What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

[Squire Grooktook]

They're okay. It's a nice spin on the Mario and Luigi style "actively dodge attacks during turn based rpg combat" but I'd say I like it a bit more then those games. A bit easy, but there are some creative and fun patterns in there. And some of the unique boss gimmicks like blocking with the shield, the platforming, etc. add quite a bit of variety and personality to each boss fight.

It's kind of useless to analyze it from an arcade shmup standpoint when it's not an arcade game, and thus has a completely different game structure and format, though.

I certainly wouldn't mind playing more rpg's with such combat, at any rate.

[qmish]

Guess i get angry after manners of fans.

How they point fingers at those who dont like Undertale saying "poor kids..they just dont get it... tee hee ^_^" and other inside jokes. They make us feel outsiders.

Which is irony, because Undertale caught my interest as a game where you are kind of "human in demon world" stuff. I wish Shadow of the Damned by GHM would have sticked to it's original concept of wandering in Demon village instead of being RE4 alike.

[cave hermit]

I kind of wish I just bought it as soon as I heard about it; when I first heard of the game, it seemed like something I would absolutely love, but at this point, between rabid fans constantly spamming quotes and characters until they stop being memorable and just become irritating, and them constantly giving away spoilers that add up over time until pretty much every major element of the game has been spoiled, I no longer have any real desire to play the game.

[Hagane]

I'm trying to play that Undertale game, but I'm having a hard time standing it. It looks downright ugly, the writing so far is atrocious and the puzzles brain-dead easy. Pacing is quite dull with nothing happening at all for a while. The battle system at least does have a bit of skill behind it sometimes, compared to most JRPGs at least. I don't know why would anyone do random encounters in 2015 though.

This is only after playing the introduction, so I'm guessing it's just a sort of tutorial and things get better later on? Because if it keeps going like that I think I'm going to drop it.

[qmish]

it goes more interesting after ~ 1/4 of game.

as for ugliness... characters have charisma, i'd say.

with nothing happening at all for a while

that's why i'm labelling it as jrpg for those who secretly dont like jrpgs.
i'm always sad how majority plays jrpgs only for plot/characters.

[Lord Satori]

I'm trying to play that Undertale game, but I'm having a hard time standing it. It looks downright ugly, the writing so far is atrocious and the puzzles brain-dead easy. Pacing is quite dull with nothing happening at all for a while. The battle system at least does have a bit of skill behind it sometimes, compared to most JRPGs at least. I don't know why would anyone do random encounters in 2015 though.

This is only after playing the introduction, so I'm guessing it's just a sort of tutorial and things get better later on? Because if it keeps going like that I think I'm going to drop it.

This is the reason fans scoff at non-fans. Play the entire game, THEN see if you can talk it down this much. Since when is it okay to judge a game based upon its tutorial? Her name is "Toriel" for a reason, you know.

[Hagane]

A good game should be good all the way through. The first part has been total rubbish and it's totally understandable for many people to be put off by that. If it doesn't get better in the next hour I'm not going to punish myself any more.

And yeah the silly wink wink nods are easy to spot, like her holding your hand in puzzles and stuff. Hope the writing rises above that level soon.

[e_tank]

...hate the fandom.

Hating the people who like a game has never been a good reason to hate a game.

Judge it on its own merits, or don't judge it at all, I say.

while i totally agree with this and pretty much everything Squire Grooktook has said so far on undertale, i get where qmish is coming from. i think a lot ppl are annoyed b/c much like how steve jobs is placed on a pedestal and given way too much credit for apple/etc, some ppl are praising the game for poor or even just incorrect reasons. like i often see it called a great game with a great soundtrack, but imo it's a great game b/c of it's soundtrack. to me the soundtrack and how well it's used is the highlight of the game and even if you don't agree with that you can't deny that it's at least a big part of it.

i've played all 3 of the mother games, of which undertale is an obvious love letter to and borrows nearly all of its important elements from, and i strongly feel undertale is the better game. imo originality doesn't matter nearly as much as polish and attention to detail, one of the most impressive things about this game is how it's able to accomplish so much with so little actual content, it really knows how to play on its strengths well.

