|
Post by Sarge on Jan 10, 2018 12:14:55 GMT -5
If I ever get around to playing through Ar Tonelico 2, it'll be via the patched version. Thankfully, that bug at the end was fixed with it, and there's also a 480p patch that clears up the visuals a bit when playing on TVs with poor deinterlacing routines.
|
|
|
Post by Ex on Jan 10, 2018 12:35:39 GMT -5
I did not know about those patches, thanks for the info! I've always known about the final boss bug, really nasty thing.
|
|
|
Post by Sarge on Jan 10, 2018 13:25:20 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Ex on Jan 10, 2018 13:53:59 GMT -5
Thanks for the links. I've also seen a patch to make the English version "undubbed". Meaning the audio is back to Japanese.
People get really particular about Ar Tonelico 2!
|
|
|
Post by toei on Jan 10, 2018 14:46:04 GMT -5
There's a quite a few on these undubbed patches for PS2 games. I'm all for it, I hate bad dubs and even "good" dubs are often too cartoony/goofy for me (I'm less likely to notice or care if they're too much in Japanese). I wish Way of the Samurai 2 got the same treatment, I want to get into that series but the English-language release for the second has horrible cartoon voice acting you can't turn off.
|
|
|
Post by laurenhiya21 on Jan 11, 2018 1:41:47 GMT -5
Ah I wish I knew how to do use sorts of patches for PS2 stuff haha. The buggered boss was such a pain! I had to use an exploit to beat it (which thankfully wasn't too difficult to pull off).
Didn't know there was an "undub" patch though. You can select Japanese voices in the unpatched game, but I think NIS buggered that up too since 90% of the time they won't play. Just no voice acting at all for most of the game :l
It makes me so sad that the game could have been a lot better if NIS hadn't buggered up so much...
|
|
|
Post by dunpeal2064 on Jan 15, 2018 5:53:08 GMT -5
Shoot, I thought I posted in here already. I actually made a point of playing through a decent amount of games last year, particularly 16-bit games that I was ashamed to have never beaten. So, some stiff competition for me in 2017. Runner Ups:Earthbound - This game took me forever to finally get into. Probably about 4 attempts that ended a few hours in, over the span of several years. For some reason, in my last attempt, things clicked, and I sailed through this one. While I don't think I have the same admiration for it as its fans, I did find the game to be nice, fun, light-hearted, and charming, moreso than I had expected. The game is basically the reverse of what I usually look for in a game, as its systems and engine are unremarkable, and it was really the writing and general atmosphere that did it for me. Lufia II - While not my GoTY, this was easily the most surprisingly good game I played last year. I went in expecting a nice little romp, and was met with a rather ambitious, but more importantly, fully realized game. The game does a lot, with its puzzles, Pokemon raising, Dragon Ball hunting, rogue-like side dungeon madness, but it never feels obese like many RPGs chalk full of content do to me. The game always felt slick, well-paced, and fun. Its intuitive, despite doing so much. I liked this game more than Earthbound, and it is one I will definitely be playing again, probably this year. This game deserves a spot alongside the SNES juggernauts, and not in the honorable mentions/hidden gems tab is it most often relegated to. Donkey Kong Country 2 - I actually got upset at how much I enjoyed this, as I was always a stalwart "First DKC is best" kinda guy. But, for me, this game undoubtedly surpassed its predecessor in so many ways that its hard to ignore. It is, in many ways, just the first game with more stuff, but I think the first DKC needed that sort of sequel. Better bosses (by a mile), and ideas that were pushed much further than the original. Also, way more diversity in the levels. I could not believe they were still introducing new concepts for levels in the last zone of the game. This is in my top 3 SNES platformers now, easily. Absolutely fantastic game, and would have easily been my retro game of the year any other year. Game of the Year:Super Metroid
Yeah, somehow I had never played through this until last year. No nostalgia here, nor much love for the series in general, or even the genre, despite playing plenty of vanias. This game, though, is just stunning. Its so, so good. Its a game that gives me feels similar to watching the original Ghost in the Shell, where its hard to even break apart all the things it did right, and I find myself wanting to use words like "perfect" to describe. Easily my favorite metroidvania game to date, and one of my favorite games on the SNES. I know everyone knows this, and I should have known it was good all along, but there is something particularly exciting about playing a game this praised, and this old, and still coming away completely in love. I just realized these are all SNES games. Lol.
