deKay's Gaming Diary

Another round-up post, I’m afraid!

Batman: Arkham City (PC)

Despite the hassle it is to set up (all those cables and adapters and begging Windows to let audio go out the HDMI port please), and the fact it’s a PC game, I’m still enjoying it. It feels like driving a car when you know one of the wheels is going to fall off at some point. You enjoy the ride, but are on edge that at some point you could well end up in a ditch on your roof.

I’m also finding that, even though the world is clearly much more open than in Arkham Asylum, and obviously massively bigger, the game feels much more linear and is apparently just a set of fetch quests. There’s no real Metroidvania-ness like in the original either. That said, it is still utterly compelling to play, and I’m really enjoying it. I just feel that if it was on the 360 I’d be enjoying it even more!

In terms of progress, I’ve just completed the terrible, terrible trials bit given to me by Ra’s al Ghul (the only bad bit of the game so far, really).

The Sims 3 (3DS)

Look. It was £8 in Sainsburys. We shall say no more.

Except that it’s still fun setting fire to your house, calling the fireman, waiting for him to enter the house, then getting rid of all the doors.

Super Pokémon Rumble (3DS)

Still shallow. Still fun. Getting a little bit hard now, too. Especially since I was defeated by a boss, and thought – no way can I beat him. Only to find that you’re not supposed to yet and it’s all part of the story.

Motorstorm RC (PS3)

Pretty much the only thing I play on my PS3. It’s awesome. Not done all the tracks yet, but every now and then I sit down and clear a few. It’s getting pretty difficult now though, with a good half an hour on one of the tracks spent not even clearing bronze, let alone anything better!

Zen Pinball (3DS)

I haven’t played this in a while, but have got back into it this week. I’ve purposefully avoided the Shamen table (which was my favourite) to try and improve my scores elsewhere, and have focussed mainly on Excalibur. I think I may have passed a point where I know how to actually play the table now, so I expect great things. Or not.

The Legend of Zelda (3DS)

DAH DAH DAH DAAAAAAH!!

I have no idea why I picked this up last night, but I did. And got as far as the first piece of triforce. It’s lovely.

Rhythm Thief (Demo) (3DS)

I think I may actually use up the number-of-plays limit on this demo. It’s utterly fantastic. It’s like a mix of Space Channel 5, Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! and Rhythm Heaven, with a sort of Moonwalker/Smooth Criminal vibe. Really, really want the full game. And it’s by Sega?! Hell has frozen over.

DAH DAH DAH DAAAAAAH!

I’ve been playing this here and there since it came out. It’s OK, but not really a Zelda game. I mean, it has Link in it, and it has some Zelda-y puzzles, but it isn’t really Zelda. That said, I enjoyed it. Even more so once I realised I wasn’t stuck on a level because you can actually throw the other Link over the lava. Tch.

Anyway. Killed the end boss, got the credits and the minigame to collect many rupees, aaand done!

The lovely people at Nintendo gave everyone with a DSi/XL/3DS a free copy of this updated version of the GBA Four Swords game, to tie in with the Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary. How lovely!

The main difference between this and the GBA one is that they’ve added a single player mode. Well, it’s sort of single player two player co-op, with you controlling two Links at the same time. It’s pretty good too, although I’ve only played for an hour or so.

It’s not really a “proper” Zelda, because although it has Link, and the graphics and sounds are Zelda-y, there’s no proper exploration or dungeons or an overworld – just several timed self-enclosed stages where you smack things, solve a few puzzles, and can only swap weapons and “powers” by physically swapping your current one with another sat on a pillar.

Free though! And Zelda! In 2D! Rejoice!

I’ve not posted in a while, aside from to mention Yakuza 3 and Old World Blues, but I have still been playing games. Here’s a round-up of what’s been going down over the last few weeks:

Professor Layton and the Lost Future (DS)

I actually completed this at the start of the year, but as I did with the previous two games once the story was done I left the remaining puzzles until near the release of the following game. So, with that due in November, I went back to Lost Future. I’ve already mopped up all the story puzzles, the sticker book, the parrot delivery puzzles, and the toy car, and have done most of the bonus extra puzzles too.

As usual, the puzzles I struggle with are the slide-a-block-through-other-blocks ones, one of which (having checked online afterwards to see how poorly I did) can be completed in just 9 moves. Took me almost 3500. Yes.

Urban Champion 3D (3DS)

It’s a weak title, sure. It’s certainly not a “NES classic”, but somehow, it’s addictive. I’ve made it up to (I think) Area Champion, but then died. You don’t seem to lose your rank when you die though – you just have to start from the first round again.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (3DS)

The only 2D Zelda game I’ve not completed. In fact, I’ve barely played it. But I put some time in and once you forget it’s a Zelda game and look at it as a Metroidvania game with an overworld and semi-random, realtime battles, it makes a lot more sense. It’s brutally hard though!

