What are you currently playing?

[DoctorEncore | 3,691]

I booted up Bridge Constructor Portal the other day to scratch my puzzle itch. Seems like a fun little romp although I didn't get far. Also played the first screen of Dragon's Lair for NES and boy is that game awful. Imagine being a kid and loving the arcade game, then getting that for your birthday.

[darkchylde28 | 1,546]

I did go ahead and start playing the original Dune PC game (ported to Sega CD as well, I believe).  I'm on the back half of the game at the moment but have started to run out of spare moments to hop in and play for a couple of hours and make any real progress.  Will probably move over to toying with Dune II afterward, as it's been even longer since I've played that one.

[themisfit138 | 523]

Decided to play the first two Witcher game. They were less then $5 total for both on GOG. About 10 hours into Witcher Enhanced Edition. The fight system took a bit to get the hang of, but after the intro in Kaer Morhan you get used to it. I did install a faster movement for Geralt. Ended up with 16% the lowest increase. Once you get out in the world Geralt’s base movement speed is way to slow for all the running around required.   

[noiseredux | 232]

I've been hooked on Xenoblade Chronicles X for the past couple weeks. This is top tier Wii U right here.

[Reed Rothchild | 9,550]

Final Fantasy X-2

Everspace on the side

[Gloves | 11,800]

Just now, Reed Rothchild said:

Final Fantasy X-2

Everspace on the side

How are you enjoying X-2?

[Reed Rothchild | 9,550]

Just now, Gloves said:

How are you enjoying X-2?

I'm only like 2 hours in.  It's been 15 years since I played X, but I loved the sphere grid and fast-based combat.  Seems like X2 only shares the latter.

Not super into the whole J Pop idol thing, but I can manage.

[Gloves | 11,800]

Just now, Reed Rothchild said:

I'm only like 2 hours in.  It's been 15 years since I played X, but I loved the sphere grid and fast-based combat.  Seems like X2 only shares the latter.

Not super into the whole J Pop idol thing, but I can manage.

What, it's not your life-long dream to step into the shoes of an Asian teenage girl trio? Come oooonnnn.

[Gloves | 11,800]

@Reed Rothchild I actually recall enjoying X-2 for a while; I liked the Dress Sphere system cuz it reminded me of FF3.

[Reed Rothchild | 9,550]

Just now, Gloves said:

@Reed Rothchild I actually recall enjoying X-2 for a while; I liked the Dress Sphere system cuz it reminded me of FF3.

I'm not entirely sure if the game has explained it.  Battle as a class long enough and you earn the ability to use those skills at any time?

[Gloves | 11,800]

1 minute ago, Reed Rothchild said:

I'm not entirely sure if the game has explained it.  Battle as a class long enough and you earn the ability to use those skills at any time?

Basically yeah, if I recall. Been a while.

[guillavoie | 1,210]

The correct answer for this week is : Kung Fu

 

[Californication | 1,477]

Had the house to myself yesterday. Put in a few hours on Ninja Gaiden Sigma, got a small taste of Odinsphere, and got to level 7 second run through on Super Ghouls n Ghosts. (I beat the level 6 boss for the first time using the bracelet.)

[Gloves | 11,800]

Runescape.

[Sumez | 2,968]

[Jeevan | 8,914]

harvest moon 64, previously of the coaster 2.0 thread

[T-Pac | 7,560]

14 hours ago, Sumez said:

Sick - I've only ever played the NES port of Karnov, but I really love it in spite of the clunky controls and everything. How does the arcade original compare?

-CasualCart

[Estil | 1,265]

I'm working on Final Fantasy X-2 (PS3) at the moment...boy I sure hope I can get 100% and get that yummy gold trophy for doing so!  But boy do you have to be very careful about how you do things!  There's even a part in the intro level that will blow your 100% chance if you forget to do it.  

[Gloves | 11,800]

Just now, Estil said:

I'm working on Final Fantasy X-2 (PS3) at the moment...boy I sure hope I can get 100% and get that yummy gold trophy for doing so!  But boy do you have to be very careful about how you do things!  There's even a part in the intro level that will blow your 100% chance if you forget to do it.  

I'm gonna be a bit of a Repetitive Ronald here and say not to worry about trophies TOO hard. In fact I'd suggest that once you're looking at a guide, maybe take a step back. It's honestly not worth it, it seriously almost ended gaming for me.

