2013 Video Games Thread

[Vince, Pt. II]

Ping: DS/3DS owners:

So I picked up the 3DS XL on some good recommendations here, but I'm having trouble finding the original comments (forum searches tend to bork my phone). I already blew through the new Zelda game, and that's all I picked up with it. What are some must-have games for the system? I'm good with any genre, though I lean RPG heavy, mostly.

[sterlingice]

For the thread, start here and work your way down:
E3 2013/Tokyo Game Show/Console Discussion Thread - Page 24 - Front Office Football Central

I'll start thinking about recommendations and hopefully type it up during lunch

SI

[sterlingice]

Good news: I did a quick list of 3DS/DS RPGs earlier this year:
Official Nintendo DS and 3DS Thread (Including WiFi Codes) - Page 17 - Front Office Football Central

And the follow up post I made: "In order, I think I'd say TWEWY ($22), 999 ($20), DQ9 ($15), SMT: DS ($28 for 3DS), RH ($40), and GS ($10.50) but, of those, I haven't played RH or GS so I can't accurately grade them. Plus those are the current prices on Amazon. Also, order is going to depend on RPG type preference."

I have now played Heroes of Ruin and it's pretty (I don't get the knock on the graphics that I saw in a lot of places) but it's really Diablo-super-lite with a lot of unpolished game mechanics. It was fun and satisfying to beat on the enemies for a while but it gets repetitive and the story and characters are very vanilla. Fire Emblem, Shin Megami Tensei IV, and Project X Zone are all sitting on my 3DS shelf waiting patiently for me to finish Pokemon. I really want to try them all out. 2013 was a tremendous year for 3DS RPG/RTS.

I'll tackle other games in the next post

SI

[Vince, Pt. II]

Perfect. Should have just put "ping: si"

Looks like I'll be picking up the 3D Mario game, TWEWY and Fire Emblem today.

A Link Between Worlds (the new Zelda game) was fantastic. Excellent mini-games, and the game was a brilliant homage to A Link to the Past without being repetitive. If you like the Zelda games, it's a must-have in my opinion.

[sterlingice]

Aside from the RPGs, I'm just going to combine both systems:

New Super Mario Bros was a great revival of a franchise that had been lagging since SM64 (which also had a remake on the DS) while Super Mario 3D Land is still the best use of 3D to date and I would argue that anyone who has a 3DS must have SM3DL. The level design is brilliant and it's the perfect pick-up-and-put-down platformer.

As for other Mario games, I think Mario Kart for the DS is better than 3DS (and, actually, I'll rank the DS one as the 2nd best version of all time) but you'll find defenders of each. And there are a few Mario&Luigi RPGs, too (Bowser's Inside Story, Partners in Time, Dream Team). I haven't played Luigi's Mansion for the 3DS but the Gamecube version was pretty fun.

I haven't played Link Between Worlds yet. I just recently played Phantom Hourglass (DS) and Spirit Tracks is supposed to be similar. It was good, but not great. Then again, I've never been a big Windwaker fan and it was in that universe with that art style.

You can't mention Nintendo handhelds without mentioning Pokemon. First Diamond/Pearl introduce WiFi trading/battling, then the G2 HeartGold/SoulSilver remakes, and then Black/White->Black2/White2 where the story actually connects between the two games (tho, frankly, I got burned out with 5th gen Pokemon). Now XY are the first 3D version graphically, tho they don't really use the 3D graphics much and it feels a lot like the underrated Pokemon Colisseum for the Gamecube.

Kirby - there's a lot of Kirby on the DS and it seems like Nintendo likes to make him part of experimental tech-demo type games where they try out new game mechanics (or old rehashes) so that leads to an uneven but usually rewarding experiences. Canvas Curse is the one to pick up, I think.

Advance Wars - if you didn't play these on the GBA and like Turn Based Strat, go get Dual Strike now! Advance Wars might have been the best game on the GBA and Dual Strike continues the series. I have Days of Ruin (the second DS game) on my shelf but I've never played it because the tone looks all wrong. I hope they resurrect the series some day.

