What are you playing right now?

Ah, the Playstation 4, I didn't imagine the thing existing so soon when I wrote this sub forum's description a couple years back. And I've been hearing lots of things about Bravely Default, it's making me curious.

As for me, I've been stupid and still haven't reinstalled MGS yet. Replayed Ocarina of Time and got too bored of Platinum to finish that run. Don't really know what to play besides the first Shantae again, hmm. Might just do that when I'm feeling up for a half-hour spurt of games, I'd like to see how many of the collectables I can knowingly grab in a run. I'd love to write a 100% guide of the game since one doesn't exist yet, I had to figure out everything for myself.

PlayStation 4 is tempting, undoubtedly. So's the Vita now that it's scoring meatier titles (Ys comes to mind, as does the Sword Art Online RPG). Can't complain about the 3DS or Steam, either! 8th-gen is pickin' up traction for sure~

Bravely Default is, apart from its helter-skelter-quality writing, a thoroughly enjoyable game thus far. The battle and job system combine to elevate it above most proper Final Fantasy titles. It's a strong candidate for my favorite 3DS release to date. <3 It'll hafta compete with Pokémon X and Mighty Switch Force, not to mention the upcoming Pirate's Curse & Alpha Sapphire - ah, and can't forget Shovel Knight, either! Gosh, golden days abound, yahoo. owo

Also, Mega May on the 3DS eShop has been prudent to date~ Picked up the GB editions of MM III and IV for $3 apiece: the former, I owned several years back & wished to replay; the latter, I'd never yet touched & was eager to begin.  Although they draw heavily from their NES counterparts, they differ enough (and post enough challenge!) to delight mine eyes and ears. ;w; MM IV *is* proving to be as amazin' as the word-of-mouth has claimed!

I don't entirely blame you for tiring of a Gen IV Pokémon release, heh heh, although it *is* mildly surprising that Platinum be said release! Didja ever play BW2? It's not quite up there with BW1, but it's close. Darn close. Exceeds it in a couple of facets, truly.

I eagerly anticipate thine guide for the original Shantae. Go go go go go put down your Miku and GOOOO~ \o/

That's good to hear for Bravely Default. There's been a lot of hype and hate for it, so I think I'll look into it after I've gotten a 3DS and a few must-haves for it.

As for Platinum, I was running purely on nostalgia for that one; steam ran out when I got to the Steel Type Gym.  It's definitely just as long as Pokemon Black, but Black did a lot more with its time in story content, so it doesn't get boring at any point for me. Still need to get Black 2 at some point too.

Tekaramity wrote:I eagerly anticipate thine guide for the original Shantae. ;PGo go go go go put down your Miku and GOOOO~ \o/

I decided to give Majora's Mask another play after Ocarina of Time, so after that walk down memory lane, I'm going to write a full 100% guide for Shantae. There's even a heart container you can pick up before heading to the first dungeon, thanks to Vanishing Cream.

My only problem is going to be finding all the warp squid babies, and a good deal of them need the Harpy form to reach. *collapses* I also forgot where all the fireflies are, because I basically picked them all up by accident last time.

EDIT : Ah screw it. I just recently played Majora's Mask for my cousin and collected every mask on that. Suddenly don't feel up to the dungeons right now. On to Shantae!

Never have touched Majora's Mask. O: Then again, I'm *gasp* not much of a Zelda fan. CUE THE ANGRY MOBS! >8D - - - - - nah, I mean, I enjoyed the first title? X3 Back on NES? Twilight Princess was a-okay also (Midna ;w; hehe). TBH I haven't played enough of the series to state decisively that I'm disinterested - just, ah, ambivalent. ^^'' Yet I do not diminish the importance or significance of the series overall.

