What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

[Mischief Maker]

If you have the slightest fond memories of Heroes of Might and Magic 3, you owe it to yourself to try Hero's Hour. It's my first serious 2022 GOTY contender.

Sounds appealing to me, had the best times Heroes 3 back in late 2000's. Switch version of Hero's Hour ?

I think it's just PC.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Finished a second playthrough of Breath of the Wild. I did all the Divine Beasts this time, I'd heard the memes about Yiga Clan being a pain in the ass so I one shotted them all with ancient arrows. Pondering grabbing the DLC for Master Mode which sounds fun. Haven't gone for 100% completion or anything but if I do Master Mode I'd probably go for that.

It's a good game. I have an issue where the game (or the pro controller) will sometimes read a backflip as a sidestep instead, causing me to eat a hit when I'm trying to dodge. Do you have to press down on the stick, or away from the enemy relative to the camera? I think it's the former, but it doesn't register as reliably as God Hand's duck/sidestep/backflip 4 way dodging system does.

My hubby, who is not a gamer at all, has also gotten into it. It's a very approachable game difficulty-wise. You can get a lot of fun out of it even if you're pretty skilled, and the game lets you resource your way through stuff (like autoreflecting beams with Protection or an Ancient Shield) as needed if you take the time to explore and just stock up resources. I'm at the point where it's quite easy for me, but it's making me want to go back and replay Sekiro, which has a much better combat system and more limited resources you can carry between checkpoints, while still retaining the open-ended exploration and resource hunting BotW has. I'm hopefully good enough that Sekiro's occasional camera issues pose less of a frustration now.

Since I'm on a Zelda kick I'm making an effort to replay The Legend of Zelda (NES) again. I can't remember the last time I've beaten the second quest on it or if I have, so I wanted to go through and replay it. It's a lot of fun! The janky elements aren't too bad either once you've got a few heart containers and a rough idea of where to go.

There are admittedly some silly elements that are dated, such as needing a second controller plugged in to save without having to suicide (UP + A on controller 2 when in the pause/inventory screen), as well as how the Blue Candle and Bombs work. Finding secrets with them is quite tedious since there's a LOT of space you have to search (it's obviously far easier to wait until you get the Red Candle to search trees). Link's Awakening was quite clever in that it gave you a way to poke walls with your sword to listen to see if it was hollow, saving you from wasting bombs on nondescript walls. But on the whole I'm having a lot of fun.

I also want to try doing a Swordless run (i.e. no using the sword ever except to beat Ganon, and you're not allowed the White or Master Sword, only grab the Wooden Sword right before facing Ganon and only use it against him). This is unfortunately rather tedious due to all the money you need to grind up. You first have to run, without any weapons and 3 hearts, to one of the secret rupee givers in order to get the Blue Candle. From there, the Blue Candle becomes your primary means of grinding which is... quite tedious. Getting the Flute ASAP is probably handy as it lets you get the Red Candle from Level 7 (which doesn't have terribly difficult enemies compared to Level 6). I'll likely do this after beating the second quest normally.

I'm also determined to beat the second game, The Adventure of Link, instead of getting bored and annoyed with all the exp draining enemies and how clunky it feels at the start until you get access to more of the spells and up/down slashing. I've started playing it a few times... but then moved onto other games. I always found it hard to stick with as a kid.

[BIL]

If it's an option, I recommend playing the JP version of Zelda II. Levelling is a lot less grindy, and allows the game's best feature - its excellently finessed, punishing swordplay - to shine. in JP, all stats (HP/MP/ATK) cost the same amount of XP, whereas on NES, ATK is far pricier.

So on JP, you can quickly build up your killing power, while compensating for the starter HP/MP with MAD SKILLZ ( ) - then buff out the other two stats in a jiffy, once you're tearing through meaty enemies further in.

Tradeoffs are less colour variety in dungeons, and load times - but you can sidestep the latter via the Famicom Mini (GBA) version, or I imagine emulation. Translation is a bit thornier, not sure if there's a good patch out there... I already knew the NES version's basic flow, so I winged it easily enough in JP, but if you're new or returning after a long time, there's definitely a couple of spots where you'll need to read directions. A spoiler-free walkthrough should suffice in a pinch.