And how do you rate danmaku elements from shmupper standpoint?

this is one of my biggest complaints with the game, although it does a good job of switching the basic mechanics up here and there just enough to keep you interested, i feel for most of us stg vets it's all just too easy. i'm just starting a genocide run as we speak (which btw i'm loving how the game is able to make me feel like shit for doing!), so maybe it will get harder but so far the hardest part for me has been getting the secret in the credits. and even that wasn't so much hard as annoying b/c you have to sit thru ~5 mins of credits for a single shot at it (protip: align your heart vertically with the infinity symbol to avoid the 2nd pattern). but i get that if it was any harder it prob wouldn't have such wide spread appeal, which is why i'd really like to see game updated with a completed hard mode. also, again totally agree with Squire Grootook that i'd like to see this mechanic included and expanded upon in rpgs to come, really makes the game more palatable to my tastes.

@Hagane: if you're not feeling it after the fight with papyrus (and the event that comes afterwards, if you play ur cards right ) you could prob stop at that point. really, after reading your comments in "your fav game of all time thread" i can tell you right now i don't believe you'll be able to appreciate it for what it is. that doesn't mean it's not a good game, imo it is, it's just not a game for you.

[Jonathan Ingram]

Not that anyone asked for it, but I've comprised a small list of games that share thematic, narrative and gameplay elements with Undertale(in case you're done with it and now itching for something with a similar vibe):

- Chulip (PS2)
- Contact (DS)
- Little King's Story (Wii)
- Moon: Remix RPG Adventure (PS1)
- UFO: A Day in Life (PS1)
- LOL: Lack of Love (Dreamcast)
- Chibi-Robo! (GC, Wii)
- Okaeri! Chibi-Robo! (DS)
- Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland (DS)
- Tingle’s Love Balloon Trip (DS)
- Giftpia (GC)
- Opoona (Wii)
- Captain Rainbow (Wii)
- Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale (3DS)
- G.O.D Pure: Growth or Devolution (PS1)
- Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (GBA)
- Endnesia (PS2)

...and of course either of the Mother games.

[qmish]

did you forget Endnesia? From UFO/LOL/GiFTPiA authors.

[Jonathan Ingram]

did you forget Endnesia? From UFO/LOL/GiFTPiA authors.

I did! Will add it to the list now.

[Hagane]

@Hagane: if you're not feeling it after the fight with papyrus (and the event that comes afterwards, if you play ur cards right ) you could prob stop at that point. really, after reading your comments in "your fav game of all time thread" i can tell you right now i don't believe you'll be able to appreciate it for what it is. that doesn't mean it's not a good game, imo it is, it's just not a game for you.

Yeah definitely it's not. I think it's a pretty bad game, full of terrible 4chan grade writing, unfunny fourth wall breaking jokes that get really annoying, very bad pacing with many segments of nothing happening at all (battles, puzzles, dialogue, nothing), super easy puzzles that might as well not be there (I went in blind and solved them all save the piano one on the first try, definitely not a good thing), the monster talking mechanic is equally easy to figure out...

On its favor I can say that the battle system is not that bad (though nowhere near the level of an Ys game) and has decent variety even if it's rather easy, but boss fights drag way too long, with pointless talking/mercy choices once you already have figured out what you have to do (the first boss fight for example has you picking MERCY like 20 times in a row even after she's already stopped fighting). Some nonlinearity is welcome to the genre, also.

Its strengths are not enough to compensate for all the negatives though, particularly because the parts where you actually play (mostly boss battles as many regular enemies are quickly beaten by dialog) are comparatively infrequent. Doesn't help that it looks and sounds very bad too.

I found myself spacing out due to boredom the whole way. Gave up on the part with the waterfalls as I noticed that it just won't improve.

[mamboFoxtrot]

People's complaints about the excessive hype-train surrounding Undertale kinda reminds me of people making the same complaints about Earthbound and Mother 3. Given the similarities, I wonder if it's some of the same people? I personally haven't experienced any of this nonsense since I don't bother with those parts of the internet.