Still chipping away at Bravely Default, since it's long like the old-timey Final Fantasy titles - and, in my estimation, if it *were* entitled Final Fantasy of some nature, it'd be the best in the series since either 12 or 7 in terms of gameplay - just not in writing, since 9 firmly excelled in that aspect. It's written....occasionally competently? It's not horrid writing; it merely alternates between tepid and mildly intriguing. Nothin' exceptional. X3 Nothin' awful. But the job system's /ace/ and battles haven't grown boring in the slightest. Do recommend thus far, most heartily~<3 <- See! With a heart, even. |D

Wrapped up SoulSilver, also, after a few weeks of puttin' it off, and man - I no longer enjoy generations before V, it would appear. x.x Just too sluggish, unwieldy, trite, and limiting - although Johto contributes somewhat to that: the region entirely failed to captivate me this time and definitely squelched any warm feelings I'd held prior toward Gen II. Dunno why I found it enticing back in high school. o.x The primary reason I am anticipating Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby, although they're remakes of Gen III? They'll be constructed atop Gen VI's superb structure. owo Regardless of their confounding flaws and missteps, X and Y supplied superb structure. (Alliteration bonus!) One of Gen V's scarce imbalances, Dragon + Fighting domination, tempered off upon migrating to Kalos. Hopin' that the revisited Hoenn follows likewise.

Still wanna tackle Nightmare and Inferno difficulties in Ys: The Oath in Felghana (the Steam port) - Nai 255 conquered 'em, and I'd like to try likewise. XD Heh heh.

And I just realized DEagle on GameFAQs already had a 100% complete guide, and it wasn't as ridiculously verbose as what I had planned either. So motivation to do that is gone now.

There are a lot of people with a passive interest in Zelda, so it's pretty understandable. ^^ And I felt the same way about Gen IV after picking up Pokemon Black. It felt so much faster and more alive, but I'm over that now. Nostalgia got the better of me! It's still my favorite game in the series so far, but I'm looking forward to Pokemon X as well.

I still fondly remember Gen III, even with the butthurt I had back then against the lack of day/night cycles; jeez I had dumb reasons to hate games as a kid. I can't wait to see how they beautify Hoenn in 3D!

Nothing at the moment since two part-time jobs have overtaken my life. To be fair, I REALLY NEED the income to pay off debts, both mine and my family's. I'll set aside somethin' in November for Alpha Sapphire, Pirate's Curse, Azure Striker Gunvolt, Shovel Knight, Freedom Planet - one of those, just not *all* of them. Hm. Dunno which I'd relish most, to be honest. o.o

I am currently playing "Freedom Planet".
Yes, even after months, this game doesn't get boring.

Also Hyrule Warriors. Awesome game.

...Smash Bros, eheh.
Pretty good shtuff, but the online is pretty hit-or-miss. I heard the Wii U version may be more stable with the option for a wired connection, though I'm a bit burnt out atm either way, just in time to lose myself in Shantae and the Pirate's Curse tomorrow.
I still need to play Freedom Planet. I've had it for at least a few months now along with some other random Steam sale purchases. I've developed a backlog on my Backloggery again. Never seems to be enough time for all these games, even when you're as picky and choosy as myself

A bit more liberal with reserving game-playing time this month: Azure Striker Gunvolt (3DS), The Legend of Dark Witch (3DS), Hexcells Infinite (Steam), Skyrim (Steam), Bravely Default (3DS), aaaand soon the Cherry Tree High sequel (Steam) plus Alpha Sapphire (3DS).

I still desire a Vita and a PS4. I still refuse to plunk down the cash for any new system, nonetheless. Life's expensive, and I've gotta keep prioritizing throughout the remainder of 2014. x.x Perhaps 2015 will extend a helping hand toward indulgence, that I might feast upon several of the latest Sony-hosted offerings.

