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[Jonnyboy117]

I'm trying to get into the PSN Store to see what the hell Dokuro is, but I had to get a system update first. Luckily, these are faster than on PS3. Gravity Rush is ludicrously good, by the way. Same for Mutant Blobs Attack. I also just restarted Fire Emblem on Casual, so maybe I will actually be able to progress this time.

 

[zroid]

I'm trying to get into the PSN Store to see what the hell Dokuro is, but I had to get a system update first. Luckily, these are faster than on PS3. Gravity Rush is ludicrously good, by the way. Same for Mutant Blobs Attack. I also just restarted Fire Emblem on Casual, so maybe I will actually be able to progress this time.

I believe it's still 50% off (or 65% off for PS+) until tomorrow's store update. So get on that!

It's a sidescrolling puzzle platformer, by the way. Kind of like Limbo, except split into individual stages and it's delightfully charming.

 

[tanooki141]

PS+ seems like such a good deal for the player.

I wish Nintendo had a similar program, unfortunately I would drown in games.

 

[Jonnyboy117]

Okay, I got Dokuro on your recommendation and the strong reviews. That deal was stellar, too. Not sure when I'll get to play it...

By the way, anyone here playing Ys with us? We are talking about Book I this week and would love to get some comments on the game from the GAF crowd.

 

[demidar]

Okay, I got Dokuro on your recommendation and the strong reviews. That deal was stellar, too. Not sure when I'll get to play it...

By the way, anyone here playing Ys with us? We are talking about Book I this week and would love to get some comments on the game from the GAF crowd.

I played the Steam version which is basically a best of enhanced port. Hope that's alright.

-Music is godlike
-Bump system was a nice system, trapping an enemy was satisfying
-The power difference in a single level was way too high, thankfully fixed in Ys 2
-When you select Hard difficulty, it actually means hard holy crap
-The last boss is poorly designed
-Playing through Ys 1, I then noticed how many callbacks there are in Ys Origins (which I played first)
-A map system would've been nice

 

[zroid]

Excellent!

I will say that Dokuro's not a perfect game by any means, as the touch mechanics are hit or miss, and due in part to its extensive amount of content, it can feel a tad monotonous. I think the game is best consumed in bits and pieces.

Overall, though, it has some very creative level design oftentimes, and is so brimming with charm you can't help but love it.

 

[PlVl]

I am just making this post to say that I recently started enjoying this podcast very much. I do not do much Nintendo gaming beside the usual Pokemon/Mario Kart so this is a nice way to learn more about them. I very much enjoyed the discussion of the new Fire Emblem game. One thing to say is that the most recent fantastic was very hard on the ears and I turned it off in 5 minutes. Besides that, everything is great!

 

[Katsuragi]

Gravity Rush is ludicrously good, by the way.

Gravity Rush is great but I think it falls a bit apart in the last third of the game and actually becomes quite frustrating.
I'm playing the VC version of Ys Book 1 & 2 and am surprised how understandable the English translation is! No Engrish and the voice-overs are pretty solid, too.

 

[viciouskillersquirrel]

I *have* the VC version, but not playing along on account of:

1) Being halfway through Xenoblade
2) There being a new baby in the house

I am interested to hear the discussion though. I love the Retroactive segments, even if I've never played the game before. After playing AoL and TWEWY for the first time, I went back to those episodes and just listened, nodding and smiling at the various comments.

 

[Katsuragi]

The boss which you encounter in the mine is driving me crazy.

Spoiler

Do I need a better weapon than the Katana to damage him? His hit box seems to be really tiny...

 

[demidar]

The boss which you encounter in the mine is driving me crazy.

Spoiler

Do I need a better weapon than the Katana to damage him? His hit box seems to be really tiny...

Yes.

Answer:

Spoiler

You need to awaken the Roda trees by giving the harmonica to Reah (or whichever one is in the second town), then go south from the third town and talk to the Roda tree

 

[Jonnyboy117]

You just need to find and eat the Roda seed in order to talk to the big trees. Finding the harmonica doesn't seem to do much except give you some experience for returning it. And she'll play a little song for you!

 

[Katsuragi]

Thanks a lot, guys.

