cyberramblings

[cyberramblings]

Dark Souls x Warriors

So, it occurred to me today that Dark Souls would be a perfect fit for a Warriors/Musou crossover game. Here are some thoughts in no particular order.

I'm not sure Bloodborne would work as well, since I feel like it has less iconic NPC's, but I'd love for it to feature as DLC, especially at least as a level or two since the environment is the best part. I haven't played Sekiro, but again I suspect it would make for great DLC featuring Mr. Die Twice himself and a level or two.

Elden Ring has a lot of iconic characters, but I feel like it almost goes the other way and is too big for me to remember specific ones.

Regardless of "why", the real "why" of focusing on DS1-3 is because that's just what I want to do. Oh, also haven't played Demon Souls. Put it on Xbox, cowards.

So first off, I figure there has to be a male and female avatar for each of the three games. Hyrule/FE Warriors also introduce original characters, so perhaps that would fit too, especially if they fill a similar role, but with the original three protagonists appearing as enemies initially.

The point is: the protagonists, like in Hyrule/FE warriors, would be the most versatile ones able to equip multiple movesets. Dark Souls and Warriors are both series known for having varied movesets per weapon.

So, list of Dark Souls 1 movesets:

Axe

Hammer

Greataxe

Great Hammer

Fist

Shield

Spear

Polearm

Scythe

Curved Sword

Katana

Curved Greatsword

Straight Sword

Large Sword

Ultra Large Sword

Piercing Sword

Pyromancy

Sorceries

Miracles

Daggers

Whips

Lantern?

Bow

Crossbow

I figure shields get paired with straight swords, or perhaps any of the one handed-feeling weapons, but it's not a huge deal. I figure we adapt each of the three main magic types into a moveset. I don't think the DLC dark magic is bountiful enough to adapt here, but obviously from 2/3 we have hexes as an additional moveset.

Dark Souls 2 introduces a couple new movesets.

Claws

Lance

Twinblades

Hexes

Greatbow

Now, Dark Souls 2 of course also introduce power stancing. I figure the weapons that fit that motif have it incorporated, like daggers, fists, claws.

I don't think DS3 introduces new weapon types, but it does add weapon arts, which would be needed to inject some more fantastical elements and variety to the movesets.

As for armor, I think you include each of the protagonists in the box art armor, plus options for the starting class armors. I will circle back around if there are any other armor sets that strike me as iconic but are not associated with NPC's.

And the real meat: which NPC's I would include from each game!

DS1:

Solaire, duh

Laurentius - as pyromancer rep

Petrus -MAYBE but he is on thin ice

Ingward - looks cool but maybe just have him as a merchant

Crestfallen Warrior - maybe

Lautrec - his armor is too cool not to

Andre of Astora - maybe, he could wield the hammer

Shiva - cool armor, cool weapons

Siegmeyer - duh

Darkmoon Knightess - her armor is cool and female rep

Gwyndolin - One of the smaller bosses, I think it could work

Priscila - I think you'd have to shrink her but DS sizes have alwyas been wonky

Blacksmith Vamos - Just make him Andre skeleton

Patches - duh

Sieglinde - not essential, but just make her an alternate for Siegmeyer

Ornstein/Smough - They're iconic, just shrink them

Pinwheel - joke character

Artorias - duh

Big Hat Logan - sorcerer rep

Tarkus - The armor

Black/Silver Knight - Just so cool

Havel - duh

Mimic - They're so iconic, there is some move potential

Darkwraith Knight - A little generic but cool design

Oscar of Astora - Too iconic not too include

Gwyn - Seems doable

DS2:

Benhart of Jugo - Just for the sword

Mild Mannered Pate - I think this one is obvious

Gavlan - Not as playable, but as merchant

Lucatiel - the most obvious one

Straid - Maybe as a magic character

Vengarl - In headless form

The Pursuer - he only needs to get shrunk a little

Looking Glass Knight - same

Flexile Sentry - A lot of fun moves possible here

Lost Sinner - looks cool, humanoid

Ruin Sentinel - If you shrink them...

Old dragonslayer - Overlaps with Ornstein but maybe

Velstadt - Looks cool

Dragonrider - A little generic, but nearly already a player

Alva - iconic armor

Fume Knight - player adjacent

Sir Alonne - player adjacent

Burnt Ivory King - Kind of just a big player

DS3 overlaps a lot with 1, but:

Greirat - maybe, unique moveset potential

Siegward - The obvious one, Storm Ruler is cool

Anri/Horace - Maybe as a tag team

Leonhard - Cool hat

Hodrick - Maybe

Vilhelm - Maybe

Gael - duh

Iudex/Champion Gundyr - If you shrink him, maybe. So iconic

Crystal Sage - Sorcerer rep

Abyss watchers - No brainer, summon backup for ultimate

Dancer of the Boreal Valley - Shrink, great design

The Nameless King - Just shrink, so cool

Soul of Cinder - seems like a no brainer

These games tend to only feature a handful of bosses, so we have to be stringent. A caveat could be if we manage to work in several similar bosses as reskins, for example:

Midir/Guardian Dragon/Ancient Wyvern/Gaping Dragon/Oceiros/Sinh/Ancient Dragon/Seath/King of the Storm/Kalameet as reskins

Aside from that, I think the essential non-humanoid bosses of DS1 are:

Asylum/Stray/Firesage Demon - duh, and makes for an easy reskin job

Bell Gargoyles - Seems like this one is a no brainer

Capra Demon - MAYBE

Four Sif - Iconic

Nito - iconic

Queelag - iconic

DS2:

Last Giant/Giants in general - duh

Duke's Dear Freja

Nashandra

DS3:

Vordt of the Boreal Valley

High Lord Wolnir

Yhorm the Giant

Finally, a few locations from each. I'd like to see the hub areas as hub areas, so other than that:

DS1:

Undead Asylum

Undead Burg/Parish

Blighttown

Sen's Fortress

Anor Londo

New Londo Ruins

Painted World of Ariamis

DS2:

Forest of Fallen Giants

Heide's Tower of Flame

Lost Bastille

Earthen Peak/Harvest Valley

The underground areas

Drangleic Castle

Shulva, Sanctum City

Eleum Loyce

DS3:

Cemetery of Ash

High Wall of Lothric

Undead Settlement

Cathedral of the Deeo

Irithyll of the Boreal Valley

Profaned Capital

Archdragon Peak

Kiln of the First Flame

Painted World of Ariandel

Ringed City

Furthermore, Dark Souls would fit the upgrade mechanics of Warriors well. Titanite is already an arbitrary upgrade material, and the ability to infuse weapons would fit well too.

As for iconic armor that isn't starter, box art, or associated with another NPC or boss, definitely the Drangleic, Syan's, and Heide Knight set from DS2 (or make Heide Knight playable). Definitely the silly Xanthous set or an NPC that wears it.

And I think that is all!

[cyberramblings]

James Bond Thoughts: 1962-1985

I'll be listing the films and my brief thoughts on them in the order I saw them, which is just a touch out of order.

004: Thunderball (1965, Connery)

I liked this one alright. In the first hour, I felt the film was way too slow, as this was the first pre-Craig Bond film I had ever seen. By the second hour, I had warmed up to the older pacing and style of the film. The underwater fight scene at the climax was impressive at the time, if not super cool to a modern viewer such as myself. Terrible title.

