Weird sounding title, I know, but for Today's Topic Talk, I wanted to talk about a few different games I've played recently. A LOT of leftover games, some I had only barely started, some I got deep into but stopped. In the case of this first game, I never actually played it myself.
Super Mario 64 DS is a remake for Super Mario 64 for the Nintendo 64, released on the Nintendo DS. For years I avoided trying either game because whenever people talk about Super Mario 64, it's usually in favor of the original over the remake, and for a while I didn't have a means of getting the original. It was released eventually on consoles I own, like the Wii U, but I still wasn't sure I wanted to go for it. After all, Super Mario 64 is 22 years old...age might have held back my enjoyment of the game.
In the end, a friend let me borrow the DS remake, and after playing it...well, I definitely still prefer Sonic. :P But I still appreciate the good game that SM64DS is, and I feel that, had I played the original first, I don't think it would have changed my opinion much. I still like the main form the gameplay, and while SM64DS is tough to play on a DS (or 3DS in my case), I think the additions of new characters, nicer graphics, and new missions and minigames make the DS version the right choice, for me at least.
Speaking of making choices...
In the end, a friend let me borrow the DS remake, and after playing it...well, I definitely still prefer Sonic. :P But I still appreciate the good game that SM64DS is, and I feel that, had I played the original first, I don't think it would have changed my opinion much. I still like the main form the gameplay, and while SM64DS is tough to play on a DS (or 3DS in my case), I think the additions of new characters, nicer graphics, and new missions and minigames make the DS version the right choice, for me at least.
Speaking of making choices...
Choosing between whether to play DMC 1 or DMC 3 first may seem like an odd decision, but having the inside knowledge not only makes the need for choosing clear, but also making both games more enjoyable. See, DMC 3 is a prequel to DMC 1, and DMC 3 is, in my opinion, a much better game. You could probably start just fine with DMC 1, and DMC 1 is an enjoyable experience regardless...but I feel like, if you only ever play one, 3 is the best choice.
The characters are funnier, the story is more interesting, the graphics are better, and you get a lot of cooler weapons and items in DMC 3. At least in my opinion, but regardless of which you start with, nowadays it's easy to get both, as they come in a collection, along with DMC 2. Maybe we'll talk about that another day...but I'm not in a hurry to play that...let that be a sign of things to come.
The characters are funnier, the story is more interesting, the graphics are better, and you get a lot of cooler weapons and items in DMC 3. At least in my opinion, but regardless of which you start with, nowadays it's easy to get both, as they come in a collection, along with DMC 2. Maybe we'll talk about that another day...but I'm not in a hurry to play that...let that be a sign of things to come.
Speaking of not being in a hurry...I waited way too long to play this one. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is the big conclusion of the story of Solid Snake, and is the game that made me try the Metal Gear series. The game is famous for massive cutscenes and crazy story beats, and that intrigued me enough that I wanted to try the series out. I decided to wait, however, and play the games before it first.
The series is massive, but thanks to the Metal Gear Solid Legacy Collection, I was able to catch up pretty quick. I played through MGS 1, 2, and 3...but after playing 3, I decided to play in timeline order, and 3 is a prequel, so it led nicely to watching MGS Portable Ops (a game I want but currently can't get due to not owning a PSP [and I may still get someday just because I need Sonic Rivals {yeah, the wonders of being a Sonic fan :P}]). After that was Peace Walker, and...I've had mixed feelings on that game for years. I'll get to it another day, but after playing that, Metal Gear Solid V came out, so I went to playing those instead of MGS 4.
And, well...I have yet to beat MGS V. I've had conflicting feelings on that game too, hence why I stopped for so long. In the end, I'll come back to it, and maybe use that experience to have me try out the original Metal Gear games. In any case, I jumped to MGS 4, and...yeah, the wait was worth it. It's an awesome game, sadly with some annoying flaws, but better than some would say. It is very cutscene heavy, and there are a lot of optional conversations you can have, but I was happy to have them. And now that I have beaten it...
