MOONTRIPS
oh fuck I should have initially checked to see if this was accounted for separately lol
copy pasting my review thing, with some additions:
I brought the noise. I did it.
a lot of fun. comparable to Plague Knight's campaign in Shovel Knight. a slight spinoff with all the things you remember and a bit of new thrown in. I wish there was a bit more new stuff, but I know that's just me feeling greedy haha
Distasteful Anchovi is fucking FIRE, I always looked forward to the escape just because that meant I got to hear it again.
I love how The Noise manages to at least FEEL like he goes even ridiculously faster. I like how, 3 different times, I managed to save myself from falling with some weird jump chain bullshit. I do genuinely enjoy Tiny Noise, so fun to have a Tiny Wario analogue in Pizza Tower. That's What I'm Talkin Bout Babeyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!
I don't like The Noise, he's fucked up. and evil. and rude. but I won't deny that it's fun to play as him. like, super fun. a lil tricky, but real fun. so I guess I like him in one sense. eww.
copy pasting my review thing, with some additions:
I brought the noise. I did it.
a lot of fun. comparable to Plague Knight's campaign in Shovel Knight. a slight spinoff with all the things you remember and a bit of new thrown in. I wish there was a bit more new stuff, but I know that's just me feeling greedy haha
Distasteful Anchovi is fucking FIRE, I always looked forward to the escape just because that meant I got to hear it again.
I love how The Noise manages to at least FEEL like he goes even ridiculously faster. I like how, 3 different times, I managed to save myself from falling with some weird jump chain bullshit. I do genuinely enjoy Tiny Noise, so fun to have a Tiny Wario analogue in Pizza Tower. That's What I'm Talkin Bout Babeyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!
I don't like The Noise, he's fucked up. and evil. and rude. but I won't deny that it's fun to play as him. like, super fun. a lil tricky, but real fun. so I guess I like him in one sense. eww.
2023
The Noise log moved to here: https://www.backloggd.com/u/MOONTRIPS/review/1456542/
finally finished completing this with all palettes. that really makes me wish there were more variety here, especially in regards to the bosses. worst palette for me personally was easily the charger. 8's palette is second lol I tried and failed 3 times with only my 3 extra lives, so I decided to try running with all the hacks I had. mostly because my friend said that that was how they succeeded... so I figured it was worth a shot. not really that much easier, but I had safety nets so I was willing to risk my neck more of the time. I'd still like a few more items from the shop, so I'll have to do some prlz farming... eventually.
This review contains spoilers
a follow-up to octo expand was going to have a tough time regardless... but this could have used more... everything. I don't mind it being a roguelike, I think a roguelike under the Splatoon lens is very cool. but it falls short with a lack of variety. could use more enemies, bosses, layouts. more story, even. story-wise it is very "octo expand sequel" and a way to shove in the order concept and that's... all, really. I was hoping it'd be a deeper experience, honestly. in terms of gameplay, it becomes very, very familiar... very quickly. and at that point, you're just doing the thing for the sake of... well, doing the thing. I don't really feel this is undercooked, though. lacking? yes, absolutely. but I wouldn't call it undercooked. idk. at the least, the foundation is very solid. but I do feel it could have used more time... to be... More. I remember that first teaser trailer with the concept art and had hoped the tone of the final product would reflect that. that trailer had a desolate, eerie vibe. but Side Order really doesn't, which is kind of a bummer for me personally. Acht, Pearl, and Marina are so chatty and always there with you. regardless, I do think it's a solid experience, even if it's left me wanting more.
edit to add: the music is fantastic. I looooooove it. I know some don't and won't dig the ambient vibes present, but I adore it. it works for what they've done here. if there's anything I can count on, I can count on Splatoon to always nail the vibes. the music that plays on the elevator between floors 20 and 30 is SO creepy. great track, but has a big impact on my mood if I take an extended break while hearing it.
the final boss... ehhhhhhhhh. was hard for me the first time I made it to floor 30, but after defeating it once, there's no real tension in future runs. the game goes even further with reducing said tension, having the room look different and bright. though I'm unsure how I feel about it being so... Silly past first completion. I both like and hate Smollusk as a result.
edit to add: the music is fantastic. I looooooove it. I know some don't and won't dig the ambient vibes present, but I adore it. it works for what they've done here. if there's anything I can count on, I can count on Splatoon to always nail the vibes. the music that plays on the elevator between floors 20 and 30 is SO creepy. great track, but has a big impact on my mood if I take an extended break while hearing it.
the final boss... ehhhhhhhhh. was hard for me the first time I made it to floor 30, but after defeating it once, there's no real tension in future runs. the game goes even further with reducing said tension, having the room look different and bright. though I'm unsure how I feel about it being so... Silly past first completion. I both like and hate Smollusk as a result.
not bad. to note, I am not done with this, but idk, I might be running out of steam for a while and the thoughts I'm noting here don't require me to complete the game. for all the things this mod/hack does right, one that it does wrong is not making grinding better, at least in the current beta. I've heard a previous version allowed you to buy rare candies. but the current beta, which is the version you're encouraged to play for a number of reasons, removed that. the breeder trainers are supposed to be ones you can repeatedly battle, but idk how that works. I've tried interacting with them for more battles, to no avail. eh.
this game requiring you to really keep your team up isn't a terrible thing, but with every trainer in the game having significantly better Pokemon than they do in vanilla Crystal means this mod really keeps you on your toes and it'll take you by surprise for a while. eventually you'll start to at least kind of expect the wild varied movesets, but it's sort of annoying not really knowing exactly what to expect. I dislike that you can come across annoying situations like recover spam. but for the most part, it's not too bad minus the weird surprises that can screw you over.
idk how I feel about the original content and such... it's not that it's super unfitting, but eh. one thing I'm not keen on at all is the trainer sprites from future games that were added to Polished Crystal. for the most part, I don't think they're needed. also several of them look... weird. like they really don't fit, despite the artist's best efforts. or they just feel too recognizable, but clearly from a future game. it just feels off.
a few of the general custom overworld sprites are also awkward looking, like the juggler's. but I do like how those little visual upgrades make this mod feel fresh.