Should've been called: Stakes Under The Sea/Two Whole Nukes

005: You Only Live Twice (1967, Connery)

The old fashioned racism towards Asian culture made this one difficult to watch now, but the bones were fine. Clearly defined stakes, an exciting climax, fun without being too campy. But it is hard to look at the screen when Sean Connery is "disguised" as a Japanese person. Not a great title, especially since the "rebirth" of Bond is just a throwaway gag at the beginning.

Should've been called: Spaceship Eater/[CONTENT REMOVED DUE TO RACIAL INSENSITIVITY]

001: Dr. No (1962, Connery)

This was one of my favorites. It is a lot more barebones than the other Bond films, but that makes it more of a compelling spy thriller rather than having an emphasis on stunts and gadgets. Dr. No himself delivers a great performance with an amazing death scene. Easy to remember name, since it is also the villain.

Could've been called: Bikini Prime/The Man With The Metal Hand

002: From Russia With Love (1963, Connery)

Another good spy movie. The mechanics of the plot make at least a little sense, and the tension between Bond and the love interest actually matter in this one. Plus, this is the closest we get to a "Bond equal rival", especially with the excellent opening scene showing Russia's top agent actually killing a henchman in a James Bond mask in a live fire training session. The train scene at the end is iconic. Great title, actually makes some kind of sense.

Could've been called: Cryptographer's Delight/Into A Trap

003: Goldfinger (1964, Connery)

This is probably my least favorite of the initial five consecutive Sean Connery films. The villain isn't very menacing. His plan seems too over-the-top to be realistic but not far-fetched enough to be compelling. James Bond spends far too much of the movie in captivity. However, the ending somewhat redeems the film with the amazing moment of all the US marines standing up after faking their deaths at the sabotaged poison gas. Goldfinger's iconic golden gun seems silly and out of place. Oddjob fails to accomplish anything of note with his iconic razor hat. The golfing scene and poolside card cheating scene are good fun though, establishing an excellent motif in the Bond films of James outsmarting cheaters. Decent title since it is the name of the villain, but did he even have a golden finger?

Could've been called: Horse Farm/Fat Man Takes It All

006: On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969, Lazenby)

I am torn on this one. Lazenby does an...okay job. He spends most of the film in disguise as a posh genealogist, which ironically seems more natural for Lazenby. Blofeld's constant recasting doesn't do wonders here either. In fact the whole film has a bit of a fever dream feel to it. The whole allergy thing is a bit silly, especially the chicken allergy hypnosis scene. This marks the first appearance of winter sports in a Bond film, which becomes all too familiar during the Moore era, even down to a luge chase during the climax. The ending scene is gut wrenching admittedly, even if only referenced once (that I have noticed) in future films. Terrible generic title. Also I had forgotten that this movie features a mobster boss begging Bond to marry his daughter.

Should've been called: Allergy Farm/In The Lord's Name

007: Diamonds Are Forever (1971, Connery)

Too campy. Connery too old. A couple fun moments but a lot of wasted potential, like wasting the gimmick of 2 Blofelds instantly. Some fun stunts, like Bond ascending the side of the casino, but generally a boring watch. The bit where James Bond pretends to have just killed James Bond while impersonating a diamond smuggler was fun, as was the preceding elevator fight. Fine title, if a bit on the nose.

Could've Been Called: Stays In Vegas/Smuggled Abroad

008: Live and Let Die (1973, Moore)

The first Roger Moore film. Kind of a crossover with the blaxploitation genre, with predictably awful results. Terrible twist of the two villains being the same man. Terrible villain scheme of plotting to provide...free heroin. Feels like an imitation of a Bond film. Title now iconic because of the song, but nothing to do with the plot. Terrible death scene where the villain pops like a balloon.

Should've been called: Addiction's Delight/[CONTENT REMOVED DUE TO RACIAL INSENSITIVITY]

009: The Man with the Golden Gun (1974, Moore)

Christopher Lee carries every scene he is in, Everything else here sucks, including his villainous plan...to sell solar panels...for a price. The climax where Bond defuses a laser beam is groan inducing. Moore continues to be a bit wooden in this one. I suppose the title is fine, but the gun itself is a bit silly.

Could've Been Called: Million Dollar Bullets/Assassins' Business

0010: The Spy Who Loved Me (1977, Moore)

The first good Roger Moore Bond film! This one clearly borrows from the earlier films. The "ship eats smaller US and Soviet ships" from You Only Live Twice. The Russian blonde defector from From Russia With Love. The twin nukes from Thunderball. Bond riding in a trolley and freeing prisoners from You Only Live Twice. The tense nuke defusal from Goldfinger. Moore looks the part and acts the part in this one finally, and we get a competent love interest more than ever here. This is Roger Moore at his finest as Bond. Jaws even debuts here! The title even works well here.

Could've been called: Triple X/Double Agent

0011: Moonraker (1979, Moore)

This one just kind of sucks. Even before the space stuff starts, the film is campy and boring. The only good moment I can recall is when Bond noscopes a potential assassin that was supposed to gun him down during a hunting "accident". The villain is villainous at least, but his grand scheme is completely out of the blue right at the end. Of course the film goes off the deep end once Bond goes to space. Jaws is here, somehow, but his joke-y romantic subplot manages to steal the show because of how little competition there is. The cable car scene is an example of a particularly poorly paced action scene before the space shenanigans even start. Don't even talk to me about how Jaws and his girlfriend survive an exploding space station. Also please do not talk to me about the increasingly tired trend of the film ending with everyone seeing Bond in bed with a girl. I guess the title itself is fine, but the moon is 0% involved with this film.

Could've been called: Bond vs. Jeff Bezos/The One With The Space Crap

0012: For Your Eyes Only (1981, Moore)

This is isn't particularly bad, it is just boring. I recall very little about this film other than winter sports, a girl so young that Bond turns her down, a girl avenging her parents, and Bond climbing a cliff for far too much of the film. Paced poorly. Title means nothing to the film aside from a single throwaway line.

Should've been called: Dig Two Graves/Under Attack (Like ATAC? Get it?)

0012.5: Never Say Never Again (1983, Connery)

Not a canonical Bond film, but we watched it all the same. Remakes Thunderball but changes enough to stay interesting. It goes to show that all the Bond films are so similar that a direct remake is still different enough. Somehow Connery seems more full of vigor than he did in Diamonds are Forever. The lack of James Bond theme is disturbing and all the replacement music stinks. Not a bad film, definitely better than half of the Moore films. Terrible title, again just a throwaway line, although it is more of a meta-commentary.

Could've been called: Thunderballs/From The Brink

0013: Octo...you know (1983, Moore)

First off, worst title for a Bond film ever. Otherwise, a surprisingly...fine Bond film. I could do with less clown footage in my Bond and the climax is a bit nonsensical, but this one generally delivers the goods. Too much circus screentime and the villainous scheme of "sell fake faberge eggs" isn't enthralling.

Should've been called: Literally Anything Else/Easy Side Up

0014: A View to a Kill (1985, Moore)

Absolutely bonkers, but a bit of fun in its own way. Too campy, too zany, but Christopher Walken gives a great performance. Moore is far too old by this film and it really undercuts the many romantic scenes. Iconic title because of the song, but nothing to do with the plot. Way too much skiing and horse screentime.

Could've been called: At Fault/Back In The Saddle

So, there it is. I wanted to record this before all this information left my mind. So far, I vastly prefer Connery over Moore. Of the Moore films, The Spy Who Loved Me was the only one I felt like really resonated with me, while I was pretty fond of the first five consecutive Connery films on the main. I suspect that the Dalton and Brosnan films will vary, but sit somewhere between the extremes of From Russia With Love and Moonraker.