Some quick hits:

• We missed this in the RPG discussion, but if you like tactics games and somehow have never played any of the Disgaea games, it was released for the DS. It's fun but grindy.
• There are Animal Crossing entries for both systems. If you like it, the 3DS one is the way to go. If not, pass it by. I know I put quite a few hours into each but nothing has been able to capture the magic of the first one, tho online play helps a lot.
• Elite Beat Agents - off the wall rhythm game for the DS where you have to trace on screen to the music. The characters and presentation are awesome. Love it! It can be had on the cheap ($10).
• GTA: Chinatown Wars - it's like the graphics of GTA1/2 mixed with some of the depth from the later games. I played it for a while but eventually got bored. Highly reviewed, but just not my cup of tea.
• Kingdom Hearts has 3 games in canon on the DS/3DS. None are nearly as good as the standard games in the series (I haven't played DDD yet but it's a safe assumption) but you get a lot of back story.
• For puzzle games, I liked Puzzle Quest, Picross, and Meteos in that order, tho all got repetitive.
• Retro Game Challenge was a hidden gem of fun 8-bit nostalgia. I wish they had translated the sequel as this one lacks some depth but is a good quick once through. Unfortunately, it's fairly expensive and rare now.
• Scribblenauts! I love the idea and, while the execution can sometimes leave something to be desired, the original and Super were well worth my time. I believe there are newer versions out on the 3DS (Unlimited, maybe?)

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

Perfect. Should have just put "ping: si"

Looks like I'll be picking up the 3D Mario game, TWEWY and Fire Emblem today.

Hope this isn't too late: If you can find a demo of TWEWY (I believe it came out on iPad), it's a love it or hate it game.

For instance, I loved it but tk hates it. The play control can get annoying if you pick the wrong pins or just aren't feeling the story. But I just loved the story and game mechanics. It's from the Kingdom Hearts studio so that should tell you the tone: it will be upbeat, perhaps saccarine-ly, but can be also creepy and dramatic.

I was stuck in the Nashville airport one year for 8 hours at Christmas and I couldn't get enough playing it. Then I went back and beat it a second time a couple of years later.

EDIT: And I love the soundtrack to the point where I picked it up on iTunes. It's this odd urban-rock-jpop mix.

SI

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

A Link Between Worlds (the new Zelda game) was fantastic. Excellent mini-games, and the game was a brilliant homage to A Link to the Past without being repetitive. If you like the Zelda games, it's a must-have in my opinion.

LTTP is near the top of two of my lists: best of all time (it alternates between SMB3 and sometimes OOT and CT) and favorite of all time (it's not CT or FF4 but it's in the discussion after that). I worry that when a sequel targets a specific game, there's a good chance it won't live up to the legacy and tarnishes the old memory. I'm hoping that's not the case here. I'll definitely pick it up but probably not until it drop from $40 since my backlog is so clogged.

SI

[Vince, Pt. II]

I'm with you on LTTP. It's a blast to Beijing [editors note: Beijing? Seriously autocorrect? I don't even know what I was trying to say here but I'm leaving this because it's awesome] around the same world again. That being said, it doesn't bring much that is new to the table - it's basically the same game with a slightly different story. But the dungeons are different, the mini-games are different (and some are brilliant), and a few mechanics are different. The major flaw in the game is its simplicity - while I've never found a Zelda game to be challenging (seriously, the most challenged I've ever even playing Zelda was my first time fighting a Stalfos in Ocarina of time [well, not including Zelda 2, but that's a different story]), this one seems to set the difficulty bar even lower than usual. I was defeated exactly zero times, and I think I fell in battle with a fairy in a bottle once, maybe twice. The puzzles weren't too difficult either - there was only one dungeon that gave me pause.

That being said, I loved the game and finished it in under a week.

Edit:

For reference on the difficulty, I've played through every Zelda up to Ocarina of Time, somehow skipped Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess, and I've played all of Wind Waker.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Also, turns out my roommate already has TWEWY, so I can try before I buy.