I feel dumb as hell because I can't think of what from HGSS is here in this mod. well, aside from Lyra, I guess. who... I could do without because I don't like her, but whatever.
this game requiring you to really keep your team up isn't a terrible thing, but with every trainer in the game having significantly better Pokemon than they do in vanilla Crystal means this mod really keeps you on your toes and it'll take you by surprise for a while. eventually you'll start to at least kind of expect the wild varied movesets, but it's sort of annoying not really knowing exactly what to expect. I dislike that you can come across annoying situations like recover spam. but for the most part, it's not too bad minus the weird surprises that can screw you over.
idk how I feel about the original content and such... it's not that it's super unfitting, but eh. one thing I'm not keen on at all is the trainer sprites from future games that were added to Polished Crystal. for the most part, I don't think they're needed. also several of them look... weird. like they really don't fit, despite the artist's best efforts. or they just feel too recognizable, but clearly from a future game. it just feels off.
a few of the general custom overworld sprites are also awkward looking, like the juggler's. but I do like how those little visual upgrades make this mod feel fresh.
I feel dumb as hell because I can't think of what from HGSS is here in this mod. well, aside from Lyra, I guess. who... I could do without because I don't like her, but whatever.
This review contains spoilers
no matter how many times I tried, I could not make it past first Savato. I liked this game more before I played it for myself, rip forever
also it's been so long, I wonder how I managed to make it past Triti.
also it's been so long, I wonder how I managed to make it past Triti.
this shit too hard bro
I made it pretty close to the end, better than I did with the first game, but I got totally fucked by one of the Neo GUILT and had to give it up. I remember loving this series way more before I had a chance to play any of it myself. sad
I made it pretty close to the end, better than I did with the first game, but I got totally fucked by one of the Neo GUILT and had to give it up. I remember loving this series way more before I had a chance to play any of it myself. sad
2023
This review contains spoilers
it's a fine remake. I wish I felt more strongly, really, but idk. I am satisfied, but I wasn't... wowed. edit to add, before even actually publishing, something did indeed wow me in postgame.
I was largely let down by the new music, but whatever. me not liking it much doesn't mean it's bad. I personally just didn't enjoy most of it all that much. some tracks were pretty good. maybe two or three were really great. a lot of stuff has a grander spin put on it and it just doesn't land all the time. sometimes things were too subdued. sometimes I thought weird instrument choices were made. most baffling of all was the real laugh present in Valen-Valentina. I had to change the soundtrack back to the original for that part of the game because the laugh was so annoying. Why did they do that.
I really wish all of the original sound effects were present. some are, some aren't. it feels off sometimes as a result. I miss the sound effects for clicking through text boxes and wonder why those were removed.
but the game shines in the visual department 100%. looks great. love the enemy and boss models. frog coins having a unique model is nice. they look cute. but something about the Toad models feels off, at least like, their faces. like when they talk. idk, it's just Weird to me. the party's models are okay, though Mario looks a bit off somehow. I know it's accurate to the original, but the squished look is way more apparent on Mario than it is on Peach or Bowser, so he's the only one that looks odd. Valentina's mini model also looks extra weird, her face. idk what they were going for. why'd her mouth look like that. other models here and there look a bit odd, like the chancellor. he looks extra squished.
the UI and menus and font choices, I am not so keen on. doesn't really fit this game. reminds me of the Mario & Luigi series.
the cutscenes are fine... I like them well enough but they also felt kind of weird for some reason. there were a few that used a certain font, and due to it being so infrequent, especially never felt right.
I'm used to how snappy battles are in the original, and even up to the end, never fully adjusted to the general timing in this remake. this game has a lot of qol for battles, I appreciate the new visual meters for special attacks. made me feel inclined to use them more. I used them way more in this remake than I ever would in playthroughs of the original game. the triple moves are... eh. I guess they were a given, an echo of future Mario RPGs brought back to this one. they fit in fine, though I purposely didn't use them all too often.
I knew this remake was going to handle inventory differently... but I wasn't sure how. I both like and dislike how it works. the item limits feel so arbitrary. why only 6 pick me ups? like, why not 10? what's the deal with that? I know there's the "breezy" mode which ups your amounts to 30 for most, if not all items... normal could have just had it be 10 for everything. the limits truly are arbitrary.
I really like and appreciate the fast travel. this makes it tolerable if, say, you get near the very end of the game but you wanna go back and do something, like fight Culex. don't have to go back the hard way, which is actually doubly appreciated because the platforming in this remake feels more off than it did in the original game. ugh, imagine going back through the whole gate area. yeah, no thanks. lol
the autosave happens too frequently for save blocks to be of any real use. it's silly. I'd find myself saving, and then the autosave would trigger if I moved to the next room. like, what's the point?
I love how everything with Smithy was handled. seeing Smithy in this remake's style was literally the thing I was most excited for. they didn't let me down. the cutscene, the way they made the true form battle background even creepier than it was in the original, everything. it was great and I was freaking out. the music was... an 8/10, though. ngl. sorry. the true form battle music didn't need the electric guitar parts. other battle theme was too subdued. but still pretty good, so... eh.
the postgame battles are a great idea on paper, but they chose to make them all gimmicky in some manner or another, and I'm not a fan of that. I changed the difficulty because I was getting my ass kicked, but after accidentally spoiling myself on 3D Culex's existence(by reading the track list of a game rip, smh), I was like "ok, I have to see this NOW" and then, had to put in more time because of this sequential bullshit to get to it. bleargh. for added context, I was level 25 when I chose to take on that content. I was level 21 when I fought and beat Smithy, so I only managed to grind 4 levels before getting sick of the grind. if you can handle the intensive repeated battling of machine made Yaridovich, be my guest. get level 30, it'll help.
here's my thoughts on them in the shortest manner I can manage.
Jinx: tolerable, but not great. I like the idea, but the punishment for failure felt too annoyingly harsh. given that I have such a hard time with timing in this remake... bleh.
Belome: the worst. I did this one on normal. it was so bad. took forever. not fun. not sorry for saying it's not fun because it's not.
