your health meter either. Enemies are fairly bullet spongey with your normal weapon too. Controls are tight and it plays well. But to get a Buffalo SFC USB pad to work with it, I had to use Joy2Key. The game just wouldn't see my pad! Very nice graphics and music too. Plenty of zombies, crows, and bats through graveyards and such, definitely fits for the Halloween-athon. I'll hit it up again tomorrow.