[Izulde]

I may have to try out TWEWY. Right now I've been playing through Hakuoki: Memories of the Shinsengumi. It's literally a visual nove/CYOA/multi-ending romance game with an interesting story set in 1800s Japan. Not everyone's cup of tea of course, but it's a pleasant diversion from the standard fare, and I'd like to see more visual novels ported to the 3DS, as I think the system is perfect for the genre.

Has anyone played 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors or Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward? They look *really* interesting and I might pick them up.

I really wish they would port Luminous Arc 3 to the US.

[Buccaneer]

Thoroughly enjoying The Room on my iPad, quite addicting. Refreshing to play an intelligent mobile game that doesn't have cartoonish animations.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

LTTP is near the top of two of my lists: best of all time (it alternates between SMB3 and sometimes OOT and CT) and favorite of all time (it's not CT or FF4 but it's in the discussion after that). I worry that when a sequel targets a specific game, there's a good chance it won't live up to the legacy and tarnishes the old memory. I'm hoping that's not the case here. I'll definitely pick it up but probably not until it drop from $40 since my backlog is so clogged.

SI

It's interesting you bring up lists. I always have a hell of a time coming up with a favorite of all time list because of differences in genre and platform. One thing I do know - the very best game I've ever played is Chrono Trigger. After that...it's complicated.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Izulde

I may have to try out TWEWY. Right now I've been playing through Hakuoki: Memories of the Shinsengumi. It's literally a visual nove/CYOA/multi-ending romance game with an interesting story set in 1800s Japan. Not everyone's cup of tea of course, but it's a pleasant diversion from the standard fare, and I'd like to see more visual novels ported to the 3DS, as I think the system is perfect for the genre.

Has anyone played 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors or Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward? They look *really* interesting and I might pick them up.

I really wish they would port Luminous Arc 3 to the US.

I really enjoyed 999. It's a Phoenix Wright/Prof Layton storybook puzzle game with the emphasis more on the story than the puzzles. I think to fully enjoy it, you should play it through and get all 5 endings in the correct order (specifically, you need to get the last 2 endings last- the 3 "bad endings" you can get in any order first) but there's some good non-spoiler guides to get that.

I've been leery of VLR because it has a game save corrupting bug in the 3DS version. Supposedly it's not very prevalent and supposedly the Vita version does not have this problem. However, in a game with multiple playthroughs that saves your progress each time, this is a killer. I finally bought it a couple of months ago on the eShop since its supposed to be a lot lower prevalence there on the cartridge version.

SI

[Mota]

My son got a 3DS XL for Christmas which means that I got his 3DS! He actually fought it for a bit, and then I reminded him of the iPad that he got when I upgraded to the iPad Air and he decided to revisit his stance.

So far I've played Shin Megami Tensei IV which seems to be pretty hardcore. I enjoy it though. Due to currently LOVING Tales of Graces F on PS3, I picked up Tales of the Abyss to play next.

[JonInMiddleGA]

My son just picked up the sandbox DLC for State of Decay tonight.

I sure am hearing an awful lot of, umm, let's call them "alarmed exclamations" coming from across the room

[terpkristin]

One of my new year's resolutions is to play more video games. Seriously. In particular I want to finally get to the new Zelda and Pokemon X, both of which were severely hampered by my back surgery and inability to sit up.

Also, if Nintendo ever makes a 3DS with the volume button in a non-stupid location, I'm a day one buyer. I hate hate hate hate hate where that volume slider is.

/tk

[frnk55]

Ok help me out guys. I want to get a 3DS or a Vita. My favorite games are RPGs and turn based. I know Poke is very popular along with animal crossing but are they more for kids?

As for the PS Vita I know very little and I'm to lazy to google it and you guys will be better help.

And I see you can download 3DS games. That would be very cool. How bout the PS?

What choice do ya think I should make?
Thank you!

[Vince, Pt. II]

Originally Posted by terpkristin

Also, if Nintendo ever makes a 3DS with the volume button in a non-stupid location, I'm a day one buyer. I hate hate hate hate hate where that volume slider is.

/tk

+1,000,000 and I've only had mine about a week.