[cyberramblings]

Hey I Started A Youtube Channel

[cyberramblings]

3DS: Time for Playtime

It's been fun getting a Wii U lately, but I wanted to look back on all the use I've gotten out of my 3DS in the last year by running down my most played games.

Super Smash Bros. - 154 Hours

This is still my most played game after recently getting back into the 3DS, despite playing zero Smash in that time. I played a lot of this game when it came out and then leading up to the release of Ultimate. This game was a godsend for someone like me who didn't own a Wii U but wanted to stay involved with the series.

Pokemon X - 56 Hours

Again, this is from when I first got my 3DS. I played this one over a whole summer vacation off and on! I still can't decide how I feel about XP Share.

Pokemon Ultra Moon - 51 Hours

Okay, this one is this high because after beating the game, my girlfriend tried to catch all the Pokemon and collect all the totem stickers. I really enjoyed this one, but the Ultra Necrozma fight kicked my butt.

Link Between Worlds - 49 Hours

I actually own the special edition Triforce 3DS which came bundled with this game! As my first game on the system, it is no surprise to see it so high, even though I got stuck on the final boss. I consider this to be one of the best Zelda games.

Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask - 41 Hours

This one makes a lot of sense. When I played all that Smash Bros before the release of Ultimate, this was the one other game I played during that time, to the point of actually beating it and a good chunk of the daily puzzles! I even missed a college lecture because I was so wrapped up in the climax.

Pokemon Alpha Sapphire - 27 Hours

Finally, a game I played recently with no shenanigans or excuses. This was an interesting "book ends" with Omega Ruby, as OR was the first Pokemon game I played in my recent endeavor to play them all, while AS was towards the end. Backwards of their names, huh?

Pokemon Omega Ruby - 26 Hours

Fitting that this game should be so close to Alpha Sapphire. I would think that one of these two games would've been left running overnight or somehow had the playtimes differ more, but it somehow makes me hapy to see them side by side. I appreciated Wally's Theme much more the second time through.

Pokemon Y - 23 Hours

Considerably less than the time I spent in X all those years ago. This was one of the last Pokemon games I played in my recent playing of all the games, since I had already technically beaten X. It was a lot of fun to revisit though, and I love Sylveon!

Ocarina of Time 3D - 21 Hours

This one also makes sense, since I owned it during my original teenage years of owning the 3DS. I can't believe I paid 40 bucks for this just to get stuck on the Forest Temple for years! OoT doesn't resonate with me the same way as everyone else seemingly.

Pokemon Red - 19 Hours

Again, this makes sense. I think this was the third game of my recent Pokemon marathon, right after Alpha Sapphire and Ultra Moon. It was a short run thanks to an overlevelled Venasaur and the three legendary birds. I enjoyed crushing this game.

Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy - 16 Hours

This is the game I just finished. I love the series and it was nice to finish it out. I think the ending was silly but the presentation value was nice to see.

Pushmo - 14 Hours

This was my go-to breakfast game for weeks, but phone-scrolling has replaced it as my morning activity while eating.

Shovel Knight - 14 Hours

This used to be the premiere downloadable title on 3DS. I think this game still holds up, but it has lost the sheer novelty of being a Kickstarter retro success over time.

Shin Megami Tensei IV - 13 Hours

I liked Persona 4 so I thought I would like this. It was too difficult for me back then, but now I don't have the patience. This was one of the games I actually paid 15 bucks to download back in highschool.

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate - 13 Hours

The first of my several attempts to get into Monster Hunter. I bought, played, quit, and sold this game all back in high school. I would later go on to buy, try, and sell Monster Hunter World as well. It just isn't for me.

Metroid: Samus Returns - 12 Hours

I tried and hated this game on PC emulator, but it has a lot more charm on the actual system. I still generally dislike the melee mechanic but I generally enjoyed this game. It helps that I even beat the original first! Hopefully Dread fixes the few things wrong with this game.

Kid Icarus: Uprising - 12 Hours

I don't know if I ever fell in love with the "unique" control scheme of this game, but I definitely fell in love with all of the characters! This was a great one to play with my girlfriend watching. It's also great to have more of a context for Pit, Palutena, and Dark Pit in Smash now!

Pokemon Sun - 11 Hours

I haven't beaten it yet, whoops.

Rhyhm Heaven Megamix - 11 Hours

One of the last purchases I made before the Switch came out and killed my 3DS playing nearly permanently. I paid 30 bucks! As much as I love this game, I don't know if it was worth that.

Super Mario 3D Land - 10 Hours

A rare game that I played before AND after the rift of me playing 3DS. It's...fine. Definitely Mario.

Picross 3D: Round 2 - 9 Hours

I have always loved Picross and this is no exception. I really should dive back in sometime!

Animal Crossing: New Leaf - 8 Hours

I just can't get into it, I've tried but I can't.

Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright - 8 Hours

This was actually a birthday gift! I was very excited for the concept but hugely turned off by the time travel and setting. I need to give it another shake, perhaps after replaying some of the Ace Attorney games.

Resident Evil The Mercenaries 3D - 7 Hours

One of my few highschool digital purchases. I played a lot of Mercenaries in 6 and 5 (which this is based on, seemingly). It's...fine. But I should have just replayed Revelations on 3DS instead.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy - 6 Hours

It was 7 bucks at GameStop used, so I guess I almost got a 1:1 ratio of hours to dollars. I would've enjoyed this game more now, after playing FF7 Remake.

Pokemon Picross - 6 Hours

Free AND Picross? Yes, but also grindy and scummy. I wish you could just buy a physical copy of this game with everything unlocked.

Paper Mario Sticker Star - 5 Hours

Ten dollars on clearance was too much for this game. Maybe I will try it again sometime knowing ahead of time that it is a joke of a video game. I spit on this game's grave.

Mario Tennis Open - 5 Hours

A lot of the games I acquired within the last year have much lower playtimes, so I was not expecting to see this game this high. I guess I played a few tournaments. I feel like I quit because Waluigi cheated, then played just the tutorial of Mario Golf before quitting that too.

Elite Beat Agents - 4.5 Hours

This game rules.

Tetris Axis - 4.5 Hours

This game drools.

Kirby Planet Robobot - 4.5 Hours

Cute game, but I only play it with my girlfriend.

New Super Mario Brothers 2 - 4.5 Hours

I am surprised it is this low considering I got stuck on the final boss in single player and beat around 2 worlds in coop.

Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward - 4 Hours

I need to play more!

Super Smash Brothers Demo - 4 Hours

Hell yeah this was such an exciting time to be a Nintendo fan! Trying to get ahold of this demo was like getting a Willy Wonk golden ticket. I was so excited to play as Mega Man, Villager, Mario, Link, and Pikachu even if just on Battlefield.

Kingdom Hearts 3D - 3.5 Hours

A surprisingly competent action RPG. This game kind of reeks as part of the PS4 collection, but it really shines on the original version.

Layton's Mystery Journey - 3 Hours

I like the idea of playing as Layton's daughter, but I don't like having a talking dog and an insufferable simp as sidekicks. I hope the next game just returns to the original crew.

Mario Kart 7 - 3 Hours

It's...Mario Kart. Not a ton more to say.

Mario Party Island Tour - 3 Hours

I have trouble keeping the different 3DS Mario Party games separate in my mind, but anything that's not Top 100 is fun with friends. Top 100 only has one, miserable board! Why???

