What are you playing, stupid?

[max_cady]

'Kay, I'm done with my video game sabbatical.

Today, I reinstalled the Steam app on my Laptop, enabled Big Picture Mode, connected the HDMi cable to my LCD TV and I picked up these games...

Sonic Adventure 2

Even cranked up to 1080p, I really can't escape the fact that this game, graphics-wise is quite ancient. Lip-syching in those cutscenes are even noticably atrocious than before. Though, the one improvement I noticed was that the audio was a little more tweaked, so it doesn't sound like the characters are talking over each other. Gameplay-wise, the game runs smoothly mostly without a hitch (the slowdowns I experienced were hardware related, my laptop never was a fan of Sonic games). I'm about halfway into Sonic's Story, should take long.

Hell Yeah!

I'm enjoying so far... Though, I kinda expected something similar to Rayman Origins, but it's a different beast. As far as a new IP goes, this is actually pretty good. The controls needed a little more polish.

[Nameless 24]

I'm going through Fire Emblem: Blazing Sword whilst I am stuck on Sacred Stones (I can't grind in this Chapter since it happens STRAIGHT after the previous chapter).

Blazing Sword's difficulty is purely from HAVING to buy Items/Weapons and crap on the maps as opposed to Sacred Stone's Overworld Map.

Grinding is also impossible in Blazing Sword, and Side Quests can fuck you up if you aren't strong enough (I decided to skip a side quest for this reason), as the game even TELLS you to create a back up save in case (gee....should of told me BEFORE I beat the fucking mission, because I wouldn't need to reset if I fail on the side quest and play the previous map again!).

Yeah...I am on a Fire Emblem streak after beating Radiant Dawn and Awakening (Radiant Dawn is the hardest game I have ever played, and I beat it on the Easy Mode. <_<) to be fair to RD, I had NO clue on managing my items, skill sets and character classes/weaknesses.

[max_cady]

I finished Hell Yeah!... It's a nice little distraction. I like the fact that a lot of those kills are puzzle-based. It's a bit of a shame that it's a short game.

The stages are amazing for the most part and I do like the aspect of being slightly non-linear(though, when it happens, it's already very late in the game).

And now I'm just trying to plough through Sonic Adventure 2...

[Happy Cat]

Fire Emblem arrived today, going to start it tonight before i go to sleep.

[Nameless 24]

Fire Emblem arrived today, going to start it tonight before i go to sleep.

Awakening? It's a good game, but I think I prefer the GBA ones.

[Happy Cat]

Awakening? It's a good game, but I think I prefer the GBA ones.

Yeah, awakening, never played the GBA ones, probably never will. they don't really interest me. I'm enjoying Awakening so far. started playing lastnight before i went to sleep.

[Nameless 24]

Ah I see.

I actually perfer the GBA ones over Awakening now that I've played both sets of games.

Awakening feels as if it's trying to create this epic story with console like features along with the GBA's basic animations, and it comes off as too convoulted to me...

The children mechanic is interesting but then i got bored at the micromanaging (I felt like the restriction of obtaining money suited the game better on the GBA games). With Awakening also, the enemy placements are really stupid, in some cases it means your weaker or supportive characters are useless as they'll be killed by the enemy before you can even make them useful late game. X_X

In my opinion, Sacred Stones/Blazing Sword makes the somewhat restrictive map/enemy placement a lot more bearable than Awakening's handling of the same thing.

Overall, I think Awakening is a good 3DS game, but not a good FE game and despite what fans say, it's not the best FE game at all! To me so far it's Radient Dawn (Parts 2, 3 and Final. Part 1 sucks) > Sacred Stones > Blazing Sword > Awakening.

[Happy Cat]

Ah I see.

I actually perfer the GBA ones over Awakening now that I've played both sets of games.

Awakening feels as if it's trying to create this epic story with console like features along with the GBA's basic animations, and it comes off as too convoulted to me...

The children mechanic is interesting but then i got bored at the micromanaging (I felt like the restriction of obtaining money suited the game better on the GBA games). With Awakening also, the enemy placements are really stupid, in some cases it means your weaker or supportive characters are useless as they'll be killed by the enemy before you can even make them useful late game. X_X

In my opinion, Sacred Stones/Blazing Sword makes the somewhat restrictive map/enemy placement a lot more bearable than Awakening's handling of the same thing.

Overall, I think Awakening is a good 3DS game, but not a good FE game and despite what fans say, it's not the best FE game at all! To me so far it's Radient Dawn (Parts 2, 3 and Final. Part 1 sucks) > Sacred Stones > Blazing Sword > Awakening.

The part i like about it the most is the story, if it was just boring bare bones story I'd have no interest in the game. It's fun, but Valkyria Chronicles is much more fun in terms of gameplay.

[max_cady]

'Kay... So I finished Sonic Adventure 2's Hero Side. Didn't take long. The game really is short. And I'm almost halfway into Dark Side.

Knuckles/Rouge levels really are a chore to get through. Still I want to touch on the visuals... It's a crying shame that even though the Jet Set Radio HD port was a marvel to look at, Sonic Adv. 2's case however... I'm not going to knock on a 12 year old game, to be sure... But yeah, I wish they had added a little more polish to this title.

I'm playing it through Steam on my LCD TV jacked up to 1080p, wish certainly lessens the impact of the otherwise basic graphics.

[Emmett The Crab]

So I never played Shining Force 1 and 2 before. I believe I was in College when they came out, but anyway, I'm playing SUGC Shining Force 1 and I love it.  It's easy to screw up and have to start a battle over, but what a cool game. 

[Happy Cat]

so in fire emblem awakening, its literally impossible to level up your characters or get in game money unless you buy two DLC maps, one is a map that gives you easy money, and the other is a map that gives you easy levels. I thought people said Nintendo didn't abuse DLC

[Chaosmaster8753]

so in fire emblem awakening, its literally impossible to level up your characters or get in game money unless you buy two DLC maps, one is a map that gives you easy money, and the other is a map that gives you easy levels. I thought people said Nintendo didn't abuse DLC

Seems like you're talking about these two:

http://serenesforest.net/fe13/dlc_na.html#gg

http://serenesforest.net/fe13/dlc_na.html#eg

[Kori-Maru]

Virtua Cop Elite Edition. I lol everytime a civilian shouts don't shoot me please with a very sad expression in their faces. Classic Sega gaming right there.

[Nameless 24]

So I never played Shining Force 1 and 2 before. I believe I was in College when they came out, but anyway, I'm playing SUGC Shining Force 1 and I love it.  It's easy to screw up and have to start a battle over, but what a cool game. 

I gather it's easier then FE due to no perma death to characters?

I don't like SF at all, and I tried it a number of times before thinking it's just not for me.

[Happy Cat]

Seems like you're talking about these two:

http://serenesforest.net/fe13/dlc_na.html#gg

http://serenesforest.net/fe13/dlc_na.html#eg

Yup, i bought the pack for 6 dollars that includes those 2 and one more so i wasn't fully getting ripped off, but i still feel ripped off. lol. oh well