Switch Funday - The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages - My First Time

Welcome to Switch Funday!

For today's game i wanted to try out the Game Boy Color game The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages. I was always curious about games that had two versions. i played a lot of Pokémon Gold on Game Boy Color and would trade with others who had Silver. So i knew how two versions like that would work. But here, The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages is one of two The Legend of Zelda games that together tell a bigger story.

I started with The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages because, when i was young, it's the blue version and i like blue. but i do intend to try The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons. Whilst this will be my first playing these two games, i did have and did play the Game Boy Color version of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX.

I remember how good The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX looked back in the day, but what surprised me was how good The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages looked on my TV screen. The music was great, too. i was taken aback by how nostalgic it felt and there was a wave of awe that a game from a console i loved playing looked so great and felt so good in this modern era.

But again, the disadvantage of this system is that there are no game manuals. as a kid, i would've read the manual and learnt about the games. So it's a little embarrassing how long i thought the game was auto saving. the game does have in-game help and a tutorial of sorts, via statues, but in this period manuals were also a tutorial for the game and even offered back story. so it did feel like i was missing some of the game.

What i played was enjoyable. remember, i went in wondering how this story would be told and whether it would feel like a story or part of a story. From the first hour i spent with it, it did feel like it's own story. i saw a couple of hooks for The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons, but they never felt like they were gate keeping the story.

The pacing was decent with navigating the world the only thing slowing me down. i did find a few of the character names surprisingly boring and i do wonder what ever happened to Ralph!

If you have Nintendo Switch Online, i do recommend The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages. it doesn't really feel old, it looks amazing big on a TV, and the soundtrack still holds up. Plus, with the Switch version you're able to save and rewind which makes it even easier to play.

Switch Funday - Monster Hunter: Rise - Sunbreak - My First Hour Into The Game

For Switch Funday, i finally started Monster Hunter: Rise - Sunbreak, a game and DLC pack that i was gifted by my family for Christmas that i hadn't got around to playing.  I don't have much experience with any Monster Hunter game as i did get the Monster Hunter Wii U limited edition but never really played much and i don't really have any memories of it.

It starts with a character creator with some very in-depth options for customisation, but honestly i'm not into that so i hurriedly created someone, the same with my Palamute and Palicoe. the only addition i might've liked is the ability for the game to randomly suggest names. but other than that i feel that everything was clearly explained and liked how the game would highlight the part(s) of your character that you were about to edit.

Then the game begins and immediately it's a great looking game. looking around, there are some things around that are lower resolution or lower detail, but as a whole it really works. Capcom have been smart in their use of art to build a world that as a whole mostly works. i do find that the faces of some characters look more porcelain than others and there are some very low resolution shadows that stick out, but in the grand scheme of things those are fairly small complaints. i'd say that throughout the music is also great, but maybe they could've done what Zelda did and add some small pieces/handful of notes when you're out adventuring.

This is essentially my first Monster Hunter game so i'm relying on it's tutorial to guide me and i'm a little disappointed in that it's gone the text box route. especially when there's a character teaching us, it doesn't make sense to me that that character isn't demoing what the text box is telling us. the game already puts controls on screen, why couldn't it combine that with our trainer so we could see how things work. Whilst it hasn't happened in this video, i'm a little concerned that we'll have to dive into menus to learn/remember things and that there won't be reminders on screen.

This fear of being overwhelmed is highlighted in this video once all the free DLC has been added to the game via it's mail system. i do have complaints with this system, which probably could've been better worded at the very least, but this did mean that when i opened up my inventory the screen was filled with icons and stuff and no tutorial to help deal with it. 

I'm a little concerned about the tutorial and whether or not it'll be able to guide me through the game. i ended the video wondering where was the amiibo section as i do have the Palamute one. i can only assume, for now, that i've not unlocked that feature or found where it is. the game has already shown that it's going it's own pace and it could very well be that the questions i have will be answered in the next hour. i don't mind if a game has a long, slow, opening to it so i'll reserve judgement somewhat and say that i have concerns but i'm looking forward to the game proving me wrong.

Switch Funday - Gargoyle's Quest - My First Time

Welcome to Switch Funday!

I wouldn't say i was excited about Game Boy games coming to the Nintendo Switch as it's a system that i didn't have much exposure to. i did have a Game Boy Color and i have tried some of the older Game Boy games. But most of my Game Boy Color playing time was spent on the Pokémon Games, V-Rally, Bust A Move, Legend of Zelda DX, and Tetris. With the initial launch selection being small, the only game that caught my attention was Gargoyle's Quest.