Great game, I think - the knightly duelling is still some of my favourite in all of sidescrolling. Once I discovered the JP ver's streamlined character building, I found it a surprisingly good single-session ARPG, too - good for long evenings ala Metafight/Blaster Master. Only thing I'd change is the 1HKO pits... kinda tawdry to dominate one lethal duel after another only to get nipped into the drink, haha.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Yeah, the later overhead games that have pits wisely chose to make pits deal 1 heart's worth of damage and drop you back at the room entrance. Zelda II's pits are much more soul-crushing especially given the relative lack of extra lives (this ain't no Mega Man!).

I'll still sweat out the grinding though in the English version. The trick is discovering where to grind early on that helps. There's a cave in complete darkness just south of the starting area where you can farm easy 10 exp per kill enemies that's very lucrative at that point in the game when everything else is a measly 2 exp.

[BrianC]

Both FDS Zeldas have unofficial translations now. They both seem to work on real hardware, though AFAIK the easier way to beat pols voice still needs the mic on the original FC controller 2. Also, not translated, but on the recent Zelda game and watch, setting the language of the games to Japanese plays the FDS versions.

[Sir Ilpalazzo]

Zelda 1 is a classic. It's tremendously impressive how it nails down all of its disparate elements. The combat is sharply tactical with some interesting mechanical nuances and resource management, and its world is a joy both to initially puzzle out and to clear with some efficiency on revisits. The character progression is satisfying, because the game's difficulty and level of danger is just enough to make each substantial upgrade you get feel earned and valuable, but it never goes too far and invalidates the game's combat by letting you become too strong for your current challenges. And the dungeons are excellent; them acting as combat-gauntlet mazes that also demand proper spatial awareness and good (but not unreasonable) guesswork on the player's part to figure out where best to use bombs is far more interesting than what dungeons became in the later games.

My only real criticisms of the game are that running out of bombs is a little too punitive (in that you're punished with tedium when you have to go restock at a shop or grind - though this hasn't happened to me in my last several playthroughs even despite all the random guessing I've had to make in dungeons) and that the old men who demand 100 rupees or a heart container in the second quest are a bit too cruel of a punishment for random wandering.

One of the things that strikes me most about Zelda is how fair the exploration is. Everything of critical importance is reasonably telegraphed to the player, neither jamming overt hints in their face or leaving things so cryptic that they're unsolvable without a guide. It's nearly a perfect balance, and again, I think this game's focus on straightforward and meaningful exploration is more interesting than later Zelda games' (even LttP) method of spelling out where you need to go and leaving the player to solve how to get there.

On the whole, although Breath of the Wild is great, I think the original Zelda is a much more elegant and interesting game, and is still the best in the series.

-

Zelda 2 is great too, though it's been a few years since I played through it. I don't find it quite as exceptional as the original, but of course it's a different kind of game - the second game undoubtedly has the better combat, but the first is more interesting as an full action-adventure (even if its exploration and nonlinear elements lose some of their shine once you've gotten past your first blind playthrough, they give the game value when learning to route for somewhat more efficient clears). I think its dungeons get exciting and clever, especially as you get further in, but it never quite builds to the variety in level design you see in dedicated sidescrolling action games, which hamstrings the game a bit given its runtime. Having said that, though, I still really like the game, and you should definitely give it more of a shot.

I'm interested in giving the Japanese version a try sometime, especially given that I've never felt that the US version seemed grindy. The rate at which you level up has always seemed reasonable to me; you get a pretty appropriate amount of experience throughout the game. If the Japanese version is even more brisk, then it sounds like an exciting prospect. But the JP version is more punishing in other ways, isn't it - don't you lose accumulated levels if you game over with one stat higher than the others? At first glance, that sounds like it might cause more problems.

[WelshMegalodon]

I think I would have enjoyed the first Legend of Zelda more if I had been able to carry more than eight bombs sooner. For all the crap it gets these days, Metroid had the decency to give the player a limitless supply of bombs and ranged fire.

