@RogerRoger The Switch hardware is getting a bit long in the tooth at this point, but it really was a quantum leap forward from the 3DS. More impressive, I think, is that the screenshots in my piece are taken from both docked and portable play, but I genuinely can't tell which is which.
I get what the game is going for with the rider skills, but the way it's implemented is just limiting. Like, I've had to keep a basic monster like Ranmar, the Velocidrome my first partner gave me at the very start of the game. First because he was the only speed-based monster I was able to hatch for the longest time, and then because he was the only one who knew the jump command. I'd rather they just tether these functions to equipment so that it didn't limit my team-building options.
You don't need DVDs to get into anime, btw. Most of the major streaming services have dipped pretty heavily into anime distribution. When I was a kid, watching anime meant collecting pricey VHS tapes that came with two episodes in one language for $30 a pop. It was highway robbery by modern standards. My first 'real' foray into the medium was Neon Genesis Evangelion, and a complete set of the dubbed VHS tapes cost almost $400! DVDs were better, since those included dual audio tracks and usually featured four episodes per DVD, so the value coming from VHS was roughly doubled, but it still cost a small fortune to collect any suitably lengthy series. Looking back over all of my old games, VHS tapes, DVDs, etc. I can only imagine the small fortune my mother must have invested in feeding my geeky habits as I was growing up.
Nowadays, you can collect complete series for roughly the price of two VHS tapes back in the day, and that's the premium option now, since you can just access most of the stuff you're interested in via streaming services.
btw, I feel you on FMA traumatizing you. Years ago, I watched this series called Elfen Lied, and there's a flashback well into the series where the main character remembers how a group of schoolyard bullies pinned her down and forced her to watch as they bludgeoned her beloved puppy to death. Now, the series can't go five minutes without someone's head exploding, hearts being ripped out of chests, people getting dismembered, etc., but what really stuck with me, after all these years, is that puppy scene, and it's the exact reason I'll never watch that show again. Over time, I've learned to develop a hatred for media that plays on the emotions of the audience by abusing animals.
I could never get into Haruhi Suzumiya, unfortunately, on account of the main character being an infuriating sociopath who constantly sexually harasses one of her friends and bosses everyone else around. And I'm still angry about the scene where she blackmails a couple of hapless computer club geeks into giving her a PC by threatening to (falsely) accuse them of rape!
I definitely enjoyed Summer Wars, though! I have a love/hate relationship with Mamoru Hosoda's films, but I really dug the mix of science-fiction and family drama in that one.
I'm actually looking forward to seeing his newest film, Belle, which seems to mix science-fiction and fairytale elements (Beauty and the Beast, if the title wasn't a tip-off). It apparently got a lengthy standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival, where it debuted this month, although this tweet gives me the impression that they do this standing ovation thing a lot.
I'm not sure if I'm more amused by the idea of these people standing around clapping for 10 - 20 minutes at a time, or that someone actually keeps track of how long they clap!
The film itself looks visually stunning.
At the moment I'm watching this great little crime comedy on Netflix called Great Pretender. The main characters have fantastic chemistry, and the show's sense of style is really kinetic and engaging.
Also, if you ever get the chance (definitely check your streaming services), watch a film called Your Name. It weaves comedy, romance, drama, tragedy, science-fiction, coming-of-age elements, memorable plot twists, nuanced characterizations, gorgeous animation, and body switching (ala Freaky Friday) into one of the most wholly satisfying pieces of animation I've ever seen.
I'm just in the process of reading your "Monstie" Hunter Stories 2 impressions @Ralizah but I just had to stop upon seeing that reply to rog with the Cannes film festival tweet and post this.
Pan's Labyrinth had a 22 minute standing ovation?!
I can't believe that they were clapping for that bloody long or that there's some poor guy sitting there who has to sit and time it all, probably bored out of skull waiting for them all to finish 😂
To be honest, I had absolutely no idea that this sub series existed until like a week ago when it released @Ralizah or that it even had a entry on the 3DS.
Truth be told, it can be difficult for newcomers to the monster-collecting JRPG scene to design creatures that don't feel like bootleg Pokemon, but MHS2 benefits from generations of creative monster designs poached from the mainline games.
Playing Nexomon Extinction and seeing a few other "Poke-Clones" I totally get what you mean in regards to this (Even if that doesn't bother me so much) ... And having watched a fair few streams of Monster Hunter Rise and World I totally get what you mean about the Monster designs in Monster Hunter too! They really are quite creative and does help the game stand out in that department.
