Comments 104

Re: Review: Sonic Frontiers - A Bold But Ultimately Failed Attempt At Something New

Ljink96

Yeah...I don't know what some people are on but the Switch version is not great. Yeah...it runs. But when people criticized Bayonetta 3 for going from 45fps to 60fps and this game can go well below 30fps something is wrong. The pop in is absolutely atrocious. The foliage looks terrible, etc.

And I know games aren't about graphics. But good performance and visuals are part of what makes a game great. The world itself is very dull and un-inspired. They took the somberness of Breath of the Wild and said "let's do that" but didn't also take what BOTW did to balance the somber tone.

There's many other inhabitants, settlements, interesting side characters, etc. in BOTW that helped bring life into the world. While the Koco are a nice addition to Frontiers the other characters that are in the game are very muted and overall not very interesting.

Adding Skill trees to an action based Sonic game to me is just strange. And with how fast you obtain the skills it seems like it was even an afterthought for the devs.

My perfect 3D Sonic game is an open world Sonic game much like Frontiers but instead has multiple playable characters/gameplay styles, memorable lively areas to explore like Mystic Ruins or Station Square (but on a grander scale), a killer soundtrack, tight gameplay that exploits why it's fun just to play as Sonic or Knuckles, etc. My perfect 3D Sonic has a Chao garden, 3D Stages that exploit the gameplay of each character, a story that actually makes me care ...etc.

I think Frontiers was a good idea that was once again marred by poor execution. I am however happy if you enjoy the game. Don't let Nintendo Life or my thoughts deter you from enjoying Sonic Frontiers. I don't think it deserves a 4 necessary but I also just think 3D Sonic is not what it should be today and is probably no longer for me. 3D Sonic can be so much more. I said the same thing about Pokémon since Gen 7. Pokémon just isn't for me anymore. It's okay to move on from franchises that don't catch your interest anymore.

But anyways I digress...once again I've written a freaking short story in the comments. My bad.

Re: Dragon Quest Creator Yuji Horii Shares Brief Update On Next Mainline Entry

Ljink96

@Octorok_Prime

I was going to post a book like response but I decided this is not worth my time going back and forth with this. Of course constructive criticism is good. As with most rants hyperbole is used. Slander probably wasn't the best word to use but it was hyperbole. I still stand by my words.

Classical music in JRPGs is still valid and Sugiyama's compositions have evolved greatly over the years. Especially in his works outside of Dragon Quest. There's no convincing people who don't see the same thing you see in a work. I am a classically trained musician and I love classical music. I can't force others to like it but I also don't want Dragon Quest to be what other musicians do. That's why those series exist. Others whittle Classical music down to being "dull" or "boring" but I simply can't agree with that assessment.

Finally, I don't judge someone based on the worst parts of them. I separate the art from the artist. If you knew everything about your favorite creators you'd find that they too probably have ideas you disagree with or find revolting.

I also recommend watching:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HXA-x3LazM

It probably won't change any minds but it's very insightful for those who want to learn about a fellow musician and his fundamental contributions to the gaming industry. It wouldn't be the same without him. This is the reason Uematsu among other Japanese musicians speak so highly of his works. Not because they feel obligated to say such things.

Edit: And whos says I'm blinded by DQ nostalgia? lol. My first JRPG was Final Fantasy V. Hence my profile pic.

Re: Dragon Quest Creator Yuji Horii Shares Brief Update On Next Mainline Entry

Ljink96

Wow, the Toriyama and Sugiyama slander in here is ungodly. To think Toriyama's style is terrible. Wow. Sorry it's not generic anime 123 art style. Dragon Ball is one of the most memorable IPs in the world. It's still going to this day. Toriyama's art style stands the test of time. The same can't be said for the same generic contemporary art style we seen time after time in other JRPGs.

And Koichi Sugiyama, yeah his political ideals were awful but his music is great. Nobou Uematsu called him the boss of video game music. Not Shimomoura or Mitsuda. That's not to take away from their careers because I love both their contributions but let's get real here. Sugiyama changed video game music for good. His music opened for the Olympics! It's fine if you don't like classical orchestral music but he has plenty of memorable music under his belt. Just because you haven't played DQ games doesn't mean the music isn't good. Every soundtrack doesn't have to be electric guitars and synth and latin vocals.

XI had some amazing music coming from a guy in his late 80's. The Flying Whale and Imperial Palace come to mind as masterful compositions. It'll be interesting to see who takes over DQXII's OST.

Okay...rant over. I'm looking forward to XII.

Re: Gawk at the Dragon Quest VIII Promotional Poster and Screens

Ljink96

If this doesn't come to the US or Europe...shame on Square Enix. Like...almost everything is done already!!! What would be the issue?