[BrianC]

I don't remember Zelda 2 US being too grindy either, though it has been a while since I have beaten it. The game caps off at a low level too.

[m.sniffles.esq]

Sorta Zelda--but not Zelda--but kinda is Zelda--at the very least Zelda adjunct (kinda), seeing the PC and Switch remasters gave me the itch, so I busted out Shadowman (or Shadow Man. It's one or two words depending where you look. The cover has it as two while the spine has it as one...) for the Dreamcast

It's the closest the Dreamcast got to a Zelda game. Zelda with serial killers... It's such a kooky mismatch of late '90s... stuff. It's got the gameplay and mechanics of a 3D Zelda title, with twin-handgun John Woo/Laura Croft combat, slap on a horror-show-nightmare-world skin, and throw in serial killer bosses. They only forgot a two-player split-screen death match mode... Oh, almost forgot, it was put out by Acclaim. The only thing that's off, is while it's analog synth tinged John Carpenter score seems real hip now, I'm sure at the time they probably wanted a few more techno beats to liven things up.

Basically, it has no right working as well as it does.

[Sumez]

Did you ever play Soul Reaver? I feel like that's slightly a similar style of game (going more for that whole turn of the millennium gen vibe, than a specific genre), but in a lot of ways much closer to the 3D Zeldas than Shadowman ever was, even has block puzzles. Though the reason it came to my mind was that the Dreamcast version is by far the best one.

[m.sniffles.esq]

Did you ever play Soul Reaver?

As in Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver? Yeah, I have it. Love the look, character design, etc. But the game itself is way too "Eidos" for me (even though I know they didn't develop it). Boxes upon boxes upon boxes. I had a warehouse job with less boxes. Enemies that respawn before you're out of the room. Enemies that respawn before you're out of the room with boxes... Oy vey...

I mean, I see the similarities. And it's been a loooong time since I played Kain (whereas I played Shadowman last night). But I feel that SM is way more Zelda than Eidos. Alternating between two worlds, dual wielding weapons, insanely complex map, obstacles that become doorways with new abilities, etc

[evil_ash_xero]

Strangely, the only Zelda game I ever completed was Link to the Past. One of my favorite games.

To stay on topic, I'm playing Elden Ring.

[Sumez]

I mean, I see the similarities. And it's been a loooong time since I played Kain (whereas I played Shadowman last night). But I feel that SM is way more Zelda than Eidos. Alternating between two worlds, dual wielding weapons, insanely complex map, obstacles that become doorways with new abilities, etc

You're actually making me want to check out the Shadow Man remaster now. Maybe I've underestimated it in the past.

[BulletMagnet]

You're actually making me want to check out the Shadow Man remaster now.

It's actually part of a Humble Bundle for the next two days or so. I admit I'm actually rather curious about it myself, though not sure I'm quite ready to pull the trigger...

[m.sniffles.esq]

You're actually making me want to check out the Shadow Man remaster now.

It's good! (well, I can't speak for the remaster. But from what I hear, it's just Shadow Man--warts and all--with improved/more responsive control. I did order a physical from Limited Run. But if my physical of Black Bird is any indication, it should be here in two years, which is why I'm just replaying the original now).

I mean, even though it was ported to every system imaginable, received a (lame) sequel, and now a remaster, I still think of it as sort of an underrated gem of that era

Anyway, if you want to check out it's (pretty awesome) soundtrack in the meantime

PS: Upon it's release, I'm big enough to admit I was into the fact that I was finally controlling a video game protagonist who looked like me by default (rather than having the "black dude" choice amongst several characters. Although, in games like Sega Bass Fishing 2, this practice was pretty awesome. Bass fishing with a guy who looks like Busta Rhymes is certainly an unique experience...). That said, did they really have to make said protagonist fire his gat 'thug style'?? Somehow I doubt this flourish would be included with the standard blond haired, blue-eyed heroic type...

Spoiler

[BrianC]

You're actually making me want to check out the Shadow Man remaster now.

It's actually part of a Humble Bundle for the next two days or so. I admit I'm actually rather curious about it myself, though not sure I'm quite ready to pull the trigger...