Anyways, I've finished co-oping Yoshi's Wooly World with my sister. The game is better than I expected, though I keep my expectations pretty low these days. It's genuinely cute and has a lot of clever little gimmicks, but obviously, being primarily for the childrens, the difficulty is usually pretty light. Granted, co-oping, especially Nintendo's "two people can't be in the same place" style of it, makes a lot of things much harder than they need to be lol.


I unlocked EX Difficulty in The Red Star, but it turns out its just the same game, but sped up. I've been replaying it just for kicks at this point, and honestly I think the mild speed increase just makes the game feel more fun.


Also, for whatever god-damned reason, I've decided to try out a peculiar type of challenge run in Mega Man X6 that I'm just going to call "Shadow Armor %". Basically, I assemble the Shadow Armor, get the Hyper Dash part, and ignore everything else - the 8 bosses, the health upgrades, sub-tanks, other parts, etc - and then complete the Gate stages with only the Shadow Armor. As expected, I'm having a rough time trying to consistently beat Nightmare Mother. Honestly, some of the patterns feel like they might just be dumb luck, and some of the comments left by some people on YouTube who've done no-damage fights with it are not giving me much reason to believe otherwise, but I guess I'll keep at it. But seriously, why do I keep playing this fucking game?

[EmperorIng]

Not that anyone asked for it, but I've comprised a small list of games that share thematic, narrative and gameplay elements with Undertale

I would really like to try out Chulip at some point; it looks like a really off-beat and interesting adventure game.

Little King's Story is probably one of my favorite Wii games - packed with charm, great bosses, and a unique mixture of town-building sim + RTS-esque gameplay. Even though it can be excruciatingly difficult to keep your army alive (your soldiers are pretty fragile), and that some parts are impossible without the right group/class (meaning you always need to take a few carpenters, farmers, and so on), the game had me sucked in from start to finish.

Contact is a game that would have been better if its grindy, uninvolved combat system was given more than 15 minutes of thought. I mean yeah, I "get" that you don't "control" your character Terry for story reasons... except that you tell him where to move, who to talk to, what to use... So just having a switch on/off for attack mode, while enemies are tanky and you need to grind to survive - well, it undoes all the great audio/visuals, as well as the cool and quirky story.

[Mischief Maker]

I'm playing an early access copy of Energy Hook, an indie title by the designer of the web-slinging system from Spider Man 2. It's a free-roaming trick game ala. Tony Hawk. So far the 3D grappling hook mechanics are really, really fun, and the game does a good job of making clear how enormous many of its environments are. Even without the missions it's a blast just swinging around and exploring these environments.

Unfortunately DRM-free humble store customers are once again treated like red headed stepchildren and I'm still playing a bugtastic incomplete 2-month old build while those snot-nosed punks using steam are playing content-complete builds!

[gbaplayer]

Playing Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel (PS3). And man what a great game it is, very classic gameplay and i get a Persona 4 vibe from it.
Every RPG fan should play it.

[broken harbour]

I got Battlefront on a coupon so I figured, why the heck not? (I know... OMG online FPS get outta here!!!! BLAH BLAH BLAH)

Playing on PS4

Anyways....

The Good:
-It literally feels like you are in Star Wars, all the sights and sounds are there
-Excellent sound design, great surround mixing, and big explosions vibrate everything in the house, fantastic...
-Decent variety of maps
-I have experienced zero lag or dropped connections, very impressive given my less than stellar internet connection

The Bad:
-Matchmaking appears borked, often I get stuck on maps full of lvl 50 players and I'm at level 9, so I get destroyed.
-Higher levels unlocks better weapons and powerups, which further lopsides the game in favor of those who've been playing for 100+ hours (I get why its like this to keep players playing, but it makes it impossible for a new player to get anywhere.)
-EXP is doled out way too slowly.
-Cannot create your own game, I want to be able to select what map I'm playing on, and whether or not I want to shoot Rebel Scum or Stormtroopers. Instead, the game chooses for you each time.