 

[Ondore]

This week on RFN: Ys 1, Castlevania 1.5, and Etrian Oddysey IV.
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/33583

With Jon packing for his big move, we welcome Alex Culafi to the show this week for some help with RetroActive. But first, New Business! Guillaume splooges all over Etrian Odyssey IV, which might be the first (or second) great RPG for 3DS. Alex follows with another brand new 3DS game, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate. He likes it, but that doesn't necessarily mean everyone will. Jonny continues the handheld kick with raves for Gravity Rush, one of the few must-buy Vita games (which he didn't even need to buy). James caps off New Business with some thoughts on the DLC and long-term appeal of Fire Emblem Awakening (which Jonny just restarted on Casual mode).

After the break, we get started on RetroActive with an unexpectedly rich discussion of the game's first part, Ys Book I. (What, you've never played or seen Crystalis?) Opinions and forum comments are strikingly diverse, but the one thing we can all agree upon is that you should play Ys Book I (if only to experience the significant progression between it and Ys Book II, which we'll talk about in a couple of weeks). It's definitely not too late to start playing along -- and if you do, drop some thoughts in the official forum thread!

You'd be forgiven for letting PAX East sneak up this year, as it has on us, but we will indeed be in Boston this coming weekend for the 4th annual RFN live panel. Look for a recording to appear in the subscription feed around the normal time. If you're attending the show, please come by and toss a great question to us during the beefy Q&A portion! Otherwise, beam your equally great question to the show's email account for a future edition of Listener Mail.

Time: 2'10"32
Downloads: mp3 | AAC
SNK stupidity: Release a bunch of their NeoGeo games on VC, don't release Baseball Stars or Crystalis

 

[A Human Becoming]

I still have episodes from January to catch up on before the PAX East. Eep! I attended the last three PAX East panels.

 

[demidar]

I wonder what the crew will think of Ys 1 if they played the PSP/Steam remake of it but they are pretty down on it. The game was pretty insufferable at parts with its lack of guidance and labyrinthine dungeons but James made a good point about it being released at a time where most of things are really early and there hasn't been a widespread adoption of a set of conventions. And that Darm Tower backtracking was pretty yuck. Bosses were great though and really demanded mastery of movement since attacking and moving were one and the same. It's probably why they created the magic system for Ys 2 to allow for another way to attack since the bump system can't really evolve too much from Ys 1.

Also the ones who like it should probably play Ys Origin which you can get off Steam. Most of the bosses in Ys 1 are remastered in that game and a lot of reverse-references are made, not to mention it's an extremely well made ARPG.

And what's this shit about Adol being some schmuck? He's an adventurer, killing gods and devils is just another Tuesday for him. He loves wrecking himself at the start of an adventure to weaken himself so he can give his enemies a slight chance to win (he's gracious like that).

 

[JoeFu]

Got around to listening to connectivity just for Dr. Metts space talk! Really awesome stuff and insightful and hope there is gonna be one soon.

 

[Jonnyboy117]

Please look for the PAX East panel recording on Monday night. I no longer have a laptop to do it while traveling (maybe by E3).

 

[Ondore]

It's panel time! GET EXCITE!
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/33637

It's always a special experience to do RFN live, as a group, for an audience in the same room. PAX East offers just such an opportunity, and this year's panel might be the best yet. The voices you'll hear on this recording include James, Guillaume, and Jonny, plus special guests Nate Andrews and Chris Kohler of Wired's Game Life. One element you'll have to imagine is the improvised video stream provided by Jared Rosenberg -- that part was just for the live audience!

Our topics include favorite obscure games, a couple of fun "What If?" scenarios, elevator pitches to Iwata, and a hefty chunk of audience Q&A. We hope you enjoy it! Thanks again to everyone who helped, especially the PAX Enforcers who set up the room and provided this great recording for all of us.

This episode was recorded by the PAX East Enforcers and was edited by Jonathan Metts.

Time: 1'04"51
Downloads: mp3 | AAC
My elevator pitch: Fire Emblem for WiiU by the Valkyria Chronicles 1 team.

 

[speedpop]

Nice special guests. Should be a great listen.

 

[nckillthegrimace]

Kohler's "Nintendo has to do this!" thing seems like it literally just happened with that unity/no concept approval announcement. Good call.

