Grinding into Gittingham

So the next phase of Dragon Quest IX requires me to go to Gittingham Palace. Since a convenient doorstep stop has been created for the Starflight Express, that's an easy enough task. So easy that I figured I would do some dawdling first. I had recently found a key that can open any lock, after all, and there were doors that needed opening.

After opening those that I could remember, I got back onto the game's main track.

So I show up at Gittingham Palace's gates and see two guards on the door. I was geared up for a relatively easy fight. Instead, however, one of the leaders of the Gittingham Empire appears when you near the palace: Hootingham-Gore. Then he challenges you.

This is like going to fight Magus in Chrono Trigger and having him challenge you after the iconic cutscene of the exterior of his castle. Although that game does an exceptional job of evenly pacing out your characters' levels with its difficulty curve.

Dragon Quest IX does not do the same.

Hootingham-Gore threw out Frizzles and Swooshes like a pitching machine throws out baseballs, and his flanking guards swung their halberds for never less than 30 damage. Not expecting a mini-boss before the dungeon even started, I was not only taken off guard I was taken out. Reduced first to my two party members who have no means of reviving the others, and then to my powerful (in one on one encounters) thief, my party crumbled then and there on the doorstep of Gittingham Palace.

Realistically, should I have expected a different outcome? No. Not at all.

Since the journey to Upover, the game's not offered any direct means of level building.

I could've left the prison break for a session to grind around the Gittish Empire or elsewhere. Or I could have done some grinding before or after going to the Realm of the Almighty. But since Upover, I've only been facing a series of bosses (mini and otherwise) without the monster-filled, and subsequently level-boosting, dungeons they usually go with.

Because I'd been facing this string of bosses I had no real sense that I needed to level up before heading into Gittingham Palace.

And maybe I don't, but I have a full quest queue so why not kill two mecha-mynahs with one stone?

Weapon Shop de Omasse is open for business

Weapon Shop de Omasse is a rhythm game and so much more.

Unlike other Nintendo-exclusive rhythm games (ie: Rhythm Heaven), Weapon Shop de Omasse's more of a complete experience. Instead of having disconnected rhythm-based mini-games, Weapon Shop de Omasse happens to be a shop simulator that features a rhythm mini-game.

Specifically, Weapon Shop de Omasse is a game that puts you into the role of a blacksmith's apprentice living and working in an RPG. So, instead of being the one who does the adventuring and is at the fore of the action, you see the classic "defeat-the-evil-lord" plot play out from the perspective of a weapon shop.

The game's rhythm element comes in when you work to forge the weapons that you rent out. Aside from that, though, you need to manage your inventory, judge your customers' abilities and needs and give them the appropriate weapon, and work to become a deluxe weapon shop before the evil lord makes his grand entrance.

All of these aspects of the game revolve around your customers. Surprisingly, even early in the game these people are all rather distinct. Even if they're mostly just named "NPC," they all have at least some personality. The way that your interactions with them are presented adds quite a bit to this as well, giving the impression that Weapon Shop de Omasse is filmed in front of a live studio audience.

Out of all the rhythm games I've played to date, Weapon Shop de Omasse is my favourite. However, the premise, the shop management, and the characters are more to thank for this praise than the actual rhythm sections of the game. Truth be told, five customers into the game, these sections have yet to be longer than thirty seconds.

If all of the above sounds good to you, though (and you have a 3DS), head on over to the eShop. As of this writing, Weapon Shop de Omasse is going for $7.99.

StreetPass questions spurred by Nintendo Zone visits

Why is it so much fun to StreetPass someone? And why does playing the little StreetPass games and collecting puzzle pieces feel so rewarding?

After my second visit to a Nintendo Zone (StreetPass relay points at McDonald's/Future Shops/Best Buys), these are the questions that I'm left with.

A large part of the experience is the novelty. As far as I know, there isn't another console feature or set of games that relies on passing other people to use it.

Multiplayer exists for many titles, sure, but StreetPass just requires you to pass by someone who also has a 3DS (sleeping or active) on them.

A few times now, I've brought my 3DS with me to work or shopping and have come home only to found that someone I would otherwise not even be aware of had passed me in my toils or travels. So surprise can be added to the feature's fun appeal, too. It's kind of like getting mail, but in a system where junk mail is practically non-existent.

Come to think of it, that seems to be the bulk of it. The StreetPass feature is powered by surprise meetings with people that remain, for the most part, entirely mysterious. What could be more interesting than that sort of known unknown?

Do you find yourself eagerly awaiting your next StreetPass? Feel free to write why in the comments.

Away Game Special: Bravely Default demonstrates innovation

Bravely Default has interested me since I first saw its teaser trailer in a Nintendo Direct video. This video was from months ago and I now, at last, have the game's demo (and will pick up the full title after I've unlocked all of the transferable bonuses). What I really want to write about here is the game's titular battle commands: "Brave" or "Default."