Originally Posted by frnk55

Ok help me out guys. I want to get a 3DS or a Vita. My favorite games are RPGs and turn based. I know Poke is very popular along with animal crossing but are they more for kids?

As for the PS Vita I know very little and I'm to lazy to google it and you guys will be better help.

And I see you can download 3DS games. That would be very cool. How bout the PS?

What choice do ya think I should make?
Thank you!

I don't know too much about the Vita, but my roommate has one and he CONSTANTLY complains about the complete and utter lack of a library of games worth playing. He's an RPG nut (favorite games Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI, FF Tactics, etc), so it sounds like his tastes are similar to yours. As sterlingice has so wonderfully pointed out for me recently, the 3DS is a fantastic system for RPG and Tactical RPG/Turn Based games, so it sounds like a 3DS is more up your alley.

[sterlingice]

The Vita library is, well, not good. Uncharted is the only million seller and it's just barely (by comparison, the 3DS has 22 million sellers and the DS had a staggering 131) but that number will continue to grow as they sell systems. The problem is that Sony seems to treat the handheld market as an afterthought while Nintendo, well:

Nintendo is the handheld juggernaut. The Nintendo DS just fell shy of toppling the PS2 as the highest selling console ever but almost doubled up the PSP. Similarly, the 3DS is out to a 40M:6M lead on the Vita and selling another million every holiday week. The sales numbers only matter in so much that with such a commanding lead, you saw different behaviors with how 3rd parties supported the systems. Squeenix made Dragon Quest 9 a DS exclusive, foregoing even the home consoles and it sold nearly 6M copies for the highest total in that franchise's history.

It's kindof damning that I just went over to Amazon and looked at top sellers in PS Vita and none of the entire top 10 are games (PS Network cards, hardware, and accessories while 3DS is 8 of the top 10 are games with 2 Skylander figures). But it's not as bleak as all that. There are a handful of good games on the Vita and that's going to get better. Persona 4 looks really solid. Gravity Rush looked interesting but with mixed reviews. There are some handheld versions of console favorites like Uncharted, Little Big Planet, and Rayman Origins that all reviewed well.

Also, the Playstation network appears to have quite a few PSX and PSP games:
http://us.playstation.com/psvita/gam...edia/index.htm
And the PSP was a decent system with regards to tactics and RPGs. In fact, I would argue that those genres have moved more to the handheld arena than console and there was enough to go around to both Nintendo and Sony systems.

Plus, you have a lot of the PSX library that was pretty strong in that regard, tho somewhat dated now. Don't want to drop $50 on Persona 2 and then dig up a Playstation to play it? Pay $10 to download it. However, it's by no means a complete list. I was doing a cursory list and while, say, Xenogears or Chrono Chross is on there, Valkyrie Profile and Dragon Quest 7 (PSX) and 8 (PS2) are not. Some of the more obvious RPGs from the PSX era can be had on the cheap: Final Fantasy 7-9 are $10 each, Parasite Eve 1&2 are $6 each while the PSP download of The Third Birthday (basically, PE3) is $20. And I've seen some quite a few Playstation Network sale threads on Cheap Ass Gamer for 30-50% off for some of those games so I think they happen quite frequently.

Nintendo eShop Official Site - Games
Conversely, Nintendo has only really turned on the downloadable game portion of their service for the 3DS games and only for major releases: I could be totally off but I would hazard a guess that the number of "full" games on there is under 50. And we're not talking about downloadable "aps" like the Nintendo eShop which has games like Pushmo. And they have retro games like Excitebike, with a library that covers the NES, all generations of GameBoy, and some other consoles like Game Gear- but it's very retro stuff from what I've seen. Someone else can probably get you more up to speed on those as I'm a big fan of collecting the games and thus collecting the physical media, not just downloading things.

If you squint hard and like Sony's library much more than Nintendo's, then you will be happy with a Vita. You can download PSX and PSP games to augment the Vita library and if you have a PS4, there's the playing-PS4-games-on-the-go thing that is supposed to be really nice. Meanwhile, with the 3DS, you're looking at the full DS and 3DS library and then downloads of older retro games (GBC, NES mainly). Cases can be made for either one, tho I would argue it's a lot easier for the 3DS at this point in time.