Punchinello: pretty bad, really annoying gimmick
Booster: interesting but unfun until you figure out how to make it easier on yourself
Bundt: the easiest, though I wonder if it's harder on normal somehow. more candles being lit per turn would make this actually difficult.
Johnny: Fine. also too easy tho. it felt like his HP was just massively nerfed. if this were a normal battle with item usage and he was beefed up more significantly, this woulda been cooler.
Culex: the effort to get to this was worth it. this is the other thing I wanted to see. fucking. Culex in 3D. and the music is GREAT. on easy, I feel the challenge is reasonable enough. I think it's hard to make... hard boss battles like this without them being an endurance match on some level. as with all the other postgame bosses, this one has a gimmick of sorts, but it's one that's pretty easily combatted. I'm pleased. it's a shame the other battles are... not that great tho.
I was largely let down by the new music, but whatever. me not liking it much doesn't mean it's bad. I personally just didn't enjoy most of it all that much. some tracks were pretty good. maybe two or three were really great. a lot of stuff has a grander spin put on it and it just doesn't land all the time. sometimes things were too subdued. sometimes I thought weird instrument choices were made. most baffling of all was the real laugh present in Valen-Valentina. I had to change the soundtrack back to the original for that part of the game because the laugh was so annoying. Why did they do that.
I really wish all of the original sound effects were present. some are, some aren't. it feels off sometimes as a result. I miss the sound effects for clicking through text boxes and wonder why those were removed.
but the game shines in the visual department 100%. looks great. love the enemy and boss models. frog coins having a unique model is nice. they look cute. but something about the Toad models feels off, at least like, their faces. like when they talk. idk, it's just Weird to me. the party's models are okay, though Mario looks a bit off somehow. I know it's accurate to the original, but the squished look is way more apparent on Mario than it is on Peach or Bowser, so he's the only one that looks odd. Valentina's mini model also looks extra weird, her face. idk what they were going for. why'd her mouth look like that. other models here and there look a bit odd, like the chancellor. he looks extra squished.
the UI and menus and font choices, I am not so keen on. doesn't really fit this game. reminds me of the Mario & Luigi series.
the cutscenes are fine... I like them well enough but they also felt kind of weird for some reason. there were a few that used a certain font, and due to it being so infrequent, especially never felt right.
I'm used to how snappy battles are in the original, and even up to the end, never fully adjusted to the general timing in this remake. this game has a lot of qol for battles, I appreciate the new visual meters for special attacks. made me feel inclined to use them more. I used them way more in this remake than I ever would in playthroughs of the original game. the triple moves are... eh. I guess they were a given, an echo of future Mario RPGs brought back to this one. they fit in fine, though I purposely didn't use them all too often.
I knew this remake was going to handle inventory differently... but I wasn't sure how. I both like and dislike how it works. the item limits feel so arbitrary. why only 6 pick me ups? like, why not 10? what's the deal with that? I know there's the "breezy" mode which ups your amounts to 30 for most, if not all items... normal could have just had it be 10 for everything. the limits truly are arbitrary.
I really like and appreciate the fast travel. this makes it tolerable if, say, you get near the very end of the game but you wanna go back and do something, like fight Culex. don't have to go back the hard way, which is actually doubly appreciated because the platforming in this remake feels more off than it did in the original game. ugh, imagine going back through the whole gate area. yeah, no thanks. lol
the autosave happens too frequently for save blocks to be of any real use. it's silly. I'd find myself saving, and then the autosave would trigger if I moved to the next room. like, what's the point?
I love how everything with Smithy was handled. seeing Smithy in this remake's style was literally the thing I was most excited for. they didn't let me down. the cutscene, the way they made the true form battle background even creepier than it was in the original, everything. it was great and I was freaking out. the music was... an 8/10, though. ngl. sorry. the true form battle music didn't need the electric guitar parts. other battle theme was too subdued. but still pretty good, so... eh.
the postgame battles are a great idea on paper, but they chose to make them all gimmicky in some manner or another, and I'm not a fan of that. I changed the difficulty because I was getting my ass kicked, but after accidentally spoiling myself on 3D Culex's existence(by reading the track list of a game rip, smh), I was like "ok, I have to see this NOW" and then, had to put in more time because of this sequential bullshit to get to it. bleargh. for added context, I was level 25 when I chose to take on that content. I was level 21 when I fought and beat Smithy, so I only managed to grind 4 levels before getting sick of the grind. if you can handle the intensive repeated battling of machine made Yaridovich, be my guest. get level 30, it'll help.
here's my thoughts on them in the shortest manner I can manage.
Jinx: tolerable, but not great. I like the idea, but the punishment for failure felt too annoyingly harsh. given that I have such a hard time with timing in this remake... bleh.
Belome: the worst. I did this one on normal. it was so bad. took forever. not fun. not sorry for saying it's not fun because it's not.
Punchinello: pretty bad, really annoying gimmick
Booster: interesting but unfun until you figure out how to make it easier on yourself
Bundt: the easiest, though I wonder if it's harder on normal somehow. more candles being lit per turn would make this actually difficult.
Johnny: Fine. also too easy tho. it felt like his HP was just massively nerfed. if this were a normal battle with item usage and he was beefed up more significantly, this woulda been cooler.
Culex: the effort to get to this was worth it. this is the other thing I wanted to see. fucking. Culex in 3D. and the music is GREAT. on easy, I feel the challenge is reasonable enough. I think it's hard to make... hard boss battles like this without them being an endurance match on some level. as with all the other postgame bosses, this one has a gimmick of sorts, but it's one that's pretty easily combatted. I'm pleased. it's a shame the other battles are... not that great tho.
another messy and scattered review from my ADHD brain here we gooooooooooo
it's a fine game. not amazing, though I'm happy to say I thought it was good, personally. I'm very lost on why so many people are so angry about this game. I'm not like, a superfan, but I was quite excited about this one, because I loved the first game so much.
not really worth $50, but when you really wanna play a game and you don't wanna be risking being spoilered before you can get it on a sale... Well. this is what happens. but I'm someone who hasn't paid up for a Pokemon game in long enough that I didn't mind doing so this time. still, can't confidently say it's worth full price. u_u
my memory of the first game isn't 100%, so I'm not about to say this game is way better or worse, but it's Fine. I do wonder exactly what happened with this game, some sort of development hell I guess, but I still think it's fine. I mean, I personally really enjoyed it and have not hesitated to say I think it's good, but I'm trying? to be more objective. maybe I shouldn't. oh well. I'll try anyway.