Ultimate NES Remix - 3 Hours

A great game for pick up and play, but not for long sessions.

Art of Balance Touch - 3 Hours

Recently got into this. Tons of fun until the difficulty gets a little too high!

Warioware Gold - 2.5 Hours

I completely beat this game and it is still this low. Fun, but hard to recommend at any price but free.

Luigi's Mansion 2 - 2.5 Hours

Cute game....but feels hard to play for more than 20 minutes at a time.

Dead or Alive Dimensions - 2.5 Hours

Again, all I did was beat the game and then quit. Surprsingly competent for a 3DS fighting game, but too barebones with content compared to Smash.

Boxboy - 2.5 Hours

I feel like I played this game way more. It's cute and fun, but now I have a hard time picking up the puzzles where I left them.

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate Demo - 2.5 Hours

This tricked me into buying the game! Dangit

Mario Party Star Rush - 2.5 Hours

Oh god, I can't keep this one and Island Tour straight.

Pokemon Shuffle - 2 Hours

I feel like I played this one way more, but that is probably because the phone version also exists.

VVVVVV - 2 Hours

Beat the whole game! Not a bad way to spend time, but this makes it worth only 2 dollars according to my 1:1 ratio of dollars to hours.

Final Fantasy Explorers - 2 Hours

I like some things about this game but I just cannot play anything related to Monster Hunter.

Tri Force Heroes - 2 Hours

This suffers from "Overcooked syndrome" where you have to rely on your teammates so much that it becomes a total chore.

Theatrythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call - 1.5 Hours

I played that much just to unlocked multiplayer.

Super Street Fighter IV - 1.5 Hours

I think I paid for this game full price back in high school and then barely played it. I've always tried to delude myself into thinking that I can play real fighting games that are not Smash.

Hatsune Miku Project Mirai DX - 1.5 Hours

Again, I feel like I played this game for days and days. I suppose rhythm games feel like time slows down when you play them. Thumbs up for including Puyo Puyo! I am surprised this game released in the West at all.

Rune Factory 4 - 1.5 Hours

I got this far as a favor to a friend. I just can't play any game where there is an optimal way to act that sounds exhausting but possible to me. I know I could easily talk to all the NPC's every day... but I do not want to.

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate - 1.5 Hours

This was exclusively played with friends. Not a fan.

Pokemon Rumble World - 1.5 Hours

Free games. Novelty as a kid. No time for them as an adult. Nothing about this game is appealing beyond the price point.

Attack of the Friday Monster - 1.5 Hours

My biggest memory of this game is playing it on the schoolbus when a little kid asked if he could play/watch and I told him I was playing a boring game that he wouldn't like. As cute as this game is, yes, it is boring and not very fun.

Sonic Generations - 1.5 Hours

I somewhat enjoyed this game until the Shadow boss fight. Can't figure it out. Not fun.

Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn - 1.5 Hours

Cute, played it with girlfriend.

Super Mario Land 2 - 1 Hour

I think I got this with Club Nintendo points?

Rage of the Gladiator - 1 Hour

Medieval offbrand Punch-Out.

Mario Party: The Top 100 - 1 Hour

ONE BOARD?!? At least it has the storybook minifame from gamecube Mario Party.

Trace Memory - 1 Hour

Bought used from GameStop. I was told it was a hidden gem, but I didn't have the patience.

Mario and Sonic Rio 2016 - 1 Hour

Cute game to play with friends but some of the minigames suck. Thumbs up for less common Sonic characters.

Azure Striker Gunvolt - 1 Hour

Not bad, just helped me realize that I don't really like Mega Man style games all that much. The genre of "Mega Man" just feels like a Metroid with no exploration or meaningful progression.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon - 1 Hour

I tried to get into this franchise but it is so booooorring and slow and unappealing to me.

I've been rounding to the half hour, so the next game is Zelda Oracle of Season at 44 minutes, which would round down to half an hour. I will take that as my cue to finish here.

In conclusion: games I owned longer tended to be played longer. Shocker. This was all just an excuse to ramble about Nintendo games anyways.

[cyberramblings]

Wii U: (U)nowned

So, there's still some games I don't have for Wii U that interest me still. I figured I would chronicle them here.

Virtual Console

The NES and SNES Virtual Console games don't interest me much because they are mostly available on Switch as part of the Online subscription, plus most of the NES games are also available on 3DS, plus most of them are old news to me by now one way or the other. I should probably get ahold of the Mario, Zelda, Kirby, and other heavy hitters regardless. What really interests me is the GBA, DS, N64, and Wii games available on the eShop. Not a massive priority, but I love the idea of being able to play those games legit on the big screen or little screen.

Xenoblade Chronicles X

This is the big one. As far as I can tell, the only other games still exclusive to the Wii U are games with lukewarm responses (Star Fox Zero, Paper Mario Color Splash), games with constant new entries (Mario Tennis Ultra Smash, Mario Party 10), or games that were already ports (the Zelda HD ports). I think XCX is the only game on Wii U with no Switch or other platform version that doesn't fit one of those categories. I am not a huge JRPG guy, but I enjoyed my time with Xenogears and I appreciate that this seems to be the only Xenoblade to lean into the mech DNA of the "Xeno" franchise.

Devil's Third

This falls under the category of "lukewarm response" as stated, although even that seems like doing this game a favor. Also it technically had a limited PC version in some regions, but it is an important part of "The Tragedy of the Wii U" if you were going to try to inform somebody about all the swings and misses of the Wii U.

Multiplatform Games

There's a bunch of games available on other platforms that I still want to try on Wii U to see how they use the gamepad and how they hold up graphically. Furthermore, it fuels my morbid obsession with the Wii U and how bizarre it was for it to have gotten 1-2 years of third party support from companies like Ubisoft and EA. I'd be interested in checking out Deus Ex, Resident Evil Revelations, Splinter Cell, Need for Speed, Arkham City, Call of Duty, Ninja Gaiden, and Amazing Spiderman.

Gamepad Games

Obviously I want anything that makes good use of the weirdo controller screen. This includes ZombiU, Rayman Legends, and an indie game called Adventure Party. Those first two have ports that I've played, but I hear they make good use of the gamepad.

Switch Ports

Despite some of these games having Switch versions, I think it would be fun to play them on Wii U. Wonderful 101, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, and Pokken Tournament. Despite having superior versions available, these games help fill out the roster of genres available on the Wii U and are essential to the "story" of the console's life cycle.

[cyberramblings]

Wii U: Let Us Play

I am aware that this is entirely uninteresting, but I am going to talk about it anyways. Let's dive in to all the games I played yesterday and how I acutely felt about playing them.

Splatoon

I feel like this game is perfect for playing just a match or two a day, but I do also like playing a mission of the campaign per day. I will likely continue this trend. I adore the aesthetic and vibe of this game, and I love a rare shooter where you can do more than just kill.

Skyward Sword

Again, this is a good game for chipping away at gradually because the motion control combat drives me nuts. I really love the time travel mechanic in the desert area, but I just hit a big, open section and noped out of there. I do want to see the whole story, so I should just dive back in ASAP and look up a guide if I really get stuck.

Severed

Booted it up yesterday. Love the aesthetic and tone, but I found the gameplay did not resonate with me. I should give it another proper try sometime but I was easily frustrated.

Mario Maker

I found the forced tutorial...odd. I much prefer the single player offerings of the Switch version or even the 3DS version, but it still seems like a must-own.

