I liked the touch controls for the DS Zelda games, for the most part. I especially liked things like drawing the path of the boomerang. But I hated driving the ship and train around. I wouldn't mind revisiting the idea of a touch-driven Zelda game, but not those two.
I agree, for the most part they aren't bad. Other than driving the ship and train around (which I also didn't love), the touch controls bothered me most with mini-games that required a lot of precision. In Spirit Tracks, that would especially include the whip race and the race through Disorientation Station (I think) where you had to make sharp turns on the ice, and dash-roll in a specific way, to beat the target times. In the final battle, I didn't like that certain segments of it relied on some quick weapon work while also forcing me to dodge quickly and control Zelda. Three things to control with the stylus was a little rough.
It's a while since I last played Spirit Tracks, but the thing that I remember the most now is that I enjoyed seeing Link and Zelda working together as a team, with that teamwork being an important feature of the entire game (not just tagged on at the end). I'd like if they did that again in the future.
Oh, you'll play it in all its aliased glory again. Cause it's such a special game.
Not just jaggy, but them textures...
I really need to get back to it. I'm wishing for a Switch port only so it can be easier for me to sink the required time into. I got myself one o' them arms or whatnot that connects to your bed and can hold a tablet while you lay down, only I use it for my Switch and Octopath Traveler right now. It was a great decision, and I pondered how I'd put my 3DS in there, but that would require holding onto the controls still and my arms would just hurt.
Gah. Too many games!
Good review, Clocky. This is one I planned to return to someday. In part because of the idea of a huge world intimately held in my pocket. Thanks for writing that.
I'm half-way there with missing the 3DS. There are times when I wish I could snap the Switch shut and shove it down the side of my sofa, or into my back pocket, but the novelty of the Switch hasn't worn off enough for me to go back to the 3DS yet.
DSGamer wrote:Good review, Clocky. This is one I planned to return to someday. In part because of the idea of a huge world intimately held in my pocket. Thanks for writing that.
It wasn't until I was writing that that I realized that the intimacy and pocket worlds thing is what I've been missing from the Switch and never got with the Vita. They're both just too large and too fragile for me to feel like I can tuck into them anywhere at any time. Even if it's a minor physical barrier, there's a psychological barrier for me in fiddling with and carrying around cases. My 3DS and my PSP, though, are tiny tanks. I feel like I can take them wherever and pop into them at any time.
Right. I'm still having trouble with the Switch in this respect. The Vita wasn't as bad, but I largely agree, otherwise. Both are very large and fairly fragile.
I've never played a game with as expansive a 3D world as Xenoblade Chronicles. Mostly 2D stuff like Final Fantasy, Pokemon, Golden Sun in terms of contiguous worlds. Otherwise I've mostly played strategy games portably. I need to give Xenoblade Chronicles an honest shot.
I'm assuming you're mostly talking about contiguous game worlds and not "worlds" in the sense that Fire Emblem is a world.
I was thinking of mentioning the Rune Factory 4 sale in the 3DS thread, it's been quite a while since it was on sale. My #2 GOTY from a while back. There's also Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns which is very good if you like that kind of thing.
For less of a change of pace, I'm currently playing Xenoblade: Chronicles. That looks like it could be a slog.
How far along are you? I feel like that one takes a bit of time to get its feet under it.
About 20+ hours in and just unlocked the Colony 6 restoration side quest. I'm finding it pretty meditative but I can see myself possibly becoming bored with it. The premise is interesting for the moment. It is a technical masterpiece but I wish they could have tightened up the close-ups a bit, they are a blurry mess. The long range stuff looks pretty nice (considering the obvious technical limitations). Having trouble with the gem crafting, can't seem to create anything particularly amazing compared to the quest rewards.
Also, the way it handles the levels is a bit strange to me. It took me a long time to work out that red enemies you can't even hit. On the other hand, enemies a certain number of levels below you won't aggro you and can't hit you. Which is good when you're just walking around. However, for certain story segments and enemy areas, it just seems odd when sentries are just standing there watching you walk past. And, the first Colony attack, everyone is freaking out but the mechs couldn't land a hit on my party. I killed a bazillion of them until I realised there was no particular benefit to doing so. I feel like there's something they could have tweaked there.
Another thing comes to mind, they introduce this relationship mechanic where you can have interactions between party members at certain points on the map. However, since the tutorial, out of the 20+ spots I've run into, not one has been available for use, mostly due to not having the appropriate party makeup and a couple due to not having levelled up the relationship enough. That's kind of odd.
I mostly agree with your points about Untold with regard to my experience with Untold II but, despite the extra story dungeon, I hit a wall about 20 hours in where my party just wasn't cutting it and I needed to do some serious grinding. I mean, I thought I'd been grinding up to that point but apparently not!
I'm just going to ask a question here, Clocky. Of all the games you've played on the 3DS, which had the best "mood"? Sorry if that's a weird question. I'll explain.
In 2018 I seriously discovered Studio Ghibli movies in earnest. I saw a couple prior to that, but in 2018 I saw about 7 for the first time ever.
That's had me contemplating playing games with "better" stories or at least with it's made me thinking I want to play more games with a contemplative mood. Obviously that's very subjective and could be prompted by everything from a good story to good music, but since you've played a ton of 3DS games I thought I'd ask you what games stuck with you the most as having a world you wanted to settle into.
Hopefully that makes sense.
Sorting through my backlog for the 2019 pile thread and looking to grab pile highlights I'd like to get to this year for each platform, if not to complete (because I rarely do) but to at least give a run out and a chance to have as much fun as I can with each game.
First up, the 3DS. Am thinking...
Yo-kai Watch: Psychic Specters
Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns
Ever Oasis
Monster Hunter Stories
Ace Attorney Trilogy
Pocket Card Jockey
Attack of Friday Monsters
Some of these I'll be returning to after spending a little time with them, not enough to call done by a long shot though, just distracted by other things as usual.
There are still 3DS games I'd like to add to the pile, Samus Returns a prime example, but am resisting!
Trio of Towns could be 200 hours if you let it. I think I pulled the plug at 20-30 hrs.
It's been on the pile for a while, since it first released probably. Put an hour or two in as soon as purchased but then something else caught my eye. I should go back as enjoyed the first game.
I also have a decent amout of good 3DS game that I own and wish to play
Sometimes I wish there was a quiet nook at work that I could just bring my 3DS in and zone out.
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