 

[Ondore]

Episode 331 is on the feeds...
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/33705

Jon is still dealing with his cross-country move, so it's just three of us this week as we blast through some hot new releases, games in and around PAX, and a choice selection of Listener Mail.

James goes first, because he's been playing the very newest game around -- Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon! It's a nice group discussion, since all of us have been working through it this week. Gui continues with another exciting new game, Lego City Undercover. Even though it's not as funny as he'd hoped, our editor really likes this long-awaited Wii U release. Jonny uses his turn to cover half a dozen upcoming games from PAX East (Cult Country, Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director's Cut, Shovel Knight and Toki Tori 2 among them - O). With the remaining time for this segment, we return to Guillaume for some serious Bit.Trip Presents... Runner 2 love, even though certain things drive him nuts (and leave the other guys confounded altogether).

In Listener Mail, we start with a show-stopper: Which is better, Mega Man 2 or 3? Other topics include the possibility of a virtual reality accessory for Wii U and the practice of reusing elements across multiple games from the same developer. As always, we'd love to hear from you too! Another quick programming note: since we needed more time to play Ys Book II, the conclusion to RetroActive was pushed to next episode. There may still be time to leave your comment in the official forum thread and get it read on the podcast!

Also, if you want to hear more stories and impressions from James, Gui, Jonny, and many other NWR staff at PAX East, be sure to check out the latest episode of our sister podcast, NWR Connectivity.

Time: 1'52"49
Downloads: mp3 | AAC
That Connectivity: Also has Nintendoaire beast mode

 

[zroid]

You probably figured this out by now Jonny, but you actually can jump/dodge in Luigi's Mansion while vacuuming -- just tap B. It resets your charge meter, though, so it's best used in a worst case.

By the way, you guys got me really excited for Toki Tori 2. I more or less expected it to be a good game, but it wasn't on my radar as such. Now it could be a day one purchase. That price tag might be the only thing which stops me (for now).

 

[Ondore]

And the Ys Retroactive draws to its end...

Now that things are settling down a bit for the group, we're ready to refocus on the latest Nintendo releases and finally wrap up the current RetroActive. From his new home base in the ATL, Jon kicks it off with his well-informed thoughts on Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate for 3DS, and yes ladies, he's playing it with the Circle Pad Pro. Jonny cracks open the oddly structured Need for Speed: Most Wanted U (or "Must Wanted") to enjoy Criterion's long-awaited return to Nintendo platforms. Gui follows up his new review of Toki Tori 2 with some extra discussion of this lauded new Wii U eShop game. James bats clean-up by digging into a GameCube Grab Bag. The first to fall under his sights are a couple of forgotten Capcom experiments: Auto Modellista and P.N. 03.

After a quick break, we hang onto Jon for a little while longer to discuss some topics of late. Those include the dissolution and legacy of LucasArts, as well as much-discussed analysis of Satoru Iwata's decade as President of Nintendo Co. Ltd. (The blog we referenced is by Emily Rogers over at NotEnoughShaders.) Then the other three hang on for one last dip into the world of Ys, as we dissect Book II and say goodbye to this very interesting, user-chosen game of yore.

We'll get back to your Listener Mail this week, so why not send in a question while it's on the mind?

Time: 2'17"23
Downloads: mp3 | AAC
The article in question: Quotes Malstrom twice yet still works. Weird.

 

[Katsuragi]

Jonny, I think it's possible to turn off police pursuit on the GamePad. Don't own the game myself but I remember them talking about it during the PR campagin.

 

[The_Darkest_Red]

Jonny, I think you're overthinking the car selection in Most Wanted. I'm not a car buff by any means so I'm pretty much in the same boat as you but I got through the game without much of an issue, and the car I chose for a given event was basically just always the one with the best stats. I know you complained about the handling of some of the faster cars but I really think it's just something that you have to adjust to. Once you do you'll find that the stats really are a good enough guide to go by, and the faster cars are pretty much always the best choice for an event. There are some times when you might want something a little slower (like if the course is just full of turns) but in my experience that was very rare.

Anyway, I hope that helps you enjoy the game a little more. I agree with all of your other complaints by the way, especially how the licensed cars hurt the game overall (particularly because of how much less exciting the crashes are). I also thought the world itself felt very soulless. Honestly I'm just not really a fan of the open world in games like Most Wanted and Burnout. Burnout 3 is still the king, in my opinion.