I won't deny that it doesn't have issues, because it does. for me, it wore thin a bit more than halfway through, and revealing the plot twist we all been knew already... should have happened considerably sooner. and the amount of steps taken to get there was too many. like, we got it, and then we had to make Tim get it. but also, he was getting it.
the timeline of events is a bit odd, and Tim looks more than 2 years older in this game.
idk what this game's audience is really supposed to be. the fact that it's a Pokemon game, and that it's very handholdy makes it feel like a bab game, but then there's certain content in the game that I'm not detailing due to it being spoilery, which doesn't feel right for a bab game to have.
the back and forth felt like a bit much, but the gameplay isn't drastically different from the first game.
I've seen a good chunk of really particular nitpicking that just feels like excuses for people to be mad about the game. like, okay, I guess. there also might be some people that didn't play the first game and expected more... well, I feel bad for those people. not saying they can't be disappointed or whatever, but I do feel bad for those that expected more from this. I knew what to expect, and I got exactly what I expected.
it's a fine game. not amazing, though I'm happy to say I thought it was good, personally. I'm very lost on why so many people are so angry about this game. I'm not like, a superfan, but I was quite excited about this one, because I loved the first game so much.
not really worth $50, but when you really wanna play a game and you don't wanna be risking being spoilered before you can get it on a sale... Well. this is what happens. but I'm someone who hasn't paid up for a Pokemon game in long enough that I didn't mind doing so this time. still, can't confidently say it's worth full price. u_u
my memory of the first game isn't 100%, so I'm not about to say this game is way better or worse, but it's Fine. I do wonder exactly what happened with this game, some sort of development hell I guess, but I still think it's fine. I mean, I personally really enjoyed it and have not hesitated to say I think it's good, but I'm trying? to be more objective. maybe I shouldn't. oh well. I'll try anyway.
I won't deny that it doesn't have issues, because it does. for me, it wore thin a bit more than halfway through, and revealing the plot twist we all been knew already... should have happened considerably sooner. and the amount of steps taken to get there was too many. like, we got it, and then we had to make Tim get it. but also, he was getting it.
the timeline of events is a bit odd, and Tim looks more than 2 years older in this game.
idk what this game's audience is really supposed to be. the fact that it's a Pokemon game, and that it's very handholdy makes it feel like a bab game, but then there's certain content in the game that I'm not detailing due to it being spoilery, which doesn't feel right for a bab game to have.
the back and forth felt like a bit much, but the gameplay isn't drastically different from the first game.
I've seen a good chunk of really particular nitpicking that just feels like excuses for people to be mad about the game. like, okay, I guess. there also might be some people that didn't play the first game and expected more... well, I feel bad for those people. not saying they can't be disappointed or whatever, but I do feel bad for those that expected more from this. I knew what to expect, and I got exactly what I expected.
2023
this game is much better enjoyed when you run through it fast, rather than taking your time. some bumbles made my faster playthrough more of a pain in the ass, but I had a good time. final boss still sucks. and I still wish this game had more original content. why does part of me feel like the reboot was just a excuse to have so much reuse... :(
2023
This review contains spoilers
Pikmin 4 not goty, but it's Good Enough.
in short: game good. really good. pretty easy, and I have a lot of nitpicks, but still good and fun.
the big things I don't like
- night expeditions. I wanted to like these, but I really don't. I was hoping they'd be a mere extension of daytime exploration. instead it's more like dealing with the aliens in Majora's Mask.(shhhh this is my single frame of reference) except even more annoying than that. the later ones suck ass, and I sucked it up and used the "help" for the last one because I couldn't be bothered. 2 smoky proggs, at least one emperor bulblax, and other stuff... and BOTH TIMES it all went to the lumiknoll Oatchi was defending. fuck off!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- the story, and where it places this game in the timeline of the series. it just feels... conflicting and weird. this did not fix itself by the end, as much as I'd hoped it might. and honestly I wish the series could let go of Olimar and Louie at this point. I like Olimar just fine, but come on. he doesn't really add much of anything to this game. I get that this is related to where the story takes place, but given that it's Pikmin 4... I had really hoped it was going to be even more disconnected from the other games.
- the bosses... mostly. and it has nothing to do with their difficulty or lack thereof... they're just mostly very boring. groovy long legs is amazing, of course... and the snowfake fluttertail is interesting. I also really liked Foolix, though it didn't really feel like boss material. I could have done without multiple Giant Versions of Regular Enemies. though the gildemander at least felt kind of tricky. it was also a good deviant from the little one. but ultimately it still counts as a Giant Version of a Regular Enemy. the arctic cannon beetle is at least sort of "new" and different, but ultimately it's just an extra large armored cannon beetle, frost gimmick aside. I don't mind old bosses returning. would prefer new, but I don't mind.
- despite having all these Pikmin types, beyond the standard three, it throws a lot of rock and ice Pikmin at you... but very little winged, white, and purple. I understand in the case of purples... kind of, but idk, I expected to encounter all the types relatively quickly, and have more even amounts of them. edit to note: this does improve for winged Pikmin, at least. far too late, imo, but it happens.
- the final cave. final cave fuckin suuuuuuuucks! I honestly hated it so much, it didn't need to be so long. length could have been halved. too many sublevels with like, 1 or 2 things. sucked ass. pseudo boss rush really doesn't suit Pikmin. I really do not understand why this game had such a thing. you don't even get to refight either of the really interesting bosses!(Foolix and Groovy Long Legs)
list of small(?) annoyances
- the lock-on
- how much the rescue corps talks
- how long the loading screens are, but maybe they're valid, idk
- how you cannot instantly skip those repeated cutscenes and have to wait several seconds, in which sometimes it's almost half the cutscene time
- how big the areas are for having far too little in them. they're really way too big this time.
- the camera
- auto selecting Pikmin for you, and especially how it's a prompt every time you're going into a cave and coming out
- the lack of options. no sound options. no alternate camera options. no nothing. what the hell.