Thanks for that Link. I pulled the trigger since Huntdown, which has been mentioned here recently, is also in the bundle and a couple of the others sounded interesting.

[XoPachi]

Playing Metroid Prime 3 again. Or...trying to. I think my Wii is going. So sad. I was 12 when I got this old thing. 15 years or something like that? Anyway.

3 was always my least favorite. But if I put 1 at a 10/10, Prime 3 is like an 8 for me. Just mostly wasnt much a fan of the cinematic approach and objective interruptions. They kept it together but they were clearly pulling from the sci fi AAA scene that exploded in that time.

[Sengoku Strider]

Playing Metroid Prime 3 again. Or...trying to. I think my Wii is going. So sad. I was 12 when I got this old thing. 15 years or something like that? Anyway.

The perfect chance to buy a Wii U to replace it before they get stupid expensive (and they certainly will).

[XoPachi]

Playing Metroid Prime 3 again. Or...trying to. I think my Wii is going. So sad. I was 12 when I got this old thing. 15 years or something like that? Anyway.

The perfect chance to buy a Wii U to replace it before they get stupid expensive (and they certainly will).

I'd have to think about that. My Wii is also my dedicated GameCube which the Wii U doesn't play. I took excellent care of my old cube, but it hasn't been plugged in for over a decade. I don't know if it still works. Dolphin is too much of a hassle and I can never get the games that I want working as they should.

[mycophobia]

Playing Metroid Prime 3 again. Or...trying to. I think my Wii is going. So sad. I was 12 when I got this old thing. 15 years or something like that? Anyway.

The perfect chance to buy a Wii U to replace it before they get stupid expensive (and they certainly will).

I'd have to think about that. My Wii is also my dedicated GameCube which the Wii U doesn't play. I took excellent care of my old cube, but it hasn't been plugged in for over a decade. I don't know if it still works. Dolphin is too much of a hassle and I can never get the games that I want working as they should.

if you're willing to run games from iso's then softmodding the virtual Wii in the Wii U and installing Nintendont to run Gamecube games isn't too hard

[Sengoku Strider]

Yeah, the Wii in the Wii U does run Gamecube games, it's just that the disc slot isn't built to accommodate it. But Nintendont will run ISOs natively off the system. There was already a Gamecube controller adaptor released for the Wii U for Smash Ultimate, but I believe Nintendont also lets you use the Wii U Pro Controller, which was a better controller than Nintendo ever released for...anything, really. The Switch Pro Controller has a nicer textured grip, but the Wii U's literally has 80 hours of battery life. I didn't touch mine for like 2 years and it still held a charge. Unless you play a ton you only need to plug it in once every month or two.

[Herr Schatten]

So, about 30 years late, I just finished The Secret of Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge. Believe it or not, this was the first time I've played this game. I had missed out on it and a whole bunch of other point-and-click classics due to not having a PC for most of the 1990s. A while ago, I snatched up a couple of them when they were on sale at GOG, then kind of forgot about them until now.

Anyway, Monkey Island 2 is a good, and often very funny, game. I just think I like it a little less than the first one.

The visuals have aged far less gracefully than the precise hand-pixeled ones from the first game. I'm sure those scanned-in backgrounds have looked amazing on a 15-inch CRT back in '91, but on a modern screen they become a bit of a pixelated mess, where important details (and sometimes items) have a tendency to get lost among the artifacts.

The non-linearity of most of the game is nice, but ultimately, it doesn't really work in its favour, as it not only lets follow different leads simultaneously, it also means that you have a lot more ground to cover when you're stuck, with three whole islands worth of rooms to check for anything that has changed through any of your actions.

The puzzles are good. My favourite one might be the spitting contest. Only the finale was a bit annoying, with LeChuck always interrupting when you're trying to do something, but somehow not showing up when you need to interact with him. There was only one instant where I needed to consult a guide, quite early on:

Spoiler

I never would have thought of looking for the laundry ticket behind the open door of Largo's cabin. WTF?