Bit of a shame there's only 80 but I can imagine the pool of unique looking Monsters in MH is nowhere near as expansive as Pokémon, Digimon, SMT etc.
I can also see why you're a little luke warm on the battle system. I'd definitely have to try it myself to get the full picture as it doesn't sound like the best system on paper to me personally.
Though you do give me another reminder that I should REALLY play Persona 3 again at some point ... if only because I don't remember having a single problem with the AI companions and it's making me wonder if i'm just blocking out the bad memories
It doesn't sound alike in the slightest with the whole gentics system but the word fusion in regards to a monster raising/catching game will always remind me of Jade Cocoon and the guady looking abominations you could create lol
And wow. Those screenshots are absolutely gorgeous! I can only imagine it looks even nicer on PC at 4k or whatever.
Plus as always I can't help but love your music choices from the soundtrack. They're all absolutely delightful!
I look forward to reading the next installment whether it be a second impressions piece or a full blown review!
@Ralizah Great review of Monster Hunter Stories 2! I’ve not played the first one but I just saw it’s being added to Apple Arcade so I’ll definitely play it there.
@RogerRoger Hmm… I guess that means there was some aspects of the game to praise that you planned to include, but didn’t feel right in the current climate? If the game is garbage I say pour it on! 😅
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
@RogerRoger It’s hard where these things are concerned. While I really don’t want anything to do with ActiBlizz for the foreseeable future either, I’d feel awful for the employees who’re not engaging in this behaviour and the victims who are still employed. But then the fact it’s clearly a culture engrained in the company makes it easier to pass judgment on the entity rather than a few individuals.
I imagine the AA port of MHS1 will probably feature higher resolution visuals, so it's probably the better platform to experience it on anyway vs 3DS if you don't mind mobile gaming. The two Stories games are broadly similar in terms of gameplay structure, mechanics, etc.
Oh wow, thank you! Despite reading my previous post back and realising that it may have seemed otherwise, I wasn't fishing for guidance, but I'm super-grateful for it regardless!
Ah, I was mostly making conversation. Apologies if I went on a bit of a tangent. It can be easy to get carried away.
Alas, I recently cancelled my Netflix subscription. I gather they're the best source for anime, outside of a dedicated service like Crunchyroll.
I prefer Hulu, personally, given my bias for older stuff, but Netflix is better for mainstream fans. But yeah, Crunchyroll is probably the best one-stop-shop on that front. Thankfully, their lowest membership tier is free.
Those clapping statistics just make me think of the Soviet Union, and how the first ten people to stop clapping one of Stalin's speeches were branded traitors and shot. Timing such lengthy applause is a bizarre convention, to be sure. Since when did the Cannes Film Festival get so sinister?!
Given that framing, I do think it's interesting how many of the movies on this list are politically loaded. Even stuff that's not immediately obvious in that regard, like Pan's Labyrinth, which features the Spanish Civil War as its backdrop and is filled with terrifying depictions of political violence by fascist forces.
Then again, if you look into the history of Cannes, it's also not uncommon to hear about critics loudly jeering and booing at films they don't like, and sometimes even fleeing from viewings of or reacting with hyperbolic outrage to controversial films, so I'm inclined to think it's a social space where ordinary public restraint is thrown out the window, lol. It's probably part of the fun involved with attending something like that in the first place.
Just for the record, this is where I was going to post a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered review but, following today's headlines concerning Activision, I've decided not to.
Interesting. Do you plan on boycotting games they publish going forward?
I can't believe that they were clapping for that bloody long or that there's some poor guy sitting there who has to sit and time it all, probably bored out of skull waiting for them all to finish 😂
Yeah, imagine standing there clapping for 22 minutes, or even just being in the room! tbh I don't understand the whole standing ovation thing to begin with, as I try to fade into the background of any social space I'm in as much as possible, but the entire scenario must begin feeling pretty surreal even a minute in. I wonder if they tape the showings, or if a designated "clapping counter" sits in every showing in case people happen to do a standing applause?
I do think there is a large element of theatricality to it, though.
To be honest, I had absolutely no idea that this sub series existed until like a week ago when it released @Ralizah or that it even had a entry on the 3DS.
I imagine it being as obscure as it was on the 3DS probably didn't help for visibility. Sales were absolutely dreadful, even in Japan, which is weird given its connection to a massive property like Monster Hunter along with the general popularity of monster-collecting games like Yokai Watch and Pokemon. Capcom planned on it blowing up: there was even a children's TV anime version of it that aired around launch (it must have drawn some eyes, at least, since it ran for 75 episodes or so).