The series is massive, but thanks to the Metal Gear Solid Legacy Collection, I was able to catch up pretty quick. I played through MGS 1, 2, and 3...but after playing 3, I decided to play in timeline order, and 3 is a prequel, so it led nicely to watching MGS Portable Ops (a game I want but currently can't get due to not owning a PSP [and I may still get someday just because I need Sonic Rivals {yeah, the wonders of being a Sonic fan :P}]). After that was Peace Walker, and...I've had mixed feelings on that game for years. I'll get to it another day, but after playing that, Metal Gear Solid V came out, so I went to playing those instead of MGS 4.
And, well...I have yet to beat MGS V. I've had conflicting feelings on that game too, hence why I stopped for so long. In the end, I'll come back to it, and maybe use that experience to have me try out the original Metal Gear games. In any case, I jumped to MGS 4, and...yeah, the wait was worth it. It's an awesome game, sadly with some annoying flaws, but better than some would say. It is very cutscene heavy, and there are a lot of optional conversations you can have, but I was happy to have them. And now that I have beaten it...
I can finish up the last game in the timeline, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance! This game actually takes place in 2018 (in May I think, so we just missed the exact right month, but at least we got the year right!), and I've been wanting to get this played for a while. It fits well after playing DMC 1 and DMC 3, since it's another hack-and-slash type of game, though it's very different than the stealth gameplay Metal Gear is famous for. But I'm fine with that, and though Rising is flawed, I like it a lot.
My big problem is the game can be tough, and doesn't always make it clear how to best play the game. Interestingly, I like that DMC 1 and 3 gave ratings to how well you beat enemies, and I wish Rising did as well. I think it would help to show how good you're doing in each fight. You only get a rating after beating all enemies in an area, and it's just a bit more complicated for that. That said though, I enjoyed the gameplay, the music, the story, and the characters. It also helps that the game has some free DLC starring the cyborg samurai you fight against in the main game, and a robot wolf. Playing as a talking robot dog...how could you resist this game?
My big problem is the game can be tough, and doesn't always make it clear how to best play the game. Interestingly, I like that DMC 1 and 3 gave ratings to how well you beat enemies, and I wish Rising did as well. I think it would help to show how good you're doing in each fight. You only get a rating after beating all enemies in an area, and it's just a bit more complicated for that. That said though, I enjoyed the gameplay, the music, the story, and the characters. It also helps that the game has some free DLC starring the cyborg samurai you fight against in the main game, and a robot wolf. Playing as a talking robot dog...how could you resist this game?
By playing one of the greatest games of all time! I'll admit, it's not for everyone, and it's a massive game, one of the largest games I've played (though ironically the game I've played that is even larger...is Xenoblade Chronicles X). Xenoblade is an awesome game, the characters, music, and story are all epic and fun, and the gameplay is complex at first, but becomes very fulfilling the longer you stick with the game. The only downsides to the game is the graphics (which are fine enough for the Nintendo Wii system, but it turns some people away), the guide-dang-it moments (the game tries to avoid making you look up answers online...but it doesn't always succeed), and the length itself (chances are you'll be playing for almost 100 hours before reaching the halfway point, so you get lots of content to play in, but that could be overwhelming).
While I still love Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut more as my favorite game of all time, this game takes second place for me. It does so many amazing things, and I'll glad I've gotten to play this game, and I'll happily play it again in the future.
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Finally...lots of games I waited to play...done! Now to move on to other things. Maybe...finishing Metal Gear Solid V? Eh...maybe...
Sincerely,
Lan Prower Kopaka
While I still love Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut more as my favorite game of all time, this game takes second place for me. It does so many amazing things, and I'll glad I've gotten to play this game, and I'll happily play it again in the future.
~~~
Finally...lots of games I waited to play...done! Now to move on to other things. Maybe...finishing Metal Gear Solid V? Eh...maybe...
Sincerely,
Lan Prower Kopaka