- how Nice everything in the game looks. given the Lore, it doesn't make any god damn sense. don't even get me started on hero's hideaway
- the fact that the purple and white onions are locked behind doing Olimar's shipwreck tale and NOTHING in the game conveys this to you
the things I love
- dandori challenges. honestly so much fun. tricky in the right way. this game seems to have put most of its difficulty into the puzzley stuff. I'm not the fondest of that fact, but I loved the dandori challenges.
- Olimar's shipwreck tale and the trials of the sage leaf. the latter is more dandori challenges, but these are a mix, rather than the ones where you're just timed and tasked with gathering stuff up before time runs out. Very Good. intensely challenging.
- Oatchi. I Love This Little Dog Creature. I love him so much. I know he makes the game even easier than it is. I don't care. I love him so much. Moss too. I LOVE her. anyone that wants to talk badly about them is gonna have to fucking fight me. they're so CUTE.
- this game was a lot of FUN. easy, not easy, boring bosses or not... doesn't matter, 'cause I had SO much FUN. it did taper off post-credits... and more so in the last area, honestly... but I still had fun the whole way through.
I know a lot of people are saying this game is too easy... I... both agree and disagree. I think it's got difficulty, just not in all the correct places. I don't mind the caves being forgiving. but then the insistence that I rewind or whatever after losing some Pikmin at sunset while also having a massive stockpile... that's very annoying. like, no. let me keep going with my losses, don't insist that I redo things. bosses are definitely way too easy for the most part, and that's a bummer. Pikmin 4 is like an echo of 3, rather than the first two, especially in terms of looks and difficulty. it is still good and fun, but I honestly really miss the struggle that was present in the first 2 games. I miss feeling like most things are a threat to you and the Pikmin. a few still do, the Sovereign Bulblax especially. Smoky Progg would too... if you ever encountered it during the day, or in more caves.
edit tiiiiiiiime:
very sad! bosses did not really get interesting! the smoky progg's inclusion is... okay, but idk it also felt weird to have one be a forced boss. I did all the night expeditions before taking on the final cave, so I knew it was in the game... wish it'd been an above ground threat during the day tbh. more interesting than the... grubchucker, I think it's called. also more threatening... lol
final boss is... well. I mean, I suppose it was the logical conclusion. it was fine. I suppose I only wish it looked less like a Real Dog. sure it's built like Oatchi and Moss but the hair and eyes made it look so much more like a real dog.
I had hoped for something super weird, possibly related to the leaflings and dandori... idk. kind of a shame the leafling thing is a mystery even in the end. I understand, kind of, that it's because they're put through that onion, but idk. it's sort of just left at that, and I was hoping that was building up to something more. I'm unsure how I feel about the boss' music and the fact that it has phases. I do not mind it being so forgiving, because my dumb ass got FUCKED UP by its electricity phase. the last phase felt weird and out of place, though. what the fuck even was that? dark energy??? Pikmin wiki says it's the same stuff the smoky progg uses... okay. I GUESS. still weird. meh.
changing rating to a 4, but that's it. I had a ton of fun, it's been ages since I got pulled into a game like I did with Pikmin 4. I have now done... basically everything. everything really worth doing. forget helping Louie. he can help himself.
in short: game good. really good. pretty easy, and I have a lot of nitpicks, but still good and fun.
the big things I don't like
- night expeditions. I wanted to like these, but I really don't. I was hoping they'd be a mere extension of daytime exploration. instead it's more like dealing with the aliens in Majora's Mask.(shhhh this is my single frame of reference) except even more annoying than that. the later ones suck ass, and I sucked it up and used the "help" for the last one because I couldn't be bothered. 2 smoky proggs, at least one emperor bulblax, and other stuff... and BOTH TIMES it all went to the lumiknoll Oatchi was defending. fuck off!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- the story, and where it places this game in the timeline of the series. it just feels... conflicting and weird. this did not fix itself by the end, as much as I'd hoped it might. and honestly I wish the series could let go of Olimar and Louie at this point. I like Olimar just fine, but come on. he doesn't really add much of anything to this game. I get that this is related to where the story takes place, but given that it's Pikmin 4... I had really hoped it was going to be even more disconnected from the other games.
- the bosses... mostly. and it has nothing to do with their difficulty or lack thereof... they're just mostly very boring. groovy long legs is amazing, of course... and the snowfake fluttertail is interesting. I also really liked Foolix, though it didn't really feel like boss material. I could have done without multiple Giant Versions of Regular Enemies. though the gildemander at least felt kind of tricky. it was also a good deviant from the little one. but ultimately it still counts as a Giant Version of a Regular Enemy. the arctic cannon beetle is at least sort of "new" and different, but ultimately it's just an extra large armored cannon beetle, frost gimmick aside. I don't mind old bosses returning. would prefer new, but I don't mind.
- despite having all these Pikmin types, beyond the standard three, it throws a lot of rock and ice Pikmin at you... but very little winged, white, and purple. I understand in the case of purples... kind of, but idk, I expected to encounter all the types relatively quickly, and have more even amounts of them. edit to note: this does improve for winged Pikmin, at least. far too late, imo, but it happens.
- the final cave. final cave fuckin suuuuuuuucks! I honestly hated it so much, it didn't need to be so long. length could have been halved. too many sublevels with like, 1 or 2 things. sucked ass. pseudo boss rush really doesn't suit Pikmin. I really do not understand why this game had such a thing. you don't even get to refight either of the really interesting bosses!(Foolix and Groovy Long Legs)
list of small(?) annoyances
- the lock-on
- how much the rescue corps talks
- how long the loading screens are, but maybe they're valid, idk
- how you cannot instantly skip those repeated cutscenes and have to wait several seconds, in which sometimes it's almost half the cutscene time
- how big the areas are for having far too little in them. they're really way too big this time.
- the camera
- auto selecting Pikmin for you, and especially how it's a prompt every time you're going into a cave and coming out
- the lack of options. no sound options. no alternate camera options. no nothing. what the hell.