Playing Nexomon Extinction and seeing a few other "Poke-Clones" I totally get what you mean in regards to this (Even if that doesn't bother me so much) ... And having watched a fair few streams of Monster Hunter Rise and World I totally get what you mean about the Monster designs in Monster Hunter too! They really are quite creative and does help the game stand out in that department.
Bit of a shame there's only 80 but I can imagine the pool of unique looking Monsters in MH is nowhere near as expansive as Pokémon, Digimon, SMT etc.
Yeah, the overall total number of large monsters across all of the games is fairly small. 200+ across all the games, I think, with a sizeable chunk of those being small monsters. It is still a bit disappointing, though. One annoying thing is that certain monsters can be fought, but, for whatever reason, the game doesn't allow you to obtain their eggs and tame them. I probably spent an hour trying to get a Tetsucabra egg before I looked online and discovered it wasn't an option, despite being in the game.
I recently looked up the total number of demons across all of MegaTen recently and was shocked by how many there were. And the majority of those are unique and well-thought-out as well insofar as they're based on real world mythology. In terms of both quantity and quality, IMO, MegaTen takes the cake, even if Pokemon has the more iconic monster designs overall.
With that said, SMT V is ACTUALLY going to have detailed, complex demon animations, so you only have access to around 200 demons in that game, apparently. Like Nocturne. From what I remember, SMT IV had roughly twice the number of demons, but those demons were all just JPEGs, so including them was less work overall.
I can also see why you're a little luke warm on the battle system. I'd definitely have to try it myself to get the full picture as it doesn't sound like the best system on paper to me personally.
Definitely. It was my one big reservation with the game. But the implementation is mostly solid thus far.
It'll never be a game I love playing for the sake of playing ala SMT IV: Apocalypse, but I'm at the point where the combat doesn't really detract from the experience, either. The system in place is involved enough that it's preferable to the more mindless turn-based combat you find in a lot of older JRPGs. Plus, the flashy visuals and absurd special attacks you can pull off are a lot of fun to watch. Here are just a few of them.
Though you do give me another reminder that I should REALLY play Persona 3 again at some point ... if only because I don't remember having a single problem with the AI companions and it's making me wonder if i'm just blocking out the bad memories
I never got more than a few hours into it (at this point, I think I'm just waiting to hear from Atlus about what they have planned for the next year or two before committing to the PS2 version of the game), so, between the two of us, you'd be the authority. But party-based games where an AI is randomly choosing moves for your allies to use annoy the crap out of me on principle.
It doesn't sound alike in the slightest with the whole gentics system but the word fusion in regards to a monster raising/catching game will always remind me of Jade Cocoon and the guady looking abominations you could create lol
Yeah, not quite like Jade Cocoon. It's really more of a sacrificial ritual than anything, since the monster that contributes a gene is wiped from existence. Quite dark. The closest thing I can think of are sacrificial fusions in Nocturne, where a third demon is obliterated in order to power up another demon.
And wow. Those screenshots are absolutely gorgeous! I can only imagine it looks even nicer on PC at 4k or whatever.
It's a very pretty game on Switch, but yeah, I'm sure the foliage/higher resolution/etc. make it look even better on PC. Although the most notable upgrade is likely performance, since this one chugs a bit in spots.
Plus as always I can't help but love your music choices from the soundtrack. They're all absolutely delightful!
I look forward to reading the next installment whether it be a second impressions piece or a full blown review!
I'm pretty happy with the music in this game. There's actually a super pretty song that plays partially during the beginning of the game, and in full near the end, apparently. It's very much worth listening to. Plus, it sounds good in both English and Japanese.
Thanks so much for reading and commenting! I always enjoy our discussions.
@RogerRoger Fair enough. Honestly I only read the related Activision article after I saw your comment here. I’d seen the headline and a few comments from users and I felt a bit yucky inside about it all and I knew seeing the details would give me the creeps so I didn’t look further. Even after finally reading the article here on PS I couldn’t bring myself to contemplate too much about it. It’s just too disturbing to me. And like you say, these are allegations at this point — innocent until proven guilty and all that, but it’s revolting enough to have me keep a wide berth. I’m not sticking my head in the sand, I’m just looking out for my own mental health and it just drains my spirit to no end to think such a culture exists in the hobby I love.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
@RogerRoger I think that’s a good level-set. The scumbags get a lot of press and attention (and rightfully so when egregious things occur) but the overwhelming majority of good people are quietly ignored by the press. You won’t see any stories written about the perfectly normal and respectful people that are sure to exist in parts of Activision. Nevertheless, it doesn’t excuse the bad things, this case being a prime example of multiple layers of employees and management that will possibly end up involved, but it does make it harder as an outsider reading news reports to not become incredibly jaded and pessimistic about an entire industry or group of people. We as a society are guilty of this quick judgement a lot; not just in game developer scandals, but in nearly all areas of rotten society it’s hard to not overreact and unfairly profile perfectly innocent colleagues or relations.