Super Mario Galaxy 2

I just did the boss of the first world yesterday (Gobblegut). I feel like this game can be great when the level design is really poping, but this fight just showed off the weakness of the camera. I will still be playing again though, slowly making progress towards catching up to my last playthrough.

Metroid Prime

This game just continues to cement itself in my mind as the greatest of all time. I am already dreading the endgame slog, and I am aware of the game's hyper-similarities to Super Metroid, but there is little else that I enjoy as much as playing Metroid Prime. I got the charge beam and morph ball bomb, so things are really heating up. I think part of my love for Metroid Prime comes from seeing a trailer for it on a Gamecube demo disc when I was like four or five. I really should track that down.

[cyberramblings]

Wii U: Wiishlist

I recently came into the possession of a Nintendo Wii U and I wanted to talk about the games I have not been playing yet, but plan on playing later.

Pikmin 1-3

This is a no-brainer. I loved Pikmin 2 as a kid and now I can finally experience the full trilogy with motion controls on a big screen.

Paper Mario Color Splash

I hear mixed things, but I want to form my own opinion.

Star Fox Guard

See above.

Wind Waker/Twilight Princess HD

These are the two best games on Wii U that are missing from the Switch. I just have to beat Skyward Sword first.

Mario Tennis Ultra Smash

Just wanna pop my head in

Mario Party 10

I know everyone hates the shared car thing, but I am sure there is still hours of fun to be had here.

Mario Maker

I already have the sequel, but I just want to check out the single-player offerings and general presentation.

Super Paper Mario

I was mad when this game was announced and wasn't a sequel to TTYD, but I hear it has aged well.

Severed

Always been curious about this game.

Pushmo World

Love Pushmo on my 3DS

Pokemon Snap

I am curious about the control changes, plus I think this might be the best Pokemon game officially playable on a Wii U.

Sin and Punishment

I've always been curious about this game and seen it references in Smash

Lego City Undercover

I hear good things about this game. Low Priority without a partner to play it with.

Octodad

I loved the free version years ago, plus this would be a fun one to be seen playing.

Mario Sports Mix

I mostly just wanna see what sports there are and how they control

Little Inferno

A cute gem, seems like a good short game.

Metroid Fusion

I will take any excuse to replay any Metroid.

Fatal Frame

I think I only have the demo, but that should be enough for me.

Fast Neo

Just wanna wet my whistle and see why people consider this a hidden gem.

Castlevania GBA

Already played them, but it might be fun to replay these on the Wii U's official emulator.

Bayonetta

It's been long enough since I beat 2 to try the original.

Xenoblade Chronicles

Not usually a JRPG guy, but I need to know more about Shulk for Smash.

[cyberramblings]

Wii U: From Me To You

I recently came into the possession of a Nintendo Wii U and I wanted to talk about the games I have been playing on it.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

This is the game I have been putting the most time in. I got through the first two major dungeons in the game. I like the puzzles, characters, and atmosphere but dislike the motion controls in combat and the inventory system. The real big test of how I feel about this game is whether or not I would jump straight to Wind Waker or Twilight Princess (#1 and #2 on the list of Wii U exclusive experience in 2021, the order of which is subject) before beating this game. While I have toyed with the idea, I at least want to dive in in to the third major area of the game before shelving the title. I do, however, dread the next Girahim fight...

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

A cute, fun title but I am going to need a lot more Mario before I need a different 2D platformer on this system.

Super Mario 3D World

I've played it before, but it's a great coop title. I probably won't play it alone though.

Super Mario Galaxy 2

An excellent collection of obstacle courses. I am nearly at the end of the first world, so not as far as I got last time I played but I am getting close. I will likely continue to play this as my go-to "pick up and play" title.

Metroid Prime Trilogy

Despite beating the whole Metroid series almost exactly a year ago, I will likely continue my trek through the Chozo Ruins. Metroid is a series with a lot of backtracking and potential for optimizing speed, so replaying the game almost just feels like picking up where you left off. As if I needed evidence that enough time has passed to warrant a replay, I got stuck on a stupidly easy "puzzle" early on that required the player to shoot a mushroom to reveal the hidden switch to open a door. I haven't played with motion controls before, but they work amazingly here. I especially look forward to playing Metroid Prime 3 with real motion controls, as intended.

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

How neat that this is even on the Wii U! I have already played this game to death, but it is very novel to play on the Wii U. I beat my first and only run on the console thus far. Having the map on the gamepad is kind of neat.

Freedom Planet

I have this game on PC already but never gave it a fair shake. I have much more context after beating all the Sonic games since then! I found it a bit frustrating but I will have to give it another shot.

Wii Party U

It is just Mario Party with Miis, but that isn't so bad! A surprising amount of content to be had and lots of fun themed outfits for the Miis.

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse

Adorable art style, jury is still out on the gameplay. Further testing required.

Splatoon

This has been a ton of fun! I am surprised to see anyone still playing, but it is quite a lot like the sequel. I also want to play more of the campaign and maybe even complete the amiibo challenges to unlock the special outfit. I am impressed by how good it looks on the Wii U. The motion controls work really well too. Lots of fun (when I can actually get a match)

Game and Wario

Cute minigames, good uses of the gamepad. Hit or miss. I want to at least play all the games once.

Nintendoland

See above.

Star Fox Zero

Only completed the tutorial, but I am curious to play more and see if it ever "clicks" with me. I hear this is a real love or hate game.

NES Remix

I have already played the 3DS version but I love the concept and I want to see if I can unlock some of the exlcusive games.

Super Mario Brothers Advance 4: Super Mario Brothers 3

I only played a couple of the e-reader levels, but that is the whole reason I got this and I would like to explore them all because it fascinates me that Nintendo had the stupidity to make Mario content locked behind physical trading cards but then the genius to preserve them for all time in the Wii U Virtual Console release. I got frustrated and quit quickly but I plan on returning.

[cyberramblings]

Pokemon Black 2 Reflections

I...generally liked Black 2. The plot failed to impress me nearly as much as the original Black, but I really fell in love with my team more than ever this time. This was the first time I really checked out base stat totals form the start and tried to ultra-optimize my team. Ironically, this led to my team of 6 technically encompassing 10 different types but sharing one too many weakness/strengths. I ended up with a powerful team that was diverse in theory, but had huge flaws beneath the surface.

Not too fret! That just made the struggle with the Elite Four and Champion even more meaningful and puzzle-like. Specifically, my team contained:

Lucario Aggron Virizion Walrein Krookodile Crobat

Which meant that huge swaths of my team could be cut down by fire, fighting, grass, etc.

I originally had a Leavanny on my team, which was very cute back when Riolu and Sewaddle were my entire team (along with 2 Lillipups for pickup). Originally my goal had been to have 12 unique types on my team, but I ended up settling for 10 so that I could fit Aggron (a personal favorite) as well as Virizion in place of Levanny (for the 80 base stat total boost and superior moveset).

This was by far the strongest team I've ever had in terms of weakest link base stat total. I think the weakest was Krookodile at 519. I suspect that my SoulSilver, Red, or Platinum teams were stronger in terms of average base state totals just because they contained more legendaries, but there truly were no weak Pokemon on my team this time. I was really proud of these fellas and how they managed to overcome type disadvantages right at the end.

Gameplay aside, Colress was a...fine villain. I thought it was kinda fun that he was evil, but nothing could possible fill the hole that N left. I spent the whole game wishing he had more of a role in the plot.

I gained more of an appreciation for the Gen V music in this game just because I started to use headphones instead of the 3DS speakers, but also because the Gen V music is amazing.