Ed Note: Here are some tools:
Game Database, Best Selling Video Games, Game Sales, Million Sellers, Top Selling - VGChartz
Sales numbers come from VGChartz.
Reviews and News Articles - GameRankings
And I use Game Rankings for a quick score aggregator but I think its algorithm is a little wonky and there's a ton of group think in the gaming review community.

SI

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

I don't know too much about the Vita, but my roommate has one and he CONSTANTLY complains about the complete and utter lack of a library of games worth playing. He's an RPG nut (favorite games Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI, FF Tactics, etc), so it sounds like his tastes are similar to yours. As sterlingice has so wonderfully pointed out for me recently, the 3DS is a fantastic system for RPG and Tactical RPG/Turn Based games, so it sounds like a 3DS is more up your alley.

A lot of the Vita situation has to do with the amount of space a game takes up, as a high amount of Vita games are now digital only. A lot of people don't like digital, so the library is limited if that isn't your thing. Also, the PS4 adds a lot to the Vita with the Remote Play. It's a must buy if you have a PS4. If you don't have it, the DS/3DS library is much better and there's a ton of old games to buy at cheap prices.

[Julio Riddols]

Anyone here played Frozen Endzone? It looks like a pretty sweet game, but I am hoping the game lengths and stuff are variable when it hits full release. Right now from what I can tell it is a one possession each game, which is too short, IMO. Still looks like a heck of a lot of fun, like a casual euro board game version of football, but still has a strong depth of strategy and elements of real time in it. It would be fun to start an FOFC league when it finally comes out.

Here is some game play video for those interested:

Frozen Endzone Beta Gameplay Preview - YouTube

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Julio Riddols

Anyone here played Frozen Endzone? It looks like a pretty sweet game, but I am hoping the game lengths and stuff are variable when it hits full release. Right now from what I can tell it is a one possession each game, which is too short, IMO. Still looks like a heck of a lot of fun, like a casual euro board game version of football, but still has a strong depth of strategy and elements of real time in it. It would be fun to start an FOFC league when it finally comes out.

Here is some game play video for those interested:

Frozen Endzone Beta Gameplay Preview - YouTube

Isn't it still in beta? Hadn't seen anything saying it was done with testing yet.

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

+1,000,000 and I've only had mine about a week.



I don't know too much about the Vita, but my roommate has one and he CONSTANTLY complains about the complete and utter lack of a library of games worth playing. He's an RPG nut (favorite games Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI, FF Tactics, etc), so it sounds like his tastes are similar to yours. As sterlingice has so wonderfully pointed out for me recently, the 3DS is a fantastic system for RPG and Tactical RPG/Turn Based games, so it sounds like a 3DS is more up your alley.

From what I've read Persona 4 Golden might be the best handheld RPG in this gen, but overall the library on the 3DS is much better.

I have read great things about Tearaway on the Vita too, though it's not an RPG.

[Vince, Pt. II]

I've also heard great things about Tearaway.

[frnk55]

Great info Sterling! I'm leaning towards 3DS.
Anyone like or recommend a Pokemon game?

[Izulde]

Pokemon X/Y is the best pairing in the series IMO.

Edit: I have X myself.

[Julio Riddols]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Isn't it still in beta? Hadn't seen anything saying it was done with testing yet.

Yeah, it is still in beta, but I guess if you purchase you get a steam key for the actual release as well as 2 beta keys (I think). Watching the game play in the video, it looks right up my alley as a big fan of turn based strategy and football.

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

Ping: DS/3DS owners:

So I picked up the 3DS XL on some good recommendations here, but I'm having trouble finding the original comments (forum searches tend to bork my phone). I already blew through the new Zelda game, and that's all I picked up with it. What are some must-have games for the system? I'm good with any genre, though I lean RPG heavy, mostly.

I've mostly been playing Fire Emblem: Awakening so far. Also picked up Project X Zone and have to admit I have no idea what is going on in it. For other games I preordered Bravely Default which got some pretty great reviews following it's European release last month and is coming out in the US in February and will probably be picking up Shin Megami Tensei IV before too long.