Metroid (3DS)

Another one of the NES games us 3DS “ambassadors” got for free. It’s hard. Like, really hard. And there’s no map. I sort of like it, but the difficulty is really putting me off.

Balloon Fight / Mario & Yoshi / NES Open / Wrecking Crew (3DS)

Other NES games that I’ve played for an hour or so each, but not really invested too much time in yet. Wrecking Crew is ace, and NES Open is still a pretty competent golf game.

Let’s Golf 3D (3DS)

Enjoying this. The 3D is pointless (as in, it barely has any effect at all), but it doesn’t really matter. I’m about 35% through Career Mode now, and am starting to get used to the courses. The arctic and aztec ones are particularly difficult! I like the different game modes too, like Closest To The Pin and such.

10 Second Run (3DS)

It’s actually DSiWare, but I don’t have a DSi so it falls under 3DS. So there. Loved it at first, with its super-quick runny-jumpiness, but sadly – just like other games of its ilk (N+, Super Meat Boy) – it became far too hard to be enjoyable. I’ve completed about 38 of the 50 levels, and although I know there are 5 or 6 more I could probably manage with perseverance, some just seem completely beyond me. Boo!

Bomberman Live! (360)

I was online this evening at the same time as some ugvm/BETEO people who were playing this, and I thought I’d join in hoping my useless “broadband” connection could take the pace. It held up for the first few rounds, but by the end of the first tournament the lag was causing me to blow myself up far too frequently, and by the end of the second tournament I was been told over the headset that I’d died before I actually noticed on-screen. Rubbish.

And I’d have beaten all-comers if it wasn’t for Sky! *shakes fist*

Kirby’s Fun Pak (Wii)

The SNES game on the Wii, to be more accurate. Mainly played because my daughter sometimes tells me to play Kirby games, and so this appeases her, but it is good anyway. Only one game mode left to complete, I think, though.

Is that everything I’ve played recently? Probably. Except for stuff I’ve played briefly. Like, but not limited to: Outrun Online Arcade (360), Sonic the Hedgehog (360), Super Mario All-Stars (Wii), Muscle March (Wii), and various iPad “room escape” games. And the usual Words With Friends, Hanging With Friends and Carcassonne matches too, of course.

You know, I found that I did, in fact, have a copy of the DX version for the Game Boy Colour after all.  As well as the non-DX version. And I’d totally forgotten. Tch, eh?

Today, I completed it. Since I last posted, I did some of the Turtle Rock dungeon before moving off to go and find the boomerang and collect some seashells for the level 2 sword. With both of them obtained, I was pretty much indestructible, easily seeing off the boss of that dungeon, then wiping the floor with the end boss in the Wind Fish’s Egg. Probably the easiest Zelda end bosses ever, due to the sword and improved armour I was packing though, no doubt.

And it was all ace. Yeah, the item swapping was a bit annoying (especially since the 3DS’s Start and Select buttons aren’t the best), but it’s still classic Zelda, and I don’t even feel it’s aged.

You know, I’m pretty sure I’m buying every single Virtual Console game out for the 3DS. I got Zelda the other week, and as well as that I’ve also got Kirby, Donkey Kong, Mario Land, Qix, Double Dragon and Fortified Zone. I’m only missing Tennis and Alleyway and I just know I’m going to end up with them too if there’s a slow week…

But back to Zelda. Somehow, back in 2005, when I was running through pretty much every 2D Zelda game I could get my hands on, I didn’t play this. Or at least, I didn’t record it on my gaming diary that I’d played it. I have played it, and completed it, before though – at least twice – on the non-DX version. Most recently was not long before I did all the other Zeldas, so I assume it just missed my first diary entries. Ah well.

Aside from a bit of Qix, Link’s Awakening is the only game I’ve played since completing Double Dragon a couple of weeks ago. I’m almost 14 hours in now, having just entered the 8th, and penultimate, dungeon at Turtle Rock. The game is, like all 2D Zelda games, utterly ace. The Metroid-style gaining items to make new areas reachable, the characters, the classic Zelda music and sound effects, and the overworld/dungeon structure all make it a joy to play. It really is one of the best games ever made – and probably the second (or third, if you count Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons separately) best Zelda game of all time. It really is outstanding. Even more so now I’m playing it in colour, as the non-DX version is black and white.