My parents used to tell me that they didn’t want me hanging out with certain peers that I made friends with. To not “run around with the wrong crowd”, so to speak. Not that they didn’t trust me to keep my nose clean, rather they said, “when the cops show up, you go to jail with the rest of them, even if you’re not doing anything wrong.” Guilty by association. It’s just human nature to lump everyone involved into one batch of iniquitous villains. Does a bystander shoulder some responsibility to stop criminal activity? Absolutely. But does Doug from cubicle 4C down the hall whose working obliviously to the goings-on need to be shamed into obscurity because he happens to be on the same floor as a sexual predator? Probably not if he didn’t know about it.
So things like this are a mess. But like you say, best to step back, let the legal proceedings weed things out, and see what’s left at the end.
We get notifications for being quoted now? When did that happen?
... Also did someone leave whilst I was gone? I clicked on one of the review links (Rog's one for Blake Stone) on the front page of the topic and it seemed to have directed me to the wrong place (Ral's review for The Witcher III's Blood & Wine expansion of all things) 😯
I've only just worked up the nerve myself to properly read up about the lawsuit after Johnny and ness gave me some details in the chat thread on Thursdsy so I don't blame you one bit @RogerRoger on deciding to omit your CoD review.
A shame as I'm sure it was a good read as always from you Rog.
Yeah, imagine standing there clapping for 22 minutes, or even just being in the room! tbh I don't understand the whole standing ovation thing to begin with, as I try to fade into the background of any social space I'm in as much as possible, but the entire scenario must begin feeling pretty surreal even a minute in. I wonder if they tape the showings, or if a designated "clapping counter" sits in every showing in case people happen to do a standing applause?
I do think there is a large element of theatricality to it, though.
I was thinking more myself on when does that bloke stop counting. If there's one old coot still standing and clapping but everyone else has stopped does the timer keep going? Could he spur on a second wind/standing ovation and the timer carries onwards?
Alas I doubt we'll ever find out... Mystery of the ages Ral!
At the least longest one is a film I've actually heard of though... I'll admit I don't recognise half of 'em on that list but thdn I'm not that big of a film buff either 😄
I imagine it being as obscure as it was on the 3DS probably didn't help for visibility. Sales were absolutely dreadful, even in Japan, which is weird given its connection to a massive property like Monster Hunter along with the general popularity of monster-collecting games like Yokai Watch and Pokemon. Capcom planned on it blowing up: there was even a children's TV anime version of it that aired around launch (it must have drawn some eyes, at least, since it ran for 75 episodes or so).
Really? MH Stories 1 didn't do well anywhere? That's intetesting to hear. I thought Monster Hunter was practically the second coming of Dragon Quest with how well it seems to sell over there.
Good that this one seems to have made a great start then with that million sales already!
Yeah, the overall total number of large monsters across all of the games is fairly small. 200+ across all the games, I think, with a sizeable chunk of those being small monsters. It is still a bit disappointing, though. One annoying thing is that certain monsters can be fought, but, for whatever reason, the game doesn't allow you to obtain their eggs and tame them. I probably spent an hour trying to get a Tetsucabra egg before I looked online and discovered it wasn't an option, despite being in the game.
That's unfortunate... But seeing as how the standard MH games now are updated to add new content in a timely fashion (And I think I saw Palamutes from Rise were added in as a "Monstie"?) I can't imagine it'll be long before you'll, hopefully, be able to get one of those Tetsucabra's in MHS 2!
I recently looked up the total number of demons across all of MegaTen recently and was shocked by how many there were. And the majority of those are unique and well-thought-out as well insofar as they're based on real world mythology. In terms of both quantity and quality, IMO, MegaTen takes the cake
Even Mara? Or is Mara the one that clinches it for ya?
With that said, SMT V is ACTUALLY going to have detailed, complex demon animations, so you only have access to around 200 demons in that game, apparently. Like Nocturne. From what I remember, SMT IV had roughly twice the number of demons, but those demons were all just JPEGs, so including them was less work overall.
Ugh... Stop making me want a switch more then I already do
Long as my girl Scathach is in it! Dunno what it is exactly about her design (Might be that funky four corner hat) but I've always liked it along with all the other UK representation that occassionally pops up like Cait Sith, Cu Sith, Cu Chulainn...