To my slight disappointment this system is incredibly simple. Along with the standard turn-based RPG commands, the game adds one that lets you store turns (Default) and one that lets you use stored and/or future turns (Brave). The game keeps tracks of stored and used future turns with a number referred to as BP.

In offering these commands, the game makes this BP into another kind of MP. An important distinction, however, is that BP is set to zero at the start of each battle. Also, if a character's BP falls below zero, then that character can't move until their BP is zero or more. It's a system that creates possibilities like giant special techniques or bosses that require unique strategies. Not to mention the fact that enemies also have BP. Though naming your game after these commands doesn't make for a very compelling English title.

Title aside, turning turns themselves into a combat consumable has made for some challenging battles. In the demo (on the "Normal" difficulty setting) the monsters outmatch your party to the point where Braving and Defaulting are helpful, verging on necessary. Though since levels are something that don't transfer to the full game, enemy difficulty might just be a way to deter meaningless grinding.

The fun of a simple StreetPass

Since the release of the Wii (and even earlier, depending on who you ask), Nintendo has had a reputation. Not among the most popular of associations, the Big N's machines are considered the kid-friendly option among modern day video game consoles. Generally this means games on the 3DS and Wii U are colourful and simple, feature cartoonish violence, and don't often veer into the more "adult" arenas of scoring headshots and hookers. But you should never let simplicity fool you.

The StreetPass function of the 3DS might be the console's best software. It's something that rewards you for venturing out into the real world much more effectively than any Pokéwalker ever could. Simply passing by people with a 3DS allows you to play simple games that are, at the same time, kind of fascinating. Needless to say the turn-based battler Find Mii can play in a near infinite sort of way, since the people you meet via StreetPass could be wearing any one of several colours of shirts. Shirt colour determines their magic power and how strong any team of two (in Find Mii II) is.

The console's StreetPass function also fosters a sense of community, even if it may be a bit one-sided. Many of the people you meet via the feature are likely to be met but once, but seeing your StreetPass Plaza full of unique Miis is strangely rewarding. It also makes your 3DS feel strangely social.

Ultimately, StreetPass is just plain fun. And really, along with more recently being branded the "kiddie" line of consoles, Nintendo's had a well-deserved reputation for that for far longer.

Thoughts of a year-late Wii U adopter

Setting up the Wii U a year after its launch was way easier than I'd expected. I remember all of the horror stories about lengthy updates required to do anything, systems getting bricked because an update froze them, or because the system was powered off during the process for some reason or other. Even if it was a year later when I finally got the Wii U (Merry Christmas!), for whatever reason, these problems were expected.

But those expectations were foiled.

Though, the Wii U's hardly a plug and play system. You still need to set up a user account, run a few updates for most of the pre-installed channels/menus, and configure a few of the GamePad's features. These set up processes alone should be the criteria for a console to be considered "Next Gen," since I'm sure you need to go through the same things with the PS4 and XBox One. Specs and such aside, I will always consider the Nintendo console with a year-long head start part of the same video game heat as Sony and Microsoft's latest machines.

Yet, now that I have a Wii U I also have to admit that Nintendo really didn't make good use of its head start. The Nintendo Direct from 18 December left me feeling excited for 2014, but what, then, happened in 2013? It seems that Nintendo took the time to relax before (hopefully) turning their efforts up to 11. The Virtual Console is,as it was on the Wii, a prime example of Ninty's playing the hare.

The only two consoles represented on the VC as of this writing are the NES and SNES. Some of the games available for these are also available on the Wii (the VC of which is accessible via the Wii Menu). But, even then, when I turned off all of the eShop's search filters and went through all of the available titles I was dumbfounded to see there were only eight pages worth of software. Some of which wasn't even available on the Wii U, but only available for the 3DS. Since the two consoles now share the eShop, it seems that the eShop is doubling as a strange cross-platform advertising delivery system.

Yet, Nintendo has still captured my imagination with its GamePad. Off-TV play is, at its core, a simple concept. But it's so cool. Being able to take games or apps around with you is incredibly convenient. This convenience probably sounds familiar to owners of smartphones or tablets, but the GamePad's screen is bigger than most smartphones. Its being tethered to the Wii U console cuts down its mobility, but at the same time the GamePad is, essentially, a portable Wii U - which makes it super cool.

Hyrule Warriors raises my hopes for the future of the Wii U. Perhaps this spin-off in the Warriors series is a hint at some element in what will eventually be in Zelda Wii U. Or, perhaps the use of Link (and maybe Zelda?) in a spin-off game is just nodding towards a very late release date for Zelda Wii U.

Away game special: Matter for a retrial?