DX also adds an extra, but short and simple, dungeon. I’ve completed it, doing so after about dungeon 4, and was given better clothing to halve the damage I take as a reward. It’s made the rest of the game a bit easy, but the real difficulty in Zelda games was always the puzzles rather than the enemies.

Not much left of the game to go now, which is a bit of a shame. Hope they put Ages and Seasons up soon!

I played a little bit of this last week, but have managed a few more hours on it over the last few days.

And I’m enjoying it less and less. A couple of days ago, I had to catch a fish. Which was fine, except it then took almost an hour figuring out that I wasn’t supposed to pick the fish up, but turn into the wolf and sniff it. Obviously. Then yesterday there was an awful snowboarding section. Yes, snowboarding. In Zelda.

Today? Crate puzzles. Yes – Irritating and Unnecessary Gaming Cliché #2. Joy.

Hmm. I’m now over 11 hours in. I’ve just got all the tears from Lake Hylia. And it still doesn’t feel like Zelda. It has the right place names, and the right characters, and the right music and sound effects, but it doesn’t play like a Zelda game.

I really, really, dislike the wolf bits. And they’ve made up more than half the game so far. And after 11 hours I’ve still only had 2 dungeons? It’s just not right.

Six and a half hours in. Now, don’t hit me, but I’m not actually enjoying it. I’ve never completed a 3D Zelda before, but it’s not because I’ve not enjoyed them – it’s just because I’ve…stopped. But this? It’s not bad by any means, but I don’t really like it. In true deKay fashion, lets list the faults, yes?

1) It’s Not Zelda

Well, the Link-as-Link bits are. But since more than half of the game has been Link-as-a-dog, that’s not good enough. Linkwolf’s need to dig everywhere and the stupid using Midna to jump (but only in fixed, predetermined places) is rubbish. The grow-a-circle to kill the baddies attack is a pain in the arse too.

2) My eyes! My beautiful eyes!

As Link, everywhere looks lovely. A bit below what I’m used to for Wii games now, but this is a 4 year old game so it’s excused. However, the purple colour scheme when you’re a wolf in the twilight makes my eyes bleed real blood. It’s even worse when you then switch to Senses mode.

3) Nosenses.

If only. Having to swap every 17 seconds to check for ground to dig or invisible insects or to listen to spirits is crap.

4) “We’ve lost lock-on!”

Either my Z button is broken, or the game is. It seems impossible to stay locked on to any baddie for more than one attack.

5) Wagglelaggle

There’s too big a gap between shake and smack. Which made the Epona vs Warthog Head-On Smashup bit virtually impossible to time, so I had to rely on luck.

6) Camer-where?

If only there was a button to centre the camera behind Link. You know, like tapping Z is supposed to. All too often, when fighting something, I’ve ended up against a wall, or in a corner, and haven’t a clue where what I’m fighting is. Or I’ve entered an area, killed something straight away, then carried on walking only to realise I’ve come out the way I went in because the camera flipped round without me noticing. Gah!

7) Remute

Too many noises from the remote’s speaker, so off it went.

I have to say though, I did like the Forest Temple dungeon. As that’s proper Zelda’ing that is. And revisiting areas as Link/Dog does make me think of Minish Cap (which is a good thing). But as it is, I’m not lovin’ it lovin’ it lovin’ it. Yet at least.

2D Zelda >>>> 3D Zelda.

Many moons ago, when the Wii came out, Twilight Princess was released. And I bought it. Even though I knew I probably would never complete it, as despite my best intentions, I’ve never managed to finish a 3D Zelda game. 2D – fo’ sho. But 3D? For some reason I just… stop playing.

With Twilight Princess, I stopped at an hour in. Not for any real reason – I just never went back. Until now.

I played it, from the start again, tonight. And reached about 10 minutes past the point I’d previously reached, having just saved the little girl (boy?) and the monkey from a cage outside what looks suspiciously like the Deku Tree. Hmm…

Or at least, completed to the point I will consider it so: I’ve managed a Silver or better on every level, and killed the bosses. In fact, I have only three Silvers, I think – two Platinums and the rest are all Gold. Not bad!

I also amazed myself by getting over 65,000 on just Zora’s River – which gave me a Gold without even adding the other two scenarios on that level. Ace!

Another busy week (it was my birthday!) so I’ve got a bit of catching up to do.

Wii Fit (Wii)
Haven’t played this much since Tuesday, but did fit in a couple of sessions in the week. Mainly just played step and ski jump, though.