So Alpha Sapphire is pretty okay - meaning it's the best of the remakes thus far yet it lacks the punch and significance of the first-order mainline releases such as BW and XY. The upgraded PokéNav is phenomenal, no doubt about it. I really wish the remastered OST would've panned out better, mind you - but, eh, Hoenn featured the final 'simple' soundtrack of the series anyhow. DP introduced thematic complexity and ingenuity that simply hadn't existed prior to its release. Gen III's complacent tunes could hardly hope to stand alongside the titanic XY tracks. Hoenn itself, mind you, is proving delectable yet again~ 83 "Too much water?" Ludicrous claim? Eh, maybe not, but the topography of the region to me far outshines those which immediately preceded (Johto) and followed (Sinnoh). In fact, let's not discuss Sinnoh - or presumed Gen IV remakes - right now. Or soon. Danke schoen.

I enjoyed Azure Striker Gunvolt a heckuva lot more than I'm enjoying ORAS, minute for minute. 3DS has been killin' it recently, in any event. HEY. Know what'd be cool? I bet Final Fantasy XV would be a blast. Yakuza 5 might be a blast, also. Persona 5 oughta be a blast. Et cetera. -dreamy sigh- Gotta sell somebody's (not my own) nonessential organs to fund a PS3 or PS4 or *both* altogether, nyuk nyuk nyuk~ Any takers?

I have a spare kidney I'm not using. *bricked* Hoenn's music was pretty simple, and heavy on the brass section too. It worked well in the original considering. The Surf theme is still one of my favorites in the series.

It really surprises me people are already talking about a Sinnoh remake, although it's definitely next in line for a revisit. Peoples' wallets need a chance to heal first, especially with the new 3DS around the corner.

I don't think it would be a bad thing to do on the 3DS either way. The Nintendo DS saw two completely original Pokemon titles, and versions to go with them, (Three if you count Black/White 2.) on top of a remake.

Speaking of Pokemon, I've been going through Crystal version again on my DS. The dialogue changes and additions are already making this much more substantial as an experience than Pokemon Gold was. That, and Kris is absolutely adorable, I like playing as her more; too bad she's not in HeartGold/SoulSilver.

Yes, the brass skewed more toward French horns, not the "TRUMPETS BLARING" that's been memified to heck and back - ah, but what can ya do; the Internet's gonna run with somethin' whether it's entirely precise or not. As for Sinnoh remakes, I'd rather just play Gen VII, considering that V and VI turned out so exceptional~<3 (No Genwunner here! Although I used to be a GenTwoer. <.<'''' Never again....)

When are you gonna receive your own 3DS, by the by, Mr. D-o-t-L-u-k-e? Don't tell me we of the Fan Portal are gonna need to set up a crowdfunding pitch for ya. Since, y'know, we're all so fabulously affluent.

Crystal's, like, the *lone* third-version I've not played. ;w; It's a winner, then, much like how Emerald improved the sweet RS and Platinum salvaged the middling DP? I'm game. So long as it doesn't cost $$$$ out the head. x.x

Mmm, but all this handheld gaming can murder these ol' stick-thin wrists. Time to fire up a classic PC game or two~ Including titles I've not yet tried, hm. O: Any suggestions? (I'm open to a lot of genres, really.)

They're French Horns? I have no idea. The Internet's pretty good at spreading ignorance just as fast as the truthful factoids, which has made me more skeptical of what I read these days.

As for me, I've been eying refurbished 3DSes through Nintendo, so if some other piece of hardware doesn't come first, (Last year I needed an art tablet more.) I might get one. I'm already sitting on a copy of Street Fighter IV 3D for when I do.

Tekaramity wrote:Crystal's, like, the *lone* third-version I've not played. ;w; It's a winner, then, much like how Emerald improved the sweet RS and Platinum salvaged the middling DP? I'm game. So long as it doesn't cost $$$$ out the head. x.x

Just about everything in Crystal version is a nice improvement over Gold or Silver. The NPCs' text is almost entirely revisited, Goldenrod's shopping mall has a 7th floor, the Battle Area that's in Ruby/Sapphire made an early appearance here, (Which has amazing music that Platinum helped breathed new life into.) and so on. Now that my nostalgia goggles for Gold version aren't so tight, I'm quite enjoying this more than Gold.