Though I doubt we'll ever see something like Albion or Gogmagog (You'll no doubt see them soon enough in Nocturne) to pop back up anytime soon
Definitely. It was my one big reservation with the game. But the implementation is mostly solid thus far.
It'll never be a game I love playing for the sake of playing ala SMT IV: Apocalypse, but I'm at the point where the combat doesn't really detract from the experience, either. The system in place is involved enough that it's preferable to the more mindless turn-based combat you find in a lot of older JRPGs. Plus, the flashy visuals and absurd special attacks you can pull off are a lot of fun to watch. Here are just a few of them.
That last attack in particular was rather adorable... But there was also two monsties that had quite a similar raptor like design as well that was a smidge disappointing in a game with only 80 creatures.
I never got more than a few hours into it (at this point, I think I'm just waiting to hear from Atlus about what they have planned for the next year or two before committing to the PS2 version of the game), so, between the two of us, you'd be the authority. But party-based games where an AI is randomly choosing moves for your allies to use annoy the crap out of me on principle
I haven't played Persona 3 properly in at least 6-8 years (Though I've started it up a couple of times ). I totally get where you're coming from though with AI only partners... I don't particularly like it either myself really (or any sort've automation option) and would much rather just do it myself even if it takes forever. Ahain part of the reason why I think I'm blocking something out lol
It's a very pretty game on Switch, but yeah, I'm sure the foliage/higher resolution/etc. make it look even better on PC. Although the most notable upgrade is likely performance, since this one chugs a bit in spots
That's true... I can't really call it locking to 60fps or whatever beautiful though!
I'm pretty happy with the music in this game. There's actually a super pretty song that plays partially during the beginning of the game, and in full near the end, apparently. It's very much worth listening to. Plus, it sounds good in both English and Japanese.
Both versions are really something. Thanks Ral for the recommendation!
Thanks so much for reading and commenting! I always enjoy our discussions.
Aww thanks Ralizah. Same to you too 😁
I'm working on something myself to post here hopefully (As I've frankly been awful with writing anything in this topic the year so far).
It'll be a more regular thing from me with a number of impression pieces after key story points in the game that'll hopefully spur me on and make me commit to writing a full review when all's said and done.
I need to start taking notes at the very least going forward... Especially with something as gigantic as this 😅
... Also did someone leave whilst I was gone? I clicked on one of the review links (Rog's one for Blake Stone) on the front page of the topic and it seemed to have directed me to the wrong place (Ral's review for The Witcher III's Blood & Wine expansion of all things) 😯
That's a new feature. Instead of people's work getting the credit it deserves, I added a function that just randomly redirects them to one of my reviews!
Nah. Arugula had his account nuked recently.
I'm in the process of fixing the Directory now. Barring any catastrophic life events, expect it to be back up before the end of the month. I'll make an announcement when it is.
I was thinking more myself on when does that bloke stop counting. If there's one old coot still standing and clapping but everyone else has stopped does the timer keep going? Could he spur on a second wind/standing ovation and the timer carries onwards?
Alas I doubt we'll ever find out... Mystery of the ages Ral!
So it's less a crowd of people who don't want to be the first to stop clapping and more one annoying guy who carries on, but everyone is too polite to tell him to shut up.
Really? MH Stories 1 didn't do well anywhere? That's intetesting to hear. I thought Monster Hunter was practically the second coming of Dragon Quest with how well it seems to sell over there.
MonHun proper sells several millions of units over there, but MH Stories on 3DS couldn't crack 500,000 worldwide. So this sequel managed to double its lifetime sales within a week of release, lol.
That's unfortunate... But seeing as how the standard MH games now are updated to add new content in a timely fashion (And I think I saw Palamutes from Rise were added in as a "Monstie"?) I can't imagine it'll be long before you'll, hopefully, be able to get one of those Tetsucabra's in MHS 2!
Hopefully, but I doubt it. Capcom is already providing a roadmap for what monsties it's adding to the game, and I didn't see my man Tetsucabra on the list.
I just don't understand why he's in the game at all if you can't hatch one. They already have the full 3D model for it.
Ugh... Stop making me want a switch more then I already do
Long as my girl Scathach is in it! Dunno what it is exactly about her design (Might be that funky four corner hat) but I've always liked it along with all the other UK representation that occassionally pops up like Cait Sith, Cu Sith, Cu Chulainn...
Cu Chulainn and Scathach are both in. Atlus has been gradually revealing the game's roster over time. That, alongside a drip feed of trailers and news about the game keeps it in peoples' minds.