[NobodyHere]

I believe Shin Megami Tensei IV is on sale today for $30 in the 3DS shop. Etrian Odyssey IV is worth taking a look at and is $20.

[DaddyTorgo]

re: Assasin's Creed Black Flag

-I'm only 38% completed and I've got the Jackdaw upgraded basically all the way save some of the elite plans (only have 2 of those), and I just took down my first Man o War (not the Blackbeard mission one).

Think I'm definitely getting plenty of gameplay out of it. Sometimes I load it up and just sail around and pirate and don't even worry about the missions.

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

re: Assasin's Creed Black Flag

-I'm only 38% completed and I've got the Jackdaw upgraded basically all the way save some of the elite plans (only have 2 of those), and I just took down my first Man o War (not the Blackbeard mission one).

Think I'm definitely getting plenty of gameplay out of it. Sometimes I load it up and just sail around and pirate and don't even worry about the missions.

Yeah, I just focused on getting maxed out on hull and esp. mortars, the rest doesn't matter much. Had to get to sequence 6 so I could dive for those two elite plans. Even at one notch below elite, I was able to take out any frigate with two mortar shots and a man-o-war with 4-5. I'm sure once I get to elite on that, which should be shortly, I'll do even better.

I'm 76 hours into it and 33% done. I go back and forth between sailing for a few hours plundering ships and going to find a good island (esp. plantation) and get all of the chests and warehouses.

I don't know if this is the best game I've played (Skyrim probably is), mainly because I don't see much replay value but it's been 20 years since I had this much fun playing a game.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

Yeah, I just focused on getting maxed out on hull and esp. mortars, the rest doesn't matter much. Had to get to sequence 6 so I could dive for those two elite plans. Even at one notch below elite, I was able to take out any frigate with two mortar shots and a man-o-war with 4-5. I'm sure once I get to elite on that, which should be shortly, I'll do even better.

I'm 76 hours into it and 33% done. I go back and forth between sailing for a few hours plundering ships and going to find a good island (esp. plantation) and get all of the chests and warehouses.

I don't know if this is the best game I've played (Skyrim probably is), mainly because I don't see much replay value but it's been 20 years since I had this much fun playing a game.

Ditto. My mortars can take out a frigate with two shots now, which is really nice, and although man-o-war's are still a challenge if I close with them, it's real nice to board one and capture it for my fleet.

Is there a counter for how many hours you've put into it??

[dubb93]

Steam tracks game time in every game you play.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by dubb93

Steam tracks game time in every game you play.

Aaah - I have it on PS3 though

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

Ditto. My mortars can take out a frigate with two shots now, which is really nice, and although man-o-war's are still a challenge if I close with them, it's real nice to board one and capture it for my fleet.

Is there a counter for how many hours you've put into it??

It should be someone in the stats menus.

From the Pause Menu chose Database => Statistics and Total Time Played is the second item in Overall Statistics which should be the first screen that comes up.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by mckerney

It should be someone in the stats menus.

From the Pause Menu chose Database => Statistics and Total Time Played is the second item in Overall Statistics which should be the first screen that comes up.

Aaaah - let's see then.

32 hours.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Picked up Radiant Historia for the DS with an Amazon Gift Card I had laying around after Christmas. I'm only an hour in, but I'm extremely impressed so far. Just about done with the introductory portions of the game, so the next couple hours of gameplay will be make or break in my opinion. I'll let you all know what I think when I get back to it.

[sterlingice]

It's on my backlog but I haven't played it- I'm certainly curious

SI

[terpkristin]

Has anybody tried the demo on 3DS of Square Enix's new Bravely Default? My impression is that it uses StreetPass quite a bit to augment the game...which probably works well in some areas, less well in others (like mine, where I go to a SP hotspot once every other week or so, at most).

/tk

[NobodyHere]

Has anyone tried Baldur's Gate Reloaded? It's basically Baldur's Gate recreated with the Neverwinter Nights 2 editor tools.