Overall... its a good, but ultimately flawed game. The slow level progression and the absolute smackdown given to new players isn't fun, and turns the game into a bit of a grind sometimes. There are times when everything comes together and it's breathtaking. I had one game that was incredible, I'm behind Darth Vader, he's force choking rebels as we run towards their base, with AT-AT's stomping away beside us, I'm mopping up the leftovers, overhead a TIE fighter and X-Wing collide in mid air, and crash into the ground in front of us, sending 15 players into the air in the ensuing explosion. On either side of the valley snipers are taking out guys we can't hit. In the distance.. a fast moving smoke trail becomes a rocket that hits the AT-AT behind me, destroying it... and it collapses into a heap on the ground crushing me in the best way possible. WOW....

Other matches.... get boring... its a very uneven game, tho at times it's brilliance comes through. Its been a long time since I've been so love/hate with a game.

[Jonathan Ingram]

Little King's Story is probably one of my favorite Wii games - packed with charm, great bosses, and a unique mixture of town-building sim + RTS-esque gameplay. Even though it can be excruciatingly difficult to keep your army alive (your soldiers are pretty fragile), and that some parts are impossible without the right group/class (meaning you always need to take a few carpenters, farmers, and so on), the game had me sucked in from start to finish.

The key to success in LKS is attacking and quickly withdrawing. Works on the majority of enemies and makes the game a walk in the park for the most part. My biggest and perhaps only gripe with the game are the needlessly esoteric requirements for defeating some of the bosses. The egg boss especially was a pain in the neck and a really bad case of originality for the sake of originality, a blemish on the otherwise perfect game.

I would really like to try out Chulip at some point; it looks like a really off-beat and interesting adventure game.

Interesting is not a word! Chulip sets you out on an epic quest to smooch the Long Life Town's zany citizenry(ostensibly, the only way to prove one's worth) to win the dame of your heart. She will have none of your flirting otherwise!

[Mero]

Been playing King of Dragons, there's a lot of stages. Furthest I've been so far, I game overed on the boss fight where you're surrounded by a load of grim reapers.

Needless to say, I'm playing as the Elf.

[null1024]

Been playing Outrun via Cannonball.
Man, there's nothing quite as dumb as driving along beautifully and then suddenly getting cut-off, spinning out, and slamming into the scenery out of nowhere. It's like I'm actually driving on I-95.

God, I love this game though. Just, beautiful.

[Ruldra]

Been playing King of Dragons, there's a lot of stages. Furthest I've been so far, I game overed on the boss fight where you're surrounded by a load of grim reapers.

Needless to say, I'm playing as the Elf.

That's stage 10 of 16, you're not too far from the end. But I agree that there are too many stages, feels like it's dragging on after a while.

I'd recommend using the Wizard, he starts weak but gets very powerful later on. The game should be pretty easy with him. I think Elf has the worst defense of the character classes.

[BulletMagnet]

Downloaded a couple of PS1 games from the current PSN sale that I'd missed in real time, here are a few very early impressions:

Jumping Flash: I like how the game gets right down to business and isn't afraid to be what it is, but I found getting around to be more cumbersome than I'd hoped...maybe I just need more play time to get accustomed to the controls, but they certainly didn't gel with me as easily as they might have.

Tomba: Digging the vibrancy of the presentation and characters, though the oddball jumping in particular is difficult to get a bead on at times...I also wish you could pan the camera a bit for a better look around, as I ended up taking more leaps of faith than I liked, especially in spots where it wasn't obvious you could switch planes. It has a bit of "classic adventure" flavor to it, which worries me, since I'm terrible at those kinds of games, but I'm curious how far I might go without getting stuck...

Parasite Eve: This is the sort of game that practically begs for a remake; aside from the visuals, the movement speed and "the box won't open unless you're at the perfect angle when you press the button" quirks could use a new coat of paint, among other things. Otherwise, the setting and theme are unusual for something RPG-ish, and the hybrid combat, while I wouldn't mind a bit more depth, doesn't work too badly at all, though I kept on thinking "man, they were onto something here, why didn't they stick with it?"