I was really surprised by how fresh and new this game felt compared to Black. All-new beginning, gyms, Team Plasma encounters, routing, etc. all made it feel like a totally original game. I think there was only really one route that stood out to me as being comparatively unchanged from Black. The addition of previous generations' Pokemon also really helped give the two games their own identity (and also the fact that I ditched my starter as soon as I found Riolu).

Overall, I think I enjoyed playing Black 2 more than Black but that is mostly just because I really fell deeply in love with my team. I vastly prefer the story and charm of Black over Black 2, but I think every subsequent playthrough makes me a better Pokemon player and lets me build a better team from scratch.

This is the end of my Pokemon journey! Well, for now anyways. I have now beaten X, OR, UM, Red, SS, Platinum, Black, and Black 2. That is one from every (pre-Switch) generation plus both Gen V games! I now have the full story, I suppose. I think Ultra Moon was my favorite of the 3D games, Black was my favorite of the 2D games, but Red was the most satisfied I felt. Now it is time for me to check out the Pokemon spinoff games and then maybe take a break from the franchise, at least for a couple days or weeks if nothing else.

[cyberramblings]

Pokemon Black Reflections

I really liked Pokemon Black! Here at the end of my journey to play one game from every generation (plus Black 2), I think Black is my favorite because of the plot, N, the designs, and the overall experience I had playing it.

The Plot: Obviously it isn't rocket science, but Black at least dares to challenge the core premise of the entire series instead of just featuring some generic baddies stealing a macguffin. I mean, it also features that, but not exclusively.

N: I really liked the character of N. I loved having a villain who bordered more on rival territory. I really enjoyed the menacing yet romantic energy of the Ferris wheel ride. I love N's castle and the NPC interactions there on the way to N. The actual fight with N was awesome, especially having left an empty slot in my party for Reshiram. Immediately jumping into a clash between Reshiram and Zekrom with N's epic theme playing is maybe my favorite moment of the entire franchise so far. Off the top of my head, that is the only time I've used a legendary Pokemon to fight its counterpart.

The Designs: I actually really appreciate that Black tries to soft reboot the franchise and focus on basic, original designs. Conkeldurr, Gothitelle, Vanillish, Klang, Darumaka, an Druddigon all featured on my team (I like to think that Darumaka and Druddigon merged to form Reshiram, in a way). I regret not evolving Vanillish and Klang to full, but I still liked their designs and enjoyed having them. I also enjoyed the first non-Japanese inspired region. Elesa and Skyla are two of my favorite gym leaders now. One of my favorite Pokemon of all time is Golurk, although sadly he didn't end up fitting in to my team on this playthrough or my Black 2 playthrough. These Pokemon all had something in common: singular types. I found so many monotype Pokemon with cute designs and fun evolutions that I ended up making it the theme of my team (up until Reshiram, of course).

Overall Experience: I just had a lot of fun playing this game. I think I started to become more knowledgeable and patient by the time I played Black, which just made it pop even more.

Also, I actually really liked Alder as a kind of "weak" champion. His compassion for his deceased Pokemon makes him too weak to defeat N, but ironically proving N wrong in doing so.

Side note: Something went wrong with the sleep mode so my in-game timer says it took my 95 hours to beat this game, as opposed to the 30 or so that these games usually take me.

Also, I love that this is the only game where the sacred rite of Elite Four + Champion gets interrupted, even if N and Ghetsis fill the role of a Champion fight and then some.

One last thing: I really loathe the Gen V starters and I hate the design of Samurott, but he ended up being...fine as a monotype Water Pokemon. I suppose the idea was to simplify this generation by reducing the number of dual type Pokemon, but yikes.

[cyberramblings]

Pokemon Platinum Reflections

From the start, I knew I wanted to lean into the meme of Bidoof as an HM Mule. I pulled a one-up and ended up using two Biderels for the entire playthrough, only trading them out right before the Elite Four.

One thing I couldn't help but notice is that Gen IV has the best starters. Each one evolves into a dual type, with Empoleon and Torterra still remaining unique combinations even in Gen 8. I went Empoleon because I have a fondness for Steel type Pokemon, and he did me proud.

I also made my first ever Pokemon trade in this game to evolve an Alakazam and to acquire a Rotom, which I then transformed with the event-exclusive Rotom room (which is available anytime if you use Action Replay codes).

The rest of my party was Giratina, then Azelf and Uxie. The third of the lake trio isn't as good (according to the internet) and is s100% harder to catch since he runs away. Azelf and Uxie really just joined the team in order to replace the Biderels with appropriately leveled Pokemon, but Giratina was a legitimately fun powerhouse to sue. Azelf and Uxie also suffered from having weird movesets that I didn't have enough time or TM's to alter enough. They ended up being filler, but Giratina really put in a lot of work on the Elite Four.

Overall, I slowed down a lot and played Platinum a lot more "properly" than the previous games, but also it helped a lot to restrict myself to just levelling four Pokemon for 99 percent of the game.

I found the plot relatively uninteresting, but I adore Cynthia's design, so I got excited anytime she appeared, and I enjoyed the fight against her.

I hated the Distortion World, but I was very happy that it didn't have random encounters at least.

I also really liked Fantina's design, especially how her dress looked like a Drifblim, the last Pokemon that rounded out my team (poor Alakazam got booted so that I didn't have three pure Psychic pokemon). Drifblim actually has the 8th highest base HP of any Pokemon! That is part of why I kept him for the Elite Four.

I didn't feel that bothered by the slow health bars, but Black definitely seemed to move in fast-forward by comparison, especially with the jump from 30 fps to 60 fps (in battles) and the jump to animated sprites.

[cyberramblings]

Pokemon SoulSilver Reflections

I generally enjoyed SoulSilver, but not quite to the degree that it was hyped up by the fanbase. I am actually struggling to recall huge chunks of it.

Things I do remember include...

- The one gym where you have to get the medicine for the sick Ampharos, so all the non-leader trainers in the gym just step aside to thank you

- Going out of my way to catch Raikou and Entei using only 2 repels and 2 special Pokeballs by repeatedly resetting the game and wiggling back and forth between 2 routes for a whole day

- Abandoning my own Ampharos when I caught Raikou

- Going out of my way to catch Lugia using a Masterball

- Challening the Elite Four with three legendaries in my pocket

- Getting burnt out after a couple gyms in Kanto

- Silver straight up breaking and entering in order to steal a starter

- Doing the side quest where you borrow a Spearow to deliver a letter and then just keeping it for myself since it gets extra XP

- Having a Pokemon trail behind me

- Pokeathlon being a fun novelty to do once and then never again

- Being unable to evolve my Weepinbell until after the Elite Four

- Changing the system clock to craft Pokeballs better since I needed another special one for the second of the two legendary dogs

- Running into Suicune over and over knowing full well that I had no intention of catching him

- Bellsprout tower

- How some of the towns feature a dull red Pokecenter to preserve the historic aesthetic

- Red Gyrados

- Wishing I had a Poke Walker

- Team Rocket again

- Random PokeGear calls

- PokeRadio, and how it lets you catch Gen3/4 Pokemon post-game

Overall, I enjoyed SoulSilver, but I think the rabid fanbase online led me to believe that this game was beyond reproach. It seems like HGSS in general fix a lot of the problems that people had with DPP, leading HGSS to be a kind of half-step above them, but the biggest differences I could notice were the faster health depletions and the following Pokemon. I think HGSS definitely drive an excellent bargain: 2 regions with 4 generatinos of Pokemon, but it doesn't fit my rapid/blind/casual playstyle any better than the other games. I am not trying to slander this game, rather just say that I didn't get the impression personally that it stands above the rest by a mile, but I recognize that most fans would have to play these games for a whole year when they came out, rather than just a few days per game.