I'm working on something myself to post here hopefully (As I've frankly been awful with writing anything in this topic the year so far).
It'll be a more regular thing from me with a number of impression pieces after key story points in the game that'll hopefully spur me on and make me commit to writing a full review when all's said and done.
I need to start taking notes at the very least going forward... Especially with something as gigantic as this 😅
Sounds great. Looking forward to it! I'll be relying more heavily on impressions pieces myself.
I've noticed that my habits as a gamer don't properly align with my reviewing style. I tend to only discuss games after thoroughly completing them, which can mean beating them multiple times in order to see all in-game content if they're on the shorter side and completing all of the side-content in longer games. What I tend to do with longer games (which make up a huge chunk of my library given my affinity for visual novels and JRPGs), however, is play them for a period of time (anywhere between 15 - 60 hours, generally) before sitting them down and moving on to other games. It can be months or even years before I'll return to and complete a given game after doing this. So I've decided to lean more on impressions pieces for long games. If I end up returning to a game and beating it, then I'll craft a fuller, more complete review of it, but this way my feelings about games I end up not returning to for a long period of time will still be documented. They'll also give me a solid foundation on which to craft a finished piece about a game.
So here we are. I’ve been working on this “favourite games” project since may. We’ve looked at ancient warriors wielding tree branches in Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a young superhero with a magical changing face in Spider-Man Remastered, Italian plumbers in space in Mario Galaxy and now we’re at my favourite game ever made. Super Mario Odyssey.
Game: Super Mario Odyssey
Played on: Nintendo Switch
This game begins in the skies above Peach’s Castle on Bowser’s Airship. Mario is fighting Bowser who had kidnapped Peach and is plotting to marry her. Mario tries to stop him but Bowser throws his (very dapper) wedding top hat at Mario which flings him off of the ship leaving only his hat on the ship. Bowser stomps on the hat and throws it away. It soon gets torn to shreds by the ship’s propellers. This 1:30 minute cutscene is the perfect Mario opening. No star festival, no plane ride, no “cake”. It just cuts right to the chase. We soon find Mario crash landed in what appears to be Tim Burton Land. We meet a hat ghost called Cappy who has the remains of Mario’s hat and tells Mario that his sister, Tiara, was kidnapped by Bowser to be Peach’s tiara for the wedding. Cappy uses the shreds from the hat and morphs into its shape. Bowser is also stealing important artefacts from kingdoms all across the globe to use for the wedding like a sacred ring, a dress, a meal etc. It’s up to Mario and Cappy to stop the wedding and save Peach and Tiara. I really like this story. Unlike Galaxy where they tried to switch up the “Bowser kidnaps Peach” formula and made it ridiculous (I mean, stealing the castle? Really?), it’s a bit more down to earth.
The main mechanic of this game is shown right on the box art. You can throw your hat. This can be used to pick up coins, be jumped on, and even possess… oh, I’m sorry, capture enemies. This gives Mario full control of their bodies. You can be a goomba, a Piranha Plant, a hammer bro, a manhole cover, a taxi, a cactus, a slab of meat, a letter and even a bloody hyper-realistic T-Rex. They all have their own play-styles and they even change the enemy’s appearance by giving them a moustache, a hat and blue eyes. Sadly, a lot of the actions you can do with the hat are locked behind something that makes any pro controller player’s terrified, motion controls. Some actions like the hat spin have a button control work-around but some actions like the really useful homing attack are only for use by the wagglers. This really irritates me (as well as many others).
Mario can travel all over the world and collect the new collectables called Moons. These are hidden everywhere and while some are pretty easy to find, a lot are very well hidden. These last ones are very tedious to get as there are… ahem... 999 MOONS. If you didn’t know, that’s a lot. We’ve come a long way from the 120 in Galaxy and 64. Now, I just wanna go back. All you get for collecting all… ahem... 999 MOONS is a little picture and a new shiny gold balloon on your flying Hat Ship, the Odyssey. Seriously, that’s it. This leaves no point to 100% the game. It’s a bragging right more than anything. No, I haven’t 100%’d the game as I value my mental wellness.
This game has music. Is it good? Well, imagine Galaxy’s soundtrack but taken down a few pegs. It’s fine. Obviously, I can’t mention this game’s soundtrack without mentioning the game’s phenomenal theme song, “Jump up, Super-Star!” It’s a really good song. Especially the break in the song where the instrumental turns into the music from arcade Donkey Kong. Also, the Metro Kingdom is a terrifying world of hyper realistic humans with amazing nyc themed jazz music. I’m far from qualified to talk about music so I’m gonna move on to something else.