I also picked up Symphony of the Night while I was at it; I have the Dracula X collection on PSP, but with this I can play the game full-screen(-ish) and relive the cheesy voice acting (though I honestly found a couple of characters' performances superior to Chronicles') that I've never been able to divorce from the overall experience.

[Chaos Phoenixma]

Well finished the good end of Gurumin on Normal in the Steam version. I never bother doing the one for not getting all the stuff returned because you don't get to save clear data with that ending. Though the fact that the S-Rank achievements do not unlock if you've also done the optional boss means that you have to S-Rank all other stages, beat the final boss for the true ending for it. Then you have to load your save before beating the game, beat the optional boss, then beat the final boss again for the All Stages one.


So I have the achievement for S-Ranking Normal now. So it's time to farm a lot to boost my equipment for the optional boss, which from what I remember on PSP could be a hard fight on the higher difficulties(I actually never did beat that boss on Crazy on the PSP but managed the boss rush for all other difficulties which includes the fight), but shouldn't be too bad on Normal. Going to want to get a lot of money so I can rebuy a lot of the stuff in NG+ right away as well as upgrade gear, so it'll be a while before I beat the final boss again and NG+ into Hard(though I'll eventually have to play Beginner as well due to it being a requirement for Boss Rush).

I definitely don't need to get all the stuff maxed right now, but I'm going to go to at least level 4 on them since 250 junk for that upgrade is a lot more reasonable than the 999 you need to go from 4 to 5. Maybe some of the more useful things I might go for level 5 on this run though just so it's already done for NG+ runs.

[Squire Grooktook]

RE: King of Dragon's

I actually really like the game, but only if played with the melee characters. The emphasis on blocking random telegraphed attacks makes it feel fresh and visceral in a way unique from the pure spacing games of most other brawlers.

I don't know why everyone picks elf and wizard. They're terribly boring IMO and ignore the only fun gimmick that the game has going for it, and the game already has issues with pace due to the terribly over-bloated length. I suppose they make sense if you just want a quickie 1cc, but there are shorter games to go for cheap clears. If there's anything genuinely fun about the projectile users, I'm not seeing it.

If you don't mind having a tough time for a bit, I recommend setting the dip switch difficulty level to max and picking Warrior. Makes for quite a fun hack and slash reflex blocking simulator.

[Ed Oscuro]

Been playing Outrun via Cannonball. [...] It's like I'm actually driving on I-95.

Could've been worse.

Thankfully we don't have to deal with none 'o dat on I-94.

[lilmanjs]

Project Cars on Xbox One
Found some guides on tweaking settings so I can play with the controller and haven't looked back since. In my 3rd season and doing 2 different series in cars and have been brought back for what I hope is my final kart championship.

[professor ganson]

legend of heroes trails in the sky second chapter - everything I hoped for so far, love it!

[Squire Grooktook]

Speaking of, on the final dungeon in Trails In The Sky (First Chapter).

Shit got real and then it got realer.

That final dungeon theme though.

[pokemon123]

Speaking of, on the final dungeon in Trails In The Sky (First Chapter).

Shit got real and then it got realer.

That final dungeon theme though.

just wait till the very end, just wait. so crazy

I just started SC today myself. Seems like everyone is playing TITS heh

[Mero]

I don't know why everyone picks elf and wizard. They're terribly boring IMO and ignore the only fun gimmick that the game has going for it, and the game already has issues with pace due to the terribly over-bloated length. I suppose they make sense if you just want a quickie 1cc, but there are shorter games to go for cheap clears. If there's anything genuinely fun about the projectile users, I'm not seeing it.

That's stage 10 of 16, you're not too far from the end. But I agree that there are too many stages, feels like it's dragging on after a while.

I'd recommend using the Wizard, he starts weak but gets very powerful later on. The game should be pretty easy with him. I think Elf has the worst defense of the character classes.

Yeah I'm playing as the Elf just to make it a bit easier, I'm crap at beat 'em ups so I relished the opportunity to be able to hit things from distance. Playing as him is *quite* exciting because he's only ever 2 or 3 hits from death

I'll have to do a few runs with the Wizard. Furthest I can no miss is The Black Knight.