[cyberramblings]

Pokemon Red Reflections

So, after beating Omega Ruby and Ultra Moon, I didn't want to actually go out and buy Sword/Shield, so instead I looped back and started from the start: Pokemon Red.

I played on a 3DS, the virtual console release. No save states or fast forward here.

First off, this is a Venasaur appreciation post. Like so many others, I considered Charizard to be at the top of the food chain with Bulbasaur trailing behind and Venasaur at the bottom. I only recently discovered that Venasaur has been Grass/Poison all the way back to Red/Blue and all the way down to Bulbasaur. Now, this does make him weak to Psychic moves, but the Psychic gym in Red/Blue barely features Psychic moves anyways.

From the start, I intended to finish Red as quickly as possible. I saw it as a chore to get through before I could go play SoulSilver (as I am avoiding the GBA games due to their unavailability on the 3DS). This meant that I knew I would have to be shrewd and powerlevel my starter if I wanted to limit the time spent grinding or even interacting with trainers at all.

Venasaur was a total success. I never once struggled with him as my sole Pokemon. I only expanded the crew to make HM slaves and then to catch the three legendary birds, who compromised my crew going into the Elite Four.

I have to admit that Pokemon Red was maybe the most memorable game yet and the one that made me feel the most proud. I cleared my first ever playthrough in just over 17 hours on the in game clock. Not great by speed run standards, but much lower than my time on the other games (around 30 usually). Catching the legendaries was a ton of fun, and cheesing through the Elite Four was a doable challenge.

I will say that the game is quite confusing. I don't know how any kid back in the day figured out how to get all the way to the end of the safari zone to retrieve a key item to advance the plot, or any number of weird NPC interactions you have to have.

I didn't love Red, but I loved beating it. And now I love Venasaur and the legendary birds! God bless the weird crit system in this game that let Razor Leaf critical hit nearly every time. I will also admit that the Venasaur sprite in this game is the ugliest thing ever.

Also, this game gave me an immense appreciation for:

- Modern PC box interactions

- Unlimited storage space

- Separate categories in the bag

- Reusable TM's

- The death of HM's

- Being able to read move descriptions in-game

- Physical/special split

- Being able to move through the town map 2D instead of 1D

- Registering items

- Color

- How many eeveelutions have been added

- Held items

- Fixing the type matchups in Gen 2

- Post game content

- The importance of strategy guides pre-internet

That all being said... this game aged much better than some other JRPG's of the time (to me personally) due to not relying as heavily on random encounters and still being comparatively intuitive for the limited hardware and age. Also maybe this is just me, but it seemed like this game had more "dungeons" than the average Pokemon game.

One last note: I love that people still cannot agree on which Kanto starter is superior! I think that is what I ultimately love the most about Pokemon: it is a series of diverse, interconnected systems that are nearly impossible to definitely optimize. It feels like I can learn something new about Pokemon every single day and still never learn it all, which is great for someone who loves learning but awful for someone who only loves knowing.

[cyberramblings]

Pokemon Red Reflections

So, after beating Omega Ruby and Ultra Moon, I didn't want to actually go out and buy Sword/Shield, so instead I looped back and started from the start: Pokemon Red.

I played on a 3DS, the virtual console release. No save states or fast forward here.

First off, this is a Venasaur appreciation post. Like so many others, I considered Charizard to be at the top of the food chain with Bulbasaur trailing behind and Venasaur at the bottom. I only recently discovered that Venasaur has been Grass/Poison all the way back to Red/Blue and all the way down to Bulbasaur. Now, this does make him weak to Psychic moves, but the Psychic gym in Red/Blue barely features Psychic moves anyways.

From the start, I intended to finish Red as quickly as possible. I saw it as a chore to get through before I could go play SoulSilver (as I am avoiding the GBA games due to their unavailability on the 3DS). This meant that I knew I would have to be shrewd and powerlevel my starter if I wanted to limit the time spent grinding or even interacting with trainers at all.

Venasaur was a total success. I never once struggled with him as my sole Pokemon. I only expanded the crew to make HM slaves and then to catch the three legendary birds, who compromised my crew going into the Elite Four.

I have to admit that Pokemon Red was maybe the most memorable game yet and the one that made me feel the most proud. I cleared my first ever playthrough in just over 17 hours on the in game clock. Not great by speed run standards, but much lower than my time on the other games (around 30 usually). Catching the legendaries was a ton of fun, and cheesing through the Elite Four was a doable challenge.

I will say that the game is quite confusing. I don't know how any kid back in the day figured out how to get all the way to the end of the safari zone to retrieve a key item to advance the plot, or any number of weird NPC interactions you have to have.

I didn't love Red, but I loved beating it. And now I love Venasaur and the legendary birds! God bless the weird crit system in this game that let Razor Leaf critical hit nearly every time. I will also admit that the Venasaur sprite in this game is the ugliest thing ever.

Also, this game gave me an immense appreciation for:

- Modern PC box interactions

- Unlimited storage space

- Separate categories in the bag

- Reusable TM's

- The death of HM's

- Being able to read move descriptions in-game

- Physical/special split

- Being able to move through the town map 2D instead of 1D

- Registering items

- Color

- How many eeveelutions have been added

- Held items

- Fixing the type matchups in Gen 2

- Post game content

- The importance of strategy guides pre-internet

That all being said... this game aged much better than some other JRPG's of the time (to me personally) due to not relying as heavily on random encounters and still being comparatively intuitive for the limited hardware and age. Also maybe this is just me, but it seemed like this game had more "dungeons" than the average Pokemon game.

One last note: I love that people still cannot agree on which Kanto starter is superior! I think that is what I ultimately love the most about Pokemon: it is a series of diverse, interconnected systems that are nearly impossible to definitely optimize. It feels like I can learn something new about Pokemon every single day and still never learn it all, which is great for someone who loves learning but awful for someone who only loves knowing.

[cyberramblings]

Ultra Moon Reflections

The second Pokemon game I played recently was Pokemon Ultra Moon. It is a logical next step after Omega Ruby - the ultimate version of the next game. I figured I was only going to play one Gen 7 game, so it might as well be the more recent one. I know people argue about the original SuMo versus the Ultra versions, but I can't speak to that yet.

Overall, I quite liked the game. I enjoyed the characters of Gladion and Lusamine especially, along with Guzma. Lillie, Hau, and Kakui weren't bad either, but those first three really stood out to me. I enjoyed the high-stakes anime plot of ultra space. Aether being the real bad guys all along wasn't much of a surprise, but at least they had a fun aesthetic. Team Rainbow Rocket was the best villain group of all time, although that is a bit unfair.

I committed even harder to Wonder Trade this time: I caught ten Pokemon and traded them all, forcing my time to make use of 6 of those 10 for the entire game right from the start. This led to my team being the surprinsgly good:

Decidueye Gyarados Beautifly Lilligant Rhydon Houndoom

Lilligant and Beautifly didn't really need to be there, but the other four all really carried their weight. This team allowed me to use lots of different Z moves, too. I feel like Z moves are kinda interesting in full six-Pokemon battles, but just like Mega evolutions, they just weigh down casual questing and make every fight take twice as long. On the one hand, I prefer how Mega Evolutions actually look different, but I prefer that Z moves don't limit you to a handful of Game Freak's chosen few. I think the Dynamax/Gigantamax system is barking up the right tree, but I'd modify it so that Gigantmax isn't necessarily stronger, just different. For example, have Dynamax grant +10 to every base stat, while Gigantamax Charizard gets a unique model and +20 to three stats and +0 to three stats, or something like that.