Mmm, but all this handheld gaming can murder these ol' stick-thin wrists. Time to fire up a classic PC game or two~ Including titles I've not yet tried, hm. O: Any suggestions? (I'm open to a lot of genres, really.)

I still find myself playing the original Quake III Arena sometimes. Wish I could recommend some titles, but I mostly played first-person shooters on the PC, with consoles filling the void for every other genre. Star Trek Elite Force 1 and 2 are amazing games either way, if you're into Star Trek. I wished the sequel was more stable on modern Windows OSes, it loves to crash on anything but XP.

Other than Deus Ex (and I guess Metroid Prime, if that counts?), I've never been much for FPSes. Not especially a Star Trek fan either. I'm okay with Trek conceptually; I'm just unwilling to dive headfirst into the franchise's vast offerings. Ah well, no harm done. ^^

In any event, I tossed aside my classic PC gaming urge during our small family's annual meetup at my brother's house down in Virginia. Returned home, sat down in this very chair, fired up my 3DS - and learned that it's bricked. OTL Gah. NOT cool. ;0; Checking with Nintendo if it's still under warranty. If not....ouch. Bye-bye Christmas money to repair/replace.

On the flip side, my surprise early (and only) Christmas gift from my family has tempered the loss of the 3DS somewhat. That present happened to be a PS Vita, a handheld which is proving fascinating thus far. I didn't ask for one, but I'm not gonna complain that I own it! I've read several tales of the sparsity of its software lineup, but what Vita titles *do* interest me appear superb thus far. Chief among them is Ys: Memories of Celceta, which I snagged w/ the remainder of my Christmas cash (we all tend to exchange presents early since it's such a challenge to coordinate a 'family' Christmas nowadays). If Memories of Celceta winds up being anywhere near as stellar as The Oath in Felghana was, I'll be an extremely happy Vita owner indeed~ If not? No sweat! The handheld was a gift which I could sell for $$ someday. Again, no harm done.

(Only harm done: no Pirate's Curse for me for a while. Mrgrgr. )

I hope it's cheaper to have your system repaired, than replacing it with a refurbished unit. I've heard Nintendo is becoming more friendly with account transfers either way, should it come to that.

Glad you're having fun with your new Vita in the meantime. At least Indies are helping soften the blow from the lack of commercial games on the thing. (Half-Genie Hero especially, when it releases, should help fill that void nicely.) The homebrew scene pretty much saved the PSP; maybe future Indie gems can do the same.

Tekaramity wrote:Other than Deus Ex (and I guess Metroid Prime, if that counts?), I've never been much for FPSes. Not especially a Star Trek fan either. I'm okay with Trek conceptually; I'm just unwilling to dive headfirst into the franchise's vast offerings. Ah well, no harm done. ^^

I'm hardly a Star Trek fan myself. Elite Force is still a fun game for me, but I can see why the FPS genre doesn't appeal to everybody. The PC side of things is quite saturated with first-person shooters, and tries to make up for it with lots of MMOs, racing, and RTS games.

Double-posting because I've been playing Freedom Planet lately. (Bought it on GoG instead of Steam.) I rarely sink this much time into a game, this is legitimately amazing. Already played through it as all three characters, once in the story as Lilac, and going through a no-death run as Lilac too.



It is exactly the kind of platformer I've been craving since the SNES days. Everything that I loved about those games in the 90's was taken in a new direction. I could write a large post about why I love it so much. Here's not the best place for it, so I'll just say that following the game's development since it was first being discussed publicly, well over two years ago, was not a waste.

Strife and the rest of GalaxyTrail delivered pretty well for their first game. It doesn't surprise me that they're going to become an actual company pretty soon, which you need to be to publish games on Sony and Nintendo consoles anyway.