What I wrote yesterday about Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies still stands. It's one stylish game that really makes great use of the 3DS' capabilities. Except for the 3D. That's just a bit above the standard.

However, there's a recurring issue with the game's substance.

As an interactive novel, two elements essential to this game's success are how the story develops through dialogue and its words themselves. The former element is fine: The game's dialogue is what you'd expect of a fine anime's great translation. However, the game's text reads like it was rushed through editing.

In some blocks of text words are repeated, verbs are doubled, or auxiliary words are outright missing. What's particularly disappointing about the game's text is that these errors recur with enough regularity to notice them. But, they're also rare enough to not detract too much from plain enjoyment of the game. This is especially true if you're a huge fan of the series, as my co-player is.

Nonetheless, it's disappointing that these errors exist in such a text-heavy game. The fact that Dual Destinies is an eShop exclusive doesn't help. If this game's text is representative of what we can expect from future text-heavy, eShop exclusives, then maybe Nintendo (or maybe just Capcom) isn't ready for the speedy publication that digital games entail.

Away game special: A stylish turnabout

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies is an incredible improvement over the first few entries in the series. It looks really slick with all of its 3D sprites and hand-drawn cutscenes. Its music sounds smooth. But its voices don't really match what I'd expected of recurring characters like Phoenix Wright himself.

The game still plays like an interactive novel, but because of its 3DS sheen, it comes across as much more of a game. That graphics and sound can transform something as simple as a story told linearly with periodic breaks for interaction really says something about the power of what makes a game a game. On the one hand it makes things like ebooks with soundtracks seem like the first step towards a branch of interactive storytelling that could see things like Isaac Asimov's Foundation or Arthur C. Clarke's Stranger in a Strange Land get turned into novel-like games.

Of course, Dual Destinies is also a reflection of the power of the 3DS. Most of the games in the series that came before it were up-ports from the GBA to the DS so their graphics and music were less than impressive. Plus, they were also rather short. If the first case in Dual Destinies is any indication, then the rest of the game will be pretty lengthy - a quality that's also thanks to the game's being made for the 3DS rather than the GBA.

Away game special: A thought passed on the street

What makes The 3DS' street pass feature so fresh is that its inputs are user generated content. Sure, the minigames that you play with other people's Miis use the mechanics of their various genres, but there's a much bigger element of randomness involved. After all, there's no telling what you'll wind up having to work with.

As an example, Find Mii is a game that uses standard turn-based RPG mechanics. At the same time, your heroes' abilities depend entirely on the colour of their shirt. However, you have no control over their shirt colour. As such, the most important variable in the game is what colour the people you street pass prefer.

Given the technology behind the recent Skylanders games, it's easy to wonder if we might one day see a game that allows people to trade customized NFC figurines. Even further, if some day a game might exist that could integrate such custom figurines into a pre-existing story or experience.

Away game special: 'Where the Xerneas and Yveltal play'

So Pokemon X (and Y) have integrated farming into their gameplay. Not the sort of farming you usually find in an RPG - fighting monsters to fatten your wallet or collect items - but actual farming. We're talking Harvest Moon-style here.

Adding this feature makes sense. Berries have become prrretty important to the Pokemon games. Being able to grow your own definitely puts more agency into the players' hands. Is that a good thing, though?

Giving players more agency also gives them more responsibility. When you had to find berries in Pokemon games all you had to do was remember where the bush was and return to it every now and then. But growing them yourself means you need to mulch the soil, water your plants, pluck out weeds and shake out bugs.

How far can such a feature go before something like farming berries becomes more chore than play?

Away game special: A dreamy start

Every time I go to see a 3D movie, I walk out disappointed. I just don't get the full 3D experience in the theatre. On the 3DS, though, that extra dimension is fully appreciated.

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team doesn't use this feature much, aside from in battle and during some cutscenes. But, when it does, it's quite lush. Though I've only just reached the point where you first enter the dream world, so there're likely many much more stunning visuals ahead.

Aside from the game's look (the cleanest and clearest yet in the series), it plays similarly to the others in the series. That is to say, you wander, fight, and talk, though the game's railroaded me so far.

This seems to be the way of it with handheld RPGs, freedom comes slowly. Especially in the Mario & Luigi series. No doubt it's because they always involve a slow build of out-of-battle abilities.

Nonetheless, the game's first hour and a half's been smooth on all fronts. I expect the rest to be the same.

Away game special: Shantae 2: Risky's Revenge

Now that I know about it, I can't help but wonder. About how high the resolution is in the picture of Shantae in a bikini that you get for beating Shantae 2: Risky's Revenge in two hours or less, that is.

This reward for a speedy finish is definitely a reference to the same in Metroid. But in that game, the revelation of Samus stood as more of a shock, since female heroes in video games were unheard of at the time. Unfortunately, such is still the case now.

