TFARCHIVE FORUMS

Tantrum wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 10, 2021 9:49 pm

I'm almost done replaying Twilight Princess.

I started a run on that one last year (the HD version on the Wii U). Fun game, but you're right, the pacing can be awful. The beginning of the game is notoriously slow paced. I never finished my run this time around, since I thought I was close to done but wasn't. I believe I made it to the City in the Sky and lost interest. I know that's fairly close to the end, but I just couldn't make it at the time.

This weekend I found a gem on the PS4 (on sale too!): Fire Pro Wrestling World. I know this series has been around for ages, but I have never played one. Considering the 2K games are pretty trash (though I have never played those) I've had heard great things about FPWW. I was a huge fan of the old N64 WWF/WCW games (Attitude/Nitro era), and was looking for a 'new' wrestling experience. FPWW has a retro look that reminds me of the old SNES wrestling titles. It's plays well once you get used to the button timing. The goal isn't simply to button mash and win matches - it's to put on a good show, even if you lose. It's a strange concept to wrap your head around at first, but it's true to the pro wrestling world at large.

The real reason I got FPWW is the large community that creates wrestlers to download. Though the game itself is branded with New Japan wrestlers, the community has created wrestlers from all promotions and eras. Getting the wrestlers into the game is a bit clunky, but it's free. I've added about 300 wrestlers from WWF/WWE, WCW, ECW, NXT, TNA, and AEW. If I didn't do any sorting of the available characters and items (mats, aprons, etc.) there's ~70K things available. It's awesome!

I finished the dungeon with the Sols. It turns out part of my issue was the enemy approaching music for that dungeon gets on my nerves. I think they were going for disorienting, but ended up with annoying. Anyway, I turned the volume way down on my stereo, and had a much easier time of it.

ganon578 wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 13, 2021 6:17 pm

I started a run on that one last year (the HD version on the Wii U). Fun game, but you're right, the pacing can be awful. The beginning of the game is notoriously slow paced. I never finished my run this time around, since I thought I was close to done but wasn't. I believe I made it to the City in the Sky and lost interest. I know that's fairly close to the end, but I just couldn't make it at the time.

Yeah, you're on dungeon 7 of 9. All that's left in the overworld after this is a single heart container piece you can get with that dungeon's item. Then, it's the Twilight Realm, which sounds like a large, LttP-esque Dark World, but is actually the smallish 8th dungeon, which has really irritating enemy approaching music. Then, Hyrule Castle, which I believe is a much larger, and more enjoyable dungeon. Have you ever finished that game?

I was hoping replaying TP would keep me busy this winter until it's warm enough to go outside again, but I'll probably finish it up this weekend. I could look for more bugs and poes, but all they give you is more rupees. I already have more than I need, and I always forget to use the magic armor.

I could do the Cave of Ordeals, but I hate the 10 levels of ice enemies. I beat the first 10 levels to get a fairy spring, but the next 30 just give you more fairy springs. The last 10 let you get more of that potion that refills your hearts and doubles your attack. But, I've never used the one I got for beating 20 Poes.

Tantrum wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 14, 2021 3:14 am

I could do the Cave of Ordeals

When I was talking about this game with a friend a while back, I think I called this the "Cave of Mild Inconveniences". It really doesn't feel like an ordeal, except in the sense of being super time consuming and kind of boring. Beating it really should feel like an accomplishment, but almost nothing in this game (except for those damned hands chasing you while you have the Sols!) is actually difficult, so instead of a test of endurance and fighting skill it feels more like a test of patience.

I love the atmosphere of Twilight Princess, but I think I'd have a hard time convincing myself to play it again any time soon because there's just no challenge there. I know Zelda isn't supposed to be Dark Souls, but I should at least have to worry about whether I've got enough fairies and potions when I go into a boss fight.

After a bit of a layoff, I jumped into Portal 2. It doesn't quite reach the heights of the short, sweet, simple original, but it's still good fun. The expanded game mechanics keep it from getting boring, but I also feel like it keeps them from ever being quite as brilliant with the level design as they were the first time around, where they really had to go nuts with just a handful of building blocks to make the final levels really tough. But to be honest it would be worth playing just to hear J.K. Simmons ranting like a crazy man. That's usually worth the price of admission on its own.

Warcry wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 14, 2021 3:38 am

After a bit of a layoff, I jumped into Portal 2. It doesn't quite reach the heights of the short, sweet, simple original, but it's still good fun. The expanded game mechanics keep it from getting boring, but I also feel like it keeps them from ever being quite as brilliant with the level design as they were the first time around, where they really had to go nuts with just a handful of building blocks to make the final levels really tough. But to be honest it would be worth playing just to hear J.K. Simmons ranting like a crazy man. That's usually worth the price of admission on its own.

I think portal 2 accomplishes something that portal 1 didn't. It gives you a reason to care about the characters. The reveals and revelations of the characters, their actions and reactions drew me in as much as the gameplay. Especially on a recent play through.

J. K Simmons is inspired casting though. When life gives you lemons...