[Tanooki | 4,939]

10 hours ago, Gloves said:

I'm gonna be a bit of a Repetitive Ronald here and say not to worry about trophies TOO hard. In fact I'd suggest that once you're looking at a guide, maybe take a step back. It's honestly not worth it, it seriously almost ended gaming for me.

They get down on me too.  As soon as services started to allow it I've blocked them so I don't know they're there and they don't pop up when I'm playing.  I found them most demotivating and demoralizing, on top of just attention breaking when a lame popup appears in a beautiful sequence dishing some out like free water.  I know I guess it shows my age, but I'd rather make my own mental trophies (like finishing a game, clearing the whole SOTN castle %, all stars in Mario World, etc) than have some game pat me on the head like a dog saying good boy.

[Sumez | 2,968]

13 hours ago, CasualCart said:

Sick - I've only ever played the NES port of Karnov, but I really love it in spite of the clunky controls and everything. How does the arcade original compare?

I only ever played the arcade game until I got the NES one myself a couple of years ago, and I was immediately let down by how completely broken the game is. Especially the awkward scrolling (that will only scroll on one axis at a time) causes a ton of weird bugs and awful unfair deaths that I couldn't even beat the second stage before I got fed up with it. (I have the Japanese version which has limited continues, too)

In its defense, however, the arcade version has no shortage of its own jank and unfair situations. Most notable is that almost every enemy and obstacle in the game is designed in away that if you don't know their behavior ahead of time they pretty much will kill you. A good example is the early red rock throwers that throw a rock at you every time you hit them (and unlike the NES port, there's no apparent object limit) - an instinctive reaction would be trying to kill them before they get to throw a rock, which will immediately result in a huge volley of overlapping rocks going your way which will destroy anyone who's unprepared.
Coupled with an absurdly unintuitive hitbox (good luck dodging any bullets rather than just going in a huge arc around them) and a lack of hit points (the NES game lets you take two hits before you die), the arcade game is basically 100% about memorizing the stages. On the flip side once you know how to handle each challenge, they are quite easy to tackle consistently, and I'm sure the NES port isn't too different in that regard.

Overall I think the jank in the arcade version has much more charm, which makes it hard not to love the game and all of its completely weird, creative ideas, while the NES version just comes across as genuine kusoge. I think it also looks really terrible, while the original boasts some really neat graphics for 1987.
Buuut I've talked to more than a few people who actually prefer the NES version (the HG101 article shares this perspective), so I think once I'm done with my arcade 1CC, I'll give that version another chance.

tl;dr I'm in your boat in terms of loving the game in spite of how clunky it is, and if you like the NES one, definitely give the arcade a try!

Edited March 4, 2020 by Sumez

[acromite53 | 338]

The game called: Study for Midterms

[Estil | 1,265]

On 3/2/2020 at 5:10 PM, Reed Rothchild said:

I'm only like 2 hours in.  It's been 15 years since I played X, but I loved the sphere grid and fast-based combat.  Seems like X2 only shares the latter.

Not super into the whole J Pop idol thing, but I can manage.

But Koda Kumi is so hot though...don't tell my wife I said that!   Shhhhhh...

 

[Estil | 1,265]

On 3/3/2020 at 9:13 PM, Gloves said:

I'm gonna be a bit of a Repetitive Ronald here and say not to worry about trophies TOO hard. In fact I'd suggest that once you're looking at a guide, maybe take a step back. It's honestly not worth it, it seriously almost ended gaming for me.

Well it's just that I already did the game once on the PS2 (just regular playthrough) and I figured this time I should at least try my best to do it right.  Still it is kinda ridiculous how they set up the whole 100% thing.  But I guess it's a little late to complain now!

Edited March 5, 2020 by Estil

[Estil | 1,265]

On 3/4/2020 at 7:37 AM, Tanooki said:

I know I guess it shows my age, but I'd rather make my own mental trophies (like finishing a game, clearing the whole SOTN castle %, all stars in Mario World, etc) than have some game pat me on the head like a dog saying good boy.

Well before trophies you could still get badges/stars/icons/etc for achievements, doesn't that count?  Even Super Mario World gives you a distinctive 96* on your save file and of course the super secret alternate world.