But, this curious award for gaming skill (and/or memorization) aside, Shantae 2 is a fun game, the three transformations (monkey, elephant,and mermaid) making for some neat exploration.

Taken as a whole though, I wonder who the game was really made for: boys or girls.

Away Game Special: Full-on Melodia

HarmoKnight's demo definitely does its job. After having played a bit of the full version of the game, the demo lays out everything you need to know about it. It also gives a clear feel of how the full game plays while showcasing most of the full game's modes and mechanics.

The two major differences between the demo and the full version are the bonus stages (an obvious difference) and the appearance of other playable characters.

What makes the bonus stages relevant to the demo of the game is that they are the Pokemon related stages, of which "Bike" is playable in the demo. Having been made by Game Freak, it's no surprise that there are five Pokemon-inspired stages. Though it's a wonder that there aren't more. Perhaps, though, Game Freak intended for HarmoKnight to be a mostly fresh new IP, the references to its megahit franchise being nothing more than Easter eggs.

Along with the full game's having more stages, different characters appear as you progress. These characters join you on your travels and each brings a different weapon to the adventure. For example, in Marching Hills, you meet the warrior of the realm, Lyra. She, of course, uses a lyre. However, rather than using it to produce sound waves or some such, she uses it as a bow and opens up areas that resemble sidescrolling shooting galleries.

On the whole, it looks like a great game. Plus, HarmoKnight, though still tricky for those with two left thumbs (myself included), is fun enough that replaying stages hardly ever becomes a chore.

Away Game Special: Demos of the Day

After hearing about them for weeks on Radio Free Nintendo and the Famicast, I finally tried my hand at Mutant Mudds and HarmoKnight. Both experiences were just demos, but they both showed what each game is all about.

HarmoKnight might be the first rhythm game that I can actually play somewhat well. Some attacks missed their mark, and the trickier jump sequences consistently tripped me up, but it's definitely a game I would play more of. Part of the reason for this is that the game's visual style and comic-book-like cutscenes are very endearing.

Mutant Mudds was also a great demo, and it's got me interested in more of the game. But, I find myself interested in it in the same way I'm interested in the old sidescrolling Mega Man games. It looks and plays like it would be a decent challenge, but ultimately there wasn't much that set it apart from other sidescrolling shooters. The jet pack is cool, and probably has several upgrades (as does your water cannon), but, without any of these things in the demo, it seems more generic than HarmoKnight.

I also played through the demo of the Art of Balance TOUCH!. Unfortunately, its demo is just too short. You can play through several balancing puzzles, but, as with Mutant Mudds, I don't think enough of the game's unique mechanics are really showcased. As you play through each puzzle, they get more and more difficult, but nothing really spectacular is shown.

So, of the three demos I tried, HarmoKnight came out on top. This game is, in and of itself, a spectacle. However, whether or not it's spectacular is another question, one that can only be answered by buying it and playing through more.

Away Game Special: Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask

I'm not much a puzzle gamer, but when I play them, I go all out. Like when I ,tried to beat. played my fiancee at Tetris - taking three hours to finally do so.

Because of that, I was pretty pleasantly surprised by Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask on the 3DS. Though, my ability to get through a bunch of the bonus puzzles might be because so many of them use the same mechanic. That is, a lot of the download bonus games involve mapping out a route, or linking together various objects without crossing tubes, tracks, lines, or number boundaries.

The variation on the route mechanic used for the boat puzzles, having to find the rocks in your way, definitely made that one stick out quite a bit. And the puzzle set involving knights and ghosts is almost certainly a nod to Ghosts and Goblins (NES) and Super Ghosts and Goblins (SNES).

Away Game Special: Fire Emblem Awakening

I'm not always at home, and while I'm away I'm not always going to be playing the games from my list. So, since I'm away for the next few days, the next few video game entries will be "Away Games Specials." Today's game? Fire Emblem Awakening for the 3DS. Or, rather, its demo.

A short look into what sounds like a long game (according to episode #324 of Radio Free Nintendo (RFN)), the demo offered on the 3DS e-shop gives a review of the game's basics, introduces the beginnings of its story, and hints at what the new mechanics can do.

However, if I hadn't listened to that episode of RFN, then I'd have no idea that the relationship mechanic could lead to characters marrying and having children. Plus, I'm sure that in the full game every combination of characters doesn't just give your hit rate a 10% boost. That's all that seemed to be in the demo, though.

What bothers me most about the demo, though, is that in the second cinematic it looks like there's a 16-bit sprite in the middle of the inter-dimensional gate. Yet, it's blurred just enough to be impossible to make out.

Maybe it's a character from a Fire Emblem game from the SNES/Super Famicom era? Or just something thrown in by a nameless designer with absolutely no meaning attached to it.

But the more I look at it, the more it looks like a Chrono Trigger sprite.