Really it's what the enhanced edition should've been, though it could use some polishing and difficulty balancing.

[Izulde]

Bravely Default looked intriguing. I'll have to try out the demo to see my thoughts.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Originally Posted by terpkristin

Has anybody tried the demo on 3DS of Square Enix's new Bravely Default? My impression is that it uses StreetPass quite a bit to augment the game...which probably works well in some areas, less well in others (like mine, where I go to a SP hotspot once every other week or so, at most).

/tk

Thanks for reminding me, been meaning to download that.

[bhlloy]

So where does the AC series go from here with the massive success that was the open world and naval combat in Black Flag? Personally I'd love WW2 for the story but there would be challenges in fitting that in with the gameplay and seems like they've pretty much ruled it out at this point. So do you go with Napoleonic Wars and stick with the naval combat theme? Or go back further and move away from the naval combat and do something new (Ancient Egypt seems to be pretty heavily suggested)

[chinaski]

Heathstone is in open beta now. First ive played a collectable card game, but im liking it quite a bit so far. So much to learn.

Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft Official Game Site

[Blackadar]

Originally Posted by chinaski

Heathstone is in open beta now. First ive played a collectable card game, but im liking it quite a bit so far. So much to learn.

Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft Official Game Site

I've never seen the attraction in a card game. Don't know why, but I've never played one and never had the desire to play one.

[Radii]

Originally Posted by chinaski

Heathstone is in open beta now. First ive played a collectable card game, but im liking it quite a bit so far. So much to learn.

Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft Official Game Site

I'm still playing it and still enjoying it, its my first card game as well, the learning curve to get comfortable with it wasn't too huge. I think I've been playing for about 2 months now?

A couple tips:

1) Get every class to level 10. You get class specific cards every 2 levels up until 10, it lets you get a feel for the basics of each class, and you get 100 gold once you've done so.

2) Make sure you beat each class of AI once on advanced. There's a 'hidden quest' to do this as well for a gold reward.

3) If you're thinking about spending some real money on the game, doing so fairly early on when you don't have a lot of even the common cards yet is best. That way most everything you get is useful.

4) Most people I know don't ever buy packs for 100 gold. Instead, everyone gets their packs via arena, which costs 150. You get a pack of cards as a guaranteed arena reward, plus other rewards depending on how well you do. Way more fun since you get to play as well, and unless you do really poorly you're very likely to get at least 50 gold out of your run, making it economically sound as well.


Take your time before you dive into arena though. You get a bunch of gold at first for these one time quests/achievements (every class to 10/beat all advanced AI classes/win 100 games, there may be a few more), but after that you are just relying on the daily quests which are for 40/60 gold.

Feel free to ask if you have questions about anything else!

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

I really enjoyed 999. It's a Phoenix Wright/Prof Layton storybook puzzle game with the emphasis more on the story than the puzzles. I think to fully enjoy it, you should play it through and get all 5 endings in the correct order (specifically, you need to get the last 2 endings last- the 3 "bad endings" you can get in any order first) but there's some good non-spoiler guides to get that.

I've been leery of VLR because it has a game save corrupting bug in the 3DS version. Supposedly it's not very prevalent and supposedly the Vita version does not have this problem. However, in a game with multiple playthroughs that saves your progress each time, this is a killer. I finally bought it a couple of months ago on the eShop since its supposed to be a lot lower prevalence there on the cartridge version.

SI

I just finished 999 last night and would second your recommendation of it. I played through three times before finding a spoiler free guide for the endings after my third play through.

Spoiler

I got the Sub ending the first two times and the knife the third. After getting the guide I did Safe, Axe and then True.

And with that finished it's time for Episode 2 of The Wolf Among Us tonight.

And good to know about the bug with Virtue's Last Reward. Was looking at picking it up, but being I'll probably bet getting a Vita in the future I think I'll hold off on it.

[sterlingice]

About once a year, I find a game that really grabs me and 999 was the one a couple of years ago. It's the best of the "storybook" genre from the DS and that's no slight on PW or PL or any number of other quality entries.

SI