It's a game i've not heard of before and i was a little surprised to see that it was from Capcom. going in, i had no idea what i was in for. i think you can tell from my commentary that i was surprised how robust it is. but it's also from 1990 so there's some frustrating elements to it, things that were fairly common at the time like the lack of lives and poor checkpointing, but also other things that were as a result of the hardware, namely the lack of a save system.

The Switch adds a rewind feature that makes things more tolerable, but as you'll see i often forgot about it until the latter third of the video. there are other settings but i chose to play the game in it's default settings. it's unclear if i would have to close the game if i wanted to change any of the settings, but i feel that's the case and it's a bit of a shame. i can imagine someone will close the game, change a setting, go back in and realise that nothing has been saved. i did save it using the Switch's Suspend Point before i closed the game.

I don't know if i'll go back to the game. the music is good, the story is interesting as your playing from the Gargoyle's perspective, which is fairly unique, and the levels are varied. But it wasn't gelling with me. i didn't have the patience to deal with some of it's poorer qualities as a kid and i certainly don't now.

Cloud Monday - Dark Void - A Fun Few Chapters With Some Streaming Issues

In today's Cloud Monday, I'm playing the PS3 version of Dark Void. it's a game i've played before on Xbox 360, so it was a nice nostalgic return to the game.

As for the streaming experience, i felt that controlling the game was fine. i didn't notice any input lag. but i do recommend changing the analogue stick sensitivity in the menu. once i did, i found that moving the camera became much more pleasant.

The video being streamed tho had some occasional issues. the game itself has it's own issues, so screen tearing, pop-in, and weird shadows/lighting isn't what i'm talking about, but something you will see. the biggest issue with the video being streamed to my PS4 was macroblocking. this is where colors and shapes get blocky. this only got in the way of gameplay once, but a few occasions it was plenty noticeable but i could play with it happening.

Because of this, i'll try playing the game another day at a different time to see if we get a better streaming experience or if it's a regular thing. 

Cloud Monday - Lost Planet - Part 2 - An Improved Streaming Experience

In today's Cloud Monday, I'm back playing the PS3 version of Lost Planet. In last week's video, we saw how the gaming experience was affected by poor internet. So the reason for giving the game a part 2 was to see if it really was poor internet or was it just how the game streamed.

As for the streaming experience, well the title says it all. it was a night and day difference between part 1 and part 2. i recommend you watch part 1 to see how rough it got in places. But for today, it was very playable. the only issues were with the game itself, rather than anything caused by streaming it. 

So, after trying it, i'd recommend this game for people with good solid internet. if your internet is a little rough, then the low definition of the game and long periods of white and particle effects can make it a bit of a mess. if your fine, it's a fun game. i've played 2 hours of it and it felt nostalgic to go back after all these years. I'd really like Capcom to go back and remaster it, bringing in more modern ideas from Titanfall, Monster Hunter, and Killzone.

Cloud Monday - Lost Planet - Part 1 - A Rough Streaming Experience

In today's Cloud Monday, I'm playing the PS3 version of Lost Planet. I play through to the start of the second mission, so for about an hour. I had previously played a lot of the multiplayer on Xbox 360, so some parts of the experience were familiar. But it was soo long ago that for the most part i was relearning about it.

As for the streaming experience, well the title says it all. this was the most demanding game for a streaming service i've played so far. this includes for me personally when it was PlayStation Now. Throughout the video you'll see macro blocking and other similar errors. for the most part it's annoying at worst. but there are times when it impacts the gameplay. But, that could just be due to internet conditions today. so, to give it a fair go, i'll do another mission or two next week and talk about if there are any differences between the two experiences with the game.

Capcom Have Released A Launch Trailer For Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies

Capcom have released a launch trailer for Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies. the game is out on the eShop and those who buy the game from 24th October until 7th November will also get a costume pack for free. this pack will be released later for $0.99 / €0.99. Other DLC coming later will be an additional episode called ‘Turnabout Reclaimed’.



Press Release

Capcom Have Released A 20 Minute Making Of Video For Remember Me

Capcom have released a making of video for Remember Me. this 20 minute video is in French so i recommend turning on the captions. the video starts from the beginning of the development process and has several members of team talking about the game.



Source: Capcom Unity

Capcom have Released A New Trailer, Screenshots And Fact Sheet For Strider

Capcom and Double Helix have released a new trailer, screenshots and fact sheet for their upcoming downloadable game Strider.