- how Nice everything in the game looks. given the Lore, it doesn't make any god damn sense. don't even get me started on hero's hideaway
- the fact that the purple and white onions are locked behind doing Olimar's shipwreck tale and NOTHING in the game conveys this to you
the things I love
- dandori challenges. honestly so much fun. tricky in the right way. this game seems to have put most of its difficulty into the puzzley stuff. I'm not the fondest of that fact, but I loved the dandori challenges.
- Olimar's shipwreck tale and the trials of the sage leaf. the latter is more dandori challenges, but these are a mix, rather than the ones where you're just timed and tasked with gathering stuff up before time runs out. Very Good. intensely challenging.
- Oatchi. I Love This Little Dog Creature. I love him so much. I know he makes the game even easier than it is. I don't care. I love him so much. Moss too. I LOVE her. anyone that wants to talk badly about them is gonna have to fucking fight me. they're so CUTE.
- this game was a lot of FUN. easy, not easy, boring bosses or not... doesn't matter, 'cause I had SO much FUN. it did taper off post-credits... and more so in the last area, honestly... but I still had fun the whole way through.
I know a lot of people are saying this game is too easy... I... both agree and disagree. I think it's got difficulty, just not in all the correct places. I don't mind the caves being forgiving. but then the insistence that I rewind or whatever after losing some Pikmin at sunset while also having a massive stockpile... that's very annoying. like, no. let me keep going with my losses, don't insist that I redo things. bosses are definitely way too easy for the most part, and that's a bummer. Pikmin 4 is like an echo of 3, rather than the first two, especially in terms of looks and difficulty. it is still good and fun, but I honestly really miss the struggle that was present in the first 2 games. I miss feeling like most things are a threat to you and the Pikmin. a few still do, the Sovereign Bulblax especially. Smoky Progg would too... if you ever encountered it during the day, or in more caves.
edit tiiiiiiiime:
very sad! bosses did not really get interesting! the smoky progg's inclusion is... okay, but idk it also felt weird to have one be a forced boss. I did all the night expeditions before taking on the final cave, so I knew it was in the game... wish it'd been an above ground threat during the day tbh. more interesting than the... grubchucker, I think it's called. also more threatening... lol
final boss is... well. I mean, I suppose it was the logical conclusion. it was fine. I suppose I only wish it looked less like a Real Dog. sure it's built like Oatchi and Moss but the hair and eyes made it look so much more like a real dog.
I had hoped for something super weird, possibly related to the leaflings and dandori... idk. kind of a shame the leafling thing is a mystery even in the end. I understand, kind of, that it's because they're put through that onion, but idk. it's sort of just left at that, and I was hoping that was building up to something more. I'm unsure how I feel about the boss' music and the fact that it has phases. I do not mind it being so forgiving, because my dumb ass got FUCKED UP by its electricity phase. the last phase felt weird and out of place, though. what the fuck even was that? dark energy??? Pikmin wiki says it's the same stuff the smoky progg uses... okay. I GUESS. still weird. meh.
changing rating to a 4, but that's it. I had a ton of fun, it's been ages since I got pulled into a game like I did with Pikmin 4. I have now done... basically everything. everything really worth doing. forget helping Louie. he can help himself.
I have shelved this game, but I'd like to get back to it sometime. just too many things otherwise have been priority, whoops!
this remake is fine, as long as you're not expecting more out of it than what the original had. not recommended for people that got into farm games via Stardew Valley.
the qol is fantastic all the way around. it's easier to manage the fields, tools can be upgraded, and fishing doesn't completely suck now! whoa. I do feel like the dig site is somehow worse, though. feels... slower. annoying. I do appreciate the visual indicator, but also feel like it could be better. more distinct, perhaps.
I appreciate that animals aren't so temperamental, and despite the many complaints I saw regarding the way cows work now, I am glad they can continue to produce milk without giving birth. that process in the original game was a total pain. I've got a feeling it's easier in the remake... to some extent, at least... but not having to do it is nice.
character redesigns and renames are fine. most of the name changes are simply to be more accurate to their original names. in terms of redesigns, I do wish Gordy still had his mohawk. his new outfit is a fine spin on the old one, but imo, it leans a bit too sporty to entirely fit his character. but it's whatever. not a dealbreaker or anything. I appreciate the addition of Gordy as a marriage candidate.
the biggest bummer of this game, and the reason I had a hard time sticking with the original as well as this remake, is that you experience 95% of what the game has to offer in the first year. while this game does have that draw of seeing your child grow up and being an influence on them as they do so... it's just so slow, and with little dialogue, that it's never really pulled me in. being a person that's never wanted to have a family irl is likely also relevant for me and my lack of enjoyment/interest in this case... lmao
this remake is fine, as long as you're not expecting more out of it than what the original had. not recommended for people that got into farm games via Stardew Valley.
the qol is fantastic all the way around. it's easier to manage the fields, tools can be upgraded, and fishing doesn't completely suck now! whoa. I do feel like the dig site is somehow worse, though. feels... slower. annoying. I do appreciate the visual indicator, but also feel like it could be better. more distinct, perhaps.
I appreciate that animals aren't so temperamental, and despite the many complaints I saw regarding the way cows work now, I am glad they can continue to produce milk without giving birth. that process in the original game was a total pain. I've got a feeling it's easier in the remake... to some extent, at least... but not having to do it is nice.
character redesigns and renames are fine. most of the name changes are simply to be more accurate to their original names. in terms of redesigns, I do wish Gordy still had his mohawk. his new outfit is a fine spin on the old one, but imo, it leans a bit too sporty to entirely fit his character. but it's whatever. not a dealbreaker or anything. I appreciate the addition of Gordy as a marriage candidate.
the biggest bummer of this game, and the reason I had a hard time sticking with the original as well as this remake, is that you experience 95% of what the game has to offer in the first year. while this game does have that draw of seeing your child grow up and being an influence on them as they do so... it's just so slow, and with little dialogue, that it's never really pulled me in. being a person that's never wanted to have a family irl is likely also relevant for me and my lack of enjoyment/interest in this case... lmao
finally considering myself done with this game. I did everything but complete the credits roll up and the royal reverie levels. uh. I'll do those sometime... I legit forgot. whoops! credits roll up, the king's dash rolls just fuck me over every time, and retrying is a pain in the butt because there's a long chunk of wait time.
anyway, it's We Love Katamari... again! one of my personal favorite games. in terms of praise, I don't have much to say. it's hard for me to be wordy when it comes to positives? idk.
inclusion of eternal levels feels kind of odd, since they're only as large as possible levels, which... aside from the last one, just don't have enough to feel worth having as an eternal option. but the other levels wouldn't really be worth including, either.
there are a few things in this game I'm not super fond of, namely the cowbear level... I'll never roll up the cowbear because the effort required isn't worth it to me personally. I'm also still soured from the time I was trying to do it on the original game and ended up picking up some stupid small bear because that's just too easy to do.