Whassup~ -strolls in like it's 1985....except it isn't-

Yeah man, Freedom Planet totally looks like a fantastic gem. The demo had ensnared me enough, but now, I actually own the full game! - and would be playing it like you and Yoshi are, except that I'm tackling a slice of my backlog first. ;w; Plus, there's the Vita. Mmm, Ys: Memories of Celceta is delicious. Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time ain't half-bad, either, and it was only $4.99! \o/ Half-Genie Hero's gonna arrive on it, plus Shovel Knight, Persona 4 Golden, Hyperdimension Neptunia titles - good shtuff on board. uwu It lacks the AAA titles which I don't play anyhow. |D Since my 3DS is still out of commission, the Vita's a Godsend during droll out-of-house tasks and events.

As for the Steam backlog? First up, War of the Human Tanks, the perfect fusion of Battleship and Advance Wars with anime trope overl-....wait, I just finished that (AND IT WAS ADDICTIVE), then the sequel's due out soon? WELP.

Also, an aside from back when my 3DS was functional: Sea Mauville's an area I wish Game Freak would construct in Poké-titles more often. It's low on combat, high on melancholy - and surprisingly relevant/relatable - lore and backstory. Makes the majority of Pokémon plotlines pale in comparison...(which, uh, they do pale in comparison <.< doubtlessly).

There's a boatload of games to eagerly await in 2015, split infinitive or no! Although I really should hop into Freedom Planet before too long. Slap me if I haven't yet played it by May. Tally ho~

Freedom Planet will take up a huge chunk of your time when you get to it, (Four hours straight on my first run with Lilac, no breaks and lots of dying.) so I'd try to knock a few others out first too.

I wish GameFreak would do more story-telling like that. I thought it was a wonderful breath of fresh air when they did it with Pokemon Black/White. Going deeper with story, like the combat system has been over the years, wouldn't be a bad thing.

As for myself, I'm still collecting cards on Freedom Planet, and will probably do a foot play through too. As in, playing the game with my feet on a USB controller. (What? I always use fresh socks, don't be silly!) Seeing as I can no longer die infrequently, I need the game to kill me more times again, or I could crank it up to hard mode.

If you play through FP with your feet, record yourself somehow. Since you bought it on GoG, DRM- and worry-free, the only obstacle might be recording the darn game in decent quality. Sounds like a worthwhile venture nonetheless! Although, if you still fail to...well, fail at the game, then perhaps you'll need to up the ante. Play it with your nose and naught else.

As for me, uh - the 3DS remains broken after one unsuccessful Nintendo repair attempt (so no Pirate's Curse, Gunman Clive 2, or Alpha Sapphire), the Vita has been and shall be active enough w/ the ever-reliable Ys: Memories of Celceta (doesn't quite ascend to the heights of Ys: The Oath in Felghana, IMO) and the upcoming port of Shovel Knight, and Steam's been an endless stream of Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;birth. I cannot tear myself away from HDN at the moment. <.<' Wait, JRPGs - good JRPGs - populate Steam these days? o3o Wow, what an era to inhabit.... I rather like it. I'm all for Deus Ex, Thief, and other superb Western titles as stalwarts of the service, but it's equally welcome to behold the expanding Eastern market, from Dark Souls to Final Fantasy, also on the platform. -nudges GoG- Your move. ewe

Hey Luke, you want a bricked 3DS? I'll flip it down south to ya~ |D Just take it to a technological wizard who can resuscitate borked handhelds & presto: free functional 3DS w/ WayForward titles aplenty preloaded.

Must be everybody's too busy playing video games to post, eh. EH. |D

A lotta Dark Souls, for me, yet again, alongside Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;birth 1 on Steam - while out of the house, it's Ys: Memories of Celceta chief among the Vita titles. Wish I retained possession of my co-owned PS3 (my brother's got it this year) to replay Demon's Souls as well. Considering Dark Souls II, but really, I am more inclined to save what meager cash I can scrimp together for a PS4: Bloodborne, Final Fantasy XV, and Hyperdimension Neptunia V-II are but three of the titles that look vastly appealing. 'Specially Bloodborne. Lordy, From Software, do you ever quit? Please don't quit. Your masterpieces are superb.

Codename S.T.E.A.M.