Anyways, I kind of like the idea of formally introducing a tier of Pokemon that is almost legendary, but the Ultra Beasts are all a little silly looking. I abhor the various minigames, also.

I actually relatively enjoyed the trials. They felt pretty equivalent to gyms for me, especially since a lot of gyms are already forced to repeat Pokemon a lot if they only use a certain type from a certain generation. I enjoyed that the Totem Pokemon were quite a challenge and forced me to really think about my team composition, and I even went out and caught a whole replacement team for the electric trial (but then ended up just levelling up my main guys a bit).

Overall, I'd probably place Ultra Moon at the top of my 3DS Pokémon experiences. My time with X wasn't bad either, but it was less memorable (admittedly, long in the past for me in this point). X felt like a very safe attempt at 3D Pokemon, and Omega Ruby felt like it somehow had even less of an identity and even less surprises in store. Ultra Moon had a charming cast, and it actually committed to an aesthetic harder than any other Pokemon game I can think of right now. I wasn't instantly in love with the Hawaiin vibe, but it certainly makes this game stick out more in my mind and gives the new Pokemon and music a distinct flavor.

Oh, and thank god HM's were removed. I have no love for HM's. The little duel where you get Surf and Waterfall by dueling these girls who intended to sell them as HM's is very cute.

Also - I was very lucky to get a level 1 Rowlet by Wonder Trade. I had chosen Litten because of Smash Bros, but I really fell in love with Decidueye.

[cyberramblings]

Omega Ruby Reflections

Recently, I somehow decided to play all the Pokemon games. It started with Omega Ruby, because that was the one I had easiest access to. Now that I have played most of the other Pokemon games, I can try to more accurately reflect on how I feel it slots in the canon for me.

It was definitely fun to see some of the old content from when I played Emerald as a kid, but I didn't remember much. The plot was immensely boring until it suddenly wasn't. I actually really enjoyed the twists at the end about how ORAS and RSG occur in different timelines, and how teleporting the meteor would actually just send it to the original timeline, and how mega/primal evolution was the one thing separating the timelines otherwise.

I actually wonder traded all my Pokemon to get the team of:

Altaria Ninetales Plusle Claydol Ludicolo Roserade

This meant that I couldn't really use legendaries or they would get underlevelled too. It was kinda weird that the plot forces four legendaries down your throat, that must be an all time record.

Looking back, I think this game would have really benefitted from SuMo's removal of HM's, since that is such a big gripe about the original game. It is nice to have the physical/special split, at least.

Obviously none of this is super controversial, but it is getting more and more difficult to recall beating this game all the way back a month. All in all, I think it was a good game for me to just plow through while getting my head screwed on in preparation for the slightly more difficult Ultra Moon and the significantly more difficult pre-Exp Share games.

Again, maybe it is because it was the first one I played of the recent bunch, but I feel like this is the main Pokemon game that I have the easiest time forgetting about. The Gen 1 and 2 remakes are so iconic and beloved and manage to have a personality of their own, but ORAS just feels like bland Pokemon soup to me. What is the biggest innovation of this game? Primal evolution? A couple new mega forms? Admittedly, I never did the Lati@s flying part that people claim is fun, and I never finished Delta episode after losing an hour of progress from not saving, but I haven't really been inspired to get it back.

[cyberramblings]

Kingdom Hearts Suggested Edits

Piggybacking off my previous post, obviously the KH series could use a cleaning up.

Kingdom Hearts 1: This one is easy. Just have Kairi as a Princess of Light or whatever, so Sora has to visit the six other Disney worlds and save the other six Princesses in order to save Kairi, while Riku tries to strike a deal with the devil in order to save Kairi. Make Riku more of a recurring nemesis boss that mirrors the abilities of Sora. Keep the original characters limited to Sora, Kairi, and Riku with a mysterious shadowy villain that seems to be guiding Maleficient who is the purported Big Bad at first before the reveal that someone else is controlling her. Have Destiny Islands be the first and final world.

CoM: Probably just have this one be non-canon, or jump straight into the concept of Data Sora by framing this game as a “retelling” of KH1 that is later revealed to be a simulation run by Org 13 or Ansem the Wise (which by the way, needs to be simplified. Cut out the whole “Xehanort changes his name to Ansem” thing)

Kingdom Hearts 2: Focus on just one of the many plotlines of KH2. For example, focus on Roxas/Sora duality or focus on hunting down edgy Riku. Personally, I’d love to see Roxas and Kairi as the companions while hunting down Riku and following his hints in order to save him.

358: I guess this one is actually fine, just maybe simplify and clarify Xion’s existence. I think Org 13 should be simplified down to a handful of members (Axel, Saix, Xemnas, Xigbar, and maybe just a couple more).

Coded: I feel this game is trying to have its cake and eat it too by both retelling KH1 as well as move the plot glacially forward. Perhaps focus more on the Sora/Roxas dynamic in order to more meaningfully build towards the reveal that Roxas’ heart is still inside Sora. Maybe instead have the game be marketed as a “what if Roxas went through KH1 instead” for it to then be revealed as a simulation or the internal struggle of Roxas’s heart inside of Sora.

BBS: This game is actually near perfect, I wouldn’t change much except making the central conflict make a little more sense. Give the three main characters more meaningful motivations and reasons to distrust each other during Act 2.

DDD: I think this game would work much better as an actual Mark of Mastery exam with the same plot twist that many versions of Xehanort are gathering for a climactic battle. The MoM exam could also be framed as more of a “we need to go to hell to save Aqua and the only way is to pass this exam” or some such. Also get ride of the forced Drop system, tone down Flowmotion, and simplify the pet system.

Back Cover: Honestly, I’d prefer to just get rid of this and leave the Keyblade Wars as a mystery.

2.8: Have a more clear goal for Aqua. For example, have her find some trail to Terra/Ventus that ends up being a dead end with the plot twist being that she repeats this process over and over for 10 years.

3: Have the main plot involve saving all the keyblade wielders with one awakened per world. One world each for Aqua, Terra, Ventus, Roxas and then a world each to awaken the keyblades for Kairi and Axel. Have a world for reconstructing Riku’s broken keyblade. There could be some nonsense where the realm of darkness binds to arbitrary worlds in the light realm, explaining why Sora would need to go to Disney worlds in order to wake Aqua and the gang. I’d prefer to not have any Donald and Goofy in the whole series, but saving them for the end of the game and having to visit a Mickey Mouse world would be way cooler. Have a customizable party with any of the keyblade wielders as possible companions. Maybe even have one good Xehanort, such as the ability to recruit Vanitas. Don’t feature any “half-Xeahnort” characters in New Org XIII “Saix, Marluxia, etc.” and instead have Xehanort with the ability to self-replicate or pull out parallel universe versions of himself (mirroring Yozora). Have the very final boss feature all the keyblade wielders banding together to summon Eraqus one last time in order to deliver the finishing blow. End the game with everyone happy, but some little hint that there is a bigger reality beyond the one we know. Maybe have some plot twist where Xehanort can make Vanitas-esque versions of Sora, Roxas, Ventus, Terra, Aqua, Riku, Kairi, etc.