Now that's out of the way, I'm in the mood for some more point-and-click action. I still have Loom, The Dig, Sam and Max Hit the Road, Simon the Sorceror and Flight of the Amazon Queen lying around untouched.

(I also have Leisure Suit Larry I-VI, but only played through VI so far and found the user interface and the visuals horrible. Additionally, I have four (?) parts of Daedalic's Deponia series, but stopped playing the first one about halfway in, because while the story and the presentation are really charming, most of the puzzled didn't make any sense at all and resulted in trying every item in every place until one worked.)

Any recommendations?

[Mykaizer]

Zelda 1 is a classic. It's tremendously impressive how it nails down all of its disparate elements. The combat is sharply tactical with some interesting mechanical nuances and resource management, and its world is a joy both to initially puzzle out and to clear with some efficiency on revisits. The character progression is satisfying, because the game's difficulty and level of danger is just enough to make each substantial upgrade you get feel earned and valuable, but it never goes too far and invalidates the game's combat by letting you become too strong for your current challenges. And the dungeons are excellent; them acting as combat-gauntlet mazes that also demand proper spatial awareness and good (but not unreasonable) guesswork on the player's part to figure out where best to use bombs is far more interesting than what dungeons became in the later games.

Love your enthusiasm for Zelda 1. I plan on hunkering down on it eventually. My sister lent me BotW but still have no desire to play it. I did try it out a couple years ago and do love how it starts with no hand holding which was a nice surprise. Still a true open world game does not really click with me. I much prefer somewhat linear/semi-linear games such as Dark Souls 1. Giving me the freedom to roam around anywhere seems like an easy way to waste time. I guess that's why open world games never grabbed me because there is too much emphasis on exploring.

[XoPachi]

My sister lent me BotW but still have no desire to play it. I did try it out a couple years ago and do love how it starts with no hand holding which was a nice surprise. Still a true open world game does not really click with me. I much prefer somewhat linear/semi-linear games such as Dark Souls 1. Giving me the freedom to roam around anywhere seems like an easy way to waste time. I guess that's why open world games never grabbed me because there is too much emphasis on exploring.

Same honestly. Was magic the first 4 hours. Immediately put me to sleep for my remaining playtime after Plateau. Only mustered the patience to do everything because I'm a Zelda simp and it was the only new game at the time worth any attention. The sequel is the least excited I've been for a Nintendo announcement since NSMB U.

[mycophobia]

the best way to play botw without losing focus imo is to just beeline the divine beasts, then activate all the towers so you can see most of the world, then stock up and beat ganon. do every shrine you come across along the way and never fast travel

[mycophobia]

The puzzles are good. My favourite one might be the spitting contest. Only the finale was a bit annoying, with LeChuck always interrupting when you're trying to do something, but somehow not showing up when you need to interact with him. There was only one instant where I needed to consult a guide, quite early on:

Spoiler

I never would have thought of looking for the laundry ticket behind the open door of Largo's cabin. WTF?

there were two points in MI2 where I had to consult a guide:

Spoiler

the stupid monkey wrench puzzle (would've NEVER thought of that) and having to mix the materials together in a bag at the end. I remember just having them and not knowing what to do with them

[XoPachi]

I booted up New Horizons for the first time since....August. I got on, checked my shops, frowned, got off. But I picked up a KK Song that I didn't have.

https://youtu.be/khoe2zCjZpk

This sounds like Raiden DX. lol
I love the KK airchecks.

[Licorice]

I've been mucking around with the US 2P AC ver, incidentally, now that it'll soon get an official home release. I really, really like it when a Toaplan/esque has zero horizontal movement. Now, you motherfuckers are scrolling into MY line of fire! Cunts! Eliminates a silly extra layer of memo.

Not that I mind remembering "DEADLY PARKING LOT TO RIGHT" "FUCKOFF MASSIVE TANK CONVOY TO LEFT" in Raiden/Trigon et al, just not sad to see it go, you know.

I've always thought of it as more cover shooting and recon than memorization.

[Sumez]

Gotta love it when you need to browse five pages back to figure out what game you're even talking about.

[BIL]

I search they post history 2 solve the case :3