|
|
|
Post by Ex on Jan 15, 2018 10:36:38 GMT -5
While I don't think I have the same admiration for it as its fans, I did find the game to be nice, fun, light-hearted, and charming, moreso than I had expected. I'm pretty sure this will be my takeaway when I play through it too. I really need to this year. I'd like to check out Mother 3, but it'd be dumb to do that without playing through Earthbound first. This is in my top 3 SNES platformers now, easily. I started playing through DKC2 last year. I beat the first three areas, and got a bit aggravated with it. I can see the improvements you're talking about, but overall the MO seemed; "Let's make DCK again, but much harder this time". Granted I have not beaten DKC2 yet, so I can't say that with total confidence. I will say that DKC2's music and graphics are right up there with DKC. DKC2 has some moody tracks I really love. I know everyone knows this, and I should have known it was good all along, but there is something particularly exciting about playing a game this praised, and this old, and still coming away completely in love. Super Metroid is hard not to love. But I'll make a confession, I haven't beaten Super Metroid in almost a quarter century. Why? Well, I played, beat, and adored Super Metroid when I bought it in 1994. I was one of only two people I knew in real life who had it. And the other guy felt the same way I did about the game, it was phenomenal. But after that, I've never played through Super Metroid again. Part of the reason is I very rarely replay games all the way to completion. I have a very good memory for what happens in games, so doing so is just an exercise in deja vu. As such, I think that I remember nearly everything that happens in Super Metroid, but I could be wrong. I should replay Super Metroid to test that theory. Anyway, I'm glad you played through it man! And I'm happy Super Metroid lived up to the hype for you. It's not too often you get to play a retro game that you've seen praised to the stars over and over again, and upon playing said game actually takes you there.
|
|
|
Post by Xeogred on Jan 15, 2018 13:41:24 GMT -5
Time to break the curse and replay Super Metroid, Ex. I bet 100 Sonic Rings you've forgotten something in there. Easy to knock out in a few hours too. I'm so envious of dunpeal playing it new in this day and age!
What are your top 3 SNES platformers, dunpeal? My love for Yoshi's Island boosted a bit again when I finally replayed it a few years ago. I'm having a hard time thinking of how I'd rank things. With all the DKC2 talk here lately though and one of my favorite streamers playing DKC1, it might be time for me to hit some of these up again myself hehe. I did only a few years ago on the Wii U VC but I go back to them a ton. I still like DKC1 the most personally, it's a bit more colorful and upbeat, I just freaking love the levels and the simplicity of it compared to the sequels. I like when direct sequels ramp up the difficulty a lot though and in ways DKC2 picks up directly after DKC1, they're like one huge adventure. DKC3 is the weird one... I hate the first two worlds, but after that it's pretty great. This was when Rare got a little crazy with collectibles and such though.
I played Lufia 2 a few years ago and really dug it. It's a weird combination of so many other games and ideas haha. I never beat it, but I enjoyed my time with it. I couldn't get into the first one.
|
|
|
Post by Sarge on Jan 15, 2018 22:15:57 GMT -5
I've always put Lufia II right up there with the best of the system. For me, it's at least as good as Final Fantasy III. Easily one of the best RPGs that we got over here.
Too bad later entries didn't capture the magic of this one. The GBC game is apparently solid to start, but goes downhill quickly, and the GBA game lacks the character and snappiness in battle. No wonder it's the one that was targeted for a reimagining (that we can't talk about until 2020, heh!).
The first Lufia has an interesting plot and characters, in my opinion, but the gameplay is pretty bog-standard. On top of that, the random battle rate can get absolutely ridiculous. In many ways it is an 8-bit game with a 16-bit veneer.
|
|