Link’s Crossbow Training (Wii)
Excellent! I got this for my birthday, which was pretty amazing in itself since it’s impossible to buy pretty much everywhere. It’s pretty simplistic (it is basically “just” a lightgun game) but is brilliantly well done and the “Wii Zapper”, despite being a bit of a faff to assemble, works really well. I’ve completed it already, but that’s not really the point, so I’m not going to consider it finished just yet. I think you have to get a piece of Triforce on every level? Anyway, I have at least a Silver on every level bar one, with a couple of Golds and a Platinum too.

Sega Superstars Tennis (Wii)
In two-player mode. It’s pretty good fun, actually, although NiGHTS is rubbish (as I found out having picked him and then losing without scoring a single point). I need to unlock more minigames too, as none of the ones currently available are particularly good.

Race Driver GRID Demo (360)
Played this today. First impressions are: it’s very quick, the damage models are amazing, and it looks fantastic. But it’s too hard. I do like the rewind facility though.

Some Dragonball Z Thing Demo (360)
It looks great. But I’m not into Dragonball Z and I had no idea what I was doing. Not that it seemed to matter, as the demo is really easy and I completed both two levels with no problems at all simply by mashing buttons.

Grand Theft Auto IV (360)
And this is what I’ve played most this week. I’m now around 23 or 24 hours in, and the mission I’ve most recently completed is the one where you save Roman from the Russians. Again. I’ve spent a while taking Roman and Little Jacob out, completed a couple more missions (and my first race) for Brucie, and completed the first task for the paper company. Oh, and a job for Packie and another for the policeman guy who Niko seemed to know well but it was the first time I’d come across him. Very odd. I still have an outstanding mission for Dwayne but it’s too hard.

On Friday night I played online for the first time. First up was a game of Deathmatch with random people, and I’m just pleased I didn’t come last. After that, it was Turf War which I didn’t really like very much. Then, someone on my friends list invited me to a co-op game and we went and completed the three co-op missions together, which was pretty good.

GTA Glitch Watch
This morning, as I left my room in the flat in South Bohan, I managed to run up the flight of stairs before the stairs had been drawn-in. Very odd.

Also, every time I load the game, the door leading out of the flat flashes white briefly. Also very odd.

With virtually no rupees left at all, I needed some quite badly. I went back to the Deku Tree and filled all my bottles with Life Dew, hoping to make BIG CAHS MONEY$, only to find they’re worth just 80 rupees each. Pff.

I then made a few new foods, selling one to the creepy fat trader on the pirate ship for quite a lot of money, and the others to people in the town. This netted me quite a lot, so I braved the Gooey Marsh once more, although I couldn’t find anywhere to hire a bodyguard from so had to do lots of running away.

Found the three butterflies for the exploration party, netting me 15,000 rupees, meaning I could buy back the map of the previous area, buy the Queen Juice recipe for reviving the journalist (again), and buy the map of the marsh. And still have enough left over for the bus fare home!

I seems I only needed a couple of thousand more rupees in the pool for it to grow another level – to so high I’ve opened up a whole new continent. There, I found an island covered in marsh gas, and spent a fair while blowing up the vents spewing the gas into the air.

With that done, I’d pleased a queen bee (as the flowers could grow again). I also found a hole to fall in, to find it was actually a giant bottle. With a man in it, who claimed to be the inventor of empty bottles. I’m sure he is.

He also found being in the cramped space with Tingle a little uncomfortable in more ways than just it being a tight squeeze. Amazing.

After all that, and cooking some stuff with my newly available ingredients from the marsh and Deku Forest, I went back and did some stuff for Junglo and finished off a couple of maps. With all my made money, I managed to “grow” the tower some more, and open up yet another island – with lots of really hard baddies that I don’t want to take on yet as my bodyguard died and I didn’t have enough money to revive her. Yeah, her – I ditched Titch and hired Valerie or whatever her name is. She has a tache like Hitler.

Just a bit more wandering on this today, and went off to find the kid who’d gone walkabout.

Made some more money selling things I’d cooked as well, but despite chucking all my rupees (almost 15,000 in total) into the pool the tower didn’t actually grow any further.

Had a wander around the Deku Forest for a while, digging lots of holes, and finding Junglo – an aging Tarzan type who, although advertising himself as strong and brave, needed rescuing from some dung beetles.

No, really.

I then went back to some earlier areas to stock up on some more ingredients, made some more things and sold them.

After eventually figuring out how much Duke the Gay Workman wanted for his spade, I could start digging stuff up. Stuff like sweet potatoes and rupees! Well, OK – only sweet potatoes and rupees. Although I did dig some holes I could fall through and found some treasure chests with more rupees in.

Then the tower shrunk! I didn’t know it did that! It seems if you don’t keep chucking rupees in, it shrinks again, undoing all your rupee-earning. Rubbish!