I'm also not fond of the cousin roll up, the paper crane one, and I wish they could have done something to make the million red roses rolling feel less terrible. the areas are just too small and you end up feeling dizzy rolling around and around the same spots. also not the fondest of the underwater level and the one where you have to roll up animals for the lonely dog. idk why, especially that animal one has never been a favorite. maybe I am just bad at it. never roll up enough friends. blah! also wish the cloud level felt better from the start, I don't understand why it's so terribly sluggish until you build up to have the view be above the clouds. was hoping they'd make that better somehow. racing level also... is annoying. I'd almost dare to say it feels worse than it did originally, but that may be faulty memory or my getting used to it back then.
but even with all my dumb nitpicks, I still quite like this game. it's still a favorite. it's still fun. worth playing, absolutely. the subtitles provided for the Song for the King of Kings are appreciated by me.
anyway, it's We Love Katamari... again! one of my personal favorite games. in terms of praise, I don't have much to say. it's hard for me to be wordy when it comes to positives? idk.
inclusion of eternal levels feels kind of odd, since they're only as large as possible levels, which... aside from the last one, just don't have enough to feel worth having as an eternal option. but the other levels wouldn't really be worth including, either.
there are a few things in this game I'm not super fond of, namely the cowbear level... I'll never roll up the cowbear because the effort required isn't worth it to me personally. I'm also still soured from the time I was trying to do it on the original game and ended up picking up some stupid small bear because that's just too easy to do.
I'm also not fond of the cousin roll up, the paper crane one, and I wish they could have done something to make the million red roses rolling feel less terrible. the areas are just too small and you end up feeling dizzy rolling around and around the same spots. also not the fondest of the underwater level and the one where you have to roll up animals for the lonely dog. idk why, especially that animal one has never been a favorite. maybe I am just bad at it. never roll up enough friends. blah! also wish the cloud level felt better from the start, I don't understand why it's so terribly sluggish until you build up to have the view be above the clouds. was hoping they'd make that better somehow. racing level also... is annoying. I'd almost dare to say it feels worse than it did originally, but that may be faulty memory or my getting used to it back then.
but even with all my dumb nitpicks, I still quite like this game. it's still a favorite. it's still fun. worth playing, absolutely. the subtitles provided for the Song for the King of Kings are appreciated by me.
2023
Churi's Pizza Tower review... 2!!! I played the game again on the second file and I decided I wanted to log more thoughts that came from playing it again. also spent some time messing around on my first file.
this game is good and fun if you're playing it normally, but it fucking SUCKS if you're going for S or P ranks. holy SHIT. I got S on John Gutter, Golf, and Fast Food Saloon. I suffered, namely with Golf, but still kind of had fun. I was going to maybe S rank Don't Make A Sound, but then realized that that level is just obnoxious enough to be ruined playing it going for S. so I gave that up. it's not fun. I was also going for Oregano Desert but gave that up 'cause I hit all the secrets and got the treasure and did all I could but was still like, 2k points off from S. idk. fuck it. probably requires some keeping up of combo, and it's not worth the effort.
this game feels so... at odds with itself sometimes. I know a few people have brought this up and been essentially dismissed for bringing it up, but... it's true. the game wants you to go fast and not get hit and keep up a combo, but then it also wants you to be exploring and keeping an eye out for secrets. this means that unless you're real big brain, getting S and P ranks is a process. it requires knowing where the secrets are. which isn't necessarily hard to learn, but it's dumb that a learning process is involved. it's easy to be going so fast that you miss 'em. the visual cues for the real hidden ones are often way too subtle to be noticed when you're running. I don't mind that the game has secrets, and I know you can play it without having to keep up a combo. but the game has the combo meter there for a reason, so it's a mixed message.
people could be dismissive and say "skill issue" and I'll admit that I am definitely not as good at this game as other people are. ADHD makes it hard a lot, the visual overwhelm combined with having to go fast means there's a personal struggle. I do not think that invalidates anything I said, though.
insane that, for only playing most levels once each, as well as only doing each boss besides Pepperman once(the only boss I did without the invincibility cheat originally lol), pretty much everything was a lot smoother. I expected to struggle in a few places, but I really didn't. I expected to bungle WAR something fierce, and yet I didn't. completed it first try, got the camo. bungled getting the treasure first playthrough, though, which was a lil embarrassing. u_u failed my personal challenge of only completing levels once with the treasure! oh well. second playthrough was only smoother, so it's ok. :V final boss is a bit overlong, imo, but Unexpectancy part 3 goes soooooooooo fuckin hard, I was like YEAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH it was awesome. Pizzaface was the least smooth moment of my whole playthrough, with how he spawns all those enemies in... blah. hate it lol
as much as I like this game, it's still not something that I could give above 4 stars, and even that feels a bit too generous sometimes, but whatever. initially all I knew is that it was inspired by Wario Land, so I was taken by surprise when I actually played it. kinda wish it were a bit more like Wario Land in the gameplay department than it really is, but whatever. levels range from Good to ok to underwhelming, Crust Cove in particular can suck it. Fun Farm too. the bosses... are my least favorite part of the game. phase 2 Vigilante is so annoying. other than that they're just not much fun, minus phase 3 of Pizzahead, which is pretty fun.