All of this game’s worlds are amazing. From the Lost Kingdom which is a desert island over a sea of poison to the Sand Kingdom which not only has Mexican stereotypes aplenty but also a really cool theme of a desert covered in ice to the aforementioned Metro Kingdom which has the best sequence in the game, the festival. This takes place entirely on an 8-bit 2D platforming plain. It’s a loving tribute to arcade Donkey Kong where Mayor Pauline sings Jump Up, Super-Star as you dodge barrels and eventually defeat Donkey Kong. One last kingdom I want to talk about is the Ruined Kingdom. This kingdom is probably my favourite, even though it’s a glorified boss fight with a very small number of collectables. Mario battles a hyper-realistic dragon in a ruined castle. It happens after your ship gets broken by Bowser who is actually controlling the dragon using a helmet. It has the perfect atmosphere as the sky is completely covered by purple tinted clouds and nothing can get through them. The level is bleak and dull, almost like something in a little game by fromSoftware called Dark Souls. I know it’s a bit cliche to compare this world to that game but who cares? Not me!
One thing I wanna mention is the detail on Mario. You can see the pores on mario’s face, his nose jiggles when he stops running, his nose gets swollen and has a prickle in it when he hits a cactus, he’s just super expressive. When he takes two hits, he starts breathing heavily and ducks down, his face is fully animated and it’s glorious to see Mario, one of the most one sided characters in gaming history, be super expressive and actually have a personality. You can also see the stitching on his overalls, the hairs on his head and face and the shine on his shoes. Nintendo really didn’t need to make him this detailed.
A big part of this game is the costumes Mario can get. These include, but aren’t limited to a New York businessman, a caveman, a scientist, builder Mario, Dr. Mario, Luigi’s outfit, Wario’s outfit, Waluigi’s outfit, Diddy Kong’s outfit which has a tail and even big ears, Peach’s wedding dress, Bowser’s (very dapper) wedding suit, Mario’s own wedding suit and even a Mario 64 suit that gives him a polygonal look. These are unlocked by collecting coins. You’re probably thinking “But I thought Mario coins were useless!” WRONG! They get you costumes and can even buy you power moons! Once you finish the game, you can buy 10 moons at once! There’s even a Skeleton costume you can get for collecting, not 5000, not 7000 but 9999 COINS. That’s a lot. You even get an invisible costume after beating this game’s hardest challenge level. It’s good for photo mode and nothing else.
Conclusion
Is this the best Mario game? Yes. Is it my favourite game? Yes. There’s so much I love about this game. There’s so much in this game that I didn’t even talk about all of it! I know there was a lot I forgot but I left it out because I didn’t want this review to feel bloated. But yeah, Mario Odyssey is spectacular. A masterpiece. Possibly the best platformer ever made.
Pros
-Good story, for a mario game at least
-Stellar graphics
-Good music
-Fun costumes
-Gives coins an actual use
Cons
-Far too many power moons
-Useful moves locked behind motion controls
-Disappointing completion reward, considering what you have to do to get it
@Jackpaza0508 great review! Looks like you put a lot of work into it… but that it was a labour of love.
So Super Mario Odyssey and I had a long stand-offish relationship that ultimately resolved itself well for both parties (bare with me). Personally I struggle to get invested in Nintendo as a whole, think it might be down to me being a SEGA fan growing up and therefore I have no nostalgia nor affinity. But what with all the praise SMO and BotW received, I simply had to try them for myself. So after buying a Switch and at most ‘dabbling’ with SMO (I played quite a bit of BotW btw) I gave the dust-gathering held-held to my partner.
She couldn’t get into BotW (she’s more of a mobile gamer but does feel the urge to branch out) but she did click with SMO. As a result, I myself got to see how great the game actually is when she hit the odd wall here and there and sullenly asked “Babe, will you do it for me?”. Some of the environments and problems posed really are ingenious… and the control of the plumber are pretty much pitch-perfect.
So after ‘taking the wheel’ here and there throughout Mario and my missus’ odyssey, I finally come around to giving the game the appreciation it deserved… and due to me ‘Switch-pushing’ on to my other-half a game that deserved to be played was enjoyed to the fullest by a relationship. While I will never really be into the Nintendo style of game, I can see the appeal for those that are.