Thankfully, I made a pile of rupees from the jeweller for saving his daughter from the Oinkers in Lon Lon Meadow, so I could grow it again, and then grow it some more. Phew! I’ve unlocked Deku Forest now too.

First off today I went and cooked a load of stuff using up most of my ingredients. Then I wandered round the map for a while picking more ingredients, and collecting some Snatched Pearls and other stuff of value.

Selling these things, and more food, I scraped together enough rupees to make the tower grow another stage. This gave me access to Lon Lon Meadow, which is full of evil cows and mushroom things. Wandered round there for a bit, but became a bit low on rupees so retreated to my house.

The pirates are amazing. They’re all dead, and as a result are skeletons. And they act all hard and they’re not scared of anything, until a dog appears, anyway…

So found may way into their hideout, did some mundane tasks for them (including killing cockroaches), and then beat up their boss. I found a load of “swag” too, although I’m not really sure what to do with it yet – it just sort of sits in my loft.

Oh, and the dog has been “Tingle-ified” with a green hat and tights. And now lives in my house. It’s very odd.

Really getting into this now, even though it is almost entirely guesswork. I think it’s the high rating it scores on the Quirkometer. And I do like games with high quirkery.

My bodyguard died, and I hired another (a clown) who was totally useless. Hurrah! And I found a load of pearls, sold them, and made loads of money. And paid the Village People construction worker bloke to fix a bridge. And mapped some stuff.

Amazing scenes!

With the first boss dead, I went over to the pool near my house and chucked pretty much all my rupees in. This made the pool rise into the air, as a tower, and the bloke-in-a-nappy reappeared – now in a suit. Hmm. Get the impression he’s making you work for him?

The tower allowed me to access the next area (or continent, as the game calls it, although they’re a bit small for that, I’d say). I wandered round there for a bit, hired another bodyguard, and beat some baddies up with him. I’m out of money (well, almost) now, so can’t do anything else until I do some cooking and selling.

I had some time before bed, and my DS was out anyway (for the brain games), and so I thought I’d have a quick go. So I’ve done the first dungeon, along with a bodyguard I had to pay (twice!) which was pretty easy. I’m not sure I like the combat (run into baddies, hammer the screen), but the dungeon puzzles – and sound effects – are suitably Zelda-esque. Which is good!

The boss was pretty good, if a little simple. Tingle gets his balloons (from Link’s Awakening!) and has to drop bombs on a giant slug-thing’s eyes. Aces!

It’s the campest game in the world! And that’s before you even open the box! Amazing scenes.

So, needing a break from Assassin’s Creed, that I’ve played rather a lot today, I’ve gone for Something Completely Different. I wasn’t really 100% sure what to expect of Tingle, assuming it’d be some sort of Zelda-lite. Well, it isn’t. So far, it’s been mostly about giving money away to dodgy geezers.

You see, the aim is to earn an unspecified amount of rupees, and chuck them into a pond. To earn rupees, you have to kill things, collect things, cook things, and do things for people. However, to get to talk to people, you mostly have to give them an unspecified amount of rupees. Then, they’ll give you things to do, advice, and sell you things for an unspecified amount of rupees. Sometimes, you’ll sell things to them, for an unspecified number of rupees.

Yes, that is a lot of unspecified numbers of rupees. In fact, so far, the game has been mostly giving people a random amounts of rupees, and often more rupees until they decide to do what you’re after. Guesswork. It would appear that most of the gae is just guessing.

But… I’m still loving it. It’s camp, and it’s great. Um.

Firstly today, I set off to get hold of a cannon for my ship. This involved taking a long route around an island because Link seems incapable of hopping over a small fence.

With the cannon, I could then reach the north-west map area, although I came across the Ghost Ship and got lost in some fog. So I adjourned to an island in the south-west corner where I hope to find a way to get through the fog. Something about digging where lines between stone tablets cross or something. But I have a spade!

With Phoenix Wright (sadly) over and done with, it’s time to move on to this. I played it for a short while when I bought it a couple of weeks ago, but hadn’t even set sail from the first island yet.

Today, I went to the Temple of the Ocean King, and had to do an annoying section where your health drains constantly, and then got a map and rescued Linebeck, who let me use his boat. With that, we went to another island where I had to free a fortune teller, who then let me into the fire dungeon (or whatever it’s called), which was brilliant.

Unfortunately, having killed the (very easy) boss, I had to return to the first island and go back in the Temple of the Ocean King and do another stupid section which was both timed and required stealth. I hate stealth sections in games. Grr!

Anyway, I managed it.