I kind of wish this game had... idk, something there to make me feel more regarding the characters 'cause they're pretty likable, but never say anything or do much. u_u well, except Pizzahead, I fuckin hate Pizzahead and if my homies don't hate Pizzahead, idk if I trust them. anyway. uh. I suppose that's about it. I was thinking I'd end up being more nitpicky, but meh. I think I'm mostly over my nitpicks. OH. wait, except one: the music and sounds, I wish they were not so reminiscent of Wario Land 4. some of Mr. Sauceman's tracks in particular. drives me crazy. it's good music, but it annoys me that I'm often thinking about one of the game's inspirations rather than the game itself. there's one that reminds me so, so heavily of Wario Land 4 music. I can't remember what it's called. it's a fine track, but I dunno. it Bothers me anyway. ok. that's it, now I'm done. thanks for reading
this game is good and fun if you're playing it normally, but it fucking SUCKS if you're going for S or P ranks. holy SHIT. I got S on John Gutter, Golf, and Fast Food Saloon. I suffered, namely with Golf, but still kind of had fun. I was going to maybe S rank Don't Make A Sound, but then realized that that level is just obnoxious enough to be ruined playing it going for S. so I gave that up. it's not fun. I was also going for Oregano Desert but gave that up 'cause I hit all the secrets and got the treasure and did all I could but was still like, 2k points off from S. idk. fuck it. probably requires some keeping up of combo, and it's not worth the effort.
this game feels so... at odds with itself sometimes. I know a few people have brought this up and been essentially dismissed for bringing it up, but... it's true. the game wants you to go fast and not get hit and keep up a combo, but then it also wants you to be exploring and keeping an eye out for secrets. this means that unless you're real big brain, getting S and P ranks is a process. it requires knowing where the secrets are. which isn't necessarily hard to learn, but it's dumb that a learning process is involved. it's easy to be going so fast that you miss 'em. the visual cues for the real hidden ones are often way too subtle to be noticed when you're running. I don't mind that the game has secrets, and I know you can play it without having to keep up a combo. but the game has the combo meter there for a reason, so it's a mixed message.
people could be dismissive and say "skill issue" and I'll admit that I am definitely not as good at this game as other people are. ADHD makes it hard a lot, the visual overwhelm combined with having to go fast means there's a personal struggle. I do not think that invalidates anything I said, though.
insane that, for only playing most levels once each, as well as only doing each boss besides Pepperman once(the only boss I did without the invincibility cheat originally lol), pretty much everything was a lot smoother. I expected to struggle in a few places, but I really didn't. I expected to bungle WAR something fierce, and yet I didn't. completed it first try, got the camo. bungled getting the treasure first playthrough, though, which was a lil embarrassing. u_u failed my personal challenge of only completing levels once with the treasure! oh well. second playthrough was only smoother, so it's ok. :V final boss is a bit overlong, imo, but Unexpectancy part 3 goes soooooooooo fuckin hard, I was like YEAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH it was awesome. Pizzaface was the least smooth moment of my whole playthrough, with how he spawns all those enemies in... blah. hate it lol
as much as I like this game, it's still not something that I could give above 4 stars, and even that feels a bit too generous sometimes, but whatever. initially all I knew is that it was inspired by Wario Land, so I was taken by surprise when I actually played it. kinda wish it were a bit more like Wario Land in the gameplay department than it really is, but whatever. levels range from Good to ok to underwhelming, Crust Cove in particular can suck it. Fun Farm too. the bosses... are my least favorite part of the game. phase 2 Vigilante is so annoying. other than that they're just not much fun, minus phase 3 of Pizzahead, which is pretty fun.
I kind of wish this game had... idk, something there to make me feel more regarding the characters 'cause they're pretty likable, but never say anything or do much. u_u well, except Pizzahead, I fuckin hate Pizzahead and if my homies don't hate Pizzahead, idk if I trust them. anyway. uh. I suppose that's about it. I was thinking I'd end up being more nitpicky, but meh. I think I'm mostly over my nitpicks. OH. wait, except one: the music and sounds, I wish they were not so reminiscent of Wario Land 4. some of Mr. Sauceman's tracks in particular. drives me crazy. it's good music, but it annoys me that I'm often thinking about one of the game's inspirations rather than the game itself. there's one that reminds me so, so heavily of Wario Land 4 music. I can't remember what it's called. it's a fine track, but I dunno. it Bothers me anyway. ok. that's it, now I'm done. thanks for reading
2006
Fran was my bisexual awakening, thanks Fran.
this is the single Final Fantasy title I'd be half tempted to revisit, but idk. these games are a time investment, and I found this one to be the worst due to how combat works. grinding sucks ass in JRPGs no matter what, but it feels even worse here somehow. I remember running into a roadblock in the forest, taking a big break, coming back, grinding... and still being unable to beat that boss. no idea what was up with that, the guide I used was convincing me I was supposed to be strong enough, but I dunno, I couldn't do it. I ended up cutting through some other area to get where I needed to go. thank god that was a thing, or I likely never would have finished this game.
but it's a slog, and with a story that personally bored me to tears. I have a friend who ADORES this game and its story. we're great friends, but incredibly different people in many ways. I suppose that's why he likes it and I don't, haha. I honestly remember so, so little of this game because of how fucking boring it was to me personally. I oughta find a good let's play or stream series of this to watch. I do remember it being a considerably comfy game. very aesthetically pleasing with nice music.
this is the single Final Fantasy title I'd be half tempted to revisit, but idk. these games are a time investment, and I found this one to be the worst due to how combat works. grinding sucks ass in JRPGs no matter what, but it feels even worse here somehow. I remember running into a roadblock in the forest, taking a big break, coming back, grinding... and still being unable to beat that boss. no idea what was up with that, the guide I used was convincing me I was supposed to be strong enough, but I dunno, I couldn't do it. I ended up cutting through some other area to get where I needed to go. thank god that was a thing, or I likely never would have finished this game.
but it's a slog, and with a story that personally bored me to tears. I have a friend who ADORES this game and its story. we're great friends, but incredibly different people in many ways. I suppose that's why he likes it and I don't, haha. I honestly remember so, so little of this game because of how fucking boring it was to me personally. I oughta find a good let's play or stream series of this to watch. I do remember it being a considerably comfy game. very aesthetically pleasing with nice music.