@Jackpaza0508 Nice analysis. Your criticisms are fair, and mostly mirror my own. The moves requiring waggle are bad enough when you're in handheld mode (furiously shaking my $300 handheld when Mario has turned into a Cheep-Cheep so that he can attack enemies seems like an inherent design flaw), but the advanced techniques (like the upward hat throw) needed to attain some of the most difficult moons are only really consistently doable with joycons. Frankly, considering how good the rest of the game is, this obvious flaw stands out even more, like a giant, hairy mole on the face of a fair-skinned model.
I actually liked that there were collectibles everywhere, but I do agree there are too many of them. By the time you're having to mass purchase them from shops and randomly ground-pound otherwise non-descript spots, I think some of them have lost their value.
Agreed about the soundtrack. It's a pretty great one, but everything just sounds worse when you're coming off of Super Mario Galaxy.
Did you happen to do any of the Luigi Balloon World stuff that was patched in? I haven't really returned to the game since blitzing through it at launch.
Currently Playing: The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy (PC)
That's a new feature. Instead of people's work getting the credit it deserves, I added a function that just randomly redirects them to one of my reviews!
Nah. Arugula had his account nuked recently.
I'm in the process of fixing the Directory now. Barring any catastrophic life events, expect it to be back up before the end of the month. I'll make an announcement when it is.
I fixed that link now, btw.
Well seeing as I just saw your post saying you've fixed all the links now you deserve to put your feet up! I can't imagine that being anything other then an absolute nightmare. You're a star Ral! If anyone else had created this topic it'd be totally anarchy no doubt.
Seriously?! Arugula's gone?
... The impressions piece I'm working on was in part for Arugula cus he asked about it in the recommendation thread and I'd only played some of the opening whilst he was still here 😯
MonHun proper sells several millions of units over there, but MH Stories on 3DS couldn't crack 500,000 worldwide. So this sequel managed to double its lifetime sales within a week of release, lol.
Oh... Oh that's especially good then. That's still really surprising it didn't do all that well in japan. Wasn't around the same time when Yo-Kai Watch or Pokémon released was it? Only reason I can really think of myself wih their being some serious market saturation or unfortunate timing.
Hopefully, but I doubt it. Capcom is already providing a roadmap for what monsties it's adding to the game, and I didn't see my man Tetsucabra on the list.
I just don't understand why he's in the game at all if you can't hatch one. They already have the full 3D model for it.
Huh... That is rather a strange thing to do. If it was only in a cutsceme or something I'd understand why it wasn't but seeing as you can fight them already... Yeah... Odd.
Only if he constantly makes tacky dick jokes and innuendos like he did in SMT IV: Apocalypse.
Cu Chulainn and Scathach are both in. Atlus has been gradually revealing the game's roster over time. That, alongside a drip feed of trailers and news about the game keeps it in peoples' minds.
I haven't played either SMT IV so I didn't know that. Sounds about right for Mara
And ooh that's cool! Some nice trailers there. I don't think I've seen mermaid before in an SMT title.
Noticed angel got changed. Not sure how to feel about that... I'm so used to the typical BDSM looking design that the new one looks a little off. Kinda sorta reminds me of the robot angels from Tenant's run of Doctor Who with the space Titanic in
Sounds great. Looking forward to it! I'll be relying more heavily on impressions pieces myself.
I've noticed that my habits as a gamer don't properly align with my reviewing style. I tend to only discuss games after thoroughly completing them, which can mean beating them multiple times in order to see all in-game content if they're on the shorter side and completing all of the side-content in longer games. What I tend to do with longer games (which make up a huge chunk of my library given my affinity for visual novels and JRPGs), however, is play them for a period of time (anywhere between 15 - 60 hours, generally) before sitting them down and moving on to other games. It can be months or even years before I'll return to and complete a given game after doing this. So I've decided to lean more on impressions pieces for long games. If I end up returning to a game and beating it, then I'll craft a fuller, more complete review of it, but this way my feelings about games I end up not returning to for a long period of time will still be documented. They'll also give me a solid foundation on which to craft a finished piece about a game.
Well I hope it works out well for the both of us to help us review our longer winded games! 😄
I've already spent 20+ hours just getting past this first arc and with 2 DLC add-ons (One being a 50 floor roguelike dungeon crawler experience, the other a story dlc) to go through as well as god knows how many other chspters for the main gamr... I might take even longer then Divinity Original Sin II with this CRPG currently under my belt!
@RogerRoger Great review, you’ve summed up my thoughts exactly! A decent foundation for things to come, but with one of the most boring hub worlds ever. Yet, I find myself missing the fully explorable village while playing the second one! The platinum is at least achievable, and also gives you incentive to interact with basically everything it has to offer. Without that platinum then I probably would have played it a whole lot less.
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