 

[XDDX]

The car selection in most wanted only matters for the 'most wanted' races in the games. All cars have 5 different events pretty much designed just for them so you shouldn't have a slow car for any event.

 

[Jonnyboy117]

Surprisingly, my comments on Must Wanted have generated as much feedback as nearly any other RFN topic in recent months (including lots of useful tips and clarifications, as well as sympathy with my confusion). So thanks very much! I'll definitely go back to that game armed with a lot more information about how to play.

 

[demidar]

I was surprised that James complained about obscured objectives, it seems only a little more obscurantist than Dark Souls. When I got up to that area with the hidden cup/chalice thing, I instantly thought to use light magic because I was told (can't remember by who) that the cup was in a out of place resplendent room and when I first got the light magic it said that it revealed hidden spots and objects.

I dunno, didn't bother me.

I agree with the mine being too labyrinthine for not having a map though.

edit: Holy crap I don't know how badly James misconstrued the end. The last two rooms didn't take place on Ys, it took place on the lower lands. You know the door past the bat boss in the mines in Ys 1? That's where the final boss took place.

wat

 

[Madouu]

Count me in the surprised crowd but concerning Monster Hunter. I'll be speaking exclusively from my experience as a complete and total newcomer to the series with monster hunter ultimate: I didn't find the game hard to pick up at all, I think the early missions do a fairly good job at showing you what the game is about and most of the other stuff can be figured out easily on your own. The story is pretty straightforward if you take the time to read the dialogues too. The hardest thing to learn is probably how you are supposed to fight but still, the digital manual does a good job of explaining what the different combos are etc. I don't think that it requires too much time investment or trial and error if you focus on one weapon too.
The part where I will definitely agree with though is how the game does a poor job of telling you where resources are because ultimately the gathering part is just not that fun. Same for the different status effects and more complex design stuff such as monster weak points but this is definitely not needed in the first hours I'd say.
Was nice listening to the episode though even if I wasn't often in agreement with you, keep up the good work!

Edit:It also got me interested in Toki Dori which I ended up buying so thanks for that.

 

[Ondore]

Guillaume's caffeine high carries over to the editing, apparently.
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/33841

After a modestly chaotic few weeks, we're back to the most common format of this ever-changing show, with all four members, New Business, and Listener Mail. It all starts with Guillaume's wrap-up on Lego City Undercover, which seems to be under the radar but is really working for him and others playing it on Wii U. James digs into Battalion Wars, the unusual action/strategy spin-off from GameCube's dying days. Jon gets masochistic with Ultimate Ghosts and Goblins, the PSP remake of your host's least favorite 2D platformer. One more more up Jonny's alley is Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams, which he's playing in anticipation of the game's Wii U conversion later this year. With time remaining in the segment, Gui wraps back around with a severe warning on Tokyo Crash Mobs, and Jonny shares a few initial thoughts on Guacamelee.

For this week's batch of Listener Mail, it seems like everyone wants us to discuss hypotheticals. There's one on an Mother/Earthbound Kickstarter campaign, a choice between retail-only or digital-only for the Wii library, and the possibility of a Nintendo Plus service with its own "instant game collection". The last email breaks this trend, instead asking which games break all spending logic and compel us to buy systems we might not otherwise. You'll learn a lot about James in this one. Keep the revelations coming by sending your own Listener Mail for a future episode!

Even though we just wrapped up the Ys Book I&II RetroActive, it's already time to set up the next entry in this popular feature. We wanted a stark change of pace this time, so it's a special poll inspired by a recent email: Mega Man 2 vs. Mega Man 3. The timetable is compressed this time, so vote right now and be ready to play along very soon!

Time: 1'52"06
Downloads: mp3 | AAC
Needs more: KERSPLOOSH!

 

[zroid]

Severe warning!!!!

 

[Jonnyboy117]

Severe warning of what? I think it's a great episode, though I'm biased.

 

[Colonel Mustard]

I don't agree with the points made about Tokyo Crash Mobs. Dragging the stylus to aim on the top screen is pretty simple.