FEATURES

• The ultimate ninja returns – Strider Hiryu, the original assassin that inspired many third person action titles returns in a completely new game for a new generation of gamers as he takes on the Grand Master Meio
• Lightning fast combat – Use an arsenal of moves and weapons against your enemies whilst slicing your way through a massive interconnected game world
• Plasma Cyphers – From scorching enemies to freezing them in their tracks or deflecting a host of bullets, the indestructible plasma charged cypher offers a range of action tactics for players to use against their foes
• Seamless Traversal – Jump, climb and run through the expansive game world with the speed and agility of a ninja whilst climbing surfaces to gain that extra height and engaging the enemy from virtually any direction
• Varied enemy design – From cybernetic soldiers to immense bio-mechanical creatures the enemy types in Strider guarantee engaging and unique combat challenges
• Call on your allies – Hiryu’s robot allies the Eagle and Satellite Bots return, providing additional support and access to out of reach areas

Screenshots


Fact Sheet

Nintendo Announce Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies Comes Out 24th October

Nintendo have announced Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies is set to come out on 3DS on 24th October. Capcom and Nintendo have also released a new cinematic trailer for the game introducing the two main characters.



Press Releases

Capcom And Wayforward Have Released A XBLA launch Trailer For Ducktails Remastered

Capcom have released a new launch trailer for Ducktails Remastered. the game is coming out on Xbox 360 XBLA and this trailer features praise the game received in reviews when it was released on other consoles as well as showing some in-game action.

Capcom Have Released A Launch Trailer For Lost Planet 3

Capcom have released a launch trailer for Lost Planet 3, a game that is coming out from now across PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

Capcom Announce Breath of Fire II Is Coming To The Wii U Virtual Console

Capcom have announced that in the upcoming months they will be releasing the SNES game Breath of Fire II on the Wii U Virtual Console.



Source: Capcom Unity

Capcom Announce The Soundtrack To Resident Evil 6 Is Out Now To Download

Capcom have announced the Resident Evil 6 soundtrack is out now digitally. you can download the album from iTunes and Sumthing Else or you can wait for it to appear on Amazon. there was a mix of internal Capcom composers and others working on the soundtrack, they include Kota Suzuki, Akihiko Narita, Akiyuki Morimoto, Thomas Parisch, Laurent Zilani, Daniel Lindholm and Sebastian Schwartz.

Source: Capcom Unity

Wayforward Have Released A New DuckTales Remastered Trailer And Screenshots Showing The African Mines Stage

Capcom and Wayforward have released a new trailer, screenshots and character art for DuckTales Remastered. these focus on the African Mines stage in the game, showing it in action and some of the enemies and puzzles you'll face.



Screenshots


Character Art

Wayforward Have Released A Second DuckTales Remastered Duckumentary Focusing On Art Design

Wayforward have released their second Duckumentary for DuckTales Remastered. this video focuses on the art design of the game. the video starts by offering some history of the design of the characters by Carl Barks and how much importance they put on getting the right look and style. the characters had to not only look right, but also look right in the game and animated right. the video uses in-game action, artwork and pictures from comics.

Capcom And Microsoft Have Released A Behind The Scenes Look At Dead Rising 3

Capcom and Microsoft have released the first behind the scenes look at Dead Rising 3. this video has members of the dev team talking about things including what they are able to do on the Xbox One that they couldn't do before. this includes the player yelling out to Kinect as a distraction for the zombies, the world is also larger than any of the previous games combines. the video also shows in-game action, showing a variety of ways you can kill zombies and costumes you can wear.

Capcom And Double Helix Reveal Strider, Coming In Early 2014 For PS3, PS4, PC, Xbox 360 And Xbox One

Capcom and Double Helix have revealed Strider, a brand new game coming in early 2014 digitally across PS3, PS4, PC, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. whilst this is a new title, Strider aims to have the fluid, lightning quick combat and free flowing traversal the franchise is known for.





Screenshots


Press Release

Capcom Have Released A New DuckTales Remastered Trailer And Screenshots Showing The Himalayas Level

Capcom and Wayforward have released a new trailer and screenshots for DuckTales Remastered. these are from the Himalayas level in the game and show it in action.



Screenshots


Character Art

Capcom Reveal The DuckTales: Remastered Retail Edition, PS3 Only With Exclusive Pin

Capcom have announced that on PS3, they will be releasing DuckTales: Remastered at retail in the USA. this retail edition will come with a download code for DuckTales: Remastered and a exclusive DuckTales Collectors Pin. it will hit retail on 20th August for $19.99. DuckTales: Remastered will also come out digitally across Steam, PSN, Wii U on 13th August and on 11th September on XBLA.

Source: Capcom Unity