And I am SICK of hearing the "Dragon Quest isn't popular here"... Dragon Quests 8 and 9 have sold over 1.2 million each outside of Japan. Much more than the 200-400K of Dragon Warrior VII (2000).

Games like Bravely Default, Shin Megami Tensei, etc. get released and sell way worse than main stream Dragon Quest titles. Square Enix hasn't given Dragon Quest enough time to become popular. They give us the crappy ports and remakes but the games that could actually make Dragon Quest sell...(Dragon Quest VII, X, Monsters 1&2 3DS) they won't even give them a chance. Dragon Quest VII would sell well on 3DS in the US if they give it a decent marketing campaign. Dragon Quest X in a way, revolutionized MMORPGs in the sense that a story was present for your to progress through. I think it could have been a sleeper hit in the US but they just don't give Dragon Quest a chance to prove itself.

Re: Zelda Lookalike Oceanhorn: Monster Of Uncharted Seas Could Be Sailing To Consoles

Ljink96

I actually like ripoffs in the meantime. While waiting for a real proper game, it is fun to me to play games that rip off or copy a game's formula or even aesthetics. It's not like Link is in the game or anything. Nintendo doesn't own boat travel or cute mini graphics. I'm all for it... as long as it comes to Wii U that is...Secret of Mana, Final Fantasy... all started on Nintendo, let's not forget them now.

Re: Guide: Everything We Know So Far About Nintendo's Deal With DeNA, Smart Device Plans and More

Ljink96

I like how other people are so concerned for a company that makes more money than they make blood cells. Nintendo will be FINE in this en devour. They've partnered up with a pretty respectable online giant and they'll be focusing on the one thing they do most, game development. It's a win win situation. My question is, how thin can they spread Shiggy, Anouma, and Tezuka and would that affect the quality of the games.

Re: Freedom Planet Bringing Its Brand of Sonic-Style Action to Wii U

Ljink96

Why didn't Sonic just stay where it was? So...many...hardships. What haunted Castlevania for the longest time is what's haunting Sonic. Sega needs to understand that people loved sonic for his 2D roots but they keep dumping on those roots and insisting that Sonic "Must go 3D to be cool". I hope Sega understands that this is what people remember about Sonic. They're too busy trying to turn him into something he's not. I'm not saying that all 3D sonic games have been horrible, it's just a vast majority of them have and they pay very little respects to the genesis titles that built him. Yeah, Generations was a surprise, but it wasn't anything really new. I'm picky, so are a lot of Sonic fans.

Re: Review: EarthBound (Wii U eShop)

Ljink96

This is definitely one of the best games in existance. I love it so much. It has aged reaaaaaaalllly well in the game world. You get about 50+ hours of playtime for $10 and it is well worth it. I really want a 3D remake but I guess that won't happen will it?

Re: Game Freak Uses a Silhouette to Tease a New Collaboration Project

Ljink96

@EpicGamer

Yes, I know that, I am talking about the Orange League/first series with Ash as the main character. I'm not talking about the newer games. I just want a Pokemon game that looks like Ni No Kuni aestheticly. Pokemon red and blue had few scenarios that match the Anime. To understand me better tbere is a Pokemon Fire Red hack that takes you through the first dozen episodes or so.

Re: SteamWorld Dig Dev: Wii U Is "Very Powerful", But Nintendo Is Struggling To Explain Its Appeal

Ljink96

Nintendo should have called it Super Wii or Wii 2 or something else. Wii U just doesn't make sense. And as stubborn as Nintendo is, they won't change it. Their marketing efforts are the worst I've ever seen by them in years. But still, why does Nintendo always have to innovate to get their console across? PS4 and Xbone are just their 7th gen brothers with more horsepower. I don't think Nintendo should have to market the Gamepad with the Wii U all the time. It has a Pro Controller and other alternatives. Then again, Nintendo got themselves into this mess.

Re: Satoru Iwata Confirms Nintendo's Plans To Bring More 3DS Third-Party Support To The West

Ljink96

Iwata is a smart guy. He knows what he's doing. The Wii and Ds did great under his wing. I just hope that we get Dragon Quest VII and Dragon Quest Monsters. I also heard that they will remake Dragon Quest Monsters 2... I will actually learn Japanese for that game.

Of all the 3DS RPGS out there right now I can honestly say, that even though it is a remake, Dragon Quest VII will be a shining star of all of them.

Re: Square Enix Teases New Projects on Anniversary Website

Ljink96

@Deathgaze

I know its hard to believe but yeah look it up. I thought that too but it wasn't true. CGI wasn't cheap in the olden days and many other factors played into it. Game economics aren't always what they seem. Back then a million units or more was success for a game. Today, it's like a million is needed to stay afloat.

What we know is that FF and DQ are huge but Enix still had cash to burn and was quite hesitant on actually merging. I love video game history so this is a good subject for me.