 

[Leon S. Kennedy]

There is a huge library that Nintendo could pull from for Nintendo Plus for Wii U that you didn't mention on the podcast: Wii retail games, gamecube retail games, Wii virtual console, and wiiware. For the 3DS there is a huge library of GBA and DS retail games they could pull from. Those titles could sustain a Nintendo Plus until the Wii U Library expands. The 30 cent virtual console games are a good model to start. Nintendo could expand the number of games and limit the 30 cent price to Plus members.


Thanks for reading my question.

 

[Do The Mario]

I really like the podcast, I'm a long time listener. However, although I hate to type something negative about someone I am finding James increasingly difficult to listen to. He is often disrespectful of the views of others, takes absolutist positions, makes generalisations, does the 'oh capcom, oh sega, oh nintendo why you [insert] etc... which suggests business decisions are simple, talks over people and cackles so much at his own jokes.

I really wish he could tone it down a bit.

 

[A Human Becoming]

I really like the podcast, I'm a long time listener. However, although I hate to type something negative about someone I am finding James increasingly difficult to listen to. He is often disrespectful of the views of others, takes absolutist positions, makes generalisations, does the 'oh capcom, oh sega, oh nintendo why you [insert] etc... which suggests business decisions are simple, talks over people and cackles so much at his own jokes.

I really wish he could tone it down a bit.

This doesn't bother me since I don't find any of them funny. The Giant Bombcast and Player One Podcast are much more aligned with my humor.

While everything you said is true, I believe it's his schtick, so I don't take it seriously. If he wants to play the loud fool why not, it adds something to the podcast. Jonny has sounded annoyed by him in the past, but I think he brushes it off for this reason. I don't think James acts that way normally.

 

[Colonel Mustard]

I really wish he could tone it down a bit.

Not as bad as Don Koopman on the Famicast. Guy talks over everyone, usually to correct one microscopic detail someone left out of an explanation.

 

[Lynd7]

I really like the podcast, I'm a long time listener. However, although I hate to type something negative about someone I am finding James increasingly difficult to listen to. He is often disrespectful of the views of others, takes absolutist positions, makes generalisations, does the 'oh capcom, oh sega, oh nintendo why you [insert] etc... which suggests business decisions are simple, talks over people and cackles so much at his own jokes.

I really wish he could tone it down a bit.

James isn't being serious when he does all that stuff though.

 

[pharmboy044]

I think the concept of PS+ is amazing and what Sony is doing is unprecedented in the console space. People might think that they're just giving away games and no one is going to buy games after they subscribe but it's had the opposite effect on me. I've bought a lot more games with PS+ discounts then I would have ever bought without PS+.

 

[Leon S. Kennedy]

I think the concept of PS+ is amazing and what Sony is doing is unprecedented in the console space. People might think that they're just giving away games and no one is going to buy games after they subscribe but it's had the opposite effect on me. I've bought a lot more games with PS+ discounts then I would have ever bought without PS+.

I agree completely. It has raised the value of the ps3 for me. Since I got ps+, I sold my 360 and haven't missed it. But I would rather support Nintendo if Nintendo would let me.

 

[Samurai_Heart]

Lmao that Radio Free Nintendo effect XD, just like Pandora Towers XD Earthbound is virtual console bound now =D

 

[demidar]

Yo damn did you see that Nintendo Direct?! Need RFN nao!

 

[Katsuragi]

James got trolled by Iwata.

 

[A Human Becoming]

James got trolled by Iwata.

How so?

 

[demidar]

How so?

I think James said Earthbound was never coming to NA because Ninty wouldn't change some infringing songs.

Welp, I expect some crow James hahahahahaha!

 

[Somnia]

Was hoping they would put one up tonight, but seems no such luck.

 

[Katsuragi]

Was hoping they would put one up tonight, but seems no such luck.

As far as I know they always record on Thursday. Editing takes a lot of time!

 

[Jonnyboy117]

I wish we could do same-day publication, but its not feasible with our format without a drastic reduction in quality. The only time we've ever done it is at E3, when the eps are short and all on a single microphone.

 

[The_Darkest_Red]

I wish we could do same-day publication, but its not feasible with our format without a drastic reduction in quality. The only time we've ever done it is at E3, when the eps are short and all on a single microphone.

No problem, the news is still plenty fresh by the time the next episode rolls around anyway. I'm looking forward to hearing the crew's thoughts on all the recent 3DS announcements!

Guillaume better take it to James over Earthbound. No mercy!